Blake Wheeler to be a UFA

From Dave Vest of the Arizona Republic:

"I'm actually quite stunned," Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said Thursday. "Quite frankly, we made him an offer significantly better than any other contract he can get (right now). But that's his choice. I think (he's received) bad advice, and I think he's making a big mistake because of the commitment we've made to our young players and the young players we're prepared to invest in."

Here is the entire article courtesy of the Arizona Republic.

It appears that Wheeler wants to write his own ticket and choose his own NHL destination. While he obviously holds that right, I wonder why he would not want to join an up-and-coming Coyotes squad which has a ton of young offensive talent. Joining the like of Kyle Turris, Martin Hanzal and Peter Meuller would be appealing to most young players.

Drew Doughty wants to play for the Kings

From Helene Elliot's column in the L.A. Times: "'I'm really hoping that I play' for L.A., Doughty said Monday during a visit to Joe Louis Arena to watch the Red Wings' and Penguins' game-day skates. 'They were actually my favorite team growing up and I looked up to Wayne Gretzky as a little kid. Playing there would be a dream come true.'"

Here is the full column courtesy of the L.A. Times.

Later on in the article, Kings GM Dean Lombardi admits the Kings will most certainly be taking a defenseman with the second overall pick in this summer's entry draft. Therefore, the pick is believed to be between Doughty and Zach Bogosian. It does not look like the team can go wrong with that pick because both defenseman are very highly touted. Personally, I have seen more of Doughty than Bogosian and I have to say I was impressed with what I saw. As an underage defenseman at the World Junior Championships, the kid was dynamite with the puck and skated extremely well. With such a need on defense, the Kings look primed to add another young talented player to an already young talent-laden roster.

NHL Morning Papers: The Non-Conference Finals Teams

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers for the teams that are not currently participating in the playoffs:

Southeast Division:

• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks Ron Wilson may be a leading candidate for the Thrashers head coaching job.
• Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason was injured during the World Hockey Championships, but the injury is not believed to be serious.

Atlantic Division:

• No morning papers for the Atlantic Division.

Northeast Division:

• The Bruins re-signed Chuck Kobasew to a 3 year contract on Tuesday and Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe has the details.
• According to Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen, the Senators have not contacted Craig Hartsburg about their open head coaching position.
• You can cross Wayne Gretzky's name off the list of people interested in running the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Leafs did meet with Dave Nonis yesterday about their vacant GM position.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers for the teams that are not currently participating in the playoffs:

Northwest Division:

• The Avalanche have signed 2007 second-round pick T.J. Galiardi to an entry-level contract.

Central Division:

• Pascal Leclaire has played well for Canada at the World Hockey Championships, writes Tom Reed.
• Former UND Fighting Sioux winger T.J. Oshie is now a member of the St. Louis Blues.
• In Nashville, Steve Sullivan continues his rehabilitation from a serious back injury.

Pacific Division:

• Pat Burns should be the man for the Sharks head coaching gig, writes Tim Kawakami. Regardless of who Kawakami wants for the job, the search begins today.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

Numbers Game: Gretzky is the only Great One

In 1982, Gretzky amassed an incredible 212 points. The following 5 seasons, he continued his phenomenal play scoring at least 183 points while leading the league in scoring each season. Lemieux also had some epic seasons. In 1988, he tallied 168 points, following that up with a 199 point season in 1989. Last year, Crosby, often dubbed the next Great One, scored 120 points which topped the NHL. Is there ever really going to be another Gretzky though?

To be fair, it would not be appropriate to use point production as the sole gauge of whether a player, like Crosby, is deserving of the “Great One” title. The NHL will almost certainly never see another player score 200 points. Today’s NHL is not the same free-flowing, offensive friendly game that Gretzky was able to exploit game after game in the 80’s.

Instead, comparing a player's point production to the rest of the players in that season provides a much better indication of how good that player is. In today's Numbers Game I compared the point total for the leading scorer in each season since 1980 to the player who finished second in scoring and the players who round out the top 5. There is no disputing that Gretzky is the best player of all-time.

When Gretzky scored 212 goals in 1982, he had 65 more points than the player who finished second and 74.25 points more than the average of the rest of the top 5. In 1987, Gretzky’s 183 points was 69.4% higher than the second ranked player, who scored 108 points, and over 71% higher than the average of the top 5. In fact, from 1982 – 1987 during his heyday, Gretzky scored at least 65 more points (44% higher) than the second leading scorer. By comparison, Lemieux’s highest differential was in 1989 when his 199 points was only 18.5% (31 points) more than the second leading scorer. Since the lockout, Crosby’s 5.3% differential was the highest, which was 6 points more than second place Thornton.

The numbers speak for themselves. In the last 25 years, no one has come close to Gretzky. And in the next 25 years, we will be saying the same thing. Gretzky did play hockey when the goal judge was far more likely to suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome, but so did the other players that played with him. Gretzky is the best player to every play hockey and he is the best player that will ever play.

If this has made you admire Gretzky's accomplishments even more, maybe that will sway you to vote 'yes' on Ilegal Curve's most recent poll. Feel free to use the comments section below to explain why he is/isn't the greatest of all-time.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Chris Simon is (justifiably) upset with the suspension that Chris Pronger received.
2. Marty Brodeur sets a record by recording his 7th 40 win season.
3. Scott Burnside with his thoughts on how to fix the NHL's Justice Dept.
4. The CHL Hot or Not List.
5. Pierre Lebrun notes that there are many deserving candidates for the Jack Adams award.
6. Check out this old clip of Brendan Shanahan.
7. A St. Patrick's Day themed post from Japer's Rink.
8. Scott Mellanby has a simple solution to increase scoring. In my day all it took was some Jag shots and lots of Molson Ice.
9. Would the Pens trade Crosby?
10. Brian Costello discusses the trend of fast tracking young stars to the NHL.
11. Wayne Gretzky thinks AO can score 90.
12. Gary Peterson writes that the playoffs could determine Patrick Marleau's future with the Sharks.
13. Larry Brooks notes that the Rangers are still in danger of missing the playoffs.
14. Jim Matheson's Hockey World article.
15. Interesting post on the Lincoln Star's David Reekie.
16. Is this Jarome Iginla's last shot at the Hart Trophy?
17. Expect to see Sami Lepisto up with the Capitals sooner rather than later.
18. An open letter from Ken Campbell to Chris Pronger.
19. Spector tell us that re-signing Lecavalier is Tampa's top priority.
20. Ken Hitchcock is happy with what Jared Boll brings to the table.
21. Puck that Hit compiles team shooting percentages.
22. Its the 53 year anniversary of the Rocket Richard Riot.
23. Colin Campbell responds to Chris Simon.
24. North Dakota drops out of the #1 position in this week's college hockey rankings.
25. Andre Roy has resumed skating with the Lightning.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. The NHL hopes to play an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium. Should be a good idea. They can even start prepping the ice in late September, as the Yankees won't need the field.
2. The Lightning have given Andre Roy a week off after his meltdown in Philadelphia.
3. Colorado College moves up to #2 in this week's college hockey rankings.
4. Dan Pollard says Marian Hossa was just being realistic when he asked to be traded from Atlanta. Note the bottom of the article where it says the Wild's Kim Jonsson switch hands to take a shot in a game.
5. Derek Meech has finally cracked the Red Wings' lineup.
6. The Chicago Wolves goaltending tandem gets a lot of credit for their success.
7. Patrick Sharp points to his trade from Philly to Chicago as the turning point in his career.
8. Pierre Lebrun thinks the Caps and Coyotes played themselves out of the playoff race this weekend.
9. The Hot or Not list from the CHL.
10. McGill and Laurier will meet for the Canadian university women's title.
11. Doug Armstrong is already thinking ahead to the World Championships.
12. Jeff Marek of CBC defends his love of fighting.
13. Watch Jordan Tootoo take a shot at Dierks Bentley.
14. Interesting piece on getting hockey into Louisville, Kentucky in order to enhance the NHL's image.
15. Al Strachan feels that Wayne Gretzky's scoring records are safe.
16. Rumour has it that Doug MacLean may be the new GM in Tampa.
17. Spector doesn't see a lot of quality netminders on the UFA market.
18. Mike Brophy is anticipating a big payday for Sean Avery this off-season.
19. A team by team list of the upcoming UFA's.
20. Mark Seidel updates us on the projected top 20 in this June's draft.
21. Video and commentary on the Cote-Roy fight.
22. Junior hockey is returning to Montreal.
23. Joe Pelletier lists his Top 5 hockey books of all time.
24. Larry Brooks writes that Sather rejected a Bernier for Avery proposal.
25. David Amber profiles the 10 best players under 6'.

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers are no longer a threat to make the playoffs, but that does not mean they took yesterday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers very easily.
• The Bruins ended their losing streak with a win over the undisciplined Capitals on Saturday afternoon, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Shane Hnidy was the Bruins' difference-maker without even scoring a goal last night. Meanwhile, here is Kevin Paul Dupont's usual Sunday notes column.
• Buffalo was happy they were able to battle back and record an important point versus Carolina last night, unfortunately, their penalty troubles led to a 4-3 overtime loss. Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News opines that Gary Bettman's plan for parity is working perfectly.
• The Hurricanes finally capitalized on their eighth power play of the game to defeat the visiting Sabres in overtime. In other Canes news, it appears Frantisek Kaberle has returned to his old form.
• According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, Glen Sather turned down an offer of Steve Bernier for Sean Avery at the trade deadline. John Dellapina of the NY Daily News has an interesting feature on Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire.
• The Flyers rode four power play goals to a convincing 4-1 victory over the visiting Islanders, writes Joe Logan. Meantime, Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the NHL's point system needs to be tweaked.
• Both the Crosby/Ovechkin and the Malkin/Ovechkin rivalries are renewed this afternoon, writes Shelly Anderson. Marian Hossa will not suit up this afternoon.
• The Leafs allowed a last minute goal to the Devils last night at the Air Canada Centre, and with that, probably kissed their slim playoff hopes goodbye. Damien Cox points out that the Leafs haven't had a shutdown defensive pair or checking line in a long time. Off the ice, Jason Blake feels lucky everyday.
• There are a couple of interesting story lines heading into today's Tampa/Columbus game.
• The Senators ended their West Coast road trip on a positive note last night, writes Bruce Garrioch. Erin Nicks wonders if Mike Fisher is a suitable second line center.
• After last night's loss to the Flyers, the Islanders are now seven points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
• Zach Parise almost single-handedly led the Devils to a 2-1 road victory over Toronto, writes Rich Chere.
• The Habs aren't even playing their best, but they are still winning, writes Pat Hickey. In roster news, it looks like unhappy forward Mikhail Grabovski will be returned to Hamilton of the AHL.
• The Panthers kept their slim playoff chances alive with a resilient come-from-behind victory over the Thrashers last night.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• With Corey Perry on the shelf for six weeks, the Ducks are hoping Bobby Ryan can help fill the void.
• Ken Hitchcock didn't care that his players had to trek through a lot of snow to get to practice on Saturday, as he sent the team home after an intense lecture. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for today's game versus Tampa.
• "We're kidding ourselves if we think we're going to play deep into the playoffs doing the things we're doing right now," said Stars captain Brenden Morrow after his team's 3-1 loss to Colorado on Saturday.
• Darren McCarty is in Detroit but the veteran is currently sidelined with a rib injury that is restricting his ability to practice. McCarty is not the only Red Wing who is going to miss Sunday's game, writes Helene St. James.
• The Habs played in Los Angeles for the first time in four years last night, and apparently it wasn't as much of a road game as many would think.
• The Wild play eight of their final thirteen games on home-ice, however, their play at home needs to improve if they are going to secure a playoff spot, writes Kent Youngblood.
• In Nashville, the Predators are concerned that David Legwand's foot may be broken.
• The Sharks are gunning for their ninth straight victory today at the Wild, writes David Pollak.
• Brad Boyes tallied twice last night, but he didn't get any help as his team lost 4-2 at Vancouver. The Blues have realized their chances of the playoffs are slim to none, so they have opted to start playing their youngsters in place of some veterans like Martin Rucinsky.
• Craig Conroy is done talking about the Flames' slow starts, writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. Jarome Iglinla's next goal will set the franchise record for the Flames.
• Every game is huge for the Blackhawks, who are six points back of a playoff spot with only fourteen games remaining, writes Chris Kuc.
• The Avalanche made it six victories in a row last night, in their 3-1 come-from-behind victory over the Stars. On the injury front, Adam Foote is questionable for tonight's rematch versus Dallas.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has a nice story on the Oilers' rookie duo of Cogliano and Gagner.
• "We didn't do enough to win, simple as that," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky, after his team's 4-2 home loss to the Senators.
• Alex Burrows was huge for the Canucks yesterday, helping his team to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Blues and taking the team within two points of the division lead. Burrows' play was important, but Brad Isbister was the star last night, writes Elliot Pap.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Wicked Wrister does a great service to hockey by naming the 5 Hottest Girls in College Hockey. As a challenge to our Canadian readers, perhaps someone can compile the 5 Best in in the CIS and have a NCAA-CIS wank-a-thon. We can have the esteemed Ezzy be the final judge since I married and don't look at chicks anymore.
2. Wayne Gretzky was the favorite in a TSN poll on who to light the Olympic Torch in Vancouver.
3. The NHL will have its day before Congress on February 27th.
4. Peter Forsberg's pony died.
5. Jim Kelley of Sportsnet says that GM's are still learning on how to deal with potential UFA's.
6. Want some more trade deadline talk? Here you go. I think Elvis may have been on to something when he sang, "A little less conversation, a little more action...".
7. In case you missed it, Alan Ryder had an interesting piece (thats what she said) on the history of the NHL.
8. A look at Frank and Tom Serratore, the coaches of Air Force and Bemidji State.
9. Shawn Roarke profiles 20 NHL players that got to the big league the hard way.
10. Mike Smith of the Dallas Stars likes to rock out in his spare time.
11. The AHL update from NHL.com.
12. Taking Note gives us the story of Theoren Fleury, who tried to stir the pot a little in a Pats-Warriors alumni game.
13. A tongue in cheek blog post about the most minor hockey injuries.
14. Fanhouse calls out the NY Times for biased reporting on the NHL's southern franchises.
15. David Amber with his list of 10 Guys he would build a franchise around.
16. Damien Cox tells the next GM of the Maple Leafs what he can expect from the job.
17. Jim Kelley discusses the Zednik incident and the effect of the Lighting sale.
18. Fan Nation says that the Minnesota Wild is on the Peter Forsberg's short list.
19. Chris Chelios wants to play in 2010 Olympics. I don't blame him, Vancouver has great senior's discounts.
20. NHL enforcers say its tough to find a fight these days. They should come to my house and leave a cupboard door open and then insult Hilary Clinton. My wife would gladly oblige them.
21. Interesting story about Jean Beliveau and his wife, who taught the Canadiens star how to drive.
22. The Roseau Rams prevailed in their outdoor game last week, a game in which the temp dropped to -42 degrees.
23. Jeff Marek gives a glowing of review of Hockey Day in Canada, hosted this year by Winkler, MB. Note the story at the bottom about the Swedish goaltender.
24. Adam Proteau writes an interesting piece about the death of the "second contract" in the NHL.
25. Puck That Hit gives us a rumour from Columbus saying GM Scott Howson is willing to blow up the team to alter its identity.

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Steve Yzerman has once again been named GM of the Canadian men's squad for the World Hockey Championships this spring.
• The NHLPA has hired an accountant to take a closer look at the NHL's books, writes Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Even though they lost to the Red Wings on Saturday, the Bruins are quite pleased with their 2-1 record since the All-Star break. Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald reminds readers of how far the Bruins have come since all the pre-season predictions.
• After defeating the Habs 5-3 at the Bell Centre on Sunday, the Rangers have now won three straight road games and have undergone an extreme makeover, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post.
• Paul Holmgren is still unsure of the whether Peter Forsberg will come back to the NHL at all, writes Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• While may not be as heralded as Sidney Crosby, Devils forward Zach Parise has turned into a special player in New Jersey, writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Even with the aformentioned Crosby out of the line up, the Devils are not going to change the way they play versus the Penguins.
• Even with their yelling match on Saturday, there are no hard feelings between Brent Sutter and Jamie Langenbrunner, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• With a couple of the team's players having been hit by the flu, Islanders coach Ted Nolan is considering who he wants to call up from Bridgeport of the AHL.
• Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star has been impressed with the Leafs' youngsters. "That's why I don't take putting on this jersey for granted. It is a privilege," said new Leafs forward Dominic Moore.
• It'll be Martin Gerber back between the pipes for the Senators tomorrow night when they face-off against the Habs. Senators coach John Paddock wants to see improved play from his defensemen, writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun.
• The Habs thought they had the Rangers beat with a 3-0 lead on home-ice, but before they knew it the game was tied, and they eventually lost 5-3, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. Hickey's colleague Herb Zurkowsky was impressed with the play of super-pest of Sean Avery yesterday.
• With all the injuries to the Panthers' roster, their affiliate in the AHL is having even more problems filling spots for their call-ups, writes Steven Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune thinks it is likely that the Bolts will trade Dan Boyle prior to this month's trade deadline.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Instead of giving his players a much-needed day off, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle decided to call practice and have his team play a fun game of shinny to take their minds off their current six game losing streak, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• Jarome Iginla's goal-less drought is now his longest since 1999, writes Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald. Flames coach Mike Keenan said new goaltender Curtis Joseph will start his first game this week.
• If the Blue Jackets are going to get back to their winning ways, they need Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev to turn up their game a few notches, writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
• Mike Ribiero has decided his game needs to become more physical, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Wings know it is a difficult task, but they have not discounted the possibility that they could break the NHL wins record this season. Meanwhile, Wings defenseman Chris Chelios would relish the opportunity to play more minutes for the Red Wings.
• The Wild will get a good opportunity to measure their in-season progress on Tuesday when the NHL leading Red Wings come to town, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean tells readers that enforcers need to have some hockey skills too.
• Since being given an ultimatum by coach Andy Murray, Blues forward David Backes has responded at an almost point-per-game clip.
• The Avalanche are hoping to have Paul Stastny back in their lineup near the end of the week, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
• Alberta native Curtis Glencross is looking forward to his Edmonton Oilers debut tonight, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky has been pleasantly surprised with the play of Joel Perreault, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic. Off the ice, Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet will be re-instated to the NHL and will be behind the bench Thursday for the Coyotes.
• Apparently Lukas Krajicek's shoulder injury is more serious than first believed, only adding to the Canucks already depleted blue line corps. Meanwhile, Canucks GM Dave Nonis is on a scouting trip in Sweden looking to add more firepower to the team for this season and beyond.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• David Naylor of the Globe & Mail wonders whether all these Ray Emery controversies are distracting the Senators.
• In the National Post, Allen Panzeri discusses the small amount of trash talk that has taken place between the Canadian and United States junior hockey players prior to their semi-final game today in the Czech Republic.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has an interesting article comparing this year's version of the New England Patriots with the 1976-1977 Montreal Canadiens.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Bill Tiller of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides readers with his second quarter report on the Thrashers. Tiller's colleague Craig Custance says the Thrashers are in the perfect division to make a playoff push.
• The Bruins rode a 31 save performance by Tim Thomas last night and defeated the Capitals 2-0. The Bruins got exactly what they expected from Shane Hnidy in the veteran's first game with his new club.
• With only one assist in his last nineteen games, Thomas Vanek has been demoted to the Sabres' second line and the Austrian will now play alongside Tim Connolly and Ales Kotalik.
• With consistent goaltending problems, the Hurricanes have recalled Michael Leighton from the AHL and have waived John Grahame.
• Jassen Cullimore was the unlikely overtime scorer, but the Panthers will take it, as they put an end to a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime victory at Long Island.
• The Habs knew the Lightning would be desperate last night, and still weathered the storm with a 6-3 home victory writes Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette.
• Those who were doubting Martin Brodeur early in the season don't look so smart now writes Bridget Wentworth of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• The Rangers were shutout by Roberto Luongo on Thursday night in what was a winnable game writes Jay Greenberg. John Dellapina of the New York Daily News tells readers that the Rangers' Achilles heel last night was their inept powerplay.
• It was quite a bizarre situation Thursday on Long Island, where it appears Rick DiPietro will now be suspended for two games for using goalie pads that were not examined by the league before being used.
• Senators coach John Paddock has yet to name a starting netminder for tonight's game versus the Sabres.
• Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that the Flyers have something very special in 22 year old Mike Richards. Meanwhile, the Flyers waived both Jim Dowd and Rory Fitzpatrick on Thursday.
• The Penguins had no trouble disposing of Toronto 6-2 last night writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It appears that Penguins forward Maxim Talbot is close to returning from an ankle sprain.
• The Lightning received terrific performances from their top line of Lecavalier, Prospal and St. Louis, but the rest of the team failed to show up in the Bolts' 6-3 loss at Montreal on Thursday.
• "We're halfway through the season and we still haven't found that consistency in terms of our efforts night in and night out," said Leafs captain Mats Sundin after last night's embarrassing 6-2 loss at Pittsburgh.
• The Capitals couldn't crack the scoresheet on Thursday night as they were shutout by Tim Thomas and the Bruins writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Curtis Zupke of the Orange County Register provides Ducks fans with some information on newcomer Brandon Bochenski.
• Jarome Iginla popped the overtime winner last night as the Flames made sure that the Sharks' home struggles continued with a 3-2 victory at the Shark Tank. (Writer's note: I watched this game and it was one of the more enjoyable games I've seen all season.)
• The Blackhawks didn't lose 9-2 again, but they still came out on the losing end of a 4-2 final last night at Phoenix.
• The Avalanche received another huge blow to their lineup yesterday when they got word that rugged winger Ryan Smyth will be lost to the team for up to eight weeks with a fractured ankle.
• The Blue Jackets rebounded from a 2-1 loss to the Ducks with a 4-3 victory over the lowly Kings. Even though he has been injured a number of times this season, that doesn't mean Mike Peca is going to change the way he plays writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
• After being handily defeated 6-3 by the Wild, Stars coach Dave Tippett believes every part of his team's game needs work right now.
• There are really no flaws to the Red Wings' game right now writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. In other Wings news, Tomas Holmstrom is hoping to return this Sunday versus Chicago from a sore right knee.
• The Oilers' defense wasn't ready for the speed of the Nashville forwards last night writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• The Kings three-game winning streak sure didn't last long as they were beaten by the Blue Jackets 4-3 on home-ice last night.
• The Wild were able to get revenge last night over the Stars after being embarrassed in Dallas a little over a week ago.
• The Predators easily defeated the Oilers 5-2 on Thursday on the back of a two-goal effort from Alexander Radulov. (Writer's note: I'm still wondering why Radulov isn't playing more on this squad????)
• "We're playing hard, good, solid hockey, and are doing a lot of good things," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team defeated the Blackhawks by a score of 4-2 on home-ice.
• Even though the Sharks lost in overtime last night to Calgary, the one point they received for the loss moved them into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Dallas.
• Blues coach Andy Murray is confident in his team's talent-level on the powerplay, and that is why he just can't figure out why his team has such problems with the man-advantage.
• Roberto Luongo was single-handedly responsible for his team's victory over the Rangers last night.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• As Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail tells us, Leafs' coach Paul Maurice has made a number of line adjustments in an effort to spark some more offense out of his club.
• Jack Todd of the National Post gives a summary of Larry Robinson's retired number ceremony in Montreal last night.
• The USA Today has a Q & A with veteran Ducks' defenseman Mathieu Schneider in this morning's paper.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Not only did the Ducks acquire a new fourth line center yesterday but they are also hoping to have both Todd Bertuzzi and Mathieu Schneider back in their lineup for Wednesday's game against Dallas.
• Mike Keenan finally cracked the whip yesterday at practice writes Steve MacFarlane of the Calgary Sun. After taking a puck to the head from Canucks' defenseman Lukas Krajicek, Robyn Regehr is going to tough it out and will be in the lineup tonight versus Colorado.
• Hawks' winger Jason Williams is listed as questionable for the team's next game later this week with a strained groin. In positive Hawks' news, oft-injured forward Martin Havlat is expected to return to the team's lineup next week.
• Jose Theodore is slated to get the start tonight for the Avalanche as they take on the Flames in Calgary.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch suggests Blue Jackets' GM Scott Howson is in the market to improve his team's secondary scoring. Meanwhile, the Jackets are hoping to have Mike Peca return to the lineup in the near future after the center has missed the past five games with a groin injury.
• The Stars are starting to turn their season around as they were able to exact their revenge on the Kings last with a 3-0 victory in Dallas. A move to Mike Modano's wing has sparked Jeff Halpern who now has three points in three games playing with the all-time leading American scorer.
• Wings' coach Mike Babcock is hoping Johan Franzen's shootout winner over the weekend will help him get out of his huge slump.
• Oilers' defenseman Mathieu Roy was back at practice yesterday attempting to rehab his injured shoulder. Meanwhile, Kyle Brodziak's knee is almost back to normal and the checking winger is expected to play tonight against the Canucks.
• Last night's 3-0 shutout at Dallas marked the first time the Kings had been shutout in two consecutive games since the 2001/02 season.
• Wild goaltending coach Bob Mason likes to make sure both of the netminders he works with keep an even keel writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
• The Predators were defeated last night by their ex-teammate Paul Kariya and the St. Louis Blues 3-0. Jason Arnott missed last night's game for the Predators with an injured neck.
• Coyotes' coach Wayne Gretzky doesn't want rookie Peter Mueller to get down about his lack of ice-time last game writes Jim Gintonoio of the Arizona Republic.
• Anyone hoping there was steam to that Patrick Marleau to the Flames rumors, shouldn't get too excited as David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News reports that no one from the Calgary front office has even called about the former Seattle Thunderbird.
• The Blues have won four straight games, but Blues' winger Paul Kariya thinks the team can play much better than it has in its last two contests. In other Blues' news, winger Martin Rucinsky has seen his offensive opportunities greatly reduced in recent games.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Capitals lost 4-3 to Florida last night and their struggles are reaching the point of no-return with only 13 points registered in 20 games played.
• The Leafs are hoping to play a lot better in Boston this time around than they did in their first trip to Massachusetts. Mark Zwolinkski wonders if former Leafs' prospect Tuukka Rask will get the start tonight for Boston.
• The Lightning were not happy with the officiating in their 4-3 overtime loss to the Thrashers last night in Atlanta. John Tortorella thinks the key to Jan Hlavac scoring on a consistent basis is a matter of confidence.
• Sidney Crosby was busy shooting a commercial and some pictures for ESPN the Magazine yesterday writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That's a luxury," defenseman Mark Eaton said in reference to the Penguins extra time available to practice.
• "Physically, I feel pretty good, but the symptoms are still there," said Flyers' winger Simon Gagne in reference to his recent concussions.
• The Senators played the role of spoiler in their 4-2 victory last night over the Habs on Larry Robinson night. James Duthie thinks that Senators fans are dreaming if they think that the market is there for a Ray Emery trade. Meantime, Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun has an interesting piece on Senators' forward Chris Kelly.
• The Islanders made it three straight over the Rangers last night with a 2-1 at MSG writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• "We allowed them to frustrate us and we got away from our structure that's been successful," NYR winger Brendan Shanahan said after last night's loss. Off-season acquisition Chris Drury is starting to become frustrated that he has been unable to develop chemistry with any of his linemates.
• Brent Sutter has gone with his gut in moving Patrik Elias to the middle to play center for first time since he was a child back in the Czech Republic.
• The Senators proved last night in Montreal why they are 1st in the Eastern Conference writes Pat Hickey in this morning's Montreal Gazette.
• The Panthers got some confidence after finally holding on to a third period lead on Monday writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Additionally, winning in Washington allowed for the Cats to put an end to their road woes.
• It has come to a point where the Hurricanes can't even get through a practice without sustaining an injury writes Luke Decock of the News Observer.
• The Thrashers have gotten all the way back to .500 after their overtime victory over the Lightning last night.
• Bruins' coach Claude Julien is out to fix the defense in front of goalie Tim Thomas writes Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.