April 1st, Part III

THORNTON, ELLIS, KREJCI NHL 'THREE STARS' OF THE WEEK

San Jose Sharks centre Joe Thornton, Nashville Predators goaltender Dan Ellis and Boston Bruins centre David Krejci have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending March 30.

First Star -- Joe Thornton, C, San Jose Sharks

Thornton tied for the lead among all scorers with eight points (seven goals, one assist) in four games as the Sharks (48-21-10, 106 points) clinched the Pacific Division title for the third time in franchise history. Thornton notched three goals and one assist in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, Mar. 25 and tallied two goals, including the overtime game-winner, in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars, Mar. 27. He was held pointless in a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Mar. 28 and finished the week with two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-1 victory over Phoenix, Mar. 30. Thornton leads the Sharks and is fifth overall in League scoring with 93 points (28-65--93) in 79 games. His 65 assists place him first in the NHL ahead of Boston’s Marc Savard and Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, each with 63.

Second Star -- Dan Ellis, G, Nashville Predators

Ellis posted a 2-0-1 record with a 0.33 goals-against average, a .991 save percentage and two shutouts as the Predators (39-31-9, 87 points) kept their playoff hopes alive with five of a possible six points. In back-to-back starts against the Columbus Blue Jackets he made 36 and 43 saves, recording his fifth and sixth shutouts of the season as the Predators won 3-0, Mar. 25 and 2-0, Mar. 28. He finished the week with a 35-save effort in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Mar. 30. Ellis set a franchise record with a scoreless streak of 233:39 that began Mar. 22 against Chicago and ended with the overtime goal in Detroit. Ellis has appeared in 42 games posting a record of 22-10-3, with a 2.28 goals-against average, a .926 save percentage and six shutouts.

Third Star -- David Krejci, C, Boston Bruins

Krejci tied for the League lead among scorers with eight points (three goals, five assists) as the Bruins (40-28-11, 91 points) gained seven of a possible eight points in the race for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. On Mar. 25, he recorded one goal and one assist in a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs and notched two assists in the return meeting with the Maple Leafs, a 4-2 victory on Mar. 27. Krejci tallied one goal and two assists in a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators, Mar. 29, and finished the week by recording one goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Mar. 30. In 53 games for the Bruins, Krejci has recorded 26 points (6-20--26).


KOIVU OUT FOR HABS FINAL 3 GAMES OF SEASON

Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu will sit out the last three games of the regular season, the NHL club said on Monday, and there's also a chance Koivu might not be ready to return by the time the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.

Koivu has a small bone fracture in his left foot after being struck on the foot by a shot during a 4-3 win in Buffalo last Friday.

The NHL's regular season ends on April 6. The playoffs begin later that same week on a date that has not been set.

Aside from Koivu, Montreal will also be missing defenceman Francis Bouillon for their game Tuesday night in Ottawa. Bouillon suffered a foot injury during a 4-2 loss Saturday night in Toronto.

Defenceman Mike Komisarek suffered a hip injury last week, and even though he skated on his own on Monday during practice, he is not expected back before the playoffs.

Fellow blue-liner Mark Streit, who also sat out Saturday's game in Toronto with a sore foot, should return before the post-season.