Injuries don't stop Amonte

DALLAS--Add a badly bruised, and just maybe fractured foot, to thelist of injuries Tony Amonte has played through this season.

Amonte, who earlier had sustained a separated shoulder andsprained ankle, kept his league-leading streak of consecutive gamesintact Friday at Dallas.

The Blackhawks' captain played in his 409th straight game despitea right foot which was discolored around the toes and was heavilywrapped. Amonte's latest injury was the result of a blocked shotTuesday at Washington.

Amonte had X-rays taken at a Dallas-area hospital Thursday and hesaid the foot was not fractured, even if it looked like a safe hadbeen dropped on it. He also still had swelling in his right cheek,which was cut from another hit he took from a puck Wednesday atDetroit.

In other injury news, coach Brian Sutter said he is hopeful thatdefenseman Alexander Karpovtsev will return to the lineup Sunday.Karpovtsev missed his sixth straight game Friday following surgery onhis left knee. Sutter said defenseman Boris Mironov (groin) will beback for the first playoff game at the earliest.

EAGLE GROUNDED: The Ed Belfour era in Dallas appears over. Theformer Hawks goalie did not start in the Stars' final home game ofthe season Friday. Belfour, who will be an unrestricted free agentJuly 1, likely will not play at Colorado in the season finale Sundayafter Belfour blew a three-goal lead Wednesday vs. Minnesota.

The Stars have indicated they will not re-sign Belfour, 35, whoseunderachieving season (21-27-11), many believe, led to the teammissing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

"We got spoiled; we had the best goaltending you can have, and wedon't have it anymore," Dallas owner Tom Hicks told the Star-Telegram.

Belfour, who declined to comment on his future--which will likelyinclude a hefty pay cut from his $6 million salary--did not even jointhe Stars on the bench for Friday's game. He spent his time dividedbetween the dressing room and standing in the tunnel to the dressingroom.

Though Marty Turco has assumed Belfour's No. 1 role, there is talkthe Stars will pursue Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph, who also is anunrestricted free agent this summer.