Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

Twitter: @Nichols_NHLPool/ Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

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The Orange County Register writes that Goaltenders R Us featured a pre-owned product Wednesday night.

It felt like new, but it played like old.

Ray Emery stood up to the St. Louis Blues for three periods, and when the buzzer sounded he just stood there, his face and thoughts equally masked, with Corey Perry the first to congratulate.

He could have found cooler seats to occupy than this one, with the Ducks scrambling to their feet to make the Western Conference playoffs, but maybe that was the point.

You don't go through what Emery did just to play garbage time.

The fifth Ducks goalie of the season picked up a 2-1 victory that put Anaheim into eighth place, at least for a few hours.

"The guys played well in front of me," Emery said. "We do things a little differently from what I'm used to, and I hit a few guys in the shin pads with pucks (while clearing) but no harm, no foul.

"You tend to calm down a bit as the game goes on. You have to remind yourself of things a little less. I had the butterflies at first, and they (the Blues) put a lot of pucks at your feet, and I had to be sharp on some of those jam shots."

The Register observes there was no lack of traffic, yet Emery's instincts and quickness came home.

"The one thing you always know about Ray Emery is that he's a battler," Coach Randy Carlyle said.

It was Emery's first start Feb. 1, 2010, for Philadelphia against Calgary. It was also the first time a black player had ever worn the Ducks uniform at the beginning of a regular-season game.

Emery had been in the building before, of course, having lost Games 1, 2 and 5 of the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals while playing for the Ottawa Senators.

Carlyle doesn't provide much insight into his goaltender selections, but it seemed reasonable to play Emery at least once before the Saturday-Sunday back-to-back against the Kings and Flames – and to get Emery acclimated for the three remaining back-to-backs, most of any team that's circling those bottom four Western Conference playoff positions.

In April, Emery had surgery for avascular necrosis, in which a 13-centimeter piece of his fibula was inserted into the ball of his hip. There's a hole in that bone now, and the doctors had to cut through nerves to do it, and it still feels a little strange to Emery, although he says he gets from post to post quicker than he did before. He was not ready for rehab until mid-September.

"It was tough to get the sensation back," he said, "and obviously, since they cut through a lot of muscle there, it's hard to get the strength back. But that's what I've been dealing with over the last year."

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Penguins center Sidney Crosby, who is recovering from a concussion, skated for the third time in four days this morning.

Crosby went on the ice at Southpointe well before the rest of the team held a late-morning practice there. The rink was closed to people from outside the organization while he was on the ice, so the details of his workout were not immediately known.

Crosby had skated for about 15 minutes Monday and Tuesday, but did not go on the ice Wednesday. He has missed the Penguins' past 30 games, and there is no time frame for his return.

Habs Inside/Out passed along this morning that the Canadiens say Max Pacioretty could be ready for the playoffs.

Yes, it sounds incredible. But head coach Jacques Martin was beaming today with news from his team's medical staff that says Pacioretty is on complete rest until March 26, then begins rehab with contact skating expected three to five weeks from today.

Pacioretty suffered a non-displaced fracture of his C4 vertebra and a severe concussion when struck into a Bell Centre stanchion on March 8 by Boston's Zdeno Chara. He was knocked unconscious and taken from the ice, his body thoroughly immobilized on a stretcher, and was taken to Montreal General Hospital.

Almost stunningly, he walked out of hospital two days later. The 22-year-old dropped into the Bell Centre before this Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals, just to say hello to teammates and visit team doctor David Mulder, then was sent home.

According to The Calgary Herald, the Daymond Langkow story is not yet ready for submission to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of inspirational books.

But the Calgary Flames centre continues to defy the odds - and shock those around him - by gutting it out through a gruelling recovery from fractured vertebrae at the base of the neck.

The injury threatened to end his career and potentially even leave him with permanent side-effects - similar to a concussion of the neck - away from the rink.

Some 360 days after paramedics carted him off the ice at Minnesota's Xcel Energy Center, Langkow practised for the first time Wednesday with his teammates at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Not 10 minutes into the session, defenceman Robyn Regehr gave the 35-year-old Langkow a steady jolt into the boards.

Finally. his first hit in almost a year.

And he didn't blink.

"I think early in the practice my adrenalin was going," Langkow said. "Obviously, I knew I got hit.

"But it just seemed natural."

The Herald notes that with that one play, Langkow let it be known to all that he won't give up his hockey career without an incredible fight.

"Obviously, there were some days when I thought that might be it," Langkow said of career that has spanned 1,013 NHL games. "But I knew it was going to take some time."

"I just had to be patient and try to get back."

The Flames are in desperate need of help up the middle. Brendan Morrison is out with a knee injury. David Moss is limping around on crutches with an ankle injury.

But one full-contact practice does not necessarily open the door for Langkow - a man who actually played the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs with two broken hands - to return this season.

First of all, he needs to return to game shape - no small feat after sitting out almost an entire calendar year. His salary of $4.25 million also complicates matters.

With Ales Kotalik ($3 million) in the lineup, the Flames have no room for Langkow on the books. Should the team qualify for the playoffs, the salary cap is no longer a barrier.

"There's no timetable," said head coach Brent Sutter. "This is another huge step for him. For him to be able to go out and practice in a full practice and get involved like he did, it's a very encouraging sign."

"He looked fine. You know, he's Daymond. He just goes about his business. He's a focused guy. I'm sure he was a little nervous going out there today for the first time but I thought he handled it really well."

The article points out that known for his incredible pain tolerance, Langkow actually played with two broken hands in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Due to a rash of injuries, the two-time 30-goal scorer saw his production dip to 14 goals and 37 points last season through 72 games.

"Mentally and physically, I feel fresh," Langkow said. "It's obviously been tough watching the games and not being able to play. It's been tough. But I got to spend more time with my family

"And that's been good. I'm just looking forward to getting back."

The Vancouver Province believes that this past offseason the Vancouver Canucks expended considerable effort, to say nothing of the expense, to assemble a group of six defencemen that they felt would be among the best in the NHL.

That, at least, was the theory. And after five months and 72 games, that’s still the theory because — due to unforeseen circumstances, mostly to do with broken feet — the Canucks haven’t had their top six together.

They haven’t, come to think of it, had their top eight together and have struggled to put their top 10 together on some nights, all of which makes their position atop the NHL standings all the more remarkable.

Kevin Bieksa, he of the metatarsal issues, was asked if the blueline fraternity is looking forward to the day when the top six are in the lineup together.

“Who are the top six?” he answered. “I’m not sure any more.”

We know the feeling.

The Province points out that Wednesday night at The Rog, the Canucks topped a dispirited Colorado Avalanche team 4-2 with a version of their best six which has been intact for a dozen games or so. By the standards of this season, that might make this group the longest-serving blueline the team has employed, and they’ve been both reliable and productive in their limited time together.

For the Canucks, that’s the sort of good news. The more interesting development, however, awaits in another week and, if everything goes according to plan, another three weeks when the troops might be fully restored.

Bieksa, who’s missed 14 games with a fractured foot, is close to returning. We know this because, when he was asked on Wednesday when he’ll be back, he became vague and evasive. Some time during next week’s road trip is a good guess.

Barring further catastrophe, that will also make Alex Edler the lone holdout from the core six and Edler has started off-ice workouts and skating on his own. Again, if it all goes according to the script he’ll be back for the start of the playoffs, and that’s when things will get interesting.

The Province says try to envision what this could look like. You’d have the shutdown pair of Dan Hamhuis and Bieksa. You’d have Edler and Christian Ehrhoff driving the offence — and making the Sedins that much more dangerous. You’d have Sami Salo, who might be the best all-around player of the lot, available for any situation.

It would also mean Keith Ballard or Aaron Rome or Andrew Alberts would be the sixth guy with the odd men out acting as insurance. Taken collectively, that’s a formidable group. It’s just that the Canucks haven’t seen anything close to it since the start of the season.

So how much better could they be with the full cast? It’s hard to say, but you know the Canucks are dying to find out.

“I’m speaking for myself, but you can’t help but looking at the big picture when you are not at the rink,” Thrashers goaltender Chris Mason told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of his team's dire playoff position, which finds them six points behind Buffalo for the final Eastern spot. “Especially the situation we are in. We need help from other teams but ultimately we have to win our games. The other stuff we can’t control. You can just watch and cross your fingers. It definitely takes a conscious decision to tell yourself that the only thing you can control, and the only thing we should be worried about, is doing our job. Right now, we have to be desperate. We need guys to get out of their comfort zone. A guy that typically doesn’t block shots, we need him blocking shots. We need guys clearing the front of the net. We need the ultimate sacrifice for us to get in the playoffs.”

According to The Washington Post, the Capitals are 7-1-0 since the trade deadline; when General Manager George McPhee brought in three new players while parting with only one off the current roster and still holding on to the organization’s most prized prospects.

In a recent conversation, along with discussing his take on the playoffs and how much success he requires of the team to consider this year a step forward, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said he felt as though the deadline moves sent an extra burst of energy through the dressing room.

“I think this trade deadline meant a lot to our players, on the ice and in the room and in their heads,” Leonsis said. “The players give a lot and they look around and see other teams making moves and the atmospheric around the moves is that the team improves.”

Washington entered the trade deadline with the approach of “we really don’t want to trade one of those four highly touted prospects and we’d prefer to not trade our first round pick but we want to improve the team,” Leonsis said. “George had to thread that needle. I think by bringing in three players like he did without giving up our future it energized the team.”

Picking up Jason Arnott, Dennis Wideman and Marco Sturm were all moves that made sense and addressed some of the team’s depth issues. Granted, Arnott is now week-to-week with an undisclosed injury – McPhee told reporters in Boca Raton, Fla., following the league’s general managers meeting he expects Arnott to miss 7-to-10 days – but his addition and that of Wideman have helped Washington weather injuries to players like Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom.

The Post notes that in numerous interviews around the trade deadline, McPhee referred to five young players that were deemed as non-starters of discussion or sort of untouchable. That group of young prospects consisting of Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Braden Holtby and Cody Eakin also included a player currently on the roster – Marcus Johansson, Leonsis said.

“Every team wanted him,” Leonsis said. “They wanted Kuznetsov, Orlov and some of the prospects that may be a big part of our future. We have some young players that are coveted around the league and a lot of them happen to be centers.

“Now, they all have to come here and play well and earn a spot, maybe go to Hershey,” Leonsis said. “They’re very young but it augers well for the team because we’ll have upside as we bring in new players and you need that mix of new and veterans.”

The New York Post says that he is the reigning two-time winner of the Steven McDonald Award and if you are a Ranger, there is no greater honor than to be recognized in the name of this brave New York police officer for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Ryan Callahan understands this. He appreciates the reputation he has earned as a relentless worker who injects his team with a dose of energy essentially every time he steps onto the ice. He is a core leader of this band of Black-and-Blueshirts that has wrung everything there is out of its talent base.

"For all the great things that Cally brings to us in terms of work ethic, I know that it grates on him that so much of his identity as a player is defined by his hitting and energy," coach John Tortorella told The Post. "You have to really be careful not to put him in a box and put a limit on his ceiling because Ryan has skill. He's shown it before. People who want to define him purely as a grinder aren't seeing the whole picture."

Callahan is a coach's dream as well as the peoples' choice. He goes hard to the net, takes hits to make plays, throws hits to prevent plays, throws his body in front of shots. He makes sacrifices for his teammates and for his team. But even acknowledging all of this somehow obscures his talent, just as celebrating a player's talent can often overlook his dedication.

"I know the role I have to play to contribute to my team and to stay in this league, and it starts with getting in on the forecheck, hitting and creating energy," said Callahan, who leads the Rangers with 21 goals despite having missed 20 games to injuries. "But at the same time, I definitely see myself as being able to contribute offensively and I want to be one of those players who the team depends on in offensive situations.

"I don't sit around and worry about what the perception is of me, to be honest, but I don't think I'm a player who either can bring energy or can score goals. I think I can do both, it's important that I do, and I want to establish that."

When he does, the Rangers will have an established All-Star.

Fire & Ice recalls that the New Jersey Devils were 27 points out of a playoff spot on Jan. 8, but goaltender Martin Brodeur doesn’t believe his team needs a miracle now to make the postseason for a 14th consecutive season.

Brodeur says it’s the six-point deficit the Devils must still overcome that matters and not how much of the gap used to be.

“I don’t think that we look at ourselves as coming back from this,” he said. “We feel that we’re close and that’s what we look at. We look at other teams that are close to us and are in the same situation. Atlanta needs to win and then you go to Toronto and Carolina. We feel that we’re one of those teams.

“We don’t feel that we’re a team that’s wishing for a miracle here. We worked hard enough to get ourselves in a position where we have a decent chance of making it interesting for the teams that are in right now.”

The teams that are in the playoffs spots right now that the Devils have in their sights are the seventh-place Rangers, who they trail by eight points with two games in hand, and the eighth-place Buffalo Sabres, who they trail by six points with one game in hand.

The Devils are close enough now that they no longer see making the playoffs as a dream, but more as something that is doable. The higher the expectations, however, the greater the disappointment will be if they are not able to pull this off.

“You have to be disappointed if you don’t make the playoffs,” Brodeur said. “The first goal of the regular season is to get into the playoffs. I know that we came from a long ways to be in that position and definitely now we’re getting closer and closer. Hopefully the next two weeks will give us a good idea of where we’re going to stand in the last weeks to come. Definitely a lot closer we get, the disappointment level will kick in.”

Fire & Ice notes that Devils coach Jacques Lemaire doesn’t think a team can be disappointed, however, unless it actually was in a playoff spot and then falls out.

“Ask the Buffalo coach and the New York Rangers coach and the Carolina coach if it’s easy to make the playoffs because they’ve been there all year and I know they still worry,” Lemaire said. “I know that for a fact that they’re still worried.”

Should they be worried about the Devils?

“I don’t know if they should, but they should be worried, probably not (about) us, but other teams,” Lemaire said. “So, you’re asking me about the disappointment when these guys, they’ve been in all of the time and they’ve been worried about making the playoffs.

“Let us get in and get out, so we’re disappointed because we were in. Now, we’ve never been in. Guys that have been in this league for a long time, I don’t think they’ll pick us to get in.”

Lemaire has been in the league for a long time. He’s still reluctant to pick his team to get in.

“You believe that with help (there) would be a little chance – with help,” he said. “It’s tough to explain what’s going on because you’ve got to be in it to know what’s going on: why we’re winning, how the guys feel, how they felt before, how they felt in the middle of this run, how they feel now, how they’re going to feel in three days, how they’re going to feel if we get closer. This, you can’t explain. You’ve got to live it.”

The Columbus Dispatch says that granted, 26 NHL games is a relatively small sample. But stretch Grant Clitsome's production - four goals, 14 assists - over an 82-game schedule and he would be the Blue Jackets' first 50-point defenseman.

Now the bad news.

Because it took Clitsome so long to reach Columbus, and because he has played so few games in the NHL - tonight against the Detroit Red Wings will be his 37th career game - Clitsome can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

"It's all about opportunity," Clitsome said. "It's about getting a chance and making the most of it. It's been 26 games. If this is a hot streak, 26 games is a pretty long hot streak. I think I can keep playing like this. I just feel good, I feel comfortable and confident now."

The Blue Jackets have not had contract talks with any of their unrestricted free agents, general manager Scott Howson reiterated yesterday, a group that's highlighted by right winger Scott Upshall, defenseman Jan Hejda and goaltender Mathieu Garon.

But Clitsome's agent, Steve Bartlett, said re-signing with the Jackets would be the first choice. He expects to have talks with Howson leading up to July 1.

"As a rule, I always feel like there's some consideration for the club that has given the player a chance," Bartlett said. "One hand washes the other. Grant wouldn't be playing 24 minutes a night if the guy who controlled the gate wasn't sending him out there.

"The coaching staff obviously likes what they see in Grant. So why alter something that seems to be working?"

The Dispatch indicates that Clitsome would be a Group 6 free agent, defined as a player with an expiring contract who is 25 years or older, has played three pro seasons and has been in uniform for fewer than 80 NHL games. Clitsome will be 26 years old next month. If he plays every game the rest of the season, he'll have only 50 games.

The Group 6 distinction exists to give veteran minor-league players a chance to test the waters for a better opportunity.

Clitsome, who's making $550,000 at the NHL level this season, would have been a restricted free agent if he'd played 80-plus games with the Blue Jackets. He would have been looking for a two-way contract this summer.

Now, he's in a much better negotiating position.

"I've always believed in Grant," Bartlett said. "I'm not being critical of anyone when I say this, but I thought the brief period he played in Columbus last season (11 games) was enough to warrant a look this season. As it turns out, it did. But not until later on this season."

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes that it wasn't his Spin-O-Rama breakaway goal last month against Edmonton's Nikolai Khabibulin or his waning-seconds overtime breakaway winner three nights later against Anaheim's Dan Ellis.

It didn't take Pierre-Marc Bouchard more than a second to come up with what's been the best part of arguably the NHL's best feel-good comeback of the 2010-11 NHL season.

"There's no play in particular, no goal," Bouchard said, smiling. "For me, it's just to compete with my teammates again and try to win games. That's what I missed the most, and now I'm able to do it again."

Bouchard is 3 1/2 months into his comeback from a debilitating concussion that ended his season prematurely in 2008-09 and limited him to one game last season. He has scored eight goals and 29 points in 47 games.

What makes this so satisfying is there were days during his year-plus away from hockey when he wondered if he'd ever play again. But for Bouchard, it went deeper. He wondered, most of all, if he'd ever feel normal again.

"You're hoping. You're trying to stay positive. But there are days where I was not sure it would go back to the way it was before," Bouchard said. "That's when I was trying to look around the league at other guys [like Boston's Patrice Bergeron] that went through it, they took a year off and they were fine.

"So I was always like, 'Just be patient, be patient.' ... Now, I'm really, really happy. It feels almost like a second chance. I feel fortunate and thankful to be playing again. I really missed it."

The Star-Tribune notes that concussions have been a big topic in the NHL this season. It's believed more than 70 players -- or 10 percent -- have suffered them.

There's no way to avoid all concussions in such a fast, physical sport, but Bouchard is glad the NHL's cracking down on head shots and believes all head shots should be eliminated.

"A couple years ago, you didn't hear about a big concern with concussions," Bouchard said. "Even players, your teammates, unless they've had them, I don't think they can understand. I'm sure players have looked at us and thought, 'What wrong? You must be feeling better now.'

"All I can say, 'I don't wish it on anybody.' They don't want to learn what it's like."

For Bouchard now, that's just a horrible memory, one he hopes to never experience again. That's why he was so cautious and believes all players should be.

"It's your head," he said. "Your head, after your career, you still want to be able to live your life. I feel all that time off has gotten me back to where I am now.

"Now I can try to make the big play again, create or score the goal. I definitely missed it and it's pretty fun to have a chance to do it again."

Michigan Live believes that the value of a good puck-moving defenseman to the Detroit Red Wings’ attack was evident Wednesday.

Brian Rafalski returned after missing nine games with a sore back and had an immediate impact, assisting on all three goals in the Red Wings’ 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals at Joe Louis Arena.

“Obviously, Rafi is a real good player and if he’s healthy, he’s a lot better player,’’ coach Mike Babcock said. “He hasn’t been healthy most of the year. We’d like to get him back and playing the way he can. We’re a faster team when he’s moving the puck.’’

Rafalski missed 10 games near the start of the season with a knee injury. He has 40 points (including 37 assists) in 51 games.

“He’s a veteran guy, him coming back makes not only our lineup better but our power play better with him back there shooting the puck,’’ goaltender Jimmy Howard said. “It’s nice to have him back there because he makes good first passes out of the zone.’’

Rafalski’s pass enabled Henrik Zetterberg to score his first goal on a one-timer from the slot. Rafalski later dumped the puck at the net, enabling Valtteri Filppula to get his stick on it for a redirection.

“Two nice passes on the first two goals,’’ Zetterberg said. “He’s very good back there with the puck and always makes the right play.’’

Said Rafalski: “You do what you can. If plays are there you try to make it, nothing special. You got some good players on the ice, you get them the puck.’’

The Miami Herald reports that Pete DeBoer doesn't know if he'll be back coaching the Panthers next season.

If he is not retained, DeBoer said he has no regrets on the job he has done.

“I don't worry about next year. I sleep easy at night. I know how hard we have worked as a staff,'' DeBoer said Wednesday morning. “I think our team plays with structure and plays hard every night. They have all year. If that's not good enough, that's for other people to decide.’’

DeBoer, in the third season of a four-year contract signed in 2008, said he has not been told whether he will return for the 2011-12 season. Sources within the organization say changes could be made, although team officials – such as general manager Dale Tallon and team president Michael Yormark – only say DeBoer and his coaching staff will be “evaluated” at the end of the season.

DeBoer said he and Tallon talk often and have a good relationship. What they don't converse about is DeBoer's future. The Panthers, who will miss the playoffs for an NHL-record 10th straight season, have 12 games remaining and have been in a league-high 44 one-goal games.

“Other people will decide if the wins and losses were enough. I can only control what I control,'' DeBoer said. “I'm very comfortable that our team has been prepared, structured and played hard all year. If you judge things on wins and losses and if people think it's fair to judge this organization on that at this point, well, that's out of my control. I wouldn't expect anything less than being evaluated. I'm comfortable being evaluated.''

The Herald points out that DeBoer was hired by then-general manager Jacques Martin just months after Martin was relieved of coaching duties. DeBoer was a hot commodity that summer, interviewing with the Senators and being linked to the vacant job in Los Angeles.

A highly-successful junior coach in Canada, DeBoer came to the Panthers with big plans – and his first team came within a tiebreaker of making it to playoffs. The 2008-09 Panthers tied Montreal for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but lost in a tiebreaker. Montreal won three of four against the Panthers that year.

Since the near playoff miss, the Panthers organization has mostly been in flux. Martin abruptly resigned in 2009 to coach the Canadiens as it became known the team was up for sale. Assistant general manager Randy Sexton took over for Martin, but because of the ownership issue, didn't have the financial support that offseason and was hampered in making improvements.

The Panthers have hovered near the bottom of the league standings the past two seasons as Sexton and Tallon ended up shipping off veterans mostly for draft picks and prospects. The lineup Florida will run out against Toronto on Thursday features seven players who have spent considerable time in the minor leagues over the past two seasons.

Martin recently echoed comments most scouts around the league have said about DeBoer's teams: “Truth is, I think Peter gets the most out of his guys, gets the most out of what he has.''

“I think he has done a great job. Just look at what we did in his first year with the team we had, the guys we had,'' said center Stephen Weiss, who played for DeBoer with the Plymouth, Mich., Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League from 1999-2001.

“He gets the most out of guys. He pushes you hard, but he's an easy coach to play for. At the end of the day, he wants you to do your best and give an honest effort. If all the guys do that, he's satisfied with the results we get.''

The article says Tallon has over $30 million to spend this offseason just to get to the salary cap floor and retool the roster. DeBoer would like to be there for Florida's hoped-for renaissance.

“Sure I would like that opportunity. You can see the other side of this, you really can,'' he said. “We're coming out of this. We were in a ton of games this year, played the right way. There really is a foundation being set with the young guys we have. Absolutely you would like to be a part of it, but that decision will be made by other people. I really don't know what will happen. I have contract left and I would like to be back.''

I'm a big Pekka Rinne guy, but from the "Wow, Your Guy's Really Good But Have You Seen The Level Of NHL Goaltending Today" department...

The Nashville Tennessean writes that it is a rare occasion when Pekka Rinne is in the same building with a goalie that is his equal. As luck would have it for the playoff-pushing Predators, the Boston Bruins are in town.

Rinne and Tim Thomas are two of the best netminders in the NHL this season, virtual locks to be finalists for the Vezina Trophy that annually goes to the league’s most outstanding goaltender.

Should both start Thursday’s game at Bridgestone Arena (Tuukka Rask was first off the ice at today's morning skate), fans may want to settle in for a low-scoring affair.

“They’re both very competitive,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said. “I think it starts right there. They have a goaltenders’ attitude in that they compete for every puck. They’re never out of a save. They’re both athletic. But I think it’s the mental makeup. I don’t think we would be where we are without Peks.”

Thomas leads the NHL in goals against average (2.03) and save percentage (.938), while Rinne is second in both categories (2.09 and .929).

Philly.com indicates that Peter Laviolette said a big reason behind his decision to change up the Flyers' lines Tuesday was to group some of his top players together to increase their ice times. Now, with only 13 games left in the regular season, Laviolette wants to make sure his best players don't hit a wall with increased ice time in mid-April.

"So far, nobody's really been taxed," he said. "We've been stretching the minutes here. We're making it a point to make sure that everybody's in shape and everybody's ready for the playoffs. The fact of the matter is that [in the playoffs], the forwards will be called on to play 20 minutes and the defensemen will probably be called on to play 24."

This time last year, Laviolette didn't have a choice but to play his players big minutes. That resulted in fatigue and exhaustion during the summer months.

"The month of March for me is about trying to get ready and making sure we're ready," Laviolette said. "It's about trying to push the guys that you know you're going to need those minutes to make sure they can do it."

The article points out that in an effort to not overtax his players, Laviolette has balanced the tough March schedule with practice accordingly. Yesterday in Atlanta, the Flyers were off for the fourth time in the last 2 weeks. The Flyers play 15 games in 29 days this month.

The practice facility is 35 miles north of Atlanta, in Duluth, Ga.

"It didn't make sense," Laviolette said. Instead, the Flyers will practice tomorrow in Dallas, since there will be no game-day skate on Saturday with an arena football game at the American Airlines Center in the afternoon.

Laviolette's players aren't complaining - especially not with all the bumps and bruises.

"I think it's good at this time of year; it's a long year and obviously in the stretch run you're playing games almost every other day," James van Riemsdyk said. "To stay away from the rink a little bit keeps you fresher and gives you a little more jump when you get to the rink."

Laviolette said he will keep the same lines from Tuesday night's win intact, including one with three centers: Jeff Carter, Danny Briere and Claude Giroux.

Shelli in Manitoba: "Hey Chris, love your live recaps and the Hockey Hearsay too. Unfortunately I shared you with my girlfriends last year and you're no longer my secret weapon in our pool!

We're thinking about starting a keeper league for next season (maybe starting small with five keepers per team with 10 of us in all) and were wondering what you thought the best categories to use would be. Any suggestions would be helpful. We only use goals and assists right now with wins and saves for goalies, but that's getting a little boring. We'd like to experiment with something new.

Thanks and we all really appreciate your work!"

Chris: Thanks Shelli, that's nice of you to say.

Everybody has their own tastes as far as what's a good format to use for a keeper league. In mine, which is about to conclude its eighth season (not including the lockout year), we go with G, A, +/-, PIM, SOG, PPP for skaters with wins, GAA and SV% for goalies.

If I were to start a new league, I'd definitely add shutouts for goalies. I think those four categories would be a really solid representation of goaltending stats. This year we were actually also able to count points and PIM accumulated by goalies into our skater as well. It's been pretty cool.

I like the idea of incorporating face-offs because puck possession is everything in this game. I also think hits are a good one because they have a positive impact for a team nightly.

I've noted this in the blog over the past three years or so, but I've really become of the mind that PIM is not a great fantasy category anymore. I think I'd either scrap it entirely or significantly diminish its worth relative to the key offensive stats. And this is coming from a guy who generally finishes in the top few in PIM every single season. Once upon a time, there was a fair argument to be made for PIM being representative of a good power forward like Brendan Shanahan or a rugged defenceman like Chris Pronger. Now? It seems like 10-minute misconducts are handed out like candy and it really kind of makes a mockery of the category in any league. Just my two cents. And I've certainly used my fair share of Dan Carcillos and the like to win the category in my time too. It just seems like today it's more about rewarding bad habits from players than it used to be.

I'm on the fence about +/- and not really sure either way, but that hasn't changed over the years. There are some really good players stuck on horrible teams and some really average guys playing for a contender. C'est la vie.

Again though, this is all a really individual thing. You and your girlfriends will need to have a good discussion about which ones you feel best represent what you're trying to accomplish in your pool. Let me know how it turns out and thanks for writing.

Dave: "Chris, know you don't mention these stats in the Recap...which I read every night..but Kris Draper had the kind of nite that shows why the Wings are who they are. 4th line..gets 12-13 min...a lot for him...plays 4 and a half short handed (way more than he has been doing) and gives up nothing....and goes 6-0 on faceoffs...playing with Helm and Hudler...not a bad 4th with Eaves and Miller as scratches. I know you know all this but had to shout it out."

Chris: No worries Dave. You've been reading since before the Sportsnet days and you know what the live recaps are all about in terms on fantasy relevance. Darren Helm has actually been on a really nice run lately too and Detroit's role players, as you're well aware, are a key part of why they're able to have success year after year.