European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 21 2007 stars and stripes Page 31 Waltrip desperate for answer to woes inthe pits by Jenna Fryer the associated press Charlotte no its hard not to feel sorry for Michael Waltrip Between the Daytona 500 cheating scan dal and atrocious performance on the track Waltrip has had a horrendous Start to the season he failed to make the Field for the last three Sextel cup events and the cars he Fields for Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann Are nothing More than Bac markers frustrating for a car owner who cant put a competitive product on the track what was supposed to be Wal trips dream sea son has become his worst Nightmare the kind you  wish on your worst enemy sponsors Are getting restless Toyota officials Are scratching their Heads and fans Are finding it hard to Root for someone who not even in the race the embarrassed and humbled Waltrip is desperately trying to keep things together were not hitting it in Many different ways the two time Daytona 500 Winner said so Wal trips asking for help Hes asked Toyota racing development to Send some engineers to the shop even Lascar is getting into the act after three Crit Centary weeks of watching the team struggling through the inspection line Lascar had an official spend a Day at Wal trips shop to try to figure out Why the organization int building cars that fit the templates weve just got to look at every piece and part of our team to see How to improve Waltrip said we really just have to adjust what we Are doing As a team but is it too Little too late its Only four races into the season but Waltrip admits Napa primary sponsor of his no 55 camry is less than pleased the sponsor had a Happy relationship with Dale Earnhardt inc and found the ultimate Pitchman when Dei teamed the com Pany with Waltrip a goofball who tends to not take himself too seriously Waltrip crowned his Way through commercial after commercial and never missed an Opportunity to slip Napa into a sentence Napa had every reason to believe Leav ing Dei for Wal trips Startup was a Wise in vestment maybe it still is Wal trips everywhere on to from commercials to stints in the broadcast Booth where he plugs Napa Sev eral times a weekend but chances Are the Auto parts retailer would rather see its logo racing for the Lead than on a hat Wal trips wearing far from the action keeping the sponsor Happy is Nastars no 1 Rule if Napa reaches its breaking Point Waltrip would be in far worse trouble than he Ever imagined even without Napa he still would have three heavyweight for Jar rett plus Burger King and Dominos pizza for Reutimann but he must find a Way to make those cars competitive before company officials Start asking for some Money Back meanwhile there Are plenty of people who Are All too Happy to sit Back and watch Waltrip struggle during his emotional news conference in Daytona where he said he had no idea How a fuel additive found its Way into his Gas tank convinced they were witnessing the Best performance of Wal trips life and plenty of people still Arent con Vinced Waltrip want an accomplice to the cheating but How Low must Waltrip sink before Hes paid the Price he cant seem to catch a break proven in saturdays Busch race when he wrecked twice in the first 16 laps and finished last maybe Waltrip was too ambitious this year his first As a full time car owner per haps he should have fielded two cup cars instead of three and maybe he should be spending More time in the shop and less in front of the to cameras mistakes have certainly been made and its up to Waltrip to Correct them this is his Chance to prove Hes Cut out for the Busi Ness Side of Lascar and Hes got 32 races to figure it out heres hoping he does love him or hate him its uncomfortable watching his Ca reer crumble John owner Driver Michael Waltrip is desperately looking for answers to the problems that have plagued his cars so far this season Eastern conference a Buffalo new Jersey Atlanta Pittsburgh Ottawa Tampa Bay Carolina by 46 43 39 41 42 39 36 19 21 25 21 23 30 29 7 8 10 10 8 4 8 99 94 88 92 92 82 80 271 191 227 250 252 226 215 214 179 225 223 201 229 217 195 by islanders Toronto Montreal Boston Florida Washington 34 36 34 30 26 28 31 32 29 34 10 6 5 13 13 78 78 73 73 65 222 214 202 213 218 235 231 251 230 257 267 Western conference Nashville Anaheim Vancouver Detroit san Jose Dallas Minnesota 47 43 43 45 44 43 42 20 18 23 18 25 24 24 6 12 6 9 4 5 7 100 98 92 99 92 91 91 249 236 195 228 222 194 209 192 190 179 181 177 175 179 200 Colorado St Louis Edmonton los Angeles Chicago Columbus 30 30 25 27 28 29 35 34 35 37 12 7 14 9 7 72 67 64 63 63 188 180 210 179 177 217 215 252 225 224 251 sunday capitals 7 lightning 1 Tampa Bay 0 1 01 Washington 2 3 27 first period1 Washington Fleischmann 3 Gordon 2 Washl Naton Fleischmann 4 Beech second pertod3 Washington Semin 35 Clark a Washington Semin 36 5 washing ton Semin 37 Beech 6 Tampa Bay Kuba 11 Janik third pwted7 Washington Giroux 2 8 Washington Gordon 5 Fleischmann shots on Goa Tampa Bay 9111131 Washington 156829 Power play Bay 0 of 3 Washington 1 of 2 goalies Tampa Bay Holmqvist 23142 13 shots11 Denis 1639 first Holmqvist second Washington Krolzig 21196 a14274 Kings 5 ducks 3 los Angeles 2 2 15 Anaheim 2 1 03 first period los Angeles Cammalleri 30 Brown 2 Anaheim Moen 10 Pahlsson Ana Heim Penner 26 Perry los Angeles Cammalleri 31 second period5 Anaheim Velanne 44 Kunitz 6 los Angeles Giaui Nulf i ii Uini in Kiwit Blake 14 Brown 7 los Angeles Osullivan 4 Frolov third period8 los Angeles Clarke 2 Kostopoulos missed penalty shots Elanne Ana second shots on goal los Angeles 813829 Anaheim 681327 Power play opportunities los Angeles 2 of 4 Anaheim 0 of 4 goalies los Angeles Burke 2 shots2 Garon first Ana Heim Giguere 3398 a17f74 Thrashers 4 sabres 3 of Avalanche 4 Sharks 3 of two Points for a win one Point for Over time loss or shootout loss division Leader clinched playoff spot sundays games Washington 7 Tampa Bay 1 Atlanta 4 Buffalo 3 of Pittsburgh 4 Ottawa 3 so los Angeles 5 Anaheim 3 Colorado 4 san Jose 3 of Dallas 5 Phoenix 4 of mondays games Pittsburgh at by rangers Vancouver at Edmonton tuesdays games Boston at Montreal Chicago at Columbus Florida at Philadelphia new Jersey at Toronto by islanders at Tampa Bay Ottawa at St Louis Phoenix at Minnesota Detroit at Calgary wednesdays games Washington at Buffalo Philadelphia at by rangers san Jose at Chicago Colorado at Edmonton Nashville at Vancouver Dallas at los Angeles Buffalo 11103 Atlanta 20114 first period1 Atlanta Kovalchuk 38 Zhitnik 2 Buffalo Stafford 9 Roy 3 Atlanta Belanger 16 second period4 Buffalo Vanek 35 num Minen third period5 Atlanta Zhitnik 7 have lid 6 Buffalo Roy 15 Wallinder overhme7 Atlanta Tkachuk 26 Kozlov shots on Goa Buffalo 14119438 at Lanta 8912231 Power play 0 of 5 Atlanta 3 of 5 goalie Buffalo Miller 33156 31 shots27 Atlanta Lehtonen 32218 a18602 penguins 4 senators 3 so Ottawa 11103 Pittsburgh 12004 Pittsburgh won shootout 10 first period1 Pittsburgh Talbot 11 gon Char Ottawa Vermette 18 Kelly second Pittsburgh Crosby 32 Whitney 4 Ottawa Al Fredston 26 Corvo 5 Pitts Burgh Whitney 11 Crosby ppm third period6 Ottawa Redden 7 spec 0 Comrie no Mcammond no Vermette Pittsburgh 1 Chris Tensen no Ruitu g Crosby shots on Goa Ottawa 1498435 Pitts Burgh 665219 Power play 1 of 6 Pittsburgh 2 of 8 goalie Ottawa Emery 29145 19 shots16 Pittsburgh Fleury 35148 a17132 san Jose 12003 Colorado 11114 first period1 san Jose Thornton 20 Carle 2 Colorado Arnason 16 Clark second period3 san Jose Michalek 20 Thornton 274 san Jose Guerin 33 Vlasic 5 Colorado Liles third period6 Colorado Brunette 25 Klee overtime7 Colorado Hejduk 30 Sakic 19 shots on goal san Jose 9105024 Colo Rado 91713140 Power play Jose 1 of 4 Colorado 2 of 5 goalies an Jose Nabokov 19163 40 shots36 Colorado Budaj 26155 a18007 stars 5 coyotes 4 of Phoenix 121 04 Dallas 20215 first period1 Phoenix Sjostrom 8 Dallas Morrow 11 3 Dallas Hagman 17 Lehtinen Jokin second period4 Phoenix Morris 5 5 Phoenix to Arnquist 5 Boynton Reni co third period6 Dallas Ribeiro 12 Nagy Dallas Zubov 11 Nagy i 8 Phoenix Doan 26 Reinprecht overtime9 Dallas Ribeiro 13 Boucher missed penalty Shodoan Pho third shots on Goa Phoenix 748120 Dallas 7612328 Power play opportunities Phoenix 2 of 6 Dallas 2 of 9 goalie Phoenix Hellqvist 11113 28 shots23 Dallas Smith Turco 33194 second a18318 avs stay in playoff Chase with of win the associated press the Colorado Avalanche have some momentum As they close in on a Western conference playoff spot Milan Hejduk scored 19 seconds into overtime and the Ava Lanche overcame a two goal Defi Cit to beat the san Jose Sharks 43 on sunday night and improve to 801 in their last nine games i went Down and tried to fake the shot and he went Down and i shot it Over him said Hejduk who beat Evgeni Nabokov for his 45th career Gam winning goal its a huge two Points for us it was a big game for us a big win and we need to keep it going with three weeks left in the Reg ular season the avs pulled four Points behind eight place Cal Gary and have two games remain ing with the struggling flames losers of three straight and 141 in their last six games we Are now in a Good spot where we have control Over our own destiny said Colorado Cap Tain Joe Sakic who assisted on All four goals we got Calgary twice and that four Points we just have to keep building off of this and take it into Edmonton i thought we played pretty solid in the first two periods we were Down by a couple but we still Felt Good about ourselves the Sharks did manage to Cool off Paul Stamy halting his Rookie record scoring Streak at 20 games san Jose was headed to a fran Chis record 45th win when it took a 31 Lead on goals by Joe Thornton Milan Michalek and Bill Guerin instead the Sharks lost for the first time in eight games penguins 4 senators 3 Jarkko Ruitu had the Only goal in the shootout and Host Pittsburgh tied Ottawa for fourth place in the Eastern conference playoff race the teams Are tied with 92 Points with Ottawa having one More Victory and the penguins holding a game in hand Kings 5 ducks 3 at Anaheim Calif Mike Cammalleri had two goals and Rookie Patrick Osulli Van had a goal and two assists to Lead los Angeles Blake and Sullivan scored in a Span late in the second period to erase a on goal deficit and give the Kings a 43 Lead stars 5 coyotes 4 Mike Ribeiro scored two goals including the game Winner with 40 seconds left in overtime to help Host Dallas improve to 51 in its last six games Sergei Zubov gave the stars a 43 Lead with remaining in regulation scoring his Lith of the season from the right Circle