Pierre Mcguire's In The Crease

Canucks center Brendan Morrison hadn't missed a game in six years before a wrist injury sidelined him for three months this season. Then he tore his right ACL against Colorado last week, ending his season, and perhaps his career. A consistent playmaker, Morrison , 32, can be a free agent on July 1, and Vancouver had considered giving him a three-year, $10.5 million extension. Now that deal is unlikely—a tough break for a solid player and a good person.... Ottawa acquired veteran Mike Commodore (above) from Carolina on Feb. 11 to stabilize its defense, but Commodore is a -8 since then, and Ottawa (24th in the NHL in goals against) had not improved defensively.... The Bruins were closing in on a playoff spot despite injuries to top forwards Marc Savard and Chuck Kobasew , thanks largely to the play of rookie center David Krejci, who had eight points in four games last week.