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One team's loss ... Rangers turned down Osgood, Isles swooped in
Improbably the biggest game of the first month of the NHL season occurs Friday in Detroit when the believe-it-or-not New York Islanders, backstopped by ex-Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood, go for a record-tying seventh straight road win to start the season. With the addition of captain Michael Peca and five other key newcomers, the Islanders have gone from indifferent to relentless and remain the only team unbeaten in regulation. Osgood, a waiver draft acquisition, has been spectacular for New York and were it not for a few million dollars, Osgood might have been doing the same thing for the other New York franchise. Wings general manager Ken Holland had worked out an Osgood-Mike York trade with the Rangers, but when GM Glen Sather insisted Detroit pick up some of Osgood's $7.75 million salary over the next two years, Holland pulled out of the deal and left Osgood unprotected at the draft.
Brewing a goalie situationThere is another improbable big start for an NHL goalie this week. A Philadelphia-Pittsburgh matchup on Halloween was not exactly headline stuff -- especially with the injured Mario Lemieux, Martin Straka and Alexei Kovalev out for the Penguins -- but it marks the first time since Bill Barber became the Flyers' coach last December that he named Brian Boucher to start a home game. Boucher, coming off a 5-1 win in Montreal Saturday and a 3-0 win in Washington Tuesday, has become the de facto No. 1 for the Flyers, replacing last year's sensational import, Roman Cechmanek, and belatedly earning Barber's confidence. After a disastrous sophomore season, Boucher is more in control of himself and his game.
On the road to Salt LakeWayne Gretzky and his top aides from the Canadian Olympic program have been on a tour of NHL cities, scouting some of the players whose quick starts can help them elbow their way onto the team that will be named Dec. 22. Gretzky's next stop should be Raleigh, N.C. Jeff O'Neill, who was not invited to the orientation camp in September despite scoring 41 goals last season, has been excellent for Carolina with eight goals and 15 points despite playing a new position, left wing. The natural center can play either wing, has a big shot, skates well enough to be a factor on the larger international ice surface and was the only player last season to lead his team in goals and hits. The ever-expanding O'Neill resume warrants a good, hard look at the 25-year-old.
Always a gamerFinally, you have to play hurt in the NHL -- even if the sport is softball. Dallas Stars center Joe Nieuwendyk broke his nose on Oct. 20 against the Chicago Blackhawks, underwent surgery that night and then hopped out of his hospital bed to head to a softball game at The Ballpark in Arlington. The trip was rough -- Nieuwendyk had to stop the car three times to regurgitate -- but he made it. The reason he was so anxious to get there? Nieuwendyk was one of the organizers of the game between the Stars and the Texas Rangers alumni to benefit the Sept. 11 Relief Fund. The softball game raised $115,000. Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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