My Thoughts On...

My Thoughts On...
By Dan Hurwitz, Featured Writer

(Editor's Note: This is an example of the fine columns that will be exclusive to the LCS: Guide to Hockey America Online area starting February 21.
To learn more about the LCS AOL area, use Keyword "LCS Hockey" or visit your local library. If you don't have AOL, you're missing out on some great hockey reporting.)
Welcome, loyal readers, to the premiere edition of this new regular piece on the America Online site for LCS: Guide to Hockey.
Every week, you can count on me to let you know what I think about hockey 'n 'at (as they say in Pittsburgh).
So why not get started with Pittsburgh for this week's rants and raves...

NET BENEFITS

There was a time a couple of years ago when I claimed Scotty Bowman's time as the premiere coach in hockey was at an end because of the way he single-handedly crushed the Penguins' hopes at three-peating as Stanley Cup Champs. Amongst the rationales I had for this somewhat unorthodox claim was the way he ran goaltender Tom Barrasso into the ground by having him start the last third of the season in quest of a relatively meaningless unbeaten streak record. Sure enough, Barrasso went cold in the second round as the Penguins lost to the lowly Islanders, and Bowman had allowed Ken Wregget to practically atrophy by not playing him.
The problem in Pittsburgh now is similar, though not identical. It involves a kid named Lalime. By now you've either heard of this kid or you've been held hostage in a third world country that doesn't get Fox. Lalime is the long-time whipping boy who suddenly became rookie of the month for both December and January when injuries to Barrasso and Wregget forced Penguins coach Ed Johnston to play the kid. You see, Patrick Lalime had been booted off a junior A team before losing his spot in junior B to a girl named Manon. Then he got benched in the IHL playoffs last season in favor of Blaine "blech" Lacher.
Nonetheless, he got the call, and for a while, he was unbeatable. He put up the best start-of-career numbers in NHL history.
Then, they scored. Quite a bit, actually. Not that teams haven't scored on other Penguins goalies in the past. But when you're a kid with that much pressure on you, the fall from grace, such as it is, can be tough.
Anyway, the Penguins are still an elite team. The complication now is what to do with Wregget back from injury. Does Lalime get taken out, which could hurt his confidence hugely? Does he get kept in, possibly burning him out in the long run and reinforcing whatever bad habits he has? Johnston and his staff have a tough job ahead of them in playing this decision making game.
Incidentally, even Bowman alternates his goalies now.

NET LOSSES

So, you trade away one of your few top-notch players when he gets whiny in a tough year. You get back three replacements who are either on their way out or potentially never making it in. What happens next?
If you said an unbelievable turnaround in a seemingly lost season, you must be one of two things:
Mike Tyson's sparring partner...
Or a Blackhawks fan.
Now, Jeff Hackett is a good goalie. Maybe even a great one. But Eddie the Eagle was a premiere goaltender. The team stunk because all the good players had left from the year before. The thought that losing Belfour, too, would improve the team was unheard of.
Sure enough, the trade which sent Belfour and a conditional pick to San Jose for backup goalie Chris Terreri, defensive prodigy (read: wannabe) Mikael Sykora, and over-the-hill winger Ulf Dahlen seemed like a depth issue, or perhaps a way to sweep the uncomfortable Belfour situation under the rug (or, presumably, the ice surface), but instead has turned into a panacea.
Dahlen scored game-winners in his first two games. Terreri has been solid in goal, beating the Sharks twice (so there!), and Hackett, free of the influence of Belfour's taunts, has been solid in net.
Why, they've even beaten the mighty Rangers!
This (and last year's Panthers run) just goes to show you...team chemistry is a big deal.

CENTER OF ATTENTION

"Get me Doug Gilmour," said Dave Andreychuk to his boss, New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello. "I need a good center to score effectively."
Devils coach Jacques Lemaire inserted right wing Bill Guerin in the center spot for some key faceoffs.
So what to the Devils do to solve their problems with a lack of a slick scorer up the middle?
They got Peter Zezel. Now, I'm a fan of Zezel, and, really, at least in his prime, he was your prototypical Devil forward. But he really didn't solve any big gaping hole needs for the Devils.
With Gilmour, Craig Janney, and a host of other A- or B-level pivots available with the trade dealine approaching, the move seemed like a strange one. Strange, that is, until you notice that New Jersey is the hottest team in hockey with a league-best nine-game unbeaten streak right now (5-0-4). This is a very similar, albeit slightly smaller team to the one who captured the Stanley Cup two seasons ago. Again, folks, if it ain't broke...

MISCELLANEOUS MISCHIEF

Anyone who thinks the Flyers won't make some moves is goofy. With a defense that is overstocked by the likes of Paul Coffey, Kjell Samuelsson, Eric Desjardins, Karl Dykhuis, Petr Svoboda, former all-rookie defenseman Chris Therien, Darren Rumble, and rookie standout Janne Niinimaa, expect one or more of these guys to be packaged, along with center/left wing Rod Brind'Amour, in an attempt to bring in that proverbial "last player" to win the Cup.
Mike Keenan continues to be a mystery, since his successor, Joel Quenneville, has taken the team the perrennial winner was losing with and turned them around, making the Blues a sleeper in the Western conference.
If you played in the Pacific division, wouldn't your team look almost as good as Colorado?
How do you improve your team if you're the Mighty Ducks? The only two players on their roster with any trade value, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, are untouchable if they are to try to win anything, and they are too middle-of-the-pack to count on a high draft choice.
Come to think of it, is "last place by a smaller margin" an acceptable improvement for the Ottawa Senators? Come on, the Panthers and Lightning have made the playoffs, and the Ducks were a point away last year...
Why have the Whalers been beached while the Sabres are still slicing up opponents?
Did the Blackhawks really need a black jersey?
Will the Kings give up on Larry Robinson, or vice versa? And how come Los Angeles has installed a revolving door for veterans? Both Petr Klima and Neal Broten have been brought in and waived this season. They'd probably dump Kevin Stevens, too, except then they would have an average of three years NHL experience on the roster.
It's sad that only the Edmonton Oilers are above .500 amongst all Canadian teams. Shouldn't there be a pride thing involved there? Do Buffalo and Detroit count as Canadian teams due to proximity and need?
Colin Campbell will be fired if the Rangers don't win the Cup. They won't. Trust me on both of these counts.