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By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 25, 2001
The Devils are gearing up at the right time. With 13 consecutive victories, New Jersey is looking more and more like it is on the right track to defend its Stanley Cup title.
The team is four victories short of the Penguins' record for consecutive victories, set in 1993.
The Devils seem happy, but not too impressed.
"It's great to be on this streak and stuff, but the most important thing is we play well down the stretch," forward Jason Arnott said. "This is the most important time of the year."
The 13 victories moved the Devils past the 1967-68 Canadiens and the 1998-99 Avalanche, with whom they were tied for fifth-longest streak in NHL history.
"Hopefully, we're not getting impressed by ourselves any time soon," forward Bobby Holik said. "Once you're impressed and happy with what you're doing, that's when you have problems."
Coach Larry Robinson said goaltenders Martin Brodeur and John Vanbiesbrouck will split the season's final seven games so as to get both players some work heading into the playoffs.
"I'm a realist," Robinson said. "Sooner or later, we're going to lose some games. I'm going to take the same attitude I took last year when I took the job (after Robbie Ftorek was fired). It's not the wins and losses, but how you're playing.
"We have to play the way we must play in the playoffs. We want to play a good system."
CLIPPED WINGS: Injuries are putting a crimp in the Red Wings' style.
Center Steve Yzerman is day-to-day with a pulled groin. Wing Darren McCarty has a twisted right ankle (though some say a hairline fracture) and is hoping to be ready for the playoffs. Defenseman Chris Chelios will be out three weeks after surgery to fix a displaced fracture of the left thumb.
"We have to deal with it," general manager Ken Holland said. "I feel we have the depth to deal with it. Injuries are part of professional sports. It's our job to overcome them."
FLYING HIGH: Florida's Pavel Bure does not, under any circumstances, play defense. But that's okay when you consider his offensive numbers.
Bure has 58 goals, meaning he had scored 30.9 percent of Florida's 188 goals. The NHL record for scoring a percentage of a team's goals is 27.7 set in 1990-91 by Brett Hull, who scored 86 of the Blues' 310.
Bure's teammate Len Barrie offered a reality check.
"Pavel has had a great year, and he's played hard all year," he said. "But in this league, you don't win with one guy. We're one of the last-place teams. He's done his job, but to win in this league, you've got to get 20 guys contributing and playing every night. We haven't had it all year."
QUOTE: Hull, after scoring eight goals in his past four games: "I don't think. I just shoot it. I don't think it's any different than a batter or a golfer. Some people can hit it far, and there's some people who can hit it down the middle. Tony Gwynn hits for average and Mark McGwire hits it over the fence. I don't think they can tell you how they do it. They just do it."
ODDS AND ENDS: Detroit's Sergei Fedorov has some reservations about the people putting together the Russian Olympic team but not enough to keep him from playing. Fedorov was not one of Russia's first eight selections, but is expected to be on the team. ... Oilers defenseman Janne Niinimaa said the six cross-country skiers who tested positive for drugs is "the biggest sports scandal in history" in his native Finland. ... Blues coach Joel Quenneville told Roman Turek he will have to earn his spot as the playoff starter. ... Defenseman Rob Blake is hoping for the best after a sprained right knee knocked him out of the rest of the regular season and, maybe, the first round of the playoffs. When the injury was announced at a recent Kings game, the fans cheered. ... Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn is so worried about his team's performance, he has started meeting with individual players. This is a guy who can go a whole season without speaking to certain players. ... Steve Heinze has been the best of the trade-deadline pickups. He had five goals and three assists in his first four games after going from the Blue Jackets to the Sabres. ... Sandis Ozolinsh has been the best of those expected to be traded but weren't. The Hurricanes defenseman had seven goals and 10 assists in 13 games since Feb. 23. ... The rumor is that former Panthers general manager Bryan Murray will be the next coach of the Islanders. Murray said he has not been contacted.
-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.