Frozen Ponderings

Once again, a late-season slump has placed the Coyotes on the playoff fringe. Phoenix holds a two-point lead over the No. 8 Oilers, with Edmonton having a game in hand. What makes the situation more daunting is Phoenix's record in March over the last three years: 16-23-3. The Coyotes need to play at least .500 the rest of the way to make the playoffs. Without Claude Lemieux, that might be difficult. On Wednesday, Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov continued his pattern of allowing an early goal. The Panthers scored 2:11 into the game, marking the fourth consecutive game the rookie goalie has allowed a goal within the first 5:08. San Jose tied the game and finished it six-game road trip without a win (0-4-1-1). The Sharks only have five road games left. Who leads the league in assists? Jaromir Jagr with 56. Who else? Adam Oates, that's who. The ageless 38-year old has 18 helpers in his last 15 games, vaulting him to the top of the league. Just an FYI: Oates' career high in the assist department is 97 from his Boston days in 1992-93. Guy Hebert is gone from Anaheim. Newly acquired Steve Shields is set to undergo shoulder surgery. That leaves 23-year-old Jean-Sebastien Giguere to play out the string for the Ducks. The young goalie, whose promise prompted Hebert's demotion to backup, recently has shown signs of fulfilling that promise. In his last three starts, he has two wins and a respectable 2.33 GAA and .911 save percentage. Rookie Greg Naumenko was recalled from Cincinnati to back up Giguere.

Blues coach Joel Quenneville and GM Larry Pleau might be under the most pressure of any coach-GM tandem in the league.

With Quenneville trying to keep his team together with an amazing array of injured players out of the lineup, Pleau is hoping to find some help via the trade market to stem the bleeding and help Quenneville stay in the race with Detroit for the Central Division title.

Through Wedensday's games, the Blues trailed the Red Wings by a point with a game in hand. That's pretty darn close considering the Blues are missing captain Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis, Pavol Demitra, Michal Handzus and Tyson Nash and have lost seven out of their last 10 games (two were OT losses).

"It's not easy as far as consistency, which has always been one of our trademarks," Quenneville said of what might be his most difficult stretch as coach of the Blues. "The guys have done a pretty remarkable job staying in this race and in this hunt, and there is some light at the end of the tunnel, knowing a majority of these guys will be returning."

According to Quenneville, the only player they aren't 100-percent sure can return in time is MacInnis, who suffered a serious eye injury on Jan. 27 in a 4-3 loss to San Jose. MacInnis, a plus-26 with 43 points in 49 games before getting hurt, has resumed light skating, but there's no timetable for his rehab. The Blues are hopeful, but don't have any guarantees.

Before the rash of injuries, the Blues were neck-and-neck with Colorado at the top of the NHL. Pleau's task was viewed as that of a touch-up painter, needing to add just the right brushstroke in St. Louis' Stanley Cup portrait. Now, Pleau is balancing his initial intention with the necessity to to fill holes.

The media and populace in St. Louis clamor loudly about a trade, especially since Pleau lost out on acquiring Rob Blake and Teemu Selanne. The pressure is for Pleau to make a big splash, whether it be Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick or Mike Peca. But Pleau won't allow public pressure dictate his job.

"I won't make a deal unless it's right for the team," said Pleau from the GM meetings in California. "Do I want to make a deal? Yes. But I'm not going to make a trade just to say, 'We made a trade, wow'. Why would you make a trade to make a trade?"

Pleau acknowledges feeling the pressure, but he doesn't let it get under his skin. He remains tight-lipped about any deals that are on the table, but he says he enjoys the banter between GMs as the chess match of player personnel gets heated.

"It's the battle of our jobs," he said.

Despite the recent slump, Pleau likes how Quenneville and the team have dealt with adversity.

"He's done a great job," Pleau said. "But it's a combination of both the players and coaching staff -- no excuses. Injuries are a part of the game, and the thing I like about both groups is that they don't make excuses."

Both Quenneville and Pleau point to Scott Young as a vital leader who has kept the team composed in the absence of Pronger and MacInnis. In his last 16 games, Young has 12 goals and 19 points. For the season, he has 24 power-play points.

"He seems to be blossoming through this stretch as our go-to guy in all situations," Quenneville said of Young, who has won Cups with Pittsburgh (1991) and Colorado (1996).

"If there's one guy who has really stepped up his play, I'd say Scotty Young," Pleau said. "I had him when he was a first-year pro, and he played both forward and defense. He's pretty versatile and a leader -- a quiet leader -- off the ice. He's been great."

But Scott Young isn't enough for St. Louis to keep up with Detroit, especially with Colorado, Detroit and Philly up next on the schedule.

The injured players can't come back soon enough, and perhaps, when they do return, Pleau will have made a deal that makes a difference.

Mailbag
During the season, a question or two from ESPN.com users will be answered in every edition of In the Corners. If you want to get a question answered, click here and ask away.

Question from B.J. Brinkerhoff from Bloomington, Ind.: With a solid scorer being perhaps the only thing standing between the Sabres and a return to the Cup finals, why hasn't GM Darcy Regier tried to package Mike Peca and one of their goaltending prospects for Keith Tkachuk or Jeremy Roenick?

Response: The answers are simple: