41.   The Kings victory was their third straight since top defenseman Rob Blake was traded to Colorado.

42.   Top defensemen include Russian Vladimir Malakhov, a target of preseason jibes from sports writers who claim his effort level is uneven.

43.   To pry Bure from the Canucks, Florida parted with top defenseman Ed Jovanovski, centers Dave Gagner and Mike Brown and holdout goaltender Kevin Weekes.

44.   Viacheslav Fetisov, another top Red Wings defenseman, was also in the crash but sustained only minor injuries.

45.   With their top two defensemen out indefinitely, the St. Louis Blues acquired veteran defenseman Alexei Gusarov from the New York Rangers Monday.