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Hockey

NHL TOP TO BOTTOM

By HELENE ELLIOTT

Team (Record): Comment

1. Detroit (19-8-3-1): Looking better every day.

2. Philadelphia (17-9-4-1): Neilson’s illness a blow.

3. Toronto (17-11-4-2): Lead over Ottawa shrinking.

4. St. Louis (19-9-2-0): Young, Demitra hot.

5. Kings (16-8-6-1): Bit players come up big.

6. San Jose (17-13-4-2): Nolan, Friesen lead by example.

7. Phoenix (18-10-3-0): Offense stalls in 1-4 skid.

8. Florida (16-10-2-2): Kozlov, Dvorak support Bure.

9. Colorado (15-13-3-1): Roy climbs on victory list.

10. Dallas (15-12-3-1): Bad start officially over.

11. New Jersey (15-10-3-2): Holik, Arnott pick up pace.

12. Ottawa (15-11-4-1): Big victory over Toronto.

13. Carolina (12-11-7-0): O’Neill blossoming.

14. Boston (12-10-8-0): Dafoe shut out in 0-3-3 skid.

15. Ducks (14-13-4-1): Still missing offensive spark.

16. Buffalo (12-14-2-1): Biron fine, offense isn’t.

17. Calgary (12-15-3-1): “Other” Bure emerges as star.

18. N.Y. Rangers (10-14-4-1): Fleury awakens in 3-0-1 streak.

19. Tampa Bay (10-14-4-2): Points for hard work.

20. Pittsburgh (10-14-13-4): Do you believe in repeat miracles?

21. Washington (10-13-5-1): Can’t get above .500.

22. Edmonton (9-14-7-5): Problems on, off ice.

23. Vancouver (11-13-7-1): Goaltending woes may force trade.

24. Montreal (11-18-2-1): Still thin because of injuries.

25. Nashville (9-19-1-2): Year two in NHL isn’t much fun.

26. Chicago (7-18-4-2): New GM and coach, same losses.

27. Atlanta (7-18-2-2): Reason enough to stop expanding.

28. N.Y. Islanders (6-16-4-0): Luongo will soon supplant Potvin.

GAME OF THE WEEK

PHOENIX at PHILADELPHIA

When--Thursday. Time--4:30 PST. TV--ESPN2.

* Story line--A matchup of conference powers. But the Coyotes are experiencing their first slump of the season, having lost four of their last five. Bob Essensa is 4-2 since replacing Sean Burke (injured thumb), but backup Robert Esche is 0-2. The Flyers have been jockeying with the Maple Leafs for the top record in the East, but the Flyers trail the Leafs by a point after splitting a home-and-home series. Flyer center Eric Lindros has scored four goals in the last three games for Philadelphia, which is 6-1-1 in the last three weeks.

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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.

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