NHL Notes 3/25

THE CHASE FOR ART

While most observers have already made up their mind as to who the Hart Trophy winner will be at season's end, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby may see the other major trophy he had his sights on, the Art Ross, slip through his hands if he doesn't get his offensive game back in gear soon.

That's because San Jose's Mighty Joe, Joe Thornton, is putting together another powerful surge to finish atop the NHL's leading scorers. While he did make his move earlier in the 2005-06 campaign, Thornton has recently broken through from the pack and now sits just four points behind Crosby's league-leading 108.

Saturday night, Thornton picked up a goal and an assist to give him eight points in his last three games, while Crosby was blanked for the third consecutive game -- the first time that has happened this season.

BERT TAKES BACK SEAT

Todd Bertuzzi played his second game for the Red Wings on Saturday and while he didn't score, he did fire a game-high six shots on Blues goaltender Jason Bacashihua. He also managed 18:08 minutes of ice time, second among forwards behind linemate Tomas Holmstrom, who played just under 20 minutes.

While Bertuzzi was getting much of the pre-game attention, it was the sight of Detroit's Brett Lebda being carried off the ice on a stretcher that will likely stick with those that watched the game. The second-year rearguard smashed face-first into a metal stanchion along the boards after taking a forearm from St. Louis forward Ville Nieminen.

Lebda, who reportedly suffered a concussion, was taken to a local Detroit hospital for precautionary tests. Nieminen received a major penalty for the infraction and was also ejected from the game. The Blues ultimately ended up winning 3-2 after scoring two controversial goals in the overtime shootout.

LEAFS REBOUND AFTER MELTDOWN

On Friday, the Maple Leafs playoff hopes took a big hit when they coughed up a 4-1 third period lead to the Sabres, ultimately losing the game 5-4. One night later in the back-half of a home-and-home, the Leafs found themselves in the exact same position, up 4-1 in the third period. However, this time they managed to keep their compusure and cruised to the win.

Goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who took much of the blame for Friday's embarrassing meltdown, rebounded well in the rematch. Surprisingly, it was Buffalo backstop Ryan Miller who appeared unnerved. The second-year goalie was pulled early in the second period after allowing three goals on 21 shots.

Despite the setback on Friday, Toronto did manage to win two of their past three games, also beating New Jersey on Tuesday. They next face Carolina, one of the teams they're battling for a playoff berth, on Tuesday.

BRUINS

Despite being unable to practice on Friday due to flu symptoms, Boston forward Marc Savard was nonetheless able to suit up for Saturday's matinee tilt versus the Rangers. He logged a game-high 22:26 minutes of ice time among forwards and scored a regulation goal in a 2-1 shootout victory.

DEVILS

Patrik Elias is back skating hard and could rejoin the Devils as early as Tuesday against the Islanders. The Czech sniper has been out for 10 days with a groin pull. With groin injuries being tough to recover from, particularly for older players, the Devils will be very careful before they allow the 30-year-old to suit up. Brian Gionta, also sidelined with a groin injury, is back skating as well. However, there is no timetable set for his return.

FLYERS

Simon Gagne was back in the Flyers lineup on Saturday after missing six games with a groin injury. The slick playmaker quickly shook off the rust notching a pair of assists in a 4-3 loss to the Islanders.

HURRICANES

Carolina goaltender Cam Ward was back between the pipes on Saturday, making his first start since returning to the team after an 11-day injury layoff (lacerated leg). The 2005-06 Conn Smyth winner allowed four goals, but the Hurricanes still managed to win, downing the Ducks 6-4. Ward made his initial return last Thursday when he relived goalie John Grahame to begin the third period of a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Capitals. Don't be surprised to see Ward play all of the 'Canes remaining games.

OILERS

Edmonton was blanked 4-0 by Nashville on Saturday. It's the eighth time they have been shutout during the 2006-07 season, setting a dubious franchise record.

PENGUINS

Despite the strong play of Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, coach Michel Therrien has also been turning to backup Jocelyn Thibault recently. On Saturday, the former Blackhawk made his eighth appearance in the Penguins last 18 games. He looked sharp, stopping 25 pf 26 shots as Pittsburgh downed Atlanta 2-1. Youngster Jordan Staal picked up his 29th goal of the season in the victory and sits in second place behind teammate Evgeni Malkin (31 goals) in the rookie goal-scoring derby.

RANGERS

According to the New York Post, Rangers GM Glen Sather is still trying to ink Michael Nylander to a contract extension. The veteran forward, who is second on the team in scoring behind Jaromir Jagr, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and could bolt Gotham unless Slats is able to convince him to stick around.

SENATORS

Ottawa's Dany Heatley potted two goals in Saturday's 7-2 rout of Tampa Bay. He now has 45 goals on the year, just four behind Lightning sniper Vincent Lecavalier, who had a pair of assists in the contest. The duo now holds the top two spots in the goal-scoring race. Both Ottawa and Tampa have six games remaining.

STARS

Dallas defenseman Darryl Sydor injured his hand in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over Phoenix. He was unable to take the ice for the third period. If the 34-year-old is unable to play, veterans Nolan Baumgartner and Jon Klemm should see more playing time.

WILD

Minnesota won their franchise-best ninth straight game on Saturday, beating the Kings 4-1 at home. Over their past 25 games, the sizzling Wild has gone 19-3-3. The big difference in the game for Minnesota was the solid play of rookie back-up goalie Josh Harding, who stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced.