GAME OF THE WEEK

By HELENE ELLIOTT

March 16, 2004 12 AM PT

The Lightning is having a remarkable season, with NHL scoring leader Martin St. Louis (34 goals, 85 points) leading the way. The team is also getting key contributions from young center Brad Richards (22 goals, 68 points) and franchise player Vincent Lecavalier, who has 29 goals and 59 points. John Grahame (1.99 goals-against, .913 save percentage) and Nikolai Khabibulin (2.31, .911) are a strong goaltending tandem. The only question is whether Tampa Bay peaked too early. The Bruins are on a 5-1-2-1 surge, fueled by the acquisition of creative defenseman Sergei Gonchar from Washington. The Mike Knuble-Joe Thornton-Glen Murray line continues to carry most of the scoring burden, but Martin Lapointe has managed 13 goals. Goalie Andrew Raycroft (1.99, .929) deserves to be rookie of the year.

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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.

GAME OF THE WEEK

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