The New York Islanders' home game against New Jersey on Thursday night, which resulted in a tie, was No. 63 of 82. Coach Peter Laviolette figures for his club to make the postseason, they'll need to win 10 of the remaining 19 contests.

"We'll need 10 anyway,'' said Laviolette, who elected to start goaltender Rick DiPietro against the Devils. "The big concern for us right now is the finish and just making sure we put some wins together.''

	CHIRPIN'
	"For a couple of days, I'd roll over in bed and think, 'Did I really get fired or was it all just a bad dream?' And then you'd wake up and reality would hit you smack in the face.'' -- Atlanta coach Bob Hartley, talking about his dismissal in Colorado before his new team faced his former club -- the Avalanche -- on Thursday night.
	THE NUMBER
	32 That's the number of goals the Bruins have given up in their last eight games. Over that span, they've gone 1-4-3-0.
	WHO'S HOT
	Toronto's Tie Domi scored his 14th goal of the year. It may not seem like much, but it's a single-season career high for the Maple Leafs' professional irritant.
	WHO'S NOT
	Philadelphia forward Simon Gagne, whom everyone expected to have a breakout season, has just seven goals in 42 games and continues to be bothered by a groin strain.

Right now, it appears the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference -- currently in those spots Friday -- will in fact be the eight clubs that make the postseason. But Laviolette said he's not taking anything for granted, and he won't let his players do that either.

"I think any time you're in a position we're in, even though we're in charge of what we do, we look (at the out-of-town scores),'' he said. "I look, I'm not going to lie to you. ... The good news is either way, I'm going to get some help. The only thing I don't want to see is an overtime win. Any other score, I've got a smile on my face.''

The top three seeds (a.k.a. division winners) aren't likely to change. It should be Ottawa, New Jersey and Washington in those spots. The No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, Philadelphia and Toronto, are in fine shape, too.

The real drama will come in the fight for the final three positions. Unless something dramatic happens, it should be Boston, the Islanders and Tampa Bay, although the Bruins are looking like a club in full collapse mode at the moment.

"Right now (all the teams statistically alive) are still making my life miserable,'' said Laviolette. "I think our position is OK, but regardless, we're taking a look at our schedule, and we've got to win 10 games. ... For us, it doesn't matter what No. 9, 10 or 11 do. We've got to put 10 wins in the column, and if we do that, we should be in good shape.''

Laviolette said he wasn't sure if general manager Mike Milbury had serious plans about making a move before the March 11 trade deadline. He said he's comfortable with the roster he has, provided everyone gives their all.

"When our team plays the way we're capable of playing, we feel like we're good enough to beat anybody,'' he said. "So I think the biggest thing for us is our own preparation and our own state of mind. It doesn't really matter home or road. It's more whether or not we're committed to working.

"We've got a blue-collar team. When we do that, we've been pretty successful. Like anybody, I'm sure we'd like to have some depth in different areas. But I don't know where that will go. If there's something out there, I'm sure Mike will take a look at it. If not, then we'll move forward with what we've got.

"But we've had some decent success recently. I think the East is wide open again. Our chances are as good as anybody's.''

Unlike some teams that don't have a No. 1 goaltender -- such as the Bruins, who are struggling with two guys (Jeff Hackett and Steve Shields) playing a notch below -- the Islanders are goalie-rich. DiPietro is having a spectacular season in the minors and has thrived when he's been called up. The big shock has been the play of Garth Snow, who has been terrific since Chris Osgood was lost to injury.

Now that Osgood is close to a return, management and the coaching staff will have some decisions to make.

"Garth has done an outstanding job,'' said Laviolette. "Ozzie was doing well before he got injured, but now he's got to get back at it. Three goaltenders ... it's a good situation to be in. We have three we feel comfortable putting in the net. Ozzie made it through a tough workout on Tuesday and stayed on the ice for practice on Wednesday. There are still some things he didn't do but on Friday, he's scheduled to go through a full practice. That's good news. He's close but not quite there yet. Although it's an awkward situation, it's one that we welcome.''

	“	He's a leader on the ice and in the locker room and plays every situation imaginable for our team. He's out there the last minute of the game, he plays against the other teams' top lines, he takes important faceoffs. To me, that's a most valuable player. ”
		— Islanders coach Peter Laviolette, on Michael Peca

One source of frustration for the team has been the play of Alexei Yashin, who has superstar skills, but applying himself hasn't always been a priority. He's in the second year of a 10-year, $87.5 million contract, and he's been seeing time on the fourth line.

If the club is going to go anywhere in the playoffs, Yashin has to pick up his game. He leads the team in the scoring, but he has just 14 goals and 31 assists in 63 contests. That's a far cry from his back-to-back 40-goal campaigns with Ottawa (sandwiched around a suspension for the entire 1999-2000 season). Last year, he had 75 points -- 32 of them goals -- in 78 games.

"I don't comment too much on what goes on with my players, but what you see is probably what you're guessing,'' said Laviolette. "Michael Peca is our first-line center, and Dave Scatchard's line has been our best line all year, so they're going to get the ice time they deserve. You get the ice time you deserve. We will need him in the playoffs, and we'll need a dangerous first line.''

Last year's playoff series against Toronto was memorable for all the wrong reasons -- Peca's and defenseman Kenny Jonsson's serious injuries on controversial Maple Leafs' hits in Game 5. Peca, who missed part of this season because of shoulder and knee surgeries, has come back very strong. In 48 games, he had 13 goals and 21 assists and more importantly, the Islanders are 25-14-7-2 since his return and 8-0-1-1 in games in which he scores a goal.

"He should be strongly considered as a candidate for the most valuable player in the league,'' said Laviolette. "Look at our team prior and look at our team post his coming back. And it's not a one-dimensional game that he brings. It's not like we say, 'OK, go out and score us 90 points.' We don't say, 'Go out and just play defense.'

"Last year, even though he was the Selke (Trophy) winner, he still had 25 goals and (a career-high) 35 assists. It's a fact that he's a leader on the ice and in the locker room and plays every situation imaginable for our team. He's out there the last minute of the game, he plays against the other teams' top lines, he takes important faceoffs. To me, that's a most valuable player.''

Savard's job is safe
If the Montreal Canadiens don't make the playoffs, don't look for general manager Andre Savard to be fired. Team president Pierre Boivin said that wouldn't happen.

Boivin's rationale is that pre-Savard, the club didn't draft well, and that's part of the reason they have floundered. Since Savard took over, the organization has gained some strong prospects, which bode well for the Canadiens' future -- if there is hockey after the collective-bargaining agreement expires in 2004, that is.

Depth Chart

	Hackett