Familiar Names Led NHL

Blues' Chris Pronger Top Plus/Minus Player (+52)

(AP) 
Jaromir Jagr missed nearly a quarter of the season and still captured his third straight scoring title.

Jagr, sidelined by a variety of ailments - most seriously by an injured thigh - wrapped up the Art Ross Trophy on Sunday, the last day of the NHL season. Jagr had 96 points, playing in 63 of the Penguins' 82 games.

The Pittsburgh star, who has four career scoring titles, became the first to win three in a row since Wayne Gretzky took seven straight from 1980-81 to 1986-87 with Edmonton.

It's the first time since 1967-68, in full NHL seasons, that the scoring leader has not reached 100 points.

Florida's Pavel Bure scored his league-leading 58th goal Sunday, but couldn't catch Jagr. Bure tallied 94 points in 74 games.

Bure, who had knee surgery prior to this season, won the Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy awarded to the top goal scorer.

"After having the surgery, I'm amazed I wound up with (so many) goals," Bure said. "Every season is different. This year, things are going well. Next year, who knows? I may wind up with 20 goals."

Philadelphia's Mark Recchi took the assists title, setting up 63 Flyers goals, including their final one in Sunday's 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers.

Recchi rebounded from last season when illness and injury limited him to 53 points.

Rookie teammate Brian Boucher, tabbed as Philadelphia's playoff goalie over veteran John Vanbiesbrouck, recorded a 1.91 goals-against-average to lead the NHL. Boucher, who played in 35 games, became the first rookie since the 1950-51 season to appear in at least 25 games and have an average under two goals.

"It's exciting," Boucher said. "It's a team stat and I think the guys realized in these last couple of games, because they played real hard for me.

AP

Blues’ Chris Pronger was tops in plus/minus.

"Fifty years is a long time and you only get one shot at being a rookie."

The St. Louis BluesRoman Turek yielded 129 in 69 games and won 42 times.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Pronger had the top plus-minus number at plus-52. Chris Chelios of Detroit was second at plus-48. Pronger also won the award two seasons ago.

Chelios had some help as the Red Wings scored 278 times, the most in the NHL.