In The Crease

More than ever, coaches want their goaltenders to control rebounds. With the rule change last season allowing goals to stand even if an opponent's skater is in the crease, players are more aggressively seeking rebounds close to the net. The three best goaltenders at controlling rebounds are Martin Brodeur of the Devils, Curtis Joseph of the Maple Leafs and Manny Fernandez of the Wild....

One member of Kings management says Los Angeles has three bona fide suitors for franchise defenseman Rob Blake, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1....

Last week in Colorado, Blackhawks wing Steve Sullivan was bloodied by a high stick. While Sullivan made his way to the bench for medical treatment, a fan taunted him unmercifully. Later in the game Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy accidentally cleared the puck over the plexiglas, and the heckler was hit in the forehead. Sullivan had the last laugh in two ways: The fan not only was cut by the puck, but Sullivan also returned to the ice to score two goals....

Blues defenseman Chris Pronger, who had surgery last week to repair a torn knee ligament, had NHL observers buzzing about his threshold for pain. In addition to playing with that injured left knee for three weeks, Pronger didn't miss a game after breaking a finger about three weeks ago.... Don't be surprised if Wayne Gretzky's ownership group finally gets control of the Coyotes during this weekend's All-Star festivities in Denver. The deadline to buy the team from Richard Burke is Feb. 15, but the final obstacles to the deal appear to have been overcome, and the league would like nothing more than to trot out Gretzky before the large media gathering....
NHL owners have relied on expansion fees (about $3 million per team per year) for a decade as nine new teams entered the league. With expansion no longer on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how clubs, a number of which have been crying poor the last few years, make do without the income.