Injured Red Wings goaltender Curtis Joseph is not expected to play the final three games of the regular season, Detroit coach Dave Lewis said.
But Lewis would not rule out Joseph as Detroit's No. 1 goaltender when the playoffs start next week.
An MRI exam last week showed a small piece of cartilage pulled away from a bone in Joseph's right ankle, which he has struggled to keep healthy.
PHOTO: AFP
After Joseph received a cortisone shot, general manager Ken Holland said Saturday he hoped the goalie would play Wednesday in Columbus or today in St. Louis.
Three days later, the Red Wings said Joseph only is expected to skate without equipment during the road trip.
With the Western Conference-leading Red Wings scheduled to play their final regular-season game Saturday against Columbus, Lewis was asked if there was a chance Joseph would play in that game.
"I don't think so," Lewis said Tuesday. "I guess there's always a chance."
If Joseph does not play this week, Lewis said it would not make sense to start him in Game 1 of Detroit's first-round series. But after saying that, Lewis still was not ready to name Manny Legace as the team's No. 1 goalie for the start of the playoffs.
"On Saturday, I'll know for sure," Lewis said.
He later grinned when he said he may not announce a playoff starter after Saturday's game.
"Strange things have happened around here," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen three days from now. Every day, something different happens around here. I'm just sort of waiting."
The Red Wings have had three No. 1 goalies this season: Dominik Hasek, Joseph and Legace.
After Hasek ended his one-year retirement last summer, the team tried to trade Joseph.
Hasek started the season as the top goalie, but was limited to just 14 games because of a groin injury. Hasek announced Feb. 10 he would miss the rest of the season because of his injury. Later, the team said Hasek voluntarily gave up more than half of his US$6 million salary because he could not play.
Joseph sprained his ankle Feb. 11 -- following the team's announcement that it did not plan to trade him -- and he missed a month, about three weeks longer than expected. He played in five games before injuring his ankle during warmups a week ago in San Jose.
Joseph had surgery on Aug. 19 to remove bone chips from his right ankle.
With Hasek out and Joseph hobbled, Legace has become the No. 1 goalie -- at least for rest of the regular season.
Devils 5, Rangers 0
Scott Gomez and Eric Rasmussen had two goals apiece, Martin Brodeur got his 75th shutout and the New Jersey Devils tied Philadelphia for the lead in the Atlantic Division with a 5-0 victory over the New York Rangers.
"We and the Flyers have paralleled our seasons back and forth, getting hot and getting cold," Rasmussen said. "It's out of our control with what they do. We've got two games left and our goal is to win them both."
The Devils' Pat Burns got his 500th win Tuesday, becoming the ninth coach to reach that level. He's 500-366-151. The 500 wins ties him with Hall of Famer Toe Blake.
Igor Larionov also scored, and Brodeur made 24 saves for the Devils, who have 98 points with two games to go. The idle Flyers also have 98 points but have three games remaining.
Bruins 3, Hurricanes 2
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Sergei Samsonov scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and Boston Bruins defeated the Hurricanes 3-2 and moved into sole possession of first place in the Northeast Division.
Joe Thornton and Martin Lapointe also had goals, and Felix Potvin made 21 saves for the Bruins, who have 101 points after going 9-2-1 in their last 12 games. Toronto was idle and has 99 points.
Ryan Bayda and Josef Vasicek scored for Carolina.
Capitals 4, Penguins 2
In Washington, Trent Whitfield had two goals and an assist to help goalie Matt Yeats earn his first NHL victory, and the Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to avoid falling into the league's cellar.
Washington's Jeff Halpern had a goal and two assists -- tying a career high with three points -- and Alexander Semin also scored for the Capitals.
Washington snapped a three-game losing streak with the win that gave it 57 points. Pittsburgh, which got goals from Dick Tarnstrom and Ric Jackman, has 54 points.
Predators 5, Blackhawks 2
In Nashville, Tennessee, David Legwand had a goal and two assists, Vladimir Orszagh and Martin Erat a goal and an assist each, and the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 and kept alive their bid for the franchise's first playoff berth.
The victory gave the Nashville 87 points and the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference. Edmonton also has 87 points, but the Predators have three games left to two for the Oilers.
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