1.   Another of the slumping Rangers is Brian Leetch, the captain and star defenseman who plays regular shifts and runs the power play from the blue line.

2.   -- BRIAN LEETCH, the star defenseman, missed practice for the second day with the flu, but is expected to be in the lineup.

3.   Brian Leetch, the star defenseman, will probably become the new captain.

4.   Brian Leetch, the captain and star defenseman, says Muckler repeats drills so that players are prepared for tactical changes.

5.   Brian Leetch, the star defenseman, was asked what players can do to help Kovalev.

6.   Despite the surgery-enforced idleness of a star defenseman, the team is undefeated in the three games he has missed.

7.   Gauthier did avoid a potential sticky situation, similar to the one involving the Kings and star defenseman Rob Blake.

8.   Kings star defenseman Rob Blake went down with a knee injury and would battle various problems for two full seasons.

9.   More typical is the life of Travis Rinker, star defenseman for the Rough Riders by night, airline ticket agent by day.

10.   Moments before Dowd potted the game-breaker, star Detroit defenseman Paul Coffey was felled by a Bill Guerin shot just to the right of goalie Mike Vernon.