INSIDE HOCKEY

It's impossible to deny the consistent excellence of Devils goalie Martin Brodeur. For 15 NHL seasons, Brodeur has been one of the league's best goaltenders year in and year out.

While some say he has benefited from the Devils' dull defensive system (namely, the suffocating neutral zone trap), the most impressive thing about Brodeur has been how long he has been one of the NHL's best netminders.

Now Brodeur is set to climb perhaps the ultimate hill for a goaltender: to become the NHL's all-time wins leader.

It's easy to see Brodeur's value to his team. While New Jersey was able to remain in first place in the Atlantic Division without him for four months this year, the team still missed Brodeur's consistency and leadership. New Jersey is a different team with the future Hall of Famer in goal and has been for quite some time.

Brodeur's resume speaks for itself: three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies and standout performances at the Olympics, World Championships and Canada Cup.

Saturday night, he will have the chance to tie Patrick Roy's record of 551 career victories. It couldn't come at a better time or in a better place: in Montreal, his home town; on national TV (in Canada); with a chance to further the Devils' quest for a division title. It's also where Roy spent the majority of his Hall of Fame career and the event will also add a little more luster to the Habs' fading 100th Anniversary season.

Brodeur is ready. "Now, there’s something to really get excited about, with the possibility of tying it on Saturday," Brodeur said after Thursday night's win over the Phoenix Coyotes. "I’ll be very happy to tie it in Montreal. It just adds to the story. You can’t ask for a better script. Everything happens for a reason. I just want to be able to put this all behind me. It feels good to be back playing and to get a chance like this."

The stage has been perfectly set for Martin Brodeur. He rarely misses such a golden opportunity.

NHL GM's Try to Fight Fighting

The league's hockey people met at the GM Meetings this week in sunny Florida. One issue they raised was a desire to eliminate "staged" or "premeditated" fighting. These are not fights that take place when one player sticks up for a teammate but situations when one team's enforcer says to another team's enforcer, "Let's go and get this over with" and the two tough guys fight it out. These tussles have even happened in the first three seconds of a game when there is no bad blood between the teams and fighters.

While the idea is not a terrible one, it fails to address the critical issue of safety during fights that were raised by the recent and tragic death of Don Sanderson. The GMs should address that issue before seeking to reduce these extra "circus fights." Something should be done to limit head injuries during altercations. Whether it means players have to keep their helmets on to reduce potential head injuries or some other novel solution, the GMs and NHLPA should get together and do everything they can to prevent another death or serious injury from taking place on the ice.

Furthermore, the easiest way to eliminate the "premeditated fight" is simple, although the union would never allow it to happen: reduce the number of players each team can dress by one player per game. It would make it much more difficult for teams to dress a guy with limited hockey skills who is only in the lineup because he can throw punches. Some of these players don't have the skating ability or hands to contribute in any other way at the NHL level and they spend more minutes in the penalty box than on the ice during a game. It would also help the more skilled players earn more money and get more ice time. Of course, it won't happen because it would mean eliminating 5 1/2 percent of the work force.

Tough guys in the NHL used to be able to play hockey (John B. Ferguson, anyone?). If we could return to that standard, we could easily keep fighting in the game but eliminate the side show fight that adds nothing to the game itself.

Sharks Struggling

The San Jose Sharks are slumping and people are ready to push the panic button. Injuries have a lot to do with it as San Jose has been missing many of its key third and fourth line players and goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Despite the slump, the Sharks are only one point behind Detroit for first place in the Western Conference and still have two games in hand. Regardless of whether they finish first or second in the West, the Sharks season will be made or broken in the playoffs.

Ovechkin vs. Crosby

Ovechkinvs. Crosby, eh? The media seems to want to make this a real blood and guts rivalry between the league's two best players. Hey, bring it on. If the rivalry is real, it only adds to the excitement when the Penguins and Capitals meet on the ice. A little bad blood between superstars can only bring out the best in both of them.

Blues Hanging Tough

Give credit to the St. Louis Blues. People were saying their season was over before it started when they lost young defenseman Erik Johnson for the year back in September. The club got off to a slow start and then lost Paul Kariya for the season after just 11 games. But the Blues have battled back. They have gone 9-3-1 in their last 13 games and are now just two points out of the last playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference. Whether or not the Blues qualify this year, they have grown as a team and shown an ability to bounce back from tough times which will serve them well in the future. Kudos to Coach Andy Murray and his players for the job they have done so far this season.