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ST. LOUIS -- Six weeks ago Brian Elliott couldn’t even dress as a backup, let alone give the St. Louis Blues any indication he would soon hold his own -- and then some -- with last year’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Jonathan Quick singled himself out Thursday night after giving up a last-minute goal on a wrist shot to Barret Jackman, a game after his behind-the-net blunder also cost the Los Angeles Kings.

And to be fair, he’s otherwise been outstanding, making yet again a series of saves Thursday night that were highlight-reel material.

But it’s the playoffs, and close doesn’t cut it.

Elliott is the one who is 2-0 in this series, stopping 56 of 58 shots so far and giving the Blues the kind of goaltending he couldn’t a year ago against these same Kings.

“Els stood on his head again tonight and gave us a chance,” teammate Alexander Steen said.

“The first half of the game we really needed him, we had the scoring chances at 13-4 (for the Kings) at one point,” Blues goalie coach Corey Hirsch told ESPN.com. “He made some big saves.”

Hirsch deserves some credit for what is transpiring here in front of our eyes, working with Elliott to bring him back from the wilderness.

It was just a short time ago in late March that Elliott accepted a short conditioning assignment to the AHL to reset himself, having fallen to No. 3 on the Blues’ goalie depth chart.

He’s come back a new man. It’s one of the most unlikely stories of the NHL season.

“When things went bad, he never quit,” Hirsch said. “He kept going on the ice, he kept asking to go out early, he kept just sticking with it. It’s a cliché, but he worked really hard. He’s earned this, he earned it the hard way.”

Technically speaking, Hirsch didn’t want to divulge too many secrets, but it’s clear adjustments were made.

“We’ve changed his game a little bit, we’ve given him a few more tactics to be able to read the play a little better,” said Hirsch. “His post work is a little better.”

Elliott gave Blues fans a scare in the third period when his right leg appeared to buckle after Kings captain Dustin Brown crashed into the net. After staying down on the ice for a while, he eventually stayed in the game. Quick had also given his team a scare in warm-ups when he appeared to labor after taking a shot in the wrong spot. But he, too, gutted it out and said after the game he was fine.

It’s hard to hang an 0-2 series deficit on Quick. Gosh, his first-period save on Jaden Schwartz was just another jaw-dropper on a night when he was superb again -- until the end.

The only thing people will remember from this night was that Jackman beat him 51 seconds from the end of the third period with a wrist shot that simply can’t go in.

“I got to stop that,” a visibly angry Quick said afterward. “That’s my fault. Two games in a row. So, I got to be better.”

Well, so does your team, Jonathan.

The Kings have scored just two goals in this series, one with the extra attacker on the ice late in Game 1, and a 5-on-3 tally in the first period Thursday. That’s not much to hang your hat on as defending Cup champs.

The Kings did play a decent game in the first half, the pushback that we all expected. But it petered out as the Blues came back strong in the third period and scored twice to win it, gaining territorial advantage once again with a physical forecheck.

“We played a really good 40 minutes,” said the captain, Brown. “We got to stay on the body in the third. We didn’t have everyone taking the body. That’s the key to our grind is being physical. We let up in the third on the physicality. And that’s what happens.”

The Cup champs were never down in a series last spring, let alone two games to none.

But as the adage goes, a series isn’t a series until games have been played in both barns.
Don’t count them out, yet.

“We know how tough it is in L.A.,” said the goal-scoring hero, Jackman. “We have to play even better than we did tonight. We know they’ll come out with desperate hockey and Game 3 is going to be physical. They’re going to come out hard and we’re going to have to bring our 'A' game.”

And how about Jackman, he of the zero previous playoff goals in his entire career? The hard-hitting, defensive defenseman jumped into the fray when he saw an opening and ripped one past Quick for the winner as a delirious Scottrade Center rocked.

“It’s nice to contribute," smiled Jackman. "When things are going your way you get a bounce, you get a puck that you don’t normally get, and you put it home. It’s definitely a good feeling.”

But for Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock, it was also about the way his team responded on this night.

The Blues knew they’d get a pushback from the defending Cup champs in Game 2 and they got it, outplayed for most of the opening half of the game.

But then the Blues showed their evolution as a team, their maturity, by settling down and pushing back themselves. That happened when they re-established their forecheck in the second half of the game.

“Regardless of whether we would have won today, I was just happy with the way we played once we calmed down and played better positionally,” Hitchcock said. “We needed to play with more composure, and we did that.”

A year ago, the Kings found their mojo; they discovered how to win after two previous years in the playoffs before that, absorbing playoff lessons.

This year, you just get that feeling the Blues are discovering that path to playoff success.

“I think we learned a lot from previous years and previous experiences,” Steen said. “Right now we have a good vibe, a good attitude in the room."

This series has many more twists and turns, the Kings far from done. But the Blues have already proven one thing: They have gone to the next level in their playoff apprenticeship.

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Greene’s absence was certainly felt in the Los Angeles Kings' opening loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

The big, physical defender, such an important part of last season’s Stanley Cup champion team, practiced again Wednesday, but at this point, his availability to play isn’t quite clear.

“I’m doing whatever they tell me here, that’s it,” Greene said after practice, not wanting to reveal much.

Greene is the type of warrior who would play on one leg if the team let him, so clearly whether or not he plays, or when, is not his call.

“No, it’s just the way it’s going right now,” Greene said. “That’s the way our lineup is. And that’s fine. … They’re going to put me in when I’m healthy to go and ready to go.”

Head coach Darryl Sutter shed a bit more light on the situation Wednesday, saying it’s not simply about Greene’s condition.

“It’s not just [being] healthy, but he’s got to be up to speed,” Sutter said. “He needed about 10 games, to be quite honest. You just don’t put him in the lineup because he’s Matt Greene. Matt Greene has to be able to play and perform. We were hoping to get more games from him before, [to be] quite honest, and he got banged up. So we’ll see. I’m quite happy playing those two kids because they’re quite capable, too.”

Greene missed two months recovering from back surgery before returning recently to play four games. Then, he got hurt again.

So for now, it’s Keaton Ellerby in for Greene on the third pairing along with Jake Muzzin, the two kids Sutter was referring to.

Those two kids looked a little overwhelmed at times in Game 1, as they were hammered by the Blues’ forecheck.

“As the game went on they both played better, but at the same time, it put pressure on the other four guys early, and it was a big reason why we spent so much time in our own zone, was those kids having trouble early in the game,” Sutter said.

Blues know what's coming

The Blues aren’t resting on their laurels. They know the Kings will come hard Thursday night.

But at the same time, they’d be lying if they didn’t say finally beating L.A. after eight straight losses dating back to last season didn’t feel good.

"There's a lot of areas we need to improve on,” veteran Blues forward Andy McDonald said after practice Wednesday. “Certainly, they've taken it to us in the regular season and in the playoffs last year. Hopefully, it builds confidence in our room that these guys are beatable -- and they're the defending Stanley Cup champions -- but if we play our game, we can play right there with them.

"But my point is it's Game 1, and I think we had the adrenaline going, being excited, home opener in the playoffs, a lot to prove, and we just [need] to be sure that we match that tomorrow night and maybe even bring it up a notch, because I know that they're going to come out a little harder."

ST. LOUIS -- The architect of last year’s Stanley Cup championship squad watched attentively as his troops went through their drills during an optional practice Wednesday.

The military analogy is appropriate in this case, because Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi is an avid history buff who adores the comparisons between war and sport and the kind of self-sacrifice, leadership and guts it takes to achieve goals in both.

And so as The General watched practice Wednesday, you could just see the wheels spinning in his mind, his thoughts no doubt knee-deep in the test his team now suddenly faces just one game into the playoffs.

You want a history lesson? His Kings were never once behind in a series last spring, going up 3-0 in all four rounds en route to a well-earned championship.

The script has already changed just one game into the playoffs a year later. And that’s OK, Lombardi said. Standing back and looking at the big picture, it’s not such a bad thing, he figures, for his team to learn how to win in a different fashion.

“We’re going to have to deal with that eventually -- you’re going to have to learn how to win a long series,” Lombardi told ESPN.com outside his team’s dressing room. “Not that you want one, but it’s part of the growth process to learn how to deal with another level of pressure. We really only experienced that once in Game 6 last year [of the Stanley Cup finals]. So here you go. Here it is.”

Not that he’s surprised at what the St. Louis Blues pulled off in Game 1 on Tuesday night, a dominant performance if not on the scoreboard certainly in terms of physical play and puck possession.

Now, normally you’d say that’s a typical reaction from the losing team after dropping Game 1, saying they knew they were in for a tough series. But in this case I can vouch that even before Game 1 was ever played, a conversation with Lombardi during practice Monday revealed his utmost respect for the Blues and the huge test that he believed awaited his team.

And so on Wednesday, in the wake of the Game 1 loss, it is with absolute honesty that the Kings GM talked about the respect his team had for his first-round foe.

“This series last year was probably our toughest,” Lombardi said. “That was not a 4-0 series. Even in the regular season this year, these games are always hard. From top down, both teams are similar, both coaches believe in the same things. I don’t think there’s any question that our players respected this team.

“And so, I don’t know that it’s a wake-up call, per se, but I think it’s a clear reminder what it takes to win in the playoffs. Nobody, to a man, thought this would be easy.”

If there’s a wake-up call here for the players, coach Darryl Sutter said Wednesday, it’s not as much in losing a game but rather in the manner in which they lost.

“What grabs their attention is that they know several of our players can play better,” he said. “We got to overtime with really two lines and four defensemen. You’re not going to win very many games doing that.”

But if you’re looking for any signs of a frantic group after just one loss, even despite never being down in a series last spring, you came to the wrong dressing room.

This was a relaxed looking bunch, Mike Richards informing yours truly on the way out that a group of players was headed to the afternoon Cardinals baseball game to relax.

“The mood’s good,” said star defenseman Drew Doughty. “We’re down 1-0, but it’s all right. If we can get this win and go 1-1 back to L.A., that would be huge for us.”

And of course, that’s very true. A win Thursday night here at Scottrade Center, and the Kings go home confident and in good shape.

But for that to happen, they need to spend a lot less time in their own zone.

There wasn’t a single game last spring when L.A. was bottled up in their own end like it was Tuesday night by a ferocious Blues forecheck.

“We have to be quicker,” Doughty said. “They’re coming hard on their forecheck, they’re banging bodies, they’re creating those little turnovers. I think a lot of times when they created those turnovers we kind of went into panic mode and tried to make up for that mistake quickly.

"I think that’s the wrong thing to do; you have to sit back and find where your guy is and try to create your own turnover. That was the one area they really dominated us in. We didn’t get on our forecheck, which is one of the keys to our game. We need to do that in order to win the next one.”

Wave after wave, all four Blues’ lines hammered the Kings in their own zone. In particular, the fourth line of Chris Porter, Adam Cracknell and Ryan Reaves created pure chaos in the Kings’ zone with a relentless forecheck that left the Kings’ defense dizzy.

“They were coming in hard, and they can make plays, too. I don’t think many of us expected that from them,” Doughty said. “That could have been another downfall of ours. But now we know what they can do. We know they’re going to bend bodies.”

If you’re looking at that comment and thinking you’ve heard that before, it’s because you did -- a year ago. That’s when opposing teams were commenting on how the Kings’ fourth line was creating havoc with their physical play and forecheck, led by unheralded players such as Dwight King and Jordan Nolan.

“It’s the strength of our team, too, being able to play four lines,” Sutter said. “Our fourth line has been interchangeable quite honestly because some of the kids haven’t played very well. Those kids we brought up last year have not played very well this year. So we were hoping for them to play better now and better in a hurry.”

That’s about as blunt as it gets from the Kings' coach.

The Blues beat the Kings playing the same brand of game that won L.A. a championship last year. Now the Kings have to turn the tables Thursday night and find a way to get their forecheck going, impose their physicality on the Blues in the offensive zone.

“We need our guys doing the same thing to their defensemen,” Doughty said rather honestly. “Guys like [Jay] Bouwmeester and [Alex] Pietrangelo aren’t very physical guys. We need to bang their bodies and kind of take them out of the game so they can’t make their plays and rush up the ice.”

And that’s what will make Game 2 so compelling. The defending champs are determined to impose their game. They’ve been awoken. We will find out more about this Blues squad on Thursday night and how they handle that pushback from the Kings.

Buckle up, this series is just starting to get good.

The Los Angeles Kings raised eyebrows Friday when they put Marco Sturm on waivers, prompting many to believe that perhaps cap space was being cleared for an imminent trade.

Not so. Not yet, anyway.

"This is strictly for roster flexibility at the deadline," Kings GM Dean Lombardi told ESPN.com on Friday.

The Chicago Blackhawks did the same thing with Nick Boynton on Friday.

Right now, both clubs are carrying the maximum 23 bodies at the NHL level. Should L.A. or Chicago want to acquire a player between now and Monday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, it could demote Sturm or Boynton without either player needing 24 hours to clear waivers. That's the key.

Lombardi, meanwhile, also told us at 2:15 p.m. ET on Friday that no trade was imminent. Of course, as I've learned throughout the years, it takes only one phone call to change that.

What now for the Kings? Lombardi would not say.

As I reported earlier this week, the Kings have interest in Brad Richards, Ales Hemsky and David Booth. Other NHL sources confirm that the Kings have had talks this week with all three of their teams. At this point, a trade for Richards does not sound like it has much of a chance, so it would appear that Booth or Hemsky is the best bet.

Stay tuned.

The Minnesota Wild, meanwhile, are knocking on the playoff door and could use some help on offense. Yes, GM Chuck Fletcher is looking closely at the NHL trade market, but he's not sure anything will come his way.

"It's not a real deep market,'' Fletcher told ESPN.com on Friday. "There are more buyers than sellers. The prices for players are a little inflated right now. ... Our focus is on getting our injured players back."

Most notably, top-six forward Guillaume Latendresse and star captain Mikko Koivu. Fletcher said that Latendresse, out most of the season, might be back in seven to 10 days, while Koivu is two to three weeks away.

"There's some games we can use an extra goal, no question, but you look at the players we have out, and they would upgrade our offense by a lot," Fletcher said.

Elsewhere Friday afternoon:

• As expected, the Buffalo Sabres put defenseman Craig Rivet on re-entry waivers Friday. There's a good chance he'll be claimed because a team would have to pay only half of his remaining salary. (CapGeek says his remaining cap hit for a claiming team would be $404,570 this season.) A handful of teams told me, on the condition that I not name them, that they were considering claiming him. We'll find out at noon ET Saturday.

• J.P. Barry, the agent for Chris Phillips, spoke again with Senators GM Bryan Murray on Friday. Still no resolution at this point. The UFA-to-be blueliner could sign an extension or be dealt.

• Will defenseman John-Michael Liles move? The Colorado Avalanche continue to get calls about him. Liles has one more year on his deal next season paying him $4.55 million ($4.2 million cap hit). Liles has a limited no-trade clause; last season he listed 12 teams he'd be willing to be traded to. Toronto and Buffalo are among those teams.

I mention those two teams because Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is best friends with Liles going back to their Michigan State days. The Leafs, as we reported earlier, have made inquires on Liles in part because GM Brian Burke had Liles in the U.S. lineup at the 2009 world championships. The blueliner put up nine points (1-8) in nine games that year in Switzerland.

• Penguins forward Mike Comrie has been out most of the season. He's on the mend, however. "Trying to get back by April," Comrie texted to us.

The rant blog seems to still confuse some people. This is not a forum to ask me about trade rumors. This is a forum to rant. Any other questions, check in with me during my weekly chat, Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. Now let's look at some rants from this week:

Toews_me19: Pierre, First of all let me say that I love the Blackhawks and I am very proud of their accomplishments last year. That being said...WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP COMPARING THIS TEAM TO LAST YEAR'S TEAM? And why doesn't this team have any heart? When will this team quit playing on its collective heels and play with some flippin' urgency?? When will some of these guys quit waiting for someone else to make a play and do it themselves??? P.S -- did the Hawks forget that hockey games are 60 minutes in length, not 40 or 20. Come on, UGH.

Last year is long gone, as is a great deal of depth, options, players, whatever you want to say that made this team, oh wait...that team, so awesome. Whenever someone says something like "So-and-so defeat the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks", I want to punch them. This team is not that team so they can't be compared only contrasted -- same core, very different dynamic. And comparing them only causes the pain in my heart to flare into life...pain caused by the necessary roster changes that every team faces every year because of the draconian salary cap.

That being said...the Blackhawks have done a decent job but it's not December anymore. It's time to skate and play to win boys. You are running out of time to get things together and the Western Conference is too tight to let points slip away. If it takes another three years for this team to become lethal again, I may jump in the Chicago River...j/k, but seriously you guys. Go Hawks, sorry for yelling.

My take: Can't say there's a terrible amount of sympathy coming your way since your team was able to enjoy a Stanley Cup last June, something many of our regular readers on this site have never had to experience. So let's not get too carried away with the Chicago pity party. Still, I don't think anyone thought that despite losing half the regulars from the Cup champion squad that the team would be entering the post All-Star break hanging on for their playoff lives. Not with a core still featuring Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. I still think this team will figure it out here over the last stretch of the regular season. One particular statistic points me in this direction: Five-on-five goals/for against ratio. The Hawks ranked fifth overall in the 30-team league with a 1.16 ratio and that’s indicative of a team that at its base, special teams aside, knows what it’s doing most of the time. Barring Kane missing any team flights over the last 30-odd games, I think the Hawks are fine.

bio8r: Why has Keith Yandle not gotten more love from his outstanding play this season. He is the Coyotes most consistent player, plays big minutes every night, and can only barely sneak into the All-Star Game though leading all defensemen in points? I hope people can look past big names like Lidstrom, Letang, and Chara and give this guy some recognition.

My take: Bio8r, you're dead on about Keith Yandle, but to answer your first question: maybe because the Coyotes rank 29th in NHL attendance? If almost no one in his own backyard is noticing, how do you expect the rest of the fans around the NHL to notice? Just a thought. Having said that, Yandle does deserve the recognition, having taken a giant step this season and helping fill the minutes void left by Zbynek Michalek. Shane Doan told me before the season when I stopped through Phoenix during my camp tour that Yandle, before the end of this season, would be among the league’s very top defensemen. He was bang on.

Beastly Backes: The Blues are flat out a bad hockey team. They've won 2 of 12, and the 2 wins are against the sloppy kings. Jaroslav Halak has been inconsistent. One moment he'll make a great save, and the next shot, he lets in an easy goal. He needs to step up. Also, the Blues come out and look sloppy and lack motivation at the start of every game. They go out knowing they're gonna lose. It's great that they have Winchesters and Sobotkas trying to go above and beyond their potential, but the fact is, the coaching staff is extracting every ounce of effort from a lot of average players. Grit is great, but the Blues lack pure talent w/o Perron and McDonald. Even at the beginning of the year, when they won seven straight -- they won every games 2-1, 2-0, 3-1, 1-0 -- they couldn’t score goals!!! Oshie's return is nice and all, but the Blues need more weapons, BESIDES Perron and Andy-Mac. If the Blues don't trade some of their so called "depth" at defense, they will go nowhere. Pietrangelo however is one of the only bright spots on this team. Erik Johnson has played his worst hockey ever this year, Eric the gutless wonder Brewer happens to be playing his best, and Jackman and Polak are still grinding it out. They won't trade youth, which eliminates E.J. and Petro, but Jackman, Brewer and Polak could be trade bait. I personally think that Brewer may actually be worth something this year. TRADE HIM FOR A SCORER!!! GIVE THE "C" TO THE REAL CAPTAIN: David Backes.

BluesFanAlex74: WHY??? WHY DO MY BLUES FAIL? Night in and night out we fail to skate for 60 minutes, defend the net, or dish out hits that make the opposition fly the other way. In a town where hockey is loved, we have players who are young, energized, and have a great hockey sense, but there are also guys who are older and used to be 40 goal scorers (BRAD BOYES) and guys who think standing around and throwing pucks the wrong way are good (ERIK JOHNSON and ALEX PIETRANGELO) these guy would be greater if they knew what to do when the opposition runs around the D-men and behind the net, setting up shop, then scoring because we let the enemy fly in and shoot from the slot. Things were great 10 games into the season, but since Perron and McDonald are gone and we have no inspiration, we are going to lose half our money from season ticket sales because we are not going to win a playoff spot. Great Marketing idea, right? I had hope for this year with a great goalie and young stars, but we have been shot down and self destructive. I hope they find their pace for next year because I don’t think I can take another year of disappointment. From, THE ONLY SMART ONE IN CHESTERFIELD, MO. (JK)

My take: A double dose of Blues' blues. Tough year, indeed. It started with so much promise, St. Louis even leading the ESPN Power Rankings in early November. After improving to 9-1-2 with a win on Nov. 7, the Blues have won only 13 of their next 39 games (13-19-7). Ouch. They actually rallied with an 8-4-2 record in December but went only 2-8-2 in January. Double ouch. But let’s be honest, when you lose two thirds of your top line in T.J. Oshie and David Perron for such a long stretch, plus Andy McDonald, few teams in the NHL can recover from that. And as it was, the Blues actually weren't scoring that many goals even before those injuries. It's going to be a difficult assessment of the season for GM Doug Armstrong should the club not rally back, because he will have almost never had his full lineup in front of him to dissect. If I were the Blues, I would look to add a top-six forward in the offseason if possible -- that would be my priority.

ddiggler08: So, yeah, Patrick Sharp for MVP? What the ####.

My take: Well, Shea Weber, Nick Lidstrom, Anze Kopitar, Loui Ericksson and Danny Briere all had legitimate cases. The consensus press box pick was Weber, who was plus-6 with four assists. Part of the problem is that the 12-member media voting committee (I didn't vote this year, which is only right given my thoughts on the All-Star game) had to select a name midway through the third period. Hopefully next season, the NHL can circle back to USA Today hockey writer Kevin Allen, the president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, and check with him at the buzzer to make sure the MVP pick still stands. Still, I have no issue with Sharp winning because he's such a good story, a blue-collar guy who's worked his way up to this level. Plus, he's from Northern Ontario, so you know he's a good guy.

CapitalsFan74: LeBrun, I have been a Caps fan since 1985. I have seen good and bad Capitals teams over the years (yes, mostly bad). But can anyone explain what is wrong with this team this year? After last year I was expecting a Cup run, but this team is painful to watch. All the "experts" have said over the years that we were not built (defensively) to win in the playoffs. Now we seem to have THAT but are in jeopardy of not making the playoffs at all. How can we be so much better for the playoffs if we cannot win in the regular season?

My take: Indeed the Caps have tightened up defensively, sitting seventh in the NHL in goals against per game as of Tuesday morning, up from 16th where they finished last season. That's an important evolution for their playoff chances in my opinion. But it's about balance. After leading the league in goals last season, they're only 17th as of Tuesday morning, down more than a full goal per game. Alex Ovechkin has two power-play goals on the season. I repeat, Alex Ovechkin has two power-play goals on the season. Unacceptable. Bruce Boudreau's task over the final stretch of the regular season is to better balance his team's new-found defensive play without forgetting how the team was built: with offensive stars. I think he's up to it.

SRDetroitfan: I'm from Detroit and a Wings fan and want to apologize to everyone who has to read people complain about why the Red Wings do not get any Love. I am not going to lie, I love when I see something about the Wings come up in one of these chats or in an article, but Detroit fans PLEASE stop complaining about how much love Detroit DOES not get and how no one pays attention to us. We don't need attention! The way we have played for the past 20 years should be attention enough! And lets be honest...is there really anyone happy with the amount of "love" their team gets from the media?

My take: My man, thank you so much for this post. I can't tell you how many Wings stories both myself and Scott Burnside have written for this website over the last three years. A 2,500-word Nick Lidstrom story, anyone? Wings fans are incredibly sensitive for a market that's done so much winning. Ken Holland is routinely labeled by us as the best GM in hockey. Mike Babcock is often called the best coach by most of the media covering the game. What else can we do????

egotonusf: OK, how do the Lightning win a blowout and then shut out the Leafs, BUT FALL 2 SPOTS IN THE POWER RANKINGS? I guess its just hatred for south hockey, we will see come playoffs...

My take: No hatred my friend, it's because Burnside and I alternate weeks and have different views on where the teams should rank. So a team's performance alone isn't the only factor in influencing the ranking, fixing Burnside's mistakes is also another. Or as Scotty would view it, fixing mine, ha ha.

Dubsg123: Pierre. What really bothers me is how little attention some of the outstanding young players of the NHL get league wide. One of these such players is Anze Kopitar. As a Kings fan, I know that he is one of the best two way centermen in the league, but when you have national hockey broadcasters that announce his name Annzee Kahpiter you really can see how he doesn't get much recognition. In the All-Star Game, he was the first player to score two goals, and he looked like he was having fun doing it. This year on the Kings, the players that have really been getting the attention (at least with the media, thankfully the fans got it right with voting him to the All-Star Game) overshadow his success: Drew Doughty, Jon Quick, Justin Williams, Ryan Smyth, etc. I know that Crosby has a concussion. I know that Ovechkin isn't scoring like he used to. I know that Steven Stamkos is too good to play in the NHL. I just don't want to be hearing their names in a headline article every morning. Let's give Kopitar the love he truly deserves!

My take: Kopitar is 12th in NHL scoring with 49 points in 50 games, having himself another terrific season. While I agree he doesn't get as much attention as some of the other young snipers in that top 15 group, it's ironic that Loui Ericksson is tied with him at 49 points and there's a guy who actually gets zero national attention. I mean, way less than even Kopitar. Here's what I really like about Kopitar -- he's sporting a plus-16 rating as of Tuesday morning. He was a double-digit minus player the first three years of his career. Last season, he finished plus-6. So his progression in his two-way play has been impressive. And when you consider he doesn’t really have a high-end, superstar winger to play with like other centers in this league, you understand that he is indeed full value for his production.

neufeld85: I am a Colorado Avalanche fan and they might be the most frustrating team to watch in the NHL. Whenever they get a lead, I never expect them to hold it. Their defense is pathetic and what happened to Craig Anderson this year? I love Adam Foote but the guy needs to retire, he constantly gets burned by speedier forwards. If it wasn't for all the miraculous comeback wins, the Avs would near the bottom of the West. They have given up the second most goals in the conference this season. Do you think the Avalanche will be able to squeak into the playoffs?

My take: Scott Burnside actually has a nice Avalanche feature story that's going to be posted this week after he spent some time there last week. So make sure to check that out. At this point, this team is not going to make the playoffs unless they can tighten up. Ranked 30th -- dead last -- in the NHL in goals against per game doesn't get you anywhere. Some of it, yes, is Anderson having an off-year, but I rest most of the blame on a blue-line corps that, as predicted by some of us last September, has been dreadful defensively.

benjies77: As a delusional Leafs fan, I, along with the rest of Leafs Nation, thought the Leafs might make the playoffs. Now, rather than rooting for the eighth spot, I'm biting my nails just to see them stay out of the cellar. It pains me to think we will give another lottery to Boston. I love Kessel and hope he will eventually come into his own when he learns to deal with the pressure of playing in Toronto. But, shoot me straight. With the Leafs sitting in the fifth spot of the bottom five, is there ANY hope of them climbing out of the bottom? I feel like that is the only thing left that can "save" another sad season.

My take: As most people know, I live in Toronto, so I see the pain and suffering that Leaf fans go through. My brother-in-law, Mitch, is a die-heard Leafs fan, watches every single game and allows the knife to twist in his gut. I actually sat beside Leafs GM Brian Burke on the flight down to Raleigh last Friday. Believe me when I say no one is taking this harder than him. He wants to turn this around badly. The work will continue over the next few weeks with the trade deadline approaching. Kris Versteeg, Francois Beachemin and maybe Jean-Sebastien Giguere (depending on his health) could get moved, while Tomas Kaberle will be dealt only if he chooses to waive his no-trade clause and the Leafs can accommodate the small list of teams he would hand over. Changes are coming, Leaf fans, hang tight.

curley214: I am so angry that John Tavares was not in the ASG. Yeah, we have it tough right now on LI, but the kid is damn good and earned a spot. I guarantee you if you asked 29 other GM's in the league would they rather have Patrik Elias or JT, 28 would go with JT (Brian Burke would trade his rights back to the Isles for Blake Kessel and the next 11 Leafs first round picks). The Isles get a bad rap and are rebuilding the right way. Kevin Poulin looks promising for the next couple years to get some regular NHL time. DP has been playing and has a .914 save percentage in the past couple weeks. Things are slowly looking better. My question Pierre, when do the Isles unload some assets for some proven help? THANKS!

My take: I don't agree every team should be represented in the All-Star Game, but I do think Tavares should have been at the game anyway. You are right to be angry.

Boston Bruins (28-15-7) at Carolina Hurricanes (25-19-6), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-1 Boston
Starting goaltenders: Tim Thomas (24-5-6, 1.81 GAA) vs. Cam Ward (22-15-5, 2.70 GAA)
Preview: Two weeks after the Bruins finished a home-and-home sweep of the Hurricanes, Carolina tries to end the series with Boston on a high note. The Hurricanes got only two of their 76 shots past Tim Thomas in back-to-back losses to the Bruins on Jan. 17 and 18. Carolina is one point out of the eighth-seed in the East, while Boston leads the Northeast division.

Chicago Blackhawks (26-20-4) at Columbus Blue Jackets (23-21-5), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 3-1 Chicago
Starting goaltenders: Marty Turco (10-10-2, 3.02 GAA) vs. Steve Mason (15-12-2, 3.20 GAA)
Preview: The Blackhawks begin a six-game road trip in Columbus after All-Star weekend featured four Chicago players, including game MVP Patrick Sharp. Heading into their final 32 games, the Blackhawks are tied for seventh in the West with San Jose and Colorado. Minnesota and Los Angeles are a point behind that group, and Columbus, tied for 13th, is five back.

Pittsburgh Penguins (31-15-4) at New York Rangers (29-20-3), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-1 New York
Starting goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury (23-11-2, 2.19 GAA) vs. Henrik Lundqvist (21-16-3, 2.29 GAA)
Preview: The Rangers have lost four in a row to the Penguins at Madison Square Garden and haven't won a home game against the Penguins since Jan. 5, 2009. Pittsburgh hasn't won five straight at MSG since a streak from Dec. 31, 1989 to March 17, 1991. Neither Sidney Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin is ready to return, but the Penguins are 5-3-1 without Crosby and 2-1-0 without both Crosby and Malkin this season.

Philadelphia Flyers (33-12-5) at Tampa Bay Lightning (31-15-5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 Tampa Bay
Starting goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky (21-6-3, 2.42 GAA) vs. Dwayne Roloson (7-3-0, 2.25 GAA for Bolts)
Preview: The East's top two teams face off for the third time this season with the Flyers looking for their first win of the season against the Lightning. The Lightning have won five straight games and are in the midst of a 12-game home stand. The Flyers have won two straight and six of their last seven games. Philadelphia leads the Presidents' Trophy race after 50 games for the first time since the 1986-87 season.

Montreal Canadiens (27-18-5) at Washington Capitals (27-15-9), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Washington
Starting goaltenders: Carey Price (24-16-5, 2.36 GAA) vs. Semyon Varlamov (8-7-3, 2.16 GAA)
Preview: The Capitals have looked like a different team since getting stunned by the Canadiens in the postseason. They cruised through last season and won the President's Trophy, but were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by Montreal. This season, the Capitals are 17th in the league at 2.71 goals per game, have been shut out seven times and Alex Ovechkin is on pace for career lows in goals and points.

Los Angeles Kings (27-22-1) at Minnesota Wild (25-19-5), 8 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-1
Starting goaltenders: Jonathan Bernier (5-8-0, 3.08 GAA) vs. Niklas Backstrom (15-11-3, 2.52 GAA)
Preview: After an up-and-down season, the Kings went into the All-Star break on a three-game win streak. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the Kings now begin a 10-game road trip. The Kings are 5-8-0 in their past 13 road games. The Wild won four of five before the break and are currently tied with the Kings, but Minnesota is just 4-6-1 at home since the start of December.

Vancouver Canucks (31-10-9) at Dallas Stars (30-15-5), 8:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 Vancouver
Starting goaltenders: Cory Schneider (8-2-2, 2.35 GAA) vs. Kari Lehtonen (22-11-5, 2.57 GAA)
Preview: The Canucks and the Stars both lead their divisions, but Vancouver has dominated the series. Vancouver has outscored Dallas 11-2 in the two games. But the Canucks will now need to depend on defenseman Lee Sweatt more with an injury to Alexander Edler. Edler, who leads the Canucks with 24 minutes of ice time per game and tops the defense with 32 points, is having back surgery and will be out indefinitely.

Phoenix Coyotes (25-17-9) at San Jose Sharks (25-19-6), 10 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 San Jose
Starting goaltenders: Ilya Bryzgalov (19-12-6, 2.64 GAA) vs. Antti Niemi (13-13-3, 2.69 GAA)
Preview: The Coyotes will try to win their sixth straight away from home Tuesday night and end a six-game slide against the Sharks. Phoenix has limited its opponents to 1 for 17 on the power play during its run on the road. Veteran center Joe Thornton has two goals and three assists, and Antti Niemi has posted a 1.50 goals-against average in two wins over the Coyotes this season.

As the season heads into the final stretch tonight, our experts (Scott Burnside, E.J. Hradek and Pierre LeBrun) separate a few of the contenders from the pretenders:

Atlantic Division: New York Rangers

Burnside: Pretender
The Rangers will be looking to find more consistency through the final third of the season. They are just 5-5-0 in their past 10 games and will need to string some wins together if they're going to fend off Carolina (or perhaps Buffalo) down the stretch. That said, coach John Tortorella has somehow managed to keep his team afloat through injuries to top personnel such as Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Erik Christensen, Ruslan Fedotenko and Vaclav Prospal.

The Rangers can expect to get Callahan back this week; Prospal, who has yet to play a game this season while recovering from a knee injury, may return, as well. Tortorella will have to hope it helps jump-start the enigmatic Marian Gaborik, whose production is well off last season's pace. In the end, we don't see the Rangers falling much further than seventh (they were sixth as of Monday). Come playoff time, this is the kind of team that could give a higher seed such as Boston all kinds of problems. Still, without a top center and an inexperienced blue line, we don't see this Rangers squad as a contender. Not yet, anyway.

Hradek: Pretender
I think the Rangers are moving in the right direction. They are a young, hard-working group that competes hard in all three zones. Plus, they have a top stopper, Henrik Lundqvist, who will keep them in just about every game. At this point, I see them more as a sleeper that will give an opponent a tough time. I just don't think they have enough to be considered a true contender ... yet. But they're getting there.

LeBrun: Pretender
Contenders for a playoff spot, but pretenders for the Stanley Cup. Ranked fifth in the NHL in goals against per game, the Rangers' work ethic and commitment to defense suggests a team that won't slip-slide away in the home stretch. But a Stanley Cup championship is out of reach this season because goals are too hard to come by without a bona fide No. 1 center.

Northeast Division: Montreal Canadiens

Burnside: Pretender
The Canadiens hit the post-All-Star run in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. We don't see them challenging for the top spot in the Northeast, as they have for most of the season (they are four points back of Boston), but we also don't see them falling completely out of the playoff picture.

Terrific team defense (they rank sixth in goals allowed per game and on the penalty kill) should keep them in the top eight. The Habs play six of eight at home coming out of the break and are dynamite at the Bell Centre. On the road, though, they will have to play better (their 11 road wins are tied for the fewest among the current East playoff teams). As for the postseason, we don't think this team has another Cinderella run in it. Look for the Habs to be cannon fodder for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

Hradek: Pretender
After their surprising playoff run last spring, it's tough to slap the pretender label on them. They are a well-coached, veteran group. Still, I'm just not sold the Habs will have the same kind of good fortune this time around.

LeBrun: Pretender
Like the Rangers, the Habs are contenders for a playoff spot, but pretenders for the Cup. Carey Price has been a rock in goal, but the losses of Josh Gorges and Andrei Markov on defense have been harmful. If the Canadiens want to have any chance of repeating last spring's magical run, GM Pierre Gauthier needs to get on the horn to try to land Chris Phillips or Tomas Kaberle. We don't see a long playoff run this season.

Southeast Division: Washington Capitals

Burnside: Contender
A lot of discussion about the Caps' lack of scoring punch. Alex Ovechkin has only two power-play goals (he had 13, 19 and 22 power-play goals the past three seasons, respectively) and Alexander Semin disappeared from the score sheet before being knocked out with a groin muscle injury. The streaky Semin should return with his brand-new contract in hand, and his production will be key down the stretch and into the playoffs if the Caps are going to erase last season's disappointing first-round exit against Montreal.

Still, this is a very different Caps team than a year ago. It is harder to play against, ranking seventh in goals allowed per game and second on the penalty kill. It is on pace for one of its best defensive seasons, and we think it will overtake Tampa Bay for the Southeast Division crown, which will be key in avoiding Philadelphia or Pittsburgh in the first round.

Hradek: Contender
There's a lot of talent in D.C. I think we all know that. I get the sense the Caps are stalled right now; something seems to be missing. I'll be interested to see if GM George McPhee makes a move or two before the Feb. 28 trade deadline. While they're still seeking just the right mix, I see them as a contender.

LeBrun: Contender
Well, of course they are. But they've got their fans more than worried. Last season's top-scoring team is 17th in goals per game. Shocking, quite frankly. Yes, it has improved defensively, but this team was built to score goals. A playoff berth is a given, but can the Caps finally break through? The hope is their new-found defensive game will pay dividends come playoff time.

Central Division: Chicago Blackhawks

Burnside: Contender
At the beginning of the season, we picked the Blackhawks to return to the Stanley Cup finals. Yes, there has been a dramatic lineup overhaul since June's magical Cup run. Don't care. Look for Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to return to dominant form down the stretch. Corey Crawford has inspired confidence, as he has usurped veteran Marty Turco as the go-to guy in the Hawks' net. Marian Hossa has been hampered by injury but should be back to elite status by the playoffs.

Critics suggest the loss of players such as Dustin Byfuglien, who is having a Norris-worthy season in Atlanta, and Andrew Ladd will be felt keenly in the playoffs, and that may be true. But we think players such as Dave Bolland, who was so dynamic during the playoffs last season; rookie Bryan Bickell; and Troy Brouwer will answer the challenge. The Hawks may not enjoy home-ice advantage to start the playoffs, but we don't think many teams will relish facing the defending Cup champs come mid-April.

Hradek: Contender
The problem is simple for the defending champs: You can't defend your title if you don't make the playoffs. With 20 of their final 32 games on the road, the Hawks aren't a cinch to earn a spot. If they get there, however, I don't think anyone will be eager to face them in the first round. That means they're still a contender.

LeBrun: Contender
We just can't bring ourselves to believe the Cup champs will miss the playoffs. Yes, half the team is gone from last season, but the core remains strong. If GM Stan Bowman can add a piece on defense before the trade deadline, the Hawks will be a scary lower seed come playoff time. One note of concern: They're relying on rookie goalie Crawford. Then again, Antti Niemi was wet behind the ears last season and that seemed to work out just fine.

Northwest Division: Vancouver Canucks

Burnside: Pretender
The Canucks are the sexy pick to advance to the Stanley Cup finals, and there are many who think the Cup will come home to Canada for the first time since 1993. We're not those folks. Yes, goalie Roberto Luongo has been very good for the most part and the offense is intimidating, especially with Ryan Kesler having a breakout season with 27 goals, but the loss of Alexander Edler on the blue line is a big loss. Suddenly, a team that had a glut of defensemen is now looking more vulnerable.

Sami Salo should return from injury, but he is injury-prone, to say the least. The Canucks should get out of the first round (unless they face arch-nemesis Chicago), but we're still not sure Luongo has the internal fortitude to get the Canucks much farther.

Hradek: Contender
Coach Alain Vigneault's team clearly is a contender. They are well-stocked up the middle with centers Henrik Sedin, Kesler and Manny Malhotra, respectively. Can they get it done in the spring? Can Luongo take the Canucks where they want to go? Those are the big questions. We'll see if they have the answers.

LeBrun: Contender
Big-time contenders for the Cup. This is their time; their window is now. Sedin and Kesler are a strong 1-2 punch at center. Luongo is looking dynamite so far this season, but he won't silence his critics without a long playoff run. The injury to Edler is significant because he played a ton of minutes in all situations and is not replaceable.

Pacific Division: San Jose Sharks

Burnside: Pretender
After supposedly getting the playoff monkey off their backs last spring by advancing to the Western Conference finals, the Sharks have struggled through an up-and-down season that has seen them flirt with the idea of missing the playoffs altogether. We don't think that's going to happen, but we don't see the Sharks being the kind of team that can simply turn on the playoff switch and take its game to another level.

Yes, Niemi won a Cup with the Hawks last season, but he doesn't inspire much confidence for us. Then, there is the annual question of whether players such as Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley can elevate their games when it matters. History suggests they can't, and in the end it wouldn't surprise us one bit if the Sharks were one-and-done come April. That's assuming they don't fall out of the playoff picture altogether.

Hradek: Pretender
After terrific puck-mover Dan Boyle, the Sharks aren't mobile on defense. That means they get stuck in their own zone too often. That's not good. I think this group might have hit its peak by going to the conference finals last spring.

LeBrun: Pretender
The Sharks need help on defense. Rob Blake retired and was never replaced. Having said that, one interesting dynamic for the Sharks this season is they're not in first place and will go into the playoffs (if they make it) under the radar. Having the spotlight removed might make them a dangerous opponent. Cup contenders? That's a stretch at this point, but not totally out of the question.

Pacific Division: Los Angeles Kings

Burnside: Pretender
After making the playoffs last spring and challenging the Canucks in the first round (they lost in six entertaining games), the Kings seemed positioned to join the big boys at the top of the conference standings. Hasn't happened. The Kings have gone through long stretches of dispirited play and hit the All-Star break outside the playoff bubble in 11th place, one point out of eighth.

GM Dean Lombardi has had to publicly defend coach Terry Murray and shelled out $50,000 after complaining about NHL replay officials. The Kings have all kinds of cap room and assets, but we don't know if there's an impact player that will be available to move the Kings forward. We must admit, this lineup looks like it has it all -- gritty veterans, Stanley Cup experience, dynamic young players along the blue line and up front -- and yet, something seems to be missing.

Hradek: Contender. Murray's team is riding a roller coaster this season. The highs have been high and the lows have been low. I can't label it a pretender, though. The Kings have a legit No. 1 center, nice balance on defense and a pair of good young goalies. Right now, it's hard to predict which way they'll go this season. If they get into the playoffs, they could make a long run. They're contenders because they have the right mix. Lombardi is also positioned to add a significant piece if one becomes available before the trade deadline.

LeBrun: Pretender
They began the season as Cup contenders, but right now I don't think they are. Contender for a playoff spot? You bet. Los Angeles is missing a high-end piece up front. Not enough creativity offensively. Let's see what Lombardi does before Feb. 28 to help his team. The Kings entered the break on a five-game winning streak and seemingly have turned their season around. But Cup contender? Not so sure anymore.

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun look at where teams stand at the All-Star break:

Burnside: Well, my friend, the All-Star break has arrived, the unofficial start of the stretch drive. There were a couple of interesting games to close out this part of the NHL schedule on Wednesday night, most notably here in Atlanta.

With even more bad news on the ownership front in recent days (they're suing their own lawyers), the Thrashers have been in danger of falling right out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. But on Wednesday night, Ondrej Pavelec was terrific in net and one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL buttoned up and shut out Washington 1-0. The win keeps the Thrashers in eighth place, just ahead of surging Carolina. What caught your eye last night other than the nonstop commercials for this weekend's All-Star shindig?

LeBrun: As you know, I love my Western Conference hockey, and that's really where the action was last night. The Sharks and Kings put on some kind of show, especially in a wide-open overtime period. The single point finally put San Jose back in a playoff spot at the break, a real important mental development for the Sharks. They streaked into the break with a five-game points streak (4-0-1) and I just don't see how they could possibly miss the playoffs now. They've figured it out.

Similarly, the Kings roar into the break with a three-game winning streak, and their celebration after the shootout last night was playoff-like. They needed that one badly. They're only a point out of eighth in the crazy West and, like the Sharks, seem to have turned the corner. But it won't be easy for either team; only two points separate seventh from 12th in the conference.

Burnside: Having spent some time in Denver last week and seeing the Avs turn in a solid effort against St. Louis on Monday, it was surprising to see them play so poorly against Phoenix last night in a 5-2 loss at the Pepsi Center. Once again, the Avs dropped out of the top eight.

Chatted with Avs GM Greg Sherman last week and he insisted he's comfortable with his goaltending tandem, but once again the goaltending was average Wednesday. I don't know if they can make the playoffs without upgrading that position. As for the Coyotes, there's just no quit in coach Dave Tippett's team; it looks like a squad destined for the postseason.

LeBrun: While you were in Denver, I was in Vancouver, and one of the games I caught was Calgary's big shootout win over the Canucks. The resurgent Flames enter the break on a 10-3-3 run, a stretch that began with coach Brent Sutter breaking the rest of the season into three-game segments and convincing his players all they needed to do is get four out of six points in those segments and they'd be in the playoffs. Well, they're only two points out of a playoff spot at the break, perhaps one of the most stunning turnarounds of the season.

There are other teams to jump over and it's going to be difficult, but the Flames have given themselves a shot, which is more than anyone would have predicted. Let's jump back to the East, where the Hurricanes enter the break one point back of the Thrashers for the eighth and final playoff spot, only three points behind Montreal. How do you see that playing out?

Burnside: I still think the Canes are the only team capable of cracking the top eight right now, but it is interesting to note that Buffalo is 7-3-0 in its past 10 games and has three games in hand on the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers, especially because of their defensive shortcomings, seem the most vulnerable. The Canadiens, hammered Tuesday by Philadelphia, aren't safe and sit just two points ahead of Atlanta, although they have two games in hand.

Then there's the New York Rangers; they're only five points ahead of ninth-place Carolina and have played two more games. It's not as jam-packed as the Western Conference, but I foresee much drama at the bottom end of the East standings. Remember last season? The Flyers earned a playoff berth on the final afternoon of the regular season in a shootout.

LeBrun: I wouldn't worry one bit about the Rangers. They were really unlucky to lose that game against Florida earlier this week, and the consistency of their effort, night in and night out, is superior to Atlanta and, to some degree, Montreal. The Rangers are in. I've always had a soft spot for the Sabres and their loyal fans, but I just don't see them getting back in. Despite their recent play, losing Derek Roy is just too big a blow.

Well, I will see you in Raleigh tomorrow morning as we arrive for the All-Star festivities. I will try to keep an open mind about the whole weekend!

Florida Panthers (22-21-5) at Boston Bruins (27-15-7), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 3-0 Boston
Starting goaltenders: Scott Clemmensen 5-5-2, 2.43 GAA) vs. Tim Thomas (23-5-6, 1.84 GAA)
Preview: Tim Thomas has dominated the Southeast Division, going 10-1-1 with a 1.72 GAA and .949 save percentage in 13 starts against the Southeast this season. The Bruins are looking to complete a sweep of the Panthers after being shut out by the Kings on Monday.

Carolina Hurricanes (24-19-6) at New York Islanders (15-26-7), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Carolina
Starting goaltenders: Cam Ward (21-15-5, 2.71 GAA) vs. Rick DiPietro (7-8-4, 3.39 GAA)
Preview: The Hurricanes are hoping for another happy trip to Long Island. Over the last five seasons, Carolina has the second-best record of any team on the road against the Islanders of teams that have played at least five games there. Look for Jeff Skinner to lead the Canes as the rookie has more goals in January than any other NHL player.

Washington Capitals (27-14-9) at Atlanta Thrashers (23-19-9), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 3-2 Atlanta
Starting goaltenders: Semyon Varlamov (8-6-3, 2.22 GAA) vs. Ondrej Pavelec (16-12-7, 2.51 GAA)
Preview: The Capitals have scored more than three goals in a game just once since Dec. 22. And, the Thrashers have allowed more than three goals in a game seven times over that stretch, so a trip to Atlanta could be just what heals Washington's power play ails. Alex Ovechkin has scored 30 career goals against the Thrashers, tied for the most by any player against Atlanta.

New Jersey Devils (16-29-3) at Detroit Red Wings (29-13-6), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Detroit
Starting goaltenders: Martin Brodeur (10-18-2, 2.84 GAA) vs. Jimmy Howard (23-8-3, 2.86 GAA)
Preview: The Devils may have the worst record in the NHL, but they are playing their best hockey of late. They have won four straight and have earned a point in seven straight (6-0-1), giving them the NHL’s best points percentage since Jan. 9. Unfortunately, they have not enjoyed much success at Joe Louis Arena recently. Since they swept the Wings in the 1995 Cup finals, the Devils are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games at Detroit.

Nashville Predators (27-16-6) at Vancouver Canucks (30-10-9), 10 p.m. ET

Starting goaltenders: Pekka Rinne (17-12-4, 2.11 GAA) vs. Roberto Luongo (22-8-7, 2.31 GAA)
Preview: The Canucks lead the Western Conference thanks to a strong home record. They will be looking to earn at least one point in a 13th consecutive home game when they face the Predators for the first time this season. Nashville ended its three-game winning streak when it went 0 for 5 on the power play in a loss at Calgary on Monday night.

San Jose Sharks (25-19-5) at Los Angeles Kings (26-22-1), 10:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-1 San Jose
Starting goaltenders: Antti Niemi (13-13-2, 2.72 GAA) vs. Jonathan Quick (21-14-1, 2.16 GAA)
Preview: The Sharks attempt to win five in a row for the first time in more than a year, but the last time they won four straight, they followed it with a 4-0 loss to the Kings. The Kings will be playing their last game at home before beginning a 10-game road trip after the All-Star break.

VANCOUVER -- Greetings from the Left Coast. I see there's plenty of angry puck heads this week. Love it. Let's get at 'er:

gatorsandtitansfan44: The Nashville Predators are not getting enough notice. They have won 10 of 12, getting some of the best goaltending in the league from Pekka Rinne and look at their injury list! Two of their top scorers are on IR, their big offseason signing has played 1 1/2 games, a top four D-man (Boullion) and a filler they picked up to help with scoring since two of their top point guys are out (Svatos). Guess what, not only are the Predators quite arguably the hottest team in the league, but they are doing it while dealing with tons of injuries. Not to mention that they had to go nearly a month without starting goalie Pekka Rinne. The fact of the matter is the NHL season is a little over halfway done and the Nashville Predators with a rag tag group of guys and several key injuries are on fire and now sit just four points out of first in the division (second in the West) behind Detroit, four points ahead of the defending SC champion Blackhawks (who they have beaten in three out of five this year), and they are two points ahead of the Ducks (fifth in the West), who have played three more games than Nashville so far. Why can’t the fact that they have no "superstar scorer" be set aside and the fact that this is a good young hockey team with a solid foundation be brought out? The bottom line is this team has very good potential, and if they can keep playing the way they are this season who knows? Maybe a trip to the conference semis is finally within their grasp.

My take: Hey, I've done my best, writing a Preds story two weeks ago. But generally, you are indeed correct that this team just doesn't get the kind of national attention it deserves. Playing in a small and non-traditional market obviously doesn't help. What would also help is a deep playoff run, which they've never had. That would cultivate more of a respect factor around the league. Is this the year?

Kavashaforlife: Dear Mr. Nabokov:

Hey, it is me, Logic; I think we need to have a talk. I understand, the Islanders are not the ideal place to resume your NHL career, but are you not tired of the cold nights in Russia? Report to the Islanders, take the next week (including workouts over the All-Star break) to earn the starting goaltending job on despondent Long Island; play a week or so on the Island, show the rest of the NHL that you still have it (I see the headlines now: "Nabokov's 40 save night (again) sparks the resurgent Isles") and eventually get traded to Detroit (or another playoff contender) for a draft pick and mid-level player. Unlike at Burger King, you cannot always "have it your way;" take what the Islanders are offering you, it has to be better than what Russia's offering you.

Sincerely,

Logic (Hopeful Islanders Fan)

My take: Problem is, my friend, the Isles can't trade him unless they put him on waivers first and it's unlikely he would clear. Hence, a trade is not a realistic option. By now, most hockey fans know I interviewed Nabokov on Sunday. He sounded genuinely surprised over the phone that the Islanders would claim him. And quite frankly, I'm with him on that. I mean, why aren't the Isles just focusing on losing games and getting another high lottery pick to join John Tavares and company on a young club that will be better over the next few years? Having said that, I also think Nabokov should report to Long Island. He needs to show the other 29 GMs that he can still stop pucks so that once July 1 rolls around, he'll get some interest.

phillyisbetterthanpitt: Stop protecting the players from headshots. This is a joke, they get paid all this money to play the sport the same way they have been playing it their entire lives. The NHL is getting more and more soft with each passing year Bettman remains the head. Stop letting GMs protect their money interests and let the players play the game the way it was intended to be played.

My take: Marc Savard has another concussion. David Perron hasn't played since his November hit to the head. Matthew Lombardi has played two games this season, still out with a concussion. The best player on the planet won't be showcased in the All-Star Game as he continues to recover from a concussion. Yup, you're right. No issue here whatsoever. All is well. I have no idea why we're even talking about it.

StLbluesfan314: I am so frustrated about the Blues this season! I feel like we are the Chicago Cubs of hockey. Every time the season begins, we all have the hopes of a Cup in STL. But year after year no such luck. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I enjoy getting to the playoffs but yet we can't make anything happen! Is it time to talk of trading some of those "cornerstone" pieces to get some real talent in here to make a playoff run? Any news on the talk of getting a sniper who can put pucks into the net with consistency? The addition of Oshie back from injury is nice but we still can't put up points. Is it inconsistency that is killing this team? GET US SOME HELP J.D.!

My take: Um, the Cubs of hockey are a team you may have heard of in Toronto. The Maple Leafs and Cubs have brought suffering to a new level for their fans.

LynchBages: Kings vs. Mike Murphy. Unfortunately Murphy has all of the leverage. However, the goal that was allowed to stand against Phoenix the other night from the high stick up around the head (never mind that Hanzal is 6'5"!) was ridiculous, especially when the feeds in the arena even showed it was almost two feet over the crossbar. The explanation from the "war room" was feeble, at best, and even though Lombardi's comment was out of line, the league should be embarrassed to ask him to pay that fine. With all of that in mind, it's painfully obvious that the Kings are frustrated because their plan to have the kids grow up fast makes them too thin -- they do have steaks where their talent is evident, but no consistency. REALISTICALLY, do you see any movement coming this season via trade? I'm thinking they're going have to look to the Eastern Conference ... more consistent scoring and a top-four D-man, but who??

My take: Hanzal's goal should not have stood. Bad call from the war room in Toronto. But Lombardi was out of line to say that publicly. Totally out of line. And when I spoke with the Kings GM on Friday, he felt brutal about it. Good on Lombardi to call Murphy on Friday morning and apologize. Classy move by Lombardi.

mrcheesenacho7: I'm tired of hearing everyone call out Sidney as a baby and a poor leader because he isn't able to play or participate in the All-Star Game. You have to realize that the guy would be on the ice in a second if he could help out his team, yet he hasn't skated in almost three weeks and does nothing but catch hell from haters for something he can't even help. The Sid haters have reached a new low.

My take: Anyone who thinks Crosby is not injured and skipping the All-Star Game on purpose it a moron. He's injured. He's got a concussion. He's doing the right thing by taking the week off to recover. Enough said.

cbjgatorhead: I'm not going to bash Scott Howson/Scott Arniel at all ... but I'm beginning to question some of their tactics lately. I don't understand why we sent down Kyle Wilson when we have Huselius floating around like a worthless bag of garbage. Also additional garbage, Anton Stralman, but thankfully we have Grant Clitsome! And obviously it's not because of money. We just sent our highest paid D-man down to the AHL. Why do we continue to keep Huselius around?!

My take: I feel terrible for Jackets fans. I love the city of Columbus, I've always thought it was an excellent choice for an NHL franchise. But it's been nothing but heartache and frustration for a decade plus. There are no easy solutions moving forward. The Predators model is the one to try to copy: patient drafting and developing and no quick fixes.

colt135: I will rant about Nabokov. I hope Islanders fans like what Snow did. The idea is to make your team better, and for them Nabokov is an upgrade. With over 30 games left in the season, if he caught lightning in a bottle and went 20-10 (he won 44 last year), they could grab the eight spot.

My take: Whatever you're taking, I want some of that.

raquelm5: Hi, I am a hockey fan, I love hockey, I play hockey and I live in Miami so I have Panthers season tickets. My hubby HATES hockey so I am always trying to find someone to go to the games with me and no one wants to go and the ticket is free. Their reasons are either: a) they don't care about hockey, or b) the Panthers are so bad. I play in a women's rec league and it seems that the Panthers make the same mistakes we do. It is sad to watch and when they seem to be winning for once, they manage to loose. We always say that they "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" like the game vs. the Hurricanes when they were up 3-0 and lost 5-3. Should I bother renewing my season tickets so I go through the trouble of finding who to go with or fighting with my hubby to go with me? Oh, BTW, Bank Atlantic Center is 50 miles from where we live.

My take: Raquel, don't give up on them yet. Dale Tallon showed in Chicago that he knows how to rebuild a team. It's just going to take time, which I know is tough to take given the long drought of non-playoff years in South Florida. But give Tallon a chance. He knows what he's doing.

fbullock: Pierre, We find ourselves with another annual useless hockey game this Saturday night. No it's not an Isles vs. Devils game. Although it would be a lot better if it was. But sadly it's the NHL All-Star Game. It's just plan useless not just for the fans but for those having to cover it. I feel for you having to trek down there to RBC but make sure you shake enough corporate hands to make it worth it. Only person that will be happy this weekend will be the wife since I will have no pucks on this weekend. I wish the hockey gods could help me with the work I will have to do in the garage. Anyway, I feel there is no need in bashing this hand-holding corporate event unless I have a solution and I do. Why can't we take the weekend and have an awesome round-robin tourney? How about the All-Stars from: NHL vs. KHL vs. SEL vs. EHL. After three days the top two points teams play for a stack of cash. I don't believe any of the above leagues lose because of the monster TV deal it would bring as well as international sponsors. It’s a no brainer. Not to mention the side games of the above leagues. They could include an all-amateur game as well as high stakes skills comp. Oh what a weekend. Puck heads would be on full puck tilt for three or four days. As well, I believe the media would have a much better time with the storylines. Well, just throwing out one fan's dream, instead me and my dog Hosehead are going to grab us some Elsinore and clean the garage.

My take: Well, the game is actually on Sunday, but yes, I'm with you. I've wanted the All-Star Game canceled for years. The addition of the Friday fantasy draft is a neat touch. But I suspect Sunday's game will be a dud once again. Solution? Just blow it up. The NHL schedule is brutal on the players. Adding back those three days from the break wouldn't hurt.

Monday: Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. ET

With the Canucks winless in four and the Stars breathing down their neck in the race for top seed in the Western Conference, this stands as a big game for both clubs.
Prediction: Look for the Canucks to break the streak although it may take extra time.

Tuesday: Montreal Canadiens at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m. ET

No love lost between last year's Eastern Conference finalists. Watch for P.K. Subban to continue to rub the Flyers the wrong way. Philly is coming off a big win in Chicago on Sunday, so there could be a bit of a letdown.
Prediction: The Flyers continue to set the pace atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Tuesday: Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. ET

Two teams that have been up and down all season. The Blackhawks are back in the middle of the playoff pack, and the Wild are just outside the bubble. Neither team can afford too much backsliding.
Prediction: The Wild come up big on the road.

Wednesday: Washington Capitals at Atlanta Thrashers, 7 p.m. ET

The Thrashers were humbled 7-1 by Tampa on Sunday, while the Capitals have been on a tear since the end of December. The Thrashers need to stop the bleeding as they've fallen into eighth place in the Eastern Conference and are feeling heat from Carolina and Buffalo.
Prediction: The Caps keep rolling and the Thrashers keep falling.

Wednesday: San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m. ET

The Sharks have suddenly won four in a row and began the week in the top eight in the Western Conference. The Kings, meanwhile, are looking to get on that kind of roll and will need to if they want to avoid the monumental disappointment of missing the playoffs.
Prediction: Sorry Kings, the Sharks continue to make life miserable in L.A.

New York Rangers (28-19-3) at Washington Capitals (27-14-8), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-1
Starting goaltenders: Martin Biron (7-4-0, 2.33 GAA) vs. Braden Holtby (4-2-1, 2.79 GAA)
Preview: Coming off his first hat trick of the season, Alex Ovechkin looks to end his drought against the Rangers and avenge the Capitals' most lopsided defeat of the season, a 7-0 loss to New York. Ovechkin has not scored in his past three games against the Rangers, the longest drought of his career against New York. While the Capitals are hoping for more production from Ovechkin, the Rangers are looking for the same from Marian Gaborik. After ending his eight-game goal drought with a four-goal outburst against the Leafs, Gaborik has no points in his past two games.

St. Louis Blues (22-18-7) at Colorado Avalanche (24-18-6), 9:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Colorado
Starting goaltenders: Jaroslav Halak (17-15-5, 2.58 GAA) vs. Peter Budaj (11-7-3, 3.12 GAA)
Preview: As Colorado tries to avoid a third consecutive loss, it will need to continue its recent luck against St. Louis. The Avalanche have won five consecutive games against the Blues, their longest win streak against St. Louis since the franchise moved from Quebec at the start of the 1995-96 season. All-Star center Matt Duchene has a five-game point streak against St. Louis and is one point shy of 100 in his two-year career.

Nashville Predators (27-15-6) at Calgary Flames (22-21-6), 9:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Calgary
Starting goaltenders: Pekka Rinne (17-11-4, 2.08 GAA) vs. Miikka Kiprusoff (18-18-2, 2.84 GAA)
Preview: The Predators are an NHL-best 10-2-0 since New Year's Eve, helping them vault from 12th place in the West to fourth. But their hot streak has not helped them against the Flames recently. Calgary is 7-2-0 against Nashville since the start of the 2008-09 season. A Predators win Monday night would give Nashville 10 wins in January, which would be the just the sixth time in franchise history they have won 10 games in a month.

Dallas Stars (29-14-5) at Vancouver Canucks (29-10-9), 10 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Vancouver
Starting goaltenders: Kari Lehtonen (21-10-5, 2.49 GAA) vs. Roberto Luongo (21-8-7, 2.35 GAA)
Preview: The Canucks are winless in their past four games, but have pushed the past three games beyond regulation to hold on to their lead in the West. Vancouver has won six of seven against Dallas, including all three meetings at Rogers Arena. But Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen is 6-0-1 in January with a 1.70 GAA average. Lehtonen will need to continue his strong play to shut down the Canucks’ Ryan Kesler, who has 26 goals, which is already tied for his single-season career high.

Boston Bruins (27-14-7) at Los Angeles Kings (25-22-1), 10:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Los Angeles
Starting goaltenders: Tim Thomas (23-4-6, 1.83 GAA) vs. Jonathan Quick (20-14-1, 2.22 GAA)
Preview: The Bruins have picked up at least one point in their past nine road games heading into Monday night's matchup in Los Angeles, but they will need to overcome an injury to Marc Savard to improve their streak. Savard returned to Boston to be evaluated after being checked into the boards and leaving the game on Saturday. The Kings are looking to win consecutive games for the first time since a four-game winning streak from Dec. 21-27. With Tim Thomas' save percentage currently at .945, the Bruins goalie is trying to become the first with a save percentage of .940 or better heading into the All-Star break having played at least 20 games.

VANCOUVER -- There are three current All-Star players sidelined by injury and the clock is ticking with the game less than a week away in Raleigh.

What to do if you're the NHL?

Instead of pressuring Ales Hemsky (concussion), Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeni Malkin (lower body) into a decision any day now, I'm told the NHL has decided to allow those three players all the time they need right up to All-Star weekend.

Why? Because the league will replace any injured All-Star from the pool of rookies already attending the skills event. I think this is an absolutely brilliant solution.

In previous years, it was a nightmare for the league to try to find a replacement so close to the event because players had already made plans with their families or friends for the break. Choosing from rookies already making the trip to Raleigh makes total sense.

As of Saturday, the league was kicking around how the rookies would be chosen for the game. Would they be part of Friday's fantasy draft, or would the rookies win their way into the game by excelling in Saturday night's skills event? Both are interesting ideas.

I know, I know ... I'm on record as hating the All-Star Game. But I give the league credit for being creative this year.

Nabokov's future

Unless Islanders GM Garth Snow can persuade Evgeni Nabokov to have a change of heart, the Russian netminder has decided he doesn't want to report to Long Island.

So, what are the Islanders' options if Nabokov doesn't report? Here we go:

• They can suspend Nabokov for not reporting to the team.

• They can go to the NHL and say they want to trade Nabokov, but two things have to happen for any trade to happen: Nabokov would have to waive his no-movement clause and the Isles would have to put him back on the waiver wires, as stated in section 13.23 of the CBA. Only teams that put in an initial waiver claim for Nabokov this past Friday/Saturday would have access to the goalie during this waiver period.

• If he clears waivers again, all 29 teams would get to participate in a second waiver-wire process. The team that sits lowest in the standings has first priority here if multiple teams put in claims.

• If he were to clear waivers a third time (this is highly, highly unlikely), the Islanders would then be able to trade the netminder.

TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Saturday that another possiblity is the Isles could suspend Nabokov for rest of season and then argue to NHL that the goalie owes them the full one-year, $570,000 contract next season, citing the Alexei Yashin precedent in Ottawa.

The waiver rule

With Nabokov joining Marek Svatos and Kyle Wellwood as players claimed away from teams who did the work to sign them, some clubs are wondering whether Section 13.23 of the CBA needs revisiting. Blues GM Doug Armstrong told ESPN.com on Saturday he's going to table a discussion at the GMs meeting in March to ask that very question. The purpose of the rule is to prevent teams from adding "ringers" late in the season and gaining an unfair advantage.

Hits to the head

With Crosby's concussion reigniting the hits-to-the-head discussion, the issue will again headline/dominate the GMs meetings, league sources confirmed Saturday. The question they will ask is whether Rule 48 is doing its job or whether it needs to ban more types of hits. Should be quite the discussion.

I interviewed Wayne Gretzky earlier this week for a story that will run on his 50th birthday Wednesday, but wanted to pass on what he said about the hits debate.

"The good thing is, 30 years ago when we got hit like that, you came in and you said you were feeling kind of woozy and they would tell you, 'Get on the ice and skate through it,'" Gretzky said half-jokingly. "Then, if you had a couple of bad games, they would haul in the office and ask you, 'What's wrong?' So you know, we've come a long way.

"I think in today's game, people are on top of it," added Gretzky. "If there is an issue, they're not making knee-jerk decisions. They study it, they check into it. They really look into how they can help these players. It's hard, it's a fine line. It's just a bigger game now. I don't know how we can continuously look to protect the player without taking the physical aspect out of the game.

"I watch football games and I don't know how some of these guys survive because it's so physical. ... I think both hockey and football are always analyzing this and trying to figure out a way to keep the players from concussions. The good news is the NHL really is on top of it. But it's probably going to continue to be an even bigger issue because the players are going to get bigger and stronger."

This and that

• Kings GM Dean Lombardi told me Friday he's solidly behind Terry Murray as coach. Won't be a change there, he said.

• Peter Forsberg would not have to clear waivers if/when he signs with the Avs because he didn't play a game overseas this season.

• Spoke with injured Canucks blueliner Sami Salo on Friday. He says his Achilles' heel is healed, but it's building up muscle in the same leg that's the issue. It's taking a while to do that. He hasn't had any setbacks since he began skating, but he said he really doesn't know when he'll be ready to return. Once he's cleared, the Canucks will have a cap crunch and will need to move a player.

• Lightning GM Steve Yzerman and veteran agent Don Meehan are slated to resume contract talks for Steven Stamkos on Monday in Tampa.

• A "Happy Birthday" note to big-time agent Pat Brisson, who turned 46 on Saturday. Not sure if it's because of his vegan diet, but he doesn't look a day over 36.

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun look at two teams -- the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings -- that are

Burnside: Greetings, my friend. Let's start our daily free-for-all with a discussion of the New York Rangers. To me, they've been one of the surprise stories in the Eastern Conference. With no real No. 1 center and a young blue line that bodes well for the future, they've still been in the thick of things in the conference.

But they've started to slide a little (5-4-1 in their past 10 games). Unless Marian Gaborik gets into some sort of groove, you have to figure it will be a battle for them to make the playoffs. Coming off such a strong season last season, Gaborik has been hurt and has not been the same player since his return. He's gone eight straight games without a goal and was a healthy scratch. Ouch.

LeBrun: The Rangers are an intriguing tale. Under the excellent tutelage of coach John Tortorella, they've scratched and clawed their way to maintaining a playoff spot all season. Imagine if Gaborik was along for the ride? To be fair, he doesn't have a bona fide No. 1 center to play with. But let's be honest, where has the speed and explosion gone? Remember Gaborik in Minnesota? He was the fastest player in the league. I spoke with someone this week who figured Gaborik has never been the same player since his hip surgery; or maybe it's just going to take longer to get it all back? The Rangers better hope he does; there's three more years left on his deal at $7.5 million per year.

Burnside: The problem for teams like the Rangers, who have to constantly scratch out low-scoring one-goal wins, is it taxes everyone. You need to have those games where the offense makes it easy on everyone, especially goalie Henrik Lundqvist and that young blue line.

The Rangers have managed to cobble together passable offensive numbers, but Gaborik's job is to make them better than passable. Wojtek Wolski should help up front, but Gaborik has to do more than he has or it's going to be a difficult road to the postseason for the Rangers.

Speaking of difficult paths, how about the Los Angeles Kings? The offseason darlings of most prognosticators, the Kings have won just twice in their past 11 games. They dropped a 2-1 decision to St. Louis on Tuesday night, their second straight 2-1 loss. They woke up Wednesday morning in 12th place in the Western Conference, five points out of eighth. All is not lost, of course, but how long is coach Terry Murray's leash? I think ownership will not be pleased if this promising young team falls short of the playoffs this season.

LeBrun: Kings fans were tweeting me last night, asking for Murray to be fired. I hope he isn't -- talk about one of the nicest guys in the business. But it's funny how the players are escaping the blame. There are some young, important players in L.A. that don't have the same commitment as they did a year ago. This is a young Kings team that believed their press clippings and didn't realize they had to work even harder to take the next step. Interestingly, they went 9-2-1 from Dec. 2-27; I remember talking to Murray and thinking they had turned the corner. They've gone 2-9-0 since. Something's got to give there. As we've said all season long, the Kings have cap room, but do you really want to trade for a rental now that you're five points out?

Burnside: I blame you for putting the curse on them last month! Well, if there's pressure on Murray, who I think hasn't received the credit due for helping introduce structure to a raw group of players the last couple of seasons, there's double the pressure on GM Dean Lombardi.

He escaped the Ilya Kovalchuk trap, but signing the injury-prone Willie Mitchell hasn't worked out, and there are precious few impact players available before the Feb. 28 deadline. But I remain mystified that veteran players like Rob Scuderi, Ryan Smyth, Justin Williams and Michal Handzus aren't enough to get this team over the hump. From the outside, this looks like a team that has a perfect blend of youth, talent and experience, but it's not getting it done. Are they waiting for help from the outside? It's help that may not be coming.

LeBrun: Calgary insists it won't trade Jarome Iginla. Dallas would be crazy at this point to move Brad Richards. Patrik Elias won't waive his no-movement clause in New Jersey for personal reasons. Just where is that big ticket that can save the Kings? There is still a lot of time before the trade deadline, but the Kings need some wins now. Until tomorrow, my friend.

It's hard to believe the NHL regular season is at its midpoint. And with All-Star weekend fast approaching and the final weeks before the trade deadline following in February, the second half of the season always seems to disappear even more quickly than the first.

As part of our midseason review this week, here is a look at five things we expect will transpire during the final half of this already tumultuous regular season:

1. The blindside hit rule will continue to be a mystery

Between now and the end of the regular season, the league's attempts to curb blindside hits and blows to the head will be no closer to being either understood or properly punished. One problem remains: Even though there are words suggesting the league wants to eliminate blows to the head (Rule No. 48.1), no one, least of all the league's head of discipline Colin Campbell, seems comfortable with what kinds of actions actually fall under that new rule.

How, for instance, to explain how David Steckel clipped the game's best player in the head with his shoulder during the Winter Classic when Sidney Crosby was looking the other way and wasn't even given a warning, let alone a fine or a suspension? The rationale was the contact was incidental; but the fact is, it was a blindside hit whether anyone meant it or not.

Players are regularly whistled for high sticking even though they may merely be turning to follow the play. Players must be in control of their sticks. Should Steckel not have been held to the same standards?

Crosby is out for at least a week and the NHL is robbed of its most identifiable player.
A few days later, Calgary's Tom Kostopoulos raced in and clocked Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart, sidelining him for 6-8 weeks with a fractured jaw. Kostopoulos was given a six-game suspension; it easily could have been twice that number, and still there were those who believed it was a good hockey hit. The Flames put out an indignant press release, suggesting the hit was a good one, which merely illustrates no one in the game really knows what's going on when it comes to these kinds of hits.

The end result? Look for more players to spend more time on the disabled list, while the NHL fumbles through the darkness on this one.

2. At least one 'good' West team will miss postseason

At least one, and maybe two, very good teams are going to miss the playoffs in the Western Conference.

Even though we imagined some sort of Stanley Cup hangover from the Chicago Blackhawks and their revamped lineup, we didn't expect them to be as inconsistent as they've been through the first half. Likewise, the talent-laden San Jose Sharks continue to look like a team that doesn't quite get how to be a winner despite advancing to last season's Western Conference finals, where they were swept by the Hawks. The Los Angeles Kings, losers of five straight before a sloppy win over floundering Columbus on Saturday, are also seeking that elusive chemistry all champions possess.

As of Monday, the Sharks were in 11th place in the West after losing four straight games, the Kings were in eighth and the Hawks were sixth (but just three points out of 12th). Although we picked all three teams to be in the playoffs at the start of the season and had Chicago returning to the Stanley Cup finals, we're guessing at least one of these three teams doesn't make it to the dance at all.

Our best guess right now is, shockingly, the San Jose Sharks. Just 10-8-3 at home, they can't count on other teams to make it easy for them, and we're not sure they've got the intestinal fortitude to get there themselves.

3. Will Kings GM Dean Lombardi make a move?

No manager has as much pressure on him to push his team forward as Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi. The Kings emerged last season as a young team that looked ready to challenge the big boys in the Western Conference. After losing to Vancouver in an entertaining six-game set in the first round last season, the assumption was they would use that experience, with the addition of one or two key pieces, to take that next step.

Lombardi was in the hunt for free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, although it was never really clear whether that was ownership's pursuit or his own. The Kings lucked out, of course, when the Devils ended up with the albatross. Sans Kovalchuk, the Kings took a chance and signed oft-injured Willie Mitchell to bolster the blue line, and he has been, well, oft-injured. They also signed Alexei Ponikarovsky (Kovalchuk Lite, if you will), who has continued the disappointing play that saw him flame out in Pittsburgh last season.

Now, Kings fans wait and wonder what Lombardi will do to bolster a roster that has been curiously prone to coming unglued this season despite its nice mix of young talent and battle-tested veterans. The challenge for Lombardi will be in making an impact move when there don't seem to be any obvious ones on the horizon. Brad Richards isn't going anywhere at least until July 1, Jamie Langenbrunner has joined Richards in Dallas, and there is no Marian Hossa or Kovalchuk-type player available before the Feb. 28 trade deadline.

Lombardi may hope the answers are already in the Kings' locker room, and they might be. If not, there will be some hard questions asked about this team's makeup if it misses the playoffs or fails to get past the first round.

4. The Iginla watch

No one will see his name connected to more potential trades before the Feb. 28 deadline than Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla. The reasons are obvious.

The Flames are in serious need of a makeover after taking the dramatic step of dumping GM Darryl Sutter in midseason. Iginla, a classy leader who still has better-than-average offensive skills, would be coveted by literally a dozen playoff-hopeful teams and could return a nice package of picks and assets were he made available. Yet for all the talk that will bubble to the surface in the coming weeks, we believe the Flames have no intention of approaching Iginla about waiving his no-movement clause.

Iginla has made it clear he wants to stay in Calgary (he has two more years left on his current contract at $7 million annually), and the Flames appear content to honor that contract. Now, is it possible Iginla could have a change of heart and ask for a change of scenery? Sure. If that was the case, GM Jay Feaster, looking to earn the full-time spot in the offseason after replacing Sutter on an interim basis, would likely listen. But Feaster's history dictates this: If he says he's not trading a player, he's not. Feaster stuck by his guns in Tampa Bay and resisted the temptation to trade Vincent Lecavalier when the forward was in a down period. The Lightning went on to win a Stanley Cup.

Team sources say the notion of exploring an Iginla trade is a "non-starter," and that means another potential impact player will stay put through the trade deadline.

5. Defense will win for Ovechkin, Capitals

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will finish outside the top 10 in NHL scoring for just the second time in his career, but the Caps will finish well within the top 10 in the league defensively. The latter should ultimately be a lot more unnerving for opposing teams come playoff time.

Ovechkin finished second in scoring last season with 50 goals and 109 points and earned his third straight Ted Lindsay Award (formerly the Lester B. Pearson Award) as the league's MVP as voted on by the players. Yet the Caps finished 16th last season in goals allowed per game, and the sense was they couldn't batten down the hatches come playoff time, a sentiment borne out of when they were upended in the first round by eighth-seeded Montreal.

This season, much has been made of Ovechkin's downturn in production. At the midway point, he was tied for 11th in league scoring, on pace for his lowest points total since becoming an NHLer. Still, the Caps were seventh in goals allowed per game and battling with Tampa Bay for the top spot in the Southeast Division. (The last time the Capitals finished within the top 12 in goals allowed per game was the 1999-00 season, when they were fourth overall.)

Coincidence? We think not. We're guessing the Caps will maintain their strong team defense, the kind that suggests a trip to at least the conference finals for the first time since 1998.