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To subscribe/unsubscribe from the LCS Hockey mailing list contact zippy@lcshockey.com You may access LCS Guide to Hockey on America Online at keyword "LCS Hockey". ------------------------------------------------------------------- Take the Money and Run ------------------------------------------------------------------- by Jim Iovino With the Detroit Red Wings slumping through an unheard of four-game losing streak, the team turned to its leaders to take control and right the sinking ship. And who did they turn to? They looked around the locker room and turned to those who they count on the most - Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and Chris Osgood. Wait a minute. There's one name missing from that list. Who's that guy? Sergei something, I believe... A voice from the weight room speaks up. "You mean Sergei Fedorov?" Yeah, that's the one. Sergei Fedorov. Where has he been through all of this? "Oh, he's over in the far corner of the locker room counting his money, that lucky bastard." In case you didn't know, Sergei Fedorov is the highest-paid player in the league this season. Thanks to a front-loaded offer sheet from the Carolina Hurricanes that the Red Wings matched, Fedorov will make $14 million this season, $5.5 million more than Eric Lindros and Paul Kariya will make, $6 million more than Dominik Hasek and $400,000 more than the entire Nashville Predators' payroll. So far in the 1998-99 season, the Red Wings are dishing out $7 million per goal. Not a bad deal for Sergei Fedorov. The Red Wings, on the other hand, can't be very happy. Fedorov is in a slump. Through 13 games, Fedorov is eighth on the team in scoring. He has scored just two goals and four assists while posting a -6 in the plus/minus department. But it's not just Fedorov. The rest of his line is struggling, as well. Dougie Brown does have four goals, but only one assist. Slava Kozlov has no goals and just three assists. But it doesn't appear that the Red Wings are concerned with their struggling superstar. Fedorov did score 20 points in the playoffs last season, so it wasn't as if he folded up the tent right away after signing the big deal. The Wings were happy with that. They can't be pleased with his performance this season, but they're not going to say much. Two consecutive Stanley Cups will tend to shut management up real quick. How long the Wings keep quiet while Fedorov struggles is another story, especially if the team starts to spin into another downward spiral. Do they let him slide through the regular season and hope he takes off again in the playoffs? Or do they pull him aside and tell him they want more for their money? No matter what, this scoring slump is not making Fedorov look good. And Fedorov's all about looking good. He's not looking good in the eyes of management. He's not looking good in the eyes of the fans. And he's sure not looking good in the eyes of those who selected him for their fantasy hockey teams. Fedorov must start scoring, and he must start soon. After this season, Fedorov's salary drops down to just $2 million per year. And if his play doesn't improve from its current status, he might be seeing a lot more of those so-called low-budget paychecks. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CREDITS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief Zippy..................................Computer Boy Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter Matthew Secosky.......Does Not Have a Police Record Nicole Agostino.........Was Right About the Calcium Dan Hurwitz.........................Featured Writer John Alsedek........................Featured Writer Alex Carswell.................Anaheim Correspondent Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent Mark Zampogna.................Buffalo Correspondent Simon D. Lewis................Calgary Correspondent Scott Pagel..................Carolina Correspondent Thomas Crawford...............Chicago Correspondent Greg D'Avis..................Colorado Correspondent Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent Dino Cacciola.................Detroit Correspondent Aubrey Chau..................Edmonton Correspondent Vacant........................Florida Correspondent Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent Jacques Robert...............Montreal Correspondent Jeff Middleton..............Nashville Correspondent Eric Witzel................New Jersey Correspondent David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents Eric Meyer...............Philadelphia Correspondent Bob Chebat....................Phoenix Correspondent Tom Cooper..................St. Louis Correspondent Al Swanson...................San Jose Correspondent Seth Lerman.................Tampa Bay Correspondent Jonah Sigel...................Toronto Correspondent Jeff Dubois.................Vancouver Correspondent Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent Tricia McMillan...................AHL Correspondent James Clippinger..............College Correspondent Chris Foreman.........................Correspondent ----------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Hockey - Issue 107 - November 11, 1998. All rights reserved because we, like, called ahead and stuff. Email address: info@lcshockey.com Street Address: 406 Sheffield Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601. Web Address: www.lcshockey.com Direct Address: Something from the meat case, Linda? ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ties Are Gay ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell Not everything about the NHL is stupid. Some things are gay. Ties are gay. Don't believe the hype, there's no such thing as a good tie. You want to know who likes ties? Losers, that's who. It makes them all giddy because they feel oh so close to winning. Well, guess what? You're still a loser. Winners hate ties. A tie burns the same as a loss to a winner. What's the point of competition if not to crown a victor? There should always be one winner and one loser. That's just the way life is. Except in the NHL. Through November 9, the league has seen 29 ties in 166 total games. That means 17.5% of league contests are ending without a winner being declared. That's silly. There's nothing worse than 65 minutes of meaningless hockey. No one buys a ticket in hopes of witnessing a tie. Fans deserve to see a winner... especially at these prices. As per usual, expansion is one of the factors involved. Talent is spread so thin that teams no longer play to win games, they play to survive them. Over the past few years a greater emphasis has been placed on avoiding mistakes rather than trying to make great plays. Clubs are content to simply chip the puck out of the zone and wait for the opposition to falter. If no one errs, no one wins. Lack of talent aside, the main reason for the abundance of stalemates is that the five-minute overtime period is a joke. In today's NHL, where nearly every team thinks defense first, killing five minutes of clock is almost a given. There have only been two games decided in overtime this season. The first was on October 16. Luc Robitaille hammered a slap shot past Byron Dafoe at 2:47 of the extra session to give the Kings a 2-1 win over the Bruins. The second came on November 8 when Edmonton's Josef Beranek connected on the power play against Mark Fitzpatrick and the Hawks with just 34 seconds gone to seal a 3-2 triumph. Producing just two winners in 31 chances, it's obvious that the current overtime system serves no real purpose. A change must be made. Most anti-tie protestors are calling for a shootout to decide a winner after 60 failed minutes of play. The IHL already employs such a format, giving clue number one that it must be a stupid idea. Shootouts are an exciting gimmick for carnivals and traveling side shows, but they shouldn't decide a hockey game. Hockey is a team sport that should be won as a team. Reducing it to an individual one-on-one battle completely removed from the normal conditions of a game is simply not acceptable. End of story. The obvious solution to the problem is to play a longer overtime. Five minutes was originally decided upon because the league didn't want to have games run too long and interfere with travel plans. To me that would seem like the perfect reason to extend the overtime. I say they should play until someone scores, just like the playoffs, no matter how long it takes. If a coach knows his team has a plane to catch he'll be more likely to turn the dogs loose and play some old fashioned firewagon hockey. Teams certainly wouldn't be able to employ the usual patient, defensive style and wait for a mistake. If they did, they could be waiting for an awfully long time. Think of the added attention the league would get when two clubs wage a three or four overtime marathon. The game would be considered an instant classic. And imagine the offensive boon that would be created. At least 29 more goals would have been scored so far this season. Each one a potential lasting memory. The travel situation is the only drawback to the proposal. But the last time I checked teams always have at least 24 hours between games. Would it be so terrible if some flights had to be changed at the last minute? Sure, it might be kind of hard to find seats for 30 people on a replacement flight, but didn't you ever see "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles?" There's always a way to get where you're going. But I guess we wouldn't want to inconvenience the millionaires... whatever. Ties are ignorant. The NHL owes it to its fans to ensure a winner every night. If the league really cared about you, the loyal patron, it would make the change. Because right now it's clear that the league hates you. Hey, I heard things. ----------------------------------------------------------------- At the Crossroads ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Jim Iovino It almost seems fitting that Ziggy Palffy is basing his holdout from the New York Islanders in Vienna, Austria. Vienna, which is about an hour away from Palffy's home in Skalica, Slovakia, is known as the crossroads of Europe. During the Cold War, Vienna was the middle point between the eastern bloc countries and those who joined NATO in the west. Even earlier in history, Vienna was the crossroads between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. Ziggy Palffy, like Vienna, is at a crossroads in his career. The 26-year-old right wing has thrilled fans throughout the league with his stickhandling and incredible shot. He has scored 43 or more goals and 87 or more points in each of the past three seasons. But this season should be a year of truth for the man affectionately known as Ziggy Stardust. Palffy believes he is ready to make the jump to the upper echelon of players in the National Hockey League. Or, at the very least, he wants to be paid like one. Palffy, a restricted free agent, is asking for a contract in the neighborhood of $6.8 million per season. If Palffy is to demand such money, however, Islanders GM Mike Milbury wants something in return. Milbury, who flew to Vienna last week in an attempt to sign his star player, wants Palffy to take his game to a new level. In other words, if Palffy wants to be paid like a superstar, he's going to have to perform like one. But no one knows for sure if Palffy is ready, or willing, to do it. Palffy has never been the true leader or captain of an NHL team. He's never scored 100 points. But, more importantly, he's never been to the playoffs and has never had to deal with the pressure of winning in the environment of a seven-game series. Ziggy Palffy is still very young and very inexperienced. When Milbury flew to Vienna last week to meet with Palffy, he offered the offensive star a deal similar to that of Edmonton's Doug Weight, who had re-signed a week earlier. Weight, also a restricted free agent, signed a two- year, $7.75 million contract with the Oilers. But Milbury said that with incentives, Palffy's deal could be worth as much as $10 million over the two years. It supposedly includes a $650,000 bonus if Palffy scores 52 goals. Other bonuses start below 40 goals. Milbury obviously thought his offer was fair. But he had doubts all along about Palffy and his agent, Paul Kraus, accepting the offer. Milbury, often the colorful quote, apparently doesn't think too highly of Kraus. "It's too bad he lives in the city," Milbury said of Kraus after returning from Vienna. "He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot." Milbury's latest offer was based a lot on Weight's contract, so let's do a comparison between the two and see if the numbers, and all the extras, add up. Weight, 27, is in his ninth year in the league. Palffy has seen five seasons of NHL action. Weight is more of a creative centerman, scoring 448 points (128 goals) in 504 games coming into this season. Palffy is a goal scorer, tallying 281 points (146 goals) in 281 career games. The two players are equal in importance to their teams, and an argument could be made that they should be paid close to the same amount of money. However, the one major difference between the two players is that Weight has taken his team to the playoffs each of the last two seasons - and he's been able to make it to the second round each year. Palffy has not. So this is what Palffy is up against. He's coming into what should be the prime of his career -- a career that could go two ways. Palffy can either join the league's elite by becoming a leader and find success in the playoffs. Or he can take the money he gets and continue to be an above-average player who can't be counted on to lead his team to the playoffs and actually succeed in them. Palffy continues to wait out the Islanders in Vienna. But perhaps he should take a lesson from Billy Joel, who sings in "Vienna," one of his greatest hits, "You got your passion you got your pride, but don't you know only fools are satisfied. Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true. When will you realize...Vienna waits for you." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Heroes and Weasels ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell Heroes and weasels and obscure references, too. Teasing and taunting all those that blew. Sarcasm and all the joy that it brings. These are a few of my favorite things. HEROES 1. Manny Legace, Los Angeles Kings: October 18 was a dark day for the Los Angeles Kings. Not only did they blow a two-goal lead in the final minute of a 5-5 tie with Colorado, the Royalty also lost goaltenders Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr to groin injuries. It's rare when a team loses its top two netminders in the same game. Rarer still is having a third-stringer come up from the minors and shut the door. But that's exactly what Manny Legace has done. Legace, 25, was drafted 188th overall back in 1993 by the Hartford Whalers. Never really getting a chance with the Mighty Sea Mammals, Legace is most well known for being part of the silver-medal winning Canadian Olympic team of 1994. But that's all changing, as he's quickly making a name for himself with his spectacular play for the Kings. At 5'9", 165 pounds, Legace is an acrobat in net. He jumps around like a monkey on a high wire. His flexibility and quickness is on a par with the likes of Mike Richter and Curtis Joseph. Legace is definitely fun to watch. He can bust out a once-in-a-lifetime memory at any moment. Last week against St. Louis he went left to right to make a miraculous sliding split save on a Jimmy Campbell one-timer. Campbell is still shaking his head. In 10 games, Legace has posted a 1.97 goals-against average and a sparkling .934 save percentage. Sadly, those numbers haven't translated into wins. Taking away the two games that he split, the Kings have scored just 13 goals in Legace's eight starts. That's why his record is a mere 2-4-2. The dilemma now is what to do with Legace once Fiset and Storr are healthy. After the way he's played, it would be kind of cruel to just send him back to the minors. There was some hype that Storr would be the number one guy this year, so would the Kings be willing to part with Fiset in order to get some scoring help and go with a young tandem of Storr and Legace? Tough call. But at least Legace gives them the option. 2. Mike Dunham, Nashville Predators: Now that he's finally out from under Martin Brodeur's shadow, Mike Dunham seems to be enjoying the spotlight in Nashville. The 26-year-old netminder has stolen the show for the Predators, giving the young franchise a chance to win each time out. Dunham's 4-5-1 record and 2.69 goals-against may seem rather pedestrian, but keep in mind he's facing an average of 34 shots a game. That's a hefty workload. Yet he's still carrying a .922 save percentage. Dunham's best performance may have been in a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on October 22. Even though the Wings outshot the Predators 57 to 15 on the night, Dunham kept his club in the game and actually had the score 1-1 in the third before Detroit finally broke through. Fifty-two saves? Now that's a heroic effort. 3. Andreas Dackell, Ottawa Senators: The fact that Dackell is still alive is quite amazing. He was absolutely destroyed by Eric Lindros on October 29. Like a true hero, Dackell decided to take a hit to make a play. Unfortunately, big number 88 was the guy bearing down on him. Dackell had just raced back into his own left wing corner to clear a puck up the wall when the E Train unloaded on him. It was a clean hit. Lindros didn't leave his skates, he didn't use his elbow or stick, and he didn't receive a penalty. He did, however, render the Swedish winger a lifeless corpse on the ice. In an attempt to cushion the blow, Dackell ducked his head a split second before impact. It was the worst possible thing he could have done. Lindros ended up smashing Dackell's skull into the boards, driving the Senator's own visor into his head. Dackell dropped a few pints and was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher. But following the game, even though his head was a swollen, stitched mess, all Dackell talked about was how happy he was that his teammates earned a 3-1 win. Aw, that's good stuff. Somebody hand the guy a Purple Heart. 4. Claude LaPointe, New York Islanders: LaPointe is a great story. A 12th-round selection (234th overall) of the Quebec Nordiques in 1988, not many people gave the scrappy 5'9" center much of a chance to make the big show. But LaPointe worked hard and surprised the masses by earning a spot with the Nordiques in 1990-91. Serving as a checking line center and penalty killer, LaPointe played five seasons in Quebec and three games in Colorado before being traded to the Flames during the 1995-96 season. Sadly, he missed out on Colorado's Cup. The next season he ended up with the Islanders and seems to have found a home. Ziggy who? LaPointe has been the Islanders' best player this season, recording six goals and nine points. Those numbers are swell, but his contributions can't be measured in statistics. He's been an absolute menace on the ice, working tirelessly every shift and using his speed to pressure the opposition into mistakes. He's just been all over the place for the Isles. Sure, he did miss on that last minute penalty shot against the Rangers, but at least he generated the chance. And that's been the trademark of LaPointe's game so far: he's making things happen. 5. Billy Guerin, Edmonton Oilers: Dude, how good is Billy Guerin? He's leading the NHL in goals with 10, including a league best seven on the power play. And he's not just scoring goals, he's scoring goals. See the difference there? Guerin has made more highlight reels than a water-skiing squirrel. There aren't many airlines that have gone coast to coast as often as Guerin this season. The guy's just been amazing. He's playing with a great deal of confidence and is embarrassing people with his speed. He's been a nightmare for defensemen. Step up and he'll fly around the outside. Get in his way and he'll run you over. Back off and he'll lace one under the bar before your goalie can even flinch. It looks like Guerin has finally developed into the player everyone always knew he could be. And the most astonishing thing is that Guerin's been doing all this without the help of Dougie Weight, who has missed most of the season due to a contract holdout and a knee injury. Who knows what he'll be able to accomplish once he gets a chance to play full time with the superstar center? 6. Arturs Irbe, Carolina Hurricanes: Chomp, chomp, chomp! Irbe like wall! Chomp, chomp, chomp! Yes, good ol' Arturs Irbe has rediscovered his old San Jose swagger with the Carolina Hurricanes, supplanting Trevor Kidd as the team's number one goaltender. Irbe's been playing some of the best hockey of his life the last few weeks and is among the league leaders with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. His five wins, including two shutouts, have carried the Canes all the way to the top of the Southeast Division. Irbe's hot streak has come right on the heels of LCS Hockey including him on our "Thanks, Expansion!" list. Coincidence? Doubtful. Arturs... or Archie, as he's known to his friends, probably used our slap in the face for inspiration. No need to thank us. It's our job, it's what we do. Chomp, chomp, chomp. 7. Wendel Clark, Tampa Bay Lightning: Don't look now, but the men with lightning bolts on their pants are actually a pretty good team. Even without LCS hero Johnny Cullen, the Bolts have been on a tear of late, raising their record to 6-6-2. One reason why has been the play of Wendel Clark. Mr. Wendel leads all Tampa Bay scorers with nine goals. That's a might powerful number considering Clark had 12 in 47 games for the Leafs last season. Wendel still owns one of the most devastating shots in hockey. His wrister could stop a bull. Then again, so could his mustache. As long as Clark keeps shooting, he'll keep scoring. Unless, of course, he gets injured. But what are the odds of that? I mean, they can't be anymore than, oh, two to one. Yes, Clark has spent more time on the shelf than Peter Falk's Emmys. He's around doctors more than a stethoscope. He always wears one of those plastic yellow bracelets around his wrist "just in case." Hey, I'm just sayin' he's hurt a lot, that's all. Clark is also a notorious fast starter. He usually goes buckwild the first few weeks of the season and then hits a severe cold snap. Cash in on him while you can in your hockey pools. He could go at any minute, Gilbert. 8. Martin Straka, Pittsburgh Penguins: If you only remember him as the little guy that bounced around between Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Long Island, and Florida early in his career, you don't know Martin Straka. The diminutive Czech has matured into a tremendous two-way player during his second stint in the Steel City. And it's about time he starts to receive the attention he deserves. What Straka lacks in size - he's listed at 5'9", 184 pounds - he makes up for in skating. He's all speedy quick. And we're talkin' Joe Sakic, Paul Kariya quick, not just the black-and- white label quickness you can pick up at the Piggly Wiggly. Defensively, he just out motors the opposition, working hard to get in proper position and to chase down any loose pucks. He never takes a shift off. His speed and relentless work ethic have made him the club's top penalty killer. The combination also allows him to draw a ton of penalties. Once the play goes the other way, Straka uses his explosive acceleration to stretch the defense and open up space for his linemates. Marty has a nice wrist shot in tight but his true talent lies in making plays. He can pass like a champ. He has had some problems on occasion finishing plays, but has gotten off to a good start with four goals and nine points in his first 12 games. Straka's a real sparkplug for the Penguins. Without him around, the club would take a serious hit at both ends of the ice. It's about time Marty Straka's name starts to get mentioned in discussions of the league's most underrated players. 9. Mattias Ohlund, Vancouver Canucks: Quick, name the top six defensemen in Vancouver. If you said Mattias Ohlund you're correct. Ohlund does the work of six men along the Canuck blue line... maybe even seven if one of the guys is Phil Housley. Ohlund missed out on the Calder Trophy last year but could have a Norris Trophy nomination in his future. He's just Mr. Everything for Vancouver. He's among the league leaders in minutes played - logging nearly 30 a game - and is also near the top of the scoring charts with three goals and 11 points. And how hard does Ohlund shoot a puck? Well, it was one of his drives from the point that broke teammate Todd Bertuzzi's leg. At least he keeps it low. 10. Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins: The Czech Wonder Kid had a lot to prove. His security blanket, Ron Francis, was no longer around to protect him. The C was now stitched on Jagr's sweater. He had to be Pittsburgh's leader whether he was ready or not. Well, so far so good. Jagr has been phenomenal for the Arctic Birds, leading all NHL scorers with 19 points in his first 12 games. The surprising thing is that he's been acting as the set-up man, collecting 14 assists, including many of the spectacular variety. He's even had that Mario Lemieux aura about him on a few occasions, where it seems he can do whatever he wants on the ice. Jagr's not scared to dominate a game. While he started the season skating with Martin Straka and Stu Barnes, Jagr has demonstrated a tremendous chemistry of late with German Titov and countryman Robert Lang. The skilled trio throws the puck around like the Harlem Globetrotters at times, with Titov often employing a ladder and a bucket of confetti to highlight their antics. Jagr's play has helped pace the Penguins to a 5-3-4 record and a share of the Atlantic Division lead. His real test, tho', will come when the team struggles and looks for him to show the way. Will he step forward and take the heat or fold and bitch about the coaching? A couple final notes about Jagr. He actually tried to throw the first check of his career a little over a week ago in Edmonton. It didn't go so well. Jagr slammed into his good buddy Roman Hamrlik, fell to the ice, and had to leave the game with bruised ribs. Oh, that wacky kid. I shudder to think what might of happened if he wasn't 6'4", 230 pounds. And last but not least, it seems Jaromir has given up his gay sailor wave after scoring a goal. He still takes his right glove off, but now he just holds his fist in the air in sort of a Black Panther salute. It's a nice improvement. Way to stick it to the man, Jags. Fight the power. HONORABLE MENTION P.J. Axelsson, Boston Bruins: Poor P.J. The Swede's had no luck lately. It started on October 28 when Dave Manson belted him with an elbow... no, not the People's Elbow, just your ordinary illegal shot to the chops. Axelsson was face down on the ice for some time. Manson was handed a three-game suspension. Axelsson suffered a concussion and missed one game. A few nights later on November 3 against the Buffalo Sabres, P.J. got whacked again. Axelsson was skating at center towards his own zone when he glanced over his left shoulder and spun a loose puck back the other way. When he turned around he was greeted by a stiff open-ice check from Matthew Barnaby. Ring up another concussion. Barnaby caught him with an unintentional elbow and the hit was a tad late. While he didn't get whistled during play, Barnaby later received a four-game suspension from the league. Two concussions in such short order are no joke. Axelsson is still on the shelf. Here's hoping he gets all healthy like soon. And let's just pray when he comes back the Bruins aren't playing Darius Kasparaitis. WEASELS Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche: LCS Hockey loves itself some Patrick Roy, but c'mon? This is a little ridiculous. Maybe Patrick has his Stanley Cup rings in his eyes? But even that wouldn't explain some of the goals he's given up this season. Roy has looked just awful in compiling a 2-7-1 record, an inflated 3.39 goals-against, and a brutal .871 save percentage. Some are attributing his struggles to the new restrictions on goaltending equipment. Others blame the sad state of the entire Avalanche team. I, on the other hand, just think that Roy doesn't give a rat's ass. He's the type of guy that needs a challenge. Once you get so good at something, as Roy is at goaltending, you almost have to sabotage yourself in order to keep things interesting. Hey, he's just trying to make it fun. The good news is that Roy has played a bit better of late, allowing only two goals in each of his last two starts. The bad news is that there's still a long way to go. I have faith that he'll turn it around. After all, he's Patrick Roy for a reason. But in the meantime you might want to keep an eye on your chickens... Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings: You're Chris Osgood? You're a dork. I've never been a big Osgood fan. I don't know, I think it's something about him being a punk wanna be. Just because he rolls with Darren McCarty and Brendan Shanahan doesn't mean he's a bad ass by association. He needs a beating. Exhibit A occurred on October 31 when Detroit went head-to-head with Dallas. The Stars captured this first meeting of the season between the powerhouses 3-2 on the strength of two goals by Brett Hull, the second coming off a sick one-timer at 14:00 of the third that nearly tore the net off its moorings. Seeing how one of these two clubs will likely win the Cup this year, it was a rather heated affair. Osgood was in net for the loss and tried to hamper the Dallas celebration by removing his catching glove and gesturing that the Wings have two Cups. That's great, Ozzie... real clever. The Stars were going to hold up fingers for every soft goal Osgood allowed in last year's playoffs but discovered that they didn't have enough hands. Then last week in yet another Detroit loss, this time a 3-1 defeat at the paws of the Coyotes, Osgood once again wore the crown of the weasel. Rick Tocchet skated past the Detroit crease and accidentally brushed Osgood with his stick. Apparently so filled with anger that he forgot he was a Mary, Osgood proceeded to push Tocchet and instigate a scrum. Oh boy. So at what point in life did Osgood lose touch with reality? There are like four or five guys, tops, that are as tough as Tocchet. And guess what? Osgood's not one of 'em. Luckily for the Jester of Oz four of his teammates rode to the rescue before Tocchet even realized that Osgood wanted some. Chris, next time you want to commit suicide just jump off a building. The ground wouldn't hit as hard as Tocchet. ----------------------------------------------------------------- More Stuff... ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell CULLEN UPDATE Johnny Cullen, LCS hero and the idol of millions from eight to eighty, is starting to find his stride in the IHL. After scuffling a bit in his first three games with the Cleveland Lumberjacks, Cullen went crazy go nuts against the Chicago Wolves on November 7. It was as if Cullen was back in his glory days with the Option Line. Good ol' JC rang up a career high seven points on two goals and five assists. Aw, that's good stuff. Get that plane ticket back to Tampa Bay ready. And, yes, we mention Cullen's seven-point night three times this issue. Get used to it... ALL-STAR LAME The All-Star Game on January 24 in Tampa Bay will once again feature the international format of North America versus the World. I just have one question. Why? It kind of made sense last year, what with the Olympics and all, but there's no need to keep it rolling. The league says it made the switch to help add more intensity to the matchup. Yeah, like Teemu Selanne sits around the house holding his hand over an open flame while chanting "Must beat North American devil." The players don't care. They just want to go have some fun, sign some autographs, and not get hurt. Which is basically the same approach I have towards fulfilling my court-imposed community service... Only 23% of NHL players come from outside North America. That means 77% of the league will be battling it out for spots on the North American roster, while guys like Marco Sturm, Petr Sykora, Valeri Bure, and Alexei Kovalev are represented on the World ballot. The All-Star Game is supposed to celebrate the greatest players in the game. Participants should be chosen on the strength of their play, not the location of their birthplace. The whole thing is jive. The league changed the format because people used to complain that the All-Star games didn't accurately portray NHL contests since checking was absent and defense was a rumor. But what the hell's wrong with that? How great would it be to watch a wide open offensive showcase now that most NHL games fail to produce even five goals? Go back to conference vs conference. And if the NHL had any heart at all, it would invite Johnny Cullen to drop the ceremonial faceoff. It would be a great scene at the Ice Palace. DON'T BLAME LACROIX THE YOUNGER A lot was made of Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix sacrificing his own son, Eric, for the good of the Avalanche. But don't blame Eric Lacroix for the struggles of the men with feet on their shoulders. Granted, having the GM's son in the dressing room is definitely an awkward situation. And with his dad's recent contract squabbles with Sandis Ozolinsh and Adam Foote, Eric's presence was seen by some as the root of Colorado's chemistry problems. Whether that's true or not, it shouldn't take away from Eric as a player. Lacroix did nothing but bust his ass for the Avalanche. He worked hard every shift and never missed an opportunity to finish a check. It's too bad his teammates rarely matched his intensity. Only two Colorado players showed up in Game Seven against the Oil last season: Lacroix and Rene Corbet. The Avalanche could do worse than have a room full of Lacroixs. There's no question that Eric is better off playing somewhere else, it's just a shame he took so much grief. Now he's back in Los Angeles and skating with Ian Laperriere, giving the Royalty a tremendous checking line. The Kings are glad to have him. And Colorado is still losing. WASHINGTON 4077TH Peter Bondra has taken to wearing a dress. Adam Oates has developed an uncanny ability to hear choppers. Dale Hunter and Craig Berube have fashioned a homemade still in the dressing room, which they now refer to as "The Swamp." Yes, the Capitals continue to do their very best to bring an episode of "M*A*S*H" to life. They've already lost about 1200 man games to injury. Just take a gander at some of the names that were scratched for Washington's November 7 win over the Senators: Michal Pivonka, Steve Konowalchuk, Richard Zednik, Yogi Svejkovsky, Jan Bulis, Joe Reekie, Sergei Gonchar, and Brendan Witt. That's some pretty good talent there, not to mention three of their top six defensemen. It's no wonder the Caps have stumbled to a 4-6-3 start. The odd thing is that this happens every year to the Capitals. Time-Life Books should really do an investigation. How can one team suffer so many injuries year after year? Is it something in the malt liquor? I, for one, just started taking calcium supplements and feel like a new man. Hell, it's been days since my last injury. The Caps should look into it. Or maybe they should hire a voodoo doctor to try and lift the curse? I know a guy that will do the job for a reasonable fee. He slaughters his own chickens and everything. His half-naked dancing and primal screams do take a little getting used to, but it's a worthy sacrifice for such quality craftsmanship. Yes, Dr. Schwartz does excellent work. PARITY, SHMARITY Have you looked at the standings lately? There's mediocrity as far as the eye can see. Sort of like my high school graduation class. Aw, I'm just kidding... I didn't graduate. Through November 9, only seven teams have at least two more wins than losses. Conversely, seven other teams have at least two more losses than wins. The remaining 13 clubs are all hovering around the .500 mark. What does all this mean? Beats the hell out of me. I didn't even graduate high school. Remember? From up above? GOOD LINES I can take one look at you and tell you're the kind of girl that's heard every phoney line in the book. So one more's not gonna kill ya, am I right? A good line can make all the difference in the world when trying to score. Unfortunately, most are greeted with a slap in the face or broken up at the whim of a coach. There just aren't many good lines these days in the NHL. The same three players rarely stay together long enough to develop a reliable chemistry. And even if they do, they're immediately busted as soon as they go more than one game without producing. That's life in today's fast-paced, result-driven society. The ideal line contains a combination of speed, toughness, and goal-scoring ability; a little something for everyone. There are a few such examples today, but not many. Here's a quick look at some notable trios that have made their mark this season or still might before everything is said and done. Brett Hull - Mike Modano - Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars: It's tough to beat a line with two former 50-goal scorers and a Selke Trophy winner. Yet Stars coach Ken Hitchcock recently removed Hull in order to switch the Golden Brett back to his natural right wing and to create more scoring depth throughout the lineup. John LeClair - Eric Lindros - (Your name here), Philadelphia Flyers: How bad do the Flyers miss Mikael Renberg? On a team overloaded with centers, the orange and black are having a terrible time trying to find someone worthy of skating the right side for Lindros and LeClair. Rookie Mike Maneluk and Dainius Zubrus have both had shots at it this season, with Maneluk having the most success. It's still a major concern. Luckily, the L and L Railroad can carry the load by itself on most nights. Todd Bertuzzi - Mark Messier - Alexander Mogilny, Vancouver Canucks: Now this is a balanced line. Or at least it was until Bertuzzi had to go and break his leg. Messier provided the leadership, Mogilny bolted around the ice creating plays, and Bertuzzi worked the corners and busted heads. And all three can put the puck in the net. Bertuzzi can't return too soon. Valeri Kamensky - Peter Forsberg - Claude Lemieux, Colorado Avalanche: These guys have arguably been the best line in the league over the past three seasons. Sadly, time has taken its toll and they don't even play together every night. But when they do find they old magic, they can ring up the goals at a startling clip. Shayne Corson - Saku Koivu - Mark Recchi, Montreal Canadiens: Injuries to Corson and Koivu have kept this threesome apart for most of the year. When healthy, they can dominate. Both Koivu and Recchi are exceptional playmakers, while Corson does all the dirty work in front of the cage. Sergei Samsonov - Jason Allison - Dimitri Khristich, Boston Bruins: Samsonov has game-breaking speed, Khristich is a proven veteran scorer, and Allison has quietly become one of the best centers in the game. When they don't score, Boston doesn't win. German Titov - Robert Lang - Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins: At this very moment in time, there may not be a more dazzling offensive line than Titov, Lang, and Jagr. While they aren't physical, all three possess good size and are extremely skilled with the puck. If they have a flaw it's that they always try to make the perfect play instead of just putting the puck on net. But when they make it work, it's usually worth the wait. Luc Robitaille - Jozef Stumpel - Glen Murray, Los Angeles Kings: Stumpel has barely played this season, but will likely be reunited with Robitaille and Murray once he gets healthy. They're quite the promising prospect. Stumpel is marvelous with the puck, Murray is an up and coming power forward, and Lucky Luc is still Lucky Luc. Keep an eye on 'em. Brendan Shanahan - Steve Yzerman - Darren McCarty, Detroit Red Wings: They were dominant early on, but then Scotty Bowman came back and did that nutty line-juggling thing he does. While not blessed with overwhelming speed, they do have toughness, smarts, and Shanny's quick trigger. That's usually more than enough. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Cynically Speaking ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Chris Foreman I'm scared. Actually, I'm really scared. I just can't hide it. And, no, I'm not speaking of those garish Nashville Predators jerseys. I'm speaking of the petrifying prospect of a winter in Pittsburgh sans the Penguins. Granted, I am at college in Athens, Ohio and can only keep up with the team via Internet radio and reading the Pittsburgh papers online, but the Pens are still my team. Yes, Columbus is about the same distance from Athens as Pittsburgh is from my hometown of Greensburg, Pa., and the Blue Jackets enter the National Hockey League in 2000-01, my senior year of college. And maybe, by some manner or another, I'll end up in Columbus and may even root for the Jackets. But, the Pens are my team. I have no doubt that I would have enjoyed hockey even if I had grown up in Idaho or New Mexico, or some other hockey, ahem, hotbed. However, I don't gain the interest in, knowledge of, or love for hockey if I'm not raised with Mario Lemieux performing his magic on television and in the three times I was fortunate to see him in person before my astonished eyes. Having begun to follow hockey in the mid-80's, it was incredible to watch the sport become "the thing" in the Pittsburgh area in the early 90's during the two Stanley Cup championship seasons. Penguins jerseys ruled the attire in schools, children braved the cold and, sometimes, even the snow to emulate their "Boys of Winter," and everybody wanted a Boston accent like Kevin Stevens. Winter was fun. It was my generation's time. We didn't grow up with the storied Steelers or Pirates teams of the 70's. The 80's baseball and football teams lacked a superstar of Lemieux's caliber allowing Mario to dazzle the city and bring hockey to the forefront. The once-troubled past of the team was distant history. As we missed out on the glory of the Steelers and the Pirates, we missed out on the Penguins' economic miseries. Or so I thought. October 13 was a scary day when I checked out the Pittsburgh papers online. "Bankrupt," the headlines blared. The team has apparently lost $37 million over the past two years and is more than $100 million in debt. It was the ultimate realization that, indeed, this event was not a sport anymore, but a business. Yet, it's still a business that I care about. As long as there is a business to care about. Ownership rifts, unpaid taxes, unpaid checks, arena and television concerns dominate the talk surrounding the organization. All the while, the over-achieving team puts forth a strong effort each night on the ice. Granted, I have an interest in political science, and will probably minor in it, but I don't want to hear about those issues in regard to my team. I've seen too much movement this decade. The National Football League Rams are in St. Louis. The Raiders are back in Oakland. Baltimore has football again as Cleveland lost its Browns. I see the hurt and disgust and disinterest that Clevelanders have in football. They will get an expansion franchise back next autumn. Should the Penguins leave, hockey is done in Pittsburgh. Such is the case in Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hartford. Sure, they can throw a token minor league team in the vacated arenas, but it's not the same. Luckily, Commissioner Gary Bettman aims to keep the team in Pittsburgh, but I remember similar statements to the fans in Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford. Of all the bankrupt businesses about which one could read, the Pens are in better position than most, if not all. Co-owner Roger Marino's estimated wealth is $400 million. He is so rich, he doesn't even know how rich he is. He could eventually twist partner Howard Baldwin's arm enough to get a strangle hold of the team. But, does he want to keep the team in Pittsburgh. He is, after all, a businessman and seeks the most profit for this business. And, this is a business. The Penguins have a lease to play in the Civic Arena through 2007. From my understanding, it's not exactly a lease they can break, but strange things happen in business today. I'm scared because I look at the National Basketball Association, and I see its labor squabbles. That was the NHL just four years ago. It seems like ages ago. That's odd, because each winter day that passed along without hockey seemed like a light-year in and of itself. I have lost my interest in basketball for various reasons, but I fear the ramifications that the loss of a basketball season could have on sports. An ESPN/Chilton poll Nov. 6 reported that 62.7% of sports fans don't care if the owners cancel the NBA season. Among basketball fans, 37.4% said they don't care if the season is wiped out. Think the business of basketball is all right? I look at baseball, and I see the 1997 World Series Champion Florida Marlins gutted one month after their victory. Their sale was completed Friday, but will the fans in southern Florida return to Pro Player Park after the organization was set back years after its horrid season and saw its manager, Jim Leyland, bail ship? Yeah, Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs and Sammy Sosa cracked 65, but what about next year? The New York Yankees bought their World Series, as the Marlins had the year before, but have the money to retain their nucleus. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a payroll of about $13 million; World Series Most Valuable Player Scott Brosius re-signed Friday with New York for more than $5 million per season. Still think the game of baseball is all right? I look at football and the $17 billion dollar television package signed in February. I see three teams that have moved this decade, and various stadium deals that are at the crux of whether others may have to leave town. Stadiums become "obsolete" before they're even paid for. Voters keep making concessions for teams to secure new playpens, although I can't fathom how many people can actually pay to watch any of these games. Nowhere in society but in the business of sports has inflation made more of an impact. The 90's have absolutely destroyed the way we look at sports. I remember a time when just two players earned a million dollars per year in the National Hockey League, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Now, Jeff Beukeboom can go out on the open market to a bidding war and earn more than $2 million. It's not an attack on players, as the prevailing notion of the American society is for one to seek out the best deal for oneself. There are so many ways I can broaden this topic and warn of the impending Armageddon awaiting professional sports, but frankly, I don't care anymore. I'm sorry, but I'm selfish. An article in The Hockey News cited one team president who feels just five organizations, all American, are truly profitable. The cries in Cleveland, Winnipeg, Los Angeles, Quebec, and Hartford have been heard. I feel for them and I don't want to experience what they have experienced. But. I've got my blinders on. I just want to know that my Pirates, Penguins and Steelers will be around. I just want to be assured that they will all be capable of fairly competing for a championship. I just want to know that I can afford to witness their play in person. I'm scared. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Chris is a sophomore journalism major at Ohio University. He can be reached at cf346297@oak.cats.ohiou.edu) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Chimp Bytes: General NHL News and Notes ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Zippy CULLEN SHINES IN CLEVELAND After being dumped by the Bolts, LCS Hockey hero John Cullen made his way to Cleveland to continue his professional hockey comeback in the IHL. Yes, the IHL, a league Cullen once dominated over 10 years ago. However, in his first three games with the 'Jacks the great Cullen was far from dominating as he recorded zero points in that span. But could the funk last forever, hell no... we're talking about John Cullen, my friend. In game four, the funk lifted and Cullen orchestrated a brillant 7 point (2-5) performance, the first of his storied career. Go Cullen Go. NEELY PONDERS COMEBACK Two years after retiring with a degenerative hip condition, former Boston Bruins forward and LCS Hockey hero Cam Neely is returning to practice with the team as he eyes a possible comeback, the team said. ''I have been encouraged by my workouts so far in that my hip has been sore after skating, but the pain has not lingered,'' Neely said Tuesday in a statement. Neely will skate with the Bruins for about 10 days before deciding whether to return to professional hockey. NHL ALL-STAR VOTING The following are the players listed on the World All-Star ballot for the NHL All-Star Game that will be played against the North American All-Star team on January 24th in Tampa Bay: Centers Player Country NHL Club Sergei Fedorov Russia Detroit Peter Forsberg Sweden Colorado Bobby Holik Czech Rep. New Jersey Saku Koivu Finland Montreal Viktor Kozlov Russia Florida Igor Larionov Russia Detroit Robert Reichel Czech Rep. NY Islanders Martin Straka Czech Rep. Pittsburgh Jozef Stumpel Slovakia Los Angeles Marco Sturm Germany San Jose Mats Sundin Sweden Toronto Petr Sykora Czech Rep. New Jersey Alexei Yashin Russia Ottawa Alexei Zhamnov Russia Chicago Wingers Player Country NHL Club Daniel Alfredsson Sweden Ottawa Peter Bondra Slovakia Washington Pavel Bure Russia Vancouver Valeri Bure Russia Calgary Jaromir Jagr Czech Rep. Pittsburgh Valeri Kamensky Russia Colorado Sami Kapanen Finland Carolina Dimitri Khristich Ukraine Boston Alexei Kovalev Russia NY Rangers Sergei Krivokrasov Russia Nashville Jere Lehtinen Finland Dallas Alexander Mogilny Russia Vancouver Zigmund Palffy Slovakia NY Islanders Mikael Renberg Sweden Tampa Bay Martin Rucinsky Czech Rep. Montreal Sergei Samsonov Russia Boston Teemu Selanne Finland Anaheim Niklas Sundstrom Sweden NY Rangers Defensemen Player Country NHL Club Sergei Gonchar Russia Washington Roman Hamrlik Czech Rep. Edmonton Kenny Jonsson Sweden NY Islanders Darius Kasparaitis Russia Pittsburgh Uwe Krupp Germany Detroit Nicklas Lidstrom Sweden Detroit Boris Mironov Russia Edmonton Teppo Numminen Finland Phoenix Mattias Ohlund Sweden Vancouver Sandis Ozolinsh Latvia Colorado Robert Svehla Slovakia Florida Oleg Tverdovsky Russia Phoenix Alexei Zhitnik Russia Buffalo Sergei Zubov Russia Dallas Goaltenders Player Country NHL Club Dominik Hasek Czech Rep. Buffalo Arturs Irbe Latvia Carolina Nikolai Khabibulin Russia Phoenix Olaf Kolzig Germany Washington Tommy Salo Sweden NY Islanders Mikhail Shtalenkov Russia Edmonton The following are the players listed on the North American All-Star ballot for the NHL All-Star Game that will be played against the World All-Star team on January 24th in Tampa Bay: Centers Player Country NHL Club Jason Allison Canada Boston Ron Francis Canada Carolina Doug Gilmour Canada Chicago Wayne Gretzky Canada NY Rangers Eric Lindros Canada Philadelphia Mark Messier Canada Vancouver Mike Modano U.S. Dallas Joe Nieuwendyk Canada Dallas Adam Oates Canada Washington Michael Peca Canada Buffalo Keith Primeau Canada Carolina Jeremy Roenick U.S. Phoenix Joe Sakic Canada Colorado Pierre Turgeon Canada St. Louis Doug Weight U.S. Edmonton Steve Yzerman Canada Detroit Wingers Player Country NHL Club Tony Amonte U.S. Chicago Rod Brind'Amour Canada Philadelphia Shayne Corson Canada Montreal Adam Deadmarsh U.S. Colorado Theoren Fleury Canada Calgary Jeff Friesen Canada San Jose Bill Guerin U.S. Edmonton Brett Hull U.S. Dallas Paul Kariya Canada Anaheim John LeClair U.S. Philadelphia Owen Nolan Canada San Jose Mark Recchi Canada Montreal Brendan Shanahan Canada Detroit Keith Tkachuk U.S. Phoenix Pat Verbeek Canada Dallas Ray Whitney Canada Florida Rob Zamuner Canada Tampa Bay Defensemen Player Country NHL Club Rob Blake Canada Los Angeles Ray Bourque Canada Boston Chris Chelios U.S. Chicago Eric Desjardins Canada Philadelphia Steve Duchesne Canada Los Angeles Derian Hatcher U.S. Dallas Kevin Hatcher U.S. Pittsburgh Brian Leetch U.S. NY Rangers Al MacInnis Canada St. Louis Larry Murphy Canada Detroit Scott Niedermayer Canada New Jersey Chris Pronger Canada St. Louis Scott Stevens Canada New Jersey Darryl Sydor Canada Dallas Goaltenders Player Country NHL Club Tom Barrasso U.S. Pittsburgh Ed Belfour Canada Dallas Martin Brodeur Canada New Jersey Curtis Joseph Canada Toronto Chris Osgood Canada Detroit Mike Richter U.S. NY Rangers Patrick Roy Canada Colorado John Vanbiesbrouck U.S. Philadelphia Vote for your favorite All-Stars at your local NHL arena or at www.nhl.com. SUSPENSIONS Date Player/Team/Length Opponent Reason Oct 9 Ruslan Salei Phoenix Slew footing Anaheim Daniel Briere 5 games Oct 14 Keith Jones Buffalo Hit to the head Colorado Curtis Brown 2 games Oct 15 Richard Smehlik Colorado High-sticking Buffalo Valeri Kamensky 1 game Oct 19 Turner Stevenson Buffalo Elbowing Montreal Dixon Ward 2 games Oct 21 Rob DiMaio Phoenix Elbowing Boston Dallas Drake 2 games Oct 23 Denny Lambert Detroit Slashing Nashville Kirk Maltby 4 games Oct 28 Dave Manson Boston Elbowing Montreal P.J. Axelsson 3 games Nov 5 Matthew Barnaby Boston Blow to the head Buffalo P.J. Axelsson 4 games Nov 8 Bobby Holik Florida Slew Footing New Jersey Paul Laus 2 games SHUTOUTS 1. John Vanbiesbrouck, PHI at NYR, 1-0, Oct 9th, 20 saves, 1st season, 30th career. 2. Kirk Mclean, FLA at NAS, 1-0, Oct 10th, 26 saves, 1st season, 21st career. 3. Olaf Kolzig, WAS vs ANA, 1-0, Oct 10th, 29 saves, 1st season, 8th career. 4. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs NYI, 3-0, Oct 12th, 28 saves, 1st season, 12th career. 5. Dominik Hasek, BUF at COL, 3-0, Oct 12th, 32 saves, 1st season, 34th career. 6. Jocelyn Thibault, MON vs ANA, 1-0, Oct 13th, 30 saves, 1st season, 8th career. 7. Byron Dafoe, BOS at COL, 3-0, Oct 14th, 34 saves, 2nd season, 13th career. 8. Tommy Salo, NYI at TAM, 2-0, Oct 14th, 22 saves, 1st season, 10th career. 9. Tommy Salo, NYI at STL, 1-0, Oct 17th, 23 saves, 2nd season, 11th career. 10. Chris Osgood, DET vs CGY, 2-0, Oct 18th, 32 saves, 1st season, 21st career. 11. Rob Tallas, BOS at SAN, 3-0, Oct 18th, 22 saves, 1st season, 3rd career. 12. Daren Puppa, TAM vs PIT, 5-0, Oct 21st, 28 saves, 1st season, 18th career. 13. Guy Hebert, ANA vs BOS, 3-0, Oct 21st, 26 saves, 1st season, 17th career. 14. Garth Snow, VAN at FLA, 5-0, Oct 23rd, 35 saves, 1st season, 4th career. 15. Olaf Kolzig, WAS at BUF, 1-0, Oct 23rd, 30 saves, 2nd season, 9th career. 16. Chris Osgood, DET at MON, 3-0, Oct 24th, 18 saves, 2nd season, 22nd career. 17. Peter Skudra, PIT at TOR, 2-0, Oct 26th, 27 saves, 1st season, 1st career. 18. Dominik Hasek, BUF at NYR, 0-0, Oct 27th, 16 saves, 2nd season, 35th career. 19. Mike Richter, NYR vs BUF, 0-0, Oct 27th, 24 saves, 1st season, 20th career. 20. Tommy Salo, NYI vs LOS, 1-0, Oct 27th, 20 saves, 3rd season, 12th career. 21. Arturs Irbe, CAR vs CHI, 2-0, Oct 28th, 21 saves, 1st season, 14th career. 22. Daren Puppa, TAM at LOS, 3-0, Oct 30th, 27 saves, 2nd season, 19th career. 23. Ken Wregget, CGY vs WAS, 0-0, Oct 30th, 27 saves, 1st season, 9th career. 24. Mike Richter, NYR vs CAR, 1-0, Oct 30th, 30 saves, 2nd season, 21st career. 25. Rick Tabaracci, WAS at CGY, 0-0, Oct 30th, 20 saves, 1st season, 14th career. 26. Arturs Irbe, CAR at BOS, 2-0, Oct 31st, 34 saves, 2nd season, 15th career. 27. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO at LOS, 3-0, Nov 1st, 31 saves, 1st season, 14th career. 28. Curtis Joseph, TOR vs COL, 3-0, Nov 4th, 24 saves, 1st season, 20th career. 29. Mike Vernon, SAN vs DAL, 4-0, Nov 4th, 21 saves, 1st season, 19th career. 30. Byron Dafoe, BOS at PIT, 0-0, Nov 7th, 26 saves, 3rd season, 14th career. 31. Jean-sebastien Aubin, PIT vs BOS, 0-0, Nov 7th, 18 saves, 1st season, 1st career. HAT TRICKS 1. Theoren Fleury, CGY at SAN, Oct 10th, 1st season, 12th career. 2. Al Macinnis, STL at NYR, Oct 12th, 1st season, 3rd career. 3. Brendan Shanahan, DET vs STL, Oct 16th, 1st season, 11th career. 4. John Leclair, PHI at TAM, Oct 16th, 1st season, 8th career. 5. x-Mark Parrish, FLA at CHI, Oct 30th, 1st season, 1st career. 6. Geoff Sanderson, BUF at TOR, Oct 31st, 1st season, 6th career. 7. Theoren Fleury, CGY at CHI, Nov 1st, 2nd season, 13th career. 8. Valeri Kamensky, COL at EDM, Nov 6th, 1st season, 5th career. 9. Peter Bondra, WAS at OTT, Nov 7th, 1st season, 11th career. x-four-goal game ----------------------------------------------------------------- AHL News ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Tricia McMillan Player of the Week (Nov. 2): Gee, what a familiar name we find here. How many times have I typed this one? A lot of times? A kazillion times? Steve Guolla is the Player of the Week, again, I mean, come on Steve, let somebody else have a turn, OK? You'd think it was your personal award or something, granted you had seven points for the week and as a result you were leading the league in scoring, but isn't it time to give peace a chance or at least another player? It's the fourth time in a year, how about a little variety? Player of the Week (Nov. 9): The AHL has a new leader in the goal-scoring category and made him the POTW as well: Providence Bruin Shawn Bates picks up the honors. Bates had a hat trick along with two more goals and two assists last week, and is now atop the goals list with 11. He is also fourth in total points, with 16. Bates had a six-game goal-scoring streak and still has a nine-game point streak alive as of Nov. 10. Former Terrier Bates will be doing the chat thing on the AHL's web site, www.canoe.ca/AHL, on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 pm. Rookie of the Month: A lot of the kids broke out of the gate fast this year, especially the goaltenders. So it was rather surprising that only one rookie netminder, St. John's Marc Robitaille, was even nominated for this award. But all you need is a little thing that can really make a player stand out, something like, oh say, a six-point game. The AHL found it pretty tough to ignore that performance and named New Haven's Shane Willis the best newcomer for October. Willis put on his personal show in just his second pro game with two goals and four assists, then added three more goals and three more assists for a 12-point month. Not bad for starters, kid, not bad at all. Spooked: Note to the league - don't schedule games on Halloween. Apparently AHL fans were too scared to venture out to the good ol' hockey game on Halloween as some truly frightening attendance numbers materialized. Albany saw its smallest Saturday night crowd in five years as just 2,975 showed; the usually reliable Thoroughblades had a mere 4,056, less than 20% of capacity at the Rupp Arena. New Haven posted 3,257, most of whom didn't show up, Springfield hosted just 3,629, and Adirondack was at 2,603. Portland saw the second worst home crowd of any night in their history, 3,011, and the best drawing team of the night, Hershey, pulled a mere 4,806, their worst Saturday in recent memory. Overall, the average attendance for the evening was down more than 1,500 from usual. Spooky: However, those folk who did show up had a lot of disposable income - and at least in Hershey, they were colorblind. Both the Bears and the Pirates wore one time only Halloween jerseys, and auctioned them off for charity. The Pirates jerseys, which were apparently pleasing to the eye, were silently auctioned during the game, actively auctioned after it, and some were saved for auctions at local stores, all to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The Hershey jerseys, featuring Day-Glo yellow skulls and crossbones and bright orange pumpkins which didn't quite go with maroon, much less Fredericton's blue and red, were autographed and auctioned immediately after the game, raising a total of $16,765 for the Leukemia Society of Central Pennsylvania. Three players' duds fetched four digit bids: Christian Matte brought an even grand, Mitch Lamoureux came in at $1,200, and Marc Denis's went for $3,050. Six days later, the Providence Bruins marked the 25th anniversary of the Providence Civic Center by wearing the sweater of the original tenants, the Providence Reds; these were also auctioned off for charity. Where the Players Were: The NHL opened its season with a total of 652 players listed on the 27 rosters. 417 of those players have played in the AHL at some point in their career. That's 64% of the players. A list of the teams and how many of their opening night players are AHL graduates follows; interestingly, one of the highest percentages belongs to the Los Angeles Kings, who haven't had a full AHL affiliate in ages. Also up there is Nashville, but that's less surprising - the coaching staff was plucked from the AHL. Team Grads % Calgary 22/25 88% New Jersey 22/26 85% Nashville 20/24 85% Phoenix 19/25 76% Colorado 17/23 74% Buffalo 16/22 73% Detroit 17/24 71% Los Angeles 17/24 71% Toronto 17/24 71% St. Louis 16/23 70% Montreal 17/25 68% Washington 16/24 67% Anaheim 15/23 65% Carolina 15/23 65% Edmonton 16/25 64% Boston 15/24 63% San Jose 16/26 62% Tampa Bay 15/24 62% NY Rangers 14/23 61% Ottawa 15/25 60% Vancouver 13/22 59% NY Islanders 12/23 52% Florida 12/25 48% Dallas 12/26 46% Philadelphia 11/24 46% Pittsburgh 12/26 46% Chicago 8/24 33% Howling by the Goaltenders: The full moon was supposedly on Nov. 3. It appears to have been on Nov. 6, judging by the final scores. The Rochester Americans, already boasting the best offense in the AHL, welcomed back Craig Fisher from a broken hand in time to shred Hamilton 8-0. Rochester had a six-goal second period, during which Denis Hamel had a hat trick for the Amerks. Fisher scored his first of the year and notched two assists, and Domenic Pittis had a pair of goals, as Martin Biron checked in with another shutout. Meanwhile, Syracuse clocked Adirondack 7-1 backed by Boris Protsenko's hat trick which he finished with one second remaining in the game. The Red Wings scored first, the Crunch scored the rest primarily off rookie Jason Elliott. Martin Sonnenberg also scored two and 13 Crunch players had a point. The bright side for the Red Wings: Adirondack goaltender David Arseneault stopped Syracuse's Zenith Komarniski on a penalty shot. Also finishing up at 7-1 were Lowell and St. John's, as Marcel Cousineau stopped 39 shots in his return to the Rock and his Lock Monsters embarrassed the host Leafs. Dane Jackson, Dmitri Nabokov and Mike Kennedy all had three points for Lowell. But those games were blowouts. There were also two firewagon games, as Providence finally outlasted Hershey 8-6 on the strength of a hat trick from Shawn Bates and two goals each from Eric Nickulas and Landon Wilson, and Saint John and New Haven finally settled on a 5-5 tie after Shane Willis and Sergei Varlamov traded two-goal games. End of a Career: Last year the AHL was struck by a run of skate-related injuries, but nothing comparable to what occurred during Lowell's visit to St. John's Nov. 7. Maple Leaf Mark Deyell was flipped by a hit from a Lock Monster player - and when his skate came down, the blade struck the face of Lowell's Jeff Libby. Libby sustained extreme damage to his right eyeball and despite several hours of surgery, his physicians believe the eye will have to be removed. Libby was transferred to a hospital in Boston for final evaluation before a decision is made. The NHL prohibits players with limited or no sight in one eye from playing, so Libby's NHL career is effectively over, although the Islanders are obligated to pay him until his contract is over. The Lock Monsters' fans have established a bulletin board for get-well wishes to Libby at http://members.tripod.com/~LockMonsters/libby-board.html. Libby's injury wasn't the only blow to Lowell over the weekend, either. Defenseman Mike Gaul has left the team indefinitely after his father was killed in a car accident during the weekend. Open That Can of Worms: The Sarnia Sting won their injunction against the Colorado Avalanche stemming from the Avs assigning draft pick Evgeny Lazarev to Hershey when the Sting believed him to be their property. Under the court ruling, Lazarev was prohibited from playing for any North American team other than Sarnia until he is 20 years old. For that matter, he may not practice or attend functions of any other team, although he couldn't be prohibited from showing up as a fan, hence his presence at Bears games despite the injunction. The ruling didn't affect the Sting's lawsuits against Lazarev, agent Scott Norton, Colorado and Hershey for damages; those cases remain pending. But the upshot is Lazarev was sued for doing what he was told to do by the team holding his rights, and Hershey was sued for being affiliated with Colorado. Granted, the Avalanche, as is their wont of late, behaved arrogantly and left themselves open to legal action; but how can the Bears be held liable for Colorado's actions? Should the suit against the Bears be upheld, teams could become reluctant to affiliate with each other for fear of being held liable for the other team's actions. And suing the player, well...doesn't exactly make a guy want to play. "It's so stupid," says Lazarev. "I don't know why they sue me." But surprise, surprise, on Nov. 8 who should be on the ice for Hershey but Lazarev. "They paid them a lot of money," announced Lazarev. Indeed. The Avalanche did the All-American thing and paid Sarnia to shut up and go away. It turns out all Sarnia wanted out was a lump of cash out of someone's pocket, so the Avalanche paid Sarnia $26,000 and Lazarev is now theirs. The whole mess cost Lazarev nine games. Like Parent, Like Child: The Washington Capitals have scored the fewest goals in the NHL and likewise farm team Portland has scored the fewest in the AHL, with just 18 on the season as of Nov. 5. Not the only trickle down effect from the Caps either; two days after the Pirates loaned Martin Brochu to the IHL Utah Grizzlies, finally resolving the Pirates' three goaltender logjam, Mike Rosati was recalled to Washington to back up Olie Kolzig. Then the last of Portland's goaltenders, Sebastien Charpentier, injured an ankle. Portland recalled Jason Saal from Hampton Roads, just in time for him to injure his shoulder. The Pirates then spent the weekend with a goaltending tandem of Joaquin Gage and Jeff Salajko while trying to retrieve Brochu from the IHL, which they couldn't do because - he was injured. What fun. The Pirates did get Rosati back this week along with some highly touted prospects from both Washington and Chicago. Meanwhile, this time they really meant it. The Pirates were sold, yes for real, with signed papers and everything, effective Nov. 9. Minority owner David Fisher, his brother, and a local businessman teamed up to buy out Joyce Ebright's share of the team and the sale has been approved by the league. This after two previous deals collapsed, most recently the sale to Mentmore Holdings Corp. which died Oct. 14 over disagreements over the terms. Fisher will officially be the majority owner, with seven other owners having various degrees of ownership. Try, Try Again: Apparently the Ottawa Senators are downright serious about moving the old PEI franchise to Quebec City. GM Rick Dudley has been scouting the city with the intent of having a team intact and in place next season. A local television production company is stirring up the city's interest in the AHL and hopes to cut a deal with the Senators in the near future. The company's CEO believes QC is more suited to the AHL than the IHL and is anxious to give it a shot. Maybe he'll bring back Badaboum. Small Stuff: Providence rookie Joel Trottier had two goals Oct. 28, both against J-S Giguere... Philadelphia's Jim Montgomery was involved in all three Phantoms goals Oct. 28 as they beat Fredericton 3-2. All three goals were in the first period. Mathieu Garon did well, though, considering he faced 49 shots... Olli Jokinen celebrated his POTW award with a goal 83 seconds into his next game, followed by a callup to the Kings... Hershey finally had a lead, two goals even - and they blew it, allowing Kentucky a pair and settling for a tie Oct. 28. The game was tame, as the primary participants from the brawl game were either injured or suspended... Dean Melanson scored two goals and missed the hat trick by a crossbar against Adirondack Oct. 28. Martin Biron continued cruising, allowing only one goal... Why did the WolfPack win their first five games? In a recent tilt with New Haven, the Beast's starting lineup had 73 games NHL experience, typical for the AHL. The Hartford starters had 1,989 games in the NHL... Breaking up a three goaltender logjam were the River Rats, who shipped Rich Shulmistra to the IHL Manitoba Moose. They also bought out Zdenek Skorepa and loaned Vlastimil Kroupa to the IHL's Kansas City Blades... Hershey's Mitch Lamoureux recorded his 400th career point against Hamilton Oct. 30... Providence goalie John Grahame had a 17-save shutout against New Haven, aided by Shawn Bates' two points... The Adirondack Red Wings were highly concerned about New Jersey sending Sasha Lakovic to Albany on conditioning for the team's Oct. 30 game. They worried about the wrong player. Vadim Sharifjanov, also down to condition, scored the game-winning goal with 1:44 left... Syracuse picked up a tie with Kentucky Oct. 30 on the strength of three goals from rookie defensemen - Michal Rozsival, Pavel Skrbek and Zenith Komarniski... Dmitri Nabokov had a pair of goals for the Lowell Lock Monsters Oct. 30, but they still lost to Springfield... Cincinnati's Mike Leclerc had two goals and an assist in a 7-4 win against the Hartford WolfPack, who played catchup the whole game without catching up. Bob Errey had three points for Hartford... He'd been almost perfect all season, but Jean-Sebastien Giguere needed the Portland Pirates to be completely perfect. Giguere had 39 saves Oct. 30 against Portland, his first shutout this season... Rochester's Randy Cunneyworth had two goals plus an assist as the Amerks took down Worcester, 6-4... Jim Montgomery had another three-point night for Philadelphia, who sent Fredericton to a seventh straight loss Oct. 30... Things didn't get better for Fredericton the next night. The winless Hershey Bears not only beat the Canadiens, they shut them out. Not only did the Bears get a shutout, it came from backup goalie David Aebischer, who made 29 saves... All of Kentucky's three goals against Hartford were on the power play on Halloween, two from Jarrett Deuling and the game-winner from Alex Korolyuk... The Amerks got three goals in five minutes against Albany Halloween night and went on to win 5-1... Adirondack rookie goalie Jason Elliott posted his first professional shutout with 22 saves against the Syracuse Crunch, who gave up five goals in the first period... Another shutout the same day as Lowell's Marcel Cousineau stopped 35 shots and blanked the Portland Pirates, the second shutout in a row against Portland... Fortunately for Portland, it was the first time this season they didn't allow a power-play goal. Their 1-11-0 start is still by far the worst in team history... Providence finished a home-and-home sweep of New Haven with pairs of goals from Antti Laaksonen and Landon Wilson. And why did the P-Bruins want Steve Bancroft? How about three assists?... It just wasn't Cincinnati's day Nov. 1. Kentucky scored ten goals, including pairs from Mike Craig, Alex Korolyuk and Herbert Vasiljevs, en route to a 10-1 rout... Fredericton pulled the goaltender for the second time in as many nights against Syracuse, and this time they got a point out of it with a 3-3 tie. They still haven't won in their last nine tries... Hershey went from winless in seven (0-5-2) to undefeated in five - three ties and two wins... Lowell's Mike Peron made his AHL debut against New Haven Nov. 1 with a goal and an assist... After going undefeated in ten games, tying a franchise record, Saint John was finally felled by Worcester, 3-2, on Nov. 1. Terry Yake did the scoring, Rich Parent did the stopping. It was J-S Giguere's first loss of the season... Saint John rookie Chris Clarke finally scored his first pro goal after averaging a point a game, all assists... How many shutouts so far? 15, in 115 games. If the current pace keeps up, the AHL will see 99 shutouts this year. The league record for one year is 61. Think about it... Peter White has now scored more points in the AHL than any other player to appear in the league this decade... Hartford's Ken Gernander, Lowell's Craig Charron, and recent Beasties boy Mike Rucinski all skedaddled out of town to Austria to play for Team USA in the World Championship Qualification Tournament. And yes, they qualified... Cincinnati didn't lose at home until Nov. 8, and hasn't won on the road yet... The longest point streaks in the league this year, both active, are those of Rochester's Domenic Pittis and Philadelphia's Jim Montgomery, both at ten games and counting... The Wolfpack followed up winning their first five games by losing the next three, the first time in franchise history they lost three in a row... Hartford is also perfect in their division and until they defeated Hamilton Nov. 7, winless outside of it... The AHL lead in power-play goals is shared by New Haven's Scott Levins and St. John's Jason Podollan with five each... If Worcester scores first, forget it. They're unbeaten in the five games where they scored the first one... Fredericton rookie Mathieu Garon was back to leading the AHL in minutes played, with 547, although Marc Denis passed him in the saves department. Now if only there were a defense in front of him... Lowell's Marcel Cousineau didn't lose in six straight games, going 5-0-1 with two shutouts during the streak. He leads the league in wins and shutouts, and trails only Denis and Garon in minutes played... St. John's has taken over the penalty lead, now averaging 40 minutes a game... Hershey's Marc Denis started three games in one week and wound up with an OT tie in all three, facing a total of 124 shots... The Phantoms' Brian Boucher was undefeated in his first eight games, but Albany finally beat him Nov. 8... Adirondack is third in the league in penalty minutes with a 37.2 PiM per game average, but it's coming from just two players - Martin Laitre and Barry Potomski are 1-2 in the league in PiMs... Another team you don't want getting the first goal is Albany. The River Rats are unbeaten when scoring first - and have yet to win if they don't score first... The Rochester Americans have the best GAA as a team, at 2.09. Martin Biron hasn't lost a game yet, at 6-0-1, and his GAA is under two... Syracuse's Robb Gordon scored his fourth goal for the season, the same number he had for all of last season... The Hershey Bears were supposed to have an agreement with the Ottawa Senators for players. They didn't get a Sen until Erich Goldmann was assigned at the end of October. Meanwhile, the Bears acquired three Nashville Predators... The heretofore hapless Bears also managed their second shutout in five days as Marc Denis blanked Lowell Nov. 4, 3-0. All three Bears goals, two by Christian Matte, were scored in the third period... Bob Errey scored on the Hartford WolfPack's first ever successful penalty shot as the Wolfpack beat the Bruins, 4-2, Nov. 4. Shawn Bates scored both goals for Providence... If this seems devoid of news about St. John's, there's a reason. The baby Leafs went sans game for ten days... Add the Syracuse Crunch to the list of sports teams wanting new playpens. The Crunch want an arena in the 10,000 seat range, partly due to the age and lack of amenities of the current building but mostly because Rochester has a greatly renovated and much better arena... The Albany River Rats held down Philadelphia 1-0 until 14:31 of the third period Nov. 6. Then the Phantoms tied it and Jason Zent added a natural hat trick for a 4-1 Phantoms victory... The Hartford Wolfpack tackled the Springfield Falcons Nov. 6 with only eight forwards and just two centers dressed. They still won, as Derek Armstrong set up three goals in the first period alone and Bob Errey and Todd Hall each scored two goals... The Portland Pirates lost their sixth straight home game and were shut out for the third straight home game as Providence beat them 6-0 Nov. 7. Ex-Pirate Jim Carey picked up the shutout, as the Pirates have now gone 191 minutes, 24 seconds without a goal in their own barn.... Kentucky took down Fredericton 5-3 Nov. 7, but the Habs managed two goals from rookie Darcy Harris and Phillippe Derouville stopped Matt Bradley on a penalty shot... Fredericton went on the road for 18 days and didn't win a game, going 0-7-1 with a tie against Syracuse their only point. The young Habs haven't won in their last 11 games... Kentucky, conversely, won their fourth straight game and are unbeaten in six... NHL referee Paul Stewart completed a rehab assignment in the AHL, reffing a few games in his comeback from colon cancer... The Maple Leafs have exactly four power-play goals at home, in 44 chances... The Maple Leafs' Jeff Ware, in his third professional season, finally scored his first professional goal Nov. 7 against former teammate Marcel Cousineau... Of Worcester's first ten games this season, nine ended with one goaltender or the other out of the net. In other words, close games... Domenic Pittis had no problems against his former Syracuse team, picking up three assists in his first game against them Nov. 7... Adirondack's Martin Laitre and Syracuse's Larry Shapley are both pending suspensions for actions in the Nov. 6 game between the teams. Both left the bench to fight during a play stoppage... On a related note, the rule which suspended a coach if a player left the bench to fight has been relaxed. Suspending the coach is now a decision made by league review, rather than an automatic, hence no coaches have been suspended for that lately... Saint John defeated New Haven on an OT power-play goal from Sergei Varlamov Nov. 7. New Haven's Tom Buckley scored two goals... Florida returned Dwayne Hay to the Beast, where he scored three goals in two games... Kentucky goaltender John Nabokov recorded his first shutout against Cincinnati Nov. 8, stopping 20 shots... Mike Kennedy had three assists against St. John's and three goals against Portland, as Lowell came back with four goals in the last ten minutes to beat the Pirates Nov. 8. Kennedy's goals included the tying and winning goals. Ray Giroux also had three points for Lowell and Patrick Boileau had three points for Portland... Albany's John Madden and Alexander Semak had two goals each in the Rats' 8-4 against Philadelphia Nov. 8, the first loss for the Phantoms in eight games... Hershey's Mitch Lamoreux was involved in all three Bears goals, scoring two and setting up the other, as the Bears beat the Rats 3-1 Nov. 7 to take their unbeaten streak to six games... Rangers first rounder Stefan Cherneski scored his first two professional points over the weekend... Cincinnati's Craig Reichert had a four-point night with a goal and three assists against Fredericton Nov. 6... Bruce Coles returned to Hershey - as a Falcon. He made his presence known with two goals and two assists against his old team Nov. 8 as the Falcons pasted Hershey, 9-3. Barry Nieckar, Eric Belanger and Radoslav Suchy all had three point nights, while all three Hershey goals were scored on the power play... The Rochester Amerks now lead the league in goal differential at +28... Earlier we noted Shawn Bates is fourth in scoring. That's because there's a three-way tie for first between usual suspects Steve Guolla and Jim Montgomery, and rookie Shane Willis, all with 18 points... Fredericton hasn't won much, but outside their division, they haven't won at all... The Lowell Lock Monsters were the first team to double digit wins this year, and their current pace would give them the record for points by a first-year team... Lowell's Warren Luhning leads the AHL in +/- with a +14 rating... The Hershey Bears have yet to win a game in their division... Marc Denis has taken over the league lead in total saves, and ranks second in minutes played... Yet another team who shouldn't be allowed the first goal - Kentucky is 5-0-1 in that situation... Hamilton is unbeaten when scoring first, except they've only scored first three times, the fewest of any team in the league... Adirondack, Hartford and Portland have yet to go into overtime - for which the Pirates are quite thankful... ----------------------------------------------------------------- College Hockey Report ----------------------------------------------------------------- by James Clippinger Okay, due to the general lack of interesting games to preview this week in Division I, we go to the hinterlands of college hockey (also known as the ECAC Northeast) for this week's Game of the Week: Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchmen (0-0-0 ECAC; 4-0-0 overall) at UMass-Dartmouth Corsairs (0-0-0 ECAC; 0-0-0 overall) Lebanon Valley College's brand-spankin'-new Division III hockey program isn't doing too badly for itself. The Flying Dutchmen have yet to trail in a game, riding an offense that puts up 8.75 goals a game to a perfect 4-0-0 record. They've led an astounding 89.0% of all playing minutes and converted power plays at a long-playing 33.3% clip. Hell, they've even thrown in four short-handed goals just for fun. Even more impressively, Lebanon Valley is spreading around the scoring wealth. Freshman forward Greg Kutchma (5-7--12) leads the ECAC Northeast in overall scoring, but is only one of the eight Flying Dutchmen in the top 20. LVC will face its first real test on Saturday night, though, as they hit the road to visit UMass-Dartmouth. The Corsairs have yet to play a game, yet last year's ECAC Central playoff champions come into the contest as the league coaches' #1 preseason pick. They also enter the matchup with all of three seniors, so there won't be much leadership on the ice to settle down any early-season choppiness. This game really marks a new era for ECAC Division III hockey. The new Northeast league merges the former North, Central and South leagues, which were always weak sisters to the East, West and SUNY leagues. With the new alignment, the Northeast's best teams may finally be able to challenge the other league's powers, especially if high-line programs like Lebanon Valley's force other teams to upgrade. The Flying Dutchmen have a terrific head coach in two-time SUNY Coach of the Year Allan MacCormack and play their home games in Hersheypark Arena (home of the AHL's Hershey Bears), both of which will be huge recruiting advantages. Anyway, I think this game may well signal a sea-change in the ECAC. Flying Dutchmen 4, Corsairs 2. ================================================================ TEAM REPORTS ================================================================ EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW JERSEY DEVILS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Rob Ftorek Roster: C - Bobby Holik, Bob Carpenter, Denis Pederson, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, Sergei Brylin, Brendan Morrison. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Brian Rolston, Scott Daniels, Jay Pandolfo, Sasha Lakovic. RW - Patrik Elias, Randy McKay, Vadim Sharifijanov, Krzysztof Oliwa. D - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, Lyle Odelein, Kevin Dean, Sheldon Souray, Brad Bombardir. G - Martin Brodeur, Chris Terreri. Injuries: Dave Andreychuk, lw (right knee, day-to-day). Transactions: Re-signed Scott Niedermayer, d, to a multi-year contract. Recalled Sasha Lakovic, lw, and Vadim Sharifijanov, rw, from Albany (AHL). Game Results: 10/28 Los Angeles L 4-0 10/29 at NY Islanders W 2-1 10/31 Florida W 3-1 11/03 NY Rangers W 3-1 11/07 at Florida W 4-3 11/08 at Tampa Bay L 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Eric Witzel The Devils have been hot of late, winning four out of their last six games. The streak began with El Diablo getting spanked at home by the Los Angeles Kings, then pulling of four straight wins, only to have their season-high four-game winning streak snapped by the Lightning on Sunday at Tampa Bay. Head coach Robbie Ftorek had October 28th circled on his calendar ever since he received this year's schedule. This was his first game as a head coach against the Los Angeles Kings - a team he once coached, as well as, played for. Ftorek wanted a win in the worst way, but a W was not in the cards on this night. The Devils looked like a bunch of little boys playing against grown men. A handful of physical and mental errors was all it took for the pounding to begin. Defenseman Sheldon Souray was a minus-3 for the game, and made two key blunders, which directly led to goals. In the first period, Souray failed to keep a puck in the zone. Kings forward Craig Johnson picked up the loose puck, skated in two-on-one and beat Martin Brodeur for the first goal. Then, in the waning moments of the second period, Souray made a perfect pass to Kings defenseman Rob Blake, sending him in all alone. Blake made no mistake, snapping a shot over Brodeur's shoulder. Souray was benched for all but one shift in the third frame. The Devils would get back into the winning ways the next night in New York against the Islanders. They won 2-1 in a solid overall effort. Bobby Holik scored in the first period, slapping a rocket past Islander goalie Tommy Salo. Dave Andreychuk netted the game-winner with a "goal scorer's goal." Holik skated down the right side, centered a pass that Salo got his stick on, the puck deflected off Andreychuk's chest and into the net. Take 'em any way you can get 'em. Chris Terreri made his second start of the season at home against the Florida Panthers and was good enough to pick up his second win of the season, while allowing only one goal on 17 shots. This was a good news/bad news game for the Devils. They won the game, but lost leading scorer Dave Andreychuk to a knee injury after a collision with Panther defenseman Ed Jovanovski. Defenseman Scott Niedermayer, and his modest new contract, took the ice for the first time this season against the New York Rangers. Ironically, this was the first game that a Devil defenseman scored a goal. Captain Scott Stevens blasted a slap shot past Ranger goalie Mike Richter, which turned out to be the game-winner. For the second time in a week, the Devils beat the Florida Panthers, extending their winning streak to four games. Scott Niedermayer got his first points of the season, assisting on two goals, including the game-winner to Jay Pandolfo. In the game, Dave Andreychuk continued with his bizarre goal motif - he and Panther goalie Sean Burke had a "jump ball" for a loose puck in the slot. Andreychuk out leaped Burke, placed the puck on the ice, and shoveled it into the empty net. The four-game winning streak was snapped on Sunday in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Petr Sykora notched the only goal for the Devils, scoring his fourth goal of the season. Martin Brodeur had his record fall to 5-5-0. The Devils will try to get back on the winning track on Wednesday at home against the Montreal Canadians. Devils Re-sign Niedermayer - Finally! Well, better late than never. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello finally got their best player signed. The two sides agreed on a two-year deal worth a reported $6.5 million. Niedermayer is 25 years old, in his seventh season, and is coming off career highs of 14 goals, 43 assists, and 57 points, and played in 81 games for the second straight season. He led the team with power-play goals (11) and power-play points (29). Niedermayer was the third overall selection in the 1991 Entry Draft and was named to the all-rookie team in the 1992-93 season. This past year, he participated in his first mid-season All-Star game. Niedermayer looked good in his first game back against the New York Rangers, and really shined in the game against to Panthers, where he picked up his first points of the season - assisting on two goals, including the game-winner. With Niedermayer back in the lineup, that could leave Brad Bombardir as the seventh defenseman, and odd man out. What a perfect time to get this guy back in the lineup - just when head coach Robbie Ftorek decides that he's going to implement a new "wide-open" system. While they admittedly had problems settling into this new offensive scheme, the Devils are learning it quickly, and are winning games. Early on, Ftorek was trying different line combinations every game. Now that the lines have been set for about two weeks or so, every line looks comfortable with each other. The Devils have gone 5-2-0 since the line juggling has ceased. Scott Niedermayer can become very dangerous in this new offensive system - he has a knack for picking his spots to join the rush, and has all of the tools to be one of the premiere offensive defensemen in the game. Holik Suspended Bobby Holik was suspended by the league for a "slew footing" incident on Saturday against Florida Panther Paul Laus. Holik used his right leg to take out Laus, sending him dangerously into the boards. Holik's 191 consecutive games played streak will come to an end as a result. Holik was quoted as saying, "I had no intention of hurting anyone." He will appear before league officials this Tuesday. What Have You Done for Me Lately Long-time Devil John MacLean didn't get the recognition he had hoped for when he returned to the Meadowlands for the first time since he had been traded by the Devils last season. MacLean was one of the original Devils, and was lividly booed every time he touched the puck. He was stoned twice late in the game by ex-mate Martin Brodeur, and the roar of the crowd was so intense, you'd have thought the Devils just won another Cup. Why the animosity? Sure, the guy requested to be traded - that was because of a diminishing team role, and a contract dispute. How quickly we forget what this guy has done for the organization. I guess it's no big deal that he leads the team in almost every offensive category - games played (934), goals (347), assists (354), points (701), hat tricks (6), and game-winning goals (55). Not convinced? How about the fact that this was the man that the entire Devils organization was built around - the fact that he was the key component to the Devils winning their first (and only) Stanley Cup. Give the guy a break. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK ISLANDERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Mike Milbury Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Trevor Linden, Bryan Smolinski, Claude Lapointe, Sergei Nemchinov. LW - Mike Watt, Mike Hough, Ted Donato, Tom Chorske, Gino Odjick. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Jason Dawe, Joe Sacco, Mariusz Czerkawski, Kevin Miller, Mark Lawrence. D - Kenny Jonsson, Bryan Berard, Scott Lachance, Richard Pilon, Eric Brewer, David Harlock, Barry Richter. G - Tommy Salo, Wade Flaherty. Injuries: None reported, but Wade Flaherty must have hurt his pinky doing nothing but sitting behind the bench door all season. Transactions: Traded Ken Belanger, lw, to Boston for Ted Donato, lw. Game Results 10/29 New Jersey L 2-1 10/31 Philadelphia W 3-2 11/02 Florida W 6-2 11/05 Carolina L 6-3 11/07 at Montreal L 4-2 11/09 at Toronto W 3-1 TEAM NEWS by David Strauss If the Islanders had any lingering doubts about starting goaltender Tommy Salo, then after the first 14 games this season, those doubts should be gone. Especially after Salo was spectacular in stopping 38 out of 39 shots to defeat the Maple Leafs 3-1 and even the Isles' record this season at 7-7-0, good enough for a first place tie in the Parity Conference, Eastern Division (aka "Atlantic.") "I felt good out there, I just played my game," said Salo, who is tied for the NHL lead with seven victories this season. "Sometimes my teammates play well in front of me. This time I played really well." "I think that was as good as he has been and he has been good on a number of occasions this year," said coach/general manager Mike Milbury. "It was pretty obvious he won the game for us. That was the worst we have played in a long time. Tommy has been more focused, more confident, and the guys around him have more confidence in him." "We know that on many occasions he has bailed us out, and tonight was a perfect example of that," said defenseman David Harlock. Earlier this season, Salo became the only goaltender in Islanders history to earn back-to-back shutouts on the road. Yup, the only one. Billy Smith, Chico Resch, Glenn Healy and Ron Hextall never did it. Neither did the immortal George Maneluk. And the legendary Danny Lorenz? Not even close. The whole season has served as proof that Salo is a new, more confident goalie. It's what Milbury hoped would happen when backup netminder Eric Fichaud was traded last summer and Milbury anointed Salo the new No. 1 goalie. This, after referring to the pair for months as "Number 1" and "Number 1A."