Where does Hasek rank?

From Damien Cox of the Toronto Star:

So where does Hasek rate? Here's the best of the last 25 years:

1. Martin Brodeur.

By early next season Brodeur will own the record for wins by an NHL goalie, and is closing in on Terry Sawchuk's all-time mark for career shutouts. With three Stanley Cups, a historic Olympic gold and three Vezina Trophies, Brodeur sits at the top.

2. Dominik Hasek.

It's the two Hart Trophies that really grab you. While with Buffalo, Hasek was an army unto himself while playing the position as the moment struck him. He won the Vezina six times, stoned Canada and won gold in Nagano and finished up with a couple of Cups with the Wings.

3. Patrick Roy.

Seems crazy, huh? Saint Patrick, after all, redefined the way in which the position was played to many. He won the Vezina three times and backstopped Montreal and Colorado to Cups. Perhaps the absence of significant international success is the only missing piece from his wonderful resume.

Read the rest of his top five goaltenders of the last 25 years here.

I cannot say I disagree with these rankings. If you do, let us know in the comments section.

Should the Wings retire Hasek's number?

From Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press:

Hasek deserved the farewell presser the Wings threw for him Monday even more so than after the 2002 Stanley Cup championship run, of which his arrival the previous summer from Buffalo was the epicenter. But the Wings’ recognition for Hasek’s contributions shouldn’t end there.

They should retire Hasek’s No. 39.

Ken Holland didn’t stint his praise Monday, ranking Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and Hasek as the elite goalies of their era. It’s a mortal lock that all three will share company in the Hall of Fame.

Read the entire article here.

Just one question: Has Drew Sharp been drinking??? This makes no sense whatsoever. Hasek was a Buffalo Sabre. He played on a powerful Detroit team and won the Cup. He was past his prime years when he joined them and played admirably, but c'mon he is not Wayne Gretzky.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Thursday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups:

Detroit versus Nashville:

• Once again, quick goals led to Detroit's downfall last night, writes Helene St. James. After last night's performances by Dominik Hasek and Chris Osgood it looks like we have a full-fledged goaltending controversy on our hands in Detroit. Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press wonders why the same script happens to the Wings every year?
• With last night's impressive 3-2 home victory, the Predators have turned this series into a best-of-three, writes John Glennon. With the offensive production the Predators have been getting from their defensive corps, who needs forwards? Quick goals are the Predators' specialty.

San Jose versus Calgary:

• With his grit and determination, Patrick Marleau has proven to the hockey world why he is the captain of the Sharks, writes Ann Killon. Meanwhile, the San Jose defense wants to continue doing what it's doing, as the team kept the Flames to a meager ten shots on goal in Game 4. Apparently a lot of the Sharks did not even know about Evgeni Nabokov's post Game 3 comments.
• Robyn Regehr thinks some of his teammates have more to give on the ice, writes Erik Duhatschek. It is fairly simple, the Flames need to get more shots on net, writes Randy Sportak. The frustration in Calgary boiled over yesterday, as assistant coach Rich Preston and Jarome Iginla got into a bit of a yelling match.

Minnesota versus Colorado:

• The Wild has only led for four minutes in their entire series with Colorado, yet the series is tied at two with a big Game 5 tonight, writes Michael Russo. The Avalanche are not in this series to fight, writes Kent Youngblood. Furthermore, any talk of the Avalanche looking for revenge in Game 5 is unfounded.
• Jordan Leopold picked just the right time to get into coach Joel Quenville's good books, writes Terry Frei. Look for Game 5 to be a physical affair. Beware Wild fans, Mark Kiszla is back for more!

Anaheim versus Dallas:

• The Ducks know the key to their series with Dallas is to not cross the line. Anaheim looks like it'll be getting a huge boost with the expected return of Corey Perry to the team's line up for Game 4.
• Dave Tippett couldn't care less that the Stars have a poor home record in the American Airlines Center. Mike Heika has covered the Stars all season long but he says he does not have a clue what to expect from this team. In a more serious story, hockey is surely not the most important thing on Joel Lundqvist's mind, writes Heika.

The morning papers for the teams that did not qualify for the playoffs are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• As a reward for winning the Pacific Division on Friday, Sharks coach Ron Wilson cancelled practice on Saturday. The Sharks get back on the ice today when they face the Coyotes at the HP Pavilion.
• In Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Stars, the Kings tied an NHL record by playing their seventh goaltender of the season.
• Ryan Getzlaf and J.S. Giguere feel they are healthy enough to play but the final decision lies with the coaching staff, writes Damien Dottore.
• When you have a six goal lead, late-game goals don't really hurt as much, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Coyotes are not going to make the playoffs, so the team's focus is on finishing the season strong, writes Jim Gintonio.

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• "We played a good game, but we didn't play with an edge, and that's what it took tonight," said Flames coach Mike Keenan after his team's 2-1 home loss to the Oilers. Off the ice, Robyn Regehr is going to take a trip to Africa to see what he has been reading about.
• "We have four games left. We have them all at home. We have to take all four," said Canucks winger Daniel Sedin. Meanwhile, Alexander Burrows escaped without suspension for his apparent spear on Pierre-Marc Bouchard on Friday night.
• The Wild was thoroughly entertained when Pierre-Marc Bouchard dropped his gloves for his first career NHL fight on Friday. Here is Michael Russo's final Q and A of the season.
• The Oilers pulled out yesterday's must-win contest versus the Flames last night, writes Joanne Ireland. The Oilers just don't know how to quit, writes Terry Jones.
• Peter Forsberg apparently ran "out of gas" on Friday night versus the Oilers and that is why he did not play in overtime or the shootout. Here are the opinions of the Denver Post writers about the Avalanche.

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• If the Wings clinch the President's Trophy today, Mike Babcock says he will rest his star players for the playoffs. Dominik Hasek is expected to get the start in net today for the Wings.
• If the Predators want to defeat the Red Wings today, they are going to have to stay out of the box, writes John Glennon. In injury news, the Predators will be without enforcer Darcy Hordichuk for at least the next two games with sprained MCL.
• Ken Hitchcock is having a difficult time dealing with missing the playoffs, writes Tom Reed.
• It was a physical game as fans expected but the Blues continued their losing ways last versus Chicago.
• The Blackhawks defeated the Blues last night and kept their very slim playoff hopes alive.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Thursday Edition)

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• The long-awaited return of Darren McCarty to the Red Wings line up is going to take place on Friday. In more roster news, Dallas Drake (sternum) is a maybe for Friday, and Dominik Hasek (flu) is still expected to be out.
• The Blue Jackets responded to Ken Hitchcock last night with a 4-0 shutout of the Blackhawks. "To me, he's not a relevant player," said Hitchcock in reference to Jordin Tootoo and his antics on Tuesday versus the Jackets.
• There will be no cruising into the playoffs this season for the Predators, writes John Glennon.
• With no morning articles in the Post-Dispatch, I ventured over to beat writer Jeremy Rutherford's blog to find out that Scott Young was the last Blues player to score 40 goals. (Writer's note: How bored is Jeremy Rutherford???)
• In Chicago, it looks like any talk of a miracle run to the playoffs has fallen by the wayside, writes Chris Kuc.

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• Shane Doan does a lot of things that fans may not notice, but his teammates sure do.
• With last night's 2-1 shootout victory over the lowly Kings, the Ducks clinched a playoff spot.
• Jonas Hiller saved the game last night for the Ducks, as he robbed Alexander Frolov on a breakaway with fifteen seconds remaining in the third period.
• People may think Christian Ehrhoff is having an off season, however, his point totals do not tell the whole story, writes David Pollak.
• While it may sound strange, the struggling Stars are looking forward to their visit to the HP Pavilion tonight, writes Mike Heika.

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• "Today, we made sure we didn't give them any chances for free," said Wild defenseman Martin Skoula after his team's 3-1 bounce back victory over the visiting Oilers. If you thought Jacques Lemaire was kidding when he said he'd take away the "optional" skate, he wasn't, writes Michael Russo.
• The Oilers felt like they deserved better last night in Minnesota, but they did not dwell on the loss, and are now looking ahead. The Oilers are heading to Denver next, and the last thing they can do is feel bad for themselves.
• The Avalanche line of Stastny-Hejduk-Forsberg found instant chemistry, and led the team to a 6-3 dominating victory over the rival Canucks.
• Vancouver was handed their lunch last night in Denver, writes Iain McIntyre. The Canucks' playoff chances are not very secure right now, writes Ben Kuzma.
• The Calgary Herald does its best to hype Dion Phaneuf for the Norris Trophy. Meanwhile, one of the Flames' more unheralded players, Stephane Yelle, has more of an effect on his teammates than you might think. Finally, Bruce Dowbiggen figures it is time to stir the pot again, telling readers that this year's version of the Flames should have won the division in a walk.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Pre-Game Report

Here are some roster notes heading into tonight's games:

• Kristian Huselius (healthy scratch) is out for tonight's game against Vancouver.
• Marc Savard (back) is out for tonight's game at Toronto.
• Here are the Hurricanes' projected lines for tonight's game versus Washington.
• Justin Williams (ACL) may be in the line up tonight for Carolina.
• Here is how the Stars lined up at their morning skate.
• Kris Russell (groin) will not play tonight against Nashville.
• Pascal Leclaire (head) is out for tonight's game.
• Tomas Holmstrom (groin) will be out of action for another week.
• Valtteri Filppula (groin, knee) is out tonight.
• Dominik Hasek (flu) did not fly with the team to St. Louis for tonight's game.
• Andrew Ference (leg) is out tonight for Boston's important game versus Toronto.
• Jonathan Cheechoo (head, neck) is out for tonight's game against the Coyotes.
• Patrick Rismiller (lower-body injury) will play for the Sharks tonight.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Canucks were able to withstand the Stars' comeback last night and came out of Dallas with an important 4-3 victory, writes Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province. Before Vancouver took the ice last night, Trevor Linden addressed the team with a pre-game speech.
• "This was the biggest game of the year for us, and we got outplayed," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team's 5-2 home loss to the Oilers last night.
• The Oilers gave Dwayne Roloson his first start in net since February 1st, and the veteran netminder led the team to a 5-2 road victory over the Coyotes. Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun tells readers about Coyotes rookie Peter Mueller.
• Jose Theodore was outplayed by Martin Brodeur yesterday afternoon, and the result was a 4-2 road victory for the Devils, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post. Terry Frei of the Denver Post provides readers with a number of tidbits in his Sunday column.
• Niklas Hjalmarsson has been getting a chance to prove his worth on the Chicago blue line, writes Chris Kuc.
• The Ducks stayed disciplined yesterday, and that allowed them to easily defeat the struggling Blues by a score of 5-2 on home ice.
• Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald believes that this season may be Jarome Iginla's last good chance to take home the Hart Trophy. Meanwhile, Flames center Craig Conroy used to play with Chris Pronger in St. Louis, so he knows the big defenseman can snap.
• Tom Reed delves deeper into the significance of Rick Nash being named captain of the Blue Jackets. The Jackets have a tough schedule next week, writes Aaron Portzline. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for today's game versus Detroit.
• The Stars got to experience the goaltending of Johan Holmqvist last night versus Vancouver, and the experience did not last long, writes Mike Heika.
• Dominik Hasek is expected to suit up today against the Blue Jackets. The Red Wings didn't get off to a good start yesterday versus the Predators and it cost them, writes Helene St. James.
• Wild forward Marian Gaborik scored his 200th career goal, and the Wild ended their losing streak at five games yesterday by defeating the Kings 2-0 at the Xcel Energy Center.
• The Predators lost to the worst team in the league on Thursday, then beat the best team in the league on Saturday, writes Jessica Hopp. The Predators killed off a couple big penalties in the third period to secure the victory.
• There is no secret reason for the Sharks' success, writes Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News.

The Eastern Conference morning papers won't be posted today. The regular format will return bright and early tomorrow morning. Have a good Sunday.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

March 17th - 23rd

Anaheim Ducks (2) – Expect Giguere to start both games and then enjoy time off until the 26th.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Lehtonen is still struggling so expect to see Hedberg appear in one game.

Boston Bruins (2) – Look for Thomas to start both games for the Bruins this week.

Buffalo Sabres (2) – Miller has a relatively easy week with only two games on the schedule.

Carolina Hurricanes (2) – Ward should be in net for both games this week.

Calgary Flames (3) – Kirpusoff has struggled lately but should receive all three starts this week.

Chicago Blackhawks (3) – With Khabibulin still hurting, the starting job goes to both Crawford and Lalime.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Look for Leclaire to be in net for all three games.

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Winning five of his last six starts, Theodore should get the nod for all three games this week.

Dallas Stars (2) – Expect Turco to be in net for both games this week.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Hasek is currently day-to-day with a sore back, so Osgood will be the #1 guy until Hasek returns

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Garon has gotten hot winning three of his last four starts.

Florida Panthers (2) – Vokoun has won his last two starts and should be in goal for both games this week.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – Ersberg has been inconsistent in his rookie season but expect him to be in net for all three games this week.

Minnesota Wild (4) – Backstrom has piled on the minutes over the past few games, so expect Harding to start once during this busy week.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Look for Price to appear in all three games this week.

Nashville Predators (3) – Ellis has clearly outplayed Mason this season and should get at least two starts this week.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Expect Brodeur to start all three games.

New York Islanders (3) – DiPietro should get the nod for all three games this week.

New York Rangers (3) – Look for Lundqvist to receive all three starts.

Ottawa Senators (2) – Gerber has won his last three starts and should be in net for both games this week.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) – Expect Biron to start all three games this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) – With no reliable backup, expect Bryzgalov to receive all four starts.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Look for Conklin and Fleury to continue to split starts.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Expect Nabokov in net for all three games.

St. Louis Blues (3) – Legace hasn't won since March 4th, but should get a chance to turn things around with three games on the schedule

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – With Smith struggling expect Ramo to steal one start.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Toskala should receive all three starts this week.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – Look for Luongo to start all three games.

Washington Capitals (3) – Expect to continue to see a split between Huet and Kolzig.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Afternoon Roster News

Here are some tidbits that may be of interest to poolies and fans:

• Tim Connolly (hip) is a game-time decision for tonight's game versus Toronto.
• Michael Ryder (healthy scratch) will be out for tonight's game at Florida.
• Stephen Weiss (flu) is a game-time decision for tonight's game against Montreal.
• Carey Price will start between the pipes tonight for the Habs.
• With Dominik Hasek (hip) still hobbling, Chris Osgood will start for the Wings at home versus Columbus on Friday.
• Martin Gerber is starting tonight for the Senators in New Jersey.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.