THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : High Points and Low Points at the Season’s Midpoint

Some highlights of the NHL season, which reaches the halfway point today:

Surprise: New Coach Doug MacLean has transformed the Florida Panthers from defensive-minded drudges to a productive and exciting team.

No surprise: Referees initially responded to the league’s directive on obstruction by penalizing every bit of contact, but soon slacked off. Too bad, because less interference produced great competition.

Surprise: Mario Lemieux was magnificent after taking a year off to recover from the effects of Hodgkin’s disease treatments and back surgery.

No surprise: The Ottawa Senators were terrible. And new General Manager Pierre Gauthier thought building the Mighty Ducks was a challenge.

Surprise: The Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Patrick Roy.

No surprise: The New York Rangers lead the East. General Manager Neil Smith made smart deals, signing Ray Ferraro and Bruce Driver, besides acquiring Luc Robitaille and Ian Laperriere, and Mark Messier has been an inspirational leader.

Surprise: The Kings started 4-0-3. Revitalized by rookie linemate Vitali Yachmenev, Wayne Gretzky talked about playing several more years.

No surprise: The Kings reverted to form. They make their goalies face 38 shots a game, several forwards disappeared for weeks, and management can’t understand why fans won’t pay $75 to watch them lose to Winnipeg.

Surprise: Grant Fuhr, who couldn’t stop a beach ball last season for the Kings, started every game for St. Louis and has a 2.60 goals-against average.

No surprise: Duck Coach Ron Wilson whined about officiating, injuries and home fans booing. He should be glad fans still show up. As for injuries, the Vancouver Canucks lost Pavel Bure and the Buffalo Sabres lacked Pat LaFontaine most of the past two seasons, but they shut up and adjusted. Hint, hint . . .

Surprise: Only four coaches and general managers have been fired.

No surprise: The New York Islanders fired General Manager Don Maloney and gave Coach Mike Milbury both jobs. He was the general manager-in-waiting from the day he was hired.

Surprise: The NHL changed the process for selecting its All-Star coaches but neglected to publicize it.

No surprise: The NHL changed the process for selecting its All-Star coaches but neglected to publicize it.

SINGING THE BLUES

Sparks have been flying again between St. Louis General Manager-Coach Mike Keenan and Brett Hull.

Keenan, who stripped Hull of the captaincy earlier this season, seems intent on provoking Hull into insubordination, perhaps the only grounds Keenan can give his bosses for trading the popular winger.

Asked to assess his team after a loss to Toronto Saturday, Keenan emphasized that he had inherited Hull and defenseman Al MacInnis, implying he can’t be blamed for their shortcomings.

“I had nothing to do with them being here,” Keenan said. “Ultimately, it is my responsibility, but you said this is my team and it is not my team. Two cornerstone pieces had nothing to do with me.”

Hull, who is having a solid season, took offense.

“To me, Al and I have been the best two players on the ice, game in and game out,” he said. “Why he would say that, I don’t know. It’s a low blow, a cheap shot and completely uncalled for, the way the two of us have played for him this year.”

Keenan recently approached New York Ranger Coach Colin Campbell and offered him Hull for Alexei Kovalev. Blue fans haven’t forgiven Keenan for trading Brendan Shanahan and Curtis Joseph, and they probably would mutiny if he traded Hull.

TROUBLE WAS BRUIN

There must be something in the air causing confrontations between coaches and star players. Last week, Boston Coach Steve Kasper had Cam Neely and Kevin Stevens in uniform against Toronto but kept both on the bench, which meant $5.42 million in salary this season was chilling out.

Kasper said he didn’t intend to sit them the entire game but he was still angry over their efforts in the previous game, a 5-2 loss to Chicago. And after Dave Reid scored two goals, Kasper figured Reid--who is earning $425,000--deserved to keep his spot.

Ice time is a coach’s best weapon in dealing with players who have long, lucrative contracts but may lack pride. Kasper has tried everything to change Stevens’ soft play and nothing has worked. Neely, however, has played through an assortment of ghastly injuries and has 20 goals.

“It’s been building,” Kasper said. “I know they can give me more. I’ve given them a longer grace period than I’ve given a lot of players. Thirty-five games into the season--I’ve waited long enough to see the type of effort I need.”

Said Neely: “I know I haven’t played as well as I would have liked this year but does it warrant this? I don’t think so.”

To their credit, Neely and Stevens each scored goals in the Bruins’ next game. It was the right move by Kasper and the right response by the players.

HAWKISH ON THE BLACKHAWKS

Despite a 9-2-1 surge that has lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to third overall in the West, defenseman Gary Suter and his teammates aren’t thinking about overtaking the leading Detroit Red Wings.

“They’re the class of the conference, if not the league,” said Suter, who leads NHL defensemen with 15 goals. “We can’t really concentrate on catching them. We’ve got to concentrate on playing our own game and putting together a good streak.”

INJURY REPORT

Islander right wing Brett Lindros, the ninth draft pick in 1994, may not play again this season and his career is in jeopardy.

Lindros, younger brother of Flyer center Eric Lindros, still has dizziness and impaired vision resulting from two concussions this season and three in nine months. The Islanders are insured for 80% of the $6.75 million left on his five-year, $7.5-million contract.

The Islanders are also missing defenseman Dennis Vaske, who hasn’t played since he suffered a concussion Nov. 22 on a hit by the Kings’ Eric Lacroix.

SLAP SHOTS

With goalie Mike Richter out because of a strained groin muscle, the Rangers are glad they held onto Glenn Healy, even if he’s the NHL’s highest-paid backup goalie at $975,000. . . . The Bruins are again talking to the Edmonton Oilers about holdout goalie Curtis Joseph. . . . The San Jose Sharks persuaded goalie Arturs Irbe to go to the minors by saying he will attract more trade offers if he’s playing. He hadn’t played since Nov. 22.

Forward Jamie Baker on the Sharks’ 8-28-4 record: “It’s an ugly situation. We have arguably the best fans in the NHL, but I would assume they’re losing their patience. I have lost mine.” . . . Jarome Iginla, acquired by Calgary from Dallas in the Joe Nieuwendyk trade, excelled in leading Canada to its fourth consecutive world junior title. . . . Tests to determine the cause of Mario Lemieux’s fatigue showed no thyroid problem, as was feared. However, he probably will take more games off than he did in the first half.

Former NHL forward Craig Simpson is co-host of “Be a Player! The Hockey Show,” on ESPN2. Goalie-turned-commentator John Davidson has a segment on Hall of Famers and Wayne Gretzky narrates a feature on classic games. . . . Goalie John Blue’s victory for Buffalo on Friday was his first in the NHL since 1993-94. Blue, who attended the Kings’ training camp, signed with the Sabres after Dominik Hasek pulled an abdominal muscle, Andrei Trefilov sprained a knee, minor leaguer Steve Shields didn’t pan out and junior goalie Martin Biron was shaky.

Washington Coach Jim Schoenfeld sat Peter Bondra, the NHL’s top goal scorer last season, for all but a few shifts Saturday and Toronto’s Pat Burns benched Sergio Momesso. . . . Esa Tikkanen, held out of Vancouver’s lineup because of an arthritic right knee, played after signing a waiver absolving the club if he aggravates the problem. He also insured himself through Lloyd’s of London. But back problems will idle Canuck center Mike Ridley indefinitely.