Corrections and Retractions
We open this week's Cut 'n' Paste with the usual corrections and retractions. Except we are not correcting or retracting anything reported in last week's news report. Instead, the focus is on Ottawa Senator centerman Jason Spezza who corrected and retracted himself last week. Uh...what? Last Wednesday, Spezza approached the Senators and asked to be sent down to the Sens' AHL affiliate in Binghamton. Spezza was a healthy scratch for all five games of the Senators' first-round series against the Islanders, so he must have figured he could be more help to the Binghamton Senators' Calder Cup run.

Maybe Spezza was onto something; in the two second-round games Spezza has played with Binghamton, he has one goal on six shots, two assists, a plus-2 rating and four penalty minutes. The AHL's Sens are up 2-0 on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, as well. Although Binghamton's success in the second round cannot wholly be credited to Spezza's return to the club, the Junior Sens will be sad to see him go; Spezza is scheduled to return to the NHL's Sens for tonight's game in Philadelphia. Will Spezza return just to have schnazzy Club Box seats for Games 3 and 4, or will Jacques Martin and Captain Video let him play? The smart money's on a Game 3 scratch and a Game 4 start if the Flyers blow out Ottawa tonight. Stay tuned...

Smell you later
Twenty-year NHL veteran Pat Verbeek officially announced his retirement last Wednesday. The "Little Ball of Hate" had not played at all this season but kept himself in game-ready shape, in case an offer materialized. After not playing for a year, Verbeek has gained a new perspective on the game and his life. I mean, who can blame a guy for enjoying the time he gets to spend coaching his son's hockey team and traveling to his daughters' soccer games? We at LCS certainly can't blame him. Verbeek won one Stanley Cup in his career and will retire as the only player in NHL history to amass over 500 goals and 2,500 penalty minutes in his career.

It should be noted, however, that Verbeek's Stanley Cup win with Dallas in 1999 prompted the termination of LCS Hockey. We all know Brett Hull's skate was in the crease and so the 1998-99 season never really happened; though, here we are four years later. LCS Hockey 2.0 is alive and drinkin', Brett Hull and Pat Verbeek have both put on a Red Wings sweater, and Dominik Hasek has won the Stanley Cup he maybe should have won back in '99. Circle of life, my friends. Circle of life...

Inside the Piggy Bank
Ladies and gentlemen, the Buffalo Sabres have been sold! Billionaire B. Thomas Golisano formally received ownership of the club last Wednesday. Although Golisano warned that he would not actively pursue the highest-paid players and/or free agents, he also indicated the Sabres' payroll would be higher than the $25 million ceiling the NHL placed upon the club this past season. The new owner wasted no time to introduce his ideas for extending the Sabres' fan base. First, Golisano announced next year's season ticket prices will drop, and he plans to introduce new $10-$29 per seat season ticket packages. Additionally, Golisano will look into extending the Sabres' television coverage into southern Ontario, and he is petitioning the league to have at least one Sabres home game played in Rochester next season. Sounds like some welcome changes are afoot in Buffalo; let's hope the on-ice product can match the vision and insight of the club's owner.

What goes around, comes around
Speaking of things coming to an end, rumors out of Colorado would lead one to believe Patrick Roy may have played his last NHL game. After Minnesota's stunning, remarkable, exquisite comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to oust the mighty Avalanche [desperately trying to contain gleeful laughter], Saint Patrick has found ample time to ponder his future. Roy still has one more year left on his contract with the Avalanche (worth $8.5 million), but his agent says Patrick has yet to reach a decision regarding his future. For what it's worth, if any of you readers out there are looking to move into the Littleton, Colo., area, Patrick Roy's house is on the market. Telltale sign or quizzical coincidence? Only the mind of a goaltender with a 4-5 record in Game Sevens throughout his career knows for sure.

You fishing with Puffnuts or Nutpuffs?
In a shocking new development, Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee and New York Ranger$ GM Glen Sather are both contemplating trying to trade away a high profile (and high-priced) player. Good ol' Puffnuts may be on the Caps' chopping block due to Jagr's failure to catapult Washington beyond the first round of this year's playoffs. Seems Jaromir "Gambling problem? What gambling problem?" Jagr has not been the savior the Capitals were hoping for when they acquired Puffnuts from the Penguins two years ago. With Caps owner Ted Leonsis vowing to slice $20 million out of the budget next year, trading away Jagr's salary sure would make McPhee's job easier.

Speaking of easy jobs..."Hi, this is Glen Sather. What will it take to put you in an over-sized under-performing centerman with a $9.3 million price tag next year? Hello? Hello?" Rumors out of Gotham have the Ranger$' answer to Puffnuts (let's call him E. Lindros - no, that's too obvious - Eric L.) being offered up on the trading block. Trouble is, not too many teams in the league are willing and/or able to pay the enormous salary Nutpuffs is scheduled to receive next year. Furthermore, during Agent 88's stint in the Big Apple, he has proven over and again that he is not a leader. So not only would a potential team need to have the wherewithal to take on Nutpuffs' salary, it would also need to have strong, veteran leaders on the team who will not need to look to Lindros for guidance. In some ways, next year's lockout cannot come soon enough...

The LCS Random Stat of the Week Leaderboard
For selfish reasons that will soon become apparent, this week's LCS Random Stat of the Week is: Game-Winning Goals Scored in this Year's Playoffs. Here's how the leaderboard stacks up:
3. Four tied with 2 GWG
2. Martin St Louis (TAM) - 3 GWG
1. Jamie Langenbrunner (NJD) - 4 GWG

Langenbrunner is not exactly a household name (unless, of course, you happen to be a member of the Langenbrunner family - in which case, Langenbrunner is the household name). Still, like Chris Drury before him, this young winger earns his paycheck in the postseason. Jamie is tied for the league lead in goals scored (7) this postseason, and more than half of his goals scored have won the game for the Devils. That is the equivalent of Langenbrunner winning one playoff series all by himself. Not too shabby.

And why the adulation for Jamie Langenbrunner? Let's just say that a certain reporter's sister (and not the sister who is a Dallas Stars fan) was the Langenbrunners' nanny for a few years until Jamie was traded to New Jersey. Any guy who willingly allows a certain reporter's sister into his home and employs her to care for his kids is more than deserving of any and all adulation flung in his direction. And hey, it doesn't hurt that he's doing well in the playoffs, too. So congratulations, Jamie Langenbrunner, you are this week's LCS Random Stat of the Week Leader.

He Hate Me NHL Playoff Suspension List
Either the players have been on their best behavior lately (yeah, right), or the league is a little more lenient during the playoffs. We're going to go out on a limb and pick option B. Regardless, there have been no new suspensions this week. Oh wait, the Maple Leafs were eliminated last Tuesday, no wonder there have not been any suspendable cheap shots this week. If nothing happens before next week's Cut 'n' Paste, LCS Hockey World Headquarters may have to step in and start mixin' (sunshine) up, if you know what I mean. Here's the previous suspension list:

* 4/12/03 - Derian Hatcher (DAL) suspended one game for receiving his second game misconduct penalty of the playoffs (third man in vs Edmonton)
* 4/10/03 - Eric Godard (NYI) suspended one game for high-sticking Chris Neil of Ottawa

Regular Season Suspension List:
* 4/3/03 - Tim Connolly (BUF) suspended four games for high-sticking Garnet Exelby of Atlanta
* 3/31/03 - Joe Kocur (DET, assistant coach) suspended two games for tossing a chair onto the ice in a game against St Louis
* 3/30/03 - Chris Tamer (ATL) suspended at least one game for cross-checking Vladimir Orszagh of Nashville
* 3/24/03 - Reed Low (STL) suspended two games for receiving his third instigator penalty of the season in a game against Dallas
* 3/24/03 - Jeff Finley (STL) suspended four games for fighting Derian Hatcher of Dallas from the penalty box
* 3/12/03 - Scott Young (DAL) suspended two games for high-sticking Jaroslav Spacek of Columbus
* 3/12/03 - Andrei Nazarov (PHX) suspended two games for intent-to-injure match penalty against Dan McGillis of San Jose
* 3/5/03 - Darcy Tucker (TOR) suspended five games for fighting at the bench against Chris Neil of Ottawa
* 3/5/03 - Tie Domi (TOR) suspended three games for throwing a punch to the face of Magnus Arvedson of Ottawa
* 2/25/03 - Keith Tkachuk (STL) suspended four games for cross-checking Wes Walz of Minnesota
* 2/23/03 - Cale Hulse (NSH) suspended one game for cross-checking Peter Schaefer of Ottawa
* 2/23/03 - Jody Shelley (CLB) suspended two games for being aggressor in altercation with Brad Stuart of San Jose
* 2/13/03 - Andre Roy (TAM) suspended three games for abuse of an official during a game against the Islanders
* 1/21/03 - Vaclav Prospal (TAM) suspended two games for cross-checking Chris Neil of Ottawa
* 1/21/03 - Marty Turco (DAL) suspended one game for high-sticking Colorado's Peter Forsberg
* 1/3/03 - Slava Kozlov (ATL) suspended three games for abuse of an official during a game versus Ottawa
* 12/28/02 - Todd Simpson (PHX) suspended two games for careless use of stick against Ian Laperriere of Los Angeles
* 12/20/02 - Scott Nichol (CAL) suspended five games for butt-ending Columbus' Hannes Hyvonen
* 12/18/02 - Jeremy Roenick (PHI) suspended two games for boarding against Dallas' Mike Modano
* 12/5/02 - Jody Shelley (COL) suspended one game for altercation from bench against the Rangers' Ronald Petrovicky
* 11/27/02 - Wade Belak (TOR) suspended two games for elbowing Washington's Brendan Witt
* 11/27/02 - Todd Simpson (PHX) suspended three games for high-sticking Dallas' Rob DiMaio
* 11/22/02 - Garth Snow (NYI) suspended two games for attempting to injure Tampa Bay's Sheldon Keefe
* 11/11/02 - Bryan Trottier (NYR, head coach) suspended two games for [Mis]conduct of team against Columbus
* 11/11/02 - Krzysztof Oliwa (NYR) suspended five games for cross-checking Columbus' Grant Marshall
* 11/11/02 - Sean Brown (BOS) suspended one game for cross-checking Dennis Bonvie of Ottawa
* 11/8/02 - Alexei Zhitnik (BUF) suspended two games for kneeing Jan Hlavac of Carolina
* 11/1/02 - Darcy Hordichuk (PHX) suspended 10 games for abuse of an official during a game against Philadelphia
* 10/21/02 - Lance Ward (FLA) suspended one game for elbowing Columbus' Tyler Wright
* 10/16/02 - Chris Dingman (TAM) suspended two games for high-sticking Jesse Boulerice of Carolina
* 10/12/02 - Eric Lindros (NYR) suspended one game for careless use of the stick against Montreal's Stephane Quintal

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