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ST. LOUIS -- You can forget seeing Jaroslav Halak come to the rescue for the Blues.

"He won’t play in the series," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said in dropping a minibomb after his team’s 5-2 loss Monday night to fall behind 2-0 in its second-round series with L.A.

Halak hasn’t played since suffering a suspected ankle injury 49 seconds into Game 2 against San Jose in the opening round.

Brian Elliott gave up five goals on 21 shots Monday night, although he was hardly fully to blame, as his team’s defensive coverage was porous.

Power-play Blues

Where Hitchcock was the most concerned through two games in this series was on the power play.

The Blues went 0-for-9 with the man advantage Monday night and now are 0-for-12 for the series. Including their regular-season games with the Kings this year, they’re now 0-for-23 overall.

To make matters worse, the Kings have scored two short-handed goals in the series, including Anze Kopitar’s beautiful tally Monday night that made it 2-0 at 14:16 of the first period.

"The power play is costing us in a big way,” Hitchcock said. "It’s hurting us. Short-handed goals take away a lot of momentum. We’ve had two [against them] in two games. Careless play by us."

Blues captain David Backes figures the Kings don’t mind taking penalties because of it.

"The way our power play's going, they were taking liberties left and right because they kill it off, they score on the penalty kill,” Backes said. "That's a good thing for them. It's something we'll look hard at and Thursday be better at."

Penner on fire

The much-maligned Dustin Penner has one goal and three assists through two games in the series.

He’s been an effective force on a line with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

Who knew?

"It’s good to see that emotional investment from Dustin, right?" Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "Good to see and good for him. I said it before the series, we need him to have a good series."

St. Louis Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak did not take part in practice Wednesday as a suspected ankle injury keeps him on the shelf.

"He’s not going to play obviously tomorrow," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said after practice. "He skated yesterday. So we’ll just keep him working back toward here sometime, but right now he’s just not available. So Brian's [Brian Elliott] the guy."

Elliott has been rock solid since taking over early in the second period of Game 2 when Halak was injured.

"We’ve had confidence in [Elliott] since Day 1," said Hitchcock.

"I don’t think a lot bothers him. And if it does bother him, he shakes it off pretty quickly. He’s got good focus."

Sharks' changes don't go unnoticed

The Blues were cognizant of the Sharks’ lineup changes, at least what San Jose displayed at practice Wednesday.

"They’ve obviously made some changes, I think it’s the coach’s obligation to make changes," Hitchcock said. "I think when you’re not happy with your team, win or lose, you have to make changes."

Michal Handzus, who played for Hitchcock in Philadelphia, could possibly be playing in his first game of the playoffs for the Sharks if lines from Wednesday’s practice hold firm.

"I know Michal very well and he’s a proud guy, he’s going to want to get in and you’re going to get 100 percent from him," Hitchcock said.

The Blues are leaning toward the same lineup from Game 3.

"Same lineup but I think you’ll see a different rotation," Hitchcock said.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Still lots of buzz Monday morning at HP Pavilion about the craziness around the playoffs in terms of fisticuffs and dirty play.

"A lot of the series [are in] borderline chaos right now,’’ Sharks coach Todd McLellan said after his team’s morning skate.

And why is that?

"I don’t know, I don’t have an answer for it,” he said. "The other series, we’re all watching them because we’re hockey people and we get excited by the playoffs, but it’s amazing what’s going on right now. Maybe some of the messages will be delivered today [by the NHL] and everyone will reel it in a little bit. But high stakes, high emotions, competitive players, many that are crossing the line.’’

Hitchcock had a slightly different view.

"I don’t agree with that, I think organized chaos would be better (way to put it),’’ said the Blues coach. "I know it doesn’t look organized to you, but it is. This is why the players play. This is what happens when you have a lot of young players in the league. It’s very emotional, it’s very intense. ...

"For me, it’s chaos, I agree on that with Todd, but I still think there’s still organization to it. Otherwise if there isn’t, we don’t have jobs. We might as well just turn them loose. We have to keep our jobs, you know?’’

Hitchcock believes the parity in today’s NHL also plays into it.

"You could predict pretty comfortably before who could win series, you can’t do that anymore in hockey,’’ said the Blues coach. "The eighth seeds are just as good as the ones. ... I just think that everybody thinks they can win right now, there isn’t one team that’s playing in the playoffs right now that doesn’t think it can win. So that makes for at times nasty play when you’re getting it taken to you.’’

The Blues and Sharks ended Game 2 with a fight-filled melee. The Sharks are real unhappy with what they feel was a sucker-punch from Vladimir Sobotka on Dominic Moore, which left Moore with a broken nose. Moore didn’t skate Monday morning (although he did on Sunday). The Blues, meanwhile, aren’t happy with Brent Burns’ elbow/punch to the head of Scott Nichol. So both teams feel the other team crossed the line in some fashion.

McLellan wants his team to be passionate but to know where the line is.

"You want that emotional attachment to the game, you just can’t have it go too far,’’ he said.

The Sharks are a veteran team, so expect them to hold their composure Monday night.

"The smarter team probably wins at the end,’’ said Sharks winger Martin Havlat. "You don’t want to take any stupid penalties and get the other team on the power play. You got to be smart and pick your spot.’’

Sharks' offense
The Sharks didn’t generate much in the second and third periods Saturday night. The Blues, the NHL’s stingiest team in the regular season, shut them down.

"To be successful tonight and moving forward, we have to take it up a notch,” said McLellan. "We’ll be tested and it’ll be a great test for our group.’’

The Sharks coach hinted at possible lineup changes without naming names.

"Do we need some size in and around the net? Perhaps,” he said. "Is it around their net or in and around our net? We’ll have to make a decision there.’’

My guess is that veteran blueliner Colin White might play his first game of the series.

Faceoffs are key
The Sharks were one of the better faceoff teams in the NHL this season but the Blues have edged them so far, St. Louis winning 52 percent in Game 1 and 55 percent in Game 2.

"We can be better,” said McLellan. "There weren’t many times during the regular season where we lost the faceoff battle back-to-back. And we’ve done that in this series.’’

Stewart back in
Chris Stewart checks back in for the Blues after the winger was scratched in Game 2 -- a decision that got much attention.

"The message was sent and I think it was received loud and clear," Stewart said Monday morning after the skate. "I’m going to go out there and work my (butt) off. You see the last game, those are the games you dream about. End of the game and you win and there’s a line brawl and stuff like that. That’s stuff you want to be a part of. I was obviously disappointed I didn’t get to experience that. But that’s the good thing about this game, you get a chance tonight to redeem yourself."

It’s not every day in the playoffs that a coach changes a winning lineup, but Ken Hitchcock has a hunch Stewart will have an impact after sitting out for the first time this season.

"I think we’ll get a good player tonight," Hitchcock said.

"We need his A game," he added. "When he’s playing, he’s a hard guy to play against. He plays physical, plays a lot like Milan (Lucic) does in Boston. So we need him in. He’s got good hands, can score from the inside, he’s a guy that gives us a chance to get way more 5-on-5 scoring chances, which we’re going to need on the road. We’re not getting enough of those."

Just who exactly Stewart is replacing wasn’t announced. Judging from lines at practice, it would appear Matt D’Agostini might be out although there are whispers that Blues are also debating taking out Jason Arnott.

"That one I haven’t made up my mind yet for,’’ Hitchcock said. "We’ll take that one into warm-up and figure it out from there."

Halak update
Injured Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak did not take part in Monday morning’s skate.

"He’s day to day,’’ said Hitchcock. "We’ll just see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll see if we’re going to get him back in any short period of time here. We’re not really sure.’’

Nichol is OK
Blues fourth-line center Scott Nichol took a punch/elbow to the head from Brent Burns in Game 2 but said Monday he was fine.

Nichol is in the unique position of being involved in an emotional and physical series against players who were his friends and teammates for two years when he played in San Jose.

"It’s part of the business,’’ Nichol said Monday morning. "Everyone wants to win so bad. You compete so hard. You put all the personal stuff aside and you dig in. This is your team. We want to win just as bad as they do. There’s no cutting deals, that’s for sure.’’

From the NHL's official release:

MALKIN, STAMKOS, ELLIOTT AND HALAK CAPTURE NHL TROPHIES


NEW YORK (April 8, 2012) – Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin captured his second career Art Ross Trophy as the National Hockey League’s scoring champion, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos claimed his second Maurice Richard Trophy as the League’s goal-scoring leader, and St.
Louis Blues goaltenders Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak combined to win their first William Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders on the club allowing the fewest goals during the 2011-12 regular season.

The four trophy winners will be honored at the 2012 NHL Awards, which will be held Wednesday, June 20 at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Malkin finished the 2011-12 regular season with a League-leading 109 points (50-59--109), ahead of Stamkos (60-37--97) and Philadelphia Flyers right wing Claude Giroux (28-65--93) for the Art Ross Trophy, the second of his career (2008-09). Malkin is the third repeat winner in Penguins franchise history, joining Mario Lemieux (six times) and Jaromir Jagr (five). He registered points in 60 of the 75 games he played in (80%) and became the first player since 1995-96 to record five or more points at least four times in one season. Malkin also finished second in the NHL with a career-high 50 goals and led the League with 339 shots on goal. He is first scoring champion to win by a double-digit margin since Jagr finished
20 points ahead of Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne in 1998-99 (127-107).

Stamkos scored 60 goals to capture his second Maurice Richard Trophy (2009-10), finishing ahead of Malkin (50) and New York Rangers right wing Marian Gaborik (41). Stamkos scored his 60th goal in Tampa Bay's season finale Saturday at Winnipeg, becoming the first player to score 60 goals since 2007-08 (Ovechkin, 65); before Ovechkin, the last time a player hit
60 was 1995-96 (Mario Lemieux, 69; Jaromir Jagr, 62). He tied for the League lead with Phoenix's Radim Vrbata in game-winning goals (12) and scored an NHL-record five overtime goals. Stamkos totaled 48 even-strength scores, the most of any player since 1992-93. He has 156 goals since the start of the 2009-10 season, 36 more than the next-closest player (Alex Ovechkin, 120).

Elliott and Halak sparkled on a St. Louis team that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL (165), capturing their first William Jennings Trophy and the second in Blues history (1999-2000, Roman Turek). The duo combined for a League-high 15 shutouts, tying a modern NHL record set by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1969-70 and surpassing the club mark of 13 set by Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante in 1968-69. Elliott (nine) and Halak (six) also are the first tandem in NHL history to record at least six shutouts apiece in the same season.

Elliott led the NHL with a 1.56 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. He set franchise records with nine shutouts and a 241:33 shutout streak, also personal bests. His three consecutive shutouts March
22-27 equaled the franchise mark set by Greg Millen in 1988-89.

Halak ranked fifth in the NHL with a 1.97 goals-against average and posted a .926 save percentage. He won a career-high eight consecutive decisions, including six straight on the road, Feb. 23 – March 11.

1. Habs restructuring starts anew. Well, cue the Patrick Roy frenzy once more in Montreal. When the Montreal Canadiens announced Thursday morning that they had fired GM Pierre Gauthier and begun the search for his successor, it means the return-of-Roy rumors will once again pick up steam. We’ve been curious to see how Canadiens owner, president and CEO Geoff Molson follows up his in-season bumbling and whether he guides the storied franchise back on track or whether he is the catalyst for even more chaos and disrepair.

Molson, of course, dithered when head coach Jacques Martin was fired and interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth was discovered to be -- gasp -- a plain old Anglophone. Instead of backing off the hounds in the French press and angry fans who demanded that their coach speak French regardless of coaching acumen, Molson mumbled via a release that it was important that the Habs’ coach, whomever that might be, speak French and that the position would be re-evaluated at the end of the season. He has made the first -- most would say obvious -- move of dispatching Gauthier, who had made a hash of the club’s roster both in terms of talent and salary structure. Molson’s tepid response to Cunneyworth’s status ensures the Habs will also be looking for a new -- read: bilingual or Francophone -- head coach this summer. Reports had percolated recently that Molson had already reached out to Hall of Famer and Habs icon Patrick Roy about a top-level position with the Habs as either head coach or GM. Roy, who loves to hear his name connected to Habs positions, denied the reports, but with Gauthier officially out of the picture that discussion will no doubt intensify.

Could Roy -- part owner, GM and head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League -- become a passable NHL head coach? Maybe, although the number of coaches who make a seamless jump from juniors to the NHL is negligible. Check out Brent Sutter and Pete DeBoer’s playoff records since making such a leap, while Dale Hunter is in the process of coaching the Washington Capitals out of the playoffs for the first time since 2007 after coming aboard from the junior ranks earlier this season.

Regardless, Molson’s first and arguably most important order of business will be in finding a replacement for Gauthier. We don’t think Molson has the stomach to hire outside the language bubble, which means he’s already limiting himself to candidates only with French language skills. That said, there are a number of interesting candidates, including former Hab front office man Julien BriseBois, who spent nine years with the club and is now the assistant GM in Tampa. There’s also Claude Loiselle, who does much of the contract heavy lifting in Toronto as assistant GM. Marc Bergevin, the assistant GM in Chicago, is another name you’ll hear bandied about, as well as that of former Hab captain Vincent Damphousse. The timing is interesting, but one assumes Molson will want to move quickly to name a successor so he can prepare for the draft, which would put BriseBois and Loiselle in good stead given that both their current teams won’t be in the playoffs either, so they are doing a lot of the same work.

2. How about Hartley as coach? When it comes to potential coaching options, Geoff Molson should be looking toward Switzerland if he’s looking at an option to replace Randy Cunneyworth.

We managed to hook up with former Atlanta Thrashers/Colorado Avalanche head coach Bob Hartley via Skype this week. He showed us the view outside his window in a small village just outside Zurich, where he is in the midst of a rather remarkable playoff run.

Hartley’s Zurich Lions squad has come out of the seventh seed to knock off the top two teams in the Swiss elite league and begins the final series next week against Bern. His squad has gone 8-0 in the postseason, including beating a Davos team that had beaten Zurich six straight times during the regular season. Led by former Vancouver Canuck Jeff Tambellini, Hartley’s squad has outscored opponents 30-9 in their eight playoff games.

“He had an unbelievable season, but he’s found another gear,” Hartley said of Tambellini, whom he likened to former Colorado captain Joe Sakic.

Other former NHLers playing for Hartley include Steve McCarthy and Cory Murphy. He also has a 43-year-old netminder in Ari Sulander on his roster.

“I think he played against Tretiak,” Hartley said, joking.

Hartley has embraced the culture in Switzerland, both on and off the ice. The cities in the elite league are so close that the players sleep in their own bed at night, and some opponents are less than half an hour away.

“We could dress in our own dressing room” for some road games, Hartley said, joking.

There is plenty of time for practice and the former Cup winner has enjoyed the teaching element of the game in Switzerland, especially with a team that features a number of 20-something skaters.

Hartley pointed his computer around the balcony of his apartment so we could say hello to his next-door neighbor and assistant coach, Jacques Cloutier.

The Zurich airport is nearby but there are also cows and goats and strawberry fields. His wife walks with a little cart like the locals to the nearby grocery store that is a fraction of the size of the supermarkets in North America.

“I know I wanted to coach. I know I still loved coaching but I love this league,” Hartley said.

When it comes to a return to the NHL, Hartley is cautious, saying he wants to focus on the current playoff run. He has another season on his contract with the Lions and he's loving life in Switzerland. But it would likewise be a shock if a handful of teams -- starting with the Montreal Canadiens and possibly a new team in Quebec City -- weren't interested in talking to Hartley about possible openings.

Another team that might want to start thinking about talking to the Lions and Hartley about prying him away from his new hockey home in the Alps is the Calgary Flames, where old friend Jay Feaster is the GM. Among the team’s players is Alex Tanguay, who won a Cup in Colorado under Hartley back in 2001.

3. Speaking of Patrick Roy and Quebec and all things relocation. What’s the biggest difference between what we saw and heard a year ago from the True North group that was waiting to buy and relocate the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg and the folks in Quebec City, who are likewise desperate to see the NHL return to the provincial capital? Do you remember the Winnipeg group clamoring and banging the drums about their plans to make ready for a return of the NHL to their prairie city? The short answer is no. That’s what made Mark Chipman and the new owners of the Jets so attractive to the NHL. Relocation is a touchy subject for commissioner Gary Bettman and the league. It’s an admission of failure on a number of levels and when it happens, as it did a year ago -- and as it might happen in the coming weeks when the Phoenix Coyotes saga is finally brought to a close -- the league wants it done with a certain amount of decorum.

Now, you can’t blame people in Quebec City for being excited that funding has been approved for a new $400 million arena that could -- the operative word is could -- host an NHL club, but having a big news conference last Sunday to announce it (who has a news conference on a Sunday, anyway?) simply runs contrary to the way the NHL likes to do business. You’ll notice that with all the backslapping over the arena plans, there wasn’t one NHL executive on hand to share in the excitement. Bettman has been consistent with his message vis-a-vis all matters of relocation: He understands the excitement in places like Quebec City and Seattle, but no promises have been made, and when they are made it will be quietly and, if Winnipeg is any guide, at the last minute. A press conference like last Sunday's, regardless of whether the main players steadfastly refused to discuss the possibility of the NHL returning to the province, drives up the very expectations the NHL is keen to keep under control.

Rest assured, the NHL was not pleased with those proceedings, and it’s never a good thing to annoy the gatekeepers of the club you’re hoping to join. Remember how Jim Balsillie came in guns a-blazing, trying to make the NHL bend to his will as he attempted to become an owner? How did that work out? The folks in Quebec City would do well to take a page out of the Winnipeg playbook and sit quietly and wait for events to unfold, or run the risk of finding themselves with a new building completely void of NHL hockey players.

4. Blues in a good position. We were chatting with St. Louis Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock the other day and the topic came up of how he was going to handle his starting goaltenders come playoff time. He immediately recoiled.

“I’m trying to not make that call until I absolutely have to. I’m trying to not think about it,” Hitchcock said with a laugh.

No wonder. This conversation took place shortly before Brian Elliott shut out the Cup-hopeful Nashville Predators on Tuesday night by a 3-0 count, for Elliott’s third straight shutout. The whitewashing gave Elliott nine shutouts for the season, tied with Jonathan Quick of Los Angeles for the league lead. Along with teammate Jaroslav Halak, the Blues’ netminders have combined for 15 shutouts this season, tying a record for the most by a team in the post-expansion era.

The Blues hold down the top seed in the Western Conference and are in the hunt for the Presidents’ Trophy, and that has set up an interesting dilemma for Hitchcock as he begins to contemplate naming his starting goaltender for the playoffs. The prevailing sentiment has been that Hitchcock will turn to Halak, who was outstanding for Montreal in 2010 when the 8th-seed Habs upended Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington and then the defending Stanley Cup champs from Pittsburgh. But Hitchcock isn’t tipping his hand, which isn’t surprising given how good Elliott -- the league leader in goals-against average and save percentage -- has been.

The Blues are in an enviable position in being able to choose between two goaltenders who are on a collision course with a William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals during the season. While other teams are riding their No. 1 netminder just to get in the playoff door, both Elliott and Halak should be well-primed for the postseason without being overworked.

“I’m trying to keep both guys really active and engaged,” Hitchcock said.

The veteran coach said he’ll go “more by feel” when it comes to handling the goaltending duties once the playoffs begin. He also knows if he needs to make a goaltending change at any point he won’t have to wait until the situation is dire.

“We’re in a very unique situation. We don’t have to get into where it’s a last-gasp situation before we decided to try something different” when it comes to goaltending, Hitchcock said.

It goes without saying that the Blues play equally well in front of either goaltender.

Former NHL netminder John Davidson, now the team’s president, said there’s been absolutely no conflict between the two netminders, even though both are highly competitive and want to play.

“There’s not been one iota of an issue, zero,” Davidson told ESPN.com.

As for the theory that a team has to identify a starting goaltender before the playoffs, Davidson understands it exists but he doesn’t buy that it’s not a blueprint for postseason success.

5. Who else has a crowded crease? If we accept, then, that the Blues have the ultimate goaltending tandem heading into the postseason, what other team(s) boast a comparable one-two punch, and could such a tandem be key to a long playoff run?

The obvious No. 2 tandem behind Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak would be the Roberto Luongo-Cory Schneider duo in Vancouver. The Canucks rank fourth overall in goals against per game and there has been a more or less equitable split in duties, with Schneider playing a career-high 30 games and standing second in the league in save percentage and fifth in goals-against average.

While Luongo would be expected to be the Game 1 starter when the playoffs begin, like Hitchcock, Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault won’t be waiting until the Canucks’ backs are against the wall to make a switch if Luongo struggles.

After the Blues and Canucks, there is a significant drop-off in terms of viable goaltending depth come playoff time. If Tuukka Rask is healthy, he has the tools to come on in relief of Tim Thomas for Boston, but his return from injury in time for the start of the playoffs is uncertain. The Devils have an interesting duo in Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg, who have split time this season, although Brodeur, the winningest goaltender of all time, is the obvious No. 1. Still, the 38-year-old Hedberg has experience and Brodeur has struggled in the playoffs since the Devils’ last Cup win in 2003.

Chicago fans have enjoyed a high level of angst regarding their goaltending situation this season (they rank a pedestrian 22nd in goals allowed per game), although Corey Crawford has rediscovered his mojo in recent weeks. Still, Ray Emery has turned in some nice stretches for the Hawks and we have no doubt that head coach Joel Quenneville will have no compunctions about making a goaltending switch should Crawford hit a rocky stretch this spring.

Finally, while the Florida Panthers are lightly regarded as a playoff team, the Southeast Division leaders are on the verge of heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2000, and both starter Jose Theodore and veteran backup Scott Clemmensen have done a nice job down the stretch in keeping the team afloat even as the Cats’ offense has dried up.

As for the rest, well, let’s just say there are a lot of coaches and GMs hoping for good health so they don’t have to consider Plan B.

Craig Custance and Pierre LeBrun take on the big topics of the day. Let's go!

CUSTANCE: Good morning, Pierre. Huge game last night in Washington with the Sabres picking up an impressive 5-1 win over the Capitals, seizing control of the No. 8 spot in the East. I thought you did a great job of capturing the moment the game turned in your recap focusing on the Sabres' shorthanded goal that gave Buffalo a 4-1 lead in the second period. There was a lot of hype leading up to this game and the Sabres have certainly gained control of the race for the final playoff spot, but this wasn't the clincher. That was the Capitals' message from Brooks Laich to reporters after the game. "The season isn't over. There's five hockey games left," he said. "It's a tough loss but not a devastating one. We reduce ourselves to fighting every day." But now they need help, and when you look at the Sabres' schedule and see two games remaining against the Maple Leafs, the reality is the Caps might not get any.

LEBRUN: And on the surface, the Sabres have two tough ones to end their schedule with road games at Philadelphia and Boston. On the other hand, those games might likely be meaningless to those teams, which should play into Buffalo’s hands. The focus for so long has been on the eighth spot in the East for the Sabres but now they’re just two points behind seventh-place Ottawa, as well. There’s still lots to play out but it’s hard to see the red-hot Sabres not getting in at this point. Speaking of teams trying to get in, the Western Conference race gets back at it tonight with Pacific Division clubs Los Angeles, Dallas and San Jose all back at it in separate games. The Sharks, in Anaheim on Wednesday night, lead the division by one point over the Stars and Coyotes, and only two points over the Kings, who are in Calgary on Wednesday night. The Flames refuse to go away, sitting two points out of a playoff spot in the West, setting up what should be a playoff atmosphere between the Kings and Flames in Calgary on Wednesday night. The Kings are coming off two straight losses, having been shut out 1-0 in Vancouver on Monday night. Scoring first will be huge tonight for a team that’s been shut out 10 times this season.

CUSTANCE: For the Kings, scoring at all will be huge. But even with their consecutive losses, the way Los Angeles has been grinding out wins over the past few weeks has impressed opposing coaches. The Kings are miserable to play against and have been in full playoff mode for a while. I still think they get in. San Jose plays Anaheim, with the Sharks wrapping up their season playing only teams in the Pacific the rest of the way, a fact not lost on their rivals. "Of all the teams in the division here, they have the most games against the teams in the race -- two against L.A., two against Dallas," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said during a Monday chat. "They can really control their own destiny playing the teams in our division." But you're right, that game between Calgary and Los Angeles is a huge one. Calgary is hanging around but the Flames' playoff hopes would be all but extinguished with a regulation loss there. I feel for the Coyotes, off since Sunday, who have to feel a bit helpless sitting and watching Western Conference rivals pick up crucial points in the playoff race.

LEBRUN: Speaking of helpless, the young-and-gun Colorado Avalanche play in Vancouver on Wednesday night and likely either have to run the table on their final four games or at least win three games to have any chance. The Avs sit only one point back of the eighth spot but have played more games, 78, than any of the other teams battling for those two final playoff spots. The Avs will face Cory Schneider in goal for Vancouver on Wednesday night. Our colleague, the veteran Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun, had a terrific column in today’s paper, musing about the fact veteran Roberto Luongo is taking a seat despite coming off a 38-save shutout of the Kings. MacIntyre’s point is that it’s clear head coach Alain Vigneault is prepping both his goalies carefully in the stretch run as if both might see some playoff action. It’s certainly not a bad thing for Luongo get some rest at this time of year with so little on the line for the Canucks. And I suspect Luongo will still be the starter in Game 1 of the playoffs. But you have that feeling Vigneault won’t be scared to go to Schneider if need be.

CUSTANCE: Nor should he be. Schneider is going to be a great goalie for somebody next season. But I think the rest he's been able to provide Luongo during the regular season could end up paying off for Luongo in the postseason. I'm a little concerned at the number of starts Pekka Rinne, Jonathan Quick and Marc-Andre Fleury are piling up heading into what could be a long spring. And what about St. Louis? What the heck is Ken Hitchcock supposed to do with his goalie situation? Brian Elliott set a franchise record with his ninth shutout last night. Nine! But it's Jaroslav Halak who has the playoff résumé. I asked Hitchcock which way he was leaning for the playoffs. "I don't want to make that decision, to be honest with you," he said. "I'm trying to hold that off as long as I can." It's a good problem to have in St. Louis.

LEBRUN: I’m pumped about beginning my playoff travels in St. Louis this season. Not nearly enough has been said about the Blues’ mind-boggling season. Last night marked their 15th shutout, tying a post-expansion NHL record. The NHL-leading Blues can’t make a bad choice in goal. And like Vigneault in Vancouver, the upside for Hitchcock is that he can switch it up in the playoffs if need be. That’s quite the luxury to have, especially in a salary-cap system that limits the kind of depth teams can accumulate. It’s why I hope Blues GM Doug Armstrong gets strong consideration for the GM of the Year Award.

Enjoy tonight’s action, Craig. Cheers.

From the NHL's official release:

BRYZGALOV, KOVALCHUK AND HALAK NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ OF THE WEEK


NEW YORK (March 12, 2012) – Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, New Jersey Devils left wing Ilya Kovalchuk and St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak have been named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending March 11.

FIRST STAR – ILYA BRYZGALOV, G, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Bryzgalov posted a 3-0-0 record, 0.65 goals-against average and .979 save percentage in three starts as the Flyers (39-22-7, 85 points) earned six out of a possible eight points. He began the week by making 37 saves in a 3-2 victory against the Detroit Red Wings March 6. Bryzgalov then recorded back-to-back shutouts, making 28 stops in a 5-0 win against the Florida Panthers March 8 and 29 saves, plus another two in the shootout, in a 1-0 victory at the Toronto Maple Leafs March 10. The Togliatti, Russia native hasn’t allowed a goal in 136:13 dating to the third period of Tuesday’s game against Detroit. He is 27-13-6 with a 2.59 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and five shutouts in 49 appearances during his first season with the Flyers.

SECOND STAR – ILYA KOVALCHUK, LW, NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Kovalchuk led all skaters with five goals and nine points as the Devils (40-24-5, 85 points) won four consecutive games. He had a goal and an assist in 4-1 victory against the New York Rangers March 6, recorded his 13th career hat trick in a 5-1 win against the New York Islanders March 8, collected an assist on the game-winning goal in 2-1 decision at the New York Islanders March 10 and closed the week with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers March 11. The Tver, Russia native has scored at least 30 goals in nine consecutive NHL seasons, making him only the third player born outside North America to accomplish that feat. He is sixth in the League with 71 points (30 goals, 41 assists) and has 11-20—31 and a +8 rating in 21 games since the All-Star break.

THIRD STAR – JAROSLAV HALAK, G, ST. LOUIS BLUES

Halak went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage as the Blues (45-18-7, 97 points) won four straight to move into first place in the League standings. He made 19 saves in a 5-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks March 6, 24 stops in a 3-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks March 8 and 33 saves in a 2-1 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets March 11. Halak has won a career-high eight consecutive games dating to Feb. 23, allowing no more than two goals in any of those starts.
The Bratislava, Slovakia native ranks second in the NHL with a 1.84 goals-against average and has a 24-10-5 record with a .928 save percentage and six shutouts in 40 appearances.

Here's all you need to know about the weekend's action without having to watch the pesky games. It's like CliffsNotes/Coles Notes without the gaudy bee stripes.

SUNDAY
--The Red Wings tied the record for most consecutive home wins, even without Jimmy Howard in net. They have a chance to set the record Tuesday against Dallas. Start covering the furniture with plastic because the champagne is coming out.
-- Evgeni Malkin continues to light it up, scoring a pair to give him a 5-5-10 February. El Penguinos don't need that Crosby fella.
-- Ryan Callahan made like Sam Gagner, scoring his fifth goal in three games to lead the Rangers over the Caps. The Rangers are 19-5-1 in their past 25 games. Considering the distractions his team has had this season, John Tortorella has to be a lock for the Jack Adams.
-- Jaroslav Halak earned his fifth shutout in his past 10 starts as the Blues blanked the Sharks. Oh, and as if the Blues aren't scary enough, Andy McDonald came back after sitting for 51 games as a concussed guy. Now if only someone would buy the team.
-- Corey Perry's not going anywhere, especially after firing his impressive hatter against the Woe Jackets.

SATURDAY
-- Mats Sundin's number was retired -- sorry, the Leafs are above that tradition, so that should be "honored" -- before the Leafs-Habs game. As is usually the case in Toronto, the fans got all teary-eyed about a great player they didn't appreciate when he was playing for them. Sundin did the best he could, people. Dude deserved more love after being the captain of a rodeo that had bucking broncos Shayne Corson, Darcy Tucker and Travis Green.
-- Again with the Evgeni Malkin: He kept the scorekeeper busy with his five-point night in a throwback 8-5 win over the Jets. Jordan Staal came back and scored, too. Sheesh. Cribbed from Elias: Malkin's third five-point game of the season made him one of three players to score five or more points in three games in one season since 1998–99. The other two: Alex Ovechkin, in 2007–08 and Sidney Crosby, in 2009–10.
-- The Bruins beat the Predators in a shootout. Pekka Rinne made twice as many saves as Tim Thomas, but lost anyway. I don't trust Google Translate, so I'm uncertain if the Finnish Pekka complained afterward on his Facebook page about the injustice of it all.
-- Sam Gagner ends his amazing scoring streak in Ottawa. Doesn't he know most out-of-town folks have to go across the river to Gatineau to score?

Is this the year of the top-six forward at the trade deadline?

Sure looks like it so far.

Nearly every buyer you talk to lists a top-six forward as an item on their wish list before the Feb. 27 trade deadline.

General managers are saying that goals are at a premium, since so many games are decided by one goal, so some playoff-bound teams are looking for one more offensive weapon.

"Our team is young and getting better and we see a lot of good things with our team right now, but if we can get a veteran forward or top-six forward, that would help us a lot," veteran Nashville Predators GM David Poile told ESPN.com this week.

Ah, but he’s not alone. Other teams confirmed to be looking for a top-six forward include Chicago, Toronto, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Detroit, the New York Rangers and, as Poile said, Nashville. San Jose could be in the mix for either a top-six forward or a checking-line forward. Boston and Vancouver are looking for a depth forward.

So, easier said than done when so many clubs are looking for similar assets.

"I’m running into the same thing everyone else is," said Poile, who did at least claim depth forward Brandon Yip off waivers Thursday. "There’s 15 to 20 teams right now that are aggressively calling the three or four or five teams that they think are appropriate to call. And there’s nothing happening with those teams right now."

What the trade market needs is more teams to declare themselves sellers and out of the playoff race. But it’s still too early for that. That’s what happens with so much parity in the standings.

Potential top-six forwards available? Again, it doesn’t mean all these players will move, but these are names we’ve heard that could be in play: Derek Roy, Brad Boyes and Drew Stafford in Buffalo; Vaclav Prospal, Antoine Vermette and Kristian Huselius in Columbus; Ales Hemsky in Edmonton; Tuomo Ruutu in Carolina; and the suddenly hot Jason Blake in Anaheim.

I believe both Detroit and Nashville are among the teams who like Hemsky, who is a UFA on July 1.

And of course there’s potentially Bobby Ryan in Anaheim as a trade target for many teams, although you wonder if the resurgence of the Ducks will give GM Bob Murray pause for thought. I still think Murray will take calls on Ryan right up through the deadline, but the offseason might afford a better window to instill more serious change in his lineup.

Blues' depth in goal

It wasn’t long after the St. Louis Blues announced the signing of Brian Elliott to a two-year, $3.6-million extension that some fans hit Twitter wondering whether that meant Jaroslav Halak was hitting the trade market.

Not so, says the GM of the Blues.

"We’re excited with the tandem that we have," Doug Armstrong told ESPN.com Thursday. "Our players know going into every game they have a chance to win regardless of who is in net. Sometimes when you have a 70-game goalie, when the other guy goes in, the players think it’s different. Right now, no matter who is in net for us, there’s no difference in our outlook on that game."

Like powerhouses Boston and Vancouver, the Blues are assured of top-notch goaltending every night and that can impact the standings.

"The importance of every point, the compacted schedule and the travel, we have the luxury of being able to count on two goalies every night," said Armstrong. "If it’s a four- or six-point difference from making or missing the playoffs, that position [netminder] can change that."

So if Halak and Elliott are both around to stay, what about No. 3 man Ben Bishop, currently in the AHL? There are some around the industry that think Bishop is one of the best netminders not in the NHL. He might garner some trade interest for St. Louis before Feb. 27.

Suter's future

Well, it wouldn’t be a week without a Ryan Suter update, right?

The dialogue continues with the Nashville Predators, Suter’s agent Neil Sheehy told ESPN.com Thursday, but there's really nothing new to report. By now everyone should know the star defenseman is slated for unrestricted free agency on July 1.

My take? I think the Suter camp is sitting back waiting to see what Poile can do to improve the team between now and the Feb. 27 trade deadline before deciding whether or not to sign.

So you’ve got a bit of the chicken and the egg here for Poile.

Most people believe Poile is going to be hard-pressed not to move Suter if he’s still unsigned by Feb. 27, but that’s not what the veteran GM told ESPN.com on Wednesday night.

"If you’re asking what I’m going to do, my gut is that we’re going to be trying to add to our team and if we’re adding to our team, we certainly don’t want to be taking away from it by making a deal like that," Poile said of trading Suter.

Shopping Niittymaki

The San Jose Sharks, as I reported earlier this season, would like to find a new NHL home for goalie Antero Niittymaki, who earns $2 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Sharks are showcasing him this weekend in the AHL; Niittymaki accepted a conditioning assignment Thursday to Worcester, where he was expected to start twice this weekend. Word is Niittymaki's surgically repaired hip is 100 percent. He'd be a decent pickup for a team needing insurance in goal.

Steckel can't escape Crosby

David Steckel won’t ever shake the questions. At least not unless Sidney Crosby returns for good.

Steckel’s collision with Crosby heard 'round the world more than a year ago at the Winter Classic is a subject he can’t escape.

"I can’t fault people for asking," Steckel told ESPN.com this week after a Toronto Maple Leafs practice. "There’s no way of taking it back. Obviously, I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just something that I’ve lived with for a year and I’m going to have to live with for my career."

The magnitude of Crosby’s concussion issues, including a setback this season after only an eight-game return, hasn’t escaped Steckel.

"It sucks that the best player in the NHL has been out for what, 11 of the past 12 months basically," said Steckel. "For the game, it sucks. For Pittsburgh, it sucks."

Career will go on for Alfredsson, Brodeur?

With the news this week that Martin Brodeur is learning towards playing another season, I approached Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson in the same vein.

Like Brodeur, I asked Alfredsson, would your team’s success this season spur on a decision to return for another year?

"I think I’ll wait for the offseason to make that decision," Alfredsson said. "It’s more physical than mental. It’s about how my body holds up. So far, it’s been great. I’m having a lot of fun. But the toll it takes to play and the preparation it takes to get ready for another season, you have to consider that. But for sure the way we’ve been playing, I’ve been having a lot of fun."

Alfredsson, 39, has certainly played like he can stick around. He’s already surpassed his point total from last season and there’s still half a season to play. I think his heart is telling him he wants to play another season. But he’s waiting for his body after the season to concur.

As for Brodeur, I traded text messages with him Wednesday night and he confirmed what the New York Post first reported, that he was thinking about coming back next season.

"Leaning toward it," Brodeur told ESPN.com. "Haven’t made decision yet."

Brodeur will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Craig Custance and Pierre LeBrun go toe-to-toe on everything from Jack Johnson pulling a Tebow to the death of the legendary Ron Caron.

Custance: Hey, Pierre! Well, it was inevitable: Tim Tebow mania finally made its way to the NHL in the form of Jack Johnson Tebowing on Monday night after his second-period goal against the Capitals. He told Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times that a few of his buddies from the University of Michigan were in town and asked him to strike the Tebow pose if he scored. Naturally, he did. "I thought, 'I've got to pay up,'" Johnson told Dillman. Although the Capitals weren't thrilled with the celebration, I don't fault Johnson for feeling good. It's been awhile since the Kings put up an offensive effort like they did Monday night. His goal was Los Angeles' third in a 5-2 win over Washington. It was the Kings' highest goal output since scoring five against the Ducks on Nov. 17 and three more than they'd scored in their previous three games combined. Jonathan Bernier, who has received very little offensive support all season, probably didn't know what to do with that kind of cushion. So are we seeing a breakout in Los Angeles? And do you have any issues with Johnson having some fun after scoring his goal?

LeBrun: I’ve got no problem with Johnson having some fun after a goal. As long as you’re not machine-gunning in the direction of the opposing goalie during a goal celebration, I’m all for players showing emotion and personality. Too often the NHL is criticized for having players with not enough personality. I guess had Johnson done it against the Penguins, it might have been a little much, given that Pittsburgh fans are still mourning Sunday’s shocking overtime loss in Denver. But I think my favorite moment Monday night was actually the reaction of Kings play-by-play man Bob Miller after Jarret Stoll made it 4-1 in the second period. "The Kings have four goals!" Miller said, his voice genuinely surprised. The offensively challenged Kings finally gave their goalie some breathing room. I don’t think this means the Kings are going to score at will moving forward, but I do see a confidence building in the Kings’ game that wasn’t there before Darryl Sutter came on board. I can’t say the same about the Caps, who lost yet again on the road Monday night. They’re not the same team away from Verizon Center, as underlined by their 14-5-1 record at home and 7-12-1 mark on the road. That’s not going to cut it if the Caps want to be a playoff team.

Custance: It doesn't help the cause that the Capitals sent Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom home before the game. Green (groin) has played just 10 games this season, and the Capitals are a remarkable 9-1 with him in the lineup. He's that important to their success. Backstrom might be even more vital. I asked former Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau what it would mean to Washington's success if Backstrom continued to miss time after taking an elbow to the head against Calgary on Jan. 3, and he said the center is absolutely crucial to the Capitals' efforts to get back in the playoff hunt. "To me, he's the straw that stirs the drink on that team, as much as Alex [Ovechkin] is the focus," Boudreau said. "It would affect them. I think he missed one game in his career, or two games. I hated when he got hurt last year. It was the first time in his career he got injured." Boudreau knows Washington's franchise center well and knows it'll take a lot to keep him out of the lineup much longer. "Nicky is one tough guy," he said. "He plays through pain." Washington heads home now for an off day Tuesday before hosting the Penguins on Wednesday. That game has suddenly gone from a heated rivalry to a battle of attrition.

LeBrun: I remember a conversation with Caps GM George McPhee earlier this season in which he pointed to Green's absence as one that really hurt his team. McPhee felt that more than any other player, the Caps really struggled without him in the lineup. His injury battles this season certainly underline the struggles the Caps have had all season long; it's hard not to see a link. They need him healthy and back in the lineup once and for all. It's hard to believe that Wednesday’s game between the Caps and Penguins will be between two clubs fighting for their playoff lives. That’s a storyline nobody saw coming in September.

Before we go, Craig, we certainly should touch on some sad news from Tuesday morning, when the St. Louis Blues confirmed that former GM Ron Caron died Monday night. I think we all can remember the clips of the Prof reacting wildly at a bad call from a referee up in his box during a Blues game in the 1980s. I traded text messages with Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour on Tuesday morning, and we both agreed Caron was one-of-a-kind. "He was intense and committed to his job and to his players," Gilmour said.

Custance: In a game loaded with storytellers, he'll go down as one of the best. A few years ago, the great Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail wrote a column that captured Caron's personality, including a story about how Caron once was so upset with John Ferguson Sr. that they wrestled in the press box of Winnipeg Arena. "They threw away the mold after they made Ron Caron. He was a unique individual, as intense competitor as I've ever seen," Cliff Fletcher said in the story. That really sums it up. I think he would have enjoyed Tuesday night's game between the Blues and the Canadiens, two franchises on which he left his impression. Ken Hitchcock is wisely giving Jaroslav Halak the start in goal against his former team, even though Brian Elliott is coming off a shutout. That's a coach who knows how to win over a room. I can't imagine a regular-season game Halak would want to win more than this one.

LeBrun: Halak has played much better since Hitchcock took over, much like most of his teammates. Elliott’s play hasn’t tailed off one bit, so the Blues coach can’t go wrong no matter whom he puts in goal. That’s the kind of luxury that teams such as Boston and Vancouver also have in goal. It’s one of the reasons the Blues are legitimate Cup contenders in my eyes. I’m sure that made Ron Caron smile during the past few months as he saw his beloved Blues climb back up the standings. Tonight, the Prof will be watching from the press box in hockey heaven. Rest in peace.

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun break down the playoff race at the bottom of the East and preview Thursday's matchup between Carey Price's Habs and Jaroslav Halak's Blues.

Burnside: Good day, my friend. Got to thank the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers for keeping the playoff race alive in the Eastern Conference, although "race" is a relative term. The Rangers were spanked 5-2 in Anaheim on Wednesday night, and Carolina dropped a 3-2 decision to Atlanta in overtime to continue to give life to Atlanta and Toronto. The Rangers are currently in seventh place but have played two more games than Carolina, Toronto and Atlanta, who occupy the ninth, 10th and 11th places in the conference. The Rangers have won just two of their past six games, and their offense comes in fits and starts even with Marian Gaborik back in the lineup. Buffalo looks like a good bet to settle into the seventh seed given games in hand and its current level of play, although the Sabres have a big tilt with Boston on Thursday night in Beantown. But the Rangers have to be concerned that their up and down play is going to open the door for one of those on-the-bubble teams to make a late push and snatch up that final playoff berth. Do you think the Rangers can hang on, my friend?

LeBrun: Greetings from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto this morning, where indeed the Maple Leafs need to win tonight to stay afloat. But talk about a turtle race in the East as you have suggested. No one is backing into the West playoffs, I can assure you that. The Rangers, Hurricanes and Thrashers have struggled since the All-Star break. To give Toronto credit, the Leafs have actually been really good, although their past two efforts -- losses to Chicago and Long Island (overtime) -- have slowed them a little. They need to get on another run to stay alive, and the place should be buzzing here tonight. The Rangers concern me greatly. They've lost some confidence. Only three wins in their past 10, that's not going to cut it. I feel like they overachieved in the first half and now reality is settling in. But they're a better team than what they showed Wednesday night in Anaheim.

Burnside: As the games dwindle, this is where you see teams start to knuckle. Sometimes it's injuries, but in the case of the Rangers, I think they have to work so hard for every point that at some point the tank dries up. That's why Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist are so important to keeping them afloat. They will need to be better. One team I have been watching closely for signs of the late-season wobble is Tampa. After a bit of a swoon in which they went 0-3-1 and scored just five goals, they came up with a big, big win Wednesday against Chicago. They blew a 3-1 lead, but Martin St. Louis scored a beauty in the shootout to win it. Big games from both St. Louis and Steven Stamkos, who had been struggling offensively. You wonder about a team that has been absent from the playoffs for a couple of seasons and how they will react to a playoff run. This was a good bounce-back game for them, even if I'm still not sure how St. Louis' goal managed to get in without running afoul of the officials.

LeBrun: Yes, head coach Guy Boucher went to his stars this time in the shootout and it worked. More importantly, they remained two points behind red-hot Washington for the Southeast Division lead and moved three points ahead of hard-charging Montreal in the Eastern standings. Tampa's recent mini-slump has left it open to both teams, so yes, that was a big-time win last night against one of the NHL's hottest teams. The Bolts have exceeded most people's expectations this season, and I think their recent struggles had some wondering if they were falling back down to earth. But they played a heck of a game in a shootout loss to Washington earlier this week and another gem last night against the defending Cup champs. Before we go, Scotty, isn't there a certain game tonight happening in St. Louis?

Burnside: Ha, ha, we saved the best for last, my friend. With emotions still raging over the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty and the league's decision not to suspend or fine Chara, the Canadiens will have to regroup and get ready to face an old friend in Jaroslav Halak, who is expected to start against Montreal on Thursday night. Having seen each of the Habs' 19 postseason games last year, I was as surprised as anyone that GM Pierre Gauthier sent Halak to St. Louis and bequeathed the starting job to Carey Price. A lot of questions about Price's maturity and Gauthier's sanity ensued. But the Montreal GM stands tall as the Habs are headed back to the playoffs with Price leading the league in wins and I think earning a likely spot on the Vezina Trophy ballot. Halak has suffered through injury and uneven play on a St. Louis team that was expecting him to be a catalyst to a return to the playoffs. It didn't happen and GM Doug Armstrong shook up the team before the trade deadline by trading former first overall draft pick Erik Johnson to Colorado. If you had to guess at the start of the season which of these teams would be in the two spots they now occupy, I think a majority would have guessed it would have been the Habs looking to retool and the Blues ready to challenge in the postseason. Shows how much we know.

LeBrun: On the day of that trade last June, an NHL executive I greatly trust told me people should not be quick to hammer Gauthier for that trade, that Price was the one with more upside and that the Canadiens likely had made the right decision. Boy was he ever right. Credit Gauthier and then some for a ballsy decision in a hockey-mad market. He didn't make the easy decision, he made the right one instead.

While Price ranks among league leaders in wins, GAA and save percentage, Halak is not close to those numbers, although, in his defense, he's battled an injury and the team in front of him hasn't been great. Still, even Halak knows how the trade looks right now.

"I think it's easy to say right now when you look at the season, I haven't been playing my best all the time," Halak told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Carey has been playing good. It's easy to say [Montreal] made the right decision, but you know, I've still got three years on my contract. I just need to focus on this season, finish this season strong and then who knows what's going to happen next year."

I expect Halak and the Blues to bounce back big time next season, so I wouldn't fret if I were a Blues fan. But Price will end up a Vezina Trophy finalist this year, and arguably should be mentioned as an outside shot at the Hart.

Until tomorrow, my friend.

Stock Up

Lee Stempniak, Phoenix Coyotes: The Coyotes continue to hold onto a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference thanks in large part to their balanced offense. Recently, it's been Stempniak, who became a Coyote just over a year ago at the trade deadline, taking the lead. Stempniak has a seven-game point streak during which he's collected 11 points. During the past two weeks, no one has delivered more points (although Stempniak is tied with Philadelphia's Claude Giroux during this stretch). The native of West Seneca, N.Y., has five goals during that span, all at even strength, and a plus-4 rating.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Philadelphia Flyers: So much for hitting the rookie wall. After a slight wobble, Bobrovsky (Bob to most around the NHL) is on a tear heading into the All-Star break. Bobrovsky has won six straight starts and has allowed two or less goals in each of those contests, while facing just over 30 shots a game during the streak. No wonder the Flyers hit the break as the NHL's top team and the annual talk of Flyers goaltending uncertainty has quieted to a faint hum.

Stock Down

Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues: Yes, the Blues have been beset by injuries throughout this difficult season and maybe this is a factor in what appears to be the breaking down of Halak, last year's playoff hero in Montreal. Acquired by the Blues with the expectation he would lead them to the playoffs, Halak has just two wins in his last 10 appearances. Seven times over that 10-game span, Halak has allowed four goals. No wonder the Blues are slowly sinking beneath the surface in the Western Conference.

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators: It's as ugly as you can get in the Canadian capital these days with the Senators in freefall and ownership determined to keep the current management/coaching staff in place, at least until the end of the regular season. Even Alfredsson, the team's classy captain, has not been immune to the woes that have brought this team to its lowest point in well over a decade. Alfredsson has delivered one goal in his last nine games and just one assist over that period. A guy like Alfredsson deserves better.

Stock up

Josh Bailey, New York Islanders: With the Islanders reeling from injuries to top players Mark Streit, Kyle Okposo and more recently top center John Tavares, the 21-year-old Bailey has stepped up nicely for the beleaguered Islanders. Already in his third NHL season, Bailey played in the top center role in recent days (playing mostly with Blake Comeau and P.A. Parenteau) and collected a goal and three assists in the Isles' first two games. The Isles have soldiered on despite the injuries and started the season with a respectable 1-0-1 record.

Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues: Just in case you were wondering whether last spring was a fluke (apparently that was the theory the Montreal Canadiens were operating under when they dealt the unflappable netminder to the Blues in the offseason), Jaroslav Halak's work in St. Louis so far suggests the answer is an emphatic "no." The Blues, desperate to get off on the right foot after bumbling out of the gate the past two seasons, are 2-0-0 and Halak has stopped 42 of 44 shots, which puts him pretty much at the same level of play that saw him lead the Habs past Washington and Pittsburgh in the postseason last spring.

Stock down

Anaheim Ducks: We figured the Ducks would have trouble keeping the puck out of their own net this season, but who thought they'd be winless in three games, and outscored 13-2 and outshot 145-72 over that span? Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, he of the new contract, and new captain Ryan Getzlaf have combined for zero points and a minus-12. In short, the penalty-prone Ducks are the early draft-lottery race leaders by a country mile.

Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars: Talk about character being destiny. The Dallas Stars got off to an impressive 2-0-0 start with road wins in New Jersey and Long Island and were preparing for their own home-opener against Mike Modano and the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday when center Mike Ribeiro allegedly found himself in the middle of a drunken dust-up in a suburban Dallas restaurant.

We all know how these things go. He said, she said. Where is the truth of what really happened? Bottom line is, team leaders rarely put themselves in these situations where they end up charged with public intoxication, as was the case with Ribeiro. This is exactly the kind of situation teams such as Dallas can ill-afford to have; the team has struggled to remain relevant in its marketplace after a couple of so-so seasons on the ice and its ownership is in a state of flux. Thanks, Mike.

Hands up for anyone who was shocked when reading the headline? We bet not one hand is up in Montreal, where Ribeiro played before being run out on a rail. Enough said.

When last we saw Carey Price, the Canadiens netminder was petulantly shooting a puck at celebrating Washington players and trying to hack Nicklas Backstrom from the bench.

Now, he's once again the goalie of the future in Montreal.

In what may seem like a shocking move, the Habs unloaded playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis on Thursday for a couple of forward prospects. But upon closer inspection, what was GM Pierre Gauthier to do?

Heading into his first offseason as GM (he replaced Bob Gainey before the March 3 trade deadline), Gauthier decided almost immediately he couldn't afford to keep both netminders after the Habs' storybook playoff run came to an end.

Halak was set to become a restricted free agent this summer and was due a hefty raise after backstopping the eighth-seeded Canadiens into the playoffs and then to upsets of Washington and Pittsburgh before bowing out to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference finals in five games.

Price, the fifth overall pick in 2005, won't turn 23 until August, and while he has shown an aptitude for insolence and immaturity, he still has tremendous upside. Plus, given that he lost his starting job to Halak during the regular season, what was his market value? Likely less than what Halak brought, which was Lars Eller, a player Gauthier thinks may challenge for a spot on the roster next season, and Ian Schultz.

With the money he would have had to pay Halak in hand, Gauthier can perhaps retain the services of soon-to-be free-agent center Tomas Plekanec or take a run at Patrick Marleau if he doesn't re-sign in San Jose.

Gauthier will no doubt be criticized for trading Halak and not speaking to the goalie's agent, Allan Walsh. But Gauthier said Thursday he knew what Halak's value was based on comparables, he didn't want to pay it and didn't need to talk to the agent or the player to figure that out.

The team was looking into the future, looking at the big picture, Gauthier said. And the big picture of the Habs' future included Price not Halak. "He brings a lot to the table," Gauthier said of Price.

Sadly, some of what Price brings to the table is bad manners.

Price will have to grow up if he's going to make good on the promise he has shown at times in his young career. Meanwhile, the Canadiens will be in the market for a backup that may have to be more than that, just as Halak was this season. Look for Martin Biron to be chomping at the bit to get that role, although there are a bevy of goaltenders looking for work, including former Blues netminder Chris Mason.

"You need two good goaltenders and we're going to make sure we have two good goaltenders with the team," Gauthier said.

As for Halak, the cool-as-a-cucumber netminder should give the Blues an upgrade in net over Mason, who went 30-22-8 with a .913 save percentage and 2.53 goals-against average. Halak was 9-9 in the playoffs with a sparkling .923 save percentage. He was 26-13-5 with five shutouts and a .924 save percentage in the regular season. Mason can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The deal counts as the first major move for incoming GM Doug Armstrong, who formally takes over for longtime GM Larry Pleau, who is stepping down. If Halak can replicate his performance from this season, the youthful Blues should be back in the playoffs after missing out this past spring.

Hello, puckheads. The big man is back at work. One week left in the regular season and then I'm on the playoff trail for two months. Giddy-up!

But first, some random thoughts after spending a week in Florida:

1. The Calder debate

Let me preface this thought by saying I believe Jimmy Howard should be nominated for the Vezina Trophy; his season has been that outstanding. But I do not believe the Detroit Red Wings goalie should win the Calder Trophy. Confused? Don't be. Howard is 26 years old, four years older than Sidney Crosby, who is in his fifth NHL season. Howard is five years older than Patrick Kane, the Calder Trophy winner from two seasons ago.

I understand Howard is eligible for the award (he just slipped under the age cutoff) and he will be among my five choices in my official NHL awards ballot when I fill it out this week, but he won't be my first choice.

Tyler Myers turned 20 this past February. What he's done patrolling the blue line for the Buffalo Sabres has been truly outstanding. Among all his defensive talents, he's third in rookie scoring, trailing only forwards Matt Duchene and John Tavares. The fact he's six years younger than Howard is a big difference in my book. A month ago, I gave Duchene the nod in an early look at the awards, but I've shifted back to Myers.

2. The Montreal net

In the dramatic and pressure-packed market that is Montreal, the goalie story has had incredible legs this season. And it only went up a notch last week. Some Bell Centre fans booed Carey Price last Wednesday after he was named third star in a 2-1 loss to Carolina. Tough crowd, indeed. And those fans are idiots for booing him. The kid has had no offensive support this season. Price's .912 save percentage is better than the likes of Pekka Rinne, Jonathan Quick and Marc-Andre Fleury, a fact that no doubt surprises many of you.

The problem is, the other guy sharing the net with him in Montreal this season happens to have the third-best save percentage in the entire NHL at .927. Jaroslav Halak also doubles Price in the most important stat of all: wins. That's why the Slovak has won out in the season-long battle and will be the starter come playoff time. But what do you do this summer if you're GM Pierre Gauthier?

Both goalies are restricted free agents. There's no room for both to return; neither goalie wants to share the No. 1 job again and, more importantly, the Habs have cap issues and need to re-sign UFA center Tomas Plekanec. So Price or Halak will almost surely be dealt.

Which one do you deal? Halak will turn 25 next month, while Price will be 23 in August. As one NHL scout told me this season, Halak is the better goalie right now, but you can't discount the upside with Price. Tough call for Gauthier. Either way, he needs to recoup some offense in return. And regardless of which netminder the Habs choose to keep, both goalies are No. 1 material for years to come.

3. Which team comes out of the West?

Before I went on vacation, I tweeted that Washington-Vancouver was my choice for a Cup finals matchup at that point. I still like the Caps coming out of the East, but now I have some doubts with the Canucks. And it's not just Roberto Luongo's struggles, but also the defensive-zone mistakes by the blue-line corps in front of him. The Canucks would have benefited greatly from picking up a top-four blueliner at the March 3 trade deadline, but I understand those players don't grow on trees and GM Mike Gillis has made it his mantra that he doesn't like paying for rentals.

I may still stick with the Canucks next week when I am pressed for my official Cup finals prediction, but right now I'm on the fence. The question is, if not Vancouver, then who?

San Jose has played better of late after breaking out of a March swoon that had Sharks fans feeling nervous. Still, the ghosts of playoffs past always give you reason for pause, not to mention the visions of Evgeni Nabokov in the Olympic quarterfinals.

The Blackhawks? There's the team I'd personally love to see in the finals just for esthetic reasons. I mean, can you imagine the roar at the United Center? The league would drool at the chance to get the long-suffering Original Six club in the finals with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane taking on either Washington's Alex Ovechkin or Pittsburgh's Crosby. For that league dream to become reality, however, Antti Niemi or Cristobal Huet must turn in two months of hockey not too many people think they have in them. Niemi was solid Sunday against Calgary, but ...

The top three Western powerhouse teams have questions marks ... which has already led several of my media colleagues to jump on the comfortable Hockeytown, USA bandwagon. I mean, why not? The Red Wings are healthy, they're rolling and know what it takes once the calendar flips from April to May. Then, there's Phoenix. Is a trip to the Cup finals that much of a stretch? A bigger stretch than 102 points in the standings when everyone had them in the basement last fall?

I'll take seven more days to dwell on my Western pick, but I'll be doing it without much confidence. Never before has the West been so wide open, and that's great for fans of this game. We're in store for one heck of a postseason.