By DAN BARNES -- Edmonton Sun
  DENVER -- The 'A' on Boris Mironov's jersey might just as well stand for all-star as alternate captain. 
 Since coach Ron Low bestowed the honor and responsibility on the big defenceman - Jason Arnott wore one until his trade to Jersey - Mironov has come up large. He had been in the middle of a good season but he's been great of late. 
 Mironov has 26 points and a career-high 10 goals. He needs just six points to equal his single-season high of 32. His second assist of the night in Phoenix was his 100th point in the NHL. 
 "Boris can go wherever his brain lets him go," said Low. 
 "The only thing Boris does that gets him in trouble is he tries to do his job and somebody else's. Now he's playing with somebody who does his own job really well." 
 That would be Roman Hamrlik, plus-10 with seven points in 10 games as an Oiler. 
 They both carry the puck and love to join the rush, but both have been responsible defensively, something GM Glen Sather didn't think possible if the two were paired up. 
 "It looks like we've played together before for a long time," said Mironov. "He's a great player. We both play European style. I feel comfortable playing with him." 
 Hamrlik was paired up with Rob Ramage, Doug Crossman, Marc Bergevin, David Shaw, Cory Cross, Igor Ulanov and Jamie Huscroft in Tampa Bay. He enjoys working with his new partner. 
 "Boris is a solid defenceman and we understand each other. We like to pass the puck. We don't like to hit it off the glass. That's the big part of our game, we are from Europe and that's how we play back home." 
 Still, you get flashes of the goofy Mironov. He seemed in a daze during a third-period power-play shift against Phoenix. 
 "I thought somebody put Valium in his Gatorade between periods," said Low.