The 5 hole: A five-step trip through the stars and numbers of the past week
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1. Stand Up
LW Brendan Shanahan,Detroit Red Wings
5 goals, 2 assists ... +4
A hat trick and an assist by Shanahan helped the Red Wings rout the Blackhawks, 7-3, Thursday.
C Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
0 goals, 11 assists ... +6
Thornton had four assists in a 5-4 win at Vancouver that clinched a playoff spot for the Sharks.
RW Brian Gionta, New Jersey Devils
3 goals, 5 assists ... +5
A power-play goal by Gionta in overtime gave the Devils a 4-3 win against the Hurricanes Tuesday.
D Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh Penguins
1 goal, 6 assists ... +2
In a 5-3 win against the Rangers Thursday, Gonchar had a goal and an assist.
G Chris Mason, Nashville Predators
3-0-0, 0.97 GAA ... .963 save pct.
Tomas Vokoun's replacement stopped 27 shots in a 2-0 win against the Blues Tuesday.
D Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
1 goal, 4 assists ... +4
The Norris Trophy candidate also had a good game against Chicago with a goal and three assists.
2. The Calder Watch: Crosby vs. Ovechkin
The league's marquee rookies (through Thursday):
Sidney Crosby,Penguins
38 goals, 59 assists ... -3
The skinny: A goal and three assists by Crosby in a 5-3 win against the Rangers Thursday pulled him within three points of being the youngest 100-point scorer ever. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
50 goals, 52 assists ... +2
The skinny: With a goal in a 4-3 loss to Atlanta Thursday, Ovechkin joined Teemu Selanne as the only rookies in history with 50 goals and 100 points.
3. Presidental exclusion
When the Red Wings clinched the Presidents? Trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record, with a 2-0 win against the Oilers Tuesday, there might have been a reason they didn?t celebrate. Only eight of the past 20 Presidents? Trophy winners have reached the Stanley Cup final the same season and only six won the Stanley Cup. ?The big mug is what we?re after, not the Presidents? Trophy,? Red Wings goaltender Manny Legace said:
Noah Graham, Getty Images
A REAL INSIDER: Los Angeles' Mark Parrish winds up in the back of the net behind Anaheim goalie Jean Sebastien Geguere in their game April 8 at the Staples Center.
-Red Wings, 1994-95-33-11-4Rangers, 1993-9452-24-8-Bruins, 1989-9046-25-9Flames, 1988-8954-17-9Oilers, 1986-8750-24-6-Lost in Stanley Cup final.
-Lockout shortened season
4. He said what?
"We're going to make it."
-- Pat Quinn, Maple Leafs head coach on his team's playoff hopes after a 4-3 overtime win against the Islanders Thursday.
5. The fan's hat trick
Mighty Ducks at Sharks, 4:30 p.m. today
A fifth-place seed in the Western Conference could be up for grabs when Nils Eckman and the Sharks play host to Andy McDonald and the Mighty Ducks.
Senators at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. today
Mats Sundin and the Maple Leafs are desperate to make the playoffs. They need a win against the rival Senators and Daniel Alfredsson to get in.
Avalanche at Oilers, 7 p.m. Tuesday
The seventh seed in the Western Conference could be on the line when Joe Sakic and the Avalanche face Ales Hemsky and the Oilers.
First Published April 15, 2006 12:00 am
