OP TO BOTTOM

By HELENE ELLIOTT

Feb. 15, 2000 12 AM PT

Team (Record) Comment

1. New Jersey (35-15-6-4) Six goals against in 4-0-1 streak.

2. St. Louis (35-15-6-0) Turek, Demitra fuel 8-2 surge.

3. Washington (27-19-9-1) Mobile defense keys 13-2-2 push.

4. Philadelphia (28-16-10-1) Goaltending still a question.

5. Dallas (31-20-5-2) Depth, grit overcome injuries.

6. Florida (32-20-4-3) Bure (40 goals) stays hot.

7. Detroit (34-17-6-1) Gritty rally to beat Colorado.

8. Kings (26-22-7-3) Finally winning division games.

9. Phoenix (30-20-6-1) Tkachuk (sprained ankle) missed.

10. Colorado (27-22-8-1) Super sophs Drury, Hejduk shine.

11. Ottawa (26-20-9-2) Dropping in East rankings.

12. Toronto (30-21-6-3) Sloppy defense in 0-4 streak.

13. Edmonton (20-22-15-7) 2-0-2 on six-game trip.

14. N.Y. Rangers (24-25-8-3) Leetch’s return will help.

15. Pittsburgh (25-26-5-5) Straka, Lang share Jagr’s burden.

16. Buffalo (23-26-8-2) Hasek pivotal to playoff hopes.

17. Mighty Ducks (24-26-8-1) Big comeback at Chicago.

18. San Jose (24-29-7-7) Collapse reaches 7-16-3.

19. Carolina (24-25-8-0) Offering Gelinas as trade bait.

20. Boston (18-24-15-4) Losing Murphy (waivers) is a gain.

21. Montreal (20-28-7-3) Malakhov’s moguls a no-no.

22. N.Y. Islanders (16-34-6-1) Mathieu Biron impressive.

23. Vancouver (17-28-10-6) Burke: I’m not trading Messier.

24. Calgary (23-28-6-4) 0-8-1 skid jeopardizes playoffs.

25. Chicago (19-29-7-2) Gilmour wants to stay--but why?

26. Nashville (20-30-6-5) Offense still a problem.

27. Atlanta (11-38-6-4) Great attendance, bad team.

28. Tampa Bay (12-36-6-6) No end near to 2-22-2 slide.

GAME OF THE WEEK

PHOENIX AT DALLAS

When--Friday. Time--5 p.m. TV--ESPN.

* Story line--They’ve been jockeying for the Pacific Division lead and higher playoff seeding for a while, and neither can pull away. The Coyotes lost to the Stars, 2-0, Feb. 3 with Bob Essensa in net, but Sean Burke has gotten most of the work since recovering from a torn thumb ligament. Injuries have given young left wing Brenden Morrow more ice time and he has responded with five goals in his last seven games. The Stars are on an 8-2 tear and haven’t given up more than three goals in a game since Dec. 31. The Coyotes are 6-4-1 in their last 11 games, and Jeremy Roenick has four goals in his last seven.

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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.

OP TO BOTTOM

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