Pride is good in small doses, but never something to depend on. With last nights’ varying adjustments in pride, attitude, and stripping away false senses of security, the bottom eight of both Conferences as well as that elusive shot at the Prize of the West, are anything but solid.

The firestorm from Calgary arrived in Charlotte, and an eager Canes band, newly re-united with Eric Cole proceeded to put them out like a dog soaking a lit cigarette in the street. Any boost the recent trade deadline produced, coupled with the win over Philadelphia was sufficiently damped.

I don’t think this was truly much more than a bad shift of the moon and just one of those nights that the best intentions go awry. Calgary was at least present during the game, but flat. They certainly owed their goaltender Curtis McElhinney more than they have delivered to him in his 13 NHL appearances.

On the flipside, it has been nice to see Sergei Samsonov in the similar form he was as an Edmonton Oiler, with the Moscow native netting 2 points, and the game winning goal.

While not an utterly critical game for the Flames, it was a necessary duece for the Hurricanes, who remain on the cusp of a Playoff hunt.

The Great One led his pack of canine-like creatures into the Herd to tangle in Buffalo. And now you know what it sounds like when a great crushing occurs.

Even with the best efforts of Ilya Bryzgalov and one of my favorite defencemen, Ken Klee, Maxim Afinegenov and the Slug pack pulled a win out of the hat. Even if watching Klee bank Afinegenov off of the boards like a five cent bouncy ball made me hold me breath for a moment.

With one point and one game separating the Sabres once again from the Stanley Cup Playoffs it was a do or die game delivered to throngs of blue and gold from familiar names like Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly. Having Patrick Lalime minding the net for Buffalo’s injured Miller Time hasn’t been a bad call on Lindy Ruff’s part, either.

A Sabres win tonight against Ottawa will bounce Pittsburgh out of the Top 8, and Buffalo into the golden block.

Nothing says retribution like playing against the team that traded you only two weeks before. But for Mathieu Schneider, it’s a full circle come to life as the current Habs defenceman plays on the roster of the very man who centered his 1993 Stanley Cup victory against the Los Angeles Kings, Guy Carbonneau. It would not only be the last time the Canadiens would hold the Cup, but the last time they would even see the Stanley Cup Finals since.

Unfortunately, with the way Les Habitats played in Philips Arena, minus the obvious work of Schneider and excellent goaltending of Cary Price, Playoff dreams could potentially slip away. The play was lackluster and uninspired at best.

Atlanta, however, actually brought a game to the arena to give the fans something other than the door prizes to take home. At the worst, it would have made a South Park caricature.

Carbo believes that the Habs brought some effort. I didn’t see it. Except for when young Zach Bogosian took a healthy beating with a smile on the assaulting Hab’s face. That was like warm cocoa on a cold winter night.

Skate ‘em, Carbo, for old time’s sake.

St. Louis met the Lightning at home in Tampa Bay’s St. Pete Times Forum, where they proceeded to sing a song of good ole hockey that gave the Bolts the blues. In typical fashion, Tampa responded to a 3 goal deficit in the third period with their own set of three to force overtime.

But there would be no tacos.

First, they were in Tampa. Second, in sudden death overtime, a forth goal was the night’s limit.

Since that made no sense to most hockey greenhorns, I’ll explain it. Before the infamous Hockey Lockout of 2004-2005, local Taco Bell restaurants in the St. Louis area offered thirty-five cent tacos the day following a Blues game when the Blues scored five goals or more. On the forth goal, the crowd would begin to chant, “We Want TACOS!”

And I’m going to miss Gary Roberts. It was an honor to have him grace the Bolts jersey.

In a must-win battle for the potential 8th seed in the West, the Dallas Stars and 10th ranked Anaheim Ducks met in a battle royale. The Stars, in an onslaught once again spearheaded by Ribiero and backended by Marty Turco, show us what the Dallas Stars do best on the ice, divide and conquer.

They continually kept Anaheim split on the forecheck, drove a triangle pattern to the net, and somehow it worked. I haven’t seen much of Anaheim this year, but it appears the Ducks are flying south, with the Stars rising into the eighth slot. With the matchup of Edmonton and Toronto, the future of that slot remains insecure.

The bottom ranks of the East and West are shifting day to day, so get ready for March’s Hairy Ride to the Finish.

And that, my friends, is hockey as we know it.

“I’m having discussions with a few different GMs to see what we can do,” said Tallon, who indicated he was most interested in acquiring a defenseman. “They’re like vultures now. They know we’re hurt, so we have to be patient. I don’t want somebody to come in here for a four-week period to take some young guy’s position and we have to deal with it for another year or two. If it makes sense, I’ll pull the trigger.”

But that doesn’t mean Tallon is looking at just adding to his roster.

Despite injuries to Jonathan Toews (knee), Kevyn Adams (knee), Brent Sopel (finger), Martin Havlat (groin), Jason Williams (groin), Dave Bolland (finger), Ben Eager (concussion) and James Wisniewski (knee), Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily Herald reports that pending unrestricted free agent forwards Sergei Samsonov and Yanic Perreault may not be part of the Blackhawks’ plans.

Samsonov, who has already been waived and demoted to the minors, would only return to the club if the Blackhawks suffer even more injuries and need someone to fill a roster spot. It’s also possible that rather than playing in the minors the Russian forward will retire from the NHL.

As for Perreault, he may very well be the next to be shipped out of Chicago. Tallon has apparently shopped the struggling forward with the hope of shedding his $1.5 million salary.

Sassone also suggests that the trade of blueliner Shane Hnidy to the Boston Bruins signaled that the Anaheim Ducks are going to keep Mathieu Schneider on their defense, meaning any chance of the Blackhawks acquiring the puck-moving defenseman have disappeared.

However, both players own no-trade clauses in their contracts and would both have to approve the trade for it to happen.

The benching of struggling forward Raffi Torres prompted speculation from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun that the Edmonton Oilers may trade him if he doesn’t improve his game soon.

While forward Jarret Stoll was also sent to the press box for the a game, it’s believed that the Oilers will hang on to him.

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Denis Savard tells Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily Herald that struggling forward Sergei Samsonov is having a hard time staying in the line-up because he can’t play on the team’s top-two lines.

“For Sammy to be effective he has to play in the top six forwards,” Denis Savard said. “If you look at who I use in the top six for now, it’s pretty tough for him to crack that position. He’s been a real pro and understands.”

Speculation is that the Blackhawks may try to trade or waive Samsonov and his $3.5 million contract if he doesn’t get his act together.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Needs: They’d like to deal for an upgrade on D Sean O’Donnell. Small possibility they could make a move in net.

Possibilities: Chicago D Jassen Cullimore could be a potential acquisition.

ATLANTA THRASHERS

Needs: Dealt for C Eric Belanger (Columbus via Nashville), so GM Don Waddell may have already made his move.

Possibilities: They may have been involved in the Forsberg sweepstakes.

BUFFALO SABRES

Needs: The Sabres are expecting to get C Tim Connolly back from his post-concussion issues, but that is complicated by a stress fracture in his leg.

Possibilities: Will listen to offers for G Martin Biron, C Derek Roy and LW Ales Kotalik.

CALGARY FLAMES

Needs: They dealt for D Brad Stuart and C Wayne Primeau, but many believe GM Darryl Sutter has one move left to make.

Possibilities: The Flames might be looking to pry LW Martin Gelinas out of Florida.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Needs: The Hurricanes would like to make a move. GM Jim Rutherford wants to add veteran leadership in the run for the playoffs.

Possibilities: St. Louis LW Keith Tkachuk and Philly LW Geoff Sanderson are on the list.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

Status: Buyer and seller.

Needs: They’d like to find somebody stupid enough to take G Jose Theodore, but that likely won’t happen. A forward would help.

Possibilities: Veteran D Ken Klee could be moved.

DALLAS STARS

Needs: The Stars made a big move to get Phoenix LW Ladislav Nagy last week. There was some thinking they might bring Bill Guerin back.

Possibilities: May take a run at Florida RW Todd Bertuzzi and Tkachuk.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Needs: Would like to add a big centre or winger. They are about $2 million US under the cap and would also take fourth-line help.

Possibilities: Watch for them to go after Bertuzzi, Guerin or Tkachuk.

MINNESOTA WILD

Needs: What they really have to find is a faceoff man. There are still whispers they might deal G Manny Fernandez.

Possibilities: Will call the Coyotes about C Yanic Perreault. He’ll be hard to wrestle away.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Needs: Everything, but have been focused on a No. 2 centre. Have to find someone to take offensive pressure off Saku Koivu.

Possibilities: Plenty of talk about Smolinski. Will try to deal RW Sergei Samsonov.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Needs: Already have done plenty. GM David Poile picked up D Vitali Vishnevski from the Thrashers and Forsberg from the Flyers.

Possibilities: RW Scott Hartnell is an upcoming UFA and contract talks have gone nowhere.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Possibilities: Will have to waive players to make any moves without subtracting.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Needs: They can’t afford to sell in this neighbourhood. The club gets pressure to chase everybody. A winger would help.

Possibilities: Will take a run at Tkachuk and Guerin. D Darius Kasparaitis could be moved.

OTTAWA SENATORS

Needs: GM John Muckler wants to add a veteran, but doesn’t have a lot of cash to play with. Summer decisions have been costly.

Possibilities: This club wants Roberts who, as a Maple Leaf, killed them in the Battle of Ontario.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Needs: Would like to bring in protection for Sidney Crosby and wouldn’t mind a defensive defenceman as well.

Possibilities: Might call Montreal to see if they can get D Craig Rivet.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

Needs: A defenceman to help the power play.

Possibilities: Have been persistently trying to get Phoenix D Nick Boynton in a three-way deal.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Needs:The Bolts would like to add a puck-moving defenceman. Doubtful they will make a move for Chicago G Nikolai Khabibulin.

Possibilities: Will likely try to pick up Berard from the Jackets and move C Vaclav Prospal.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Needs: The Leafs wouldn’t mind adding another veteran winger who can play alongside C Mats Sundin and help the club make the post-season.

Possibilities: Sturm is a possibility for Toronto, which could move D Brendan Bell.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Needs: Would have loved to add Forsberg to centre Markus Naslund. Have been looking for help there all year.

Possibilities: Would move C Brendan Morrison. They might end up with Smolinski.

reports Craig Custance of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I don’t know what players are going to be available at the deadline,” [Thrashers GM Don] Waddell said. “I think there are so few elite [players] that we were more concerned about making sure we helped our team as soon as we could.”

Rumor has it that the Montreal Canadiens may send struggling forward Sergei Samsonov and defenseman Craig Rivet to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for center Shawn Horcoff, according to Pat Hickey of The Montreal Gazette.

One problem: Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish and GM Kevin Lowe have said this week that they have no interest in bringing back Samsonov.

Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Tampa Bay Lightning are “committed to adding another puck-moving defenseman” before the February 27 trade deadline. Los Angeles Kings’ Brent Sopel and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Bryan Berard are two intriguing possibilities.

Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Philadelphia Flyers are shopping rugged defenseman Derian Hatcher, as well as other of the team’s veteran.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Eric Brewer is no longer available for trade, according to Gordon. However, should the Blues fail in their attempts to sign Brewer to a contract extension, they might put him back on the trade block.

Gordon also reports that if teams offer a quality package of “prospects and/or high draft picks” for forwards Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin, the Blues will move them.

New York Rangers: The Rangers freed up $3.3 million in cap space by waiving veteran defenseman Darius Kasparaitis last week and many believe it was to make room for a second-line center who could feed sniper Brendan Shanahan.

The Rangers could offer center Petr Prucha, 24, who has struggled this season (10 goals, minus-12), but the Flyers likely would hold out for 20-year-old defenseman Marc Staal, a 6-foot-3, 196-pounder who was taken 12th overall in the 2005 draft.

The risk in dealing Forsberg to the Rangers is obvious: Could anyone in Philadelphia stomach seeing Forsberg raise a Cup over his head in a Rangers jersey?

Montreal Canadiens: Last week Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau deflected questions regarding Forsberg, but that didn’t stop Le Journal de Montreal from asking its readers whether they would rather see Forsberg, Joe Sakic or Brad Richards don the rouge, blanc et bleu.

Montreal general manager Bob Gainey has said he will not part with top prospects, but he might put together a package that includes goaltender David Aebischer, who was a No. 1 in Colorado, and skilled but underachieving left wing Sergei Samsonov, who has just seven goals in 48 games. Right wing Alexander Perezhogin, who gave Keith Primeau his final concussion, also is believed to be available.

Also intriguing is the fact that two key defensemen in Montreal, Sheldon Souray and Andrei Markov, are in the final year of their contracts. Gainey might be willing to trade one of their salaries in exchange for Forsberg’s.

Vancouver Canucks: Remember Ryan Kesler, the center the Flyers signed to a $1.9 million offer sheet in September, knowing the Canucks would be forced to match it? He’s likely done for the year with hip surgery and the Canucks are desperate for a front-line center. Forsberg would love to be reunited with good friend Markus Naslund.

The Canucks might be willing to trade Kesler even-up, but they also have a first-rounder and three second-rounders in the upcoming draft. The Flyers would make a pitch for Luc Bourdon, a 6-2, 199-pound defenseman taken 10th overall by Vancouver in 2005. Like Staal, many believe Bourdon is ready to be an impact defenseman in the NHL.

If the Flyers can’t pry away Bourdon, they might settle for two prospects from a list that includes Swedish forwards Alexander Edler and Daniel Rahmimi or former first-round picks Cory Schneider (2004) or Michael Grabner (2006).

Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings are very much in the Cup hunt and could use a big-name ticket in hockey-crazed Detroit.

They are believed to be one of the teams that have contacted the Flyers, who would start the bidding with talented rookie center Valtteri Filppula, whom the Red Wings envision as the next Henrik Zetterberg or Jere Lehtinen.

Forsberg could nix any deal with the Red Wings simply because he refuses to play in Detroit after a decade playing for heated rival Colorado.

Nashville Predators: Forsberg could be what separates the Predators from being pretenders and contenders. Forsberg could slide into a second-line center spot between top-line center David Legwand and third-line pivot Jason Arnott.

But to make that happen, the Flyers would need someone like rookie right wing Alexander Radulov and the Predators are not likely to pay that price.

Atlanta Thrashers: The inexperienced Thrashers are in the same category as the Predators. A healthy Forsberg could put them over the top in the East.

The top defensive prospect in the Atlanta organization is rookie Braydon Coburn, a first-round pick in 2003 who is averaging just less than 12 minutes this season. However, Forsberg might feel awkward leaving Philadelphia for non-traditional hockey markets such as Nashville or Atlanta.

Anaheim Ducks: Many believe the Ducks can make it the Finals even without Forsberg. But can you imagine a lineup that features Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger AND Forsberg?

If Bob Clarke was still running the show he might be interested obtaining Anaheim’s top prospect, right wing Bobby Ryan of Cherry Hill, who was taken second overall in 2005 behind Sidney Crosby.

San Jose Sharks: Forsberg could rev things up on a potent San Jose offense that includes Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks are still harboring a pair of quality goaltenders in Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov and would likely part with one of them and a pick in exchange for Forsberg.