_ _ _ _ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY ================================================================ Five Star - ELECTRONIC EDITION - * * * * * ================================================================ VOL. 1 NO. 2 * July 15, 1994 * 50 CENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- We are sorry for the delay of the Playoff Review issue, but there was a grease fire in the cafeteria of LCS. The fire got out of control and ravaged our computers. So, anyway, here is the big Playoff/Draft Review issue. We will continue to send LCS to you free, unless you specify otherwise. Ain't we crazy? If you are the generous sort and would like to send a donation, feel welcome. Because in the immortal words of the mother on 'Good Times', "WE NEED SOME FOOD!". ============================================================================== LCS Guide To Hockey ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CREDITS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF..................................................Michael Dell ACE REPORTER.......................................................Jim Iovino "I LIKE CHOCOLATE!"...........................................Matthew Secosky COMPUTER BOY...........................................Zippy The Wonder Chimp LITTLE MARY SUNSHINE..............................................Dave Miller THE AMAZING MR. LIPPITS............................................Don Knotts KID DYN-O-MITE..............................................Jimmy J.J. Walker HUMAN TRIPOD.................................................Kjell Samuelsson MUSICAL GUEST.....................................................Sacred Cows LITTLE BUDDIE........................................................Gilligan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LCS: Guide To Hockey Copyright 1994 LCS (C)1994 L.C.S. LCS Guide To Hockey. Volume One, Issue Two. July, 1994. LCS is published twice a month if you're lucky. Subscription rate: Free, but a donation of any sort is welcome, send us your pocket change...better yet send us your pockets. Distribution of newsletter by mail and electronic mail. For information use e-mail address: aq117@freenet.carleton.ca, or write to LCS at 632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA. 15601. Purple Monkeys purple monkeys, let's go kill those purple monkeys. Purple monkeys purple monkeys, let's go kill those purple monkeys. They're purple Yah! They're purple...OH MY! They're purple Yah! AND THEY'RE JUST MY STYLE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******************** * RANGERS WIN CUP! * ******************** Unless you have had a serious bout of World Cup Fever (no known cure), you should have heard by now that the New York Rangers have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years. Lead by Conn Smythe Winner Brian Leetch and superstar center Mark Messier, the Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks in a seven game series that featured more hit posts than empty seats at a Whaler home game (now that's saying a lot). The following is a round by round review of the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs. Enjoy!! WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ - CALGARY VS. VANCOUVER - (Vancouver 4-3) Oh, those wacky Flames. They won the Stanley Cup in '89 but have not won a playoff series since. To make matters worse, they were winning this year's series verses the Canucks three games to one before losing three consecutive games. The last of which was a double overtime thriller decided by Pavel Bure's goal on a breakaway. HEROES- Vancouver's list of heroes includes Geoff Courtnall (4 goals including 2 game winners), Trevor Linden (4 goals, 1 gamer), and Pavel Bure (3 goals, 1 game winner). But perhaps the biggest hero for the Canucks was goalie Kirk McLean. His performance in game seven was amazing, including his save on Robert Reichel in overtime which is beyond description. Just as Bure's series winning goal made him a great player, McLean's save on Reichel turned his career around and established him as a great goaltender. Despite losing, the performance of Theo Fleury cannot be overlooked. For the second straight season, Fleury had a tremendous playoff run. He recorded 6 goals and 4 assists in the seven game series. WEASELS- The Flames as a team should wear the eternal brand of the weasel. TURNING POINT- The turning point of the series was when Joel Otto went down to an injury after just three games. - SAN JOSE VS. DETROIT - (San Jose 4-3) It looks like everything wasn't Tim Chevaldae's fault after all. Once again, the Red Wings collapsed in the playoffs, but this time the opposition had something to do with their downfall. The Sharks proved that they are a legitimate playoff team by controlling the series with solid defensive play and tremendous teamwork. Everyone expected them to collapse after each Detroit win in the series, but once the Sharks smelled blood in game seven, it was over for the Wings. HEROES- The Sharks had a long list of heroes, but the play of their number one line was amazing. The five man unit of Larionov, Makarov, Garpenlov, Ozolinsh and Norton combined to score some of the most spectacular goals of the season, while controlling the tempo of every game. WEASELS- Where to begin? Although Sergei Fedorov's eight points led the team in scoring, he never showed signs of being the dominate force that he was during the regular season. In fact, he hasn't played the same since being knocked silly by teammate Shawn Burr late in the season. Ray Sheppard scored over 50 goals during the regular season but managed just two against the Sharks. And what about Bryan Murray's prized player, Keith Primeau? Two points in seven games. Wow, Detroit fans sure are lucky Bryan Murray didn't trade Primeau in exchange for Grant Fuhr. How could the Red Wings have gotten by without his two assists? Scary, isn't it. TURNING POINT- The Sharks winning game one. It gave them all the confidence they needed and it proved that they belonged in the playoffs. - DALLAS VS. ST. LOUIS - (Dallas 4-0) Dallas swept the Blues with few problems. The Stars played a solid series overall, but it was really St. Louis' lack of depth and defense that determined the series. HEROES- Mike Modano proved he can score in the playoffs by banging home 5 goals and 3 assists in just four games. WEASELS- The Blues have a good core of seven players but that's about all. When those players don't perform, the Blues don't win. Brett Hull, Phil Housley, Steve Duchesne, Peter Nedved and Peter Stastny all had a terrible series. TURNING POINT- When Blues GM Ron Caron traded Ron Sutter, Bob Bassen and Garth Butcher to the Quebec Nordiques. - TORONTO VS. CHICAGO - (Toronto 4-2) The Leafs and the Blackhawks had their usual rough, hard hitting playoff series. The highlights of the matchups were two 1- 0 victories by Toronto. HEROES- In a series between two low scoring teams, goaltending is usually the key to winning. Often criticized Ed Belfour posted a goals against average of 2.50 and a save percentage of .921 to help silence his critics. However, he was outplayed by Felix Potvin. "The Cat" had a goals against average of 1.66 and a .940 save percentage. Potvin also recorded three shutouts against the Blackhawks. WEASELS- Jeremy Roenick led the Hawks with seven points, but he scored only one goal. If Chicago was going to win, Roenick would have had to score at least 4 or 5 goals. If he doesn't score, no one else is there to pick up the slack. Paul Ysebaert was being counted on to score but couldn't even record a single point in six games. Joe Murphy's one goal in six games was also very disappointing. And let's not forget Tony Amonte. He single handedly won game three for Chicago by scoring 4 goals, but was a non-factor in the rest of the series. TURNING POINT- The play of Felix Potvin was all the Leafs needed. WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS ****************************** - SAN JOSE VS. TORONTO - (Toronto 4-3) Those pesky Sharks just wouldn't quit. Beating one of the Original Six was impressive enough, but taking the Leafs to game seven really established the Sharks as a solid team. The Leafs deserve credit for being able to do what the Red Wings couldn't and that's control the Sharks in a game seven situation. HEROES- When the series was on the line, Wendel Clark stepped up his game and proved why he's the captain of the Leafs. Clark scored two goals in game six and two more in game seven to help save the Leafs from elimination. WEASELS- This series was pretty much weasel-free for both teams except Doug "Weasel Boy" Gilmour. TURNING POINT- When Igor Larionov's shot from the high slot beat Felix Potvin, but rang off the crossbar, in overtime of game six. Mike Gartner would eventually score the game winner a few minutes later and all of the life seemed to drain right out of the Sharks. - VANCOUVER VS. DALLAS - (Vancouver 4-1) After coming from behind to beat the Flames, the Canucks used that momentum to crush the Stars in five games. The Stars lack of scoring was too much to overcome against the high flyin' Vancouver squad. The lack of a dominant goalie didn't help either. HEROES- The Russian Rocket officially launched in game seven against Calgary, but he roared through Dallas on was to dimming the Stars. Pavel Bure went nuts scoring six goals in the five game series, including several of the highlight variety. WEASELS- The Stars gave it their best shot but they just didn't possess the scoring depth to go very far in the playoffs. That's why it's hard to blame Russ Courtnall and Mike Modano for not producing big numbers when they always face the brunt of the checking. TURNING POINT- The moment Bure stepped out onto the ice. WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS """"""""""""""""""""""""" - VANCOUVER VS. TORONTO - (Vancouver 4-1) Vancouver's youth, size and strength were too much for the Maple Leafs. Once again Kirk McLean was excellent in goal for the Canucks and Pavel Bure scored four goals, including some really nice breakaways, to pace the Canuck offense. HEROES- Greg Adams finished off the Leafs for good by scoring his second goal of game five just 14 seconds into the second overtime period. WEASELS- It's hard to believe, but Dave Andreychuk scored even less against the Canucks (2 pts.) than he did against the Sharks (3 pts.). It looks like Dave's going to once again be known as "Andreychoke" for at least one more summer. TURNING POINT- The Leafs were never really in the series after game one, and that's due mainly to Kirk McLean's goaltending. McLean's back-to-back shutouts in games three and four definitely turned things Vancouver's way. EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ - WASHINGTON VS. PITTSBURGH - (Washington 4-2) This was supposed to be a series dominated by the Penguins, but as luck would have it, it was Washington that took control of every game. Once the Caps got a lead, they played textbook defense and shut down the powerful offensive attack of the Penguins. HEROES- Michal Pivonka returned to form in the playoffs after a disappointing regular season. Pivonka fired home 3 goals and 4 assists in six games. But the offensive star of the series was Joe Juneau. Juneau also had 3 goals and 4 assists, but it was the way he scored his points that made him stand out above the rest of the team. Juneau dominated play with his smooth skating and magical playmaking. Coach Jim Schoenfeld also performed extremely well after a long absence from behind the bench. WEASELS- The Pittsburgh lineup was filled with weasels. Topping the list were Kevin Stevens, Jaromir Jagr and Tomas Sandstrom. Stevens never achieved the same level of play he showed in past playoffs. Jagr was the team's leading scorer during the regular season and is supposed to carry the team after Mario Lemieux retires, however, Jagr was almost invisible against the Caps. Meanwhile, Sandstrom played himself out of Pittsburgh and maybe even the NHL. Sandstrom's uninspired post-season play was not what the Penguins expected when he was acquired late in the season. TURNING POINT- Lemieux's poor health. If Lemieux was healthy, the Caps would have been gone in five. - NEW JERSEY VS. BUFFALO - (New Jersey 4-3) This series will always be remembered for the game that went on for six+ periods without a goal, but most of the other match-ups in the series were just as exciting. The Devils and Sabres matched up well in every category and every game was a dog fight until the end. HEROES- Goaltending ruled the series between two very evenly matched teams. New Jersey's rookie goaltender, Martin Brodeur, was tremendous between the pipes. Brodeur played all seven games for the Devils while posting a 1.56 goals against average and a save percentage of .932. Buffalo's Dominik Hasek was just as impressive in defeat, posting a goals against average of 1.61 and a .950 save percentage in seven games. No one will soon forget Hasek's performance in game six when he earned a shutout by making 70 saves in nearly seven periods of hockey. WEASELS- This was one of the best playoff series in recent memory and no weasels could be found. TURNING POINT- Martin Brodeur's remarkable glove save against Dave Hannan during the first period of game seven. If Hannan would have scored, the Sabres would have jumped out to a 2-0 lead and would never have looked back. - NEW YORK RANGERS VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS - (NY Rangers 4-0) This series was a joke. From start to finish, the Rangers dominated the Islanders with ease. The Islanders soon won't forget the beating they took, and expect lots of off-season changes to bring in more toughness and leadership. HEROES- Mike Richter dominated the series by only allowing three goals and posting two shutouts in four games. Brian Leetch led the Rangers with 8 points, while Mark Messier and Alexei Kovalev each scored 4 goals and 7 points to pace the Rangers offensive attack. WEASELS- When the word weasel is said one guy always comes to mind...Pierre Turgeon. Turgeon once again proved why he's the "Richard Simmons of the NHL" by scoring one point in four games. When the games are big and the play is rough, Turgeon disappears faster than Twinkies at a fat farm. But Turgeon wasn't alone, every Islander player should be embarrassed and ashamed of their performance. And what about Ron Hextall, who gave his best imitation of a shooter tutor. It's hard to believe, but not one Islander player scored more than one point in four games. That's just plan silly. TURNING POINT- When the Quebec Nordiques beat the Florida Panthers 6-3 on April 12, officially eliminating the Panthers from the playoff chase. The Panthers would have given an honest effort every minute of every game against the Rangers. And in LC S's opinion, Florida would have eliminated the Rangers in seven games. - MONTREAL VS. BOSTON - (Boston 4-3) Just like every series before it involving these two teams, this one went seven games. The Bruins were able to pull off the upset by winning games six and seven after falling behind three games to two in the series. HEROES- Even in defeat, Patrick Roy was a hero to all Canadien fans. When Roy returned to the line up after missing game three and spending time in the hospital for appendicitis, he lifted the spirits of his teammates and all of Montreal. His performance under the circumstances was the stuff of which legends are made. WEASELS- Last season, Vincent Damphousse and Brian Bellows provided the Canadiens with much needed offense on their way towards winning the Stanley Cup. This year, they both were invisible against the Bruins registering just one goal and three points each. TURNING POINT- Roy's illness stalled the Canadiens for a bit, but his return should have given Montreal the emotional lift needed to defeat the Bruins. The Canadiens' overall lack of intensity and effort is what cost them the series. EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINALS ****************************** - NEW YORK RANGERS VS. WASHINGTON - (NY Rangers 4-1) The Capitals pulled off a minor upset when they clubbed the Penguins, but they were just outmatched against the Rangers. The Caps chances for victory were damaged when Michal Pivonka went down with an injury in game one and missed the rest of the series. HEROES- The Rangers were led by Adam Graves, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter. WEASELS- Joe Juneau was a force against the Penguins, but managed only two points in the five games with the Rangers. TURNING POINT- The Caps were never really in the series to begin with. - NEW JERSEY VS. BOSTON - (New Jersey 4-2) The Bruins won the first two games of the series before losing four straight games for the fourth consecutive year. HEROES- When Martin Brodeur began to falter after the first two games of the series, Chris Terreri came off the bench to play superbly in games three, four and six in Boston. WEASELS- Even though the Bruins eventually won game two, when Al Iafrate tried to skate the puck out of the zone instead of just firing it off the glass with only a few seconds left in the third period, it nearly cost his team the game. The Devils stole the puck and scored the game tying goal with less than 10 seconds left to play. It's that type of selfish and foolish play that keeps Iafrate out of the elite group of defensemen in the NHL. TURNING POINT- When Chris Terreri won games three and four in Boston. EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL """""""""""""""""""""""" - NEW YORK RANGERS VS. NEW JERSEY - (NY Rangers 4-3) This was truly a great series. The Rangers deserve a lot of credit for coming from behind 3-2 in this series and winning games six and seven. The Devils outplayed the Rangers for much of the series, but they just couldn't finish their scoring chances. If the Devils could only score on two-on-ones, they would have gone to the finals. HEROES- When the word "hero" is mentioned, Mark Messier automatically comes to mind. Messier predicted the Rangers would win game six in New Jersey, then he delivered by scoring a hat trick in the 4-2 Ranger victory. WEASELS- New Jersey Head Coach Jacques Lemaire made a lot of intelligent decisions in 1993-94, but pulling Martin Brodeur in game six with almost two minutes left to play was not one of them. The Devils were on the power play trailing by one goal when Lemaire chose to pull Brodeur in favor of an extra attacker. Mark Messier scored only seconds after the ensuing face-off with a shot from inside the Rangers blueline. There was one minute and 45 seconds left on the clock when Messier scored. The fact that the Devils were already on the power play made the decision to pull Brodeur extremely foolish. The whole idea in pulling the goalie is to have an extra attacker, the Devils already had the extra attacker! Basically, Lemaire's decision shortened the game by one minute and 45 seconds, and a wise man once said; "One minute and 45 seconds can be a LONG time!" TURNING POINT- Messier's empty net goal in game six made the remainder of the game meaningless and turned the series in favor of the Rangers. ================== STANLEY CUP FINALS ================== - VANCOUVER VS. NEW YORK RANGERS - (NY Rangers 4-3) Just when it seemed this playoff year couldn't get any better, the Rangers and Canucks waged one of the most memorable Stanley Cup Finals in recent history. GAME ONE- The Canucks entered Madison Square Garden as the underdog, but proved they belonged in the finals by beating the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. The winning goal came when Ranger defenseman Brian Leetch gambled and lost. Leetch jumped up on the play and released a shot from the high slot that hit the post, then he fell to the ice. With Leetch out of the play, Vancouver's Cliff Ronning took control of the puck and skated in two-on-one with Greg Adams. Ronning drew the lone Ranger defenseman towards him before sliding a perfect pass to Adams. Adams one-timed the puck from the high slot past Mike Richter for the winning goal in game one. GAME TWO- The Rangers evened the series at one game apiece by defeating Vancouver 3-1. Alexei Kovalev scored the game winner off a nice pass from Brian Leetch in the third period. Leetch later added an empty net goal to close out the game. GAME THREE- It appeared the Canucks were on their way to steam rolling the Rangers in game three when Pavel Bure scored on a breakaway just one minute and three seconds into the game. But when Brian Leetch's wrist shot that was going off net was accidentally directed in by Kirk McLean, the Canucks lost their momentum. Things got worse for Vancouver when Pavel Bure clipped Jay Wells in the face with a high stick with just one minute remaining in the first period. Bure was given a five minute major and a game misconduct. With Bure gone, the Rangers took control of the game. Glenn Anderson scored on the ensuing power play late in the first period to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. New York scored three more times on way to a 5-1 victory. GAME FOUR- The Rangers took control of the series by beating the Canucks 4-2. The win gave the Rangers a three games to one lead in the series and a chance to capture the Cup on home ice in game five. Steve Larmer and Alexei Kovalev each had a goal in the New York victory. GAME FIVE- Everything was in place for the Rangers to end their 54 year curse and win the Stanley Cup on home ice in front of a frenzied Madison Square Garden crowd. There was only one problem... the Canucks weren't ready to give in. The game started slowly and saw few scoring chances in the first period. The action picked up in the second when both teams had several good scoring chances, but great goaltending by McLean and Richter kept the game scoreless. Finally, Vancouver defenseman Jeff Brown hammered a long slapshot past Richter around the 8 minute mark of the second period. That goal gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. What happened next will be remembered as one of the wildest periods of Stanley Cup hockey ever played. Just 26 seconds into the third, Geoff Courtnall backhanded a shot off Richter's glove and into the net for a 2-0 Vancouver lead. The goal was Courtnall's first since the Western Conference Semifinals against Dallas. Two minutes and 22 seconds after his tally, Pavel Bure scored his 15th goal of the playoffs to give the Canucks a three goal cushion. The Rangers were stunned and the Madison Square Garden crowd was quieter than Pierre Turgeon was in the playoffs. But luckily for the Rangers, the silence only lasted 39 seconds. That's how long it took before Doug Lidster's wrist shot from the point floated through traffic and behind Kirk McLean for a goal. The Rangers and the crowd really came to life less than three minutes later when Steve Larmer found a loose puck in the crease and fired it past a fallen McLean to bring the Rangers within one goal. What once seemed like an insurmountable three goal lead for Vancouver had dwindled to just one and the Canucks felt the pressure. Less than three minutes after Larmer's goal, Mark Messier skated down the right wing and fired a wrist shot past Kirk McLean on the far side to tie the game at 3-3. The Rangers were jubilant, the Canucks suicidal. As the Garden crowd continued to roar with excitement, it seemed as if Messier's goal had won the game instead of just tying it. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Pavel Bure realized the game wasn't over yet. After the ensuing face-off, Bure got control of the puck in the Vancouver end of the ice and rocketed through the neutral zone and into Ranger territory on a three-on-two. Bure curled inside the blueline and slid a perfect pass to defenseman Dave Babych cutting down the left wing. Babych waited a second and looked the net over before snapping a low wrist shot past the feet of Mike Richter and into the net just 29 seconds after Messier scored (Although the replay was inconclusive, LCS believes Babych shot the puck in with his mustache). Richter never had a chance. Just as Messier's goal drove the Garden crowd into a frenzy, Babych's silenced them with shocking speed. With the Rangers still stunned from Babych's goal, Courtnall slammed home his second goal of the game into a virtual empty net. Richter was beaten by Pavel Bure for the second time less than one minute later and the game was over. The Canucks 6-3 victory shocked all of New York and made everyone believe in, and fear, THE CURSE. GAME SIX- After the extraordinary game five, Vancouver once again believed they could win the Cup. They proved they were capable of winning it by beating the Rangers for the second straight time in game six, 4-1, and forcing a seventh game in New York. Jeff Brown and Geoff Courtnall each scored twice for the Canucks to keep hope alive. GAME SEVEN- The Stanley Cup awaited the winner of this one game. The Canucks had the momentum of winning games five and six. The Rangers had the Madison Square Garden crowd and 54 years of frustration. The Rangers got on the board first when Brian Leetch scored at 11:02 of the opening period. The play started when Mark Messier gained the Canuck zone with speed and dropped the puck off to a trailing Sergei Zubov. Zubov skated in on goal and got Kirk McLean to commit before sliding a pass across ice to Leetch at the bottom of the left face-off circle. Leetch had McLean out of the net and all the time in the world to shoot before wristing the puck into the open cage. Three minutes later, Adam Graves skated down the slot on the powerplay and ripped a shot past McLean low to the stick side. It was Graves first goal of the finals and it gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead. The second period saw Trevor Linden emerge as a big time player. With the Canucks shorthanded, the Rangers were called for a delayed penalty. McLean skated off the ice in exchange for an extra attacker, and Trevor Linden jumped over the boards. Linden picked up the puck in the neutral zone and stormed his way into the Ranger zone. Linden got behind the last defender and broke in against Richter. While fighting off the last defender, Linden cut across the crease, turned the puck from his backhand to his forehand, and chipped the puck over a fallen Richter. It was truly a spectacular goal. In fact, one could even say "That was a Mario Lemieux type goal!" With Vancouver gaining emotion from Linden's goal, the Rangers once again used the power play to do the damage. They shot the puck towards the net and then crashed the goal. During the scrum, it appeared Adam Graves, who was lying on the ice, swept the puck off a defender's skate and between McLean's pads to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead. Mark Messier was awarded the goal with assists to Graves and Noonan, but LCS believes Graves actually scored the goal. The third period started with the Canucks trailing 3-1, but they wouldn't give up. Pavel Bure deked his way past several Rangers and was about to break in all alone on Richter when Esa Tikkanen hooked him to the ice. The Canucks went on the power play and made the most of it. Vancouver was controlling the puck in the Rangers zone when Cliff Ronning found Geoff Courtnall alone just inside the right face-off circle. Courtnall drew the defense towards him before feeding a pass Trevor Linden, who was standing butt-naked at the left post. Linden one timed the pass into the goal behind a sprawling Richter. The goal made the score 3-2 and sent shivers through the crowd. For the remainder of the game, the Canucks played their hearts out in effort to score the tying goal. Murray Craven had a chance when he slipped down the right wing and waited for Richter to go down before wristing a shot off the post. The puck came to rest just in front of an empty net before being swept into the corner by a Ranger defender. But the Canucks best chance to tie the game came on the old Sega "NHL '94" play. Vancouver's Nathan Lafayette skated down the slot and one-timed a centering pass out of the corner. Richter slid across the crease and waved his glove in desperation, but the shot beat him. Unfortunately for Vancouver, the shot didn't beat the post. With everyone in the crowd gasping for breath, the Rangers did their best to try and hold off the Canucks surging attack. Everyone in the building kept waiting for something bad to happen right up until the final buzzer sounded. But, strange as it sounds, nothing bad happened to the Rangers. This time it was all the fans across the country that enjoyed chanting "19-40, 19-40" who were depressed, not Ranger fans. Yes, as hard as it is to believe, the New York Rangers actually won the Stanley Cup. ______________________________________________________________________________ --------------------------------------------------- * MESSIER MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, LEETCH MOST OVERRATED * --------------------------------------------------- So, let me get this straight. The New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup for the first time in fifty-four years, and Brian Leetch is named MVP ? Brian "the human turnstile" Leetch will now have his name engraved on the Conn Smythe Trophy alongside such greats as Lemieux, Gretzky, and Orr. Don't get me wrong, I respect Leetch's skills has an offensive player, but defensively he's a joke. Mike Keenan probably had to leave a trail of bread crumbs on the ice so Leetch could find his way back into the defensive zone. If anyone has Ranger playoff games on tape, they should watch them again, except this time with the volume off. That way Bill Clement and the rest of the ESPN "experts" won't have a chance to brainwash listeners with constant and undeserving priase of Leetch. One would be amazed at the number of give-aways and other defensive misakes Leetch made, but that weren't reported by those masters of hockey knowledge, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. If the New Jersey Devils could have finished just half of the many two-on-ones they received thanks to Leetch wandering up ice, The Curse would still be alive and the chants of "1940" would continue for several years. Has a softer player ever won the Conn Smythe ? In game six of the Finals in Vancouver, Pavel Bure hammered Leetch behind the net early and Leetch was never heard from again for the rest of the game. The man responsible for bringing New York the Cup was not Leetch, or even his little buddy Mike Richter. The man was Mark Messier. Messier's leadership can not be over estimated. Every time the Rangers were on the verge of collapsing, Messier was there to score the big goals and bring the team back to life. Messier's never wavering confidence in his team inspired the Rangers to their ultimate goal of winning the Cup. His predicting a win over the Devils in game six, then going out and scoring the hat trick to assure victory is the way legends are made. And that's exactly what Mark Messier will be when his playing days are over...a legend. Leetch may have his name on the trophy, but Messier will always be remembered as the true MVP of the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs. ____________________________________________________________________ 1994 PLAYOFF STATISTICS LEADERS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ POINTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player Team Gp G A Pts Brian Leetch NYR 23 11 23 34 Pavel Bure Van 24 16 14 30 Mark Messier NYR 23 12 18 30 Doug Gilmour Tor 18 6 22 28 Trevor Linden Van 24 12 13 25 Alexei Kovalev NYR 23 9 12 21 Geoff Courtnall Van 24 9 10 19 Sergei Zubov NYR 22 5 14 19 Claude Lemieux NJ 20 7 11 18 Igor Larionov SJ 14 5 13 18 Dave Ellett Tor 18 3 15 18 POINTS PER GAME AVERAGE (minimum 4 games played) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Pts Avg Brendan Shanahan StL 4 7 1.75 Doug Gilmour Tor 18 28 1.56 Brian Leetch NYR 23 34 1.48 Theo Fleury Cal 7 10 1.43 Mark Messier NYR 23 30 1.30 Pavel Bure Van 24 30 1.29 Igor Larionov SJ 14 18 1.29 Mario Lemieux Pit 6 7 1.16 Jeremy Roenick Chi 6 7 1.16 GOALS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Goals Pavel Bure Van 24 16 Mark Messier NYR 23 12 Trevor Linden Van 24 12 Brian Leetch NYR 23 11 Adam Graves NYR 23 10 Wendel Clark Tor 18 9 Steve Larmer NYR 23 9 Alexei Kovalev NYR 23 9 Geoff Courtnall Van 24 9 Sergei Makarov SJ 14 8 GOALS PER GAME AVERAGE (minimum 4 games played) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp G Avg Theo Fleury Cal 7 6 .86 Kirk Muller Mtl 7 6 .86 Mike Modano Dal 9 7 .78 Dino Ciccarelli Det 7 5 .71 Pavel Bure Van 24 16 .67 Mario Lemieux Pit 6 4 .67 Tony Amonte Chi 6 4 .67 Sergei Makarov SJ 14 8 .57 Alexander Mogilny Buf 7 4 .57 Michal Pivonka Was 7 4 .57 ASSISTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Assists Brian Leetch NYR 23 23 Doug Gilmour Tor 18 22 Mark Messier NYR 24 18 Dave Ellett Tor 18 15 Sergei Zubov NYR 22 14 Pavel Bure Van 24 14 Igor Larionov SJ 14 13 Trevor Linden Van 24 13 Alexei Kovalev NYR 23 12 ASSISTS PER GAME AVERAGE (minimum 4 games played) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp A Avg Brendan Shanahan StL 4 5 1.25 Doug Gilmour Tor 18 22 1.22 Brian Leetch NYR 23 23 1.00 Dale Hawerchuk Buf 7 7 1.00 Sergei Fedorov Det 7 7 1.00 Jeremy Roenick Chi 6 6 1.00 Sylvain Cote Was 9 8 0.89 Russ Courtnall Dal 9 8 0.89 Paul Cavalinni Dal 9 8 0.89 PLUS/MINUS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp +/- Brian Leetch NYR 23 19 Jeff Beukeboom NYR 22 17 Mark Messier NYR 23 14 Bret Hedican Van 24 13 Nathan LaFayette Van 20 13 GOALTENDERS =========== GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Mins Ga Avg Dominik Hasek Buf 7 484 13 1.61 Martin Brodeur NJ 17 1171 38 1.95 Mike Richter NYR 23 1417 49 2.07 Kirk McLean Van 24 1544 59 2.29 Chris Osgood Det 6 307 12 2.35 SAVE PERCENTAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Mins Ga Sa Sa% Dominik Hasek Buf 7 484 13 261 .950 Patrick Roy Mtl 6 375 16 228 .930 Kirk Mclean Van 24 1544 59 820 .928 Martin Brodeur NJ 17 1171 38 531 .928 Mike Richter NYR 23 1417 49 623 .921 Ed Belfour Chi 6 360 15 191 .921 WINS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Mins W L Mike Richter NYR 23 1417 16 7 Kirk Mclean Van 24 1544 15 9 Felix Potvin Tor 18 1124 9 9 Martin Brodeur NJ 17 1171 8 9 Arturs Irbe SJ 14 806 7 7 SHUTOUTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Player Team Gp Mins So Mike Richter NYR 23 1417 4 Kirk Mclean Van 24 1544 4 Felix Potvin Tor 18 1124 3 Dominik Hasek Buf 7 484 2 ****************************************************************************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + LCS Gets The Shaft at The Draft + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LCS went to Hartford for the 1994 N.H.L. Entry Draft in the hopes of taking a giant step towards league wide respectability. Instead, we got stepped on by the bureaucrats of the all mighty N.H.L. media relations department. It all started Monday, June 26, at 5:00 A.M. That's when the staff of LCS left the majestic 32 story S Tower (home to LC S and other fine businesses), located in the heart of the metropolis of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and headed down the "Yellow Brick Road" to Hartford, Connecticut. Along the way, we encountered five dead dear, seven houses on wheels, and a town called Fishkill. Even though we desperately wanted to take up roots in Fishkill, we resisted the temptation and continued on our mission to Hartford. After driving for over eight straight hours, we arrived at the plush and extravagant East Hartford Holiday Inn which would serve as our base of operations until the end of the draft. Once a small dispute over our reservations was settled, we fought our way through the crowds of adoring fans and autograph seekers all the way up to are deluxe apartment in the sky. We're movin' on up, movin' on up, to the east side, finally gonna get our piece of the pie-ie-ie-ie...oh, sorry, Jefferson's flashback. With the draft only a little more than 24 hours away, we needed to acclamate ourselves with the city of Hartford. We only rested for a few moments before making our way into downtown Hartford at approximately 2:15 P.M. Like homing pigeons we zeroed in on our never before seen destination of the Civic Center. The Civic Center is half mall, half hockey arena...50/50, little bit a this, little bit a that. The impact of the draft was easily seen inside the Civic Center, Whaler merchandise and decorations were scattered strategically throughout the mall. There was also a magnificent display of the N.H.L. trophies in the center of the first floor. After trying for several moments in vain to etch Joe Sakic's name on the Hart Trophy, we decided to find someplace to eat lunch. After careful deliberation, Wendy's was selected as our restaurant of choice. We weren't sure at the moment what made us choose Wendy's, but it had to be the hand of fate that intervened and steered us on the right path. Because as we were sitting down to enjoy our hamburgers and beverages of choice, senior writer Jim Iovino pointed out a man sitting only a few empty tables away. That man was none other than Scotty Bowman. The sudden shock of seeing Scotty Bowman in person, and the realization that a man of his age still risks eating at Wendy's, stunned us all momentarily. Before we could react, Bowman said goodbye to the two other gentlemen he was talking to and disappeared into the faceless crowd of Dave Thomas supporters. With this brush with greatness still fresh in our minds, we decided to wait no longer before picking up our press credentials. We hurried across the street and into the Sheraton Inn, which was serving as temporary headquarters for the N.H.L. As we entered the Connecticut Ballroom to pick up our credentials, the stares of disbelief began to burn the backs of our necks. We slowly progressed to the front of the line with much of the crowd waiting in anticipation to see what was going to happen when we reached the credentials desk. We stepped up to the desk, expecting trouble, and requested our credentials. To our surprise the clerks were extremely nice and produced our credentials, a schedule of events, and an invitation to a reception that night with no problems. We politely thanked them and triumphantly exited the room, much to the amazement of some of our elder onlookers. But things took a turn for the worse just seconds later. Stopping momentarily outside the ballroom to inspect all the fortunes we had just received proved to be a mistake. That's when Susan Aglietti, who we wrote to acquire press credentials, came out into the hallway and asked to see some I.D., and we graciously responded. Apparently not being able to deduce the answer from the birthdates on our drivers' licenses, she then asked how old we were. After answering,"19 and 18", she began to mutter repeatedly that this was a big mistake. Her final question involved LCS. "What is this?", she desperately asked while pointing at our publications name on our press credentials. We calmly told her it was our newsletter and she once again began to use the word "mistake". She then admitted it was all her fault, but we would not be allowed to cover the draft as media. When we told her how many readers we had and how far reaching our publication is, she just laughed. She tried to make up for it by giving us tickets to the draft so we could watch as spectators. This would have been a more heart felt gesture if tickets weren't free to the public anyway, and if we didn't receive much better seats at the door the next day like we did. The reason we weren't allowed press credentials, even though they had been approved, is still a little hazy. It apparently had to do with two things : our age and our newsletter's status in the hockey community. The age factor is quite ridiculous. At the age of 18 one is able to vote, fight in a war, and play in the N.H.L., but apparently not write about it. By not allowing us the opportunity to cover the draft as press, the N.H.L. has denied you, our valued and cherished readers, the chance to get the behind the scenes news, quotes, and interviews of the 1994 Draft. The bottom line is a lack of respect for LCS, you our readers, and all hockey fans in general. We would appreciate it greatly if you would write a letter expressing your displeasure with the N.H.L.'s treatment of LCS. After all, we planned this trip for over a month, promised you, our valued readers, press coverage of the draft, and traveled several hundred miles to arrive in Hartford only to have our plans crushed at the last minute. If you write a letter please be as polite as possible, but if you want to go loopy on them don't let us stop you. Everyone who writes the N.H.L. a letter and let's us know about it, either through our Email address or street address, will receive LCS's August player rating extravaganza and the September season preview absolutely free. You will also receive a special gift of thanks from us at LCS. So what are you waiting for? Send your letters to : Susan Aglietti NHL Public Relations Department 650 5th Avenue, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10019 Thank you very much for your time and support. Even though we were denied press credentials, we did our best to bring you the news and excitement of the draft. We hope you enjoy. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% BRUSHES WITH GREATNESS `````````````````````` by Jim Iovino Even though LCS got the shaft at the 1994 entry draft in Hartford, the staff still got to brush elbows with some of the great names in the game today. Our first encounter occurred in a most unusual place. While we were enjoying all of the sights that "the insurance capital of the world" had to offer, we decided to take a break and have some lunch. After gazing at all the great places to eat in the food court, we concluded that Wendy's was the place where we could saturate our appetites to the fullest. We placed our orders, picked up the food and started looking for a place to sit down. Our of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar face sitting down at a table not to far from us. Could it be? No...wait, is that who I think it is? Yes, it's Scotty Bowman, coach of the Detroit Red Wings. What is a hall of fame coach that has won six Stanley Cups in his career doing in Wendy's? Eating Biggie fries, of course. This proves that Scotty Bowman is not a machine and he likes to clog his arteries with greasy food just like you and me. Our computer boy, Zippy the Wonder Chimp, had an encounter that he wanted to share with you. He was standing in the hotel lobby of the Sheraton, minding his own business, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Bill Torrey appears. Zip recognized the president of the Florida Panthers by his snazzy bow tie that was perfectly placed below his chin. As Mr. Torrey was walking, he stopped in front of Zippy, and, with a dazed look on his face, told him; "Man, I don't know what I'm doing," and then continued on his way. Zip was stunned to say the least, and was in too much shock to try to explain to him how to get to the nearest exit. But Zip swears next time he'll be ready. We on the staff of LCS had a great time roaming the mall of the Civic Center in Hartford. We had no trouble finding celebrities from the hockey world. As we road up an escalator in the mall, we saw none other than Howard Baldwin, co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Hartford legend. When we passed him, the staff smiled at him and Mike Dell said, "Hey, Mr. Baldwin." He looked suspiciously at us as if we were going to rob him, but he managed to say a quick "hi" as we passed. Baldwin has done a great job with the Penguins ever since he and some of his associates bought the team from Edward DeBartolo, and look for him to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates and promise to keep them in Pittsburgh sometime in the near future. A brief, but memorable, experience came in an elevator of the Sheraton Inn. As we were leaving the Connecticut Ballroom, site of our denial for press passes, we took the elevator down a couple of floors. It stopped on one floor and Darryl Sutter, head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, got on and said, "Mind if you take me down about 15 feet?" We said no problem, and he rode down a floor and then went off on his merry way, probably going to talk trade with the Penguins about Jeremy Roenick. But that's just a guess. We met a lot of draftees both the days before and during the draft. Some were first round picks (Jaime Storr, Brett Lindros, Brad Brown) others I just can't seem to find in any list of possible draftees. I think they just dressed up in a suit and tie and hung out in front of the Civic Center and signed autographs. After the first two rounds of the draft were completed and everyone was heading home, we walked out one of the side doors onto one of the side streets to get to our car in the parking garage. We were then met by two guys selling hot dogs on the street corner. One of them said, "Hey there fellas, your way, right away!" We politely declined and walked across the street. Then, a few guys all dressed up in suits come walking out. I said to myself, "Hey, these guys must be important," and indeed one of them was. Barry Melrose, coach of the Los Angeles Kings was walking out with a few friends. I yelled at the other members of the staff to see if it really was Barry, and sure enough it was. Now, just seeing him would have been exciting enough, but wait, there's more. He starts walking past the guys with the dogs, they throw him their line and he is nothing but putty in their hands. Yes, Barry Melrose got a dog his way, right away. After forking over the money, he takes a big bite and runs across the street to catch up with the group he was with. What joy! We actually saw Barry Melrose buy a hot dog from a street corner vendor. How many other people can say that. If only Al Morganti were there, our trip would have been complete. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| FIRST ROUND PROVIDES PLENTY OF SURPRISES ======================================== The crowd at the Hartford Civic Center let out a collective groan of disbelief when the Florida Panthers selected defensemen Ed Jovanovski first overall. It's not as if the crowd did not respect Jovanovski, or that they couldn't understand the selection. But, Radek Bonk was most definitely the fan favorite in the competition for first pick. Throughout the evening, chants of "Bonk" rained down from the crowd as the draft grew nearer. The fact the 42 goal scoring Czech was not selected first overall left many stunned. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim kept the Bonk fans from celebrating for at least a few more minutes by drafting Russian defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky second overall. The Ottawa Senators were extremely happy to find Bonk still available and added him to their roster with the third pick overall. The Senators now possess an impressive trio of young forwards, Alexei Yashin, Alexandre Daigle, and Radek Bonk. The Edmonton Oilers didn't surprise anyone by selecting Jason Bonsignore, who may turn out to be the best player in the draft, with the fourth overall pick. And the Hartford Whalers went along as planned by choosing Jeff O'Niell with the fifth pick. The Hartford crowd approved of the selection and gave O'Niell the loudest ovation of the night. The Edmonton Oilers provided the second surprise of the evening with their second pick of the first round and the sixth overall. It was assumed by many that goalie Jamie Storr would be chosen to fill the void left by a departing Bill Ranford. However, the Oilers chose forward Ryan Smyth instead. This could mean three things: the Oilers are very close to signing Ranford, the Oilers will sign Ranford and trade him for a package which includes a capable goalie, or the Oilers will allow Ranford to leave and play Fred Brathwaite and Wayne Cowley for an entire season. We'll have to wait and see, but let's hope it doesn't come down to that last option. The Los Angeles Kings drafted next and did not allow Jamie Storr to slip through their fingers. Storr's Kings jersey did not have his name on it, this may be a sign that the Kings were as surprised as we were that the Oilers did not select him. The Tampa Bay Lightning chose power forward Jason Wiemer with the next choice. It was the last pick before them whacky Quebec Nordiques turned the draft on its ear. The Nordiques were scheduled to pick ninth and tenth in the first round. Having more young prospects than you can shake a stick at, the Nords correctly decided to trade their picks. The first move they made, or at least the first one announced, was to trade their ninth pick overall and Ron Sutter to the Islanders in exchange for the Islanders twelth pick overall and Uwe Krupp. With the Quebec's ninth pick, the Islanders selected Brett Lindros. Commissioner Gary Bettman then announced the biggest trade of the night, and one that left many fans speechless or extremely angry. Quebec traded Mats Sundin, Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner, and their tenth pick overall, to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson, and the Leafs' twenty-second pick overall. The trade was greeted with a chorus of boos from either angry Mats Sundin fans or irrate Wendel Clark admirers. The Maple Leafs continued the trading antics of Quebec by dealing the tenth pick they acquired in the Quebec deal and Rob Pearson to the Capitals for the Caps' sixteenth pick overall and Mike Ridley. Apparently what happened was that Toronto wanted to select Brett Lindros with the tenth pick, but they were submarined when the Nordiques traded their ninth pick to the Islanders, who then selected Lindros. With Lindros gone, the Leafs decided to trade down and acquire Ridley, a much needed center. The Caps traded up to select offensive defensman Nolan Baumgartner with the much traveled tenth pick. The Leafs eventually drafted goaltender Eric Fichaud with the Caps' sixteenth pick. Well, that's all the wild and crazy happenings of just the top ten picks. The following is the complete draft order of the entire first round. 1 - Florida Panthers - Ed Jovanovski (defenseman, 6' 2", 205 lbs.) - Big, tough defensemen who loves to hit, but has offensive skills. 2 - Anaheim Mighty Ducks - Oleg Tverdovsky (defensemen, 6' 0", 183 lbs.) - Extremely skilled offensive defenseman, has drawn comparisons to Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey. 3 - Ottawa Senators - Radek Bonk (center, 6' 3", 215 lbs.) - Great size and exceptional scoring touch for a big man. 4 - Edmonton Oilers - Jason Bonsignore (center, 6' 4", 208 lbs.) - Tremendous size and skill, patterns play after Mario Lemieux. 5 - Hartford Whalers - Jeff O'Neill (center, 6' 0", 176 lbs.) - Excellent skater with scoring touch, but has problems with consistency. 6 - Edmonton Oilers - Ryan Smyth (left wing, 6' 1", 183 lbs.) - Complete player, has great character and work ethic. 7 - Los Angeles Kings - Jamie Storr (goalie, 6' 1", 192 lbs.) - Excellent stand-up style goalie, plays angels well, and as been compared to Kirk Mclean. 8 - Tampa Bay Lightning - Jason Wiemer ( left wing, 6' 1", 215 lbs.) - Tough, power forward with good scoring touch. 9 - New York Islanders - Brett Lindros (right wing, 6' 4", 215 lbs.) - Big, strong forward who loves to hit and has a mean streak. 10 - Washington Capitals - Nolan Baumgartner (defensemen, 6' 1", 187 lbs.) - Offensive defenseman who moves the puck well. 11 - San Jose Sharks - Jeff Friesen (left wing, 6' 0", 183 lbs.) - Great scorer, but has big problem with consistency. 12 - Quebec Nordiques - Wade Belak (defenseman, 6' 5", 213 lbs.) - Big, strong, tough, and a great fighter. 13 - Vancouver Canucks - Mattias Ohlund (defenseman, 6' 3", 209 lbs.) - Big, stay-at-home defenseman who can play physical. 14 - Chicago Blackhawks - Ethan Moreau (left wing, 6' 2", 205 lbs.) - Has good size, can score and be a grinder. 15 - Washington Capitals - Alexander Kharlamov (left wing, 5' 11", 183 lbs.) - Hard working skilled player. Son of one of the all time greats, Valery Kharlamov. 16 - Toronto Maple Leafs - Eric Fichaud (goalie, 5' 11", 160 lbs.) - Butterfly style goalie, as been said to be a mirror image of Felix Potvin. 17 - Buffalo Sabres - Wayne Primeau (left wing, 6' 3", 193 lbs.) - Big winger who plays a strong physical game. 18 - Montreal Canadiens - Brad Brown (defenseman, 6' 3", 218 lbs.) - Strong defender who enjoys playing a tough, physical game. 19 - Calgary Flames - Chris Dingman (left wing, 6' 3", 231 lbs.) - Huge winger who loves to hit, plays hard every shift. 20 - Dallas Stars - Jason Botterill (left wing, 6' 3", 205 lbs.) - Power forward with good character. 21 - Boston Bruins - Evgeni Riabchikov (goalie, 5' 11", 167 lbs.) - He's Russian, so he's got to be pretty cool. 22 - Quebec Nordiques - Jeff Kealty (defenseman, 6' 5", 175 lbs.) - Tall, rangy, mobile defender. 23 - Detroit Red Wings - Jan Golubovsky (defenseman, 6' 3", 183 lbs.) - Good all around defender with offensive skills. 24 - Pittsburgh Penguins - Chris Wells (center, 6' 6", 215 lbs.) - Tremendous size and work ethic, continues to improve. 25 - New Jersey Devils - Vadim Sharifjanov (right wing, 5' 11", 180 lbs.) - Has skill and works well away from the puck. 26 - New York Rangers - Dan Cloutier (goalie, 6' 1", 185 lbs.) - Competitive, fiesty goalie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - COMPLETE TEAM BY TEAM PICKS - The following is a listing of each teams selections at the 1994 Entry Draft. ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS -------------------- 2. Oleg Tverdovsky, d, Krylja Sovetov-Moscow-RUS (Russia) 28. John Davidsson, c, HV71 - Jonkoping Sweden 67. Craig Reichert, rw, Red Deer (WHL) 80. Byron Briske, d, Red Deer (WHL) 106. Pavel Trnka, d, Pizon (Czech) 132. Jon Battaglia, rw, Caledon (Jr. A) 158. Mark Welsing, d, Wisconsin (USS) 184. Jake Englehart, lw, Kimbal Union (USS) 236. Tommi Miettinen, c, Kalpa (Finland) 262. Jeremy Stevenson, lw, Sault-St. Marie (OHL) BOSTON BRUINS ------------- 21. Evgeni Riabchikov, g, Molot-Perm-MHL (Russia) 47. Daniel Goneau, lw, Laval (QMJHL) 99. Eric Nickulas, c, Cushing Academy (USS) 125. Darren Wright, d, Prince Albert (WHL) 151. Andre Roy, lw, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 177. Jeremy Schaeffer, lw, Medicine Hat (WHL) 229. John Grahame, g, Sioux City (Jr. A) 255. Neil Savary, g, Hull (QMJHL) 281. Andrei Yakkanov, d, Sabant Y. UFA BUFFALO SABRES -------------- 17. Wayne Primeau, c, Owens Sound (OHL) 43. Curtis Brown, c, Moose Jaw (WHL) 69. Ruman Ndur, d, Guelph (OHL) 121. Sergei Klimentiev, d, Medicine Hat (WHL) 147. Cal Benazic, d, Medicine Hat (WHL) 168. Steve Plouffe, g, Granby (QMJHL) 173. Shane Hnidy, d, Prince Albert (WHL) 176. Steve Webb, rw, Peterborough (OHL) 199. Bob Westerby, lw, Kamloops (WHL) 225. Craig Miller, d, Swift Current (WHL) 251. Mark Polak, c, Medicine Hat (WHL) 277. Shayne Wright, d, Owens Sound (OHL) CALGARY FLAMES -------------- 19. Chris Dingman, lw, Brandon (WHL) 45. Dimitri Rabykin, d, Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 77. Chris Clark, rw, Springfield (US Junior) 91. Ryan Duthie, c,, Spokane (WHL) 97. Johan Finnstrom, d, Rogle (Sweden) 107. Nisse Eckman, f, Hammerly (Sweden) 123. Frank Appel, d, Dusseldorf (Germany) 149. Patrick Haltia, g, Farjestad (Sweden) 175. Ladislav Kohn, rw, Swift Current (WHL) 201. Keith McCambridge, d, Swift Current (WHL) 227. Jorgen Jonsson, f, Rogle (Sweden) 253. Mike Peluso, c, Omaha (Jr. A) 279. Pavel Torgajev, lw, TPS (Finland) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS ------------------ 14. Ethan Moreau, lw, Niagra Falls (OHL) 40. Jean-Yves Leroux, lw, Beaupert (QMJHL) 85. Steve Mclaren, d, North Bay (OHL) 118. Marc Dupuis, d, Belleville (OHL) 144. Jim Ensom, c, North Bay (OHL) 170 Tyler Prosofsky, c, Tacoma (WHL) 196. Mike Josephson, lw, Kamloops (WHL) 222. Lubomir Jandera, d, Litvinov (Russia) 248. Lars Weibel, g, Lugano (Switzerland) 263. Bob Mara, rw, Belmont Hill (USS) DALLAS STARS ------------ 20. Jason Botterill, lw, Michigan (CCHA) 46. Lee Jinman, c, North Bay (OHL) 98. Jamie Wright, lw, Guelph (OHL) 124. Marty Turco, g, Cambridge (Jr. B) 150. Evgeny Petrochinin, d, Spartak (Russia) 202, Raymond Giroux, d, Powasson (USS) 228. Marty Flichel, rw, Tacoma (WHL) 254. Jimmy Roy, c, Thunder Bay (Jr. A) 280. Chris Szysky, rw, Swift Current (WHL) DETROIT RED WINGS ----------------- 23. Yan Golubovsky, d, Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 49. Mathieu Dandenault, rw, Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 75. Sean Gillam, d, Spokane (WHL) 114. Frederic Deschenes, g, Granby (QMJHL) 127. Doug Battaglia, lw, Brockville (Jr. A) 153. Pavel Agarkov, f, Soviet Wings (Russia) 205. Jason Elliot, g, Kimberley (Jr. A) 231. Jeff Mikesch, c, Michigan Tech (USS) 257. Tomas Holmstrom, lw, Boden (Sweden) 283. Toivo Suursoo, lw, Soviet Wings (Russia) EDMONTON OILERS --------------- 4. Jason Bonsignore, c, Niagra Falls (OHL) 6. Ryan Smyth, lw, Moose Jaw (WHL) 32. Mike Watt, lw, Stratford (JR. B) 53. Corey Neilson, d, North Bay (OHL) 60. Brad Symes, d, Portland (WHL) 79. Adam Copeland, rw, Burlington (Jr. B) 95. Jussi Tarvainen, c, Kalpa (Finland) 110. Jon Gaskins, d, Dubuque (USJ) 136. Terry Marchant, lw, Niagra (Jr. A) 160. Curtis Sheptak, lw, Olds (Tier II) 162. Dimitrius Sulba, rw, Tivali Minsk (Russia) 179. Chris Wickenheiser, g, Red Deer (WHL) 185. Rob Guinn, d, Newmarket (OHL) 188. Jason Reid, d, St. Andrew's HS (Aurora Ont.) 214. Jeremy Jablonski, g, Victoria (WHL) 266. Ladislav Benysek, d, Olomouc (Czech) FLORIDA PANTHERS ---------------- 1. Ed Jovanovski, d, Windsor (OHL) 27. Rhett Warrener, d, Saskatoon (WHL) 31. Jason Podollan, rw, Spokane (WHL) 36. Ryan Johnson, c, Thunder Bay (USHL) 84. Davis Nemirovsky, rw, Ottawa (OHL) 105. Dave Geris, d, Windsor (OHL) 157. Matt O'Dette, d, Kitchener (OHL) 183. Jason Boudrias, c, Laval (QMJHL) 235. Tero Lehtera, lw, Espoo (Finland) 261. Per Gustafsson, d, HV 71 (Sweden) HARTFORD WHALERS ---------------- 5. Jeff O'Neill, c, Guelph (OHL) 83. Hnat Domenichelli, c, Kamloops (WHL) 109. Ryan Risidorf, d, Guelph (OHL) 187. Tom Buckley, c, St. Joseph (USS) 213. Ashlin Halfnight, d, Harvard (USS) 230. Matt Ball, rw, Detroit (OHL) 239. Brian Regan, c, Westminister (USS) 265. Steve Nimigon, lw, Niagra Falls (OHL) LOS ANGELES KINGS ----------------- 7. Jamie Storr, g, Owens Sound (OHL) 33. Matt Johnson, lw, Peterborough (OHL) 59. Vitali Yachmenev, rw, North Bay (OHL) 111. Chris Schmidt, c, Seattle (WHL) 163. Luc Gagne, rw, Sudbury (OHL) 189. Andrew Dale, c, Sudbury (OHL) 215. Jan Nemecek, d, Budejovice (Czech) 241. Sergei Shalomai, f, Spartak (Russia) MONTREAL CANADIENS ------------------ 18. Brad Brown, d, North Bay (OHL) 44. Jose Theadore, g, St. Jean (QMJHL) 54. Chris Murray, rw, Kamloops (WHL) 70. Marko Kiprusoff, d, TPS (Finland) 74. Martin Belanger, d, Granby (QMJHL) 96. Arto Kuki, c, Espoo (Finland) 122. Jimmy Drolet, d, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 148. Joel Irving, c, Regina (Midget) 174. Jesse Rezansoff, rw, Regina (WHL) 200. Peter Strom, f, Frolunda (Sweden) 226 Tomas Vukoun, g, Poldi Kladno (Czech) 252. Chris Aldous, d, Northwood Prep (USS) 278. Ross Parsons, d, Regina (WHL) NEW JERSEY DEVILS ----------------- 25. Vadim Sharifjanov, rw, Salavat (Russia) 51. Patrik Elias, f, Kladno, Czech Republic 103. Zdenek Skorepa, f, Litvinov (Czech) 129. Christian Gosselin, d, St-Hyacinthe (QMJHL) 134. Ryan Smart, c, Meadville (USS) 155. Muciano Caravaggio, g, Michigan Tech (USS) 181. Jeff Williams, c, Guelph (OHL) 207. Eric Bertrand, lw, Granby (QMJHL) 233. Steve Sulloivan, c, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 259. Scott Swanjord, g, Waterloo (Jr. A) 269. Mike Hansen, c, Minot (USS) NEW YORK ISLANDERS ------------------ 9. Brett Lindros, rw, Kingston (OHL) 38. Jason Holland, d, Kamloops (WHL) 63. Jason Strudwick, d, Kamloops (WHL) 71. Sheldon Souray, d, Tri-City (WHL) 90. Brad Lukowich, d, Kamloops (WHL) 112. Mark McArthur, g, Guelph (OHL) 116. Albert O'Connel, lw, St. Sebastien's (USS) 142. Jason Stewart, d, Simley (USS) 194. Mike Loach, c, Windsor (OHL) 203. Peter Hogardh, c, Frolunda (Sweden) 220. Gord Walsh, lw, Kingston (OHL) 246. Kirk Dewaele, d, Lethbridge (WHL) 272. Dick Tarnstrom, d, AIK (Sweden) NEW YORK RANGERS ---------------- 26. Dan Cloutier, g, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 52. Rudolf Vercik, f, Slovan Bratislava, Europe 78. Adam Smith, d, Tacoma (WHL) 100. Alexander Korobolin, d, Chelybinsk (Russia) 104. Sylvain Blouin, d, Laval (QMJHL) 130. Martin Ethier, d, Beauport (QMJHL) 135. Yuro Litvinov, c, Soviet Wings (Russia) 156. David Brousseau, c, Shawinigan (QMJHL) 182. Alexei Lazarenko, f, Red Army (Russia) 208. Craig Anderson, d, Park Center (USS) 209. Vitali Yeremenev, g, Kamenogorsk (Russia) 234. Eric Boulton, lw, Oshawa (OHL) 260. Radoslav Kropac, f, Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) 267. Jamie Butt, lw, Tacoma (WHL) 286. Kim Johnsson, d, Malmo (Sweden) OTTAWA SENATORS --------------- 3. Radek Bonk, c, Las Vegas (IHL) 29. Stanislav Neckar, d, Budejovice, Czech Republic 81. Bryan Masotta, g, Hotchkiss (USS) 131. Mike Gaffney, d, St. Johns (USS) 133. Daniel Alfredsson, f, Frolunda (Sweden) 159. Doug Sproule, lw, Hotchkiss (USS) 210. Frederic Cassivi, g, St-Hyacinthe (QMJHL) 211. Danny Dupont, d, Laval (QMJHL) 237. Stephan MacKinnon, d, Cushing Academy (USS) 274. Antti Tormanen, rw, Jokerit (Finland) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS ------------------- 62. Artem Anisimov, d, Itil Kazan (Russia) 88. Adam Magarrell, d, Brandon (WHL) 101. Sebastien Vallee, lw, Victoriaville (QMJHL) 140. Alexander Selvanov, rw, Spartak (Russia) 166. Colin Forbes, lw, Sherwood Park (Tier II) 192. Derek Diener, d, Lethbridge (WHL) 218. Johan Hedberg, g, Leksand (Sweden) 244. Andre Payette, c, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 270. Jan Lipianski, f, Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ------------------- 24. Chris Wells, c, Seattle (WHL) 50. Richard Park, c, Belleville (OHL) 57. Sven Butenschon, d, Brandon (WHL) 73. Greg Crozier, lw, Lawrence Academy (USS) 76. Alexei Krivchenko, d, Red Army (Russia) 102. Thomas O'Conner, d, Springfield (US Jr) 128. Clint Johnson, lw, Duluth East (USS) 154. Valentin Morozov, c, Red Army (Russia) 161. Serge Aubin, c, Granby (QMJHL) 180. Drew Palmer, d, Seattle (WHL) 206. Boris Zelenko, f, Red Army (Russia) 232. Jason Godbout, d, Hill-Murray (USS) 258. Mikhail Kazakevich, c, Torpedo Jaroslav (Russia) 284. Brian Leitza, g, Sioux City (Jr. A) QUEBEC NORDIQUES ---------------- 12. Wade Belak, d, Saskatoon (WHL) 22. Jeff Kealty, d, Catholic Memorial (USHS east) 35. Josef Marha, c, Jihlava, Czech Republic 61. Sebastien Beaty, d, Drummondville (QMJHL) 72. Chris Drury,, c, Fairfield Prep (USS) 87. Milan Hejduk, f, Pardubice (Czech) 113. Tony Tuzzolino, rw, Michigan State (USS) 139. Nicholas Windsor, d, Cornwall (Jr. A) 165. Calvin Elfring, d, Powell River (Tier II) 191. Jay Bertsch, rw, Spokane (WHL) 217. Tim Thomas, g, Vermont (USS) 243. Chris Pittman, lw, Kitchener (OHL) 285. Steven Low, d, Sherbrooke (QMJHL) ST.LOUIS BLUES -------------- 68. Stephane Roy, c, Val d' Or (QMJHL) 94. Tyler Harlton, d, Verdon (Tier II) 120. Edvin Frylen, d, Vasteras (Sweden) 172. Roman Vopat, c, Litvinov (Russia) 198. Steve Noble, c, Stratford (Jr. B) 224. Marc Stephan, c, Tri-City (WHL) 250. Kevin Harper, d, Wexford (Jr. A) 276. Scott Fankhouser, g, Loomis (USS) SAN JOSE SHARKS --------------- 11. Jeff Friesen, lw, Regina (WHL) 37. Angel Nikulov, d, Litvinov, Europe 66. Alexei Yegorov, f, St. Petersburg (Russia) 89. Vaclav Varada, f, Vitkovice (Czech) 115. Brian Swanson, c, Omaha (USJ) 141. Alexander Korolyuk, c, Soviet Wings (Russia) 167. Sergei Gorbachev, f, Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 193. Eric Landry, rw, Guelph (OHL) 219. Evgeny Nabokov, g, Kamensgorsk (Russia) 240. Tomas Pisa, f, Pardubice (Czech) 245. Aniket Dhadphale, lw, Marquette (USS) 271. David Beauregard, lw, St-Hyacinthe (QMJHL) 287. Ned Schmidgal, c, Dynamo Moscow (Russia) TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ------------------- 8. Jason Wiemer, lw, Portland (WHL) 34. Collin Cloutier, c, Brandon (WHL) 55. Vadim Epanchintsev, c, Spartak (Russia) 86. Dimitri Klevakin, f, Spartak (Russia) 137. Daniel Juden, c, Governor Dummer (USS) 138. Bryce Salvador, d, Lethbridge (WHL) 164. Chris Maillet, d, Red Deer (WHL) 190. Alexei Baranov, d, Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 216. Yuri Smirnov, f, Spartak (Russia) 242. Shawn Gervais, c, Seattle (WHL) 268. Brian White, d, Arlington Catholic (USS) TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ------------------- 16. Eric Fichaud, g, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 48. Sean Haggerty, lw, Detroit (OHL) 64. Fredrik Modin, f, Sundsvall (Sweden) 126. Mark Deyell, c, Saskatoon (WHL) 152. Kam White, d, Newmarket (OHL) 178. Tommi Rajamaki, d, Assat Jr. 204. Rob Butler, lw, Niagra (Jr. A) 256. Sergei Berezin, rw, Khimik (Russia) 282. Doug Nolan, lw, Catholic Memorial (USS) VANCOUVER CANUCKS ----------------- 13. Mattias Ohlund, d, Pitea Division I-Sweden 39. Robb Gordon, c, Powell River (Jr. A) 42. Dave Scatchard, c, Portland (WHL) 65. Chad Allen, d, Saskatoon (WHL) 92. Mike Dubinsky, rw, Brandon (WHL) 117. Yannick Dube, c, Laval (QMJHL) 169. Yuri Kuznetsov, c, Avangard Omsk (Russia) 195. Rob Trumbley, c, Moose Jaw (WHL) 221. Bill Muckalt, c, Kelowna (Tier II) 247. Tyson Nash, lw Kamloops (WHL) 273. Robert Longpre, c, Medicine Hat (WHL) WASHINGTON CAPITALS ------------------- 10. Nolan Baumgartner, d, Kamloops (WHL) 15. Alexander Kharlamov, lw, Cska Moscow (Russia) 41. Scott Cherrey, lw, North Bay (OHL) 93. Matthew Herr, c, Hotchkiss (USS) 119. Yannick Jean, d, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 145. Dimitri Mekeshin, d, Avangard Omsk (Russia) 171. Daniel Reja, c, London (OHL) 197. Chris Patrick, lw, Kent (USS) 223. John Tuchy, d, Kent (USS) 249. Richard Zednik, f, (club unavailable) 275. Sergei Tertyshyn, d, Chelybinsk (Russia) WINNIPEG JETS ------------- 30. Deron Quint, d, Seattle (WHL) 56. Dorian Anneck, c, Victoria (WHL) 58. Tavis Hansen, c, Tacoma (WHL) 82. Steve Cheredaryk, d, Medicine Hat (WHL) 108. Craig Mills, rw, Belleville (OHL) 143. Steve Vezina, g, Beauport (QMJHL) 146. Chris Kibermanis, d, Red Deer (WHL) 186. Ravil Saifulin, f, Avangard Omsk (Russia) 212. Henrik Smangs, g, Leksand (Sweden) 238. Mike Mader, d, Loomis (USS) 264. Jason Issel, lw, Prince Albert (WHL) --------------------------------------------------------------------- HUMOR POSSIBLY ONLY UNDERSTOOD BY LCS AND TRAINED CHIMPS --------------------------------------------------------------------- * LCS'S TOP TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE ATTENDANCE IN HARTFORD * =================================================================== 10. The first twenty-five people through the door are named designated drivers for team and management. 9. Free cans of lard. 8. Puppet shows. 7. 80 year old organ lady entertains crowd with music, while eating pretzels and guzzling beer. 6. Win a game once and a while. 5. Two words: Free Willy. 4. If the Whalers score five goals...Greenpeace stickers for everybody. 3. Blow hole at center ice. 2. If you attend 20 home games...you start at center for the rest of the season. 1. New mascot: Dickie the Whale! * LCS'S TOP TEN THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE 1994 N.H.L. ENTRY DRAFT * ============================================================================ 10. " I'm sorry Mr. Murray, but you and Mr. Page are going to have to leave." 9. " You think Bettman could at least stand to greet everyone...oh, he is." 8. " What does the i in CHiPs stand for?" 7. " So, is the puck filled with pudding or jelly?" 6. " How come the Whalers aren't serving alcohol this year?" 5. " Sore, itchy.. little bit of both." 4. " Hartford still has a team?" 3. " Oh, I don't know...just pick a Russian." 2. " Al Morganti's on the loose... RUN!!!!!!!!!" 1. " Ya, I just met those guys from LCS...hey, where's my wallet?!?" ******************************************************************** Opinions, opinions, opinions...LCS is packed with 'em ---------------------------------------------------------------- Editorial: Doug Gilmour, Superstar or Weasel??? ================================================ I Think Gilmour's Cute ---------------------- by Jim Iovino Doug Gilmour is one of the best playmakers in the game today. Gilmour knows the strengths of his linemates and perhaps uses them to his advantage better than any other player in the league. He realizes that he is not blessed with the best shot in the game, so he makes up for it with hustle and creativity. Gilmour's stats show that he does not score a lot of goals, but as long as he sets up Dave Andreychuk, Wendel Clark, Mike Gartner and Nikolai Borschevsky with beautiful passes that they'll bang home, it's like he is scoring them himself. He does most of the puckhandling on his line, controlling the play on the ice like Wayne Gretzky does in L.A. Unlike some stars in the league today, "Killer" will not back down from anyone. He's not afraid to go into the corner after pucks and he doesn't shy away from physical play. He is considered a dirty player by some, but, in the Dale Hunter mold, he knows how and when to get away with things. Probably Gilmour's strong point is his attitude towards the game. He wants to win, and his numbers prove it. Over his 11 year career, he has maintained over a point per game average (936 points in 856 games), including 304 goals. Even though that 1.09 p.p.g. average is impressive, he gets even better as the playoffs roll around. In 123 playoff games, he has scored 146 points for a points per game average of 1.18. These stats show just how much he wants to win. To take this point even further, Gilmour tied for the league lead in points during the 1986 playoffs (21 points in 19 games) while with St. Louis. One point of his game that doesn't get mentioned enough is his defensive play. He has consistently been a plus player in the plus/minus department. He is a fierce backchecker who also is a tremendous penalty killer. Gilmour received the Frank J. Selke Trophy after the 1992-93 season for being named the best defensive forward in the league, proving that he takes the defensive part of his game just as seriously as the offensive. Doug Gilmour is one of the best in the game today. In the past, he has been overshadowed by others around the league. But now he is the leader in Toronto, the one his teammates look up to for the big plays. It seems as though he likes the added stress and it makes him raise his play to another level. The pressure is on him to win the Stanley Cup for the Maple Leafs. He did it once before in Calgary, and there's no reason why he can't do it again. Gilmour is a WEASEL ------------------- by Zippy The Wonder Chimp and Michael Dell Let me start by saying I think Doug Gilmour is a player, not a good player, but a player. It angers me every time I hear someone compare Gilmour to Lemieux, LaFontaine, or other truely great players of the game. If one is to be a great player, he would have to score more than 25 goals a season, or he should at least be able to break a paper bag with his shot. Unfortunately, Gilmour can't do either. Maybe he'd be able to shoot better if he didn't use the second gayest blade in the N.H.L.(Adam Oates owns the gayest blade in th N.H.L.). Try putting a curve on it, Doug, it couldn't hurt. He also doesn't see the ice on the same level as the great passers of today. Now I realize Gilmour has compiled 179 assists over the past two seasons, but most of those assists are a result of him receiving an over abundance of ice time on a team without depth at the center position. Playing alongside Dave Andreychuk and Wendel Clark doesn't hurt either. If John Cullen had more of a chance to have played with Andreychuck and Clark, even he could have had 80 assists, Pepe. That's a lot from someone closely resembling a block of cheese. Gilmour's true test will come next season when Clark's not there, and Mats Sundin and Mike Ridley eat away at his ice time. After all, did anyone ever mention Gillmour's name in the same sentence with Lemieux and Gretzky when he was sharing ice time with Joe Nieuwendyk back in Calgary ? I don't think so. And what about how tough and courageous Doug Gilmour is ? I'll admit, it takes courage to play in the N.H.L. at his size, and he doesn't shy away from physical play. But, a pair of incidents in this year's playoffs made me think of Gilmour as a weasel. I'm sure everyone remembers when Vancouver's Tim Hunter crushed Gilmour with a clean check behind the net during the Western Conference Finals. Gilmour stood around while Rob Pearson began to pummel Hunter, which Pearson should have done...clean or not, no one should hit your star that hard and get away with it. When things finally settled down, and play was about to start, Gilmour skates over to Cliff Ronning, the only player on the ice smaller than himself, and tries to pick a fight. Now that's courage for ya ! In another instance during the series with the Sharks I can remember a fight between Gilmour and the fierce heavyweight and altogether cool Russian, Sandis Ozolinsh. This was not really a fight, for all Gilmour did was hide like a little school girl and beg Ozolinsh not to knock out another tooth. It wasn't until the refs separated the two that Gilmour put on his tough act, which is sort of like a chimp act but without bicycles. Other people may also think of Gilmour as a tremendous leader, so wouldn't one think Gilmour should have lead Toronto to a Stanley Cup by now? In the past few seasons, players like Messier, Roy, and Lemieux have brought hockey's most coveted trophy to their respective teams, yet Gilmour fails to lead his Leafs to even a Conference Championship. Those players are the real leaders, Lemieux even played with a back injury that would have kept many players on the bench. To be a real leader Gilmour would have to take the Leafs to the Cup, until then I do not think his is deserving of such praise. To sum up, Doug Gilmour is a player. However, his straight blade, 20 goal seasons, past scoring history, and momentary losses of courage are all signs of being a big time weasel. ______________________________________________________________________________ Letters To The Editor ===================== Dearest LCS, It's great to see a hockey paper that gives some credit to Bob Corkum. You couldn't have been more correct in giving Corkum the MVP award for the Ducks. He was by far the most surprising and invaluable player on the team. When he was picked by the Ducks, I (along with quite a few other people) envisioned him as a 3rd line checking center. Little did anyone know that he had a wrist shot that would net him 20+ goals. I have to disagree with you that there were no disappointments with the Ducks though. First of all, the Paul Kariya mess was a major disappointment to all Ducks fans. He should have been signed after his great performance at the Olympics. Kariya could have been the final piece in a playoff drive that never really was. Hats off to the freaks that had the K - A - R - I - Y - A shirts on in the front row during the Montreal Canadiens game. The Ducks have to sign him this summer to add the superstar player they need to take it to the next level. The other disappointment was Steven King. Coming off of a brief stint with the Rangers, which was very promising, he never showed up in Anaheim. He played horribly, and I was not suprised to find him sitting up with me in the stands most of the year. To answer your other intriguing questions. Cullen vs. Cheese: I would have to cast a ballot for the block of cheese. As to whether Gilmour's missing front teeth are neater than Oates' single eye-brow, that's a toss up. The i in CHiPS stands for Irik Istreda, of course. I can't wait to read about your adventures at the draft. Keep up the good work. Chris Wegner ( Address witheld to protect the innocent. ) LCS: The reason Kariya was not selected is because he is not a Duck yet. If Steve King was any good the Rangers would not have left him unprotected in the expansion draft. So, his lack of production can't be considered a big disappointment. Irik Istrada was a good try, but your not right, Paco. The search must continue...maybe the KGB knows. Dear LCS, I recently sat down to read your newsletter for the first time. I must say that I'm quite impressed. You guys sound so zany and fun that you could almost be my friends. I feel like I know you already. I'm writing in response to one of your thought-provoking questions. Who is better...Doug Gilmour or Adam Oates? My vote has to go to Gilmour. Gilmour is the glue that holds Toronto together. Without him, Andreychuck would not come near his 53 goals of this past season. Gilmour is the offensive sparkplug of the team. He has somewhat impressive speed and logs a ton of ice time. If he would only get a curved blade, he could possibly double his goal output. Adam Oates does not have near the same impact as Doug Gilmour. Sincerely, Dave Miller P.S. How dare you compare John Cullen to a block of cheese. The cheese deserves so much more respect. After all, you don't have to PAY the cheese to stink...just let it sit out for a couple of days. LCS: Geez, Dave, you sound so wacky and zany you could be our friend. We feel like we know you already. ______________________________________________________________________________ PENGUINS DISAPPOINT TWO YEARS IN A ROW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Jim Iovino At least Edmonton had an excuse. When the Oilers were in the middle of their dynamic run on Stanley Cups, owner Peter Pocklington dismantled the franchise much to the dismay of both players and fans. The Pittsburgh Penguins, on the other hand, have no one to blame but themselves for the losses last year in the playoffs to the New York Islanders and this season to the Washington Capitals. They could have become a dynasty that would rival the Oilers as one of the greatest teams of all-time. Instead, they will always be remembered by fans as the team that failed miserably in the playoffs two years in a row in attempt to win a third Stanley Cup. In their latest playoff blunder, the Pens uncovered many of their own flaws that must be addressed if the franchise wants to win another Cup. For starters, the team has one of the slowest, and oldest, defenses in the league. Grant Jennings, 29, Mike Ramsey, 34, Kjell Samuelsson, 36, and Peter Taglianetti, 30, have limited range and are getting up in years. There's not much more that the team can expect to get out of them. By the time they, along with Larry Murphy and Ulf Samuelsson, play a grueling regular season, they are running on empty and can't keep up with the fast and rough pace set in the post season. Larry Murphy, in particular, struggled in the playoffs because he logged so much ice time in the regular season. The Penguins need to add an offensive defenseman who can also play some defense to take a lot of pressure off of the 33 year old Murphy. Greg Hawgood and Greg Brown are not the answers. At age 30, Ulfie Samuelsson is still one of the best in the game, but he can't continue to sacrifice his body day in and day out. Someone needs to take some stress off of these important players and help contribute something to the team. Perhaps it's time to let some of the younger defensemen play their way into the lineup. Chris Tamer made the most of his opportunity with the big club this past season, proving that he can handle playing in the NHL. Others such as Greg Andrusak, Paul Dyck, Ian Moran and Pat Neaton must feel like they're on the outside looking in at this point. They know they can play, but it must seem as if they're watching their careers go by the wayside as they sit and wait for their opportunity to show what they can do. The one facet of the Penguins game that was missing during the playoffs this past season was the fact that the team did not have a checking line. In the past, such grinders as Bob Errey and Troy Loney tormented defenses with their dump-and-chase style of play. When players work the puck along the boards, they tire out their opponent. Another good point about grinding forwards is how they interfere with the opposition's defensive strategy. The Capitals had an easy time defending against the Pens in the playoffs. All three Pittsburgh lines played the same style of game. Each carried the puck in the zone and looked to score right away. None of the lines dumped the puck in because they wouldn't go into the corners and grind it out. Players like Larry DePalma and Jim McKenzie could have been effective if given the opportunity to play. Even if they didn't score, they would be able to cause some havoc on the ice. One of the most frustrating things about watching the Penguins play in the playoffs was their lack of intensity. On paper, they should have dominated the Capitals. But as it turned out, Washington won because they wanted it more. Only a few players actually looked as if they cared about what was going on on the ice. Rick Tocchet showed how bad he wanted to win with constant hustle and effort even though he had a bad back. Lemieux did not look like himself most of the series, and one could tell that he was hurting, but at least he was trying. Doug Brown, Shawn McEachern and Martin Straka played well when given the chance, and Jaromir Jagr provided effort, but played too much like an individual, often trying to beat three men at one time instead of dumping the puck in and waiting for help. Some players disappeared in the post-season. Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Tomas Sandstrom and Kevin Stevens faded away as the playoffs rolled around. Usually, if Ron Francis does not score, he can contribute in another way. Face-offs are his specialty, but in the Capitals series he struggled, winning very few. Over his career, Joey Mullen has been counted on as a clutch scorer in the playoffs. He looked like a totally different player in the series against Washington. The jump wasn't in his legs and most of the bounces didn't go his way. However, people shouldn't get down on either one of these players just for what they did, or didn't do, in the playoffs. They played tremendously in the regular season, and without them, the Pens definitely would not have won their division. Tomas Sandstrom turned out to be a big disappointment for the Pens after being acquired from Los Angeles in the Marty McSorely trade. This deal made little sense for the Penguins in the first place. Instead of asking for a solid defenseman who could play in both ends of the ice (such as Rob Blake), they ended up with two players that they didn't really need. Once McEachern and Sandstrom arrived, they created an overload of forwards. This hurt the team in the playoffs, causing the grinders to lose their ice time. Sandstrom did not show any signs of the player that he once was. He could not finish plays like he did in L.A., and he wasn't the feisty (or sometimes dirty) player that people heard so much about over the past few years. Kevin Stevens. What is the matter with this muscle-bound forward? It seems the more he plays, the less he works. In his rookie season, Stevens could be found crashing people into the boards, working hard in front of the net and back-checking like it was the last shift of his career. Now he's a totally different player. He'll carry the puck into the zone, try to create a play (which is not his style of game), lose the puck, then take his time getting back into the play. Somewhere along the line, he forgot what the word backcheck means. This flaw becomes more evident when Stevens doesn't score. At least he could try to do something to help the team when he isn't scoring. But as it is, he's a huge defensive liability that his linemates must make up for. Either he improves his overall game or he must be traded, especially if Lemieux does not return to the team next season. As shown above, a lot of changes have to be made if the Penguins want to get back to the playoffs and be effective. General Manager Craig Patrick has a big task ahead of him. He has to find a way to replace an aging defensive corp to help out Tom Barrasso (who had an excellent playoff series) in net and create a balanced offense that can be more efficient in the playoffs. Good luck, Mr. Patrick. You're going to need it. ==================================================================== Oh, Those Wacky Trades! {{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}}}} OFF-SEASON TRANSACTIONS ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS- Traded left wing Troy Loney to the New York Islanders for defenseman Tom Kurvers. Acquired Robert Dirk, defenseman, from the Chicago Blackhawks for a fourth-round draft pick in 1995. BOSTON BRUINS- Signed defenseman Alexei Kasatonov. CALGARY FLAMES- Traded goaltender Mike Vernon to the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Steve Chaisson. Traded defenseman Al MacInnis and 1997 fourth round pick to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Phil Housley and 1996 and 1997 second round draft choices. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS- Signed Brent Grieve to a contract. Signed Bernie Nicholls to a 2 year contract. FLORIDA PANTHERS- Signed defenseman Randy Moller. HARTFORD WHALERS- Named Paul Holmgren as new head coach. Signed Jimmy Carson to a multi-year contract. LOS ANGELES KINGS- Traded defenseman Jim Paek to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations. MONTREAL CANADIENS- Traded defenseman Kevin Haller to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Yves Racine. NEW JERSEY DEVILS- Matched the St. Louis Blues offer to defenseman Scott Stevens. NEW YORK ISLANDERS- Traded 1994 first round pick (12th overall) and defenseman Uwe Krupp to the Quebec Nordiques for their first round selection (9th overall) and center Ron Sutter. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS- Named Terry Murray new head coach. Signed free agent center Craig MacTavish to two-year contract. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS- Signed defenseman Kjell Samuelsson to new contract. QUEBEC NORDIQUES- Traded center Mats Sundin, defenseman Garth Butcher, left wing Todd Warriner and their 1994 first round pick (10th overall) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for left wing Wendel Clark, defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre, right wing Landon Wilson and their 1994 first round selection (22nd overall). Hired Mark Crawford as head coach and Jacques Martin as assistant coach. ST. LOUIS BLUES- Signed goaltender Jon Casey. Signed left wing Brendan Shanahan to five year contract. Signed free agent defenseman Scott Stevens to an offer sheet. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS- Traded right wing Rob Pearson and their 1994 first round selection (10th overall) to the Washington Capitals for center Mike Ridley and their first round pick (16th overall) in the 1994 draft. VANCOUVER CANUCKS- Signed left wing Shawn Antoski to a multi-year contract. Signed defenseman Jyrki Lumme to a multi-year contract. ___________________________________________________________________ Questions O' The Month ====================== Question #2: Who is your favorite player and why? Example: I like Randy Gilhen because he looks like a cast member from the Planet of The Apes. Bonus #2: What would you have done to get Gilligan off the island? Bonus #3: What is the name of the band in The Muppet Movie? Hmmm? Send responses to aq117@freenet.carleton.ca Send us some mail, Buck-o! Please, Oh Please, send us some mail! Next Issue: Player Rating Extravaganza (August 15...Hopefully) ^^^^^^^^^^ We don't know what the following means, but it sounds cool. It's time for us to Regulate, cause they got our homey hemmed up. We're about to explode. LCS is about to make some bodies turn cold. We out!