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NHL

Rangers GM takes over as coach

NEW YORK -- It was hard to tell what was more surprising at the Rangers' practice: Glen Sather's guarantee they would make the playoffs or that he was best suited to lead them there.

Sather, the team's president and general manager, added head coach to his responsibilities Thursday one day after he fired Bryan Trottier.

Despite being four points out of the last playoff spot, Sather said he intends to lead New York to the postseason for the first time since 1997.

"If we fail, which I'm not thinking about, then I'm going to take the brunt of it," he said.

Sather said what happens beyond this season will be decided later.

"I can't believe that Glen Sather is coaching the New York Rangers," captain Mark Messier said. "It's hard to believe that he's in the situation to be coaching. But we are where we are, and he feels responsible, and, at this point, probably doesn't want to turn it over."

Messier and Wayne Gretzky were part of the Oilers teams that won four titles in five seasons under Sather. After Gretzky was traded and Sather became GM, the Oilers won another title in 1990.

Panthers trade All-Star

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Anaheim acquired All-Star defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh and left wing/defenseman Lance Ward from Florida for center Matt Cullen, defenseman Pavel Trnka and a fourth-round pick. Ozolinsh, 30, has seven goals and 19 assists in 51 games this season. Despite being traded to a West team, he will play for the East in the All-Star game, the NHL said.

KINGS: Goalie Felix Potvin is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a sprained right knee.

SABRES: Mark Hamister prepared to submit a revised proposal to Adelphia Communications, hopeful he can meet Monday's league deadline to complete his purchase of the bankrupt team. Adelphia is the team's largest creditor.

ALL-STAR GAME: Devils defenseman Scott Stevens and Stars center Mike Modano were named captains.

Devils shut down Flyers

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Martin Brodeur came within 1:58 of his fourth consecutive shutout against Philadelphia in the Devils' 5-1 victory.

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Flyers, who handed in the wrong lineup card. Pavel Brendl played a couple of shifts in the first before officials realized he has been scratched. Brendl was sent off with 6:50 left.

Ken Daneyko, who had an league record 256-game goal drought snapped earlier this season, scored with 3:39 left in the first to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead.

AVALANCHE 4, RANGERS 3 (OT): Greg de Vries scored 2:29 into overtime for visiting Colorado. Alex Tanguay scored twice, including the tying goal with 4:28 left in regulation, and Peter Forsberg had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche, unbeaten in five (3-0-2).

CAPITALS 2, PENGUINS 1: Kip Miller's goal broke a third-period tie for host Washington. When Michael Nylander couldn't get the puck on his forehand 10 feet in front of the net, he pushed the puck back to Miller, who connected from between the circles with 8:29 left.

ISLANDERS 3, CANADIENS 1: Michael Peca's short-handed goal 4:44 into third lifted host New York. It was the first regulation loss for Montreal in seven games (3-1-2-1). After taking a pass from Roman Hamrlik, Peca fanned on a shot then recovered and put a wrist shot past Jose Theodore.

KINGS 3, SENATORS 0: Backup Jamie Storr earned his 15th shutout and Ziggy Palffy scored twice during the third for host Los Angeles. Ottawa is 2-4-1 in its past seven after going 25-5-4 in their previous 34. It has lost three in a row for the first time since a four-game skid Oct. 16-23, 2001. Up 1-0, Palffy scored on a two-on-one break with 7:37 left and a breakaway 2:35 later.

LEAFS 5, THRASHERS 2: Tie Domi had a goal and an assist to earn his 200th point for visiting Toronto. Atlanta lost for the second time in eight games since Bob Hartley took over as coach. Domi scored the Maple Leafs' first goal then assisted AlynMcCauley's goal that made it 4-2 with 10:40 left.

BLUES 2, SABRES 1 (OT): Keith Tkachuk scored with 1:34 left in overtime for host St. Louis, which won despite two sick goalies. Fred Brathwaite was set to start in 21 before experiencing flu symptoms, giving Brent Johnson, who didn't feel well during the morning skate, the start. Dallas Drake tied it early in the third for St. Louis.

BLACKHAWKS 3, BRUINS 1: Theo Fleury scored twice and Jocelyn Thibault made 44 saves for visiting Chicago. Fleury's power-play goal 8:15 into the first made it 1-0. His second, on a slap shot through Jeff Hackett's legs, made it 3-1 6:57 into the third.

JACKETS 2, PREDATORS 1: Espen Knutsen scored his first goal since Oct. 29 and Marc Denis stopped 33 shots for host Columbus. Knutsen played his second game since returning after missing 39 games due to an abdominal injury and surgery.

CANUCKS 3, OILERS 3: Jason Chimera scored 5:40 into the third as visiting Edmonton rallied twice. Down 2-0 after one and 3-2 after two, the Oilers tied it when Chimera took a pass from Brian Swanson alone in the slot and waited out Dan Cloutier before putting a shot just under his outstretched blocker.

WINGS 2, PANTHERS 2: Roberto Luongo stopped 33 shots and Viktor Kozlov scored with 7:30 left for visiting Florida. Kozlov tied it after two shots left goaltender Manny Legace out of position.

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