Top 10

By HELENE ELLIOTT

Oct. 22, 1996 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

CAPSULES AND RANKING

Team (Record): 1. Florida (4-0-3)

Comment: A victory at Colorado was consolation for being swept in Stanley Cup finals. JohnVanbiesbrouck’s goals-against average is 0.97.

Team (Record): 2. Dallas (7-1-0)

Comment: Call the Stars 1a. Andy Moog faced only 14 shots in shutting out Toronto and everyone is chipping in.

Team (Record): 3. Colorado (4-3-1)

Comment: Avalanche starting to rumble, with NHL scoring leader Joe Sakic and league’s most productive offense (34 goals).

Team (Record): 4. Hartford (4-1)

Comment: Keith Primeau is starting to do what the Whalers acquired him for: score goals.

Team (Record): 5. Chicago (5-3-0)

Comment: Blackhawks have allowed only one goal in each of their last three games and have given up more than two goals only once this season.

Team (Record): 6. Tampa Bay (4-1-0)

Comment: Welcomed Rangers to new arena, then used Rangers as doormats for third consecutivevictory.

Team (Record): 7. Ottawa (2-1-3)

Comment: This is not a misprint. The Senators deserve respect for a tie against New Jersey and 6-3 thumping of Montreal in their last two games.

Team (Record): 8. San Jose (3-3-2)

Comment: Victories over Ducks and St. Louis and a tie with Florida are a solid week’s work.

Team (Record): 9. Philadelphia (4-4-0)

Comment: They rallied to beat the Ducks in Anaheim and got hot at Phoenix. Eric Lindros may return from groin injury this week.

Team (Record): 10. New York

Comment: Looking better after winning three of last four.

GAME OF THE WEEK

ST. LOUIS at CHICAGO

* When--Thursday. Time--5:30 p.m. TV--ESPN2.

* Storyline--Their eagerness to keep Central Division leader Dallas within reach heightens an always emotional rivalry. Their games are invariably bruising and likely to be defensive battles. Neither is scoring a lot, but both rank among the NHL leaders in goals-against. Chicago’s Ed Belfour has twice won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie and Fuhr has won it once. They have shared the Jennings Trophy, given to goalies on the team that allows the fewest goals.

Hockey

Helene Elliott

Helene Elliott was with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports department from 1989 to 2024, first as a staff writer and then, starting in 2006, as a columnist. She became the first female journalist to be honored with a plaque in the Hall of Fame of a major professional sport as the 2005 winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Award, awarded to writers “who have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.” A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has covered 18 Olympics.

Top 10

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