red army line

With Horcoff out of the lineup, and the Oilers already lacking depth they probably won't be able to take advantage to the same degree, but I certainly hope Tom Renney decides to use Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner on different lines. At least one of them will be exposed to some pretty green (and bad) defenders, and should be able to take advantage. But if they're playing together, the Staal-Girardi combination will be all over them. And guess what? Those two are very good. Staal is surprisingly good, not in the sense that I didn't know his numbers were fabulous, but in the sense that he just doesn't look all that great when you watch him. Staal isn't particularly fast, but he's fast enough that most players can't beat him wide and get to the net. He's a physically huge, but he's still big, and he plays an effective physical style that sees him staying in position and delivering hits whenever he can do it without losing position. He's also got a very good stick, and he seems like a competent passer as well. The offense isn't there the way it is for guys like Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith, but defensively, the guy is an absolute gem, and pretty much exactly the kind of player the Oilers need to stabilize their defense. Sadly, something tells me that New York's very best defenseman isn't on the market.

Ted Leonsis says the NHL is in better financial shape than the NBA because NHL owners can no longer take "stupid pills." The owner of the Washington Capitals -- who is completing a purchase of the Washington Wizards -- said Friday that a lot of NBA teams are losing "a lot of money." Speaking at the National Press Club, Leonsis said the NHL is in a better position because it has a hard salary cap "that protects owners from taking stupid pills" -- a reference to misguided, over-the-top free agent signings. Leonsis learned his lesson with the Capitals several years ago when he overspent for Jaromir Jagr and other players before the NHL put its cap in place.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Alexei Ponikarovsky has been suspended for the final two games of the regular season for a hit from behind Thursday against the New York Islanders. Early in the third period, Islander center Josh Bailey turned to play a puck in the Pittsburgh end. Ponikarovsky came directly from behind on Bailey and cross-checked him into the boards. Ponikarovsky was given a major for boarding and a game misconduct. Bailey was able to skate off under his own power, but did not return. Earlier in the game, he scored his 16th goal of the season. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Ponikarovsky will forfeit $21,813.48. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Ponikarovsky will miss Saturday's game at Atlanta and Sunday's game at the Islanders.

5. Mario Lemieux In 1993, the Penguins were two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, thanks largely to the play of their superstar center, Lemieux. That January, he was on pace to challenge Wayne Gretzky's season record of 215 points when he announced he'd been diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. He left the team for two months to undergo radiation treatment. When Lemieux returned to the ice on March 2 -- the same day he received his last radiation treatment -- he posted a goal and assist against the Flyers, and Philadelphia fans gave him a standing ovation. 34. Mario Lemieux Super Mario led the league with 122 points in 1996-97, but injuries (particularly to his back) caused him to retire after the season. With that, the NHL lost one of its marquee players. After three seasons off the ice -- during which time he became a partial owner of the Penguins -- Lemieux laced up his skates again in 2000 at age 35. In his first season back, the Pens made it all the way to the conference finals. It was the franchise's best finish since winning consecutive Stanley Cups in 1991 and '92.