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spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","New Jersey Devils","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/newjersey_devils.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "NEW JERSEY DEVILSRecord: 28-18-2-1, 59 points, 2nd in Atlantic, 5th in East
Games left: 33
Leading scorer: LW Zach Parise (18-26-44)
Season statistics: Power play 35-213, 16.4 percent, 21st overall; penalty kill 163-196, 83.2 percent, 10th overall
Award contenders: Zach Parise (Lady Byng), Martin Brodeur (Vezina, Hart), John Madden (Selke), Coach Brent Sutter (Adams)
Season-to-date: After slumping out of the game, New Jersey is 23-11-1 since Nov. 7 ... Devils posted a nine-game win streak from Nov. 7-Dec. 7, tying Detroit for the longest winning stretch in the league this season ... Devils opened the new Prudential Center in Newark Oct. 27 by dropping a 4-1 verdict to the Ottawa Senators ... LW Patrik Elias surpassed John MacLean (55) to become the franchise leader in game-winning goals. He now has 59 GWG ... When Martin Brodeur started in goal on opening night, the Devils netminder tied Tony Esposito (1969-81) for the most consecutive opening-night starts for one team.
What to look for: Closing in on history, Brodeur is just seven shutouts behind NHL all-time leader Terry Sawchuk (103) ... With a Dec. 23 whitewash of the Calgary Flames, Brodeur surpassed George Hainsworth (94) for second on the career list. A Nov. 20 shutout of Montreal gave Brodeur 116 combined regular-season and playoff zeroes, one better than Sawchuk’s previous standard ... Rookie RW David Clarkson is tied for third in the NHL with 14 majors.
Trade bait: D Johnny Oduya, RW Nicklas Bergfors
Prediction: 1st in Atlantic, 2nd in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","New York Rangers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/newyork_rangers.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "NEW YORK RANGERS
Record: 24-21-2-4, 54 points, 5th in Atlantic, 9th in East
Games left: 31
Leading scorer: C Scott Gomez (11-36-47)
Season statistics: Power play 40-249, 16.1 percent, 24th overall; penalty kill 186-224, 83.0 percent, 12th overall
Award contenders: Henrik Lundqvist (Vezina)
Season-to-date: After proving one of the pleasant surprises of last spring’s playoffs, the Rangers have struggled to find team chemistry this season ... Offseason free-agent signees C Scott Gomez and Chris Drury (32 points) are 1-3 on the team in scoring, but Drury is a team-low minus-13 ... LW Brendan Shanahan leads all active goal scorers with 642 tallies. His three-point effort Oct. 29 against Tampa Bay also made him the 29th player in NHL history to record 1,300 career points. ... Gomez was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the first time since 2000 ... Gomez posted a career-high 13-game point steak Dec. 6-Jan. 2 ... Tom Renney captured his 100th victory as Rangers coach Nov. 10 at Toronto.
What to look for: G Henrik Lundqvist has held the opposition to two goals or less in 25 of 44 games this season ... Michal Roszival, second among NHL defensemen with 12 goals, has 14 points in the last 21 games ... After scoring just seven times in the first 36 games, RW Jaromir Jagr has netted seven goals in the last 14 games ... Lundqvist is second in the NHL in shutouts (seven), and ranks fourth in wins (22) and 9th in goals against average (2.29) ... Only Tampa Bay (five) has won fewer road games than the Rangers (seven) among Eastern Conference teams ... LW Brendan Shanahan needs one goal to pass Dave Andreychuk for 11th on the NHL’s all-time list.
Trade bait: D Marek Malik, D Paul Mara
Prediction: 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Pittsburgh Penguins","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/pittsburgh_penguins.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Record: 27-18-1-3, 58 points, 3rd in Atlantic, 6th in East
Games left: 33
Leading scorer: C Sidney Crosby (20-43-63)
Season statistics: Power play 44-226, 19.5 percent, 6th overall; penalty kill 173-215, 80.5 percent, 23rd overall
Award contenders: Sidney Crosby (Hart, Art Ross).
Season-to-date: Pittsburgh’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres in the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium was the most-viewed NHL broadcast in the United States since 1996. The game, decided on a shootout goal by Pens captain Sidney Crosby, was watched in an average of 2.6 percent of homes in the top 56 U.S. media markets ... D Mark Eaton is out for the season following knee surgery.
What to look for: Pittsburgh is likely without Crosby until sometime in March after he suffered a high ankle sprain Jan. 18 against Tampa Bay ... Before Crosby's injury, the Pens were seeking a winger to play on Crosby’s line, which would free Evgeny Malkin to center a second scoring line ... G Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t played since Dec. 6 due to an ankle injury ... The future of 41-year-old LW Gary Roberts is up in the air since he suffered a broken fibula late last month ... G Ty Conklin went unbeaten in regulation in his first 11 starts in a Penguins uniform ... C Tyler Kennedy leads all rookies with four game-winning goals ... Malkin has 17 goals in his last 16 games.
Trade bait: RW Colby Armstrong, C Jordan Staal
Prediction: 3rd in Atlantic, 7th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Philadelphia Flyers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/philadelphia_flyers.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Record: 27-16-2-3, 59 points, 1st in Atlantic, 2nd in East
Games left: 34
Leading scorer: C Mike Richards (21-34-55)
Season statistics: Power play 60-239, 25.1 percent, 1st overall; penalty kill 192-238, 80.7 percent, 22nd overall
Award contenders: Mike Richards (Selke)
Season-to-date: The Flyers signed C Mike Richards to the longest (12 seasons) and richest ($69 million) deal in club history ... After years of watching goalies come and go, the Flyers suddenly have two netminders capable of carrying the load. Martin Biron was the man at the start of the season, but lately, Antero Niittymaki has been the go-to guy ... Five Flyers have been suspended this season for illegal hits and the team has been put on notice by the NHL that any more incidents could bring severe punishment ... Anatomy of a good trade. The Flyers got RW Scottie Upshall, D Ryan Parent and a first-round pick from Nashville last season for C Peter Forsberg, then flipped the first-round pick back to the Preds in the summer for D Kimmo Timonen and LW Scott Hartnell.
What to look for: The Flyers could be the favorites to win the sweepstakes for UFA Forsberg, currently playing in Sweden ... LW Simon Gagne returned to the lineup Jan. 18 after missing 26 games due to post-concussion syndrome ... RW Joffrey Lupul is out of the lineup indefinitely after suffering a concussion and spinal cord contusion ... Flyers have allowed an NHL-high 33.2 shots on goal per game ... Philly is 20-9-3 when Hatcher is in the lineup ... Philadelphia has registered a power-play goal in 19 of the last 21 games and has surpassed its season total for power-play goals from the 2006-07 campaign (53).
Trade bait: D Rory Fitzpatrick, C Jim Dowd.
Prediction: 4th in Atlantic, 7th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","New York Islanders","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/newyork_islanders.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Record: 24-20-4-2, 54 points, 4th in Atlantic, 8th in East
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: C Mike Comrie (14-22-36)
Season statistics: Power play 33-207, 15.9 percent, 22nd overall; penalty kill 199-235, 84.7 percent, 6th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: The Isles have played in 27 one-goal games, second only to Florida (28) and have won an NHL-best 15 one-goal decisions ... LW Chris Simon earned a 30-game suspension for stomping with his skate on the foot of Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu, just 26 games after returning from a 25-game suspension for a baseball-swing slash to the face of New York Rangers Ryan Hollweg. It was Simon’s seventh NHL suspension ... A 2-1 decision over the New York Rangers Nov. 18 allowed Rick DiPietro to join Billy Smith, Glen Resch and Kelly Hrudey as the only Islanders goalies to win 100 career games.
What to look for: The Isles are 5-0 against the New Jersey Devils this season ... Islanders have allowed nine shorthanded goals, second only to Carolina (10) ... LW Jon Sim (knee sprain) and C Shawn Bates (hip surgery) are both out for the season ... RW Trent Hunter is tied for second in the NHL with 167 hits ... C Mike Comrie, who is dating pop star/actress Hillary Duff, is on pace for 60 points, which equal his career high.
Trade bait: D Marc-Andre Bergeron, RW Trent Hunter.
Prediction: 5th in Atlantic, 9th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_NHLAtlantic","Vote: Division winner?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","NORTHEAST","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Ottawa Senators","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/ottowa_senators.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "OTTAWA SENATORS
Record: 31-15-1-3, 66 points, 1st in Northeast, 1st in East
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: RW Daniel Alfredsson (29-31-60)
Season statistics: Power play 36-198, 18.2 percent, 12th overall; penalty kill 188-228, 82.5 percent, 14th overall
Award contenders: RW Daniel Alfredsson (Hart, Art Ross, Lady Byng)
Season-to-date: The Senators defeated Detroit 3-2 Jan. 12 in a game many feel was a Stanley Cup finals preview ... Ray Emery, last year’s No. 1 goalie, has been fighting the puck and his teammates, recently dropping the gloves with Sens tough guy Brian McGrattan during practice ... In the span of three games in January, Ottawa lost all three members of its top forward line -- Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson -- to injury.
What to look for: The Senators, who lost Zdeno Chara to free agency two years ago, have yet to sign impending UFA D Wade Redden ... Sens will seek a top-six forward and a depth defenseman prior to the trade deadline ... Alfredsson already has 32 goals, more than he scored all of last season. His career high is 43, set in 2005-06 ... Heatley (plus-31), Spezza (plus-21) and Alfredsson (plus-18) are the only Eastern Conference players among the NHL’s top 10 in plus-minus.
Trade bait: G Ray Emery, LW Antoine Vermette, D Joe Corvo.
Prediction: 1st in Northeast, 1st in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Montreal Canadiens","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/montreal_canadiens.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "MONTREAL CANADIENS
Record: 26-15-3-5, 60 points, 2nd in Northeast, 4th in East
Games left: 33
Leading scorer: RW Alex Kovalev (21-24-45)
Season statistics: 54-226, 23.9 percent, 2nd overall; penalty kill 156-193, 80.8 percent, 21st overall
Award contenders: D Andrei Markov (Norris)
Season-to-date: On Dec. 13 against Philadelphia, Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn became the 14th brother combination in team history to dress up for a game with the Canadiens and the first two European siblings to do so. Two days later, Dec. 15 against Toronto, the Kostitsyns became the first brother duo to collect a point in the same game since Patrick and Stephan Lebeau (Feb. 23, 1991 against Toronto) ... After starting the season as the No. 1 guy, rookie Carey Price, Montreal’s goalie of the future, was assigned to Hamilton of the AHL in January ... With four power-play goals in the first period Oct. 26 against Carolina and five for the game, the Habs tied two club records.
What to look for: Just like last season, the Habs are riding a hot power play. When it seized up in the second half last season, Montreal skidded out of the playoffs. A similar fate could await the team ... RW Alex Kovalev is second in the NHL with 26 power-play points. He's tallied 21 goals, three more than he scored all of last season ... Canadiens have won nine straight games against Boston.
Trade bait: G Cristobal Huet, RW Michael Ryder
Prediction: 2nd in Northeast, 6th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Buffalo Sabres","","http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/NHL/Logo_BuffaloSabres.gif,standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "BUFFALO SABRES
Record: 21-21-1-5, 48 points, 4th in Northeast, 13th in East
Games left: 34
Leading scorer: RW Jason Pominville (11-27-38)
Season statistics: Power play 36-211, 17.1 percent, 18th overall; penalty kill 176-209, 84.2 percent, 7th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: Crippled by offseason free agency losses, the Sabres endured an 0-5-5 skid from Dec. 26-Jan. 16. It’s been a streaky season for the Sabres, who have posted winning streaks of three, five and six games and also have a pair of three-game losing skids ... C Jochen Hecht is the third player born-and-trained in Germany to play at least 500 games in the NHL, joining former Sabres defenseman Uwe Krupp (729 games) and the Bruins’ Marco Sturm (708) ... Lindy Ruff became just the 31st coach in NHL history to coach 750 games Nov. 2 ... The Sabres have won three times this season without ever holding the lead in regulation time, two shy of the NHL record set by Minnesota in 2006-07.
What to look for: After a 43-goal season in 2006-07, LW Thomas Vanek signed a seven-year, $50-million contract and so far has netted 13 goals ... Having lost C Chris Drury and C Daniel Briere to free agency last summer, the club declined to sign all-star D Brian Campbell to a five-year, $25 million deal prior to the season. He figures to command a larger salary as a UFA this summer and could be the third core player lost by the Sabres in two years ... The Sabres have lost five straight shootout decisions.
Trade bait: D Brian Campbell, D Dmitri Kalinin, RW Maxim Afinogenov
Prediction: 3rd in Northeast, 11th in East"; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Boston Bruins","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/boston_bruins.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "BOSTON BRUINS
Record: 25-19-2-3, 55 points, 3rd in Northeast, 7th in East
Games left: 33
Leading scorer: C Marc Savard (12-44-56)
Season statistics: Power play 36-181, 19.9, percent, 4th overall; penalty kill 161-205, 78.5 percent, 29th overall
Award contenders: C Marc Savard (Lady Byng)
Season-to-date: The Bruins have three shutouts this season with each recorded by a different goaltender (Manny Fernandez, Alex Auld and Tim Thomas). It is the first time three goaltenders have each recorded complete-game shutouts for the Bruins since 1997-98 ... Dennis Wideman scored the 18,000th goal in Bruins history Dec. 31 vs. Atlanta ... Only Montreal has scored more NHL goals (18,901) ... Expected to solidify Boston’s goaltending situation, Fernandez underwent knee surgery Dec. 12.
What to look for: C Patrice Bergeron, out since Nov. 1 after suffering a concussion when hit from behind into the boards by Philadelphia’s Randy Jones, is back skating and there’s hope he’ll play before season’s end ... In a town where the Red Sox are World Series champions, the Patriots are on the verge of a 19-0 campaign and the Celtics lead the NBA, another playoff failure will detract even more from the Bruins’ already-depleted fan base ... Thomas has allowed two goals or less in 19 of his 29 complete games on the season (12-5-2 record) and has allowed just one goal in ten of those games (9-1-1 record). He leads the NHL with a .928 save percentage ... Defense-oriented Boston has rated among the top third in goals-against average in the league this season.
Trade bait: RW Glen Murray, D Aaron Ward, C Phil Kessel
Prediction: 4th in Northeast, 11th in East"; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Toronto Maple Leafs","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/toronto_mapleleafs.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Record: 20-23-5-3, 48 points, 5th in Northeast, 14th in East
Games left: 30
Leading scorer: C Mats Sundin (21-33-54)
Season statistics: Power play 32-221, 14.5 percent, 28th overall; penalty kill 171-221, 79.2 percent, 27th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: GM John Ferguson was replaced by former GM Cliff Fletcher on an interim basis on Jan. 22 ... Potting his 20th goal Jan. 5, Leafs captain Mats Sundin recorded his 17th consecutive 20-goal season in the NHL. Only Gordie Howe (22) and Brendan Shanahan (18) have more in NHL history. It was also his 13th straight with the Maple Leafs, a club record ... C Nik Antropov has already surpassed his assists and points totals from last season ... The Leafs won the 2,500th game in franchise history when they edged Montreal 4-3 in overtime Oct. 5.
What to look for: As much as he denies any desire to leave the team, captain Mats Sundin will continue to be mentioned in trade talk ... Toronto is trying to avoid missing the playoffs for the third straight season, something that has happened just once previously in franchise history, from 1925-26 through 1927-28 ... D Bryan McCabe returned to practice Jan. 20 for the first time since breaking three bones in his hand Dec. 15 ... C Kyle Wellwood, expected to anchor the second line, missed the start of the season following abdominal surgery, slumped so badly after coming back that he was a regular scratch from the lineup and has now asked the team for a trade ... LW Mark Bell is expected to be out until March after suffering a fractured orbital bone in a Jan. 3 fight.
Trade bait: C Mats Sundin, D Pavel Kubina, G Andrew Raycroft, C Kyle Wellwood
Prediction: 5th in Northeast, 14th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_NHLNortheast","Vote: Division winner?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","SOUTHEAST","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Carolina Hurricanes","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/carolina_hurricanes.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "CAROLINA HURRICANES
Record: 24-24-3-1, 1st in Southeast, 3rd in East
Games left: 30
Leading scorer: C Eric Staal (27-21-48)
Season statistics: Power play 49-262, 18.7 percent, 9th overall; penalty kill 178-231, 77.1 percent, 30th overall
Award contenders: Rod Brind'Amour (Selke)
Season-to-date: Captain Rod Brind’Amour earned his 1,100th NHL point with an assist Jan. 12 vs. Colorado ... RW Justin Williams is out 4-6 months after damaging both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee ... Sixteen of the 20 players who suited up for the Hurricanes when the won Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals against Edmonton remain with the team ... D Glen Wesley played his 1,400th NHL game Nov. 21 in a 2-1 win over Florida and currently ranks seventh among NHL defensemen on the all-time games played list ... Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette worked his 400th NHL game Nov. 12 against Florida, becoming the fifth U.S.-born coach to reach this mark.
What to look for: LW Sergei Samsonov, who was claimed on waivers from Chicago after going goalless in 23 games for the Blackhawks, had seven points in his first eight games with the Hurricanes ... C Eric Staal has played 224 consecutive games, second only to current Dallas Stars head coach Dave Tippett (419) on the Hurricanes’ all-time list ... Carolina will play 17 of its remaining 30 games on home ice at the RBC Center.
Trade bait: D Tim Gleason, LW Andrew Ladd.
Prediction: 1st in Southeast, 3rd in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Atlanta Thrashers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/atlanta_thrashers.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "ATLANTA THRASHERS
Record: 23-25-0-3, 3rd in Southeast, 14th in East
Games left: 30
Leading scorer: LW Ilya Kovalchuk (37-26-63)
Season statistics: Power play 38-207, 18.4 percent, 11th overall; penalty kill 176-222, 79.3 percent, 26th overall
Award contenders: LW Ilya Kovalchuk (Art Ross, Richard), D Tobias Enstrom (Calder), Coach Don Waddell (Adams)
Season-to-date: Kovalchuk became the Thrashers all-time leader in games played with 415 on Dec. 7 ... Kovalchuk recorded a career-high 10-game points-streak from Dec. 27-Jan. 15 ... Since being claimed on waivers from Pittsburgh, RW Mark Recchi has tallied 20 points in 23 games with Atlanta and posted a five-game point-scoring streak with six points (two goals, four assists) from Dec. 15-23 ... Thrashers are 23-19-4 since GM Don Waddell replaced Bob Hartley as coach on Oct. 17. Associate coach Brad McCrimmon is considered the favorite to replace Waddell behind the bench to start the 2008-09 season.
What to look for: The Thrashers are working hard to get RW Marian Hossa’s name on a new contract. He could bring a lot in a deadline deal, but the team needs Hossa’s offense to make the playoffs ... Kovalchuk (37) is second in the NHL in goals and is 10th in shooting percentage (18.8 percent). The last player to lead the league in both categories was Colorado’s Milan Hejduk in 2002-03 ... Tobias Enstrom leads rookie defensemen with 30 points ... Kovalchuk has accounted for 27.2 percent (37 of 136) of the Thrashers’ goals this season. Since the center red line was introduced in 1943-44, the highest percentage of a team’s goals scored by one player is 29.5 percent by Florida’s Pavel Bure in 2000-01.
Trade bait: RW Marian Hossa, C Bobby Holik
Prediction: 2nd in Southeast, 10th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Washington Capitals","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/NHL/NHL_Washington.standard.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Record: 23-22-3-2, 51 points; 2nd in Southeast, 10th in East
Games left: 30
Leading scorer: LW Alexander Ovechkin (39-26-65)
Season statistics: Power play 39-216, 18.1 percent, 14th overall; penalty kill 175-218, 80.3 percent, 25th overall
Award contenders: LW Alexander Ovechkin (Art Ross, Richard), C Nicklas Backstrom (Calder), Bruce Boudreau (Adams)
Season-to-date: The Capitals locked up their future, signing LW Alexander Ovechkin to a 13-year, $124 million contract ... One of this season’s more pleasant surprises, D Mike Green has produced six goals and 12 points in January. Green leads all NHL defensemen in goals (14) and ranks 13th in points (30) ... Coach Bruce Boudreau's 16 victories in his first 28 games are the most for any coach in Capitals history ... C Nicklas Backstrom, who leads all Eastern Conference rookies with 41 points, was the NHL’s rookie of the month in December.
What to look for: C Michael Nylander, the man signed to be Ovechkin’s center, is out 3-6 months following surgery on his left rotator cuff ... G Olaf Kolzig, 37, has been questioning his performance and debating retirement has an option at season’s end. The Caps may deal him to a contender to give Kolzig a shot at winning a Cup ... The Caps have come back to win nine games since Boudreau was named coach, three from two-goal deficits ... The Capitals are looking to become the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after standing in 14th or 15th place in their conference at the midpoint of the season ... Ovechkin, a team-worst minus-19 last season, is a team-best plus-11 this season.
Trade bait: G Olaf Kolzig, D Steve Eminger
Prediction: 3rd in Southeast, 12th in East"; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Florida Panthers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/florida_panthers.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "FLORIDA PANTHERS
Record: 22-24-2-3, 49 points, 4th in Southeast, 12th in East
Games left: 31
Leading scorer: C Olli Jokinen (24-25-49)
Season statistics: Power play 36-190, 18.9 percent, 8th overall; penalty kill 189-233, 81.1 percent, 19th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: Captain Olli Jokinen has already eclipsed the 20-goal plateau for the fifth straight season ... With two goals in a 4-3 win over Philadelphia Oct. 24, Jokinen surpassed Scott Mellanby (157, 354) to become Florida’s all-time goals and points leader ... Jacques Martin became the 10th coach in NHL history to win 500 games with a 2-1 decision Jan. 18 over New Jersey.
What to look for: Tomas Vokoun has made more saves (1,300) than any other NHL goaltender. He also leads all netminders with five points this season ... Florida has played in a league-high 28 one-goal games this season ... The Panthers have four shootout wins this season. They won just two shootouts last season ... With 692 career games played and no playoff appearances to his credit, Jokinen is rapidly closing in on Guy Charron’s record for most NHL regular-season games played without appearing in a playoff game. Charron, currently an assistant coach with the Panthers, played 734 games with Montreal, Detroit, Kansas City and Washington without making the postseason.
Trade bait: C Olli Jokinen, D Steve Montador.
Prediction: 4th in Southeast, 13th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Tampa Bay Lightning","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/tampabay_lightning.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Record: 20-25-4-1, 45 points, 5th in Southeast, 15th in East
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: C Vincent Lecavalier (30-36-66)
Season statistics: Power play 34-188, 18.1 percent, 13th overall; penalty kill 155-193, 80.3 percent, 24th overall
Award contenders: RW Martin St. Louis (Lady Byng), C Vincent Lecavalier (Art Ross, Hart)
Season-to-date: Goaltender Johan Holmqvist posted back-to-back shutouts over Pittsburgh (3-0, Jan. 18) and Ottawa (Jan. 19, 2-0), the team’s first shutouts of the season ... C Vincent Lecavalier has a point in 34 of Tampa Bay’s 50 games. He’s reached the 20-goal plateau for the eighth consecutive season ... The only Lightning ever to score in the NHL All-Star Game, RW Martin St. Louis made his fourth appearance in the mid-season classic in five seasons ... Over 53 percent of C Brad Richards’ points this season have come on the power play.
What to look for: John Tortorella (228) is just six back of Bob Johnson to become the winningest U.S.-born coach in NHL history ... Will they wear down? St. Louis (24:34), Richards (24:23) and Lecavalier (22:59) rank 1-2-5 among NHL forwards in average ice time ... Three groups are bidding to purchase the franchise, which has been on the market all season ... D Dan Boyle, finally back after a skate fell off a hook and sliced open his arm in a freak dressing-room accident, is headed for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, but the Lightning are expected to sign him ... Captain Tim Taylor (hip surgery) has been skating on his own at his Ontario home seeking to determine if there’s a chance of him making a comeback.
Trade bait: G Marc Denis, C Vaclav Prospal
Prediction: 5th in Southeast, 15th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_NHLSoutheast","Vote: Division winner?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Detroit Red Wings","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/detroit_redwings.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "DETROIT RED WINGS
Record: 37-10-0-4, 78 points, 1st in Central, 1st in West
Games left: 31
Leading scorer: LW Henrik Zetterberg (28-33-61)
Season statistics: Power play 50-228, 21.9 percent, 3rd overall; penalty kill 191-227, 84.1 percent, 8th overall
Award contenders: LW Henrik Zetterberg (Art Ross, Selke), C Pavel Datsyuk (Lady Byng), D Nicklas Lidstrom (Hart, Norris), Dan Cleary (Selke)
Season-to-date: Detroit’s 30-8-3 mark was the best midseason mark in franchise history and one win ahead of their NHL-record 62-win pace during the 1995-96 season ... Wings posted a franchise-record nine-game win streak from Oct. 18-Nov. 9 ... Wings have permitted a league-low 23.6 shots per game ... Nicklas Lidstrom (46) and Brian Rafalski (43) rank 1-2 in scoring among NHL defensemen ... When he took the ice Jan. 8 against Colorado, D Chris Chelios surpassed Moe Roberts (45 years, 347 days) as the second-oldest player in NHL history.
What to look for: Wings will likely seek a physical defenceman and a depth forward at the trade deadline. Look for them to be players in the Rob Blake sweepstakes ... Wings have never gone more than three games without a point under coach Mike Babcock ... G Chris Osgood, who leads the NHL with a 1.87 GAA, played in the NHL All-Star Game, his first appearance in the midseason classic since 1996.
Trade bait: D Derek Meech, D Kyle Quincey.
Prediction: 1st in Central, 1st in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","St. Louis Blues","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/stlouis_blues.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "ST. LOUIS BLUES
Record: 22-19-3-4, 51 points, 4th in Central, 13th in West
Games left: 34
Leading scorer: LW Paul Kariya (12-32-44)
Season statistics: Power play 26-205, 12.7 percent, 30th overall; penalty kill 178-212, 84.0 percent, 9th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: Earning his first NHL All-Star Game nod, G Manny Legace is among the NHL’s top 10 in goals-against average (2.28) and shutouts (three) ... RW Mike Johnson was lost for the season following shoulder surgery ... When Blues coach Andy Murray led the team into action Oct. 6 against Los Angeles, the Kings suited up his son Brady, marking just the fourth time in NHL history that a father coached against his son ... Feeling the need to increase the club’s leadership base, Murray opted not to name a captain this season ... The Blues are the only team to shut out the Detroit Red Wings since the start of the 2006-07 season and they’ve done it twice.
What to look for: Tkachuk is just 14 goals away from 500 for his NHL career ... Blues are 49-37-16 since Dec. 12, 2006, when Murray replaced Mike Kitchen as coach ... D Barett Jackman has blocked a shot in 34 of 44 games he’s played and delivered a hit in 37 of 44 games ... RW Brad Boyes has already set a career high for goals (29) ... After finishing 30th overall in average attendance last season (12,520), the Blues have moved into the middle of the pack (17,271).
Trade bait: D Christian Backman, LW Martin Rucinsky
Prediction: 2nd in Central, 7th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Chicago Blackhawks","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/chicago_blackhawks.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Record: 23-23-3-1, 50 points, 5th in Central, 14th in West
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: RW Patrick Kane (12-33-45)
Season statistics: Power play 36-222, 16.2 percent, 23rd overall; penalty kill 197-242, 81.4 percent, 16th overall
Award contenders: RW Patrick Kane (Calder), RW Jonathan Toews (Calder)
Season-to-date: Rookie sensations Patrick Kane (43) and Jonathan Toews (32), the most exciting tandem to arrive in the Windy City since Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, are 1-3 in rookie scoring ... Toews leads rookies in goals (15) and Kane is tops in assists (33) ... D Brent Sopel, a training-camp tryout addition, recently signed a three-year, $7-million contract extension ... The Blackhawks have utilized six of their own first-round draft picks this season -- Kane (2007), RW Jack Skille (2006), C Tuomo Ruutu (2001), D Brent Seabrook (2003) and D Cam Barker (2004).
What to look for: The Blackhawks are in the market for a defenseman to anchor their power play ... Already with a career-high 22 goals to his credit, RW Patrick Sharp was rewarded with a four-year, $15.6-million contract ... Blackhawks have scored an NHL-high 12 shorthanded goals. Sharp has scored seven of them ... Hawks have won four of five meetings with Western Conference-leading Detroit ... Riddled with injuries, Chicago has lost more than 200 man games to the disabled list. At one point this season, seven Hawks were on the shelf.
Trade bait: G Nikolai Khabibulin, RW Martin Lapointe, D Cam Barker
Prediction: 3rd in Central, 10th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Nashville Predators","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/nashville_predators.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Record: 25-20-1-4, 55 points, 3rd in Central, 10th in West
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: C Jason Arnott (17-27-44)
Season statistics: Power play 36-226, 15.9 percent, 26th overall; penalty kill 182-213, 85.4 percent, 4th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: The long-debated sale of the team finally went through in December when Craig Leipold sold the club to a group of local investors for $193 million ... A 4-3 verdict over Columbus Dec. 27 was the 300th NHL win for coach Barry Trotz ... A goal Dec. 1 at Montreal pushed C David Legwand past Kimmo Timonen (301 points) to become the franchise’s career scoring leader ... C Jason Arnott put a club-record 12 shots on goal in a Dec. 4 versus Toronto.
What to look for: Predators must average 14,000 fans this season, or the new owners can utilize an opt-out clause to relocate the franchise ... Eleven of 23 home games so far this season have drawn fewer than 14,000 ... What does it say about the future of the NHL in Nashville when Leipold sells the team for $27 million less than he’d originally sought, then immediately buys the Minnesota Wild? Apparently, Leipold wanted to own an NHL team -- just not this one. Leipold claimed he suffered $70 million in losses as owner of the Predators ... C Steve Sullivan won’t play this season due to a back injury ... The roster includes 14 players who have played all of their NHL games for Nashville and eight players who were first-round draft picks.
Trade bait: C Jason Arnott, RW J.P. Dumont, LW Martin Gelinas
Prediction: 4th in Central, 12th in West"; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Columbus Blue Jackets","","http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/NHL/NHL_Columbus.standard.gif","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Record: 25-20-1-5, 56 points; 2nd in Central Division, 9th in West
Games left: 31
Leading scorer: LW Rick Nash (26-17-43)
Season statistics: Power play 38-234, 16.2 percent, 22nd overall; penalty kill 204-235, 86.8 percent, 1st overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: G Pascal Leclaire is one of the season's feel-good stories. He leads the NHL with a franchise-record eight shutouts and is second in the NHL with a 2.00 goals-against average ... LW Rick Nash reached the 25-goal plateau in 47 games, four shy of the club record he set in 2003-04, the season his 41-goal output won him the Rocket Richard Trophy. It’s the fourth straight season that Nash has scored at least 25 goals ... The Blue Jackets are fourth-best at the faceoff dot (52.4) ... RW David Vyborny and D Rostislav Klesla are the only players who remain with the team that played in the club’s first game in 2000.
What to look for: The Blue Jackets are the only of the 30 NHL teams never to participate in the Stanley Cup playoffs and that’s taken a toll on attendance this season, which has dropped off significantly. Average attendance so far is 14,247 ... RW Nikolai Zherdev has 10 more goals (20) and 11 more points (43) than he collected in 71 games last season ... Rookie RW Jared Boll leads the NHL with 19 majors ... With 469 goals, C Sergei Fedorov is just four goals back of Alexander Mogilny, the all-time NHL leader among Russian-born players.
Trade bait: C Sergei Fedorov, LW Jason Chimera, RW David Vyborny, C Gilbert Brule, C Michael Peca, D Adam Foote, D Duvie Westcott
Prediction: 5th in Central, 13th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_NHLCentral","Vote: Division winner?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","NORTHWEST","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Vancouver Canucks","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/vancouver_canucks.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Record: 26-19-0-5, 57 points, 3rd in Northwest, 7th in West
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: C Henrik Sedin (9-42-51)
Season statistics: Power play 40-227, 17.6 percent, 16th overall; penalty kill 192-232, 82.8 percent, 13th overall
Award contenders: Roberto Luongo (Hart, Vezina)
Season-to-date: G Roberto Luongo established a club-record shutout sequence of 210:34 from Nov. 23 to Dec. 7, posting consecutive whitewashes of Chicago, Anaheim and Columbus ... LW Daniel Sedin has reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his career ... The Canucks put together a 12-0-2 run at GM Place from Nov. 9-Jan. 8.
What to look for: Luongo, voted the Western Conference starter for the NHL All-Star Game, is skipping the game and Vancouver’s Jan. 29 game with Dallas to be with his wife as she gives birth to their first child ... Vancouver’s plus-11 goals-for to goals-against ratio is third-best in the Western Conference ... D Mattias Ohulnd returned Jan. 18 from an 11-game absence due to a concussion ... D Alexander Edler leads all rookies with a plus-15 rating.
Trade bait: LW Markus Naslund, C Ryan Kesler
Prediction: 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Minnesota Wild","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/minnesota_wild.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "MINNESOTA WILD
Record: 28-19-0-3, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: RW Marian Gaborik (25-27-52)
Season statistics: Power play 42-216, 19.4 percent, 7th overall; penalty kill 176-210, 83.8 percent, 10th overall
Award contenders: RW Marian Gaborik (Lady Byng)
Season-to-date: With a five-goal outburst Dec. 20 against the New York Rangers, RW Marian Gaborik became the first NHLer to post a five-goal game since Detroit’s Sergei Fedorov scored five in 1996 ... After missing 22 games due to a broken leg, C Mikko Koivu returned to the lineup Jan. 11 ... Wild were sold to former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold for a reputed $250 million in January ... Winners of 10 shootouts last season, the Wild own just one shootout victory this season ... The Wild reached the 20-win mark in 34 games, the fastest in team history ... Wild coach Jacques Lemaire became the 14th coach in NHL history to work 1,000 games behind the bench Dec. 28 against Nashville.
What to look for: Coach Jacques Lemaire insists he won’t reunite Gaborik and LW Pavol Demitra on a line, feeling that by separating them, his team will generate more scoring chances ... G Josh Harding leads all rookies in shots faced (657) and saves (599). He’s won seven of his last 10 decisions ... Minnesota goes as Marian goes. The Wild are 29-3-2 when Gaborik scores two or more goals and 22-0-2 when he records three or more points ... Gaborik has 16 goals in his last 20 games ... The Wild have allowed an nine shorthanded goals, second only to Carolina (10).
Trade bait: RW Pavol Demitra, D Keith Carney
Prediction: 2nd in Northwest, 5th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Colorado Avalanche","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/colorado_avalanche.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "COLORADO AVALANCHE
Record: 26-20-2-2, 1st in Northwest, 3rd in West
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: C Paul Stastny (17-32-49)
Season statistics: Power play 27-205, 13.2 percent, 29th overall; penalty kill 149-183, 81.4 percent, 15th overall
Award contenders: C Paul Stastny (Lady Byng)
Season-to-date: Always a plus-player in San Jose, D Scott Hannan is an alarming minus-seven for the Avs ... Coach Joel Quenneville worked his 800th NHL game behind the bench Jan. 9 at Washington, joining Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire and former Los Angeles and Chicago coach Bob Pulford as the only men to coach and play in 800 NHL games ... C Paul Stastny reached 100 NHL points in 99 games. He’s one of five active players to hit the century mark in less than 100 games, but just the fourth-fastest Stastny to do it, all with the Avs. Uncles Anton (95) and Marian (82) Stastny did it and Paul’s father Peter Stastny (73) holds the franchise record for the fastest to 100.
What to look for: Can they survive? Already without captain Joe Sakic (hernia surgery) and LW Ryan Smyth (broken ankle) for at least another month, the Avs lost leading scorer Stastny to appendix surgery for 2-3 weeks ... G Jose Theodore, the 2001-02 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner in Montreal, is fashioning a comeback story. He has started the last eight games, posting a 5-4-1 record ... Avs are 7-1 against Eastern Conference opposition ... Colorado has been assessed the fewest penalty minutes in the NHL (564).
Trade bait: D John-Michael Liles, D Karlis Skrastins
Prediction: 3rd in Northwest, 8th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Calgary Flames","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/calgary_flames.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "CALGARY FLAMES
Record: 25-17-5-3, 58 points, 2nd in Northwest, 6th in West
Games left: 32
Leading scorer: RW Jarome Iginla (32-31-63)
Season statistics: Power play 37-221, 16.7 percent, 20th overall; penalty kill 192-237, 81.0 percent, 20th overall
Award contenders: RW Jarome Iginla (Hart, Art Ross, Richard), C Daymond Langkow (Selke)
Season-to-date: Captain Jarome Iginla has moved past Al MacInnis (803 games) to become Calgary’s all-time games played leader ... Flames surprisingly signed veteran G Curtis Joseph, 40, who got along with coach Mike Keenan about as well as fire and water when the two were together in St. Louis ... The move said more about the club’s unhappiness with former Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff ... Keenan posted his 600th NHL coaching win with a 5-3 decision Dec. 16 at St. Louis ... With a six-win trip Dec. 9-18, the Flames became the fourth team in NHL history to post at least six victories during a single road trip.
What to look for: Flames have yet to sign All-Star D Dion Phaneuf, who figures to get an offer sheet from some team as a restricted free agent this summer ... Among NHL forward combinations, only Ottawa’s Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson (181), Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Vaclav Prospal (171) have outscored Calgary’s trio of Iginla, Kristian Huselius and Daymond Langkow (157) ... LW Alex Tanguay denied reports that he has informed the Flames he’ll waive his no-trade clause to get out of Calgary ... Iginla needs nine goals to surpass Theoren Fleury (364) and become Calgary’s all-time leader ... Keenan hasn’t coached a playoff game since 1996 with the Blues.
Trade bait: LW Alex Tanguay, LW Marcus Nilson
Prediction: 4th in Northwest, 9th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Edmonton Oilers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/edmonton_oilers.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "EDMONTON OILERS
Record: 23-24-2-3, 51 points, 5th in Northwest, 12th in West
Games left: 30
Leading scorer: C Shawn Horcoff (21-29-50)
Season statistics: Power play 33-220, 15.0 percent, 27th overall; penalty kill 195-230, 84.8 percent, 5th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: Coach Craig MacTavish has done an admirable job keeping a young squad intact despite the absence of 13 different players through injury ... LW Raffi Torres is out for the season following knee-ligament surgery ... A four-game winning streak Jan. 5-13 was the longest by the club since a four-game run Nov. 16-24, 2006 ... LW Dustin Penner, an off-season restricted free-agent signing from Anaheim, leads the Oilers in plus/minus (plus-four), shots (131) and power-play goals (eight).
What to look for: The Oilers are 12-3 in shootouts this season, tied for the NHL record with the 2005-06 Dallas Stars ... Rookie C Sam Gagner has scored four shootout winners ... Edmonton participated in an NHL-record four straight shootouts Dec 11-18 ... The return of Souray, author of one of the NHL’s hardest shots, following a 25-game absence due to a shoulder injury remains tenuous at best. He’ll need surgery at the end of the season, will require games off to rest his ailing shoulder and any serious flare up will likely scuttle his season ... LW Geoff Sanderson is four points shy of 700 for his NHL career.
Trade bait: D Joni Pitkanen, C Jarrett Stoll, D Dick Tarnstrom
Prediction: 5th in Northwest, 14th in East."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_NHLNorthwest","Vote: Division winner?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","PACIFIC","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Anaheim Mighty Ducks","","http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/NHL/anaheim_ducks.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
Record: 27-20-1-5, 61 points, 3rd in Pacific, 5th in West
Games left: 29
Leading scorer: C Ryan Getzlaf (19-39-58)
Season statistics: Power play 40-238, 16.8 percent, 19th overall; penalty kill 226-278, 81.3 percent, 17th overall
Award contenders: Chris Pronger (Norris)
Season-to-date: After a slow start, the defending Cup champs are once again finding their game. They are 12-5-2 over their past 19 games ... Ducks GM Brian Burke has made four of the nine trades in the NHL so far this season ... C Doug Weight collected his 700th NHL assist, becoming just the fifth U.S.-born NHLer to reach that plateau ... Mathieu Schneider moved past Gary Suter (203) for fifth spot among goal scoring by U.S-born NHL defensemen ... The Ducks opened the season with back-to-back games in London, England against the Kings.
What to look for: Ducks are 12-5-2 since D Scott Niedermayer returned to the lineup from his season-long hiatus ... Expect RW Teemu Selanne to end his own hiatus and return to the team for a one-year, $1 million contract in February. He’s been working out on his own for the past month ... G Jean-Sebastien Giguere blocked 28 shots for a 5-0 win Jan. 9 over Toronto. His next shutout will move Giguere past Guy Hebert (27) into the top spot on the club’s all-time list ... The Ducks’ top line of C Ryan Getzlaf, LW Todd Bertuzzi and RW Corey Perry have collected a combined total of 14-25-39 points dating back to Jan. 7 vs. Nashville ... The Ducks have won more times when surrendering the game’s first goal (13) than any other NHL team.
Trade bait: D Mathieu Schneider, D Sean O’Donnell, LW Drew Miller, C Bobby Ryan
Prediction: 1st in Pacific, 2nd in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","San Jose Sharks","","http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/ArtAndPhoto-Fronts/SPORTS/LOGOS/NHL/sharkLogo2.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "SAN JOSE SHARKS
Record: 27-15-2-5, 61 points, 1st in Pacific, 2nd in West
Games left: 33
Leading scorer: C Joe Thornton (15-45-60)
Season statistics: Power play 42-228, 18.4 percent, 10th overall; penalty kill 167-193, 86.5 percent, 3rd overall
Award contenders: C Joe Thornton (Art Ross, Lady Byng)
Season-to-date: G Evgeni Nabokov, who leads the NHL with 27 wins, started the first 43 games of the season from Oct. 4-Jan. 12, the longest stretch in the NHL since New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur started 44 in 1996 ... Seven Sharks were first-round draft picks and 15 of the 23 players on the active roster were drafted by the team. D Craig Rivet and C Joe Thornton are the only Sharks who were acquired via trade ... C Jeremy Roenick became the 40th player and just the third American-born player to score 500 goals with a tally Nov. 10 against Phoenix ... The Sharks posted a franchise-record 10-game road winning streak from Nov. 14-Dec. 31.
What to look for: The Sharks will be in the market for a top-four D, with Rob Blake of Los Angeles at the top of their wish list ... C Joe Thornton has figured in 47.1 percent of San Jose’s goals, highest ratio of any Western Conference player. Since arriving from Boston in a Dec. 1, 2005 deal, Thornton leads all NHL scorers with 266 points ... Roenick is six games away from 1,300 for his NHL career. He’d be the third American-born player to reach this level.
Trade bait: C Patrick Marleau, LW Ryane Clowe
Prediction: 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Dallas Stars","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/dallas_stars.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "DALLAS STARS
Record: 28-20-3-2, 61 points, 2nd in Pacific, 4th in West
Games left: 29
Leading scorer: C Mike Ribeiro (22-32-54)
Season statistics: Power play 38-217, 17.5 percent, 17th overall; penalty kill 193-223, 86.5 percent, 2nd overall
Award contenders: Coach Dave Tippett (Adams)
Season-to-date: C Mike Ribeiro, author of a career-high 22 goals, was rewarded with a five-year, $25-million contract ... Owner of the best record among active NHL coaches at 218-117-46, Stars coach Dave Tippett received a one-year contract extension through 2008-09 ... D Matt Niskanen ranks second among NHL rookie defensemen in goals (five), points (19), plus/minus (plus-12) and assists (14) ... C Mike Modano became the all-time American NHL scoring leader with two goals Nov. 7 at San Jose. His second goal was a shorthanded tally that pushed him past Phil Housley for his 1,233rd career point.
What to look for: Stars have to be concerned about the ongoing foot ailment that’s already sidelined D Sergei Zubov three times during January ... Stars have won six straight games at San Jose ... Dallas and Buffalo are the only NHL teams with seven different players already in double digits in goals ... Ribeiro leads the NHL with a 31.0 shooting percentage ... G Marty Turco is six wins away from 200 as an NHLer ... Turco has stopped 10 straight penalty shots.
Trade bait: LW Loui Eriksson, D Mattias Ohlund
Prediction: 3rd in Pacific, 6th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Phoenix Coyotes","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/phonix_coyotes.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "PHOENIX COYOTES
Record: 26-21-0-2, 54 points, 4th in Pacific, 11th in West
Games left: 33
Leading scorer: LW Shane Doan (16-31-47)
Season statistics: Power play 38-212, 17.9 percent, 15th overall; penalty kill 164-202, 81.2 percent, 18th overall
Award contenders: Coach Wayne Gretzky (Adams)
Season-to-date: Switching to a youthful lineup based around team speed, the Coyotes are the surprise of the NHL. Expected by most to finish last in the West, they are instead playoff contenders ... Much of that has to do with the acquisition of G Ilya Bryzgalov on waivers from Anaheim. Bryzgalov is 17-10-3 for the Coyotes ... The Coyotes are 18-0-0 when scoring four or more goals this season ... Phoenix’s 15 road wins are more than the club accumulated all last season away from home (13).
What to look for: Gretzky could end being named coach of the year if he gets the Coyotes into the playoffs. That’s led to speculation that Gretzky could be named Canada’s coach for the 2010 Winter Olympics ... Despite being out since Dec. 22 due to a knee injury, LW Daniel Carcillo continues to lead the NHL with 172 penalty minutes. He’s positioned to become the first rookie to top the NHL in PIM since 1985-86 ... Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet is slated to return to the bench in February following a two-year suspension for his involvement with an illegal gambling ring.
Trade bait: D Nick Boynton, D Derek Morris
Prediction: 4th in Pacific, 11th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","Los Angeles Kings","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Art/SPORTS/LOGOS/Nhl/losangeles_kings.htease.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "100", "100", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i-1].body = "LOS ANGELES KINGS
Record: 20-29-0-2, 42 points, 5th in Pacific, 15th in West
Games left: 31
Leading scorer: C Anze Kopitar (19-27-46)
Season statistics: Power play 48-246, 19.5 percent, 5th overall; penalty kill 158-201, 78.6 percent, 28th overall
Award contenders: None
Season-to-date: The Kings are the only team not within 10 points of a playoff spot ... C Michal Handzus, signed to a four-year, $16-million free-agent contract last summer, has produced 5-7-12 totals so far ... The Kings are the only NHL team with a losing record at home (12-16-1) and on the road (8-13-1) ... D Rob Blake surpassed Mattias Norstrom (780 games) Jan. 15 at Edmonton to become the defenseman with the most games played in Kings history. Interestingly, Norstrom became the leader in 2005 when he shattered Blake’s mark of 662 ... C Mike Cammalleri, a 34-goal scorer last season, has been out since Dec. 22 with a groin pull.
What to look for: Expect the \"Fire Crawford\" chants to increase with regularity as the Kings’ losses mount and the pressure increases on coach Marc Crawford ... LW Dustin Brown already has registered a career-high 24 goals and with 40 points, is five off his career-best in that category ... Will this team ever find reliable goaltending? The Kings have utilized nine goaltenders the past two seasons ... Forget today, look to the future. In G Jonathan Bernier, D Jack Johnson and C Anze Kopitar, the Kings have three significant building blocks for the future already in place ... D Rob Blake (156 goals) is four goals away from tying Bob Berry for 10th on the club’s all-time list ... The Kings have come from behind to win 11 times this season, second only to Anaheim (13) among NHL teams.
Trade bait: D Rob Blake, D Tom Preissing, LW Ladislav Nagy
Prediction: 5th in Pacific, 15th in West."; spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_NHLPacific","Vote: Division winner?","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("","VOTE: CUP WINNER?","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_NHL_FranticFinish[i++] = new Array("spt_0913_StanleyCupChampion","Pick next champion","","","","", "lv2", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data