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NHL QUICK SHOTS:
A fast glance at the league

DEC 11, 13 QUICK SHOTS

ISLES LEGIT DUE TO HUNTER, 2ND LINE

If the New York Islanders go anywhere this year, it will be due to thier second line, that of TRENT HUNTER, SHAWN BATES and MIKE YORK. 

With ALEX YASHIN and MIRO SATAN shoring up the first line, Coach Steve Stirling's second line makes the Isles a legitimate threat to return to the playoffs. 

TRENT HUNTER (29GP/5-11-16) caught our attention this week. 

While the Isles have been up-and-down this season, Hunter has been exceptional, the 2003-04 Calder Trophy candidate crashing the net, shooting in bunches and creating a lot of commotion and scoring opportunities. 

Sunday, Dec 4 in Detroit, he created enough trouble in front of the Detroit net for Jason Blake to ice the Wings.  A win and a loss against St. Louis and Columbus, respectively, followed, then Hunter scored the Islanders second goal Saturday, Dec 10 against Edmonton.  Hunter then followed up by winning the game for the Isles in the shootout.

OLYMPICS:
CANADA - MARIO, YZERMAN BOW OUT

Hockeytalk loves both of these legends, but it's time for them to step aside and let some new blood come through for Team Canada at the upcoming Olympics.  Don't be so sure that Gretzky and crew will be so quick to bring back the entire line of Brad Richards, Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, who played together at the World Cup of Hockey in 2004.  With ERIC STAAL (29GP/21-21-42)  and JASON SPEZZA (27GP/11-32-43) dominating the scoring list, it's hard to argue that this upcoming Olympic club should honor past achievement. Let's see a Team Canada based on the here and now.

USA - ROENICK ARGUES FOR INCLUSION

It would be hard to leave an American hockey legend like JEREMY ROENICK off of Peter Laviolette's Team USA club...or would it?  With 5-6-11 after 28 games, Roenick might think his "I'll cheer for Canada" threat is cute; Laviolette may have no room for nostalgia, and that won't bode well for Roenick.

MIKE JOHNSON (29GP/9-10-19) is resurgent in Phoenix. "You want him in your top six forwards," said Mike Barnett, Phoenix GM, at the start of the season. 

An early fall 2003 injury kept Johnson out of action until two years later, this October, when Johnson started the season toiling on Gretzky's third and fourth line.  Good to see the able forward get his game back.

HATS OFF:

DARRYL SYDOR goes end-to end vs. Nashville and smokes Tomas Vokoun's replacement on Saturday, Dec. 10 against Nashville...Bobby Orr style...rare in the past decade of NHL, welcome back in the new NHL

STAY TUNED:

Revenue projections coming soon...will NHL salary cap be HIGHER than 39M after a positive report?

ADDED DEC 13:

BOYLE FOR CANADA OLYMPIC TEAM? 

The Lightning defenseman entered Monday fourth among league blue-liners with 25 points and tied for second with nine goals. Yet, Boyle wasn't among 10 defenseman listed during Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada telecast as being considered for Canada's Olympic team.

"I don't want to make it a big deal, but I'm just not a high-profile player, I guess," Boyle said. "There are a lot of guys there who were in the (2004) World Cup. They have the reputation. There's a lot of loyalty there," said Boyle to the St. Pete Times.

PICKING UP THE SLACK IN BUFFALO:

JOCHEN HECHT and DEREK ROY, Buffalo, pick up the slack for injured DANIEL BRIERE and J.P. DUMONT (Briere is day-to-day; Dumont out 8-12 weeks).  MARTY BIRON picks up slack for injured RYAN MILLER in the nets.

Spotted in the Minors: We'll be seeing them soon

The San Antonio Rampage’s Brian Boucher and Cleveland’s Vesa Toskala battled for 65 minutes to the league’s first scoreless tie of the season, but with Boucher trying to come back from a groin injury, San Antonio head coach Pat Conacher inserted Goehring into the game to begin the shootout.

RUMORS FROM OUR FRIEND EKLUND:

Mats Sundin got very much in the face of Jeff O'Neil recently following the game on Saturday Night, calling him out for his poor defensive play as of late. "Things got really intense, really fast," according to a source close to the scene.

BERTUZZI TRIES TO PUT OUT TRADE RUMOR FIRE:

So, with Petr Sykora about to be shuffled out of Anaheim, and Sergei Fedorov's salary dumped on Columbus, it's hard to imagine that BRIAN BURKE, Duck GM, isn't champing at the bit to get hold of Bert.

"I wanted to put the fire out," the Canucks forward said Sunday in an interview with Vancouver radio CKNW, the team's broadcaster.

"It's not true," said Bertuzzi. "I have never once asked for a trade."

He also said Vancouver ``is a place that I hold close to my heart, I love living in this city, I love playing with this team and I love all my teammates and I'm enjoying myself here.

"I understand the business of our game and understand that trades do happen but it's not coming from me. I want to stay here and accomplish something that I started here in Vancouver."

"Marc's a great coach. Look at his resume, he's won a Stanley Cup, he's coached for Team Canada and I think he's an outstanding coach," he said.

Canadian Press reports contributed to the Vancouver feature

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