ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 14, 1997 TAG: 9704150028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The NHL's regular season ends as 16 teams get ready for the playoffs.
The Blackhawks will be there after all. So will the Mighty Ducks - for the first time and at home, no less. But instead of Bruins, look for Senators and Stars as the NHL playoffs start Wednesday.
The regular season ended Sunday with the Pittsburgh Penguins and St.Louis Blues looking to improve their seedings in the only games of significance.
The Blues did, defeating third-seeded Detroit 3-1 to clinch sixth place and set up a first-round rematch between the teams in the Western Conference.
The Penguins didn't, losing 7-3 at Boston, which will miss the playoffs for the first time in 30 years. Pittsburgh, in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, will visit third-seeded Philadelphia to open the first round.
The Bruins' fans, with little reason to cheer for their own team this season, reserved the loudest ovations Sunday for Mario Lemieux, who played his last regular-season game in the city where his NHL career began.
``That's the way it's been since I announced that I was retiring,'' Lemieux said with a grin. ``Seems like maybe I should have done that my first year in the league.''
Lemieux didn't get a goal, but he added two assists to a points total that once more made him the league's leading scorer. In 75 games, Lemieux had 50 goals and 72 assists for 122 points.
Phoenix's Keith Tkachuk had the most goals (52), and the New York Rangers' Wayne Gretzky and Lemieux tied for the lead in assists.
In goal, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur - the 1994 rookie of the year - had another award-winning year with a goals-against average of 1.88, the league's best since Tony Esposito's 1.77 in 1971-72. He also became the first NHL goalie since Montreal's Ken Dryden in 1976-77 to post 10 shutouts in a season.
Familiar names led the team standings as well. Defending Stanley Cup champions Colorado clinched the Western Conference title, while the East went to the 1995 Cup winner, New Jersey.
After that, things were a little less predictable.
This year's Central Division winner, Dallas, came in last in 1996.
Buffalo, which finished next to last in the Northeast Division last season, this year took the division title thanks mainly to goalie Dominik Hasek, who had the league's highest save percentage, at .930.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines KEYWORDS: HOCKEYby CNB