INSIDE HOCKEY

The Detroit Red Wings look like contenders on paper, but unless they improve defensively, they will have a hard time repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Right now, the Wings are 19th in the league with a 2.85 team goals against average and 24th in the NHL with a save percentage of .897. A year ago, Detroit was led the league in GAA with a 2.16.

The blame cannot be put solely on the shoulders of goalies Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin. While neither has been consistently outstanding, the Red Wings are simply allowing too many quality scoring chances. A tough, stay-at-home defenseman is a necessity for Detroit at the trade deadline but more importantly, the team needs to recommit itself to team defense if it hopes to emerge from the tough Western Conference in this year's playoffs.

The Senators are nowhere near the Red Wings in the standings, but they seem to have found their goalie of the future in Brian Elliott. The rookie has looked good in most of his seven starts and has strong stats with a 2.27 GAA and a save percentage of .918. More importantly, however, Elliott has given the Sens confidence in their goalie, something they haven't had over the past two campaigns. His 4-2-1 record speaks volumes on a team that has struggled to score goals all season.

In case there was any doubts about the Senators plans for Elliott, he recently started seven straight games and Ottawa waived veteran backup Martin Gerber and sent him to the minors after nobody put in a claim for him. It's unlikely the Senators can qualify for the playoffs this season, but Elliott is gaining valuable experience and confidence while proving he has a strong future in Canada's capital.

Fighting will not be eliminated from NHL hockey anytime soon, but some changes should be made in the wake of the tragic death of Don Sanderson of the Whitby Dunlops at the age of 21. Whether it's mandating chin straps be fastened on helmets or giving linesmen different instructions on when and how to break up a fight, some simple changes could at least lessen the possibility that the NHL would suffer its own version of Sanderson's death. The league at least owes its players that much and the Board of Governors should sit down with the NHLPA and come up with a set of suggestions to increase player safety.

Kudos to the Pittsburgh Penguins for signing eight-year-old Jacob Anderson to a one-day contract. Anderson suffers from cystic fibrosis and is a huge Penguins fan. The arrangements were made through the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation. The youngster got to practice with the team and received his own uniform, helmet and even his own stall in the Pens' locker room.

Hockey players and teams are involved in charity work like this all the time and it's something that should be recognized and publicized, if only because it may inspire other people to get involved in similar endeavors. Hockey players are by far the classiest of all pro athletes and this is just one reason why.

You have to give credit to Islanders' owner Charles Wang. The Islanders scheduled an exhibition game in Kansas City's new Sprint Center for the the coming season. The new facility in Kansas City is ready for a permanent tenant and an NHL team would be a great fit. Speculation immediately began to swirl around the Islanders and whether or not the would be moving to Kansas City, which had an NHL franchise from 1974-76 before the Scouts moved to Colorado to become the Rockies (they are now the New Jersey Devils).

Without making any threats, Wang's decision to schedule the game sent ripples throughout the Islanders' fan base and the local media here speculating whether or not the Isles can get a new or refurbished home. The "Lighthouse Project", which would include a renovated Nassau Coliseum, has been slowed down by local town politicians. At least by scheduling the exhibition game, Wang got some much-needed publicity for his team's plight. The Coliseum is the third-oldest NHL building still in use behind the Igloo in Pittsburgh (which is soon to be replaced) and Madison Square Garden (which is also scheduled to undergo a face lift soon). The long term viability of the Islanders on Long Island comes into serious question without an upgrade to their building. Wang's simple action at least advanced the discussion and gave the issue the attention it deserves. The Isles are not close to moving anytime soon, but without a new or remodeled building, the club cannot continue to stay on Long Island and remain competitive.

If anybody wants to examine the parity of the NHL these days and look forward to an exciting stretch run, here's a stat for you: Just eight points separate the fifth place Phoenix Coyotes and the 14th place Nashville Predators in the Western Conference. Oh, and Nashville has three games in hand on Phoenix. While the top four spots in the West seem fairly secure in the hands of San Jose, Detroit, Calgary and Chicago, the race for the final four playoff spots should go down to very end of the season. It will be interesting to see which Western Conference teams are buyers and which are sellers at this year's trading deadline.

The Florida Panthers face a difficult dilemma at trade deadline. The franchise hasn't qualified for the playoffs since 2000 and they currently hold the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. It looks like the Panthers should be in contention for a playoff spot down the stretch but one of their best players, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

The club is looking to buy, not sell, at the trade deadline as of right now. "We think we’re getting better and better as we go," Coach Pete DeBoer said after a recent game. "Those thoughts of being a seller at the deadline, as far as coaches and players go, haven’t even crossed our mind."

The question is, can the Panthers qualify for the playoffs without Bouwmeester? The 25-year-old defenseman is just entering his prime and is the club's top blue liner. He is fourth on the team in scoring and a major component to their power play. Florida may ruin their playoff chances by dealing Bouwmeester, but they probably can't afford to let him leave this summer and get nothing in return. Panthers' GM Jacques Martin will have his hands full dealing with this issue for the next five or six weeks.