WADDLING INTO THE SECOND HALF
The Ducks were hoping to continue their home-ice hot streak during
the six-game pre-All Star home stand. And they did...for a few
minutes. About 120 minutes, actually, because after that span they
decided to sleepwalk through a tilt against Calgary, losing 2-1 to
the hapless Flames and their goalie of the moment, Fred Brathwaite.
That led to a complete whitewash by the Dallas Stars -- not
entirely unexpected -- and a near disaster against Pittsburgh.
Fresh off the Dallas disaster, and having been reminded of the
manner in which a really good team goes about its business -- you
know, starting to play at the beginning and continuing to do so
until the end -- Anaheim put the screws to the road-weary Pens. But
up 4-0 early in the third, the Ducks stopped skating. Bing, bang,
boom: 4-3. An empty-netter saved the day, but also proved how close
this team was to total meltdown -- a term that may well have been
applied to coach Craig Hartsburg after the game. Then came New
Jersey. Oh, and Guy Hebert's stomach flu.
That put Dominic Roussel in the nets against the Devils, and three
softies in the net. True, his all-star counterpart, Martin Brodeur,
let in a couple of questionable goals, too, and Roussel sharpened
up toward the end. Nonetheless, the Ducks came out on the short end
of the stick. The next night, Roussel found some measure of
redemption, battling back in a tough tie against arch rival
Phoenix.
But 3-3-1, while indicative of the teams general performance in the
first half, is not how the team wanted to go into the break.
MIDTERM REPORT
The LCS Hockey tradition, going back at least several months, is to
provide a mid-season assessment of each team's performance up to
the All Star break. And while I'd rather grade the Dallas Stars'
papers -- easy work, that -- I've got Homeroom 7, as in the
seventh-place Ducks. So here goes.
GOALTENDING
Make no mistake, without Guy Hebert, this team would be kissin'
cousins with the last-place Blackhawks. Guybo has meant at least
that 10-point differential to the Ducks, and continues to be the
straw that keeps the drink in the glass until Paul and Teemu can
stir it up. Dominic Roussel has played well, considering he was a
mere afterthought to the hockey world just four months ago. But if
Hebert goes down, so does Anaheim. GRADE: A
DEFENSE
Something of a mixed bag. There have been significant absences
(Ruslan Salei's suspension, injuries to Jason Marshall and Freddie
Olausson), and one could have hoped for more, but on the whole this
unheralded corps has not been so bad. Salei has continued to get
better; Marshall is fast becoming a rock; and Olausson seems
finally to have recovered his scoring touch -- going on a five-game
goal streak that was the longest in the NHL since Sergei Zubov of
the Rangers notched that many in 1995. In school terms, one might
say that attendance has been poor and they don't always pay
attention in class, but they are showing potential. GRADE:
B-
OFFENSE
Our offensive class is being divided into three groups. Those not
being discussed should talk among themselves. Quietly.
GROUP 1: Kariya, Selanne, Rucchin. What can you say? They're three
of the league's best players. The unheralded Rucchin gets no credit
for pivoting between two superstars as well as he does. GRADE:
A+
GROUP 2: Marty McInnis, Travis Green and Tomas Sandstrom are not
getting the job done. The hard-luck Sandstrom seemed on the verge
of a comeback season when derailed by a broken wrist. We question
the wisdom of his coming back before the wing was fully healed, but
hey, YOU try and stop a hockey player from getting back in the
lineup. McInnis, who seemed a savior when he first showed up, has
tailed off now that he's on his own line (which is to say, a
Kariya-less trio). And Green, well, let's just say that much more
has been expected of him since he arrived in Anaheim last season.
Then, it was injuries. Now? You tell us. GRADE: D
GROUP 3: The cops, the crew and the kids. The cops, Grimson and
McKenzie have done a fine job patrolling the Pond. No needless
escapades; just stepping up when called for, or called out. The
crew, a.k.a. Ted Drury and Jeff Nielsen, does a fine job on the
fourth line. Ted Drury toils (and toils) in anonymity while
Nielsen, who once, in days of yore, was thought of as a potential
scorer, has toughened up to earn his regular shift. The kids --
Aalto, Cullen and Davidsson -- are so close to making an impact
that it's painful. Each has shown tremendous determination, decent
attention to defense and flashes of offensive brilliance. The
problem? None of them can finish. If they could, no one would care
that the veterans on the second line can't either. GRADE:
C+
COACHING
Teacher evaluations are tough. The suits are at the mercy of the
talent in uniform, but it is their job to plot, strategize and
inspire. The premise of Hartsburg's team-defense orientation is
solid, there's no doubt about that. This year, the players don't
have to worry that their whole system will be revamped during the
first intermission -- every other night -- as was the case last
year under Pierre Page. That being said, it has to be on the
inspiration side of things that he is so far falling short. The
team doesn't always give 60 minutes. They keep saying things like
"We're learning," and "We haven't figured out how to win."
Part of that may be that they don't have all the elements in place
to win. Impatient at waiting for the second line to score,
Hartsburg finally, as the break approached, split them up. But
mixing milk with milk gets you nothing but milk. The Ducks need
some 80-proof alcohol in the mix. That's why it's puzzling that
Josef Marha rides the pines every night, and that Frank Banham
hasn't yet been given a chance with the big club. Okay, so Banham
has some defensive lapses; but the guy can finish. He proved it
last year. And if that magic talent can rub off on the other young
guys, maybe they can teach him to be a little more responsible in
his own end. And what is Hartsburg afraid of, anyway? Letting Guy
Hebert save the team's bacon one or two more times a night? Face
it, you gotta live to learn. GRADE: C
ALL-STAR NOTES AND NAGS
First things first: Enough with the brutal intro music spectacle. I
want to hear the fans cheer and boo, not some canned
stadium-entertainment-director's idea of ear-splitting, atmosphere
killing "rock."
Second things second: Kariya and Selanne both lit the lamp, so the
home team was well represented. Ducks rule!
Next: I don't know who the Backstreet Boys are, but after that sorry
rendition of the anthem, they need a little meeting with the back
alley boys -- brass knuckles and all.
Fourth: Ray Bourque has been an all-star like 20 times. He makes
millions of dollars. It's time to lose that Supercuts lid and get a
real coif. Hell, Pavol Demitra's skinhead look is more attractive
that the Hair-Club-for-Men doo Bourkie's been sporting for, like,
ever.
Finally: If you can tell me how Doug Favell, Pete Peeters, Don
Awrey, Dave Maloney, Wayne Cashman, Danny Gare or Darryl Sittler
qualify as "Sun Belt Heroes of Hockey," I'll clean your house for a
year. Rod Gilbert and Vic freakin' Hadfield? The closest these guys
ever came to the Sunbelt was on roadies to Atlanta! You want a good
theme for a Tampa Bay weekend? How about players Phil Esposito
traded against players who WISH he had traded them. Now that would
be a game.
