BY HELENE ST. JAMES 

Sergei Fedorov has a good plus-minus rating, and his line has played a huge role in the Red Wings' drive to the NHL's best record.  

But points-wise, Fedorov has hit a considerable tailspin over the past two months. After scoring 13 goals in the first 29 games, he has scored just three goals in 27 games since, including a final-minute tally to ice Wednesday's victory over the New York Rangers. One goal came during a seven-game stint in early January when coach Scotty Bowman played Fedorov on defense. He has 26 assists, nine in the past 26 games.  

"I'm trying to score . . . ," Fedorov said. "That's obviously  my job."  

It is not his only job, though. Fedorov logs about 20 minutes per game because he plays against the opponent's top lines and is a key player on power plays and penalty kills. He's also one of the team's best face-off men, generally winning more than 50 percent. So even though he went without a point in the Wings' 3-1 victory Monday night in Colorado, associate coach Barry Smith said it was Fedorov's best game in a month.  

"If he can keep that going, the points will take care of themselves," Smith said.  

Fedorov, one of three Wings to start last weekend's All-Star Game, said his energy level is "where it should be," and that he feels no after-effects from an elbow injury suffered in October that prevented him from taking most face-offs.  

"I'm just concentrating on playing as well as I can," he  said. "If goals come, they come; if they don't, it's almost out of my control. I have quite a few responsibilities out there, I try to keep to all of them."  

Aside from his turn on defense, Fedorov has been centering left wing Brendan Shahanan and Kris Draper. Draper could finish with career numbers, and Shanahan's 29 goals are fourth-best in the league.  

"It doesn't matter who is scoring, so long as the line is producing and we're winning," Shanahan said. "I'm sure going back and playing defense was a bit of an interruption. But . . . (Fedorov is) always a threat to score and that's a big reason why I've been able to find so many openings."