Pierre Mcguire's In The Crease

A month ago, after Flyers goalie Robert Esche reinjured his groin, general manager Bob Clarke was calling other teams, in search of a replacement. However, after rookie Antero Niittymaki (above) made every start on an 11-game road trip that ended last Thursday, Philadelphia has found its No. 1 goalie. Niittymaki went 8-3 with a .907 save percentage, a performance made more impressive by the absence of defensemen Joni Pitkanen (abdominal muscle tear) and Eric Desjardins (shoulder surgery).... The 227th pick in the 2001 draft, rookie Marek Svatos of Colorado has 26 goals this season, including a league-high eight game-winners. Teammates Joe Sakic and Rob Blake marvel at the 23-year-old right wing's ability to create offense; Svatos has some of the most deceiving one-on-one moves in the NHL.... Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman moved to seventh in alltime career assists last Thursday when he got his 1,050th in a 6-3 win over the Flyers. Though his 40-year-old forward had played more than a minute on a third-period shift, Detroit coach Mike Babcock kept him on the ice, and Yzerman set up Robert Lang for the Red Wings' final goal.