March 3rd

MALKIN, TURCO, VANEK NAMED 'THREE STARS' FOR FEBURARY

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco and Buffalo Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek have been maned the NHL's "Three Stars for the month of Feburary.

First Star -- Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin led all NHL scorers in February with 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 14 games as the Penguins posted an 8-3-3 record. Malkin recorded points in 11 of 14 games, including nine multiple-point performances. He recorded goals in eight contests and notched a 10-game point streak from Feb. 2-21, tallying 24 points (8-16--24) in that span. Malkin leads the League in scoring with 88 points (37 goals, 51 assists) in 67 games.

Second Star -- Marty Turco, G, Dallas Stars

Turco posted a 9-2-0 record, 1.90 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and one shutout in 11 games. He allowed two goals or fewer in eight contests, including a 28-save performance in a 1-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Feb. 17, his second shutout of the season. Turco is tied for fourth among NHL goaltenders in victories (29-14-4), one shy of reaching the 30-win mark for the fifth consecutive season.

Third Star -- Thomas Vanek, LW, Buffalo Sabres

Vanek ranked third among NHL scorers for the month with 20 points (13 goals, seven assists) in 15 games as the Sabres went 8-4-3. He recorded points in 11 of 15 games, including six multiple-point outings. He notched goals in nine of 15 games, including hat tricks against the Ottawa Senators Feb. 12 and Tampa Bay Lightning Feb. 20. Vanek tallied a 'natural hat trick' with three consecutive goals against Tampa Bay, scoring twice in the final 2:21 of regulation time and at 2:25 of overtime in Buffalo's 4-3 victory. Vanek ranks third on the Sabres in scoring with 52 points (27 goals, 25 assists) in 66 games.


PLAYOFF STANDINGS

(RANK-TEAM--PTS--RECORD)

WEST

1-DETROIT*--92--43-18-6
2-DALLAS*--87--41-23-5
3-MINNESOTA*--79--37-24-5
4-ANAHEIM--81--37-23-7
5-SAN JOSE--80--36-21-8
6-CALGARY--77--34-23-9
7-VANCOUVER--74--32-23-10
8-COLORADO--74--33-25-8
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9-NASHVILLE--74--33-25-8
10-PHOENIX--71--33-28-5
11-COLUMBUS--70--30-27-10
12-CHICAGO--68--31-28-6
13-EDMONTON--67--31-30-5
14-ST LOUIS--66--28-27-10
15-LOS ANGELES--57--26-36-5

EAST

1-MONTREAL*--81--36-21-9
2-PITTSBURGH*--81--37-23-7
3-CAROLINA*--73--34-29-5
4-NEW JERSEY--80--37-23-6
5-OTTAWA--80--37-23-6
6-BOSTON--76--35-23-6
7-NY RANGERS--76--34-23-8
8-PHILADELPHIA--74--33-25-8
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9-BUFFALO--71--31-26-9
10-NY ISLANDERS--69--31-29-7
11-WASHINGTON--68--30-28-8
12-TORONTO--68--29-28-10
13-FLORIDA--66--29-31-8
14-ATLANTA--65--29-31-7
15-TAMPA BAY--59--26-32-7


TODAYS NHL SCHEDULE (Central Time)

(6) BRUINS @ (11) CAPITALS 6pm
(5) SENATORS @ (4) DUCKS 9pm
(1) CANADIENS @ (5) SHARKS 930pm