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LCS Hockey All-Star Squads
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by Michael Dell
I'm just going to come right out and say it. The league's
stupid. The whole North America vs. the World All-Star format is
lame. Even worse is the rule of having to select one player from
each team. A guy is either an All-Star or he isn't. What team
he plays for should be irrelevant. On top of that, it shouldn't
mean anything either.
When we select our All-Star teams, only one thing matters: the
player's performance over the first half of the season. Well,
that and how much wine we had the night before, but mostly it's
just based on performance.
Without further delay, here are our selections for the January 24
All-Star Game in Tampa Bay. And remember, this is only an
exhibition. This is not a competition. So please, as always, no
wagering.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: All stats are through Sunday, January
10.)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FORWARDS
Rod Brind'Amour, Philadelphia Flyers (39-16-25-41):
Death, taxes, and Brind'Amour. The guy's just a constant. Eric
Lindros and John LeClair get all the attention, but Brind'Amour
is the woman behind those powerful men... wait, that doesn't
sound good at all. Whatever...
Wendel Clark, Tampa Bay Lightning (36-18-10-28): Should
Tampa really have an All-Star? Well, it's a tough call, but
Clark deserves some recognition for his surprising play for the
men with the lightning bolts on their pants. Mr. Wendel leads
the club with 18 goals; a half dozen more than he had all of last
season in Toronto. He also made his final appearance at Maple
Leaf Gardens something to remember, collecting three assists.
The best of which came when he pulled the puck between his own
legs and then pulled off a spinning setup of Mikael Andersson.
It was real wizard. That play alone was worthy of an All-Star
slot.
Wayne Gretzky, New York Rangers (40-7-33-40): Yee-haw!
I'm Wayne Gretzky! Yee-haw! Gretzky has to be an All-Star.
It's like a law or somethin'.
Bobby Holik, New Jersey Devils (36-18-19-37): Remember
when Holik used to center the Crash Line with Mike Peluso and
Randy McKay? Aw, that was great, that was fun. But the big
Czech has turned his attention from banging heads to scoring
goals and leads El Diablo with 18 red lights, including five of
the game-winning variety. Holik also skates at a +14. Upper
Deck was right on target with that "Young Gun" tag back in 1991.
Sure, they may have missed on Ken Hodge Jr... and Garry Valk...
and Kip Miller... and Stephane Matteau... never mind.
Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins (36-14-36-50): The
Czech Wonder Kid can still be the most dominating offensive
player on the planet when he feels like it. No doubt, he has
taken some nights off this season, but overall Jagr has accepted
his role as captain in Pittsburgh like a true champ. While the
goal total is down, Jagr is averaging an assist per game. He's
making the players around him better. That's always nice to see.
Dimitri Khristich, Boston Bruins (38-17-25-42): Boston's
top line features two other All-Star candidates in Jason Allison
and Sergei Samsonov, but Khristich has simply been better than
his higher profile linemates. The Russian winger has been a
consistent force from day one and has used his tremendous touch
around the cage to lead the Bruins in scoring with 17 goals and
42 points.
John LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers (39-23-24-47): Who's
better than John LeClair? Oh, you don't know? Well neither do
I. LeClair is the man. He's unstoppable.
Eric Lindros, Philadelphia Flyers (37-21-27-48): The Big E
Train is rolling right on schedule. There was that slight
concussion problem, but Lindros is still the best center in the
Eastern Conference.
Shawn McEachern, Ottawa Senators (39-20-17-37): He may
not be top flight All-Star material, but McEachern is having an
excellent campaign for the Senators. He leads Ottawa with 20
goals; just four fewer than he had all of last season. McEachern
has always owned blazing speed and a hefty slapper, it's just now
he's finally starting to cash in on the numerous chances his
talent has always created. Did that sentence make any sense at
all? It would probably be best if we just moved on...
Keith Primeau, Carolina Hurricanes (41-19-14-33): Primeau
is a force. He's developed into the player the Red Wings always
knew he'd become. It's too bad more fans in Carolina don't show
up to witness his greatness.
Miroslav Satan, Buffalo Sabres (36-18-14-32): The Prince
of Darkness sneaks onto the team thanks to a recent eight-game
goal-scoring streak. While not a breathtaking skater, Satan has
exceptional hands and knows how to finish. He also smells of
fire and brimstone. So that's pretty cool...
Martin Straka, Pittsburgh Penguins (36-19-22-41): Jagr
may get all the hype, but Straka has been Pittsburgh's MVP this
season. The little Czech center has been a dynamo for the
Penguins, leading the team in goals with 19 while also playing
the point on the power play and serving as the club's top penalty
killer. Straka's speed is lethal. He's fun to watch.
Alexei Yashin, Ottawa Senators (39-17-31-48): It's
official. Yashin is a superstar. The big Russian center has
carried the Senators on his broad shoulders this season, pacing
the team with 48 points while playing at a +20. He also makes
quite the fashion statement with his swank turtlenecks.
DEFENSE
Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins (38-4-21-25): Even at his
advanced age, Bourque is still the heart and soul of the Bruins.
And his numbers of four goals and 25 points aren't that bad
considering the lack of scoring among defensemen league wide.
Eric Desjardins, Philadelphia Flyers (35-6-18-24): One of
the most consistently underrated players in the game, Desjardins
is the linchpin of the Flyer blue line. Not only has he been his
usual steady self in the defensive zone, Desjardins has also
picked up his scoring, having already notched as many goals (6)
as he had all of last season.
Kevin Hatcher, Pittsburgh Penguins (36-6-18-24): Of
course, Pittsburgh's best defenseman is Darius Kasparaitis, who
also just happens to be the coolest player... IN THE WORLD! But
it's tough to argue with Hatcher's numbers. Hatcher the Elder
has 24 points and is clicking at an impressive +12.
Brian Leetch, New York Rangers (40-6-20-26): Despite the
26 points, Leetch isn't having an overwhelming season by any
means. Luckily, neither are any other Eastern Conference
defenders. Leetch gets in on name recognition.
Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils (28-3-15-18):
Niedermayer isn't exactly tearing it up for the Devils, but he
has shown the ability to impact games with his speed and puck
movement. More scoring is still needed.
Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils (36-3-13-16): Stevens is
the rock on which the Devils are built. He leads New Jersey with
a +17 rating.
Jason Woolley, Buffalo Sabres (37-3-18-21): With Alexei
Zhitnik not quite playing up to potential, Woolley was able to
sneak in the back door. A strictly one-way threat in the past,
Woolley has tightened things up on defense and boasts a +13 to go
along with his three goals and 21 points.
Jason York, Ottawa Senators (36-4-16-20): Someone had to
represent Ottawa's steady group of no-name blueliners. York got
chosen for his 20 points and +11 mark.
GOALTENDERS
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils (18-9-5, 2.44, .901, two
shutouts): Statistically, Brodeur is having an average
season. But the catch is that he's still Martin Brodeur. That's
enough for us.
Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres (20-7-6, 1.92, .937, seven
shutouts): We heard this Hasek character is pretty good so
we figured we'd let him play. After all, it's for charity! Oh
wait, that's the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament...
Ron Tugnutt, Ottawa Senators (11-5-3, 1.73, .931, one
shutout): Sometimes you feel like a Tugnutt, sometimes you
don't. Ottawa Senators have Tugnutt, Mounds don't. Because...
sometimes you feel like a Tugnutt, and sometimes you don't.
Everyone feels like a Tugnutt this season in Ottawa. The scrappy
little netminder is leading the league with a 1.73 goals-against
and is among the leaders with an incredible .931 save percentage.
I still remember the time Tugnutt led all Quebec Nordique
goaltenders in wins with five. Ah, memories... faded water color
memories, of the way we were. I need a moment...
WESTERN CONFERENCE
FORWARDS
Tony Amonte, Chicago Blackhawks (41-23-13-36): With all
due respect to the great Chris Chelios, Amonte is the only reason
to watch a Chicago game. He's a phenomenal player. He works the
defensive zone like a demon, he hits, he scores goals, he sticks
up for his teammates, and oh yeah, he can skate really, really
fast. It's gotta be the hair. Amonte is simply one of the
coolest players in the NHL.
Pavol Demitra, St. Louis Blues (37-20-22-42): Some people
aren't sure yet if Demitra is the real thing or not. If you're
one of the uncommitted, take it from me... Demitra ain't no joke.
He can play. He does have sort of a fashion risk haircut, but he
can play. Demitra sees the entire ice, has an explosive first
step, and can bring the pain with his shot. He didn't get those
20 goals and 42 points by accident. And he didn't slow down when
Pierre Turgeon left the lineup, either. Demitra is the whole f'n
show in St. Louis.
Theo Fleury, Calgary Flames (41-19-23-42): Speaking of
being the whole f'n show, Fleury is the only reason there's still
a team in Calgary. Without the little red menace, the Flames
would have burned out many moons ago. Where's Dr. Kevorkian when
you need him?
Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche (40-11-36-47):
Forsberg is the most complete player in the NHL. He got off to a
brutal start this season, but still ranks near the top of the
scoring race with 47 points.
Paul Kariya, Anaheim Mighty Ducks (40-17-38-55): The
little duckling leads the NHL in scoring with 55 points. But how
about making just one funny commercial for ESPN? C'mon, dude...
just one. So far you're like 0-for-12. Who's reading your
scripts? Just one funny commercial is all I'm asking. Just one.
Mike Modano, Dallas Stars (38-13-26-39): Mikey Mo is
having kind of an average year by his standards. But the last
time I checked the Stars have only lost seven games, so that's
gotta count for somethin'.
Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings (40-22-18-40): I
remember in the first issue of the season I wrote something about
upcoming milestones for players. Robitaille was 22 goals away
from 500. I almost didn't even list him, fearing that there
would be no chance in hell of him getting 22 goals this season.
Here it is, the beginning of January, and Lucky Luc has already
bagged number 500. He's having an amazing year.
Jeremy Roenick, Phoenix Coyotes (34-15-24-39): JR
Superstar is back. After years of mediocre play, Roenick appears
to have remembered how to score. Way to go! Now if only he can
quit referring to himself in the third person.
Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche (32-15-24-39): His
startling acceleration and supersonic wrist shot make Sakic one
of the game's most dynamic players. He was a one-man crew early
on for the Avalanche when Forsberg and Patrick Roy were still
trying to find their games. Sakic also leads the league with
five short-handed goals.
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks (32-21-24-45): Teemu
had a rough time of it there for a while, but he's back in his
groove. The Finnish Flash is once again scoring like a chimp,
potting 21 goals in just 32 games.
Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs (40-13-29-42): The Leafs
are without doubt the surprise team of the NHL. Sundin gives
them the big-game star in the middle that's needed to be a
playoff contender.
Keith Tkachuk, Phoenix Coyotes (27-17-14-31): Tkachuk is, like,
good and stuff...
Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings (40-18-26-44): Stevie Y
just won't slow down. He keeps getting better with each passing
year. His numbers are way up from the 24 goals and 65 points he
recorded last season.
DEFENSE
Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings (22-3-12-15): It's very
simple. When Blake is healthy, the Kings are a legitimate threat
out West. When Blake isn't in the lineup, the Kings are two
points for the opposition.
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings (40-6-20-26):
Lidstrom is having kind of an ordinary season. It's not that he
hasn't been good, it's just he's never quite reached the dizzying
heights he did last year. But it's all really a moot point since
he's so much better than most everyone else.
Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues (37-11-14-25): The Big Daddy
Mac's 11 goals ties him for the lead among defensemen.
Boris Mironov, Edmonton Oilers (37-5-21-26): Boris has
cooled off a bit lately after starting hotter than the watch I
bought my dad for Christmas. His 26 points puts him among the
defensive leaders, but his best stat may be his +14 rating.
That's a might powerful number for someone in Edmonton.
Larry Murphy, Detroit Red Wings (40-7-24-31): Stationary
Larry just keeps on truckin'. He's actually outplayed Lidstrom
on most nights.
Teppo Numminen, Phoenix Coyotes (36-7-16-23): Now that
the Coyotes are winning, people are finally starting to give
Teppo the recognition he so richly deserves. Well, we've been
with Teppo since the beginning. If you want to jump on the ol'
bandwagon that's fine. But just remember, we're driving.
Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues (33-7-17-24): He's the
best defenseman in hockey. End of discussion.
Darryl Sydor, Dallas Stars (38-10-22-32): Sydor's scoring
totals were enough for him to bump teammate Derian Hatcher from
the squad. It's pretty tough to ignore 32 points in 38 games
from a defenseman.
GOALTENDERS
Ed Belfour, Dallas Stars (19-6-4, 1.91, .915, three
shutouts): Belfour is just now starting to find his stride.
Look for even better numbers from here on out, if that's
possible.
Curtis Joseph, Edmonton Oilers (18-12-2, 2.65, .906, one
shutout): His stats won't win any awards, but Joseph is the
reason why Toronto is a player in the East. His acrobatic
goaltending has given the young Leaf club a major confidence
boost.
Nikolai Khabibulin, Phoenix Coyotes (15-7-3, 1.96, .927, three
shutouts): Khabby's been something special for the Desert
Dogs. He's entertaining to say the least. And if I'm not
mistaken, I believe that's what I just did...
(EDITOR'S NOTE: You may have noticed that Mats Sundin and Curtis Joseph
were listed in the Western Conference, despite actually playing in the East.
There's a simple reason for this... too much medication. Just move 'em
around anyway you want. These are still our All-Stars.)
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CREDITS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief
Zippy..................................Computer Boy
Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter
Matthew Secosky......................Mr. Enthusiasm
Nicole Agostino.....................Finished Fourth
Alex Carswell.................Anaheim Correspondent
Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent
Matt Barr.....................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
Jerry Fairish..............Pittsburgh 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
Brian Wishnow.........................Correspondent
Howard Fienberg.......................Correspondent
Joe Rossi..............................Guest Writer
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LCS Hockey - Issue 111 - January 13, 1999. 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?
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Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament: LCS Charity Even Conquers Controversy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Joe Rossi, Guest Writer
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally ran in the Greensburg
Picayune and is reprinted here with permission of that fine newspaper.)
Something wasn't right. The thriving metropolis of Greensburg
was not itself. The streets were quiet. Citizens were nowhere
to be found. Even the air itself hung heavy with despair.
Yet this city-wide malaise was not caused by the ordinary post-
holiday blues. This condition was brought on by something much
more serious. Something even the most ardent civic leader could
not condone. Namely, Greensburg's failure to host the Happy
Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament.
"It's a disgrace," claims Greensburg native Bob Schneider.
"What's the holiday season without the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus
Tournament? It's a load of crap, that's what it is."
Mr. Schneider was just one of many irate citizens that voiced
their displeasure to the local government over its decision to
prohibit the staff of LCS Hockey from holding the annual charity
hockey tournament. Schneider, along with an estimated 3500 other
protestors, marched on City Hall Monday, December 28, in a last
ditch show of support for the young, community-minded
entrepreneurs behind the tournament.
"Those boys do great work," continued Schneider, still
brandishing a sign that read 'Let Them Play.' "We're all proud
of 'em. The fact that the city won't let them play their game, a
charity game mind you, makes us all sick. Right now, I'm
embarrassed to tell people I live in Greensburg. It's a
disgraceful thing."
The dispute started back in June when LCS Hockey editor-in-chief
Michael Dell made some rather pointed remarks in the local press
regarding Greensburg mayor Carl Eisman. At the time, many
pundits believed that Dell was preparing to use his enormous
local popularity as a springboard into politics and perhaps a
mayoral bid. When asked how he thought Eisman was doing in his
job of running the city, Dell replied, "He's a spineless weasel.
That guy wouldn't know character if you hit him over the head
with it. I don't know how the hell he got that job. Someone
must have lost a bet or somethin'." Dell went on to refer to the
mayor as a crank, dork, idiot, maroon, and jagoff.
When asked later to comment on his harsh assessment, Dell
defended himself by saying, "I meant it in a good way."
Mayor Eisman was not amused. He immediately rescinded LCS
Hockey's recreational permit, breaking the city's four-year
association with the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament. A
vindictive Eisman proceeded to rub salt in the wound by ordering
that the tennis courts at Lynch Field, the usual home for the
tournament, be ripped up and replaced by grass and any other
material that precluded the playing of street hockey.
Eisman kept his plans for revenge under wraps. Most everyone in
town assumed that the tennis courts were removed in order to
provide a brand new surface to further accommodate The Happy
Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament. But as summer turned to fall,
and the courts remained ravaged, suspicions grew.
Finally, on November 28, the truth was leaked to the press in the
form of a secret memo from Eisman to his campaign manager, Henry
Thickett. The note was never meant for the eyes of the
constituency and read like the ravings of a mad man, closing with
the line "I'll teach that little bastard to mess with me."
Headlines like "Evil Eisman Eyes Revenge" and "The Grinch That
Stole Baby J" sparked public outrage. The situation reached a
boiling point on December 17 when an angry mob descended on City
Hall looking for answers. Things would have surely turned ugly
right then and there had it not been for Dell making a rare
public appearance in an effort to calm the masses.
"There's no sense waiting here for him," screamed Dell from the
steps of City Hall. "I know where he lives." The mob then
marched on Eisman's home, overturning his car, breaking windows,
and causing a reported $23,000 in damages before Dell called
things to a halt so he could go home to watch reruns of Columbo.
Dell's LCS Hockey partners were with him every step of the way in
his feud with Eisman. "Delly's doin' what he thinks is right,"
explained Ace Reporter Jim Iovino. "It's our job to support him
the best we can. Okay, sure, maybe that riot thing got a little
out of hand, but those things happen. I mean, it's not like any
of my windows got busted, so what the hell do I care?"
"We're just trying to help the community," stated LCS Computer
Boy Zippy the Wonder Chimp. "We're all about community service.
Granted, most of it is court-imposed, but at least we do it. I
don't see Eisman out there wearing orange jumpsuits and picking
trash off the highways. But we're there. We're there."
Matthew Secosky, the fourth and final founding father of LCS
Hockey, was unavailable for comment in the hours following the
assault on Eisman's home. He was said to be away on
"assignment," but that claim was disputed somewhat by his
unconscious body laying in a heap on the bathroom floor of the
LCS Hockey offices, still clinging to a bottle of Sloe Gin.
Eisman, perhaps fearing for his life, was tight-lipped in the
aftermath of what is now being called "The Dozen Man March" on
his residence. Dell, however, issued the following statement:
"I regret deeply the events of last evening. There is no
excuse for what happened. I apologize to my family, friends, and
supporters. How we could miss that picture window overlooking
the back yard is beyond me. But rest assured, the situation will
be corrected.
As for the future of the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament, it
must go on. Even if that means it has to be held outside our
beloved Greensburg, it must go on. It's just too important. I
am currently in discussions that could see the game held on
Tuesday, December 29, at the Sharpshooter dek hockey facility in
Murrysville, Pennsylvania. Even though the game would take place
in Murrysville, seventy-five percent of all proceeds from the
Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament would still be funneled back
into the Greensburg library, museum, and, since we love irony,
Jewish synagogues.
It pains me greatly to think of a Happy Birthday Baby Jesus
Tournament played outside Greensburg. It doesn't have to be this
way. We want to play in Greensburg. The people of Greensburg
want us to play in Greensburg. All Mayor Eisman has to do is ask
us back... and it would also be pretty cool if he could forget
about the $23,000 in damages to his house and drop all the
pending charges and stuff. But it's up to him now.
Thank you."
Despite mounting public pressure, Eisman did not change his
stance. Before fleeing to Mexico under the name Miguel
Hernandez, his final order to his cabinet and police force was to
make sure that the tournament never took place inside Greensburg
city limits. While one town mourned, another rejoiced.
"We're beside ourselves with excitement knowing that the Happy
Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament will be played in Murrysville,"
exclaimed Murrysville Mayor Tony Clifton upon hearing the news.
"Not only will a portion of the money go to local charities, but
it's really a boon to the entire local economy, what with so many
tourists coming in from out of town to witness the grand event.
It's the best Christmas present the city could get!"
There was a mass exodus from Greensburg on the day of the tournament.
Those that couldn't attend the game in person showed their support for
the cause by staying home and listening to the game's radio broadcast,
forsaking all other responsibilities. The city effectively shut down
from 8 to 11PM. Years from now every Greensburg citizen will have an
answer to the question "Where were you during the Baby Jesus Tournament
of '98?"
Despite extremely frigid temperatures and a nasty mixture of rain
and snow, fans showed up by the thousands to partake in the glory
that is the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament. The publicity
garnered by Dell's feud with Eisman certainly didn't hurt
attendance. Anti-establishment slackers everywhere came to see
their new folk hero. But lost in all the political intrigue and
stick-it-to-the-man enthusiasm was the fact that Dell remained a
local hockey icon even though he had rarely picked up a stick
over the past three years. The chance to see him play was enough
to draw many a fan.
"He's the most exciting player I've ever seen," claimed Robert
Parker of Greensburg. "You just never know what's going to
happen to him. I was here the night he got his head driven into
the boards from behind. You should have seen the way he wobbled
around the rest of the game, bleeding from the eye, and acting
like he didn't know where he was. He's a true showman."
"Yeah, and what about the time he had his thumb busted by that
two-hander," chimed in fellow Greensburg native Harry Longstead.
"I'm not a doctor or nothin' but even I know thumbs aren't
supposed to point sideways. We're talkin' 90 degree angle. I
couldn't eat for two days. That (stuff) was (messed) up! It was
wicked awesome!"
The massive crowd erupted with applause as the players began to
arrive. The game's lineup card was vastly different from years
past. While fixtures such as Dell, Iovino, Zippy, Matthew
Secosky, Nicole Agostino, Shane Griffin, and Brett Taylor
returned for another year, such Baby Jesus regulars as Dave
Miller, Steve Wilson, and Todd Teacher were unable to attend due
to circumstances beyond their control or, as in the case with
Teacher, because they just "weren't into it."
Their absences provided the opportunity for four new faces to
debut on the Baby Jesus scene. The first was LCS Hockey's own
Pittsburgh Penguins correspondent Jerry Fairish. Billed as being
"number nine in your program but number one in your heart," Jerry
spent most of the evening reminding fans and players alike that
he did in fact write for LCS Hockey. He was overheard telling
one young woman, "You know, I could get you in to see Zippy."
The goaltending chores were handled by Lance Miller (no relation
to Dave) and Bernard J. Dominiak. Miller is a butterfly
netminder with excellent quickness, while Dominiak, in his own
words, just looks for "any excuse to wear padded pants."
Rounding out the list of players was Chris Ruby, who didn't
readily grasp the magnitude of the event. "I was just
hitchhiking," said a stoic Ruby. "But, yeah, I guess I'll play.
What the hell... It's for charity, right?"
As is usually the case with the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus
Tournament, the two competing teams were called Tradition and
Commercialism to further symbolize the struggle between the
opposing holiday forces. Prior to the game it was decided that
Team Tradition would benefit from a constant five-on-four power
play since it was clearly losing the war for seasonal sentiment.
Team Commercialism featured Zippy and Griffin on offense, Taylor
and Ruby on defense, and Miller in net. Meanwhile, Team
Tradition had Dominiak manning the pipes, Agostino and Fairish on
the back line, and Dell centering Secosky and Iovino up front.
At least that was the plan. The only problem was that Dell was
nowhere to be found.
As the other players stood around at center waiting for the
arrival of Team Tradition's captain, a nervous buzz began to
sweep through the crowd. What if something had happened to Dell?
What if Eisman's goons got to him? Then, suddenly, a voice
shouted out from the far reaches of the crowd, "There he is!"
The deafening ovation testified that Dell had arrived.
Staggering his way to the rink and appearing disoriented, the
editor needed help from security to reach his destination. His
physical condition was a pathetic sight. He looked frail and
sickly, as if the stress of the weeks leading up to the game had
finally overtaken him. Thankfully, the concern was relieved
somewhat when Secosky assured everyone, "It's okay, he always
looks like that."
Ill or not, Dell wasted little time in staking Team Tradition to
an early 1-0 advantage. After accepting a brilliant lead pass
from Secosky at the blue line, Dell broke in alone off the right
wing and snapped a wrist shot from the dot that trickled through
Miller for the game's first goal. It was a rather poetic way to
start the evening.
"I do what I can," said Dell.
With their gaunt captain providing inspiration, Team Tradition
stretched its lead to 4-1, with highlights including a blistering
slap shot goal from Fairish and a dazzling individual effort from
Secosky that saw him split the defense and beat Miller with a
forehand deke.
However, just when it seemed as if Team Tradition would run away
with the contest, Team Commercialism came to life. They
methodically chipped away with timely goals from Zippy, Griffin,
and Taylor to climb back into the game at 6-4. Even though
Tradition still held a two-goal cushion, it was clear that the
momentum had changed.
Commercialism also received an emotional lift from a mid-game
trade of goaltenders. Dominiak and Miller switched teams in
order to allow Dominiak a chance to live his childhood dream of
playing against Dell and Fairish.
"They're both tremendous talents," said a humble Dominiak. "I
just consider myself lucky to know them. Without their guidance
and friendship I'd probably still be working as an apprentice
crack whore. I owe them my life, my well being, and my new job
as a crack whore."
Things got worse for Tradition when Dell began suffering his
customary dizzy spells. At first it was hard to tell a
difference from his standard delusional appearance, but it soon
became apparent that something was wrong when, as if hypnotized,
he began swaying in time with the crowd's rhythmic clapping. "I
can taste colors," proclaimed Dell before collapsing into a
lifeless stupor.
Having lost its battlefield general, Tradition soon squandered
its lead, as well. Commercialism scored four unanswered goals to
move ahead of Tradition, 8-6. Griffin accounted for the eighth
goal and brought the fans to their feet with a remarkable display
of skill. The powerful winger barged wide on right wing until he
was almost parallel with the goal line. He then fired a
backhander high short-side over Miller's left shoulder that
defied all logic. The goal seemed to cement Commercialism's hold
on the game.
"It was a sweet goal," admitted Griffin. "But that's what I do.
I score sweet goals. And I don't get dizzy like some little
punk."
Dell, the little punk in question, tried to respond to the
challenge and rally the troops despite his confused state.
Mustering all the strength left in his slight frame, Dell carried
the ball in on left wing and casually beat Dominiak to the far
post with a crisp wrist shot to make the score 8-7. Moments
later he found Fairish open at the right point. The big
blueliner unleashed a powerful drive, referred to as "The
People's Slap Shot" by the faithful, that screamed past Dominiak
to knot the score at 8-8.
While Tradition fans kept hope alive for a complete comeback, the
brief scoring spree seemed to take a lot out of Dell and crew.
Griffin further sapped their strength by putting Commercialism
back in front 9-8 with a beautiful snap shot that sliced its way
through Miller.
With the game being played under a first-to-ten format, Tradition
was pushed to the edge of defeat. Try as they might to produce a
ninth goal, it just wasn't meant to be. Zippy the Wonder Chimp
delivered Commercialism the hard-fought win when he slipped free
at the left post and tapped home a loose rebound before Fairish
could bury him with a cross-check. Nicole Agostino politely
helped Zippy to his feet and then proceeded to pummel him with a
barrage of left hands. Oddly enough, none of Zippy's teammates
came to his rescue. The beating eventually ceased when Agostino
could no longer stand the whimpering.
"Damn chimp," sighed Agostino in disgust.
Once Zippy was scraped off the court, the two teams took victory
laps and conversed with fans. Additional money for charity was
raised by a drawing that charged a fifty-cent donation to guess
how many layers of clothing Dell was wearing. Mary Richards of
Pittsburgh guessed correctly with eight and was rewarded with a
handsome assortment of malt liquors. "He looks like he'd chill
easily," explained Richards.
Everyone was having such a great time that Iovino couldn't allow
the night to end.
"Let's play another one!" shouted the plucky journalist to the
appreciative crowd. "What do ya say? C'mon, it's for charity!"
The suggestion was greeted with an overwhelming roar of approval.
Iovino further demonstrated his commitment to the cause by
volunteering to replace Dominiak in net. Dominiak returned to
Team Tradition, joining Dell and Secosky on offense, while Iovino
assumed the goaltending duties for Team Commercialism.
Tradition was clearly the beneficiary of the prolonged break
between games. The down time allowed Dell to regain his senses.
With their playmaking genius healthy, Tradition dominated the
second game, soundly defeating Commercialism 10-4. The Tradition
goals either came off perfectly orchestrated odd-man rushes or
were the product of Dell setting up in his office behind the net.
On more than one occasion the words "Yee-haw! I'm Wayne Gretzky!
Yee-haw!" were heard ringing in the night sky.
Following another physical pounding of Zippy, the two teams met
at center and bowed to their loving fans. The players were on
their way out of the rink to mingle with their throngs of
admirers when chants of "LCS! LCS! LCS!" demanded yet another
encore. As incredible as it may sound, a third game was played.
"We'd do anything for our fans and community," said Secosky.
"We give till it hurts. Then we give some more. If we have a
flaw it's that we care too much. Well, that plus the whole binge
drinking thing... but really the caring too much is right up
there."
Unfortunately, Commercialism defenseman Brett Taylor passed out
from exhaustion and could not continue. This meant that Dominiak
returned to Commercialism alongside Zippy, Griffin, and Ruby.
Iovino also switched sides, providing Team Tradition with his
unique brand of goaltending.
Game Three fireworks started in a hurry. Tradition scored on its
very first rush when Dell backed into the slot and drilled a pass
from Secosky low stick-side on Miller. Secosky extended the lead
to 2-0 minutes later by gloving an errant clearing attempt out of
the air and streaking in one-on-one against Miller, beating the
Commercialism netminder with a swift backhand move.
Tradition dictated the tempo throughout. The run-and-gun style
of Dell and Secosky spelled doom for their opponents, as the two
teamed up to generate numerous odd-man breaks. The most
notorious of which was a prolonged two-on-none that saw each man
send three return passes through the crease before Dell finally
put Miller out of his misery with an easy wrister upstairs.
Miller didn't seem to mind allowing goals to Dell. "I actually feel
kind of bad for him," said the netminder. "I hear he could go at any
minute."
Commercialism did manage to keep things close thanks to the quiet
scoring of Zippy the Wonder Chimp, whose goals were described by
many on hand as "garbage."
"They don't ask you how you score them," began a jubilant Zippy,
"just how..." His statement was interrupted by a punch in the
mouth from Agostino.
The Commercialism cause was also aided by the mounting
frustration of Fairish. After blowing a two-on-one with Dell,
the Tradition defender was so angered at himself that he fired
his stick into the stands. Sadly, the lumber hit nine-year-old
Aaron Riley in the head.
"Hey, read the back of the ticket stub," snapped Fairish. "He
knew what he was gettin' into."
While Fairish was off trying to retrieve his stick from little
Aaron's panic-stricken family members, Commercialism enjoyed a
four-on-three power play. Tradition defender Agostino rose to
the call and elevated her game, controlling the defensive zone
through sheer will alone. Her strong play enabled Tradition to
hold onto the lead until Fairish returned.
The two sides weren't at even-strength long before Dell set up
Fairish for an open one-timer in the left wing circle. Fairish,
apparently still bothered by the sight of Aaron Riley's bloody
corpse, misfired on the shot. This time the fans were ready and
covered their heads as Fairish sent his stick sailing through the
atmosphere. Sadly, eight-year-old Karen Mueller was too busy
reading the commemorative Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament
program to notice the incoming missile. The stick hit young
Karen in the head.
"Wow, two for two..." remarked Fairish.
Out of respect for the injured, the game was called with
Tradition leading 6-5.
"Yeah, it's a shame about the two accidental head wounds, but
that's still one less than we had last year," reminded Iovino.
"We usually just hurt people's heads with our writing," added
Secosky. "Doing it with sticks is a nice change of pace."
In a ceremony following the game, Dell selected himself as
tournament MVP.
"It's always deserving when I have a chance to recognize my
talent and hard work," said Dell as he struggled to lift his MVP
Trophy. "This is a truly great honor that I've bestowed upon
myself. Luckily, I'm man enough to accept it."
Dell was then wheeled away on a stretcher and taken to the Murrysville
Medical Center where he was held overnight for observation.
In the end, whether the games were played in Murrysville or
Greensburg really didn't matter. After all, it's not the
location of the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament that's
important, but the spirit behind it. A spirit that can't be
found in a bottle or a pill. A spirit that only exists in the
hearts of compassionate men and women like the staff of LCS
Hockey. And for that, we should all be grateful.
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Robitaille Nets No. 500
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by Jim Iovino
Being the 171st player drafted in any particular year doesn't
exactly give a big vote of confidence to a player's abilities. But
then again, just getting drafted in the first place could bring all
the confidence a player needs to succeed at the NHL level.
That seems to have been the case for Luc Robitaille, a stringy,
French-Canadian left winger who was drafted by the Los Angeles
Kings in the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. The Kings
chose Robitaille after selecting seven other players that never
made a name for themselves in the big leagues and one who made the
big leagues, but in another sport.
Players such as Craig Redmond, selected sixth overall by the Kings
in 1984, never panned out in the NHL. Tom Glavine, selected by the
Kings with the 69th pick of the draft, went on to win a Cy Young
Award in Major League Baseball. It wasn't until the Kings chose
Robitaille in the ninth round that they found themselves a keeper.
Robitaille, now 32, recently became the 27th player in NHL history,
and the third from the 1984 draft, to score 500 career goals.
Other members from the Class of 1984 are Mario Lemieux (drafted No.
1 overall) and Brett Hull (No. 117). Not bad company for a guy
whose skating skills were enamored at the draft table as much as a
Claude Lemieux goal is in Joe Louis Arena.
Goal No. 500 came in the Great Western Forum against the Buffalo
Sabres. After scoring No. 499 earlier in the game against Buffalo
backup Dwayne Roloson, Robitaille took a pass from rookie Pavel
Rosa and flipped a shot over the sprawled goaltender. The goal
sealed a 4-2 win for the Kings and brought the crowd of 10,821 to
its feet for a loud chorus of "Luuuuuc"s in honor of their hero.
The fun-loving Robitaille enjoyed the moment by pumping his arms in
the air and skating into the arms of his teammates.
Robitaille has made a name for himself in the NHL because of his
smile and charm, his amazing shot, and...well, his name. Come on,
try and tell me you don't have fun saying his name. Luc (pause)
Robitaille... It just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it. Aww,
those Frenchies know how to name a kid, eh?
I Love L.A.
The city of Los Angeles has seen most of Lucky Luc's goals over the
years. Robitaille spent the first eight seasons of his career in
L.A., winning over the fans' hearts with his goal-scoring prowess
and his great attitude. Robitaille always seems to have a smile on
his face. And for those first eight seasons in L.A., it was easy
for him to show those pearly whites. Robitaille never scored less
than 44 goals during his first stint in the City of Angels. His
best season came in 1992-93 when he scored 63 goals and 125 points
in 84 regular season games, then scored 22 points in 24 playoff
games as the Kings nearly upset the Montreal Canadiens in the
Stanley Cup finals.
Just two seasons later, however, the love affair between Robitaille
and Los Angeles ended. The heart and soul of the Kings franchise was
dealt to Pittsburgh for Rick Tocchet and a second-round pick (who,
ironically, turned out to be Pavel Rosa). Robitaille, perhaps
stunned to find out how boring a city Pittsburgh was, failed to
produce like the Penguins imagined he would. After scoring 23 goals
and 42 points in 46 games during the strike-shortened 1994-95 season,
Robitaille was on the move again, this time to the Big Apple.
More excitement in a bigger city failed to produce bigger numbers.
Robitaille scored a combined 47 goals in two seasons in New York.
Disappointment brought about another change. Robitaille was
heading home.
Ya Know, I REALLY Love L.A.
In 1997, Robitaille was on the move again. This time he was traded
back to Los Angeles for the equally struggling Kevin Stevens. By
this time in his career, many people were starting to write
Robitaille off. He didn't do much to change their minds last year,
as he scored just 16 goals and 40 points in 57 games, the lowest
totals of his career. Robitaille was hampered by an abdominal
injury that caused him to miss 25 games.
Over the off-season, Robitaille knew he had to do something to turn
things around. So he went on a weight and conditioning program
that allowed him to add 12 pounds onto his frame. The results have
been incredible this season. Robitaille is among the league
leaders in goals. He's already scored 22 times and is on pace to
tally more than 40 goals by the end of the regular season.
The Kings are pleased to see Robitaille rejuvenate his career in Los
Angeles. After all, they have been the recipients of 430 of his 500
career goals.
The Kings honored Robitaille for his accomplishment during the next
home game by giving him a new sport utility vehicle (nice). His
teammates pitched in their hard-earned cash and bought him a new
big-screen TV so he can watch all of his favorite shows, including
the hottest comedy on cable, "Mr. Show with Bob and David", which
just happens to be the official TV show of LCS Hockey.
Congratulations, Luc! Big TVs are sweet. Oh yeah, and that whole
500-goal thing is pretty cool too...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Beat It, Cat!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
by Jim Iovino
The Felix Potvin saga has finally come to an end.
After many months of waiting in anticipation, the deal finally went
down on Long Island. Potvin was traded to the Islanders for Bryan
Berard. The teams also exchanged sixth-round picks in this year's
draft.
In Berard, the Leafs get a talented, yet not fully developed,
offensive-minded defenseman who could help significantly on the
power play. Berard, the Calder Trophy winner two seasons ago,
comes to Toronto with a boatload of promise, but only time will
tell if that promise turns into an impressive career.
If Berard does pan out, however, man oh man did the Leafs get a
steal of a deal.
Highly skilled defensemen are a rarity in the NHL these days. And
any time a team gets a hold of one, there's little chance they're
going to give him up. The Rangers know how important Brian Leetch
is to the team. That's why it seems unlikely that they won't
re-sign him after the season.
Sandis Ozolinsh is another offensive-minded defenseman. The
Avalanche pried him away from the San Jose Sharks a few years ago
for Owen Nolan. And even though Ozolinsh demanded a trade and a
large amount of money as a restricted free agent, the Avs knew they
couldn't let him get away. Colorado finally signed him after
nearly half the season went by.
Berard could become another Sandis Ozolinsh. Or a Brian Leetch. He
has the offensive flair. He has the charisma. All he needs is a
little guidance. The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to need a
little patience.
Patience was something Islander GM Mike Milbury ran out of. After
seeing Berard struggle through his sophomore campaign and again at
the start of this season, Milbury decided it was time to move his
gifted, though sometimes immature, 21-year-old defenseman.
Milbury's hoping that this trade doesn't come back to haunt him
anytime soon. Unfortunately for Milbury and his job security, it
probably will. Given a little more time, Berard should become a
superstar in this league. Milbury knows it.
"Berard is probably going to make me look silly because he has such
a bright future," he said.
But Milbury felt he couldn't wait any longer. His team was
floundering near the bottom of the league, and he had little to no
confidence in his current starting netminder, Tommy Salo. So
Milbury pulled the trigger to get Potvin - a well-dressed
goaltender who often looks a lot better in the crease than he
plays.
Potvin backstopped the Maple Leafs through good years and bad during
the past seven-plus seasons in Toronto. He led the Leafs to the
Conference finals twice, yet was unable to get to the Big Dance.
That was earlier in his career. The past couple years Potvin was
plagued by bad defenses in front of him. But it didn't hide the fact
that The Cat seemed to let in at least one soft goal per game, as
well. While Potvin wasn't totally to blame for the bad times in
Toronto, he didn't come away with a squeaky-clean image, either.
That's part of the reason the Leafs signed Curtis Joseph to a big
contract in the offseason.
Potvin, 27, will get a second chance in New York. But even he knows
his time on the Island could be limited. That's because the
Islanders have a kid named Roberto Luongo climbing quickly through
the system. Luongo was the team's first round pick in the 1997
draft. He was selected fourth overall, higher than any other
goaltender in the history of the NHL.
Luongo recently led Team Canada to a silver medal in the World
Junior Championships with an outstanding performance. Soon after
the Islanders inked him to a multi-year deal. Luongo will finish
out this season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but he
could be ready for the NHL in two seasons. Or less, if need be.
Felix Potvin is not the future of the New York Islanders. Roberto
Luongo is.
If Milbury just showed a little more patience, Bryan Berard could
have been part of that future, too.
Funny how the future gets distorted when you're close to losing your
job. The future somehow seems to get a little fuzzy when your butt
is on the line. In the case of this trade, Mike Milbury's immediate
future could have come before the New York Islanders long-term
future. As sad as that may sound, it's probably true.
But the damage might not be done yet. Several more trades are on
the Island's horizon. Tommy Salo is almost a lock to leave the
Islanders. Several teams that are reported to be interested are
the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and the Edmonton Oilers.
All three teams need immediate help (and cheap help) between the
pipes.
There are also rumors that Milbury is shopping high-scoring center
Robert Reichel. This move seems to be one based on salaries more
than anything else. Potvin is more expensive than Salo. And
Milbury recently re-signed Ziggy Palffy to a new long-term deal.
So someone has to go. Reichel, who makes $1.7 million this year,
could be it. Milbury has contacted several teams about Reichel,
including the Ottawa Senators.
As for the Maple Leafs...they add Berard to an impressive, yet
young, group of blueliners (sounds somewhat like what the Islanders
had just one season ago, doesn't it?). There's not enough playing
time for everyone, so someone will be moved. Word is that Jason
Smith could be the one to go. He could be shipped to Calgary for
Andrew Cassels, if the rumor mill holds true.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Another Chapter in the Leafs-Canadiens Rivalry Comes to an End
-------------------------------------------------------------------
by Brian Wishnow
The Toronto Maple Leafs first played host to the Montreal
Canadiens at Maple Leaf Gardens on November 14, 1931. The great
Canadian rivalry has been one rich in bitterness, intensity,
memories and tradition. With the closing of the Montreal Forum a
few years ago, the rivalry lost one of the two intimate, Original
Six venues that played host to some 300 Leafs-Habs games. On
December 26, 1998, the rivalry bid farewell to the second venue,
Maple Leaf Gardens.
The Canadiens needed a win to avoid matching their longest
winless streak in team history of 12 games. That streak was set
in 1925-26, and matched in 1935-36, back in the Canadiens' early
days of visiting the Gardens. The Habs did not want their final
visit to Maple Leaf Gardens to be an all-time low moment for
their storied franchise.
Stephane Quintal converted a two-on-one pass from Saku Koivu -
depositing the puck between Curtis Joseph's pads - at just past
the 15-minute mark of the third period to give the Habs a
thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory over the Maple Leafs. The
Canadiens out-hustled the Leafs, who played poorly in the
defensive zone and had trouble putting the puck on net.
The night began on a somber note, as the crowd was informed that
Maple Leaf Hall-of-Famer Syl Apps had passed away two days
earlier, on Christmas Eve. A moment of silence was observed in
his honor. His #10 jersey was one of several hanging in honor
from the rafters in Maple Leaf Gardens.
The Maple Leafs organized a special pre-game presentation on
behalf of the club to the Canadiens, which they have done as each
Original Six team pays their final visit to the Gardens. Toronto
great Ted "Teeder" Kennedy was introduced as the Maple Leaf
presenter to much applause.
Maurice "The Rocket" Richard was introduced next. The standing
ovation sent chills through my spine. Attending my first game at
Maple Leaf Gardens, I felt like I was in the presence of
greatness. The respect and admiration from the mix of Leafs and
Canadiens fans for the 77-year old Rocket proved that honor
indeed comes with age.
After Kennedy presented Richard with a glass plate, the two
legends dropped the ceremonial first pucks between Montreal
captain Vincent Damphousse and Toronto captain Mats Sundin.
Strangely, as Sundin drew his puck back, Kennedy reached over and
lifted Damphousse's stick. Sundin went to his backhand to draw
Damphousse's puck. Realizing what was happening, the Rocket took
him out with a cold, hard shoulder to the chops. He's quick like
that. Teeder motioned as if to come to the aid of Mats, but
Vinny wouldn't have any of that. Ah, that's great stuff.
RIVALS
Public address announcer Paul Morris provided a legendary
introduction:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, every team needs a great opponent.
Someone who gives you your highest highs and your lowest lows.
Your best and worst and most memorable moments. For the Toronto
Maple Leafs, that team is the Montreal Canadiens. Together the
Leafs and Canadiens form simply the greatest rivalry in hockey.
Tonight is the 301st and final time the Canadiens will play on
Gardens ice."
Maple Leaf president Ken Dryden, a former Canadien goaltending
great himself, played in many Toronto-Montreal games in his day
as a Hab. "This is the true rivalry between teams," Dryden
explained. "What happens, over time you come to realize those
teams that mean the most to you."
The idols of French Canada were invading Maple Leaf Gardens for
the final time. The game programs sold out half an hour before
the game started. Fans wanted to capture every one of the last
moments. It would prove to be a dandy of a game.
Just over 30 seconds into the contest, Steve Thomas converted a
cross-ice two-on-one pass from Sundin to draw first blood. The
Habs looked like a team that hadn't won yet in the month of
December. Yet the Leafs wouldn't have a sniff the rest of the
period.
At 3:04 of the first period, Steve Sullivan gave the puck away at
the Maple Leaf blue line. It was characteristic of Toronto's
poor defensive zone play on the night. Eric Weinrich capitalized
on the giveaway, blasting a low slap shot from the top of the
right circle stick-side past Joseph to even the score at 1-1.
The scariest moment of the game occurred with just under four
minutes to go in the opening period. As Sergei Berezin was
upended heading to the net, his skate clipped teammate Steve
Thomas in the face. The Toronto goal-scorer was knocked out of
the game, needing 30+ stitches on his forehead and face.
The Canadiens, already snake-bitten for goals on the season, had
two disallowed after further review by the video goal judge.
Mark Recchi was the first victim, as his goal was waved off
because he "kicked" the puck in with his shin guard. Replays did
not conclusively show this, and actually it appeared he knocked
it in with his stick.
Recchi was upset about the ruling: "I don't know what they were
smoking up there. Twice it hit my stick, not just once but
twice." Ah, but that's the NHL for you, Mark.
Later in the second period, Benoit Brunet accidently redirected
the puck off his shin guard in the net. His right skate was
barely in the crease before the puck went in, and the goal was
subsequently ruled no good. The most pathetic part of it all was
how Joseph didn't even move on the goal, as he and the Maple Leaf
defenseman just pointed down at the crease after the goal as they
appealed to referee Dan Marouelli.
Joseph did make many spectacular saves on the evening, most of
the sprawling goal-mouth variety. CuJo seemed to lose his stick
more often than any other goaltender I've seen.
The number one star of the game was Joseph's counterpart at the
other end of the ice. Jeff Hackett didn't have much work in the
first period, but made all the big saves in the final two frames.
The best of his 29 saves came late in the second period. After
stopping a Berezin slap shot from the left circle, he shuffled
over to his right in time to make a diving toe save by the post
on Garry Valk. Hackett was solid, aggressive on his angles and
outplayed Joseph to win the game for the Habs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Maple Leaf Gardens: An Original Legend
--------------------------------------------------------------------
by Brian Wishnow
This past day after Christmas (Canadians read: Boxing Day), I had
my first opportunity to see a NHL hockey game at Toronto's Maple
Leaf Gardens. Ironically, it was the 301st and final visit for
the Montreal Canadiens to Gardens ice.
My impressions of Maple Leaf Gardens had previously been shaped
only by broadcast games, primarily on Hockey Night in Canada.
The Gardens did not disappoint by any measure.
The first thing you notice about the arena from the outside is
its size. Compared to other arenas, it is small. It seems like
just another building in the crowded streets of downtown Toronto,
eclipsed in size by many other structures. Maple Leaf Gardens is
hardly just another building.
Inside the arena itself there is not much space. The concourse
areas are narrow. The crowded lobby reminded my father of the
old Detroit Olympia, an arena before my time.
Spectators access the gold seats behind the benches by walking
directly behind the players. The narrowness of the building
dictated the steepness of the seating areas. The red and blue
areas behind the goals almost hang over the ice.
There are a limited number of "luxury boxes" behind the nets and
in the gondolas overhead. Lack of more numerous and larger
luxury boxes and a seating capacity of less than 16,000 are the
two primary reasons the Maple Leafs are moving into the new Air
Canada Centre on February 20, 1999.
We arrived early for the game, and sat and watched most of the
warmups. During this time my eyes scoured the arena. The
rafters of the arena are unforgettable. Some sort of smoke was
exhausting in the far reaches, among the lights and cables
hanging from the roof.
From the rafters hang two retired numbers, along with several
more "honoured" numbers. In addition to these numbers hang 11
banners, one for each year the Maple Leafs captured the Stanley
Cup. And that's all. Unlike other cities like Detroit and
Edmonton, Toronto does not hang meaningless banners for winning
their division or conference, or for the President's Trophy.
The audio experience at Maple Leaf Gardens is unrivaled. The
P.A. announcer, Paul Morris, is outstanding. I will forever
remember his introduction before the final Leafs-Canadiens game.
His delivery is basic yet riveting. After a goal, there is no
delay in his announcement. By the time they are dropping the
puck, he's announcing the scoring play. Morris is simply the
best in the business.
The scoreboard at the Gardens might be the most antiquated in the
league, but that's sort of a blessing in disguise. The four
different colored light bulbs produce grainy pictures, not nearly
close to the video scoreboards standard at most arenas these
days.
Thankfully, this cuts down on the constant distractions
scoreboards provide at other arenas. In Detroit, where I attend
most of my hockey games, scoreboard diversions are constant.
Intermission is one commercial after another, not to mention
during TV timeouts, when it's either Animal House, make some
noise, or the ever-favorite panning of the crowd for some fool
willing to dance on camera.
During the first intermission, a cartoon was featured on the
scoreboard. It was about a boy who asked Santa for a Maurice
Richard #9 Canadiens sweater for Christmas. To his dismay, he
received a blue Toronto Maple Leafs sweater. Forced by his
mother to wear it, the boy found himself ostracized by his
friends at the next game of hockey on the pond. Ah, that was fun
stuff. The mixed Hab-Leaf crowd was certainly entertained by the
piece.
The music selection at Maple Leaf Gardens is also top rate. In
Detroit, after every whistle some tune is blasted at the crowd.
It's as if they think we all have no attention span and would
suddenly find hockey boring without music to fill every second of
every timeout.
At the Gardens, much less music is played, and when it is it
never reaches the obscenely loud levels of other arenas. Much of
it is old school clapping music, which gets the enthusiastic
Toronto crowd going. An unfortunate blot on the evening's
activities occurred with just under three minutes remaining in
the game. True, the Habs had just gone up 2-1, but that's still
no excuse to play "Cotton Eyed Joe." That was painful to sit
through.
Unlike many of the cavernous arenas of today, all of the seats at
Maple Leaf Gardens are near the ice. I was seated in the greens,
about three fourths of the way up. When the crowd wasn't loud, I
could even hear the players yelling to each other on the ice.
That's pretty cool, and rare in today's buildings.
The crowd itself was unlike any other I had been in before. The
Canadian crowd was obviously very knowledgeable, and there
weren't any out of control drunks. That's odd, considering it
was Boxing Day and all.
There were some zany guys up in the greys (highest section)
instigating the Leafs chants. One fellow started many of the
chants, but sometimes he failed. Once in the third period, he
kept screaming "Go Leafs Go," in hopes of the crowd catching on.
It was pretty apparent that the rest of the arena wasn't joining
in after his fourth solo "Go Leafs Go." He continued on for
something like 15 times, his voice cracking and dying, to no
avail. I couldn't decide if it was heroic or pathetic.
There were hordes of Canadiens fans in attendance, and they made
their presence known. The two fans to our left, to our right,
and directly behind us were all Montreal supporters. There were
many "Go Habs Go" chants, which were immediately eclipsed by
calls of "Go Leafs Go."
The Zamboni drivers were unique in their own way. They stood up
while resurfacing the ice. Interesting. However, as one of them
pulled off the ice during the second intermission, he was
decapitated by the player's tunnel. That was odd.
It is hard to describe, but the setting, atmosphere and crowd
noise at Maple Leaf Gardens are all magical. It's the sort of
place that you never want to leave. Legends played there, rivals
battled there, and many memories have been made there. Maple
Leaf Gardens is the stuff dreams are made of.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Damn Mormons
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Tom Cooper
It's as American as apple pie.
If somebody wants something bad enough, they will do everything in
their power to get it...no matter the cost or embarrassment it may
bring.
Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah and the haven for the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, wanted the 2002 Winter Olympics to
be held in their city.
As investigations have shown, they wanted those games so badly that
they bribed International Olympic Committee officials during the
committee's visits.
Now, a city settled on a foundation of peace and good will toward
fellow man may lose its chance to show good will to the entire world.
But the people of Salt Lake City and the United States will not be the
only ones who will fell the consequences of this embarrassment.
It will inflict pain upon the National Hockey League as well.
The league shut down operations in 1998 to accommodate the Nagano
Winter Games, marking the first time that professional hockey
players played in the Olympics.
The effort to expose the league's finest talent to the globe did
have a few gleeming rays of light shine from the Aqua Wing arena,
but it was the failure of both the American and Canadian
contingents to medal and the embarrassment caused by several
members of the U.S. side trashing their hotel rooms that will be
remembered forever.
The 2002 games on the North American continent were seen as a chance
at redemption for a league struggling to spread into international
markets and struggling to gain acceptance into mainstream American
culture and athletic thought.
The games would perfectly fit into a primetime television slot, if
NBC, the network with exclusive American network rights to the
Olympics, chose to show hockey at that time. Fans would not have to
stay up until 11 p.m. to watch Team USA play Team Canada all the
way over in Japan. It was perfect. The National Hockey League's
plans to bring the game to primetime America and spread them
throughout the world were perfect.
Then the scandal broke.
Top officials on the Salt Lake 2002 organizing committee resigned.
The mayor of Salt Lake City, who played a huge role in lobbying for
the games to be held in her city, announced she would not seek
another term as mayor fearing resentment over the scandal.
The IOC and the United States Justice Department both opened probes
into the bribery allegations.
Suddenly, the NHL's dream of primetime international hockey was
crumbling before its very eyes.
And it could do nothing to stop it.
On Monday came the latest blow when IOC senior member Marc Hodler said
the 2002 Olympics could be moved to either Lillehammer, Norway, the
site of the 1994 Games, or back to Nagano.
Or, in a worst case scenario, the Olympics would not be contested
again until 2006.
The NHL can only sit back and watch. If Salt Lake loses it
privilege, they may see their games move to early afternoon time
slots if played in Norway, or at the same times late at night as
last year if the games are moved back to Japan.
Those television times are vital to the National Hockey League if
the league wants to grow and thrive into the coming century.
If you thought the lost expectations were a setback at Nagano, just
imagine what the Salt Lake organizing committee's lust for the
Olympics may inflict upon the NHL.
They just wanted the games too much.
Now, the NHL, who wanted so much to hold the American viewing
audience captive with its brand of international hockey, may pay
the price along with the city of Salt Lake.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
History Caught: Laus Scored!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell
"I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but at the same time I'm
glad it's over."
Those were the words of Paul Laus upon breaking Roger Maris'
record total of zero goals in a season. Maris, who never played
in the NHL, established the mark in 1961 while not skating for
the New York Rangers. Many around the league assumed that Laus
would never be able to reach the milestone, but the rugged
Florida Panthers blueliner proved them all wrong on December 28,
1998, in a 5-1 win over the visiting New York Islanders.
The magical moment came at 4:40 of the second period. Panthers
winger Oleg Kvasha created the play by driving wide on left wing
and throwing a shot to the net. Laus, displaying the instincts
of a true goal-scorer, drove the slot and wristed the rebound
behind New York netminder Marcel Cousineau to claim his place in
history.
The capacity crowd at the National Car Rental Center went crazy
go nuts in celebration. The game was momentarily halted as both
competing squads poured onto the ice to offer Laus
congratulations. It was a wild, wild scene.
Overcome by emotion, Laus then climbed into the stands to hug the
Maris family who had been following his quest all season. They
shared a few tears and Laus tapped his chest twice and then
pointed to the heavens in recognition of their legendary father.
Following the game, an elaborate on-ice ceremony was held to
honor Laus' accomplishment. Laus was joined at center ice by his
Panther teammates, team owner H. Wayne Huizenga, the Maris
family, and representatives from the Hall of Fame. The capacity
crowd fell silent as their hero stepped to the microphone.
"I'd just like to thank all my teammates for making this
possible. I couldn't have done it without them," said a sincere
Laus. "And I'd like to thank you, the fans. Without you this
really wouldn't mean a thing."
The goal was Laus' first since April 6, 1996. The drought lasted
188 games. Yet shortly before the fateful meeting with the
Islanders, Laus had a hunch that his luck was about to change.
"I knew tonight would be the night," explained Laus. "Before the
game the Maris family showed me the stick their father didn't use
when he never played back in '61. Holding it, I just got the
feeling that it was going to happen. It's a great feeling to
know that my stick will now rest beside his in the Hall of Fame."
Once Laus was finished speaking, Mr. Huizenga stepped forward to
make a special presentation. The Panther owner congratulated
Laus on his miraculous achievement and then directed everyone's
attention to the Zamboni door. A beautiful vintage Corvette
drove onto the ice.
"That's for you, Paul," smiled Huizenga. "You took us all on a
marvelous ride."
The car, painted Panther red, featured a license plate bearing a
lone numeral one. Laus graciously accepted the luxurious gift
and waved from the back seat as he was driven around the rink
much to the delight of the raucous crowd. The importance of the
night was not lost on the fans in attendance.
"This is something I can tell my grandkids about," said Thomas
Feller, a season-ticket holder and retired produce worker now
residing in Dade County. Mr. Feller then turned to his grandson
Timmy and informed him, "Paul Laus scored!"
While many were surprised by Laus' scoring feat, there was one
man that expected it.
"I told you it would happen," said MIT professor Arthur Jessup.
As you, our valued readers, may recall, Dr.
Jessup predicted in issue 105 of LCS Hockey that this would
be the year Laus surpassed Maris.
"I knew it was only a matter of time," elaborated Jessup. "I was
a bit surprised that it came against the Islanders, I was
figuring on the Lightning or Hurricanes, but I knew it would
happen."
Jessup had pegged the Bolts as the most likely victim at odds of
3-1. The Canes were second at 6-1. And in case you're
wondering, Jessup had the Isles clocked at a 12-1 shot.
Once the initial excitement passed, Jessup found himself to be
somewhat saddened by Laus' electrifying exploit.
"I have to admit, I feel a bit lost," claimed Jessup. "I've
dedicated the last nine months of my life to tracking the
probability of Laus scoring a goal. Now it's over. I have to
move on. But I'm not sure I want to."
Don't feel too bad for Jessup. The good professor had a rather
substantial wager riding on Laus scoring this season. If
enjoying his recent windfall wasn't enough, Jessup also runs a
successful bookmaking operation out of the back of his classroom.
And just between you and me, he's got the New York Jets at +12
this Sunday in Denver. You might want to get a piece of that
action. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets! Give Keyshawn the damn ball.
Would somebody please give Keyshawn the damn ball!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
More Stuff...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell
ALL-STAR SNUBS
Not long ago I warned everyone that the All-Star Game format of
the World vs North America was really lame and that some
deserving North Americans were going to get screwed since about
75% of the players in the league would be fighting over the 24
roster spots in question. Well, it happened.
While we'll be able to enjoy the likes of Viktor Kozlov, Marco
Sturm, and Sergei Krivokrasov skating for the World Team, Joe
Sakic and Luc Robitaille will not be in attendance. Exactly how
is this allowed to happen? It's criminal. It can't officially
be called an All-Star Game if Joe Sakic isn't there. What about
his 15 goals and 39 points in 32 games isn't good enough to earn
a roster spot? And all Robitaille has done is score 22 goals,
the third highest total in the league. It's a joke.
Even worse than the format is the gay rule that calls for every
team to have at least one representative. Aw, I guess the league
doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. That's swell if this was
a Pee Wee league in Saskatchewan, but this the big show. Hurt
feelings go with the territory. Do the Islanders really deserve
to be represented? How about the Capitals? Or Sharks?
Let's see the best players in the game, no matter where they were
born or what sweater they wear.
KRUPP BACKS OUT
Another All-Star debacle was the selection of Uwe Krupp to the
starting lineup. Krupp, such a character individual that he
forgot about the Colorado-Detroit blood feud just long enough to
cash a serious check, has three goals and five points in 22 games
this season for the Red Wings.
If you voted for Uwe Krupp you're an idiot. People of Detroit,
I'm looking in your direction. This is how I guess it must of
happened (EDITOR'S NOTE: to get the true effect of the following,
it must be read with a pronounced lisp):
Red Wing Fan 1: "I hate voting."
Red Wing Fan 2: "Me too, it gives me such a headache just
thinking about it."
(extended pause)
Red Wing Fan 1: "Oh, I know! Let's just vote for all Red
Wings!"
Red Wing Fan 2: "Goody!"
Aw, that's real cute. At least Krupp did the honorable thing and
threw his back out so he won't be able to play in Tampa on the
24th. Now we just need all the people that voted for him to
throw their backs out windows.
WHERE YOU AT, HICKS?
Florida Panthers winger Alex Hicks is no longer welcomed in the
Burgh. Hicks, who played with the Penguins for most of the past
two seasons, burned all bridges leading back to the Steel City in
a December 30 game at the Igloo.
At 16:59 of the second period, a huge melee erupted at center ice
that started with gritty, gutty Tyler Wright picking on Peter
Worrell. In looking for a dance partner, Hicks quickly spotted
the always dangerous Alexei Kovalev. Hicks busted his stick over
Kovalev's leg and then proceeded to drop the gloves and land
three uncontested shots to the mug before the talented Russian
winger could even let go of his stick. Kovalev somehow managed
to retain consciousness and eventually wrestled Hicks to the ice.
It was a gutless attack. It was also very reminiscent of a stunt
Hicks pulled while playing for the Penguins, except back then it
was Nelson Emerson on the receiving end of the Pearl Harbor. And
at least Hicks only punched Emerson once. Kovalev wasn't quite
so lucky.
Hicks was given two for instigating, five for fighting, and a
ten-minute misconduct. Kovalev received five for apparently
head-butting Hicks' fists. Kovalev did not return to the game,
but the Penguins still managed to hold on for a 7-4 win.
Three nights later the teams met up again, this time in Florida.
It didn't take long for the Penguins to even the score. Neil
Wilkinson, dressed for the first time since the Carter
administration, went right after Hicks. Except Wilkinson didn't
jump him, he merely called him out. Hicks obliged and charged
towards Wilkinson only to have Wilky lay the smack down on him
with The People's Left Hand. Two hits. Wilkinson hitting Hicks
and Hicks hitting the ice. And that was that.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: for those of you scoring at home, that was a
"Breakfast Club" reference. Once again, a "Breakfast Club"
reference.)
Wilkinson could have done some serious damage to his former
teammate but instead just stood there and watched as Hicks
struggled to get to his feet. Hicks got up. Hicks fell down.
He got up again. He fell down again. He attempted to stand up a
third time. He fell down a third time. It's just a good thing
he wasn't carrying a cross.
<(EDITOR'S NOTE: once again for those of you scoring at home, and
for all you Catholics out there - and I think you know who you
are, that was a Stations of the Cross reference. Yes, a Stations
of the Cross reference. Give yourself an extra point if you
picked up on it.)
Hicks tried to return to action in the second period wearing a
visor, but he was still messed up. Unable to continue, he bailed
early and has yet to return to action.
Meanwhile, Kovalev, sporting a black eye and a cut across the
bridge of his nose from Hicks' earlier assault, got his own form
of revenge by clipping the Cats for two extraordinary goals in
the 4-2 Pittsburgh win. The first was an unbelievable slap shot
from high in the slot that was in and out before Sean Burke even
moved. The shot was so fast that video replay was needed to
confirm that it actually existed. The second was a clean
breakaway that saw Kovalev scorch Burke with a wrister low stick-
side. No one shoots a puck better than Kovalev. No one.
While you never like to see someone get hurt, Hicks definitely
had it coming. And at least he had a chance to defend himself.
That's a privilege he didn't afford Kovalev. Not only did the
incident render Hicks a hated man in the Burgh, but now Wilkinson
has risen to somewhat of a cult hero among Penguin fans. He's
also been in the lineup ever since.
FRANCIS COMES HOME
There was more big Penguin news on January 7 when Ron Francis
made his first return to the Igloo since leaving over the off-
season to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Usually when free agents split for stacks and stacks of folding
green, they get booed out of the building upon their return. But
that's not the case with Francis. There isn't a Penguin fan
alive that still doesn't respect good ol' number 10. Francis
received a hero's welcome from the Igloo faithful. And his old
teammates didn't forget him either. After a video montage of
some of Francis' most memorable moments in a Pittsburgh uniform
ran on the scoreboard, Tom Barrasso and Jaromir Jagr presented
their former captain with a framed Penguin jersey. It's always
touching to see someone welcomed home like that. Were you
watching, mom? Really, did you have to change the locks? Is
that something you felt you had to do?
Anyway, once the emotion of the pre-game ceremony died down, the
teams put on quite the entertaining game of hockey. The ending
was beautiful. The Penguins were clinging to a 3-2 lead with
1:06 left in regulation when referee Don Van Massenhoven whistled
Penguin rookie Jan Hrdina for intentionally knocking the net off
the moorings when the puck was in the crease. It was kind of a
weak call, but at least it made things exciting.
Things could have been a whole lot more interesting had Carolina
coach Paul Maurice selected Francis, who was on the ice at the
time, to take the penalty shot. Could you imagine how cool that
would have been to have Francis one-on-one with Barrasso with the
game hanging in the balance? Unfortunately, that classic
confrontation will only live in our imaginations. Maurice
elected instead to go with Sami Kapanen. Kapanen is a bad man
and all, but seeing Francis vs. Barrasso under those
circumstances would have been one for the ages.
As it was, Kapanen skated in on Barrasso and didn't even attempt
a move. He decided to just try and sneak one low glove side.
Bad decision. Barrasso easily kicked it aside and the Penguins
added an empty-netter to win 4-2.
Sami, I realize it's a little late, but you have to deke Barrasso
on breakaways. He's just too big to try and pick a corner. Get
him moving side to side and then dump it behind him. Hey, you
know who would have known that? Francis. Oh well.
COOLNESS UPDATE
Once again, here are the coolest players in the NHL as of January
12.
1. Darius Kasparaitis, Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Darcy Tucker, Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Theo Fleury, Calgary Flames
4. Tony Amonte, Chicago Blackhawks
5. Alexei Kovalev, Pittsburgh Penguins
6. Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings
7. Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings
8. John LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers
9. Wayne Gretzky, New York Rangers
10. Gary Roberts, Carolina Hurricanes
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Theo Fleury: "We're like alcoholics right now. We gotta
hit rock bottom before you can snap back into it and say, 'We
gotta do something.'"
You know, in many ways, we here at LCS Hockey are like
alcoholics. But that's just because we, you know, drink a lot...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chimp Bytes: General NHL News and Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell
Zippy is apparently too woozy from the beat down he took at the Happy
Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament to write a news column, so I'll just do
what I can...
ALL-STAR TEAMS
Here are the All-Star Teams as selected by the NHL. The game will be played
on Sunday, January 24, in Tampa Bay.
North America All-Star Team
Player Pos. NHL Club
Amonte, Tony W Chicago
Belfour, Ed G Dallas
Blake, Rob D Los Angeles
Bourque, Ray D Boston
Brodeur, Martin G New Jersey
Clark, Wendel W Tampa Bay
Fleury, Theoren W Calgary
Gretzky, Wayne C NY Rangers
Joseph, Curtis G Toronto
Kariya, Paul W Anaheim
LeClair, John W Philadelphia
Lindros, Eric C Philadelphia
MacInnis, Al D St. Louis
Modano, Mike C Dallas
Murphy, Larry D Detroit
Primeau, Keith C Carolina
Pronger, Chris D St. Louis
Recchi, Mark W Montreal
Roenick, Jeremy C Phoenix
Stevens, Scott D New Jersey
Shanahan, Brendan W Detroit
Sydor, Darryl D Dallas
Tkachuk, Keith W Phoenix
Yzerman, Steve C Detroit
Head Coach: Ken Hitchcock, Dallas
Asst. Coach: Jim Schoenfeld, Phoenix
World All-Star Team
Player Pos. NHL Club
Bondra, Peter W Washington
Demitra, Pavol W St. Louis
Forsberg, Peter C Colorado
Hamrlik, Roman D Edmonton
Hasek, Dominik G Buffalo
Holik, Bobby C New Jersey
Irbe, Arturs G Carolina
Jagr, Jaromir W Pittsburgh
Jonsson, Kenny D NY Islanders
Khabibulin, N. G Phoenix
Khristich, D. W Boston
Kozlov, Viktor C Florida
Krivokrasov, S. W Nashville
Krupp, Uwe D Detroit
Lidstrom, N. D Detroit
Naslund, Markus W Vancouver
Numminen, Teppo D Phoenix
Selanne, Teemu W Anaheim
Straka, Martin C Pittsburgh
Sturm, Marco C San Jose
Sundin, Mats C Toronto
Yashin, Alexei C Ottawa
Zhitnik, Alexei D Buffalo
Zubov, Sergei D Dallas
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff, Buffalo
Asst. Coach: Robbie Ftorek, New Jersey
ALL-STAR NOTES
* Wayne Gretzky, or as I like to call him - Wayne Gretzky, will be making his
18th consecutive All-Star appearance. Ray Bourque isn't far behind, appearing
in his 17th consecutive mid-season sissy boy slap shot contest. Both are the
two longest such streaks in NHL history. Gretzky's first All-Star Game was
in 1980 at the Joe, while Bourque made his debut in 1981 at the LA Forum.
Neither one has missed an All-Star Game since.
* The All-Star Weekend will also feature the Heroes of Hockey game and
POWERaDE NHL SuperSkills on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The All-Star
Game itself is Sunday, Jan. 24 at 4:00 p.m. EST. Television coverage of the
All-Star Game will be provided by FOX in the United States and CBC/SRC in Canada
at 4:00 p.m. EST, while All-Star Saturday will be broadcast in the United States
by ESPN (7:00 p.m. EST) and in Canada by CBC (6:30 p.m. EST) and SRC (8:00 p.m. EST).
Television coverage of "Columbo" remains every Monday on A&E at 8 a.m. EST and
2 p.m. EST.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Cherry: A Decade of Fighting, Beer, and Pretzels
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Howard Fienberg
Blue may have passed on long ago, but the ever-media savvy Don
Cherry just keeps on trucking. He's like my grandfather at
Christmas in the liquor cabinet... yes, IN the cabinet. I still
haven't fixed the hole he kicked in the door that night. As if it
was ME trying to lock him in with the rye rather than my father.
Now I have bronchitis and don't have a voice with which to argue
the case anymore.
Don Cherry kicks a hole in the TV screens of CBC's Hockey Night
in Canada viewers every Saturday night. And for the last decade,
he has put out an annual hockey video tape to try to grab the
folks smart enough to normally give his intermission show,
Coach's Corner, a miss.
And it is usually pretty good, as such fare go. Looking past his
love for fighting and rough-housing, and his rabid Canadian
jingoism (he gets mad if you call it racism), he does produce a
cool compilation of hits, goals, saves, etc.
So now he offers Don Cherry's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Hockey 10 to
celebrate his anniversary. It includes the usual best of the
97-98 season, like Steve Yzerman's late season assist from his
back to spur a comeback win for Detroit over Edmonton. Of course,
it was Bob Essensa in net, and that rhymes with influenza, and
that makes me think of orange juice, which goes well with
Swiss Cheese. Oh, just like Essensa.
Donny tops up his usual fare with a best-of-the-decade
compilation at the end. Well, not quite, but the best of what he
has shown on his videos over that time-frame, which allows for
the inclusion of a superb goal by Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux's
defensemen splitting goal against Minnesota in the '91 finals,
and a drawn out battle between Marty McSorley and Bob Probert.
What are the drawbacks to buying this video? Well, the sound is a
place to start. Everything is dubbed to a nauseating techno beat.
And you have to listen to Cherry in place of the original
play-by-play calls. Another problem, more Cherry. He includes a
best of Coaches' Corner - we could have done without it. And
finally, you are supporting a Missassauga OHL team which is dead
set against allowing foreigners to play for it.
I bought it. It is a bit like the high-brow intellectual who
channel-surfs past the Jerry Springer show, and can't help but
stop and watch for a while in sheer amazement. "You mean people
really watch this stuff?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AHL News
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Tricia McMillan
Player of the Week (Dec. 27): Christmas shortened the week
to only two or three games for teams, which was too bad for
Providence's Cameron Mann. He scored a goal in each
of the Bruins' three games, to include an overtime game-winner
against New Haven. Mann was currently near the top of the AHL
scoring list but was promptly recalled to Boston for a few
weeks.
Player of the Week (Jan. 3): Providence went for the
double, producing the POTW for the second week in a row. This
time it was rookie Andre Savage getting the nod, after
running six goals and an assist in three games. Savage posted his
first professional hat trick in the process as well. For an
encore, the Michigan tech product was named to the Canadian
All-Star team. A pretty good week.
Rookie of the Month (Jan.): Another college product named
to the Canadian All-Star team took home this award - Lowell's
Ray Giroux. The former Yale blueliner had ten points in 11
games during December, a month in which he scored in nearly every
game and had a plus rating in the ones he didn't score in. Giroux
is also leading AHL defensemen in power-play goals and was able
to direct the team bus driver to the New Haven Coliseum.
Goaltender of the Month (Jan.): And yet another Canadian
All-Star turns up in this category, as Hamilton's Steve
Passmore went 6-1-0-2 in December with a 1.49 GAA and
a .952 save percentage. Passmore had two shutouts during the
month, both against divisional opponents, and was leading the AHL
in goals-against average.
Hampton Roads Lead Out: As soon as one team joined the
AHL, another dropped out - at least for another year. The Hampton
Roads team, which was intended to play in the Scope Arena and
scheduled to join the league for the 1999-2000 season, iced that
idea until 2000-2001 with the approval of the AHL Board of
Governors. The owners of the Hampton Roads team had intended to
move the existing ECHL team to the Hampton Coliseum to make room
for the AHL team, but the Coliseum refused to allow the ECHL team
in, and it was too late to try to sell the ECHL franchise for
next season, so the Scope, the city of Norfolk and the team's
owners all agreed the AHL team should wait an extra year while
they try to place the ECHL team somewhere else.
And while the Canadiens were thinking of moving their team to
Montreal, the addition of a QMJHL team to Montreal may squelch
that idea. So the 1999-2000 score stands as follows:
Louisville in. Hampton Roads out. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre probably
in but on a road trip from hell since their arena isn't going to
be ready in time. Fredericton probably out. Quebec City maybe
in. Carolina maybe back in. Montreal some possibility, but
increasingly unlikely. Got that?
Say What?: After the players dropped the gloves and
punched but weren't 'fighting', one didn't think there would be
more odd penalty definitions from Hershey. Not so fast. During a
delayed penalty call Dec. 26, the Philadelphia Phantoms sent the
extra player on the ice well before goalie Jean-Marc Pelletier
reached the bench. The rest of us call that 'too many men' and a
minor penalty. Referee Tim Kowal called it 'premature
substitution' and merely penalized the Phantoms with a change in
the location of the next faceoff. 'Premature Substitution', don't
they have pills for that now?
Also stretching definitions was the AHL front office, who
released press materials proclaiming Hamilton head coach Walt
Kyle to be a rookie AHL coach. I guess that full year as the head
coach of the Baltimore Bandits didn't count. The AHL also deemed
New Haven's Pat Mikesch to be a rookie, even though he spent all
of the 96-97 season with Kentucky, appearing in 77 games.
Sorry gang, but they're not rookies.
Easy Come, Easy Go: Some people just don't learn. Case in
point, St. John's Greg Smyth. As you will recall, Smyth was
suspended ten games for smashing Jean-Pierre Dumont's face on
Nov. 30 (Dumont still has a mark from that incident) and Smyth
didn't return to AHL ice until Dec. 29. He lasted 24 hours.
During the Maple Leafs/Bulldogs game on Dec. 30, Hamilton's
Daniel Lacroix was given a game misconduct and headed for the
Bulldogs' dressing room.
Reports say Smyth left first the bench and then the ice, followed
Lacroix back to the dressing room and either took a baseball
swing at Lacroix or threw his stick at him, depending on the
report. The AHL, stating that they couldn't prove Smyth did
anything with his stick, suspended Smyth for six games for
leaving the bench to start an altercation. He won't be eligible
to play again until Jan. 17, in Philadelphia. And this is why
players like Smyth are called 'cementheads.'
Custody Battle: Andrei Bashkirov is a career minor
leaguer. And as a European who was never drafted, he couldn't
play in the NHL - or the AHL - until he was drafted. When
Bashkirov turned 27 and still hadn't been drafted by an NHL team,
he signed with the IHL's Fort Wayne Komets. The next day,
Montreal drafted him. The Canadiens have since assigned him to
Fredericton three times, all over the strenuous objections of the
Komets. After plenty of hollering and name-calling, AHL President
Dave Andrews and IHL President Doug Moss ordered Fredericton to
turn Bashkirov over to Fort Wayne. Bashkirov may still play in
Montreal, but any minor league stints must now be in the IHL.
Highs and Lows: How about those T-Blades? Kentucky's Dec.
27 win over Cincinnati meant that for the first time in over a
season the Philadelphia Phantoms were NOT the leaders of
the Mid-Atlantic Division. Indeed, the T-Blades took over not
only the division lead but the AHL points lead. Kentucky liked
the top so much, they proceeded to beat the Phantoms twice and
went on to post franchise records for consecutive wins (10) and
consecutive road wins (7). Those also stand as the league's best
marks so far this season. John Nabokov had a personal eight-game
win streak to boot. The Thoroughblades were so dominating, at one
point in a stint of 603 minutes they were tied or in the lead for
587 minutes and 30 seconds. The game-winning goals during the
ten games came from nine different players - and none of them
were among the team's top five forwards.
Unfortunately, pride goeth after a fall too. The final game of
Kentucky's road trip was their undoing, as the struggling IceCats
iced the Blades on Jan. 6 to end the streaks. Kentucky then
returned home just in time to drop two games to the Hershey
Bears, who hadn't beaten the T-Blades all season. Talk about
extremes.
Shots On Goal: Hershey's Paul Brousseau scored both the
tying goal and the overtime winner against New Haven Dec. 23,
giving Hershey their first win in the city since 1992...
Kentucky's rookie blueliner Dan Boyle set up three of the
T-Blades goals in their 4-2 win over Cincinnati Dec. 23, bringing
Boyle to second on the rookie scoring list behind Shane Willis...
The Portland Pirates held on to beat Syracuse 6-5 Dec. 23,
largely because Casey Hankinson scored two goals in less than a
minute. The win dropped Syracuse to last in the AHL in winning
percentage, a distinction previously held all season by
Portland...
Rochester's Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre needed only the assist for a
Gordie Howe hat trick against Philadelphia, as he scored the
game-winning goal and won a fight with Frank Bialowas.
Grand-Pierre also bodyslammed Bialowas with a legal check...
While the Pirates' streak of defensive games ended, the Hershey
Bears held opponents to three or fewer goals in nine straight
games...
The Syracuse Crunch have allowed the most goals in the AHL, 127
through Dec. 23...
The four New York teams have something extra to play for - the
"Empire Vision Cup" was invented for the New York team with the
best winning percentage against its state-mates. Albany is
running away with it, with an .800 mark as of Dec. 23...
Richard Park had a three-point night for Philadelphia against
Hershey Dec. 26 while Jean-Marc Pelletier stopped 41 of 42
shots...
The Beast of New Haven took a 1-0 lead on the WolfPack in
Hartford Dec. 26, notable because it was the first time in the
history of the Beast that they had a lead in the Civic Center.
They still lost the game...
Providence's Eric Nickulas scored two goals including the game-
winner and also had an assist for the Bruins against Worcester
Dec. 26...
Kentucky's Peter Allen, who hadn't scored a goal in a season and
a half with the Blades, scored his second goal in two days and
this one stood up as the game-winner as the T-Blades took down
Cincinnati 5-3 Dec. 27...
Greg Phillips scored in overtime to give the Falcons a win over
Hartford Dec. 27 despite the Wolfpack's tying the game after
going down 3-0...
The Albany River Rats scored six unanswered goals against
Portland Dec. 27 - and then Portland returned the favor with four
of their own. The Rats hung in for the win...
Darryl LaPlante scored the game-winner for the Adirondack Red
Wings against the Hershey Bears Dec. 27. It was significant
because he scored it with three seconds remaining in
regulation...
Providence's Cameron Mann did the OT game-winner thing as well,
scoring his second against New Haven in the extra session...
The T-Blades liked first place so much, they made sure they
stayed there a while longer, knocking off the Phantoms 5-2 on
Dec. 28. Jarrod Skalde had four assists...
But on the same night, Hamilton's Joe Hulbig did Skalde a little
better and scored four goals. Chris Ferraro and Jim Dowd had
three points each as the Bulldogs rolled over the Maple Leafs
7-1...
Christmas week was the first week this season in which no one
posted a shutout. Presently, 17% of AHL games are ending with a
zero on the board...
Four AHL players have four game-winning goals to their credit -
Saint John's Hnat Domenichelli, Hamilton's Chris Ferraro,
Portland's Matt Herr and Hartford's Daniel Goneau...
Hartford's JF Labbe is a perfect 7-0-0 at home...
The Beast of New Haven have already gone into overtime in seven
games, winning only one...
The Providence Bruins have already topped last season's win
total, which was 19...
It took a while, but a team other than Providence finally topped
the 100 goal mark. Saint John and Kentucky both did it...
Cincinnati's Frank Banham was credited with five or more shots in
fifteen games already this season. He lead the AHL in shots
taken...
Most teams don't win if they're trailing after the second period,
but the Adirondack Red Wings don't win if they're trailing after
the first. The Wings are 2-16-2 in such situations...
Albany goaltender Frederic Henry had a personal unbeaten streak
of ten games...
The Hamilton Bulldogs have ended nine-game winning streaks for
two different teams this season, finishing the party for
Rochester and Providence...
Cincinnati ended a five-game losing streak when they defeated
Adirondack 2-1 on Dec. 29...
Rochester's Matt Davidson notched his first pro hat trick,
including the game-winning goal, against Hartford Dec. 29. Scott
Nichol also had three assists...
Valentin Morozov and Robert Dome both notched a pair of goals
against St. John's Dec. 29 as the Crunch went on to win 7-3.
Dome's goals came 18 seconds apart...
Mark McArthur picked up his first AHL shutout Dec. 30 as Lowell
blanked the Flames, 3-0. McArthur made 48 saves...
Albany's Jeff Williams increased his AHL leading goal totals with
a pair against Portland Dec. 30, to include the game-winner.
Just-returned Trevor Halvorson set up three goals for the
Pirates...
Worcester's Kevin Sawyer notched a hat trick that included the
game-winner against Springfield Dec. 30, the IceCats' first game
in two weeks wherein a veteran (Jason Widmer) played for
them...
Oh my but Kentucky enjoys playing the Phantoms these days. John
Nabokov picked up his fourth shutout at the Phantoms' expense
Dec. 30, as Steve Guolla had a three-point night. Philadelphia
responded with penalties, giving the T-Blades 13 power plays...
Peter White missed the game when he was finally recalled to the
Flyers. He had appeared in every game in the history of the
Phantoms' franchise...
St. John's Ladislav Kohn scored the game-winning goal with 16
seconds left in regulation against Hamilton Dec. 30 for a 2-1
victory...
Hershey's Bruce Richardson liked scoring his first AHL goal so
much, he came back Dec. 30 and scored another. He also set up two
goals, and Ville Niemenen also had a three point night as the
Bears ripped Syracuse, 8-2...
The Crunch, claiming financial considerations, converted several
overnight trips into down - and - backs to dodge hotel costs.
Coach Jack McIlhargey feels that move has already cost his
team a game...
Rochester's Craig Fisher picked up a hat trick against
Fredericton Dec. 30, making things easy for a conditioning Dwayne
Roloson...
Byron Ritchie scored two, both set up by Shane Willis, in the
Beast's Dec. 31 5-2 win over Worcester...
Fredericton's Andrei Bashkirov racked up a hat trick Dec. 31, but
Adirondack tied up the game for good when Alexandre Jacques
scored his first goal of 1998...
Hamilton's Chris Ferraro and Fredrik Lindqvist had three points
each against Syracuse Dec. 31 en route to a 4-0 win. Steve
Passmore got the shutout, Ferraro the hat trick...
Albany's Steve Brule scored two goals against Saint John Jan. 1,
extending his point streak to a team-record 11 games. The Rats
went on to win 4-1, with Ken Sutton involved in all four goals...
Kentucky kept rolling in Lowell Jan. 1, winning 4-1 for their
team-record fifth consecutive road win and eighth consecutive
overall win. Herbert Vasiljevs scored two goals...
It only took eight games, but Hershey finally beat the Phantoms
Jan. 2 in Philly. Chris Armstrong scored a pair, including the
game-winner, en route to a 5-3 win...
Portland's Nolan Baumgartner scored two goals including the game-
winner, and set up the tying goal as the Pirates beat the Lowell
Lock Monsters 4-1 Jan. 2. Lowell won the first six
meetings of the two teams...
Albany's Jeff Williams scored in overtime to give the Rats a 3-2
win over Fredericton Jan. 2. Steve Brule extended his point
streak to 12 games...
Jamie Ram stopped 42 shots for his first shutout for Cincinnati
against Saint John...
Jeff Reese returned to hockey with a 40-save win against Hartford
Jan. 2, as the Maple Leafs won 3-1...
The Bruins routed Worcester 7-1 Jan.2, as Andre Savage had a
natural hat trick...
New Haven's Chris Allen scored two goals, including the game-
winner, as the Beast defeated Adirondack 4-3...
For the second time in three games, a Fredericton Canadien
notched a hat trick Jan. 3. This time it was Marc Beaucage, who
scored all the Hab's goals in their 3-2 win over Cincinnati...
Hartford got even with St. John's Jan. 3, as Derek Armstrong
scored the first goal and set up three of the other four goals
for the Wolfpack's 5-3 win...
Hamilton's Jeff Daw had a three-point game as the Bulldogs bit
the Phantoms 6-1 Jan. 3...
The Thoroughblades ran their streak to ten games with a 3-2 win
over New Haven Jan. 3. Andy MacIntyre scored the game-winner for
the second game in a row...
Jamie Thompson scored his first AHL goal, a game-winner, with
four minutes left to give Worcester a 2-1 win over Springfield
Jan. 3...
Detroit sent Kevin Hodson to Adirondack on a two-week
conditioning stint...
Providence and Kentucky have double digit win totals from both of
their goaltenders...
Kentucky Thoroughblades blueliner Dan Boyle leads all defensemen
in scoring with 31 points, and fellow rookie d-man, Lowell's Ray
Giroux, leads defensemen in power-play goals...
Providence hasn't lost in their last 14 home games, with 13 wins
and a tie...
The P-Bruins' Antti Laaksonen, who was banished to the ECHL last
season, is now leading the AHL in plus/minus with a +23...
Fredericton defenseman Francis Bouillon is leading all blueliners
in goals scored, with 12...
The Portland Pirates aren't bothering with extra time. They are
the only AHL team to see overtime just once...
St. John's Shawn Thornton has managed an interesting combination.
He's second in the AHL in penalty minutes, and also leads his
club in plus/minus...
The Adirondack Red Wings killed off 27 consecutive power plays
over six games, to include shutting down the league's two best
power-play teams in Rochester and New Haven...
The Albany River Rats have only played twelve home games so far -
and they won nine of them...
Presently leading the goaltending stats is Hamilton's Steve
Passmore, first in GAA (1.91), second in wins (14), minutes
played (1,535), saves (728) and save percentage (.937) and third
in shutouts (3)...
The Amerks are second on the power play 21.6%, and third while
short-handed, at 85.5%...
For the third time in four games, a Fredericton Canadien had a
hat trick. This time it was Martin Gendron, who was involved in
all four goals against Hartford Jan. 5 as the Habs won 4-3. Eric
Houde set up all of Gendron's goals, while Scott Fraser was
involved in all three WolfPack goals...
For the third time in four games, a Rochester Amerk had a hat
trick. This time it was Domenic Pittis for the Amerks as they
defeated Hamilton 5-1 Jan. 5. Craig Fisher set up all of Pittis'
goals...
For the first time this season, a Bear had a hat trick. Christian
Matte picked up a trick against Portland Jan. 6 as the Bears won
6-2...
Hartford's Derek Armstrong scored a pair against Saint John Jan.
6 as the 'pack won 3-1. It was the sixth straight loss for the
Flames...
Philadelphia and Cincinnati played a wild one Jan. 6 that didn't
even have a winner, ending in a 2-2 tie. Both Bob Wren and Moe
Mantha were ejected while Tom Askey faced 60 shots, a franchise
record for both teams. The tie also gave the Phantoms a franchise
record five-game winless streak...
Kentucky's ten game overall and seven-game road winning streak
was halted by the Worcester IceCats, of all teams, on Jan. 6...
Springfield has installed seamless glass in their rink, the first
AHL team to do so. Look for an increase in injuries, particularly
head injuries and concussions, in Springfield...
They needed seven tries to get it right, but the Hershey Bears
finally defeated the Kentucky Thoroughblades on Jan. 8. Christian
Matte picked up his second consecutive game-winning goal...
Albany's Pierre Dagenais had a two-goal game against Portland
Jan. 8, as Portland lost their seventh of eight games...
Hamilton took down the IceCats 4-1 Jan. 8, as Steve Passmore
stopped 44 of 45 Worcester shots...
The Philadelphia Phantoms won for the first time in six games,
3-1 over Cincinnati Jan. 8 as Brian Wesenberg scored two goals...
Providence won the battle of division leaders, defeating
Rochester 4-3 Jan. 8 on a game-winner from ECHL stalwart Jim
Bermingham who had been added to the team that day...
Saint John lost their seventh straight game, this time to
Fredericton, on Jan. 9. Stephane Robidas had three points...
Jason Podollan and Ladislav Kohn scored 12 seconds apart on St.
John's way to defeating Springfield 3-1...
The Bears beat Kentucky for the second time in two days, this
time more decisively with a 6-2 win. Christian Matte scored two
more goals...
Providence ran their win streak up to nine games Jan. 9 with a
shutout of Hamilton. John Grahame only needed to stop 20 shots...
Bob Wren should be suspended more often. After sitting out a one-
game suspension for actions against Philadelphia, Wren exploded
for five points against the Phantoms Jan. 9 as Cincinnati won
6-4...
The Syracuse Crunch notched a rare win, all the rarer against
Albany, on Jan. 10. Peter Schaefer, Eric Bertrand and Pierre
Dagenais each scored twice as the Crunch took it 6-5...
The Phantoms took back their pride Jan. 10, defeating Cincinnati
6-3 in the teams' fourth game in five nights against each other.
Brian Wesenberg had three points for Philadelphia...
One night after losing by a goal to a division leader, the
Rochester Americans defeated another division leader by a goal.
The Amerks knocked down Lowell 2-1...
Shane Willis had another three-point night for New Haven as they
trounced Worcester, 7-1, Jan. 10...
The IceCats' Tyler Willis may be suspended by the AHL after he
was found to have tape on his hands - a no-no - after fighting
with the Beast's Chad Cabana...
Worcester's Jochen Hecht scored the only goal for the IceCats
against New Haven, his tenth of the year. He was the first IceCat
to reach double digits in goalscoring and Worcester was the last
AHL team to have a double digit goalscorer...
Albany coach John Cunniff - who is also the head coach for the
PlanetUSA All-Stars - was arrested in Albany Jan. 8 and arraigned
later that day for trespassing and criminal mischief involving
damage to an Albany apartment. No comment from Cunniff or the
team...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AHL All-Stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Tricia McMillan
Okay, gang, the All-Star teams have been determined. First we list the rosters,
then we nitpick over them. For the record, four players each were named to the
team from Kentucky, Albany, Hartford, Philadelphia and Providence, while New Haven,
Hershey, Adirondack, Portland, St. John's, Fredericton and Cincinnati managed but one
apiece. It also seems apparent the coaches were trying to appease as many people as
possible by naming several players to the team who are highly unlikely to actually be
available for it, thus enabling them to name numerous alternates.
An 'x' indicates a player voted in by the fans, a 'c' is an honorary captain
named by the league. All other players were named by the coaches, John Cunniff and
Bill Barber.
PlanetUSA All-Stars
Defensemen
x-Francis Bouillon Fredericton
x-Richard Brennan Hartford
Zdeno Chara Lowell
Jon Coleman Adirondack
Chris O'Sullivan Saint John
Ricard Persson Worcester
Andrei Zyuzin Kentucky
Goaltenders
x-Jean-Marc Pelletier Philadelphia
Jim Carey Providence
Robert Esche Springfield
Forwards
x-Richard Park Philadelphia
x-Herbert Vasiljevs Kentucky
x-Landon Wilson Providence
Lubos Bartecko Worcester
Jim Dowd Hamilton
Ken Gernander c Hartford
Sean Haggerty Lowell
Ladislav Kohn St. John's
Fredrik Lindquist Hamilton
Valentin Morozov Syracuse
Boris Protsenko Syracuse
Johan Witehall Hartford
Canadian All-Stars
Defensemen
x-Dan Boyle Kentucky
x-Brad Tiley Springfield
Ray Giroux Lowell
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre Rochester
Geordie Kinnear Albany
Dean Melanson Rochester
Ken Sutton Albany
Goaltenders
x-Martin Biron Rochester
Marc Denis Hershey
Steve Passmore Hamilton
Forwards
x-Jim Montgomery Philadelphia
x-Jeff Williams Albany
x-Shane Willis New Haven
Derek Armstrong Hartford
J.P. Dumont Portland
Steve Guolla Kentucky
John Madden Albany
Randy Robitaille Providence
Martin St. Louis Saint John
Andre Savage Providence
Peter White c Philadelphia
Bob Wren Cincinnati
We'll start with PlanetUSA, on defense. Not too many gripes here, except that
apparently no one actually pays attention to the NHL. Zdeno Chara has been with the
Islanders for the last six weeks, the Islanders are quite happy with him, and they traded Bryan Berard to make a place for Chara on their blue line. In short, he ain't gonna be there. Even Chara doesn't think he's going to the game. Ricard Persson is unlikely to be available for the game and will probably be replaced by teammate Rory Fitzpatrick. Zyuzin might not be available either.
Where the hell is John Nabokov? Nabokov starts my PlanetUSA All-Star team.
Robert Esche has been solid, but not All-Star worthy, and Carey is way beyond prospect
status. Sheesh.
The forwards look pretty good. Certainly can't argue with that starting lineup. Bartecko has been in St. Louis most of the season and isn't expected back anytime soon, so look for a replacement there, possibly Jochen Hecht. Preferably Providence's Eric Nickulas, who I would have taken over Witehall without a second thought in the first place. And the wrong Hamilton forward is present - Chris Ferraro has been better than Dowd this season. However, Dowd has been recalled and probably won't be back in time, so Ferraro would make a good alternative.
Next to team Canada. The defense group is a good one, and credit to the voters for
noticing Dan Boyle. The kid rocks. And with Grand-Pierre, Melanson and Tiley, so will
PlanetUSA.
Marc Denis is, on a personal level, one of my favorite hockey players. And someday he's going to be a great goaltender. And he doesn't belong on the All-Star team, not this year. The only reason I can think of for his selection is, someone from Hershey had to be there. But that spot was meant for Marcel Cousineau. No argument on the other two.
Argument abounds for Canadian forwards, largely because there's so bleeping many of
them you could put in 25 forwards and still leave out deserving players. A spate of recent callups made the job easier, since one can argue Cameron Mann, Hnat Domenichelli and Trevor Letowski weren't going to be there anyway. If recent history holds true, Jean-Pierre Dumont won't be available either due to a one day Chicago callup, but someone from Portland has to go. Mike Kennedy and Warren Luhning cancelled each other out, but either were worthy as is Eric Houde. One player who certainly ought to be there, and isn't, is Rochester's Domenic Pittis. Look for him to get a nod as a replacement.
One person who might also get replaced is PlanetUSA coach John Cunniff. Cunniff was
recently arrested in Albany, so his presence will be pending his legal status. No matter though - I will hereby predict victory for the Canadian team. No see-saw game this year either, I foresee this one as decisive. Say, 8-3 in Canada's favor. Make your own picks and check back here January 27 to see how the game actually turned out.
================================================================
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, Ken Sutton. G - Martin Brodeur, Chris Terreri.
Injuries: Dave Andreychuk, lw (broken ankle, indefinite).
Transactions: Beats the hell out of me.
Game Results:
12/26 Buffalo L 2-0
12/28 at Buffalo W 7-4
12/30 at Washington W 3-2
01/02 at Ottawa L 6-0
01/05 San Jose T 3-3
01/06 at NY Rangers W 5-2
01/09 Washington L 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell
Your regular New Jersey correspondent, Eric Witzel, was unable to
file a report this issue. I didn't have enough time to find a
replacement, so instead I will try and honor the Devils as only I
can. Yes, that's right, through the beautiful art of Haiku.
Holik is red hot,
He is scoring like a chimp,
Have you seen my pants?
Thank you. Remember, you can find my book of Haikus, entitled
"Haikus? I Got Your Haikus Right Here!", at better bookstores
everywhere.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Gino Odjick. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Jason Dawe,
Joe Sacco, Mariusz Czerkawski, Kevin Miller, Mark Lawrence, Steve
Webb. D - Kenny Jonsson, Scott Lachance, Richard, Pilon, Eric Brewer,
David Harlock, Barry Richter, Zdeno Chara, Eric Cairns. G - Felix Potvin,
Tommy Salo, Wade Flaherty.
Injuries: F Gino Odjick is out 4-6 weeks with an abdominal strain;
D Rich Pilon is out 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain; D Eric Cairns, sidelined
with an ankle sprain, is skating and should be ready in a week.
Transactions: 1-12-99 - Recalled G Wade Flaherty from Lowell (AHL).
Assigned G Marcel Cousineau to Lowell (AHL). 1-9-99 - Traded D Bryan
Berard and the team's 1999 6th Round Pick to Toronto for G Felix
Potvin and that team's 1999 6th Round Pick. Signed G Roberto Luongo.
1-6-99 - Assigned G Wade Flaherty to Lowell (AHL). 12-22-98 - Claimed
D Eric Cairns off waivers from the Rangers.
Game Results
12/26 Boston W 4-2
12/28 at Florida L 5-1
12/29 at Tampa L 3-0
12/31 at Chicago L 1-0
01/02 San Jose L 4-3 OT
01/05 Chicago T 1-1
01/07 at Philly L 5-0
01/09 at Montreal L 3-2
01/11 at Washington L 4-3
TEAM NEWS by David Strauss
Hoo boy. Another nice, quiet period in the hurricane of ludicrousness that we
like to call the New York Islanders.
First, the trade.
On Saturday, the Islanders, who have gone winless in a season-high eight
straight games (0-7-1), traded 1997 Calder Trophy winner Bryan Berard to the
Toronto Maple Leafs for goaltender Felix Potvin.
Tom Laidlaw, Berard's agent, tried to outquote Mike Milbury when he said the
Isles' limitation of Berard's offensive rushes was akin to "having Picasso
paint your garage." Berard was never content to play his position and look
for his chances, constantly making bad passes and getting caught out of
position.
"With the system we were trying to run, I just don't think I fit that well,"
Berard said. "They want to have a defensive-minded system. I'm kind of wide
open. What surprises me about that, was that (Milbury) knew what I was when he
got me."
The Islanders traded for Berard, the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry
Draft, in January 1996. They sent the second pick, Wade Redden, to Ottawa in
a deal that also involved the end to the infamous Kirk Muller struggle.
Berard was compared to two-time Norris Trophy winner Brian Leetch of the
Rangers en route to winning the 1997 Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the
Year with 8-40-48 numbers.
But he faltered in his sophomore year, badly. Though he nearly doubled his
goals en route to 14-32-46, his defensive liabilities were far more evident,
as he slumped to a -32 rating. (I guess he really was the next Brian Leetch.)
Berard came to camp this season with the intent of reversing his downward
spiral, and got off to a good start. The power play was ranked first in the
league for a while, but he had only four goals and was -6 before another groin
injury. And there have always been questions about his dedication.
"I can't tell you he won't become a terrific player in this league," Milbury
said. "I know he was feeling some pinch, though I don't believe it was there
quite as much as he felt it. I think he learned a lot during his stay on Long
Island. I think it will hold him in good stead as he moves on. I trust that
he'll hear some of the same comments from coaches in Toronto he did in New
York and perhaps will adjust his game accordingly. He came a long way
defensively, maybe at some expense to his offense. Maybe there's a blend they
will find there in Toronto that we didn't quite accomplish here."
As for the newest Islander -- well, Felix, welcome to the fire.
Now, wait a second, didn't the Isles already have a number one goalie?
Yes, they did, and he's pissed.
Coach/GM Mike Milbury has been unable to secure a trade for Tommy Salo, who
was the No. 1 goalie before the arrival of Potvin. On Saturday night, Milbury
told Salo he would not dress and that he should watch the game at the team
hotel in Montreal. He did not speak to Salo again until late Monday, then had
Salo watch the game against the Washington Capitals from the press box at the
MCI Center.
Edmonton, Calgary, and Nashville have all been mentioned as possible
destinations for Salo. Edmonton is rumored to have offered Janne Niinimaa for
Salo. Nashville is believed to be offering draft picks.
The first game for Potvin was a microcosm of the Isles' season. They fell
behind 4-1 and lost to the Capitals 4-3 as Potvin was singed for three bad
goals, one by Mike Eagles from behind the net.
The loss dropped the 13th-place Islanders to 13-26-3. The team is 3-15-3 in
its past 21, and are 0-23-1 when their opponent score first.
They trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by 16 points for the eighth and final
postseason berth in the Eastern Conference. And the Penguins have six games in
hand.
Well, at least they have committed ownership, right?
Right?
Well, uh....
On Monday, Islanders co-owner Howard Milstein announced he had teamed with a
Washington, D.C., area businessman to purchase the National Football League
Washington Redskins for a record $800 million -- meaning he will have to sell
his interest in the Islanders. Islanders co-owner, Steven Gluckstern, can
reportedly not afford to purchase the team outright.
But former Islanders great Clark Gilles, who won four Stanley Cup
championships with the team between 1980-83 and headed one investment group
seeking to purchase the Islanders before the franchise was sold to Milstein
and Gluckstern for $195 million in February, wondered if anyone would still be
interested in buying all or a portion of the team.
"What do you have to do here to get this thing back on track?" Gilles said.
"It's a major project . . . Before anybody's going to step up and put up what,
45 percent of $195 million, they have to ask themselves a big question: 'What
are you buying? What are you getting?'
"You have to be willing to lose $25-$30 million on the come you're going to
get a new building, that officials in Nassau County are going to make it
possible to get a new building. But, really, what kind of commitment do you
have from the county? Nothing. I hate to say it, but you have to wonder if you
would be better off going out and getting an expansion team."
Now, if you're wondering why the Isles couldn't afford to give Zigmund Palffy
a decent contract, and refused to give Trevor Linden a raise, and yet the
co-owner could spend almost a billion dollars for one of the worst teams in
football...well, I don't have an answer for you.
In a rare bit of good news, Kenny Jonsson was named to the World Team for the
NHL All-Star Game in Tampa.
"I'm proud," the 24-year-old Swede said. "But it's the team I have to win or
lose with and we have to turn things around here. Otherwise, it's going to be
a long year."
Asked about the All-Star skills competition, Jonsson, in a bit of dry wit,
said: "My skill is going to be finding a new owner."
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NEW YORK RANGERS
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Head Coach: John Muckler
Rosters: C - Wayne Gretzky, Manny Malhotra, Petr Nedved, Sean
Pronger, Marc Savard. LW - Brent Fedyk, Adam Graves, Darren
Langdon, Kevin Stevens, Esa Tikkanen. RW - Todd Harvey, Mike
Knuble, John MacLean, Niklas Sundstrom. D - Jeff Beukeboom,
Brian Leetch, Stan Neckar, Peter Popovic, Ulf Samuelsson, Mathieu
Schneider, Ruman Ndur, Chris Tamer. G - Mike Richter, Dan
Cloutier.
Injuries: Petr Nedved, c (minor knee sprain, day-to-day). Rumun
Ndur, d (sprained right knee, day-to-day).
Transactions: Sent Esa Tikkanen, lw, to Hartford (AHL).
Game Results:
12/23 Carolina L 1-0
12/26 at Carolina W 6-3
12/30 at Phoenix L 3-1
12/31 at Colorado W 6-3
01/02 at St. Louis W 1-0
01/04 San Jose W 4-3
01/06 New Jersey L 5-2
01/07 at Washington L 5-1
01/10 Tampa Bay W 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Alex Frias
After shooting themselves in the foot for three months, the
Blueshirts have a chance to see whether they have what it takes
to lose to New Jersey in the first round of the playoffs or just
watch the Devils from home.
With the 5-2 win over Tampa Bay, the Rangers pulled to within
five points of Boston for the eighth and final playoff spot. It
also made for a good start to what looks like a seemingly soft
stretch of six games that will take the Rangers into the All-Star
break, as five of the six are at home and five of the six are
against teams behind them in the standings.
"We keep putting ourselves in a situation where all the games are
so important," Rangers captain Brian Leetch said. "If you look
at the records of the teams coming in, they've struggled this
year. So it's an opportunity, if we play well, going against
teams that are having more problems than we are."
Another One Bites the Dust: After leading the team in
scoring in the preseason, Esa Tikkanen had been relegated to
little more than a fourth line player. Well, now he's been made
a minor league player as he was demoted to the Rangers' AHL
affiliate in Hartford.
"I don't think his play was up to standard," GM Neil Smith said.
"We didn't anticipate this. We hoped he'd be a contributing
member of the team and earn his bonuses."
It was clear shortly after training camp that Tikkanen had no
business being on the team, much less being counted on as a
regular. More power to my man Tikkanen for getting as much money
as he got. He joins Scott Fraser, Bob Errey and Jeff Finley
among players who are raking in NHL money while playing in the
minors.
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PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Roger Neilson
Roster: C - Rod Brind'Amour, Marc Bureau, , Daymond Langkow, Eric
Lindros. LW - Colin Forbes, Dan Kordic, John LeClair, Roman
Vopat, Valeri Zelepukin. RW - Alexandre Daigle, Jody Hull, Keith
Jones, Mikael Renberg, Dainius Zubrus. D - Dave Babych, Ryan
Bast, Andy Delmore, Eric Desjardins, Karl Dykhuis, Dan McGillis,
Luke Richardson, Chris Therien, Dmitri Tertyshny. G - Ron
Hextall, Jean-Marc Pelletier, John Vanbiesbrouck.
Injuries: Dave Babych, d (bruised foot, day to day), Marc Bureau,
c (sprained wrist, day to day), Ron Hextall, g (strained groin,
out up to a week), Mikael Renberg, rw (separated shoulder, out up
to a week), Dmitri Tertyshny, d (bruised ankle, out up to a
week).
Transactions: Obtained Karl Dykhuis, d, from Tampa Bay in
exchange for Petr Svoboda, d. Called up Jean-Marc Pelletier, g,
from Philadelphia of the AHL.
Game results:
12/23 at Boston W 2-1
12/26 at Chicago W 3-2
12/29 at San Jose T 1-1
12/30 at Calgary W 4-3
01/01 at Vancouver W 6-2
01/03 at Edmonton T 3-3
01/07 Islanders W 5-0
01/09 Carolina W 2-0
TEAM NEWS by Chuck Michio
DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
The Flyers back to the future movement continued with the
reacquisition of Karl Dykhuis, who, like prodigal son Mikael
Renberg, departed Philly in the original Chris Gratton trade.
I think it's now officially time to ask "what the hell is going
on here?"
GM Bob Clarke has now effectively reversed the ill-fated Chris
Gratton trade, but why? Is all this recent wheeling and dealing
just some hair-brained attempt to convince Flyers fans that the
Gratton acquisition never happened? Or is Clarke following in the
footsteps of the Beatles and experimenting with mind-bending
drugs? I've heard worse explanations. Hell, this recent rash of
trades makes me think I'm on a bad trip myself.
Petr Svoboda was the man sent to Tampa in exchange for Dykhuis.
Although Svoboda's skills were clearly in decline and he was
losing more and more time to injuries, he was one of the few
big-game warriors left on the Flyers roster. And his consistently
spirited play and willingness to skate through his many injuries
made him one of the most respected players in the dressing room.
Add the fact that Dykhuis returned to the Flyers with the worst
plus/minus figure in the NHL and a well-deserved reputation as a
space cadet, and you have plenty of reasons to scratch your head
about the decision to swap Svoboda for him.
Fans who doubt Svoboda's importance to the Flyers need only look
at the team's reaction to the trade. Almost nothing manages to
rile the passionless Flyers, but Svoboda's abrupt departure had
many veterans seeing red. Most reacted to the trade with stunned
looks and irritated "no comment" responses that did nothing to
hide their true feelings.
Is it possible that the reacquisition of Dykhuis will help the
Flyers? Certainly. Dykhuis is considerably younger than Svoboda
and much more durable. But for some reason this trade reminds me
of the deals that banished long-time Flyers Dave Poulin and Brian
Propp to the Boston Bruins about 10 years ago. Like Svoboda,
Poulin and Propp were both respected veterans with declining
roles on the team. They were deemed expendable, yet they both
became vital cogs in the Bruin team that went to the finals
against the Edmonton Oilers. Meanwhile, the Flyers went into a
tailspin that saw them miss the playoffs for five consecutive
seasons.
Let's hope history isn't repeating itself.
THE STREAK
Don't look now, but all the recent roster turnover has resulted
in an impressive unbeaten streak. The boys in orange and black
are 8-0-5 in their last 13 contests.
Surprised? Small wonder. With the Flyers swapping players like
dollar bills, the streak has received only modest coverage in the
Philly papers.
The keys to the streak have been the rebound of goaltender John
Vanbiesbrouck and better scoring depth, particularly from wingers
Colin Forbes and Valeri Zelepukin.
Vanbiesbrouck has rallied from the awful four-game stretch he
suffered a few weeks back, posting a 1.03 goals-against average
and a .949 save percentage in his last 10 starts. Meanwhile,
Zelepukin has netted five goals (including three game-winners) in
the Flyers' last eight games and Forbes has three goals and two
game-winners during the same span.
The improvements have rocketed the Flyers past the Devils. The
team now sits in first place in the East.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Kevin Constantine
Roster: C - Martin Straka, Robert Lang, Jan Hrdina, Tyler
Wright. LW - German Titov, Stu Barnes, Kip Miller, Patrick
Lebeau, Ian Moran, Dan Kesa. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev,
Aleksey Morozov, Robby Brown, Martin Sonnenberg. D - Darius
Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher, Brad Werenka, Jiri Slegr, Bobby
Dollas, Neil Wilkinson, Jeff Serowik, Victor Ignatjev, Maxim
Galanov. G - Tom Barrasso, Peter Skudra.
Injuries: Aleksey Morozov, rw (concussion, two weeks); Jeff
Serowik, d (concusison, day-to-day); Rob Brown, rw (broken foot,
indefinite); Victor Ignatjev, d (shoulder, indefinite).
Transactions: Recalled Dan "The Dragon" Kesa, lw, and Martin
Sonnenberg, rw.
Game Results
12/26 Ottawa W 2-1 OT
12/30 Florida W 7-4
01/02 at Florida W 4-2
01/05 Calgary W 5-1
01/07 Carolina W 4-2
01/09 St. Louis W 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Jerry Fairish
As every fan who follows my work closely knows, I stated that the
Penguins were going to be awesome this season. Well, they may
not be quite awesome yet, they're definitely pumpkininny.
The Birds are starting to play like I expected them to all along.
They're getting goals from their stars, timely points from their
role players, and everyone is chipping in to help on defense.
What does all this mean? The Pens were able to put together one
of the longest winning streaks this NHL season, reaching a big
six games.
The six-game streak has allowed the Penguins to improve their
record to 19-10-7 for 45 points. This puts them only seven
points behind the Flyers for first place and four points behind
the Devils for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Pens
are heading out west for a four-game road trip, and if they can
find a way to beat the Coyotes Wednesday night, they could easily
turn their streak into a 10-gamer because they play San Jose, Los
Angeles, and Anaheim after that. Not to mention that when the
Pens return to the Igloo they have a few easy games there too,
but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Once again if you follow my column closely you know that I am a
huge Tom Barrasso fan... a huge fan. Barrasso has been, no
doubt, the biggest key to the streak. Hey, you can score all the
goals you want, but if you don't have a decent netminder backing
you up, it doesn't mean squat! And Barrasso has been more than
decent to say the least.
Barrasso has improved his record to 12-6-3 with a goals-against
under 2.50. Barrasso accented his stellar play by stuffing Sami
Kapanen of the Hurricanes on a penalty shot January 7th. The
penalty shot was awarded with just over a minute to go in the
game with the Pens hanging on to a 3-2 lead. Kapanen skated
down, made absolute zero moves, and shot low on Tommy. Barrasso
easily kicked the puck away from the net and the Pens won the
game 4-2.
Who got the fourth goal you ask? German Titov. That's right,
our friend German put the puck in the empty net and scored his
first goal since Hector was a pup. Since I was knee-high to a
grasshopper. Since, well, you get the point. But hold up!
German wasn't done there. He scored two nights later against the
Blues. Marty Straka sent a long wrist shot to the net, Fuhr made
the initial save, but Titov was there for the rebound. Yee-haw.
Hopefully Titov has broken out of his funk. Before Thursday
night, Titov hadn't scored in something like 1,832 games. That's
a lot of games. Just kidding, German.
Robert Lang has also been hot this season. He has 17 goals and
27 points, including the game-winner Saturday against the Blues.
As a matter of fact, all the Czechs have been playing well.
Jagr, Straka, Lang, Slegr, Hrdina, and Fairish have all been hot
this season, but I think Lang has been a very pleasant surprise.
He will be able to make the second line very strong, thus making
the Pens a dangerous scoring threat to all teams.
I would like to make a request right now... this goes out to
ESPN's Linda Cohn. Please stop calling Robert Lang, Robert Long.
I know it's only one letter, and I know SportsCenter's hockey
coverage is weak and you don't care, but I care and it would mean
a lot to me.
Thank you.
Finally, we here at LCS love to get e-mail about how well we're
doing. So if you have time send some e-mail. Who knows? Maybe
you'll make a new friend...
P.S. GO JETS!
=================================================================
================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
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BOSTON BRUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Pat Burns
Roster: C - Jason Allison, Anson Carter, Joe Thornton, Tim
Taylor, Chris Taylor. LW - Sergei Samsonov, Ken Baumgartner, Rob
Dimaio, Peter Ferraro, Ken Belanger. RW - Dimitri Khristich,
Steve Heinze, Per Johan Axelsson, Peter Nordstrom. D - Ray
Bourque, Don Sweeney, Dave Ellett, Kyle McLaren, Hal Gill, Darren
Van Impe, Grant Ledyard, Dennis Vaske, Jonathan Girard. G - Byron
Dafoe, Rob Tallas.
Injuries: Whatever...
Transactions: Who knows?
Game Results
12/26 at NY Islanders L 4-2
12/28 at Washington L 5-1
12/30 at Nashville W 5-2
12/31 at Dallas L 6-1
01/02 Anaheim W 2-1
01/04 Calgary W 5-1
01/07 Toronto W 2-1
01/09 at Toronto L 6-3
TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown
The Bruins closed out 1998 with the best of the holiday spirit:
giving and receiving. Unfortunately, they were giving away goals,
games and points in the standings, and receiving sound beatings
both at home and on the road. The team went 1-4-0, getting only
two points out of the last five games of 98. Worse still, the
injury bug spent the holidays in Boston, piling up the knocks and
dings, leaving the Bruins short by seven players. Fortunately,
the team has had close to a week off heading into a Friday
night clash with Buffalo.
At the start of the Yuletide slide, the Bruins were overpowered
by the Flyers on the night before the night before Christmas.
Byron Dafoe did his best, making 30 saves, but the Flyers
silenced the line of Jason Allison, Dimitri Khristich, and Sergei
Samsonov, and just about everyone else. Sole bright spot was a
goal by Joe Thornton.
The Bruins continued the holiday spirit by skating in to Long
Island the day after Christmas and handing a gift to Islander
goalie Wade Flaherty - a 4-2 win. No other team this year has
been so kind to Wade, and none are likely to get the opportunity,
now that the Isles have obtained Felix Potvin. Given that the
Islanders have gone without a win in the ten games since, you get
some idea of how gracious the Bruins were to their opponents
and their former coach, Mike Milbury. The Bruins also made
Islander holdout Ziggy Palffy happy: Ziggy scored his first goal
since returning to the Isles.
The misery continued two days later when the Bruins were trounced
by the Caps, even without Adam Oates. Washington, who had been
mucho pathetic on their 2-6 road trip, must have passed their
"loser virus" on to the Bruins, because the Caps played like they
had just finished a two-week rest-cure rather than a dismal road
stretch. Peter Bondra set the tone by scoring 24 seconds into
the first period, and it was all downhill from that point. The
Caps threw over 30 shots at Dafoe, and the Bruins only mustered
22 and one goal against Rick Tabaracci, who had never previously
beaten a Bruins team. The Bruins sorely missed sparkplug Robbie
DiMaio, who was out sick with viral meningitis (fortunately a
mild case).
Washington ended up winning the game, with some help from a
disallowed Steve Heinze goal - Steve did a twisty-turn and got a
skate tip into the crease, then received a pass from Anson Carter
and swept the puck in. But the replay official knows best,
regardless of whether Heinze was being pushed and bothered from
behind on the play. The rest of the Bruins played miserably,
with Jason Allison leading the pack with a -4 +/- rating.
Samsonov, of whom Pat Burns said "He played his worst game ever"
against the Islanders, continued to struggle also. Sammy has
been asked to shoot more, rather than circle and
look for the killer pass, but he also needs to get more involved
when the puck is in the Bruins zone.
Finally, the Bruins played a team they could beat, in their
historic first meeting with the Nashville Predators. In Elvis'
home state, the Bruins disregarded the King's advice and were
very cruel to Pred goalie Tomas Vokoun, beating him about the
head and ears for five goals. Landon Wilson and Cameron Mann
were called up from Providence to fill in for the injured
Ken Belanger and Chris Taylor. Mann played with Anson Carter and
Steve Heinze, who ended up with five points for the night, even
though Cam didn't get any. Landon Wilson saw fourth line duty
with Ken Baumgartner and Shawn Bates.
Steve Heinze scored the only goal of the first, and Sergei
Samsonov slid in a wraparound goal in the second period. Then
Carter stole a pass less than a minute later and banked it in off
a Predator and the helpless Vokoun to make it 3-0. Peter Ferraro
then scored to make it 4-0, and that was all the punishment Tomas
could take, so he was relieved by Eric Fichaud. Rob Tallas got
the 5-2 win. The Predators got two late goals, including a short-
hander with just one second left in the game, so in spite of the
two points and breaking the loss string the Bruins were riding,
you got the feeling that their play was still more sloppy than
Pat Burns might want.
Against Dallas on New Year's Eve, the Bruins were hoping to end
1998 on a winning note, but what they ended up with was a Brett
Hull-sized hangover.
The Bs hung in there in the first, faltered in the second, and
went down for the count in the third, ending up on the short side
of a 6-1 rout, with Robbie Tallas absorbing the drubbing. Dallas
scored five straight goals, and during one stretch, scored on
four of five shots.
Down 2-1 in the second period, the Bruins killed a five-on-three
against the league's best power play. Don Sweeney was called for
holding, and then Darren Van Impe was called for tripping in
front of the net. The Bruins defense denied Dallas through both
penalties. But the Bruins couldn't buy a goal, with Carter and
then P.J. Axelsson hitting the post behind Ed Belfour.
With 2:29 left in the second, Brett Hull found Sergei Zubov and
his blast beat Tallas to make it 3-1. From that point on, the
Bruins were just another used party favor.
Back home against the Mighty Ducks, the Bruins returned to the
tough tight defense that Pat Burns favors, and beat the duckies
2-1. With a 0-0 first period, punctuated by several world-class
Kyle McLaren hits, and Ken Belanger doing some duck hunting of
his own, this game was a far cry from the effort against Dallas.
The Bruins put 11 shots on Guy Hebert, who showed why he is still
Anaheim's number one guy. Dafoe played well also - he was tested
by Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne several times.
In the second period, the constantly-improving Joe Thornton did
what he seems best at - burying the puck from inches away. A Ray
Bourque slapper rebounded to Joe and he showed Hebert no mercy,
scoring his fifth goal of the season. It sure is fun when every
goal is a career high. The Ducks evened it up on a power play at
the end of the second period. Hal Gill was jailed for
cross-checking, and Teemu Selanne scored number eighteen on a
pretty one-timer with 45 seconds left in the middle period. Steve
Heinze, however, put the game away, scoring the game-winner just
over halfway through the third, on a killer pass from Jason
Allison.
Then the Bruins gave slumping Calgary a spanking at the Fleet
with a 5-1 victory. Joe Thornton, centering the checking line
with Rob DiMaio and P.J. Axelsson, scored his sixth goal of the
season on a rebound off Calgary's substitute goalie, Tyrone
Garner. Garner came into the game to replace starter Andre
Trefilov when the Russian netminder pulled a groin muscle doing a
split to save a Ray Bourque shot just 50 seconds into the opening
period. Trefilov, recently obtained by the Flames, was the fourth
goaltender on the team to go out injured. Garner, an emergency
call-up from his junior team, the Oshawa Generals, received a
hearty "Welcome to the NHL" thumping from the Bruins, without a
lot of protection from his defensemen. Heck, his teammates could
barely protect themselves: Jason Wiemer, sitting on the bench,
was struck by a deflected pass in the Adam's apple and had to
leave the game.
Goalie Byron Dafoe had 39 saves, as the Flames poured in lots of
long range shots at the Bruin net, but only Theo Fleury's
breakaway ended up behind Byron. On the offense, Sergei Samsonov
scored two artistic goals to lead the Bruins.
The Bears then began a home-and-home series with the Maple Leafs
with a tight 2-1 victory in Boston. Playing against backup
goalie Glenn Healy, the Bruins held the fast-paced Leaf attack in
check, and scored enough goals to win. Actually, it was a
come-from-behind victory, because Todd Warriner scored for
Toronto with a minute and a half left in the first, deflecting
Mike Johnson's shot past Byron to spoil a pretty decent Bruin's
start.
The Bruins pulled even in the second when Sergei Samsonov took a
pass from Jason Allison, got goalie Glenn Healy to drop, and
skated around him to slip the biscuit into an open net. It was
Sammy's 15th goal of the season.
The Maple Leafs outshot the Bruins 14-5 in the second, but they
were done scoring for the night, thanks to Byron. Then in the
third it was the Bruins' turn, peppering Healy with 15 shots, and
preventing the Leafs from scoring to tie. Dimitri Khristich's
rebound goal with seven minutes left won the game for Boston, and
it looked like the Bruins had Toronto's number, since they beat
the Leafs in their first meeting of the year 4-1. However, this
ceased to be a trend a few days later.
When the Bruins played the other end of this home-and-home
series, it was their very last game in Maple Leaf Gardens against
Toronto. They were missing seven starters to injury. Ray Bourque
was nursing a hip flexor (day-to-day), and the other undressed Bs
included defensemen Dave Ellett and Grant Ledyard as well as
forwards Anson Carter, Tim Taylor, Chris Taylor and Peter
Ferraro.
Brandon Smith, currently second in scoring for defensemen in the
AHL, was called up to help fill out the blue line, but Ray's are
not skates that are easily filled. Unfortunately, without
Bourque, the defense was porous, and the forwards were not much
better.
The Leafs scored goals on their first three shots of the game and
four goals on seven first-period shots. Starting goaltender Byron
Dafoe gave way to Rob Tallas, who fared better but could not turn
a disaster into a win. Shawn Bates scored Boston's sole first
period goal, and Joe Thornton poked the puck past Curtis Joseph
to bring the Bruins within two goals.
Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs Mike Johnson, overlooked when last
year's Calder Trophy went to Samsonov, snuck two more goals past
Rob Tallas, one short-handed, and the other on the power play.
Kyle McLaren ended the scoring with two and a half minutes left
in the game with a power-play goal, his fifth tally of the
season.
More coal in the Christmas stocking - Byron Dafoe and Samsonov
were not selected for the World All-Star team. Dafoe was declared
eligible for the World team because he was born in England, even
though he grew up in Canada. Byron had a tough couple of weeks
before the selections were made, and was especially hurt by four
goals in less than a period against Toronto, which dropped his
save percentage significantly. He dropped from near the top of
the goalie ratings into the pack with a 2.10 GAA, and so
Arturs Irbe, whose career resurgence is keeping the Carolina
Hurricanes a contender, snapped up the third spot behind the
stellar Dominik Hasek and the deserving Nikolai Khabibulin.
The real injustice is that Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff is leaving
Sergei home. Samsonov was fifth in the voting for World
forwards, but Pavel Bure isn't playing, so that makes Sergei
fourth. Although the balloting lets the fans pick the starters,
the rest of those votes might as well have gone to Newt Gingrich.
Ten World forwards were picked, but the selections were obviously
based on the points standings rather than fan wishes or
excitement value. Perhaps as it should be. Still, it is most
aggravating that Marco Sturm, Martin Straka, and Mats Sundin, all
of whom were listed on the ballots as centers, were chosen as
wingers. Sturm and Straka had 50,000 fewer All-Star ballot votes
than Samsonov. Among the other non-starting forwards, Sergei
Krivokrasov had 40,000 fewer votes, linemate
Dimitri Khristich had 50,000 less, and Pavol Demitra and Markus
Naslund were nowhere to be seen.
All these guys were worthy choices, Khristich especially, even if
they were selected just to make sure their team wasn't shut out.
Though most of them were outpointing Sergei, it still seems a
shame that his great skating, puck control, and speed will be
missing from the All-Star game.
On the good news front, Ray Bourque is an NHL All-Star starter
for the 12th time, an NHL record, increasing his number of
All-Star appearances to 17. Wayne Gretzky has also appeared in 17
All-Star games, with only Gordie Howe appearing in more (23).
Pretty select company, wouldn't you say?
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BUFFALO SABRES
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Head Coach: Lindy Ruff
Roster: C - Michael Peca, Brian Holzinger, Curtis Brown, Wayne
Primeau, Erik Rasmussen, Derek Plante. LW - Dixon Ward, Geoff
Sanderson, Michal Grosek, Paul Kruse. RW - Vaclav Varada,
Miroslav Satan, Matthew Barnaby, Rob Ray. D - Darryl Shannon,
Alexei Zhitnik, Jason Woolley, Jay McKee, Richard Smehlik, James
Patrick, Mike Wilson. G - Dominik Hasek, Dwayne Roloson.
Injuries: Wayne Primeau, c, left 1/11 game at Phoenix with
bruised shoulder, day-to-day.
Transactions: December 30 - loaned Dwayne Roloson, g, to
Rochester (AHL). January 1, we think: recalled Roloson from
Rochester. January 3, we think: reassigned Martin Biron, g, to
Rochester.
Game Results
12/23 Tampa Bay W 2-0
12/26 at New Jersey W 2-0
12/28 New Jersey L 7-4
12/30 Ottawa L 3-2 OT
01/01 Anaheim L 7-2
01/02 Calgary W 7-1
01/06 at Anaheim W 3-2 OT
01/07 at Los Angeles L 4-2
01/09 at San Jose T 2-2
01/11 at Phoenix L 1-0
TEAM NEWS by Matt Barr
Thud.
Back to earth for the once-proud Sabres, limping to a 4-5-1
record from December 23 through January 11.
A somber reminder of the fleeting nature of success, maybe, but
nothing to start planning on a lottery pick over.
Consider that after said 4-5-1 stretch -- you can call it a 2-5-1
stretch, if you'd like to discount the first two wins, both 2-0
over Tampa and the Devils -- the Sabres trailed red-hot Ottawa
for first place in the Northeast Division by a single point, with
two games in hand; and trailed equally red-hot Philadelphia by
four points for the conference lead, also with two games in hand.
Consider also that the Sabres' opponents since we last spoke,
from New Jersey on Boxing Day through San Jose on Saturday the
9th, had a combined record of (follow along here) 41-28-11 in
their ten games prior to playing the Sabres, a winning percentage
of .581. Take out the wins over the Devils, Flames and Ducks,
leaving the opponents Buffalo lost to or tied, and you have a
nice, round .600 (27-17-6).
And there's more! Ottawa was 4-6-0 in its last ten when the Sens
beat the Sabres on December 30, but went on to post a franchise
record nine-game unbeaten streak (through January 11), of which
the win over Buffalo was the second game.
The lost points aren't any less valuable for this, of course, but
it illustrates that the Sabres faced some hot teams playing very
well over the last three weeks.
Always remember: one man's blatant homerism is another's valuable
perspective.
Ruff to Coach in Tampa
When Lindy Ruff signed on as Sabres coach, he probably wouldn't
have been terribly remiss in planning a few days off with his
family over the All-Star break. Much the same as no one really
slagged Michael Peca too bad for planning his wedding last year
during the Stanley Cup final.
Well, Cap'n Crunch was free of work obligations last mid-June,
but Lindy Ruff will be coaching the "World" All-Star team in
Tampa at the end of the month, by virtue of the Sabres having the
best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday
morning, December 29.
The Sabres in turn earned that distinction by virtue of a
home-and-home split with the Devils, the first a masterpiece of a
2-0 shutout at Jersey, the second a great excuse to take the
family out to the arena while the kids were home from school.
Dominik Hasek was yanked from goal for the first time this season
in the 7-4 loss at home, after having let in the first three
shots he faced and his first of the second period. Dwayne
Roloson, who earned two starts subsequently, against Calgary and
Los Angeles, actually got saddled with the loss after the Sabres
rallied for three third-period goals. How fair is that, man?
Hasek went on to allow all seven Ducks goals on New Year's Day,
matching the greatest number he's ever allowed in a game. We
highly recommend those festive, alcohol-free First Night
activities in the future.
Speaking of Hasek, he and Alex Zhitnik were officially named to
the "World" All-Star team. The highly-overpaid Olaf Kolzig was
somehow snubbed in favor of the underrated Nikolai Khabibulin,
who outdueled Hasek in a 1-0 loss at Phoenix January 11, and
Arturs Irbe.
Satan Hot as Hell
How does twelve goals and three assists in the last eleven games
grab you? Miro Satan did that, yessir, through January 9. You
know who else has got ants in his pants? Cap'n Crunch himself,
Michael Peca, whose seven goals and four assists in seven games
(also through January 9) makes you forget how to spell Mogilny.
Meanwhile, Geoff Sanderson finally found his way to Mike Wilson
and Derek Plante's treehouse overlooking the ice surface as a
healthy scratch in San Jose after more than a month of
maddeningly ineffective hockey. Wilson, sick of being a healthy
scratch, twisted his ankle walking to the mall while the team was
staying in California and missed the game against the Sharks.
That holdout is looking more and more like it was a good idea, we
think.
Some good injury news, if you look at it that way anyway, Paul
Kruse finally returned from his hip flexor on the California leg
of the road trip, and has added some much-needed offensive spark.
Mike Wilson: Pylon
We don't claim to have anything over these professional hockey
playing types. What world-class talent, determination and
dedication it takes to play hockey at that level. Heck, we
couldn't make our midget travel team the first time we tried out.
That said, though, beyond his holding out for lots of money,
being late for practice and twisting his ankle walking to the
mall, do you know why Mike Wilson positively sucks this year?
Here's an illustration.
Early in the third period of the 1-0 loss at Phoenix, Jeremy
Roenick carries the puck in two-on-one with Dallas Drake trailing
and to his left and Wilson back. Instead of positioning himself
between the two as the play develops, Wilson is lined up almost
parallel (or perpendicular, whichever) with the puck carrier,
Roenick. If anything, we don't care if one of the greatest
goalies ever to play the game is behind you or not, you cheat to
the trailer and let the goalie deal with the puck carrier.
Especially if said goalie tends to go down after first saves.
Roenick fires a slapper past Wilson, which Hasek stops with his
right pad. The already poorly-positioned Wilson recovers and
steps into Drake and the rebound deflects harmlessly away. Err:
no. Wilson turns to his left, toward the corner, as Drake
swoops in behind him and puts the rebound up over a sprawling
Hasek for the game's only goal.
We don't know if maybe Wilson's right ankle was sore or something
and he couldn't easily pivot to his right, or what, but what a
display of doofusness. He's not going to earn more ice time
doing things like that.
Let's Make a Deal!
The New York Rangers' principal minor league affiliate, the
Pittsburgh Penguins, are shopping center Stu Barnes, according to
Florida GM Bryan Murray. Barnes is a capable two-way forward
with Stanley Cup Finals experience, and also an incentive-laden
contract which the Penguins can't afford to pay, so Barnes and
his 14 goals, nine on the power play, fester on the fourth line
or thereabouts.
Darcy Reiger ought to be expressing his interest to Penguins
President and GM Craig Patrick. The team has an extra
second-round pick after the Audette deal, and also a spare Derek
Plante, a smallish, talented forward who deserves more ice than
he's ever going to get in Buffalo, barring injury. The team
absolutely needs a veteran presence whose commitment to both ends
of the ice jibes with Lindy Ruff's direction if it's to succeed
in the later rounds of the playoffs. You can look to pick up a
guy like Barnes at March's trade deadline, but the price will be
higher, and in the meantime, if Patrick is shopping Barnes now,
he might go to another Eastern contender before March comes
along. Such as the Rangers.
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MONTREAL CANADIENS
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Head Coach: Alain Vigneault
Roster: C - Saku Koivu, Vincent Damphousse, Scott Thornton, Matt
Higgins, Trent McLeary, Sergei Zholtok. LW - Shayne Corson,
Martin Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet, Terry Ryan, Brian Savage, Andrei
Bashkirov, Dave Morissette, Patrick Poulin. RW - Mark Recchi,
Turner Stevenson, Jonas Hoglund, Jason Dawe. D - Vladimir
Malakhov, Stephane Quintal, Patrice Brisebois, Brett Clark,
Miloslav Guren, Stephane Robidas, Craig Rivet, Igor Ulanov, Eric
Weinrich, Alain Nasreddine. G - Frederic Chabot, Jeff Hackett.
Injuries: Patrice Brisebois, d (sternal clavicular separation,
left shoulder, one week); Turner Stevenson, lw (sprained ankle,
one week).
Transactions: 12/27 - Bashkirov assigned to Fredericton. 01/03 -
Chabot recalled from the Houston Aeros of the IHL. 01/07 -
Theodore and Higgins assigned to Fredericton.
Game Results
12/23 at Ottawa L 3-1
12/26 at Toronto W 2-1
12/29 at Edmonton W 5-2
12/31 at Calgary W 2-1
01/02 at Vancouver W 2-1
01/04 at Colorado L 4-3
01/07 Tampa Bay W 4-1
01/09 NY Islander W 3-2
01/11 St. Louis W 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert
Happy Days Are Here Again... Finally
December would have easily been a month to forget with no wins,
five ties and six losses before Christmas. However, Santa must
have thought that the Habs had been good boys because since
December 26 the team has won seven of their last eight games.
With the 3-1 win against St. Louis, the Canadiens swept a
three-game home stand to reach the midpoint of their 82-game
schedule at 15-19-7.
To be starting the year on the right foot in this way demanded a
lot of patience on every body's part, but mostly on Alain
Vigneault: "I've said it 1,978 times -- our top lines have got to
start scoring." Fortunately, the acquisition of goalie Jeff
Hackett in November allowed the Habs to get more time to put
their act together. Hackett's great performance over the
holidays earned him the tittle of Player of the Week for the
period ending Jan 3.
However, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs: A very
unhappy Theodore with a record of 3-9-0 was sent back to
Fredericton in order to improve his game, and according to some,
reduce the size of his ego. "I didn't see it coming," said
Theodore, 22. "I don't really understand it because it might slow
down the development of the young goaltenders in the system." His
replacement: Frederic Chabot, 30, was playing with the Houston
Aeros of the IHL where he posted a record of 16 wins, four losses
and one shootout loss.
Santa did not forget Regean Houle, the Habs General Manager: The
Devils agreed to let Jacques Lemaire go to Montreal to act as
consultant to the GM. Lemaire, 53, spent his entire playing
career with the Canadiens from 1967 to 1979. He won eight Stanley
Cups as a player, two more as assistant GM in 1986 and 1993 and
one as the Devils' head coach in 1994. He is a member of the
Hockey Hall of Fame.
"Jacques will be a real asset to our team. His knowledge of the
League combined with his experience at coaching will help me on a
daily basis to get a stronger evaluation of our own personnel as
well as a better evaluation of the current and future players of
the NHL," Houle said.
Could It Be Too Late?
Surprising goal-scorers have kept the team going during the lean
days. Players like Brunet and Poulin have been keeping the fort
while guys like Recchi, Damphousse, and Koivu have been trying to
get their act together and get healthy. Just think: Brunet (10)
and Poulin (7) have more goals then Damphousse (7) and Recchi
(8). As to find a remedy to cure his top lines, Vigneault juggled
them with Damphousse centering Rucinsky and Recchi, and Koivu
between Corson and Savage in the game against St. Louis. "We need
to jump start these two lines," said Vigneault.
There is still a long way to go before making the playoffs even
if the Habs are playing as well as they have played at any time
in the last five years. Playing catch up to teams that are also
playing well might not be enough. To quote Jack Todd of the
Montreal Gazette: "They've dug themselves an enormous hole - but
if they get it going, it's going to be fun watching the
Canadiens try to overhaul the leaders down the stretch."
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OTTAWA SENATORS
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Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Roster: C - Alexei Yashin, Vaclav Prospal, Radek Bonk, Shaun Van
Allen, Bruce Gardiner, Steve Martins. LW - Shawn McEachern,
Marian Hossa, Magnus Arvedson, Andreas Johansson. RW - Daniel
Alfredsson, Andreas Dackell, Chris Murray, Bill Berg. D - Lance
Pitlick, Patrick Traverse, Chris Phillips, Sami Salo, Wade
Redden, Jason York, Janne Laukkanen, Igor Kravchuk. G - Damian
Rhodes, Ron Tugnutt.
Injuries: Jan 06 - Yves Sarault returned to active roster from
sprained wrist. D Janne Laukkanen, off-season abdominal surgery,
day-to-day. D Lance Pitlick inner hip bruise, out for season.
D Chris Phillips ankle 4-6 weeks.
Transactions: Dec 23 - Jani Hurme Recall from Cincinnati (IHL).
Dec 26 - Jani Hurme Returned to Cincinnati. Jan 06 - Yves Sarault
Re-assigned to Detroit (IHL).
Game Results
01/23 Montreal W 3-1
12/26 at Pittsburgh L 2-1
12/28 Anaheim T 2-2
12/30 Buffalo W 3-2
01/01 at Washington W 4-3
01/02 New Jersey W 6-0
01/04 at Carolina T 4-4
01/06 at Detroit W 2-0
01/08 Tampa Bay W 5-1
01/10 Detroit W 4-1
01/11 at New Jersey W 4-2
TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders
Look out, Philadelphia. Look out, Toronto. Here they come. The
Senators extended their unbeaten streak to an impressive nine
games, the longest such string in franchise history. The team is
yet to lose in 1999. With Captain Alexei Yashin at the helm of a
solid first line, the cast of Senator forwards, defensemen and
job sharing goalies has come together as a unit to put together
this record breaking streak.
So far this seven-victory-two-tie streak includes knocking off
some of the league's top teams like the Devils (twice), Red Wings
(twice) and Sabres. The team recorded two shutouts, 34 goals,
allowed a mere 15 against, and has outshot opponents in all but
one game in the streak.
In the books the key line behind the team success would seem to
be the Yashin, McEachern, and Dackell line but the team has two
potent lines that help share the offensive load. When combined
with the young but solid defensive core and the goaltending duo
of Tugnutt and Rhodes, the team may be on to something.
At the 40-game mark, looking down the stats shows us that the
Senators may end the season with more than ten 20 goal-scorers.
Those on target include: McEachern already at 20, Yashin
with 18, Johansson with 16, Dackell with 10, and Arvedson with
10. One could possibly add the resurrected Radek Bonk with 8,
Hossa, Alfredsson, and one or two others.
Although the Nosebleeders are not yet ready to say that the team
is for real, we are ready to say... "for real this time, you may
be hearing us say that the team is for real". Someone willing to
drop the gloves when required may help the team as the season
progresses. One thing is for sure - the team should use this
time to advertise the heck out of season tickets - it almost
makes us Nosebleeders want to run out and get some for all our
friends.
It may be premature to look too far forward but just think about:
- coach Martin as coach of the year.
- Marian Hossa as rookie of the year.
- Alexei Yashin as League MVP.
- Vezina trophies all around.
- the Senators with a late playoff round matchup against either
Buffalo or New Jersey, who they seem to own lately, or better yet
a chance to face Lindros and the Flyers.
- Alexei Yashin's paycheck for next season. The top players in
the league each are making over 10 million per year.
Quiz Time
Which team holds the longest winning streak in NHL history ?
Rhodes Gets a Goal!!!!
In a 6-0 victory against the New Jersey Devils, Damian Rhodes was
credited with a goal. Rhodes was the last Senator to touch the
puck before the Devils inadvertently shot it into their own net
during a delayed penalty. For the record - and a future quiz -
Jason York was on the way to the penalty box for holding when New
Jersey pulled Martin Brodeur for the extra attacker.
When asked about the goal Rhodes said that he knew all along that
that would be the way he would score an NHL goal. "I probably
couldn't even shoot it the length of the ice if I tried, so I
knew if I was going to ever score it would have to happen like
that."
Goaltender goals in any league are rare and although we have
nothing to back this up, we think that Damian Rhodes leads all
goaltenders in this regard. Rhodes was also credited with a goal
while playing for Michigan Tech on January 21st, 1989, except
that was a power-play goal into an empty net.
Rhodes became the fifth goalie in NHL history to be credited with
a goal, joining Billy Smith of the New York Islanders, Ron
Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chris Osgood of the Detroit
Red Wings and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. Only
Smith scored under similar circumstances.
Yashin Flash
Alexei Yashin continued his dominating, non-selfish play this
period and clearly it is paying off for the team. Yashin's
increased point total moved him into the top five NHL scorers.
He was also named to the World All-Star team (second time All-
Star - first was 1994). Yash recorded his 350th point in his
375th game against New Jersey on January 2nd. He increased his
consecutive iron man game streak to 250 against New Jersey on
January 11th. Yashin has at least one point in all nine games
during the streak.
Notes, rants and raves from the holiday season include:
Against New Jersey...
* The two New Jersey victories moved the Senator total wins to
three in 13 regular-season visits to Continental Airlines Arena
(3-9-1).
* Rhodes' shutout against the Devils was the ninth of his career
and first this year.
* The 6-0 win over New Jersey ended the Devils' road unbeaten
streak at seven games. It was the first matchup between
the two teams since the Senators eliminated the Devils' in last
years playoffs. It was also the worst loss for a Devil team in
some six years.
Miscellaneous...
* Tugnutt is current ranked first among NHL goalies this season
with a 1.68 GAA. He earned his 100th career victory against
Tampa Bay.
* Coach Martin coached in his 400th game, January 8th against
Tampa Bay.
* Carolina chased Rhodes from the net with 4:30 to go in the
first period and the Senators overcame a 4-0 first period lead
with three goals in the third period. The 4-4 tie meant that the
last time the Senators have beaten the Hartford/Carolina team
continued to be November 2nd, 1995.
* Against Detroit in the 2-0 victory, Tugnutt kept pace with
Rhodes with his ninth career shutout as he faced 24 shots and six
power plays.
* Lance Pitlick is scheduled for hip surgery in San Francisco and
will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Drumroll Please...
Although the Senators are a team record winning streak they have
just passed the halfway point of the NHL's longest such mark.
This belongs to the Pittsburgh Penguins who won 17 consecutive
games from Mar. 9, 1993 - Apr. 10, 1993.
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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
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Head Coach: Pat Quinn
Roster: C - Mats Sundin, Darby Hendrickson, Steve Sullivan, Alyn
McCauley. LW - Fredrik Modin, Steve Thomas, Todd Warriner, Derek
King, Kris King, Igor Korolev, Garry Valk. RW - Sergei Berezin,
Tie Domi, Mike Johnson, Adam Mair, Lonny Bohonos. D - Bryan
Berard, Sylvain Cote, Dimitri Yushkevich, Alexander Karpovtsev,
Jason Smith, Daniil Markov, Glen Featherstone, Tomas Kaberle,
Yanick Tremblay, Francis Larivee. G - Curtis Joseph, Glenn Healy,
Francis Larivee.
Injuries: 1/11/99 Glenn Healy on IR with sprained knee out 4-6
weeks. 1/9/99 Bryan Berard day to day with groin injury. 12/30/98
Alyn McCauley - knee sprain.
Transactions: 1/11/99 Francis Larivee called up from minors
(Chicago-IHL). 1/9/99 Felix Potvin traded to New York Islanders
(for Bryan Berard). Bryan Berard traded from New York Islanders
(for Felix Potvin). 12/31/98 Kris King no longer on IR.
Game Results
12/23 Dallas L 5-1
12/26 Montreal L 2-1
12/30 Anaheim W 4-1
12/31 at Detroit W 4-2
01/02 Washington L 5-2
01/04 Tampa Bay W 5-4
01/07 at Boston L 2-1
01/09 Boston W 6-3
TEAM NEWS by Jonah A. Sigel
Well Worth The Wait for Gambler Smith
Good things come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue. Feel
free to insert any other cliche here.
After more than six months since speculation began on where Felix
Potvin would be dealt, he was finally traded. General Manger, or
whatever his title is, Mike Smith, finally moved the Leafs AWOL
former number one goalie to the equivalent of NHL purgatory, the
New York Islanders in exchange for Bryan Berard. The teams also
exchanged 6th round draft picks in the upcoming draft, a major
coup for the Maple Leafs.
While 10 out of 10 GMs would make this deal from the Leaf
perspective, it is not as some say a home run crushed out of the
park. However, given the negativity about the entire situation
and the negative press Smith et al took for waiting so long,
well, let's just say it was an inside the park home run!
Here's the gamble. Berard is a 21-year-old defenseman who, in
both junior and in his rookie season, turned heads. However,
ever since then his numbers have declined considerably. Last
year alone he was a league leading -32 in the dreaded plus-minus
category. To be fair he has been playing for a pitiful excuse of
a hockey team, and to add insult to injury, he was being misused
by the Isles to boot. Much the way the Leafs used and abused
Larry Murphy, the Isles dealt with Berard. It is unlikely that
he will ever be noted for his defensive prowess yet the Isles put
a tight leash on him and his play suffered.
The risk is that the potential will never materialize. Yet at
just 21, it sure appears that the Isles gave up on him too soon.
Defensemen are a lot like baseball pitchers in that it takes them
a long time to develop. There are numerous examples of kids not
coming into their own until their mid to late 20s. With the Leafs
playing much better this year, perhaps they can afford to be more
patient than the Isles. Berard will not have to be the leader or
the best defenseman on the ice every shift and that should make
things much easier too.
It also appears that for the first time in a long while Berard
will have a coach who can really teach him. Milbury has yet to
be successful at any level of coaching and it is likely that once
the ownership mess in NY is solved he too will be shown the door.
What do the Isles get? They are getting a former number one
goalie who is admittedly haunted by past failure. Specifically
one goal in which Al MacInnis beat him from just past center ice.
In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, the former number
one goalie admitted that the floater still is on his mind even
when he currently plays.
In his early years, Potvin certainly lead the Leafs to the Final
Four two years in a row. There were games when he literally
stood on his head. Then the Leafs made a trade that would
eventually lead to Potvin's demise. They dealt Wendel Clark to
Quebec for Mats Sundin. Also thrown in that deal was a player
that bailed the former number one goalie out on many occasions,
Sylvain Lefebvre. Later that summer, Leaf management decided it
could not, or would not, match an offer to Bob Rouse, who
shuffled down the 401 west to Detroit. The blue line corps
suffered immeasurably. As a result, the former number one goalie
saw more shots than ever before and let in more goals than
before. Lefebvre and Rouse both went on to win Stanley Cups with
Colorado and Detroit, respectively. In retrospect, the former
number one goalie never recovered.
So as the Leafs enter a long road trip that will take them on a
journey through the Eastern Conference, we should learn just how
good this team really is. Many of the nay sayers are expecting
the team to finally falter as has been predicted so many times
this season. As yet the team has refused to capitulate.
However, in recent games against the East, certain flaws and
holes have been exposed. Namely, the Leafs are a soft team that
lacks size. The bigger Eastern teams seem to manhandle the
smaller Leafs with ease. There are rumblings that Smith will try
to deal a defenseman in exchange for a power forward with some
playoff experience. Immediately after the Berard deal,
speculation ran rampant that Mike Smith was shopping Jason Smith.
However, Management Smith claims that he wants to assess his team
once everyone is healthy especially Berard who is out until
Saturday with an injured groin.
In a few weeks we should all know just where the Leafs stand,
hopefully by the time deadline time looms Smith will have done
his evaluation. While the success has been really fun to watch,
he had better not lose sight of the long term goal and return to
the ways of old Leaf management and make a short term
improvement and mortgage the future. Time will tell, so far the
often criticized Smith has done very well, much to the chagrin of
the Toronto press, especially Al Strachan. Yes even though big
Al will not admit it, none of Smith's moves to date have been bad
ones. Let's hope that trend continues.
The Maple Leafs will leave Maple Leaf Gardens February 13th and
head for the Air Canada Center. Please send in any of your
thoughts on the move out of hockey's last shrine to the email
address listed above, some of the best will be included in an
upcoming feature.
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TEAM REPORTS
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION
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CAROLINA HURRICANES
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Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Roster: C - Ron Francis, Keith Primeau, Jeff O'Neill, Kent
Manderville. RW - Ray Sheppard, Sami Kapanen, Kevin Dineen,
Robert Kron. LW - Gary Roberts, Martin Gelinas, Paul Ranheim,
Bates Battaglia, Byron Ritchie. D - Paul Coffey, Steve Chiasson,
Glen Wesley, Adam Burt, Curtis Leschyshyn, Sean Hill, Dave Karpa,
Nolan Pratt, Mike Rucinski, Marek Malik. G - Trevor Kidd, Arturs
Irbe.
Injuries: Ray Sheppard, rw, groin (out 5-7 days as of Jan. 4)
Curtis Leschyhyn, d, groin (out 1-2 weeks as of Jan. 4)
Transactions: traded Nelson Emerson to Chicago for defenseman
Paul Coffey.
Game Results
12/23 at NY Rangers W 1-0
12/26 NY Rangers L 6-3
12/30 Tampa Bay W 4-3
01/01 at Florida T 3-3
01/02 Nashville W 4-1
01/04 Ottawa T 4-4
01/07 at Pittsburgh L 4-2
01/09 at Philadelphia L 2-0
TEAM NEWS by Scott W. Pagel
After ending 1998 and starting 1999 on a bit of a roll, the
Hurricanes have dropped their last two decisions.
On the day before New Year's Eve, Carolina edged Tampa Bay in a
divisional showdown, picking up two valuable points. On New
Year's Day the Canes traveled to Florida for a 3-3 before
defeating Nashville at home 4-3. After a 4-4 tie to the Senators,
the Hurricanes were 0-2 vs. Pennsylvania teams as they fell to
Pittsburgh 4-2 and Philadelphia 2-0.
He's Back...
Back on December 29, Carolina President and General Manager Jim
Rutherford pulled off a move that shouldn't have come as a
surprise. What might be a bit of a shock though, at least to me,
is just who was acquired and for what.
It was no secret the Canes were going to pursue an
offensive-minded defensemen to quarterback the power play down
the stretch and in the playoffs. But, trading for Paul Coffey
should have some fans scratching their heads.
I'm all too familiar with Paul Coffey. As I've stated before, I'm
a Philadelphia Flyers fan so I was able to watch the future Hall
of Fame defensemen for about a season and a half. Unfortunately,
the bad seemed to outweigh the good. I say "unfortunately"
because Coffey is a sure Hall of Famer at the tail end of a
fantastic career. But, I'll talk about that later....
Perhaps the reason I'm not too crazy about the trade is because
of what Carolina gave up - Nelson Emerson. While Emerson isn't
exactly a big-name player, surely Coffey could have come at a
cheaper price. Over the summer, Philadelphia traded Coffey to
Chicago for a draft pick, so why would any team give up a player
on their roster for the 37-year-old blueliner? Emerson compiled
20 points (8G, 12A) in 35 games for the Hurricanes. He had 161
points in 263 games during four seasons with Carolina.
What to Expect...
There are many pluses and minuses that come along with Paul
Coffey. As I've stated before, I got to watch him for more than a
season and I was taking notes, mental ones anyway.
Pluses
1. Experience - Coffey is playing in his 19th NHL season so to
say he has experience is a huge understatement. And with
experience comes the numbers, and there are plenty of numbers:
ranks first all-time among NHL defensemen in goals (383), assists
(1,094), and points (1,477); ranks second all-time in assists
only to Wayne Gretzky. He has been a member of four Stanley Cup
Championship teams including Edmonton (1984, 1985, and 1987) and
Pittsburgh (1991). A perennial all-star, he has won the Norris
Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's top defenseman, three times
in his career (1985, 1986, 1995).
2. When Coffey is in the lineup he can still be effective.
Despite his age, he can still skate with the best of them and as
a result, his outstanding speed can make a difference. From time
to time, the Flyers used Coffey strictly on the power play which
could be an option for Carolina. Coffey comes in at 6-0, 200 lbs
and doesn't really measure up anymore to some of the league's
bigger players. But, the guy can pass the puck and he knows the
opportune time to shoot so that'll be his job on the power play.
Minuses
1. Experience - How can experience be a plus and a minus? Well,
it's pretty easy. One of my biggest problems when Coffey was a
Flyer was that he seemed to be very lackluster at times. It's
tough to put into words without sounding cruel, but let's just
say he knows the difference between a regular season game and a
playoff game.
Lots of times he just seemed to go through the motions, but to
his credit, he was one of the bright spots during the Stanley Cup
Finals loss to Detroit. So, if you can put up with that until
playoffs come around, it might be worth your while.
2. Injuries - Keeping Coffey in the lineup will be the key. With
Chicago, he played in just ten games - missing nine of them. That
was due to a pinched nerve.
3. Does he want to be here? - If you remember correctly, this is
the second time with the franchise as he played as a Hartford
Whaler back in 1996. At the time, he wasn't too keen on playing
there and wanted to be traded upon arrival and was eventually
dealt to Philly. The good news was the team was 12-7-6 with
Coffey in the lineup back then so it goes to show the kind of
difference he can make.
Still in First
Despite losing two in a row, Carolina has managed to stay on top
in the Southeast Division. Surprisingly, Florida of all teams has
started to close the gap. As of January 11, the Panthers now have
38 points to the Hurricanes' 43.
On January 14, Carolina will have a chance to gain some ground as
they take on Florida and two nights later play Washington. Both
games are at home. As if that isn't tough enough, they'll then
play Toronto before traveling to Detroit.
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FLORIDA PANTHERS
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Head Coach: Terry Murray
Roster: C - Viktor Kozlov, Rob Niedermayer, Dave Gagner, Steve
Washburn. LW - Ray Whitney, Johan Garpenlov, Oleg Kvasha, Kirk
Muller, Bill Lindsay, Peter Worrell. RW - Scott Mellanby, Dino
Ciccarelli, Radek Dvorak, Mark Parrish. D - Robert Svehla, Gord
Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Paul Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett Warrener,
Jaroslav Spacek. G - Kirk McLean, Sean Burke.
Injuries: Alex Hicks, lw (concussion, out indefinitely); Dino
Cicarelli, rw (out with a re-occurring back injury, could go at
any time).
Transactions: Assigned Chris Wells, c, to New Haven of the AHL
for a two-week conditioning stint. January 4th - Assigned Andrew
Long, c, to Miami of the ECHL; Placed forward Alex Hicks on
injured reserve. January 5th - Recalled Marcus Nilson, rw, from
New Haven of the AHL. January 12th - Re-assigned Marcus Nilson,
rw, to the Beast of New Haven of the AHL.
Game Results
12/26 at Tampa Bay W 3-1
12/28 NY Islanders W 5-1
12/30 at Pittsburgh L 7-4
01/01 Carolina T 3-3
01/02 Pittsburgh L 4-2
01/05 at Phoenix T 2-2
01/06 at Colorado T 2-2
01/08 at Vancouver T 1-1
01/10 at Calgary W 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Matthew Secosky
The Panthers are 3-3-4 in their last ten contests and hold down
the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. With a little over half
the season to be played, they are in great position to make a run
for the playoffs. Patience, my pet, patience.
Depending on how you look at it, Florida is either unbeaten
in their last four or have only won once in their last seven
contests. It's that glass half-empty, half-full thing again. Deep
shit, ya know.
Random Notes
Where's the Beef?
Panthers general manager Bryan Murray has denied rumors that
he has offered Ed Jovanovski, Rob Niedermayer, or Dave Gagner
to Vancouver in exchange for one Russian Rocket. But he admits
that he is looking to obtain a skilled defenseman and skilled
forward by mid-February.
"You look at (Colorado's) Joe Sakic, who gets points almost
every night," Murray said. "If you have that one guy who can
do that for you regularly, you can be competitive every night.
We've been looking for that."
Kozlov's First Time
The 18 reserves of the World All-Star team were released this
week and included on that list was the name of Viktor Kozlov.
This is Kozlov's first ever All-Star game appearance. Catch all
the action on January 24th.
"I'm very happy to be named to the All-Star team," Kozlov said.
"It's a great honor to be recognized with some of the top players
in the league. I'm excited about playing. It should be a great
time."
Eeewwww! Bugs!
Although he is an All-Star, it seems Viktor Kozlov is still a
mere mortal just like the rest of us. After all, he did come
down with the flu. The illness made him sit out of practice
Saturday and he missed Sunday's game against the Flames with
a 102-degree fever.
Oleg Kvasha took Kozlov's place on the line with left wing
Johan Garpenlov and right wing Radek Dvorak. Kozlov should return
to action this week.
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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jacques Demers
Roster: C - Darcy Tucker, Chris Gratton, Mike Sillinger, Craig
Janney, Vincent Lecavalier. RW - Stephane Richer, Benoit Hogue,
Rob Zamuner, Mikael Andersson, Andrei Nazarov. LW - Wendel
Clark, Alexander Selivanov, Sandy McCarthy, Steve Kelly,
Brent Peterson. D - Cory Cross, Petr Svoboda, David Wilkie,
Jassen Cullimore, Pavel Kubina, Mike McBain, Kjell Samuelsson,
Andrei Skopintsev. G - Bill Ranford, Daren Puppa, Corey Schwab.
Injuries: Daren Puppa, g (groin, indefinite).
Transactions: Trade Enrico Ciccone, d, to Washington for future
considerations; Assign Pavel Kubina, d, to Cleveland (IHL); Trade
Karl Dykhuis, d, to Philadelphia for Petr Svoboda, d; Recall
Mario Laroque, d, from Cleveland (IHL); Assign Laroque, d, to
Cleveland; recall Kubina, d, from Cleveland.
Game Results
12/23 Buffalo L 2-0
12/26 Florida L 3-1
12/29 Islanders W 3-0
12/30 Carolina L 4-3
01/04 Toronto L 5-4
01/07 Montreal L 4-1
01/08 Ottawa L 5-1
01/10 Rangers L 5-2
01/12 Toronto L 4-3
TEAM NEWS by Seth Lerman
It's hard to believe that the Tampa Bay Lightning can do worse
than last season when they posted 18 wins. But as they reached
the half-way point in 1998-99, the Lightning are five points
behind last year's pace.
It does not matter what players take the ice for the Lightning,
the results are usually the same - a loss.
Coach Jacques Demers is beginning to run out of reasons for his
club's play. He is also running out of bodies to trade. The
latest player to fall into the doghouse is veteran center, Craig
Janney, the team's assist leader with 18. After meeting with
Janney on Monday, the 11-year veteran was told to stay home
and await a trade or a demotion to Cleveland of the IHL.
This move comes one week after Demers sent Karl Dykhuis to the
Philadelphia Flyers for Petr Svoboda. Janney has recently been
criticized for his lackluster play, something which has plagued
him throughout his career.
The Lightning, winners of only three of their last 26 games, are
a team without a leader, and are going nowhere fast. Following a
5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 4, a game
that the Lightning controlled for 50 minutes, Demers said that
his team keeps finding new ways to lose games.
In their next three games, all on the road, the Lightning only
managed to score four goals while surrendering 14. "We deserved
to lose those games," said Demers. "Our team did not show up to
play."
Upon returning home for a rematch against the Leafs, Tampa played
one of their best games of the season, only to lose 4-3. "I
thought we played a pretty solid game - for 50 minutes," said
forward Sandy McCarthy who netted his fourth goal of the season
in the first period. "It was the 10 minutes that we did not play
well that killed us."
"I don't know why we lost that game tonight," said Demers. "We
did everything we were supposed to. Our team deserved to win.
"There are certain parts of our game we have to correct, and we
will. It could be this season or in the off-season, but we will
correct them."
Demers would not elaborate what needs to be corrected. Where
would he start? A good choice would be in goal. Bill Ranford is
far from the player he was with the Edmonton Oilers, a team which
he backstopped to the 1990 Stanley Cup Championship. His
partner, Daren Puppa, has missed the majority of the last three
seasons due to injury, and management has run out of patience.
The defense is young and inexperienced, however, Demers is
confident that Pavel Kubina, Mike McBain, and Jason Cullimore
will develop into solid players.
Up front, Wendel Clark has been the one bright spot for the
Lightning. Recently named to the 1999 All-Star team, Clark leads
the team in scoring with 18 goals.
"In my opinion of the first half of the season, we should have
five or six more wins, 10 or 12 more points," said Demers. "Then
we would have a shot at the playoffs. This is a learning
experience. It just kills you to lose."
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Wilson
Roster: C - Adam Oates, Jan Bulis, Andrei Nikolishin, Michal
Pivonka, Dale Hunter. LW - Joe Juneau, Brian Bellows, Richard
Zednik, Steve Konowalchuk, Trevor Halverson. RW - Peter Bondra,
Craig Berube, Kelly Miller, Mike Eagles, James Black. D - Calle
Johansson, Sergei Gonchar, Brendan Witt, Joe Reekie, Dmitri
Mironov, Ken Klee. G - Olaf Kolzig, Rick Tabaracci.
Injuries: Yogi Svejkovsky, lw (sprained ankle, 1-2 weeks); Adam
Oates, c (groin strain, day-to-day); Tom Chorske, lw
(abdomen/groin, 10 weeks); Chris Simon, lw (shoulder surgery, out
for season); Richard Zednik, lw (groin, day-to-day); Mark
Tinordi, d (groin strain, day-to-day); Enrico Ciccone, d (groin
strain, 4-6 weeks); Jeff Toms, lw (abdomen, 4-6 weeks).
Transactions: Patrice Lefebvre, lw, returned to Las Vegas (IHL).
Acquired Enrico Ciccone, lw, from Tampa Bay for future
considerations. Assigned Benoit Gratton, lw, to Portland (AHL).
Recalled Jeff Toms, lw, from Portland. Recalled Trevor Halverson,
lw, from Portland.
Game Results:
12/23 at Florida W 4-0
12/26 at Nashville L 3-1
12/28 Boston W 5-1
12/30 New Jersey L 3-2
01/01 Ottawa L 4-3
01/02 at Toronto W 5-2
01/07 NY Rangers W 5-1
01/09 at New Jersey W 3-2
01/11 NY Islanders W 4-3
TEAM NEWS by Jason Sheehan
Four-Game Winning Streak Sparks Playoff Chances
The Washington Capitals haven't felt this good all season.
Injuries, slumps and everything short of the plague have put them
in the spot of playing must-win games each time they step on the
ice.
But as teams in the lower echelon of the National Hockey League
realize, talk is cheap. It's what you do from the opening faceoff
to the final horn that counts.
The Capitals know what it takes to win. They just haven't been
able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a consistent
basis, making their run to the finals last season look like a
fluke occurrence instead of what a good work ethic can
accomplish.
Despite the ongoing suffering from an injury plague that refuses
to subside (eight players are hurt), Washington has finally found
the all-too-allusive key that just might release them from the
NHL's penitentiary.
Coming off a miserable franchise-long eight-game road trip in
December at 2-6-0, the Capitals are currently in the midst of a
four-game winning streak with wins over Toronto, the New York
Rangers, New Jersey and the New York Islanders.
Yet, unfortunately for the Capitals and their 15-20-3 record (33
points), the Eastern Conference is having a dominant year over
its Western counterparts. Boston, currently holding the eighth
and final playoff spot, has 44 points (19-14-6), 11 more than the
12th place Capitals.
Washington, however, is playing its best hockey since capturing
the Eastern Conference crown with a dynamic Game 6 win over
Buffalo last June. If the Capitals continue to play with a sense
of urgency as they have displayed over the course of the last
four games, Boston's hold on the last playoff spot should loosen.
Bellows Collects 1,000th Career Point
It finally happened. Seventeen-year veteran Brian Bellows is now
a member of the 1,000-point club. He reached the milestone
against his favorite opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and his
favorite arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. Bellows has recorded 60 goals
and 49 assists (109 points) in 87 career games against the Maple
Leafs.
The magical moment occurred three minutes, 34 seconds into the
third period when Bellows found left wing Jeff Toms cruising
untouched to the right of goaltender Curtis Joseph. Toms wasted
no time in depositing a wrist shot past a startled Joseph.
Bellows never thought 1,000 points was possible at this time last
year. Skating with Berlin in the German League, the thought of
ever wearing an NHL sweater again was just a figment of Bellows'
imagination. But suddenly, Capitals general manager George McPhee
phoned Bellows' agent two days after the March 20 trade deadline,
surprising a veteran on the verge of retirement.
"That was when it didn't look like anything was happening, and I
had set a deadline of March 20 - that was the time I would have
packed them up," said Bellows. "Let's face it, if it wasn't for
playing with [coach] Ron Wilson [in Minnesota] and playing for
Ron Wilson in Anaheim, my career would have been done."
Wilson, who may know more about Bellows than Bellows knows about
himself, is flattered by these comments.
"I think last year if you'd asked him, he'd never thought he
would score a thousand points, but I'm really glad that he could
do it and especially here in Toronto," said Wilson. "When I
played with him I couldn't stand him but as a coach I love him.
He'll know what I'm saying when I say that - he's matured a lot."
Bellows is the fourth Capital join the 1,000 point club in the
last two seasons. Adam Oates, Dale Hunter and the since-departed
Phil Housley accomplished the feat last season.
Bondra Lone Capital in All-Star Game
The rosters for the NHL All-Star Game, to be held in Tampa Bay on
Jan. 24, have been announced. Only one Capital, Peter Bondra,
made the cut. He will be playing for the World team.
Although Bondra is the only Washington player selected to
participate in the game, he will be joined by several members of
the Capitals training staff. Trainer Stan Wong (the most
overworked man in professional sports), equipment manager Doug
Shearer and assistant equipment manager Craig Leydig will handle
off-ice duties for the World team.
"It's going to be a thrill to get to work with some of the elite
players around the league," Shearer said. "It's a lot of work,
but from what I hear, it's a lot of fun, too."
Bondra will be making his fifth All-Star Game appearance, tying
him with defenseman Rod Langway for the most mid-season classics
played in Capitals history.
================================================================
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Dirk Graham
roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Mark Janssens, Chad Kilger, Todd White,
Alexei Zhamnov. LW - Dan Cleary, Eric Daze, Jean-Yves Leroux, Mike
Maneluk, Ethan Moreau, Bob Probert, Reid Simpson. RW - Tony
Amonte, Nelson Emerson, Craig Mills, Ed Olczyk. D - Jamie Allison,
Brad Brown, Chris Chelios, Christian Laflamme, Dave Manson, Bryan
Muir, Trent Yawney, Doug Zmolek. G - Mark Fitzpatrick, Jocelyn
Thibault.
injuries: Jamie Allison, d (wrist, indefinite); Eric Daze, lw
(groin, day-to-day); Jean-Yves Leroux, lw (groin, indefinite); Doug
Zmolek, d (groin, day-to-day).
transactions: Recalled Christian Laflamme, d, from Portland of the
AHL December 21; recalled Todd White, c, from Chicago of the IHL
December 22; traded Paul Coffey, d, to Carolina in exchange for
Nelson Emerson, rw, traded Andrei Trefilov, g, to Calgary for
future considerations, and assigned Ryan Vandenbussche, lw, to
Portland of the AHL December 28; traded Dennis Bonvie, rw, to
Philadelphia in exchange for Frank Bialowas, lw, assigned Bialowas
to Portland of the AHL, and recalled Dan Cleary, lw, from Portland
of the AHL January 8.
game results:
12/23 Phoenix W 4-3
12/26 Philadelphia L 3-2
12/31 Islanders W 1-0
01/02 at Detroit L 5-2
01/03 Detroit L 3-1
01/05 at Islanders T 1-1
01/07 at St. Louis L 4-2
01/09 at Nashville T 3-3
01/10 Colorado L 3-2 OT
team news by Tom Crawford
Put Down That Mouse!
What are you doing? It's probably a beautiful day out there. If
you're in the northern part of this continent, then you should be
out skiing, playing tackle football in the snow, or shoveling off
the nearest pond for some pickup hockey. If you live nearer the
equator, you should be enjoying that warm sunny weather we wish we
had up here.
But no. You're languishing in front of a computer monitor, reading.
And reading about what? The crisis in the Middle East? How to make
your Nano-Pet Y2K-ready? Irregular protein synthesis in Drosophila
Melanogaster?
No, you're spending valuable time reading about the worst team in
the National Hockey League. You should be ashamed of yourself.
At least you have a choice. I, on the other hand, am forced to
spend countless hours viewing and researching the listless exercise
that passes for professional hockey in this city. I'd quit, but
how else would I support my $1,000-a-week beanie baby habit? Plus
the editors have pictures . . . .
But if you insist, I guess we might as well get down to the dirty
business of analyzing the Blackhawks' continuing slide into
oblivion.
First of all we must dispense with any notion of the Hawks' being a
good team in a slump, or a young team ready to break out. A quick
look at the recent slate of games shows that this team is
fundamentally bad.
In the nine games since the last LCS Hockey issue, the Hawks have
garnered six points. Seems sort of on the low side of mediocre
until you notice that five of those points came in games where the
Hawks were significantly outshot and benefited either from great
goaltending on their end (Jocelyn Thibault stopped 68 of 69 shots
in two games with the Islanders) or shoddy goaltending by the
opponent (ex-Hawk Jimmy Waite gave up four goals on nine shots in
the second period in the 4-3 win over Phoenix). The other point
came in a tie with Nashville in which the expansion Predators blew
a 3-0 lead.
The losses, on the other hand, were all well deserved. The Flyers
tallied twice before the Hawks' third shot on goal. Detroit scored
four goals in a minute and a half to win in their building then gave
the Hawks more of the same the next night in the United Center. All
of which was merely buildup to the loss in St. Louis during which the
Hawks managed no shots in five power-play tries and played such a
passive, uninspired brand of hockey that my dad vowed not to waste
any more time this year watching Blackhawk hockey (and he's
retired!).
And while the Blackhawks do have many youngsters logging significant
ice time, none of them look ready to break out anytime soon (except
Eric Daze whose face breaks out in pimples on a regular basis). The
lack of contribution from the younger Hawks has been especially
evident in the offensive end, where only Daze and Chad Kilger have
scored more than five goals this year.
Blackhawks management had hoped that the pool of Daze, Kilger and
Ethan Moreau would yield at least one legitimate power forward, but
the Hawks have instead been forced to trade for little speedy guys
like Nelson Emerson and Mike Maneluk to add scoring punch. This is
precisely the type of player the team has moved away from recently,
letting Greg Johnson and Sergei Krivokrasov go to Nashville in the
offseason.
The slow development of the Blackhawks' top prospects makes a future
without Chris Chelios, Doug Gilmour, and Bob Probert (all well into
their second decade in the NHL) a very cloudy one.
Perhaps more disturbing than the idea of a future Hawks team with no
talent to speak of is the sight of the present Hawks squad,
possessed of some very talented players including the NHL's top
goal scorer, playing like the worst team in the NHL.
Exactly why the Blackhawks play so poorly is unclear, but certain
trends arise.
For one, the Hawks seem incapable of placing a pass on a teammate's
stick. Whether moving through the neutral zone or setting up the
power play, the Hawks constantly turn the puck over by passing
poorly.
Another constant in Hawks games has been the illusion that they are
permanently shorthanded, not because they're taking penalties
(though they are, in bunches) but because the other team is always
quicker to the puck carrier or the loose puck along the boards.
Finally, the Hawks have a unique talent for turning harmless plays
into prime scoring chances against. This may be the only team
against whom a three-on-three is an odd-man situation, because a
simple criss-cross move often results in a man open in front of the
net.
There's common thread in these trends. I'm not sure whether to call
it "organization" or "preparedness" or "team sense" but it has to do
with coaching. After almost a half season, the Hawks still don't
seem to know where they're supposed to be on the ice or what they're
supposed to do when they get there.
Both Darryl Sutter and Craig Hartsburg had limited success with a
similar talent level by imposing a strict system in which every
on-ice situation had a mandated response. Dirk Graham's opinion of
that coaching style became evident very early when he interrupted
assistant Denis Savard's blackboard session before the opener
against New Jersey, erased what Savard had written and said (I'm
paraphrasing here):
"Screw it, just go out there and kick butt."
It's the middle of January now, and nary a butt has been kicked. It
may be time to try a different approach. Oh, and it's also time for
the...
Team Report Card
Team Grade: D-.
Coaches: F.
Forwards
Overall: D.
Tony Amonte: A. Tough to give anything else to a guy leading the league
in goals with no offensive support.
Dan Cleary: B-. Despite a trip to the minors, Cleary has been one of
the more consistent young Hawks
Eric Daze: D. Only ten goals, a team-worst -18, and a semi-permanent
residence in Graham's doghouse.
Nelson Emerson: Inc. Has showed some offensive spark in first few games.
Doug Gilmour: B-. Some nights he's the only Hawk with anything, other
nights he's invisible.
Mark Janssens: C. OK, they didn't get him for scoring, but a few more
faceoff wins and good penalty kills would be nice.
Chad Kilger: D. Shows spark then disappears. Doesn't play his size.
Jean-Yves Leroux: Inc. Hasn't played a shift.
Mike Maneluk: C-. Him they did get for scoring.
Craig Mills: Inc. One of Coach Graham's faceless, interchangeable goons.
Ethan Moreau: C+. I have a soft spot for Ethan 'cause he's always
hitting people. One day he'll start crashing the net.
Ed Olczyk: D. Graham was right when he cut him loose the first time.
Bob Probert: B+. The only consistent forechecking threat on the team.
Whatever line he's on sustains offensive pressure.
Reid Simpson: Inc. See Craig Mills.
Todd White: B. Another guy on the IHL shuttle who plays well
whenever he's up.
Alexei Zhamnov: C-. The flashes of brilliance followed by five games of
nothing are getting real old.
Defense:
Overall: C.
Jamie Allison: Inc. Didn't see enough before he got hurt.
Brad Brown: B-. Was awful early on, but has started to crush opposing
forwards (legally, too).
Chris Chelios: C-. Standards are higher for a multiple Norris trophy
winner, and Cheli just makes too many mistakes.
Christian Laflamme: B-. Struggled early but may be coming around after a
stint in Portland.
Dave Manson: C+. Hard to figure. Rock-steady one night, blind
passes up the middle the next. And he's SO slow.
Bryan Muir: B-. Graham sees great things in this guy's future. So
far he looks quietly mediocre.
Trent Yawney: Inc. Spent a lot of time on the bench, now his season's
over.
Doug Zmolek: Inc. Plays little, makes no impact when he does.
Goalies:
Mark Fitzpatrick: B-. Played better in his brief stint as #1 than in his
present backup role.
Jocelyn Thibault: B. If his present pace of improvement continues, the
Hackett/Weinrich/Nasreddine for Thibault/Manson/Brown
deal will be one for the books.
Conspiracy Theory
If you're like Coach Graham and me, you think there's one
ingredient in the Blackhawks' downfall that's beyond their control:
horrible officiating. Repeating the complaint that's as familiar to
Hawks fans as Frank Pellico's version of Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song",
Graham publicly questioned officials twice last week.
"It seems to be the same every game", Graham said after the Hawks'
second loss to Detroit in as many nights. "Either we're the
dirtiest team that has ever played the game or there's something
else going on."
"I don't think we're that dirty," he added.
The most conspicuous target of excessive attention from the refs was
Bob Probert. Sure, he's a bruiser, but a call he drew from Don
Koharski in the first Detroit game led ESPN commentator Barry
Melrose to exclaim:
"You've got to let these guys play the game. Otherwise we might as
well all be out there wearing dresses."
That was nothing compared to the call made by Terry Gregson five
nights later in St. Louis. Probie caught the Blues' Terry Yake
with his head down and landed a solid shoulder that flattened Yake,
and Gregson whistled him for elbowing. Probert described the
situation accurately:
"It's a joke. He called an elbow on me, and my elbow was down by my
waist. It was the cleanest hit of the year."
All in all, the Hawks have been out-power-played this year by a
margin of about 4-3 (204 times short versus 158 power plays). So
far the league has tolerated Graham's outbursts, but if he's
expecting an apology or a promise of future compensation he's in
for a long wait.
Addition By Subtraction. And Addition Too. Except That If You
Subtract A Negative Number, It's Actually Just Addition And, . . .
. Oh Dammit Never Mind...
A Good Trade
Blackhawks' GM Bob Murray had the good fortune to transact business
recently with the team with the shortest memory in the NHL, the
Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hawks unloaded Paul Coffey and the portion of his salary not
paid by his former employers the Philadelphia Flyers. While this
move alone would have been cause for celebration, Murray also
grabbed a halfway decent player from the Hurricanes in Nelson
Emerson.
Perhaps the tap water in Greensboro is drawn from the River Lethe.
Or maybe the euphoria induced by 6,000 screaming fans has numbed
the painful memories from Hartford. But didn't Paul Coffey
essentially refuse to play for this organization a few short years
ago. Wasn't he acquired (along with Keith Primeau) at the cost of
the franchise's only real talent, Brendan Shanahan and then let go
for next to nothing?
At any rate, Nelson Emerson had a three-point night in his fifth
game with the Hawks, and Coffey and his "drop foot" are someone
else's problem.
Silver Lining?
One bright spot in the recent gloom has been the play of Jocelyn
Thibault. I know, just last issue I was voicing concerns about his
play, but in the last two weeks Thibault has played brilliantly for
stretches of longer than a period or two.
For those of us who never saw much of the young netminder (Thibault
will turn 24 this Friday) in Montreal, he has demonstrated great
quickness and agility -- and a tendency to give long and ill-placed
rebounds. But he seems to be responding well to the coaching of
Vladislav Tretiak and has also shown a trait unusual in a goalie --
a great clubhouse demeanor.
In light of the fact that this Hawks' season is going nowhere anyway,
here's hoping that Thibault is given every opportunity to develop
into a legitimate number one goalie.
News and Notes
Unlike his predecessors, Dirk Graham hasn't had the injury excuse to
fall back on this year. Except for Paul Coffey, the only projected
starter to miss significant ice time this year was Jean-Yves Leroux.
Now however, the injured list is starting to grow. The blue line
corps was weakened when Trent Yawney was lost for the season to a
broken elbow against Nashville and Doug Zmolek went out with a groin
injury. Then the news came that Eric Daze's "day-to-day" groin
injury will keep the young scorer out for at least two weeks . . . .
Tony Amonte is stuck on 23 goals as teams have finally begun to
shadow him. So far no Blackhawk has picked up the scoring slack . .
. . The Hawks' tough-guy image took a bit of a hit as Dennis Bonvie
was sent packing to Philadelphia. Bonvie wasn't the greatest of
fighters, but his obvious mental instability was useful in
intimidating opponents. "D.B." is one of the few members of the
hockey profession (or, hopefully, the human race), who appears to
actively enjoyed getting his head pummeled. In Bonvie's last bout as
a Blackhawk, Tony Twist landed eight or 10 solid rights to his head,
and as usual Bonvie skated off grinning ear to ear.
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NASHVILLE PREDATORS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
roster: C - Darren Turcotte, Greg Johnson, Jeff Nelson, Patric
Kjellberg, Sebastien Bordeleau, Cliff Ronning. LW - Andrew
Brunette, Blair Atcheynum, Scott Walker, Denny Lambert, Ville
Peltonen, Jeff Daniels, Vitali Yachmenev. RW - Sergei Krivokrasov,
Brad Smyth, Tom Fitzgerald, Patrick Cote. D - Joel Bouchard, Bob
Boughner, John Slaney, Jamie Heward, Jayson More, J.J. Daigneault,
Drake Berehowsky, Jan Vopat, Kimmo Timonen. G - Mike Dunham, Eric
Fichaud, Tomas Vokoun, Chris Mason.
injuries: Mike Dunham, g (groin, who even knows anymore); Ville
Peltonen, lw (separated shoulder, 4-8 weeks); Eric Fichaud, g
(separated shoulder, rest of season); Jayson More, d
(post-concussion syndrome, day-to-day); Sergei Krovkrasov, rw
(nobody has a clue, but his leg gets numb, 1 week).
transactions: Recalled Kimmo Timonen, d, Chris Mason, g, and Vitali
Yachmenev, rw, from Milwaukee Admirals (IHL).
game results:
12/23 Detroit W 5-3
12/26 Washington W 3-1
12/28 at Dallas L 1-0
12/30 Boston L 5-2
01/01 St. Louis L 6-5
01/02 at Carolina L 4-1
01/04 Anaheim W 2-1
01/07 San Jose L 4-3
01/09 Chicago T 3-3
01/11 at Philadelphia L 8-0
team news by Jeff Middleton
THE WEST FINALIST
We beat the Red Wings . . . .we beat the Red Wings . . . we beat the
Red Wings . . . .we beat the Red Wings . . . . ok, enough of that.
Nope - WE BEAT THE RED WINGS!!!!!! The season is complete.
THE EAST FINALIST
Though not as formidable opponent as the aforementioned Stanley Cup
finalist, but it was definitely a good win for the Preds. As they
wished each other Merry Christmas, the Nashville boys defeated the
underachieving Caps.
THE NEXT FINALIST?
With Eric Fichuad back from his injury, the Predators traveled to
the Lone Star state to take on the powerful Stars. The Nashville
squad played the best of the West straight up for most of the game,
giving up just one beautiful deflection goal to Shawn Chambers in
the second period, which was the difference. Unfortunately, this
would be the beginning of hard times for the boys.
BEANTOWN = BAD NEWS
Not quite the way that the Predators wanted to end up the year, but
anytime they face a team from the East they seem to have some
problems. When the Bruins and Ray Bourque came to town for the
first time, they brought tradition and experience. And they left
with a win. A big win, as they embarrassed the tired-looking crew
from Nashville. For the first time in a long time, the Predators
appeared to be somewhere else, waiting for the game to come to
them. The first period was ugly, and as is their way, the Preds
came back to show a little life, but it was too little too late.
HAPPY NEW YEAR - NOT QUITE
It seemed logical that the first team to visit in 1999 was the St.
Louis Blues. In their 25th meeting this year, the Blues and
Predators opened the new year with an offensive explosion. The
Preds built up a lead and once again gave it away. This time,
however, they scored to tie it up with just under 5:00 left in the
third. The Blues, however, were able to strike with 43 seconds left
to steal the win. Although they looked strong at times, Nashville
made way too many poor line changes and took way too many bad
penalties to help themselves.
THE SLIPPERY SLOPE
In front of three people in Greensboro, the Predators were just one
bad goal away from a shutout - thank you, Trevor Kidd.
JUST WHAT THAT QUACK ORDERED
In a game that definitely took second place to the College Football
National Championship game between the Tennessee Volunteers and
Florida State Seminoles, the Predators were able to squeak a win
out against the Ducks. Holding Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne in
check for the second time at home, the Predators actually played
defense and gave the 13,500 who came out something to cheer about.
In the "World's Largest Tailgate Party," fans were allowed to stick
around to watch the Fiesta Bowl and saw the Vols win the title.
But who really cares, football is for wimps.
BIT
In another nasty meeting between the Sharks and the Preds, it was
clear that the team with the stronger goaltender wins. Mike Vernon
made some impressive saves during the last minute of play to hold
off the charging Predators as the fight for the last playoff spot
in the West began in earnest. Good thing this is the weak Western
Conference, where the Predators actually are in the running!
HANGING ON
When any Central Division foe comes to town, two things can be
expected: a mean game and a sellout. When Chicago came to town on
Saturday night, it was time to get down at The Hockey Tonk. With
over 60 minutes in penalty minutes dished out, there was no love
lost. Only a lead was lost. ONCE AGAIN, the Predators jumped out
to a three-goal lead, and like a junior high basketball team with a
20-point lead in the first quarter, they gave it away. Forgetting
to play the second period, and giving away too many power-play
situations, the Predators escaped with one point. They stayed four
points ahead of the 'Hawks, trying desperately to stay out of the
cellar of the division.
BROTHERLY WHAT?
Butt-kicking - East Coast style. Not much to say except: "WE NEED A
GOALIE!!!!!"
Notes:
Mike Dunham is out indefinitely, probably until after the All-Star
Break . . . . The ice-storm that hit the South on Dec. 23 did not
deter the transplanted auto-workers from coming out to cheer on
their Wings . . . .the NHL granted a request by the Predators to
start the Jan. 4 game against the Ducks start at 5:00 to
accommodate the Fiesta Bowl . . . . This week allows the Predators
to see just where they stand against the league's best - Philly,
Detroit, and Phoenix . . . . so far, not good (8-0, Philly).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT RED WINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Roster: C - Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper, Sergei
Fedorov. LW - Brendan Shanahan, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Doug Brown,
Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby, Brent Gilchrist. RW - Darren McCarty,
Martin Lapointe, Mathieu Dandenault, Stacey Roest D - Nicklas
Lidstrom, Larry Murphy, Jamie Macoun, Aaron Ward, Uwe Krupp,
Anders Eriksson, . G - Chris Osgood, Norm Maracle.
INJURIES: Brent Gilchrist, lw (hernia, indefinite); Kirk Maltby, lw
(lower abdominal strain, day- to-day); Joe Kocur, rw (abdominal
strain, day-to-day); Kevin Hodson, g (knee strain, indefinite); Uwe
Krupp, d (back problems, two weeks).
TRANSACTIONS: Recalled Phillipe Audet, rw, from Adirondack (AHL);
acquired Todd Gill, d, off waivers from St. Louis Blues.
GAME RESULTS
12/22 Phoenix L 6-2
12/23 at Nashville L 5-3
12/26 at St. Louis L 4-3
12/28 St.Louis T 4-4
12/31 Toronto L 4-2
01/02 Chicago W 5-2
01/03 at Chicago W 3-1
01/06 Ottawa L 2-0
01/09 Colorado W 3-2
01/10 at Ottawa L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Dino Cacciola
BARK AT THE MOON
"They've won two straight Stanley Cup championships and they know
they're going to be playing in the springtime," Phoenix coach Jim
Schoenfeld said after they beat the Red Wings 6-2. "To me, they're
still the most dangerous team in the National Hockey League."
The game was the second meeting between the two Conference rivals of
the season. The loss was the Red Wings' third straight, their fourth
in five games, and dropped them to just 4-10 this season against
teams with records of .500 or better. And they still have not beaten
Phoenix, Dallas, or Colorado yet.
"Everything's going wrong right now and it's getting beyond the
point where you can say it's early," captain Steve Yzerman said.
"We have to start playing a lot more competitively against the
better teams."
Brendan Shanahan had a goal and an assist and Igor Larionov scored
the other goal for the Red Wings, who still lead the Central
Division despite their recent slump. "We're playing poorly from
game to game and this was a continuation of that," Yzerman said.
"You can't point to anything good tonight. You need more than 10
fingers to cover it up. We struggled in all areas. It's something
we just have to grind our way through."
Nikolai Khabibulin made 36 saves against the Wings and Chris Osgood
had only 23 in the loss. All in all, it was a very disappointing
outing for the Wings.
THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY
Tomas Vokoun who? The rookie goalie for the Nashvillle Predators
made 50 saves as the Preds basically stunned the two-time defending
Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, 5-3. Steve Yzerman beat him
twice, but Vokoun stopped all seven of Sergei Fedorov's shots and
all eight of Doug Brown's. The Wings have lost four straight and
been outscored 18-7 in that span. The defeat was also the Red
Wings' ninth on the road. Last season, the Wings did not lose their
ninth road game until March 5.
"Our team defense has been just awful lately," said Brendan
Shanahan, who scored the game's first goal. "We've always prided
ourselves in our goals-against average, and in the last couple
weeks it's just skyrocketed."
"We've had over 100 shots in two games (against Nashville)," coach
Scotty Bowman said. "Their save percentages are around 95 percent.
That's the top of the league. Their goalie was great."
Yzerman got his 13th on a wrist shot over Vokoun's glove with 10
seconds left in the period to trim the lead to 4-2. Norm Maracle
had replaced Chris Osgood to begin the final period. Yzerman closed
out the scoring with 1:03 left on a wrist shot from the right side.
The Wings aren't getting the breaks right now.
SINGING THE BLUES
Call it a slump or just call it the mid-season blues. Whatever you
call it, it's still another loss for the Red Wings as the St.
Louis Blues won this one, 4-3. And the Blues only had one shot on
net in the third period, no less. The Red Wings tried to pour it on
with constant pressure but resistance is futile at times when you
are always playing from behind.
Mathieu Dandenault led the scoring with a goal and an assist. Larry
Murphy and Igor Larionov also scored in the defeat as well.
Dandenault believes the slump will end in the near future. Let's
hope so!
"With our talent and leadership, we should be able to get on track,"
he said.
Show me the money, I always say.
"You press when you're in a situation like this," Dandenault said.
"Guys try to do too much and do another guy's job and then you leave
your own job half done, " Brendan Shanahan said.
St. Louis is unbeaten against Detroit in the last six meetings at
the Kiel Center (5-0-1).
KISS YOUR SISTER
Well at least it was not another loss. And a tie at home isn't that
great, but I'm sure the Wings will take it at this stage of the
season. Slava Kozlov scored two goals that counted and two that
didn't as the Red Wings rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the
St. Louis Blues 4-4. The tie broke the five-game losing streak the
Wings were experiencing. Their longest since January 1991. The team
record is 14 straight losses, which took place from Feb. 24-March
25, 1982.
"You take points where you get 'em when your struggling, and that's
what we're doing," Darren McCarty said. "We're happy to get a
point and hope we can build on it." The tie kept the Wings with a
three point lead on the Blues in the Central Division for the
lead.
Slava Kozlov's second goal was the tying goal with 9:13 remaining,
bringing the Wings back from a 4-2 deficit in the second period. He
also had two goals wiped out by video review, and took a penalty
that negated a teammate's goal all in the first period. So the game
was very much highlighted by the play of Kozzie.
Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper scored the other goals for the Red
Wings. Goalie Norm Maracle made 28 saves in place of Chris Osgood.
Grant Fuhr stopped 16 shots for the Blues.
The teams skated to a 1-1 tie after a weird first period in which
video reviews awarded a goal to St. Louis but took two away from
Detroit. NFL? The Red Wings also had another apparent goal wiped
out by a delayed penalty call.
Kozlov gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead when he put his own rebound
past Fuhr 4:54 into the second period, but the Blues came back with
three straight goals, including two from defenseman Chris Pronger.
Drapes pulled the Red Wings to within 4-3 when he scored on a
breakaway with 40 seconds left in the second period. Kozlov,
playing on an all-Russian line with Sergei Fedorov and Igor
Larionov, tied it 10:47 into the third when he poked a loose puck
past Fuhr in a goal-mouth scramble. The Russian line clicked and
played very well. But with Scotty Bowman, there is no such thing as
a constant line. They may not play again for a while, but chances
are that down the road somewhere they will I'm sure.
CUJO PREVAILS
Add the Toronto Maple Leafs to the growing number of teams that are
dominating the Detroit Red Wings this season. Curtis Joseph made 38
saves and Mats Sundin had two assists as Toronto beat Detroit 4-2,
extending the Red Wings' winless streak to seven games. Cujo
practically stood on his head the entire game while making
outstanding point blank saves. The Wings clearly dominated the
entire game except for the scoring department. And when all is said
and done, that's all that matters.
Toronto, which moved to the Eastern Conference this season, finished
3-0 against Detroit this year. It was the Maple Leafs' first season
sweep of Detroit since they went 4-0 against the Red Wings in
1979-80. The rivals evened their all-time series at 268-268-91.
"You wouldn't expect us to win all three before the season started,"
Sundin said. "This one tonight, Detroit was the better team, but CuJo
won the game for us." No kidding. Joseph was just 6-14-5 in his
career against the Red Wings before beating them three times this
season. He was particularly outstanding in the second period,
stopping several good Wing chances.
Martin Lapointe and Darren McCarty scored for the Red Wings, who
can't seem to put a rough stretch behind them. They finished 4-7-2
in December.
"Our confidence isn't as strong as it needs to be," Detroit
defenseman Larry Murphy said. "We're not handling adversity really
well. When you're playing well and make a mistake you get right
back up. Now we're not handling it well, and it just snowballs."
Detroit outshot Toronto 17-9 in the second period, yet the Maple
Leafs scored the only goal. Just nine seconds into a double-minor
against Joey Kocur, Mats Sundin made a pass to the front of the net
that was deflected to Osgood's left and pushed in by Steve Thomas.
Fredrik Modin put Toronto up 3-1 when he converted a pass from
Sundin just 29 seconds into the third period. But McCarty got that
one back by one timing a sweet pass from Sergei Fedorov past Joseph
at 3:26.
Defenseman Todd Gill, claimed off waivers Wednesday from St. Louis,
made his Detroit debut and was on the ice for two Toronto goals.
"It's going to take a few games to adjust, but I think I'll enjoy
it here," Gill said. Not a great way to spend New Year's Eve. But
hey there is always next year!
CHICAGO-STYLE PIZZA
A little pep talk from coach Scotty Bowman loosened them up. And
finally it worked and the flood gates finally opened. The Red Wings
let their frustration out.
Larry Murphy, Steve Yzerman and Tomas Holmstrom each scored in a
73-second span of the third period Saturday as the Red Wings
snapped a seven-game winless streak with a 5-2 win over their
division rival Chicago Blackhawks.
"We had felt like for the last three or four games, we were playing
pretty well," Yzerman said. "It wasn't for lack of enthusiasm or
effort that we were losing. But it was getting pretty frustrating."
Bowman, who has guided Detroit to successive Stanley Cup
championships, sensed that perhaps his players were trying just too
hard. "Scotty gave us a little pep talk before the game," forward
Dougie Brown said. "He told us to throw away the other stuff, to
forget the garbage and start fresh."
"I don't know if there was a turning point," Yzerman said. "But
Murphy's goal was obviously pretty big for us. Sergei Fedorov and
Kris Draper also scored for the Red Wings, who had lost four
straight at Joe Louis Arena. It was also the 1,432nd game for
Murphy, who moved into the No. 6 spot on the all-time list for NHL
games played, ahead of Mike Gartner. Finally the Wings win.
TWO IN A ROW!
Wow, two in a row. Well it is true that the Blackhawks are not the
Dallas Stars or anything, but two wins in a row is really
something to be proud of considering the recent slide. The Wings
beat the Blackhawks in Chi- town 3-1 to win the home-and-home
series in a weekend sweep.
"We were due some breaks. It just happened to be against Chicago
the last couple of games," Larry Murphy said "We got two
power-play goals in the same game, which is something we haven't
done in a while."
Murphy scored the go-ahead power-play goal on a rebound after
Nicklas Lidstrom's slap shot from the left circle went off Jocelyn
Thibault.
The Wings were 0-for-4 with the man advantage in the opening period.
"Obviously we would have liked to have better power play in the first
but it picked up later," Detroit coach Scotty Bowman said. "We got
back to Murphy and Lidstrom on the point and Holmstrom up front" and
that's why the power play was successful.
The Red Wings got an empty-netter from the newly acquired Todd Gill
with 17.8 seconds remaining. Chris Osgood made 25 saves in the
victory.
IMPEACHED
The Red Wings were on trial by the Senators. And the Senators shut
them out at home 2-0. Despite the two recent wins by the Red
Wings, they continue to struggle against teams better than 500.
Ron Tugnutt became the first goalie to blank the Red Wings at home
in nearly a year. He made 24 saves as the Red Wings failed to
score at Joe Louis Arena for the first time since Toronto's Felix
Potvin blanked them last Jan. 21.
"We had a lot of good chances," Darren McCarty said. "We just
couldn't get it past Tugnutt tonight. "In past years, we'd find
ways to score and win a game like that. Right now, we just can seem
to do it." The Red Wings are not getting any bounces or breaks to
go their way.
Tugnutt made some spectacular saves to preserve the win. The Wings
did not look that great at all. No one seems to know what the
problem is.
THE DREADED AVS
The rivalry may not be what it once was, but there still is, and
perhaps will be for a while, some bad blood between the two teams.
Anyway, the Detroit Red Wings beat the dreaded Avs 3-2 with a come
from behind victory. Nicklas Lidstrom's tie breaking, power-play
goal with 6:59 remaining made the difference as the Red Wings won
for just the third time in their last 11 games.
"I thought we played hard for 60 minutes today," Lidstrom said. "We
haven't done that for awhile. I think we can build on this win
today."
Martin Lapointe and Steve Yzerman also scored for the Red Wings in
the win. "It's a concern, but not something that will carry on
forever," Yzerman said. "A lot of good things have been happening.
We have enough offensive people that if you just stick with it,
it's just a matter of time before the puck will go into the net."
The Wings are now 1-1 against the Avs this season.
The Red Wings had a 5-on-3 advantage when Lidstrom broke a 2-2 tie
with a hard drive from center ice just inside the blue line. The
shot went past rookie Marc Denis who was in playing in place of
the injured Patrick Roy.
Lidstrom's game-winning goal made the Wings 2-for-7 on its power
play. Colorado, which had scored nine power-play goals in its last
seven games, was 0-for-5 with the man advantage. Goaltender Chris
Osgood had 27 saves and Denis stopped 28 shots. The Avalanche had
just two shots in the third period.
TRIAL BY SENATE
The Senators defeated the Red Wings for the second time in five
days, beating them 4-1. It's the first time Ottawa has beaten the
Wings at home since March 24, 1994, and the first time the
7-year-old Senators have swept their two-game series from the Red
Wings.
"It's team schizophrenia," Darren McCarty said of the Wings, 3-6-1
in their last 10 games. A horrendous stretch of games.
Steve Yzerman scored Detroit's only goal in his hometown. Yzerman
made it 2-1 with a power-play goal 16:25 into the second period,
banging home a rebound off a Larry Murphy shot.
"I'm disappointed we got beat rather handily," said Yzerman. "It's
been going on for quite a while now. At the beginning of the year,
we could shrug it off. A loss here, a loss there, but now they're
starting to pile up and it's starting to become a concern."
The night before Steve Yzerman has his jersey retired at the Steve
Yzerman Arena in a suburb of Ottawa where he played hockey growing
up.
All Stars:
Nicklas Lidstrom and Uwe Krupp were voted as starters for the World
All-Stars. Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan were voted for the
North American All-Stars starting unit. Krupp is still injured and
will not be able to play.
MID-SEASON REPORT CARDS:
Steve Yzerman A+
Sergei Fedorov C
Igor Larionov B-
Brendan Shanahan A
Darren McCarty B+
Slava Kozlov C-
Doug Brown C
Martin LaPointe C+
Joe Kocur B-
Tomas Holmstrom C+
Kurt Maltby Inc
Brent Gilchrist Inc
Kris Draper C-
Anders Eriksson C-
Aaron Ward D+
Jamie Macoun B-
Larry Murphy A-
Nicklas Lidstrom B-
Uwe Krupp D+
Mathieu Dandenault C+
Stacey Roest C
Chris Osgood C-
Norm Maracle B-
Kevin Hodson Inc
Todd Gill B
OVERALL C+
There seems to be much speculation as to why the Red Wings are in
the tailspin as of late . Some say that they just can't get into it
so early in the season and that it only matters come March and in the
playoffs. Some say it has to do with the ineffective power play and
the AWOL performance of No. 91. Others would indicate that the last
line of defense is very suspect. Some say that the Red Wings are the
team to beat and teams get up for the Red Wings and they try their
best. Or the fact that their defense isn't that physical and they
need to toughen up. Some say the Red Wings just aren't up for it at
all. Whatever the case may be it isn't time to panic just yet. There
will be some adjustments made before the deadline and the Wings will
go into the playoffs at least playing better. But in this league you
can't take anything for granted. Cuz there are Coyotes out there
under them Stars.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS BLUES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Joel Quenneville
Roster: C - Craig Conroy, Mike Eastwood, Pascal Rheaume, Pierre
Turgeon, Michal Handzus. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Michel Picard, Tony
Twist, Pavol Demitra. RW - Jim Campbell, Kelly Chase, Scott
Pellerin, Scott Young. D - Marc Bergevin, Al MacInnis, Chris
McAlpine, Rudy Poeschek, Chris Pronger, Jamie Rivers, Ricard
Persson. G - Grant Fuhr, Jamie McLennan.
Injuries: Pierre Turgeon, c (broken hand 12/15, mid-to-late
January); Geoff Courtnall, lw (post-concussion syndrome 12/9,
day-to-day).
Transactions: Jan. 4 - Assigned Marty Reasoner, c, to Worcester
(AHL).
Game Results:
12/22 at NY Islanders T 3-3
12/23 at New Jersey L 4-2
12/26 Detroit W 4-3
12/28 at Detroit T 4-4
01/01 at Nashville W 6-5
01/02 NY Rangers L 1-0
01/04 Vancouver W 4-0
01/07 Chicago W 4-2
01/09 at Pittsburgh L 2-1
01/11 at Montreal L 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Tom Cooper
Blues Pay For Past Mistakes
The National Hockey League went medieval on the St. Louis Blues,
slapping the club with the largest penalty a team has ever been Zsa
Zsa Gabor-ed with -- for a crime committed four years ago.
On Jan. 4, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the league
would fine the Bluenotes $1.5 million and one or two first-round
draft picks for tampering with New Jersey Devils' captain Scott
Stevens before he became a free-agent on July 1, 1994.
"I view the Blues' conduct with respect to Mr. Stevens to be
abhorrent and deserving of the harshest sanctions," Bettman said.
"Violations of the no-tampering provisions directly undermine the
integrity of the league and the game."
St. Louis was fined the maximum $1 million for violation of NHL
By-Law 38, tampering with a player under contract with another
club. The team was fined only $500,000 for not disclosing the
contract with Stevens to the league, violating By-Law 15. The
$500,000 penalty was the maximum for the penalty when it was
committed in June 1994.
A violation of that By-Law is now a $5 million fine.
In addition to the monetary reparations, the Blues must also give a
first-round pick to New Jersey in one Entry Draft from 1999-2003,
with the Devils holding the right to take another first-round pick
in a different year within that same period if they so choose.
The violations occurred in 1994 when Jack Quinn was President/CEO and
Michael Shanahan was Chairman/Governor of the Blues.
Now, Chairman Jerry Ritter, President/CEO Mark Sauer and General
Manager Larry Pleau must pay for their predecessors' mistakes.
"I am appalled at the severity of the penalty imposed on the Blues,"
Ritter said at a Jan. 4 press conference. "The loss of a No. 1 draft
pick in one year and the switch in order of selection in another year
are tough medicine.
"But I'm more appalled at the legacy left to the Blues and their fans
by the management team led by Mike Shanahan and Jack Quinn. Of course,
Mark and I don't know the detail of how this violation came about, but
it's management's responsibility to make certain that events of this
nature are not allowed to occur on their watch."
Even though these harsh fines have been levied against his team, Ritter
is confident his club will overcome them.
"Now, the past is behind us. We have a strong, professional management
team which is committed to overcoming the challenges that these actions
present. Our continuing goal is to provide the hockey fans of St. Louis
with a competitive, winning, and exciting hockey team. And I know they
can deliver."
Fuhr Won't Play Into Next Millenium
On Jan. 7, the Blues were getting ready to play just another regular
game against division-rival Chicago.
Head coach Joel Quenneville said to his team that Jamie McLennan
would start between the pipes for the Blues, since he was on a
mini-hot streak and starting netminder Grant Fuhr was still nursing
a sore knee.
That's when the pieces started to fall into place for one of the most
shocking comments the Blues had heard all season.
"No, they didn't tell me Jamie was playing," Fuhr said following the
game when asked about McLennan's start. "I only work here. As long as
we're winning, that's all that matters. Jamie's been playing well, so
it doesn't surprise me.
"Besides, they need me to get somebody ready. They're going to have
to replace me after next season, anyway. One more year after this
one, and that's it."
The announcement of Fuhr's retirement after the 1999-2000 season was
a shock to Blues' head coach Joel Quenneville.
"It's news to me," Quenneville said. "I guess at this stage of his
career, he knows best."
Last season, Fuhr was in the final season of his contract with the
club when he signed a two-year deal for $3 million per year. During
those negotiations, neither Fuhr nor his agent displayed any signs
that this deal may be the 36-year-old netminder's last.
"What can I say?" Pleau said. "It's the first time I've ever heard
of it. "In my talks with Grant and his agent last year, when we did
his new contract, nobody indicated anything to me like that."
Fuhr's decision may have been fueled by injuries that have hampered
him over the last couple of seasons. His troubles started in the
1996 playoffs when he injured his knee in a first-round series with
Toronto. Since then, he has suffered a slue of injuries, but that
wasn't a concern to Pleau.
"He rebounds from injury so well. I haven't even thought about that.
He's been playing well this year."
Fuhr has called five cities home during his 18-year career, with
stops in Edmonton, Toronto, Buffalo, Los Angeles, and now St. Louis.
He is most-remembered for his 10-year stint in Edmonton when he was a
member of five Stanley Cup championship teams and won the Vezina
Trophy in 1988.
Note to Ownership: We Need Cash!
On Dec. 30, the partnership that owns both the St. Louis Blues and
the Kiel Center asked its ownership group for a $17.7 million cash
infusion and prepared to ask the investment banking firm of Goldman
Sachs to help discover ways to substantially decrease financial
losses of both the Blues and their home arena.
"Our contribution to the city of St. Louis and the entire area is
enormously positive, both directly and indirectly," Chairman Jerry
Ritter said. "But, we simply have large, ongoing losses that we
must address. Our goal is the long-term stability and success of
the Blues and Kiel Center."
The Blues are owned by Kiel Investors, L.P., a group of 19 St. Louis
companies that agreed to purchase the club from Harry Ornest in
1986. At that time, Ornest had threatened to move the team to
Hamilton, Ontario. In 1990, the companies comprising the alliance
agreed to build a $135 million state-of-the-art arena in St. Louis
that would bring prominent events to the city. The Kiel Center
hosts approximately 200 events per year, from National Hockey
League games, to NCAA basketball tournament, to a visit by Pope
John Paul II this month.
Since the construction of the arena, however, the Blues have
struggled to make ends meet. The Kiel Center was privately
financed, making it the only arena in the United States built with
private funds that doesn't share time with a tenant team from the
National Basketball Association. Because of this, Kiel Investors,
L.P. has incurred a $96 million debt on the arena.
"We privately financed Kiel Center as requested by the mayor of St.
Louis to keep the Blues secure in this community while replacing
two old, outdated facilities that were publicly financed - Kiel
Auditorium and the Arena on Oakland Avenue," Ritter said.
But what irks the Blues' ownership is the fact that the city,
county, and state all contributed to build the Trans World Dome for
the National Football League's Rams when they left Anaheim for St.
Louis in 1996. Kiel Investors, L.P. has also made financial
mistakes when it comes to the hockey side of the operation. From
large contract to paying departed players with deferred contracts,
the Blues themselves have struggle with understanding the financial
side of the game.
It is for these reasons and economic miscalculations that Kiel
Investors, L.P. is asking assistance from Goldman Sachs, a firm
that counseled the NFL on the purchase of the expansion Cleveland
Browns and lended a hand with television deals for the 1996 Atlanta
Olympics and the NFL.
During the inquiry, Ritter ensured the public that the examination
with have no impact on the day-to-day operations of the Blues.
Two Blues Go To Tampa...So Far
When the National Hockey League's 49th annual All-Star Game commences
Jan. 24 in Tampa, at least two of the players will have a Bluenote
sewed on their jerseys. (That is, if the NHL decides to put team
logos on the jerseys.)
St. Louis defenseman Al MacInnis was named a starter for the North
American All-Star on Jan. 7.
Joining him at the contest will be Czech-born left winger Pavol
Demitra playing for the World Team. It will be Demitra's first
All-Star appearance.
The game will be MacInnis's fifth career start and 10th appearance.
Chris Pronger is expected to be named to the North American roster
when reserves are announced later in the week.
Gill's Gone...Who's Next?
After the Blues waived defensemen Todd Gill, Gill said he told his
agent that he wanted to play for Detroit, the team that had
eliminated the Blues from the playoffs in the past three years.
His wish came true and, since then, he's been more than content with
his new home.
"It's a good feeling to be here," Gill told the Detroit Free Press. "I
put in a word to my agent that I'd like to go here."
So, Todd's happy with the efforts of the Blues' hockey player
relocation program.
Will there be any other Blues to leave St. Louis as the team tries
to get back the glory it had last season and make a run in the
playoffs?
Only time will tell, but rumors have left wing Jim Campbell being
shopped around to teams who need some help on the right flank. His
stock has dropped as the member of the 1997 NHL All-Rookie team has
struggled this season with only 11 points coming on two goals and
nine assists. But, of course only time (and money reserves) will
tell what Larry Pleau will decide to due before the Blues enter the
playoffs...if they make it seeing as they are six points away from
ninth-place in the Western Conference.
Maybe they need that help now?
================================================================
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
WESTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHWEST DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CALGARY FLAMES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Brian Sutter
Roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Clarke Wilm, Cory Stillman,Jeff Shantz,
Steve Dubinsky. LW - Bob Bassen, Ed Ward, Jason Wiemer, Dave
Roche, Hnat Domenichelli, Chris Dingman. RW - Valeri Bure, Theoren
Fleury, Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis. D - Tommy Albelin, Cale
Hulse, Derek Morris, Todd Simpson, Steve Smith, Phil Housley,
Dennis Gauthier. G - Ken Wregget, Tyler Moss, Jean-Sebastien
Giguere, Tyler Garner, Andrei Trefilov, Fred Brathwaite.
Injuries: Dave Roche, lw (injured knee Jan. 2, day-to-day); Andrei
Trefilov, g (groin strain Jan. 4, day-to- day); Jean-Sebastien
Giguere, g (strained hamstring Dec. 27, day-to-day); Cory Stillman,
c (knee strain Dec. 27, day-to-day); Tyler Moss, g (groin injury
Dec. 11, day-to-day); Ken Wregget, g (suffered back spasms Nov. 3,
indefinite).
Transactions: Acquired Andrei Trefilov, g, from Chicago for future
considerations Dec. 28; recalled Hnat Domenichelli, lw, from Saint
John (AHL) Jan 3; recalled Chris Dingman, lw, from Saint John Jan
3; signed Fred Brathwaite, g, to contract Jan. 7; sent Greg
Pankewicz, rw, to St. John Jan. 7; sent Rico Fata, rw, to London
(OHL) Jan 8.
Game Results:
12/22 Vancouver L 5-3
12/23 at Vancouver L 5-2
12/27 Colorado L 2-1
12/29 Philadelphia L 4-3 OT
12/31 Montreal L 2-1
01/02 at Buffalo L 7-1
01/04 at Boston L 5-1
01/05 at Pittsburgh L 5-1
01/08 Dallas W 1-0
01/10 Florida L 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Simon D. Lewis
Mercy Killing Indicated
If the Calgary Flames were horses you would feel compelled to shoot
them. Just look a little higher up the page and you will see a
record of 1-9 since Dec. 22 with a meager total of 15 goals scored
in those 10 games. Goals against total 37. What is utterly
incomprehensible is that they are still within reach of a playoff
spot. Read on as the quest for the silver lining commences.
Whither Theo?
With the Felix Potvin sweepstakes all wrapped up Theoren Fleury is
still without any idea where he'll play next. He's tied for 10th
in the Art Ross race. He's the heart and soul of the Flames. And,
he's an unrestricted free agent this summer. Right now it looks
like no one wants to trade for him because they know he wants to
test the free agent market at the end of the season. It may take
the March trading deadline to motivate a team that figures it is
only a player away from the Cup to pull the trigger on a deal.
Eight is Enough
Quickly, now! How many goalies have the Flames dressed this season.
That's right, eight. Six of them have started games. Cowtown is
rapidly becoming the Bermuda Triangle of NHL goaltenders. Over the
last few years it has been distressing for Flame fans to watch Trevor
Kidd, Andrei Trefilov, Jason Muzatti and Dwayne Roloson try to fill
Mike Vernon's skates. This year they thought they had a gamer in Ken
Wreggett. He played well to start the season, but fell victim to a
back strain.
This is where the Bermuda Triangle angle really kicks in. Since
Wreggett went down, so have Tyler Moss, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and
a retreaded Andrei Trefilov. The latest lamb to the slaughter is
Fred Brathwaite, who last played in the NHL on April 4, 1996, as an
Edmonton Oiler. Brathwaite, introduced as "Jeff" by the Saddledome
announcer, started against the Dallas Stars. Not only did he win
the game and help break an eight game losing skid, but he notched
his first career shutout in the process. The final score was 1-0.
For the trivia hounds out there, the other starter is Tyler Garner.
The two guys who dressed but didn't play are Igor Karpenko and Pavel
Nestak. Write down their names and win a bet some day.
Another point to ponder... the season isn't half over yet.
Arrivederci, Rico
Rico Fata, the 18-year-old rookie right winger, is heading back to
junior hockey after starring on Canada's silver medal World Junior
team. Flames management cited a need for Fata to develop his
skills a little more. Since he was only seeing about five minutes
of ice time per game in Calgary, it made sense to send him back to
the London Knights of the OHL. Flames director of player
personnel, Nick Polano, will be paying regular visits to Fata to
help him hone the skills he'll need to stick in the big leagues.
In the System
Along with Fata there are some other potential gems in the Calgary
Flames system. Perhaps the most brilliant is Daniel Tkachuk, who
the Flames took in the 1997 draft ahead of Sergei Samsonov, who
went to the Bruins. There's been some groaning that the Flames'
braintrust missed the boat on that selection. Tkachuk's first
training camp was a real downer. However, his stellar performance
as the scoring leader of the Canadian Junior team now has him
riding pretty high in everyone's estimation.
Hnat Domenichelli is already playing in St. John for the farm team
and has just been called up to Calgary to replace Fata. While he
has disappointed so far, the kid is still young and his upside far
outweighs his down.
There's a Russian defenceman who was Calgary's choice, 51st overall
in the 1997 draft, Dmitry Kokorev. He's 6-foot-3, 198 lbs., and
just turned 20. He hopes his play at the junior tourney gets him a
shot at next year's training camp.
"Next year I'll be out of the army, so if they invite me, I'll be
happy to go," said Kokorev.
Also, don't forget that their are a lot of guys on the Young Guns
who look to get better as they establish their careers. Jarome
Iginla, Derek Morris, Jason Wiemer and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are
all in their NHL infancies. Their future looks bright.
Aah! There it is, the silver lining. Too bad it's probably too
late to save coach Sutter's job.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
COLORADO AVALANCHE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Bob Hartley
Roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Stephane Yelle, Chris Drury.
LW - Valeri Kamensky, Rene Corbet, Milan Hejduk, Shean Donovan,
Warren Rychel. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Shjon Podein,
Jeff Odgers, Scott Parker. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre,
Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron Miller, Eric Messier,
Wade Belak, Greg deVries, Cam Russell. G - Patrick Roy, Craig
Billington, Marc Denis.
Injuries: Patrick Roy, g (back, day-to-day); Alexei Gusarov, d
(finger, any day now); Shjon Podein, rw (fractured leg,
mid-February); Jon Klemm, d (knee, mid-January); Warren Rychel, lw
(hand, indefinite).
Transactions: Assigned Mike Gaul, d, to Hershey (AHL); recalled Marc
Denis, g, from Hershey; assigned Serge Aubin, c, to Hershey;
assigned Christian Matte, rw, to Hershey; signed Sandis Ozolinsh,
d, who was a restricted free agent.
Game Results:
12/21 at Anaheim W 4-2
12/22 Anaheim L 1-0
12/26 Dallas L 4-2
12/27 at Calgary W 2-1
12/29 at Vancouver W 4-2
12/31 New York Rangers L 6-3
01/02 at Los Angeles L 4-2
01/04 Montreal W 4-3
01/06 Florida T 2-2
01/09 at Detroit L 3-2
01/10 at Chicago W 3-2 OT
TEAM NEWS by Greg D'Avis
The big news, of course, is that the Avalanche FINALLY signed
wayward defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, ending the rounds of
ego-beating between GM Pierre Lacroix and agent Paul Theofanous.
Hopefully, Ozo will provide a spark to the team's anemic offense
(he went +1 in his first game back, against Chicago), and help the
Avs widen their lead in the Northwest Division.
Which shouldn't be hard, inasmuch as they're pulling away while
playing .500 hockey. Yay, realignment!
With so many games lately, and so few of interest, we'll skip the
game-by-game recap and provide a few highlights...
* As Colorado blew a lead -- a frequent happening lately -- and lost
to the Stars, Patrick Roy left with back spasms, providing
goalie-of-the-future Marc Denis with his first significant pro
experience.
The verdict? Good but young. Denis has been solid, making some
excellent saves, but has shown an alarming propensity to let in
goals at bad times -- giving up two for a late tie against Florida,
giving up two for a late loss to Detroit.
* The injury bug kept up, but at least it was abating. In addition
to Roy, Joe Sakic went down for a while (but came back strong).
Plus, the defense is about to be -- imagine this -- overstocked, a
bizarre happening after the depleted ranks of early season.
Ozolinsh is back, Eric Messier is back (he was out for three GAMES,
not three MONTHS like I said last time), Jon Klemm and Alexei
Gusarov are about to come back -- and all of this will leave the
Avs with 10 healthy defensemen.
* Chris Drury continues to make a strong case for the Calder Trophy
- he's second (behind Vancouver's Bill Muckalt) in the rookie
scoring race, and does it all, with scoring, physical play, power
play, penalty killing, and the occasional fight. His high-energy
style has made him a fan favorite around Denver.
Quieter, but also effective, Milan Hejduk also has been keeping up
strong rookie play, including a taste for getting his nose dirty that you
wouldn't expect from the small, speedy Czech.
* Peter Forsberg was named a starter for the NHL World All-Star
Team. Yay, Peter!
REPORT CARD
JOE SAKIC -- A. Still the heart and soul of the team.
PETER FORSBERG -- A+. He can't not get an A.
STEPHANE YELLE -- C. One of the players who gives his all every
night, but his defensive play has had its down times this season
and there's not much offensive upside. Needs to use his speed
better.
CHRIS DRURY -- A. See above. Nicest unexpected surprise of the year.
VALERI KAMENSKY -- D. Streaky, and often obviously not putting any
effort in. A poor year from your humble correspondent's favorite
player. Probably will be in New York or Anaheim or Vancouver by the
trading deadline.
RENE CORBET -- B. More scoring expected, but he's a joy to watch and
does everything, all the time.
MILAN HEJDUK -- B+. See above. Second-nicest unexpected surprise of
the year. Exciting to watch.
SHEAN DONOVAN -- D. Usually forget he's still on the team.
WARREN RYCHEL -- D. Lots of heart. Also lots of dumb penalties, lots
of feet in the crease, lots of lost fights.
CLAUDE LEMIEUX -- B+. With trade rumors swirling, Pepe has led the
team in goals, subbed as point on the power play, etc.
ADAM DEADMARSH -- C+. Inconsistent as ever, but you know, it took
Brendan Shanahan and Cam Neely and other similar players an equal
amount of time to find their footing. Probably will turn out to be
worth the wait, and he has a knack for scoring key goals.
JEFF ODGERS -- C. Absolutely fearless and willing to stand up at any
time. And, hey, I saw him put a deke on someone a couple weeks ago!
SCOTT PARKER -- B. Already becoming a feared fighter -- pounded the
unpoundable Donald Brashear a few weeks ago, held his own against
Tony Twist. If he finds the scoring touch he's rumored to have, look
out.
SYLVAIN LEFEBVRE -- Steady, when you don't notice him he's at his
best.
ADAM FOOTE -- B-. Always a good defenseman, but not as mean as in
past years.
AARON MILLER -- A. Yes, his plus/minus is lousy, but he was playing
every minute at a time when the Avalanche couldn't buy a win. Has
been the center of the defense this year because of the injuries, and
stepped up to the plate.
ERIC MESSIER -- B. Bunches of injuries, but he's got good offensive
skills without neglecting the defense, and hasn't shied away from
physical contact this year.
WADE BELAK -- C. Establishing himself as a bona fide NHLer. Always
willing to fight, still prone to defensive lapses.
GREG deVRIES -- B. I laughed (with tears in my eyes) when they got
him from Nashville, but he deserves better. Has done everything
asked of him, logged lots of ice time, played in all situations.
And he has the same name as me, and I'm sorry I didn't show more
faith.
CAM RUSSELL -- C+. I made the same disparaging comments as I did on
deVries, and they were equally undeserved. Steady defenseman,
tough, willing to fight. He needs to grow the beard he had with
Chicago back, though, geez...
PATRICK ROY -- B. Shaky in the early season, caught fire later. As
Patty goes, so go the Avs.
CRAIG BILLINGTON -- C. Inconsistent as a backup, and when Patrick
went down, Marc Denis got more time.
INCOMPLETES -- Shjon Podein, Sandis Ozolinsh, Alexei Gusarov, Jon
Klemm, Marc Denis, Dan Smith, Jeff Buchanan, Ted Crowley, Mike
Gaul, Serge Aubin, Christian Matte, Brian White. But we love `em
all!
DEARLY DEPARTED -- Keith Jones, Roman Vopat, Eric Lacroix.
COACH BOB HARTLEY -- A-. Stepped into a difficult situation, held
the team together during injuries, given young guys a chance (with
good results), angered few.
GM PIERRE LACROIX -- C. Up from a D only because he signed Ozolinsh.
Showed savvy in keeping defense stocked with Russell and deVries, and
made a tough but good choice in sending son Eric away to keep the
locker room sane. But the Jones/Podein trade was lopsided, and his
hard line with Ozolinsh hurt the team.
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EDMONTON OILERS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Low
Roster: C - Doug Weight Todd Marchant, Rem Murray, Boyd Devereux,
Josef Beranek, Jim Dowd LW - Dean McAmmond, Mats Lindgren, Ryan
Smyth, Bill Huard. RW - Bill Guerin, Mike Grier, Andrei Kovalenko,
Pat Falloon, Georges Laraque. D - Sean Brown, Roman Hamrlik, Boris
Mironov, Frank Musil, Janne Niinimaa, Tom Poti, Todd Reirden, Marty
McSorley. G - Bob Essensa, Mikhail Shtalenkov.
Injuries: Doug Weight, c (injured knee, three more weeks (like the
All-Star Break)); Bill Huard, lw knee injury, indefinite); Jim Dowd,
c (pinched nerve, day-to-day); Kelly Buchberger, lw (broken arm, six
weeks); Roman Hamrlik, d (broken foot and concussion, three weeks).
Transactions: Sent Craig Millar, d, and Fredrick Lindquist, f, to
Hamilton (AHL); recalled Georges Laraque, rw, Todd Reirden, d, and
Jim Dowd, c, from Hamilton.
Game Results:
12/23 San Jose L 5-3
12/27 Vancouver W 3-0
12/29 Montreal L 5-2
01/03 Philadelphia T 3-3
01/05 Los Angeles L 4-3 OT
01/07 Phoenix W 7-1
01/09 at Los Angeles T 1-1
01/10 at Anaheim L 6-4
TEAM NEWS by Aubrey Chau
The Oilers had a six-game home stand which had teams ready to hand
their two points over to the them like the sad San Jose Sharks, the
laughable Vancouver Canucks, the pathetic Montreal Canadiens and
the not- so-royal Los Angeles Kings. These sub-.500 teams should
have been pure fodder for the Oilers.
Unfortunately they weren't.
Out of those four games, they only came out with two points. Of
course against the bigger and better teams, the Oilers showed a
little more spunk. They whupped the Phoenix Coyotes, and stormed
back to steal a point away from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Sure the Coyotes had good `ol Jimmy Waite in net, but anytime you
score seven goals in game, you can't complain.
And it was a real nice comeback for the Oil against the Flyers. Ten
minutes left in the game, and the Oilers behind 3-1, Roman Hamrlik
buried a nice shot from the point. Just over a minute later, Boyd
Devereux sniped one past John Vanbiesbrouck to tie the game.
The Flyers were without both Eric Lindros and Mikail Renberg, so the
Oilers weren't really over their heads. They just played crappy
during the first two periods and had to play catch-up during the
third.
An example was Eric Desjardins' goal, which he scored when Dean
McAmmond literally gave him the puck. McAmmond made coach Ron Low's
doghouse for that, but the whole team was playing poorly.
At this point the Oilers are sorely missing Doug Weight, who is the
Oilers' offensive catalyst. A team can only survive without their
top scorer for so long.
Losses to San Jose and Montreal were inexcusable. Especially
against the Sharks, where the Oilers just didn't seem in it, maybe
they were too distracted and were thinking about what Santa may
have brought them.
But Christmas is over and the Oilers are fresh off a 6-4 loss to the
Anaheim Mighty Ducks. The worst part is that the Oilers had a 3-1
lead during the first period. They gave three 5-on-3 power-play
chances to the Ducks, the top power-play team at home.
When you do that you're asking for a loss. They've got to get their
heads together and play smarter and harder.
Pleasant Surprise
The pleasant surprise lately has been the call-up of man-monster
Georges Laraque. He has shown us that he can play with the big
boys. And fight with them too, which is a problem the Oilers have
had since about '92.
Too often it's captain Kelly Buchberger, who to jumpstart the team
got his ass kicked by Donald Brashear. No more. In the past it's
been fighters who either can't fight, or can't play.
Remember Louie Debrusk? Couldn't, or, more accurately, wouldn't
fight. Actually he couldn't really play either. How about Dennis
Bonvie, small, feisty guy and very ready to fight. But couldn't
play or skate worth a lick.
You have the bridge number one
With Buchy out with a broken arm, the Oilers needed someone to
assume the captaincy. Without a doubt, were Doug Weight not
injured, he would have been presented with the honor. But since
he's down until the all-star break, Bill Guerin got the big "C."
Sure he'll be without any letter once Buchy and Weight return, but
it's still not a bad gig. The only other option would have been
alternate captain Boris Mironov. And getting the open position of
assistant captain was Mike Grier, who has played well this season.
Rumours
Now that hell has frozen over and the Toronto Maple Leafs have
finally traded Felix Potvin, the Oilers might be in the race for
another goalie. With Felix Potvin, Tommy Salo and Robert Luongo on
the Island, look for New York Islanders GM Mike Milbury to be
pitching the now-expendable Salo.
Rumour has that Salo and Milbury aren't the best of pals, Salo would
love to get out of the Island. Apparently Milbury is asking for Ryan
Smyth in return.
This deal isn't out of the question. The only thing other than
pride that kept GM Glen Sather from seriously bidding on Potvin was
the fact that the Cat makes $2.7 million clams a year.
Salo is more in Sather's price range at just over $1 million. And
with Shtalenkov and Essensa playing less than spectacular, look for
Sather to do something to improve the Oilers' weakest position.
Say goodbye
Look for Boris Mironov to be getting a huge raise this summer when
he's a restricted free agent. Mironov, who's been a little
inconsistent, but overall the Oilers best defenceman can ask for
around $3 million a year. Right now he makes a measly $1.2 million
(yeah, I know I'd kill for that kind of cash too) which is under
the league average.
Vladimir Malakov makes $2.5 million a year in Montreal and Bo is way
better than that. He usually plays around 27 minutes a game and is
top 10 in scoring among defenceman and has a respectable plus-minus
of +13.
Other players who can flee for greener pa$ture$ include Bill Guerin
and Roman Hamrlik. Doug Weight is also an unrestricted free agent,
but his long injury may be the best thing to happen to the Oilers
since it hurts him on the bargaining table. Look for Weight to
file for arbitration.
Ok, here it is, I know you've been waiting for it.the first half
report card for the Oilers!
Player Grade The Deal
Boris Mironov B+ He's tied for 3rd in scoring for d-men,
plays 27 minutes a game
Tom Poti B Started off weak, but has shown a lot of
poise for a rookie
Frank Musil C Reliable 6th d-man and doesn't complain
when he has to watch
Bill Guerin A 18 goals and wearing the C, if anything,
he tries too hard
Pat Falloon B- On pace to score 20 goals. Not a bad free
agent pick-up
Mats Lindgren D+ 2 goals? I remember when they called him
the next Sundin
Kelly Buchberger B- Plays hard but has no hands, the captain
must give more
Rem Murray B Can give us 20 goals, plays almost any
position.
Boyd Devereux C Playing ok, but has to start producing
points soon.
Joe Beranek A Exceeded expectations, he's second in team
scoring.
Roman Hamrlik B- Oilers' steadiest d-man and tutoring
partner Tom Poti.
Sean Brown C+ He delivers tough, solid defence. He's
part of the future.
Mike Grier B He's playing tough and scoring a bit. Has
joined PK unit.
Todd Marchant C With the chances he gets, he should be a
35-goal man.
Georges Laraque B+ Can't knock him off the puck, or he'll kick
your ass!
Bill Huard D Can't get into lineup, and when he does, he
gets injured.
Bob Essensa C- Less than steady presence between the pipes.
Marty McSorley D- Bad pickup; makes mistakes veterans
shouldn't.
Mikail Shtalenkov C+ Not much better than Essensa. A little
steadier.
Dean McAmmond D So many giveaways. Stop the bonehead plays,
start scoring.
Doug Weight A When he played, he did no wrong. Hasn't
played in months.
Janne Niinimaa D Too mistake prone. What's Dan McGillis'
phone number?
Andrei Kovalenko B+ Like the Russian tank of old. He's playing
like he care$.
Ryan Smyth D- Always poor defensively. Now poor
offensively too.
Todd Reirden B- Has only played a few games, but looks
decent.
Fred Lindquist D Can't score at NHL level yet, he needs time.
Craig Millar C Played solid when he was here.
Kevin Brown B- Pleasant surprise (4 goals, 12 games), `til
he got injured.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mike Keenan
ROSTER: C - Mark Messier, Peter Zezel, Dave Scatchard, Harry York,
Matt Cooke. LW - Todd Bertuzzi, Brad May, Markus Naslund, Donald
Brashear, Bert Robertsson, Chris McAllister. RW - Alexander
Mogilny, Bill Muckalt, Trent Klatt, Steve Staios. D - Adrian
Aucoin, Murray Baron, Bret Hedican, Jamie Huscroft, Bryan McCabe,
Dana Murzyn, Mattias Ohlund, Jason Strudwick. G - Garth Snow, Corey
Hirsch.
INJURIES: Todd Bertuzzi, lw (broken tibia, day-to-day).
TRANSACTIONS: Nothing. Nil. No Pavel Bure trade. Suprised? Didn't
think so!
GAME RESULTS:
12/22 at Calgary W 5-3
12/23 Calgary W 5-2
12/26 at San Jose L 2-0
12/27 at Edmonton L 3-0
12/29 Colorado L 4-2
12/31 Philidelphia L 6-2
01/02 Montreal L 2-1
01/04 at St. Louis L 4-0
01/07 at Dallas L 6-2
01/08 Florida T 1-1
01/10 Dallas W 2-0
TEAM NEWS by Jeff Dubois
In the dog-eat-dog world of sports correspondence, many reporters
shy away from hard hitting pieces out of fear that players will
rebel by no longer granting interviews. But here at LCS Hockey,
where we can't get within 15 feet of the players without violating
long-standing restraining orders, we are never granted interviews
anyway so we can pretty much say whatever we want to.
That said, I'd like to take this opportunity at the season's halfway
point to do two things. The first is to thank Dave Bell-Irving, who
seems to be the only person excited by this column enough to send
e-mail (and some disturbing photos). The second is give each Canuck a
grade based on performance, general attractiveness and jersey
cleanliness. Here goes...
Forwards
Markus Naslund: A. Tied for fourth in the league for goal scoring
as of press time. Not bad for a guy who started the season below
Bert Robertsson on the depth chart. Pavel who?
Mark Messier: B+. Proving that he can still be a first-line centre
at his current point-a -game pace (sorry I ever doubted you, big
guy !).
Bill Muckalt: A-. Leading all rookies in goals and points. Good
speed, consistent and he even hits. If only LCS Hockey could put in
a Calder Trophy vote.
Alex Mogilny: B+. Has been consistently good when healthy. Looks
good with Messier but he should give the white skates back to
Kristi Yamaguchi.
Dave Scatchard: B. Solid and always physical. With luck will hit 20
goals.
Brad May, Peter Zezel, Trent Klatt: C. How about a few goals guys.
I'm not expecting an offensive dynamo, but these three veterans sure
didn't pick it up with Mogilny and Bertuzzi out.
Donald Brashear: C+. Somebody must have told Donald that he's a
scorer. He's got nothing to prove as a fighter but that doesn't
mean he has to stop.
Steve Staios, Todd Bertuzzi, Matt Cooke, Bert Robertsson and Chris
McAllister all receive my heartiest congratulations for not doing
anything that deserves criticism. In Bertuzzi's case it's because
he's only played 10 games. A pat on the back to Harry York, who's
been effective so far, and who looks better after the hair cut.
Defence
Mattias Ohlund: B. Has been great at times and average at others.
Logs close to 25 minutes a night, so we can't blame him for the
occasional mental lapse in his second season. Needs to get the shot
off more.
Adrian Aucoin: B+. Has stepped in much like Naslund as a surprise
contributor. His 11 goals and solid defensive play has earned him a
spot as Keenan's fourth d-man.
Bryan McCabe: B. Solid since signing in mid-November. Occasionally
an offensive threat but needs to tighten up his own zone
coverage. Still young with great prospects.
Bret Hedican: B-. Engaged to Kristi Yamaguchi! Should be a 40-50
point guy but the offence only shows glimmers of coming around.
Never a liability though.
Murray Baron: C+. Slow and steady wins the race. I sure hope so if
a million more could have landed Dmitri Mironov. An upgrade from
Murzyn and Huscroft, but won't be confused with Jyrki Lumme any
time soon.
Jason Strudwick: C+. Nothing special but doesn't hurt as a sixth
defenceman. Any guy whose name rhymes with Studwick can't be that
bad.
Jamie Huscroft and Dana Murzyn: Tough, big. If you don't have
anything nice to say...
Goalies
Garth Snow: B+. Beginning to show some wear but stole us some early
on. Shares Team MVP honours with Naslund, and has saved Burke the
embarrassment of stalling for months finding a goalie.
Corey Hirsch: B-. Has been capable as a back-up and recorded a
recent shut-out versus Dallas. Doesn't let in many soft ones and
that's what you asked from your second-string.
I'm not even going to bother grading management, as anyone who has
read this column before knows how much I love Brian Burke (like wet
mittens!) while Keenan has done an admirable job of keeping
together a group who could be much worse. Will be helped by
Bertuzzi/Mogilny's return and who knows...maybe Pavel will actually
be traded some time soon! Speaking of which, rumours are that
Florida's a possible destination (Jovanoski, Dvorak and ?). I'd
take a bag of pucks and a friendly note to end this soap opera (and
that's why I'm not a GM). The lack of actual team information this
issue is a result of the Canucks' incredible achievement in the
field of sucking recently.
There will hopefully be some happy news by the 27th, or else I'll be
forced to submit this report again. Happy New Year to LCS Hockey
readers everywhere, especially my history teacher, Wayne Axford.
(Editor's note: I would also like to give a shout out to Mr.
Axford. Anyone who can put up with our little Ace
Reporter-in-training has to be a good guy.)
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=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC DIVISION
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ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
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Head Coach: Craig Hartsburg
ROSTER: C - Matt Cullen, Travis Green, Josef Marha, Steve Rucchin,
Marty McInnis. LW - Johan Davidsson, Ted Drury, Stu Grimson, Paul
Kariya, Jim McKenzie. RW - Antti Aalto, Jeff Nielsen, Tomas
Sandstrom, Teemu Selanne. D - Kevin Haller, Jason Marshall, Frederik
Olausson, Jamie Pushor, Ruslan Salei, Pascal Trepanier, Pavel Trnka.
G - Guy Hebert, Dominic Roussel.
INJURIES: Johan Davidsson, c (sprained right ankle 1/01,
day-to-day), has missed five games; Jamie Pushor, d (left corneal
abrasion 1/06, day-to-day), has missed three games.
TRANSACTIONS: 1/4 - assigned Dan Trebil, d, to Cincinnati (AHL);
1/01 - recalled Dan Trebil from Cincinnati and assigned Mike
Crowley, d, to Cincinnati.
GAME RESULTS:
12/28 at Ottawa T 2-2
12/30 at Toronto L 4-1
01/01 at Buffalo W 7-2
01/02 at Boston L 2-1
01/04 at Nashville L 2-1
01/06 Buffalo L 3-2 OT
01/08 Phoenix W 4-1
01/10 Edmonton W 6-4
TEAM NEWS by Alex Carswell
DR. JEKYLL...
Though they started their recent road swing by toppling the mighty
Patrick Roy in Colorado, and registered a "fluke" (according to
coach Craig Hartsburg) seven-goal barrage on Dominik Hasek halfway
through, the rest of the six-game tour was almost entirely
forgettable. The Ducks gave up a late goal to tie at Ottawa, got
worked by Cujo in their final visit to Maple Leaf Gardens, and made
both Byron Dafoe and Nashville rookie goalie Tomas Vokoun look
formidable in back-to-back 2-1 losses.
Why should it be any different for a squad that has gone 5-11-4, and
thus far failed to prove it can win consistently, on the road this
season?
AND MR. HOME
At home, however, it's the same old different story: This team can
play. Buffalo avenged its New Year's drubbing, 3-2, on the strength
of Hasek's play, but the Ducks took it to the Sabres for much of
the first game back on their Pond. Then they smoked the Coyotes and
Oilers to open a season-long seven-game home stand.
The Coyotes game was notable for Paul Kariya snapping out of a
career-long 10-game goal scoring drought. Ironic that during much
of the dubious streak -- including the night he ended it -- the
once-and-future sniper still stood atop the NHL scoring list. But
back in form, he potted two against the desert dogs, then followed
that up with a goal and three helpers in a freaky game against
Edmonton.
To wit: Hartsburg seemed ready to pay for his unwise decision to
start Dominic Roussel in consecutive games when the Oilers chased
him after netting three goals midway through the first period. But
then, with 23 seconds left in the stanza, Edmonton defender Tom
Poti artfully deflected a Kariya pass into his own net to cut the
margin to 3-2. Then, a minute into the second, Ryan Smyth scored a
goal that would have -- should have -- made the score 4-2, except
that the video goal judge remarkably ruled that something other
than the puck must have made the back of the net twitch. Less than
a minute later, Travis Green lit the lamp to knot the issue at
three. Then Anaheim scored the second of their three -- yes, three
-- goals with a two-man advantage, the third of which came minutes
later after Mikhail Shtalenkov, in a less-than-smashing return to
The Pond, was called for delay of game when he rifled the puck over
the glass.
The problem was, Matt Cullen actually deflected Shtalenkov's
clearing attempt into the crowd. But no matter: On this night,
Anaheim had its way with the puck and the officials, and Shtalenkov
himself was chased from the game after surrendering the fifth goal.
CHEMISTRY LESSON
What does it all mean? Good question, squire. For his part,
Hartsburg was spinning positive as the Ducks returned from their
bumbling roadie, saying that this was all part of a maturation
process; that the team was still learning how to win. Which is
fine, except they better learn how to win on the road pretty soon
or they could find themselves -- despite sitting third in the
Pacific -- falling out of the playoff picture. In the parity party
that is the NHL, it's never too early to worry about the five-game
losing streak that could drop you from sixth to 11th in the
conference.
Though he's looked a little sluggish in his first few games back
from recuperation after wrist surgery, Tomas Sandstrom has
re-inserted himself into the Anaheim mix. If he can capture his
rejuvenated early-season form, it would go a long way toward
solving the eternal problem of finding a second line (with C Green
and LW Marty McInnis) that can put numbers on the board and take
pressure off the big boys.
Johan Davidsson's absence, with a sprained right knee, coincided
with the road losing streak and is definitely felt. His quiet
two-way play has been a steadying, if unspectacular, influence on
the Anaheim undercard. Stepping up, however, has been Cullen, whose
energetic play has stood out as a positive even though he's often
snakebit around the net.
Jason Marshall, the team's blue line leader, has returned from his
left-hamstring injury, although he's clearly not yet 100%.
COMING UP
Visits from Dallas, Pittsburgh and New Jersey will test the Ducks on
this Home stand before they head back to rival Phoenix's stomping
ground. Then the All-Star break, during which Selanne and Kariya will
star as starters on opposite teams, and a return to action with a
(second) home-and-home on consecutive nights against Colorado. Those
six games could be the difference between using the second half as a
launching pad toward the postseason, or just a long drawn-out
learning experience.
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DALLAS STARS
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Head coach: Ken Hitchcock
Roster: C-Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Tony Hrkac,
Brian Skrudland. LW- Jamie Langenbrunner, Jason Botterill, Dave
Reid, Brent Severyn, Jere Lehtinen, Dan Keczmer, Jamie Wright. RW-
Brett Hull, Mike Keane, Grant Marshall, Pat Verbeek. D-Derian
Hatcher, Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Shawn Chambers, Richard
Matvichuk, Sergei Zubov, Sergei Gusev. G-Ed Belfour, Roman Turek.
Injuries: Brent Severyn, lw (returned Jan. 5 after missing 15 games
with a lower back strain); Brian Skrudland, c (fractured finger
Jan. 1, day-to-day); Jamie Langenbrunner, lw (shoulder injury Jan.
6, day-to-day); Joe Nieuwendyk, c (achy knees, could miss two or
three more games).
Transactions: Reassigned Frederic Bouchard, d, from Michigan (IHL)
to Dayton (ECHL); Recalled Jamie Wright, lw, from Michigan; Sent
Kelly Fairchild, f, and Brad Lukowich, d, to Michigan.
Game Results:
12/23 at Toronto W 5-1
12/26 at Colorado W 4-2
12/28 Nashville W 1-0
12/31 Boston W 6-1
01/02 at Phoenix W 2-1
01/06 Vancouver W 6-4
01/08 at Calgary L 2-0
01/10 at Vancouver L 2-0
01/12 at Edmonton T 2-2
Team News by Jim Iovino
Let's all slow down a little bit... We've just finished up a big
holiday season. We've eaten lots of fattening foods. We've kissed
lots of repulsive in-laws. We've kissed lots of people who weren't
our in-laws...and we've served a lot of time for doing so.
With all of that, who needs a really long, in-depth Dallas Stars
report? "Not me", you say? Good. Because you ain't gettin' one.
The biggest news at the moment is about a slump. That's right, the
Stars are winless in three straight games. They were shut out in
back-to-back games by the Flames and Canucks - not two of the best
defensive teams in hockey...
The Flames game really hurt. The game marked the return of Fred
Brathwaite to the NHL. Yes, that's right, Freddie Brathwaite. He
occasionally played goal in the bigs for the Oilers several years
ago. Most recently, however, Brathwaite toiled between the pipes
for the Canadian National Team. That is until the Flames came
a-callin'. Calgary has gone through more goalies this season than
Michael Dell goes through gallons of soy milk.
The Stars should have buried Brathwaite early, but instead
Brathwaite got the best of the Stars. Thanks to a solid defense in
front of him, Freddie stoned the Stars for a 1-0 shutout win. Not
good if you're a Stars fan...
The next game was equally painful as the Stars were blanked again -
this time by the Canucks, whose defense resembles an aged Lacy
Swiss on a good day.
So how did the Stars rebound? By jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the
first period against the arch-nemesis Oilers. Unfortunately, the
Oilers were able to tie the game in the final seconds on a goal by
Ryan Smyth with Bob Essensa pulled at the other end.
Three games without a win makes head coach Ken Hitchcock an unhappy
camper...
Zubov to Star
Sergei Zubov will replace Uwe Krupp in the starting lineup for the
World Team in the All-Star Game. Krupp is rumored to have a bad
back, but in actuality I think he's just too embarrassed to show up
because of the poor first half he's put in this year after
backstabbing his former team, the Avalanche, in order to sign on
with the hated Red Wings.
No word yet on if Derian Hatcher will replace The Rock in the
rematch against Mankind for the WWF Championship...
Other Stuff
Where are my pants?
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LOS ANGELES KINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Larry Robinson
Roster: C - Jozef Stumpel, Olli Jokinen, Ian Laperriere, Ray
Ferraro, Yanic Perreault. LW - Eric Lacroix, Steve McKenna,
Vladimir Tsyplakov, Luc Robitaille, Craig Johnson, Josh Green.
RW - Russ Courtnall, Nathan LaFayette, Glen Murray, Sandy Moger,
Daniel Audette, Pavel Rosa. D - Garry Galley, Rob Blake, Sean
O'Donnell, Doug Bodger, Mattias Norstrom, Steve Duchesne, Philippe
Boucher. G - Stephane Fiset, Jamie Storr, Manny Legace.
Injuries: you got me, chief...
Transactions: beats the hell out of me...
Game Results
12/26 Phoenix L 2-1
12/28 at Phoenix W 4-2
12/30 San Jose W 5-1
01/02 Colorado W 4-2
01/05 at Edmonton W 4-3 OT
01/07 Buffalo W 4-2
01/09 Edmonton T 1-1
01/11 at San Jose L 4-0
Team News by Michael Dell
I'm afraid that it looks like Bil Keane, our arch-enemy and the evil genius
behind the hilariously funny "Family Circus" comic strip, has kidnapped
our regular Los Angeles Kings correspondent, Matt Moore.
You think you're real funny, don't you, Keane? Yeah, you're a real funny guy.
Well listen up, punk. Get used to looking over your shoulder. Sooner or later
I'll be there. Don't expect to see much after that.
Until we are able to liberate Moore from Keane's diabolical clutches, I will
fill in as only I can. That's right. With Haiku.
Rob Blake is the man,
Lucky Luc got five hundred,
Have you seen my pants?
Thank you. And remember, my book of Haikus, entitled "Haikus? I Got Your Haikus Right Here!", is available at better bookstores everywhere.
And oh yeah, before I go, one final note. Hey, Keane... how's your grandson
Tommy doin' these days? What? You haven't heard from him? I wonder why?
Who's laughin' now, Keane! Who's laughin' now!
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PHOENIX COYOTES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld
Roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Bob Corkum, Mike Stapleton, Juha Ylonen,
Daniel Briere, Trevor Letowski. LW - Keith Tkachuk, Greg Adams, Jim
Cummins, Mike Sullivan, Louie DeBrusk. RW - Rick Tocchet, Dallas
Drake, Brad Isbister, Shane Doan, Steve Leach. D - Keith Carney,
Gerald Diduck, Jyrki Lumme, Teppo Numminen, Oleg Tverdovsky, Deron
Quint. G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Jimmy Waite.
Injuries: 12/28 - Jeremy Roenick, c (concussion, one week); 12/28 -
Keith Tkachuk, lw (broken rib, indefinite); 1/08 - Dallas Drake, rw
(ankle, day-to-day).
Transactions: 12/29 - NHL suspends Dallas Drake, rw, for four games
for boarding Doug Bodger, d, of the LA Kings; 12/29 - recalled
Louie DeBrusk, lw, from Las Vegas (IHL) and Steve Leach, rw, from
Springfield (AHL); 12/31 - recalled Trevor Letowski, c, from
Springfield.
GAME RESULTS
12/22 at Detroit W 6-2
12/23 at Chicago L 4-3
12/26 at Los Angeles W 2-1
12/28 Los Angeles L 4-2
12/30 NY Rangers W 3-1
01/01 Dallas L 2-1
01/05 Florida T 2-2
01/07 Edmonton L 7-1
01/08 at Anaheim L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Bob Chebat
All has not been well for the Phoenix Coyotes since the beginning of
the new year. Since losing their top line against the LA Kings on the
Dec. 28, the Coyotes have been able to muster up only one win, have
been blown out twice on back-to-back nights, and have gone seven
straight games without a power-play goal.
Left winger Keith Tkachuk was only back in the lineup for one period
when he suffered a broken rib against the Kings. Later that evening,
Doug Bodger took center Jeremy Roenick out of the lineup in what many
claim to be a clean hit, but my biased view saw an elbow go to the
head help the situation. Roenick went on to miss the next two games.
A few moments later, Dallas Drake charged Bodger from behind and was
suspended four games as a result. Just like that, the Coyotes lost
their number one line.
Tkachuk was leading the Coyotes in goals upon exiting with 17, and
Phoenix is missing his presence in front of the opposing net. The
Coyotes are a collective 2-6-1 without their captain in the lineup.
Jeremy Roenick is the leading scorer overall, and made his presence
felt to the Florida Panthers in his first game back with a goal and
a fight with Ed Jovonovski, but missing the captain is something
the Coyotes have not been able to adjust to on a nightly basis.
In other news, Roenick, one of the assistant captains on the team,
has not liked the effort he is seeing from teammate Oleg Tverdovsky
at practice. The Arizona Republic reported that the two came to
blows a few times at one of the practices after the tie with
Florida. Tverdovsky joined the franchise when they were still in
Winnipeg as part of the Teemu Selanne trade. He has been less than
spectacular as a member of the Coyotes, and thanks to some
derogatory comments he made before the playoffs a few years back,
is booed every time he touches the puck in Anaheim.
When the Coyotes were in the midst of their 14-game undefeated
streak, they did it by limiting their opponents scoring chances and
by holding them to two goals or less for a stretch of 17 games. One
problem the team had throughout that same stretch was scoring
goals. Only three times this season have the Coyotes scored more
than four goals, two of those games were against the Colorado
Avalanche and once against the Red Wings. Aside from that, their
games have all been close, and they have had difficulty putting
their opponents away. If this team wants to make a legitimate run
in the playoffs, veterans like Rick Tocchet and Greg Adams -- along
with youngsters Daniel Briere, Shane Doan and Brad Isbister -- are
going to have to start helping out Jeremy Roenick and Keith Tkachuk
put the puck in the net. Otherwise, it will be another first round
exit. Briere has been a disappointment in the goal production
category so far.
On the bright side, Juha Ylonen, another youngster now in his second
year with Phoenix, has developed into one of the best utility players
on the team. He does a great job of killing penalties, digs in the
corners and creates scoring chances for his teammates. Ylonen has
four goals this season, quadrupling his total from the 1997-98
campaign.
Hope you all had a great holiday, and for game-by-game updates,
please visit my Unofficial Coyotes Web Site at
http://bizbud.com/coyotes.
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SAN JOSE SHARKS
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Head Coach: Darryl Sutter
roster: C - Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Mike Ricci, Tony Granato,
Ron Sutter. LW - Murray Craven, Stephane Matteau, Dave Lowry, Jeff
Friesen. RW - Ron Stern, Owen Nolan, Joe Murphy, Brantt Myhres,
Alexander Korolyuk. D - Bryan Marchment, Bill Houlder, Marcus
Ragnarsson, Mike Rathje, Andrei Zyuzin, Bob Rouse, Jeff Norton,
Andy Sutton. G - Mike Vernon, Steve Shields.
injuries: Gary Suter, d (tricep, rest of season); Murray Craven, lw
(back, IR); Stephane Matteau, lw (back, day-to-day), Bryan
Marchment, d (shoulder separation, six weeks).
transactions: Recalled Andy Sutton, d and Andrei Zyuzin, d from
Kentucky (AHL).
game results:
12/26 Vancouver W 2-0
12/28 Philadelphia T 1-1
12/30 at Los Angeles L 3-1
01/02 at NY Islanders W 4-3
01/04 at NY Rangers L 4-3
01/05 at New Jersey T 3-3
01/07 at Nashville W 4-3
01/09 Buffalo T 2-2
01/11 Los Angeles W 4-0
team news by Al Swanson
Invasion of the Body Snatchers...
OK, who is this team and what did you do to the real Sharks? It's a
question fans, coaches, and most of all, opposing teams are asking
right now. Where are the Sharks of October and November? It seems
that after a two-month warmup, the Sharks are ready. Ready for
what? The playoffs.
Two months ago, all SJ fans were lamenting the lame beginning of yet
another season of poor hockey. The Sharks annual October curse took
hold and held on till mid November. The Sharks went 1-6-2 in October
and 4-5-3 in November for a total of five wins in 21 contests. The
team that looked so good on paper looked like junk on the ice. For
the first time, calls began to come for Sutter's head. Sutter had
never before come into question as a cause for the team's woes, but
now everyone was suspect. Again, the paper tiger looked too good to
be playing this bad. For not the first time, calls were again issued
for Lombardi's head.
Then came December. The low point of last year, this December proved
to be different. The Sharks pulled off a .500 month going 5-5-3
against teams like Dallas (0-1-1), Detroit (tie) and Philly (tie).
They put together a five-game unbeaten streak and a four-game win
streak (first time in three years for that stat). They also began to
come together as a team.
January is the first month of .500+ hockey for the team. And there
are several reasons why. First has to be Joe Murphy. Your humble
reporter has liked this guy from the first time he saw him in teal.
True, he hadn't produced a lot, but he still liked him. Murphy's
currently tied with Marco Sturm and Jeff Friesen for most goals at
11. Next has to be the play of Owen Nolan. True again, your humble
reporter would have traded him for a better seat earlier in the
season, but that 'C' has really fired the boy up. Sutter has been a
Nolan supporter all year, but all of the sudden, here he comes.
Owen has six goals and is hitting everything on the ice. He was at
his call-the-shot best against LA on the 11th as he chose out Ian
Laperriere and then laid him out. If you didn't see it, you can't
appreciate it. But it sure was pretty. Right there with Nolan and
Murphy has to be Mike Ricci. For the past three weeks he has played
his best hockey since coming to the Sharks. Ricci has 9 points in
just the past 10 games.
At the forefront as well has to be both the D of SJ and the men in
the net, Steve Shields and Mike Vernon. In December, there were
posts on Sharks boards about trading Vernon. Calls about his age
and speed. Those critics have been silenced. Vernie recorded his
8th shutout as a Sharks and 20th of his career against LA and never
looked cooler or better. Sure, there were some tense times the
first seven minutes of the first period, but not a mistake or a
mis-cue after. Bill Houlder, often the best blueliner the Sharks
have, is paired up with Bryan Marchment and is currently a +7 with
19 points. Houlder is -- when he's on his game -- simply great.
He's a master at breaking up 2 on 1 rushes and seldom makes
mistakes. He also leads the teams' D with those numbers. Speaking
of Mush, he also got in his first of the year just before being
sidelined. To stiffen the bent but not broken line, Sutter brought
up Sutton and paired him with Rathje, creating the 'Twin Towers'
(6'4" and 6'5"), a pairing that has done well against the Sabres
and excellent against LA.
We could play in the stats for a while and impress ourselves with
the GA for January -- and December for that matter -- or the
increase in the scoring. But those only count if the W-L column is
showing W's. And so far in January, it is.
All-Star Alert...
Of course Jeffy's going...Uh, no he isn't. Must be Owen then. Nope.
Mush? Uh-uh. It's Marco Sturm who was named to the World Team
reserve this week. After his first NHL hat trick and a five-point
game against Edmonton earlier this month, now he's an all-star. Way
to go, Marco!
Insult and Injury...
With the much-anticipated Gary Suter out of the lineup for the
remainder of the year, the blue line is being defended by the
aforementioned Bill Houlder, Rathje, Sutton, Norton, Rags and Bryan
Marchment. Or it was. Against Nashville, Mush sustained a shoulder
separation needing surgery and at least six weeks of healing.
Scott Stevens isn't the first guy you'd think of when looking for a
class-less act, but that's what he was against SJ. After taking a
hit from Myhres, he suggested that Brantt go out and take one
himself. Myhres is a recovering alcoholic and the little ditty from
Stevens paints him in a bad light. Stevens suggested he go and get
another beer. Real sportsmanship, Scott. Just wait till the 18th
when you're the reason Brantt's howling on his way to the sin bin.
Better hope you're not on a stretcher.
To make matters worse, Paul Kruse first lost a bout with Brantt and
gave the same kind of gesture. Myhres didn't see it but did hear
about it. Kruse isn't a class-act anyway, so he doesn't lose the
points like Stevens did. Besides, he did get his bell rung.
Are suspensions the way to go here? Last year, with some racial name
calling, suspension was the path the NHL took for punishment. A
better idea might be to turn the ref's head when the two meet again.
Let Brantt take his own style of punishment and see what gestures
Stevens and Kruse are making then. My guess? It'll be the call for
help off the ice. OWWWWWWWW!
Game Results:
Since the last issue, San Jose has fought 10 battles, 5 wins, 2
losses and 3 ties. The first win was against Edmonton two days
before Christmas. Marco Sturm recorded his first hat trick and
garnered five points in the process, having a hand in all five
goals the Sharks scored. Sturm had never had more than two points
in any game till then. Little known is the fact that SJ traded down
in '96 to get the German winger and there were times where it
appeared that was a mistake. No longer.
Next up on the hit list was Vancouver. Messier and Company came into
SJ on a less than fast roll and left even slower. Steve Shields got
his first regular season shutout and his second win of the season
after 16 days of watching Vernie in net. Patrick Marleau (who is
having a tough sophomore year) and Mike Ricci scored, giving SJ it's
first four-game win streak in three years. It also was the 11 games
in a row where the Sharks held the other team to two or less goals.
Philly was next and this was a game the Sharks should have won.
Lindros was incredible (as always) but even he couldn't boost the
Flyers to a win. San Jose extended the two goals or less to 12
games and tied the Flyers in a 1-1 battle that saw Joe Murphy score
the only Sharks goal. In overtime, Houlder missed a shot hitting
the crossbar in a game that hit more crossbars than Owen Nolan did
all last year.
Arguably the Sharks worst effort to date this season was against LA
on the 30th. It started out bad and just got worse. Vernon allowed
5 goals in the game and SJ suffered its first defeat in 7 games.
They also blew that two goals or less deal. SJ had given up only
seven goals in eight games prior to this one. Kind of made up for
that, huh?
The day after New Year's saw the return of the New York Islanders.
After the embarrassing 1-0 loss to them in December, San Jose went
to an early 2-0 lead. A 2-0 lead is the worst thing in the world
for SJ. It almost always assures a loss. True to form, the Sharks
gave up their lead and went into overtime tied at 3. Marco Sturm
came alive again in highlight-film fashion scoring the game winner
1:47 into overtime, giving SJ its first OT win this season.
What is it with the NY Rangers? In franchise history, the Sharks
have never beat the Rangers in regular season. And they wouldn't
this time, either. The Sharks looked to win early in the game and
once again had the two-goal lead. With Shields in net, San Jose
then quickly dissolved and basically let NY win as they allowed
four unanswered goals. I hate 2-0 leads! By the way, the Sharks
have managed two ties in the 15 meetings.
The New Jersey Devils -- the 'Beast from the East' -- are another
team the Sharks have had difficulty beating in their short history.
And this night proved to be no different. Nolan, Murphy and Friesen
all saw the back of the net allowing SJ to at least pull a point
out of the game. Hey, they didn't blow a two-goal lead, though.
San Jose had already lost to Nashville twice this year already and
were looking to even things up. A scoreless first led to a
three-goal San Jose second. Murphy, Granato and Mush all found the
back of the net giving SJ a one goal lead going into the third.
Nashville tied it up before Ronnie Stern put it in to seal the win.
Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres sauntered into the Tank liked
they owned the place. Too bad for them Steve Shields had been
watching his mentor during those years in Buffalo. It was Shields
vs Hasek in a(nother) blown two-goal lead that resulted in a tie.
The point tied SJ with LA for the final playoff spot in the West.
Then on to LA. After the last meeting in which the Kings spanked the
Sharks, the Fish were looking for a bit of payback. And they got it
with a 4-0 shutout in which Vernon would earn his third shutout of
the season and Murphy would tie Friesen and Sturm for most goals. Not
to mention the fact that SJ would now have sole possession of the
eighth spot.
================================================================
NEXT ISSUE: Issue 112, including All-Star Game coverage, comes
out Wednesday, January 27
----------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Standings as of January 12
----------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference
Northeast Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Toronto 41 24 15 2 50 133 117 15-7-2 9-8-0 3-0-2
Ottawa 40 22 13 5 49 124 91 12-7-2 10-6-3 1-2-5
Buffalo 38 21 11 6 48 109 78 11-5-2 10-6-4 1-1-6
Boston 39 19 14 6 44 104 89 11-4-4 8-10-2 1-1-6
Montreal 42 15 20 7 37 96 113 10-8-3 5-12-4 0-1-7
Atlantic Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Philadelphia 40 21 9 10 52 120 82 11-4-5 10-5-5 2-1-10
New Jersey 39 22 12 5 49 116 104 9-7-4 13-5-1 2-0-5
Pittsburgh 36 19 10 7 45 107 94 10-3-5 9-7-2 2-0-7
NY Rangers 40 16 17 7 39 110 111 9-7-2 7-10-5 1-0-7
NY Islanders 42 13 26 3 29 96 124 7-11-2 6-15-1 1-2-3
Southeast Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Carolina 41 18 16 7 43 106 101 10-8-5 8-8-2 0-2-7
Florida 38 14 14 10 38 97 102 8-8-3 6-6-7 0-2-10
Washington 38 15 20 3 33 92 97 7-9-2 8-11-1 0-1-3
Tampa Bay 41 9 29 3 21 86 146 5-13-1 4-16-2 1-2-3
Western Conference
Central Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Detroit 41 21 18 2 44 125 111 13-7-1 8-11-1 0-0-2
St Louis 38 15 14 9 39 103 96 11-5-3 4-9-6 0-0-9
Nashville 40 14 22 4 32 94 129 10-9-3 4-13-1 0-0-4
Chicago 42 11 25 6 28 90 136 8-11-3 3-14-3 0-2-6
Northwest Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Colorado 42 19 19 4 42 103 107 8-9-2 11-10-2 1-0-4
Edmonton 41 16 19 6 38 116 111 7-10-2 9-9-4 2-2-6
Vancouver 41 14 22 5 33 106 123 9-8-3 5-14-2 0-0-5
Calgary 41 13 25 3 29 102 127 6-13-2 7-12-1 1-1-3
Pacific Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Dallas 39 25 7 7 57 115 76 14-2-2 11-5-5 1-0-7
Phoenix 37 22 10 5 49 100 76 12-4-2 10-6-3 2-1-5
Anaheim 40 16 16 8 40 100 93 11-5-4 5-11-4 1-2-8
San Jose 40 13 17 10 36 91 95 9-8-5 4-9-5 1-1-10
Los Angeles 41 15 22 4 34 96 108 7-10-3 8-12-1 2-2-4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player Stats thru January 10
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEAM P NO PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
ANA L 9 Kariya, Paul 40 17 38 55 10 26 5 1 0 0 224 7.6
ANA R 8 Selanne, Teemu 33 21 24 45 8 12 9 0 3 1 116 18.1
ANA C 20 Rucchin, Steve 40 13 25 38 6 16 3 0 3 1 90 14.4
ANA C 16 McInnis, Marty 40 10 15 25 -9 24 5 1 4 0 72 13.9
ANA D 2 Olausson, Fredrik 34 7 17 24 14 14 5 0 0 0 55 12.7
ANA C 39 Green, Travis 37 9 6 15 -4 28 2 1 0 0 79 11.4
ANA D 24 Salei, Ruslan 34 2 7 9 2 25 1 0 0 0 74 2.7
ANA C 11 Cullen, Matt 33 2 6 8 -4 18 1 1 0 0 50 4.0
ANA R 17 Sandstrom, Tomas 16 5 2 7 -1 22 3 0 1 0 38 13.2
ANA C 22 *Davidsson, Johan 34 3 4 7 -4 12 1 0 1 0 35 8.6
ANA C 14 *Aalto, Antti 37 3 4 7 -6 12 2 0 0 0 35 8.6
ANA D 25 *Crowley, Mike M 20 2 3 5 -10 16 1 0 1 0 41 4.9
ANA L 33 McKenzie, Jim 38 2 2 4 -12 49 1 0 1 0 32 6.3
ANA L 32 Grimson, Stu 40 3 0 3 4 101 0 0 1 0 9 33.3
ANA D 23 Marshall, Jason 34 0 3 3 -3 66 0 0 0 0 28 0.0
ANA R 19 Nielsen, Jeff 38 1 1 2 -5 13 0 0 1 0 46 2.2
ANA D 4 Pushor, Jamie 38 1 1 2 -8 76 0 0 0 0 42 2.4
ANA D 7 Trnka, Pavel 31 0 2 2 1 26 0 0 0 0 29 0.0
ANA C 18 Drury, Ted 34 0 2 2 3 28 0 0 0 0 20 0.0
ANA D 5 Haller, Kevin 40 0 2 2 -3 52 0 0 0 0 35 0.0
ANA C 10 Marha, Josef 10 0 1 1 -4 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.0
ANA D 27 *Trepanier, Pascal 22 0 1 1 0 26 0 0 0 0 18 0.0
ANA D 34 Trebil, Dan M 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
ANA L 12 *LeClerc, Mike M 2 0 0 0 -1 4 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
BOS L 12 Khristich, Dmitri 38 17 25 42 5 28 8 1 4 1 76 22.4
BOS C 41 Allison, Jason 39 8 26 34 -5 22 2 1 1 0 80 10.0
BOS L 14 Samsonov, Sergei 39 15 18 33 -9 8 4 0 6 1 72 20.8
BOS D 77 Bourque, Ray 38 4 21 25 4 22 3 0 2 0 123 3.3
BOS R 23 Heinze, Steve 38 11 9 20 0 16 3 0 2 0 86 12.8
BOS D 20 Van Impe, Darren 35 5 12 17 -2 51 4 0 0 0 65 7.7
BOS C 6 Thornton, Joe 39 7 9 16 2 27 4 0 0 0 50 14.0
BOS C 33 Carter, Anson R 24 6 7 13 1 10 2 0 1 0 40 15.0
BOS C 19 DiMaio, Rob 31 2 10 12 0 56 0 0 0 0 40 5.0
BOS D 18 McLaren, Kyle 24 5 4 9 -5 32 3 0 0 0 53 9.4
BOS C 42 Ferraro, Peter 26 5 4 9 7 32 1 0 1 0 39 12.8
BOS L 11 Axelsson, P.J. 35 4 5 9 -1 6 0 0 0 0 56 7.1
BOS C 38 Taylor, Chris 31 3 5 8 1 10 0 1 0 0 49 6.1
BOS D 32 Sweeney, Don 39 1 7 8 3 40 0 0 0 0 36 2.8
BOS D 36 Ledyard, Grant R 23 2 4 6 -1 23 1 0 0 0 27 7.4
BOS C 17 *Bates, Shawn 18 3 2 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 18 16.7
BOS D 25 Gill, Hal 39 2 3 5 -1 30 0 0 1 0 52 3.8
BOS D 44 Ellett, Dave R 27 0 3 3 5 6 0 0 0 0 25 0.0
BOS L 16 Belanger, Ken 28 1 1 2 -1 110 0 0 0 0 7 14.3
BOS L 57 *Laaksonen, Antti M 6 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 5 20.0
BOS C 26 T. Taylor, Tim R 7 1 0 1 0 8 0 0 1 0 5 20.0
BOS L 22 Baumgartner, Ken 39 1 0 1 -2 70 0 0 0 1 7 14.3
BOS D 53 *Smith, Brandon 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
BOS C 54 Savage, Andre 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
BOS C 56 *Nordstrom, Peter M 2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
BOS C 72 *Nickulas, Eric 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
BOS D 55 *Girard, Jonathan R 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
BOS D 29 Vaske, Dennis M 3 0 0 0 -3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
BOS L 51 *Henderson, Jay M 4 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
BOS R 10 *Mann, Cameron M 4 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
BOS R 27 Wilson, Landon M 4 0 0 0 -2 4 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
BOS C 61 *Mathieu, Marquis 9 0 0 0 -1 8 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
BUF L 81 Satan, Miroslav 36 18 14 32 12 16 6 1 2 0 92 19.6
BUF R 15 Ward, Dixon 36 13 16 29 7 20 2 1 3 0 46 28.3
BUF L 18 Grosek, Michal 37 11 18 29 12 73 2 0 1 0 70 15.7
BUF C 27 Peca, Michael 37 15 13 28 0 30 7 0 5 1 92 16.3
BUF C 37 Brown, Curtis 36 10 17 27 17 26 3 1 2 2 70 14.3
BUF D 5 Woolley, Jason 37 3 18 21 13 40 1 0 1 0 87 3.4
BUF C 19 Holzinger, Brian 36 12 8 20 10 21 5 0 2 0 63 19.0
BUF R 25 Varada, Vaclav 37 5 12 17 3 35 1 0 1 0 58 8.6
BUF L 80 Sanderson, Geoff 35 8 8 16 3 8 1 0 1 0 62 12.9
BUF R 36 Barnaby, Matthew 31 3 13 16 2 104 0 0 2 0 42 7.1
BUF D 44 Zhitnik, Alexei 36 4 10 14 -9 48 1 1 1 0 82 4.9
BUF D 8 Shannon, Darryl 37 2 11 13 24 30 1 0 0 0 44 4.5
BUF D 42 Smehlik, Richard 28 0 8 8 -4 26 0 0 0 0 28 0.0
BUF C 9 *Rasmussen, Erik 23 2 5 7 9 25 0 0 0 0 23 8.7
BUF D 74 McKee, Jay 36 0 6 6 14 46 0 0 0 0 27 0.0
BUF C 26 Plante, Derek 19 1 4 5 2 6 0 0 0 0 32 3.1
BUF C 22 Primeau, Wayne 26 2 2 4 -3 28 0 0 0 0 27 7.4
BUF D 3 Patrick, James 28 0 2 2 7 8 0 0 0 0 17 0.0
BUF R 32 Ray, Rob 32 0 2 2 0 137 0 0 0 0 8 0.0
BUF D 21 Hurlbut, Mike M 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
BUF C 83 *Pittis, Domenic M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
BUF D 29 *Holland, Jason M 3 0 0 0 -1 8 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
BUF L 17 Cunneyworth, Randy M 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
BUF D 4 Wilson, Mike 9 0 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
BUF L 24 Kruse, Paul 14 0 0 0 -1 59 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
CGY R 14 Fleury, Theo 41 19 23 42 3 50 5 1 2 0 182 10.4
CGY R 8 Bure, Valeri 41 9 16 25 -2 14 2 0 0 0 112 8.0
CGY D 6 Housley, Phil 41 2 23 25 0 22 1 0 0 0 99 2.0
CGY R 12 Iginla, Jarome 41 15 9 24 -4 28 5 0 0 0 86 17.4
CGY C 16 Stillman, Cory 35 12 12 24 0 22 5 0 3 1 77 15.6
CGY C 21 Cassels, Andrew 41 8 15 23 -2 14 3 0 2 0 54 14.8
CGY D 53 Morris, Derek 40 5 14 19 3 54 2 0 2 0 93 5.4
CGY C 11 Shantz, Jeff 39 9 6 15 1 22 1 1 2 0 39 23.1
CGY C 24 Wiemer, Jason 41 3 9 12 -6 119 0 0 0 0 68 4.4
CGY D 55 Smith, Steve 40 1 9 10 -1 40 0 0 0 0 22 4.5
CGY C 23 *Wilm, Clarke 39 5 4 9 3 38 1 1 0 0 45 11.1
CGY C 18 Dubinsky, Steve 33 3 3 6 -7 8 0 2 0 0 28 10.7
CGY C 25 Roche, Dave R 26 2 3 5 0 29 1 0 2 0 21 9.5
CGY D 32 Hulse, Cale 39 1 4 5 -10 71 0 0 0 0 33 3.0
CGY D 27 Simpson, Todd 41 1 4 5 3 85 0 0 0 0 23 4.3
CGY C 26 Nylander, Mikael 7 2 2 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 6 33.3
CGY R 42 Ward, Ed 35 3 0 3 -2 32 0 0 0 0 31 9.7
CGY R 33 Pankewicz, Greg M 18 0 3 3 0 20 0 0 0 0 10 0.0
CGY D 5 Albelin, Tommy 24 0 3 3 -3 2 0 0 0 0 10 0.0
CGY C 15 *St. Louis, Martin M 13 1 1 2 -2 10 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
CGY C 17 Domenichelli, Hnat 2 1 0 1 -1 2 0 0 0 0 6 16.7
CGY C 28 Bassen, Bob 17 0 1 1 -8 16 0 0 0 0 16 0.0
CGY C 44 *Fata, Rico M 20 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 13 0.0
CGY L 7 Dingman, Chris 1 0 0 0 -1 5 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
CGY D 38 Charron, Eric M 3 0 0 0 -1 4 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
CGY D 4 *Helenius, Sami M 4 0 0 0 -2 8 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
CGY D 3 *Gauthier, Denis 18 0 0 0 -4 21 0 0 0 0 14 0.0
CAR R 26 Sheppard, Ray R 38 15 19 34 6 4 4 0 4 0 92 16.3
CAR C 55 Primeau, Keith 41 19 14 33 6 42 6 1 4 1 97 19.6
CAR L 24 Kapanen, Sami 40 11 17 28 -1 2 3 0 4 0 97 11.3
CAR L 10 Roberts, Gary 37 7 18 25 -4 74 0 0 1 0 66 10.6
CAR C 19 O'Neill, Jeff 41 9 9 18 2 31 2 0 0 0 69 13.0
CAR C 21 Francis, Ron 41 8 8 16 -11 14 3 0 1 0 52 15.4
CAR L 18 Kron, Robert 40 6 7 13 -5 6 2 1 0 0 69 8.7
CAR R 11 Dineen, Kevin 37 6 6 12 7 54 0 0 1 0 52 11.5
CAR D 2 Wesley, Glen 41 2 9 11 11 14 0 0 1 0 61 3.3
CAR L 23 Gelinas, Martin 39 5 5 10 -2 24 0 0 1 0 49 10.2
CAR L 28 Ranheim, Paul 37 3 7 10 1 6 0 1 0 0 31 9.7
CAR L 44 Manderville, Kent 40 3 7 10 8 20 0 0 0 0 34 8.8
CAR D 3 Chiasson, Steve R 24 1 8 9 6 12 1 0 0 0 65 1.5
CAR D 77 Coffey, Paul 16 0 7 7 -8 4 0 0 0 0 18 0.0
CAR D 7 Leschyshyn, Curtis R 34 1 5 6 2 38 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
CAR D 4 Pratt, Nolan 20 1 4 5 4 32 0 0 1 0 9 11.1
CAR L 13 Battaglia, Bates 24 1 4 5 5 8 0 0 0 0 13 7.7
CAR D 22 Hill, Sean 32 0 3 3 2 22 0 0 0 0 26 0.0
CAR D 5 Malik, Marek 12 0 2 2 -5 2 0 0 0 0 12 0.0
CAR D 33 Karpa, David R 21 0 2 2 1 32 0 0 0 0 12 0.0
CAR D 6 Burt, Adam 35 0 2 2 6 35 0 0 0 0 22 0.0
CAR D 46 *Rucinski, Mike 12 0 1 1 -1 6 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
CAR C 15 *Ritchie, Byron M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
CAR C 31 *MacDonald, Craig 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
CAR D 14 *Halko, Steve 8 0 0 0 -1 10 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
CHI R 10 Amonte, Tony 41 23 13 36 -8 38 10 1 3 0 129 17.8
CHI C 93 Gilmour, Doug 41 9 20 29 -16 29 4 1 1 0 74 12.2
CHI C 36 Zhamnov, Alex 39 8 21 29 -9 20 3 1 1 0 108 7.4
CHI R 11 Emerson, Nelson 42 9 17 26 0 40 3 0 0 2 108 8.3
CHI D 7 Chelios, Chris 36 5 16 21 -2 66 2 0 0 1 85 5.9
CHI L 55 Daze, Eric 36 10 5 15 -18 14 5 0 1 2 93 10.8
CHI C 15 Kilger, Chad 41 7 8 15 -4 24 1 1 1 1 44 15.9
CHI R 14 *Maneluk, Mike 32 4 7 11 7 14 0 0 0 0 41 9.8
CHI D 22 Manson, Dave 35 2 9 11 -5 76 2 0 0 0 63 3.2
CHI L 19 Moreau, Ethan 39 6 3 9 -5 56 0 0 1 0 46 13.0
CHI L 25 *Cleary, Dan 31 4 5 9 0 24 0 0 0 0 44 9.1
CHI D 4 Zmolek, Doug 33 0 9 9 1 59 0 0 0 0 20 0.0
CHI L 24 Probert, Bob 37 2 6 8 -11 97 0 0 1 0 44 4.5
CHI C 26 *White, Todd 17 4 3 7 0 10 1 0 0 0 20 20.0
CHI C 16 Olczyk, Ed 23 2 4 6 -2 8 0 0 2 0 33 6.1
CHI D 2 *Brown, Brad 27 0 4 4 -2 66 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
CHI D 3 Laflamme, Christian 37 1 2 3 -7 52 0 0 0 0 28 3.6
CHI D 37 *Muir, Bryan 25 0 2 2 -2 24 0 0 0 0 42 0.0
CHI L 33 Simpson, Reid 26 0 2 2 0 69 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
CHI C 20 Janssens, Mark 37 1 0 1 -8 57 0 0 0 0 21 4.8
CHI R 17 *Dumont, Jean-Pierre M 7 0 0 0 -2 4 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
CHI R 39 *Mills, Craig 7 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
CHI R 27 *Jones, Ty M 8 0 0 0 -1 12 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
CHI D 38 Allison, Jamie 9 0 0 0 -5 20 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
CHI D 6 *Royer, Remi 17 0 0 0 -9 67 0 0 0 0 24 0.0
CHI D 5 Yawney, Trent 20 0 0 0 -6 32 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
COL C 21 Forsberg, Peter 40 11 36 47 11 60 2 0 3 0 111 9.9
COL C 19 Sakic, Joe 32 15 24 39 2 16 2 5 2 0 125 12.0
COL L 13 Kamensky, Valeri 39 7 21 28 -3 14 2 0 0 0 76 9.2
COL R 18 Deadmarsh, Adam 36 11 10 21 -6 65 4 0 2 0 87 12.6
COL R 22 Lemieux, Claude 41 16 4 20 -3 54 9 0 6 1 164 9.8
COL C 37 *Drury, Chris 38 9 11 20 1 33 3 0 1 0 59 15.3
COL R 23 *Hejduk, Milan 41 5 13 18 -6 14 2 0 2 0 98 5.1
COL L 20 Corbet, Rene 38 5 11 16 0 38 1 0 1 0 67 7.5
COL R 12 Donovan, Shean 34 4 5 9 0 23 1 0 1 0 42 9.5
COL D 52 Foote, Adam 23 2 6 8 0 31 2 0 0 0 34 5.9
COL D 5 Gusarov, Alexei R 17 1 7 8 3 10 0 0 0 0 13 7.7
COL D 2 Lefebvre, Sylvain 35 0 7 7 1 18 0 0 0 0 29 0.0
COL C 26 Yelle, Stephane 32 4 2 6 -7 22 1 0 0 0 55 7.3
COL D 3 Miller, Aaron 39 2 4 6 -8 36 1 0 0 0 43 4.7
COL L 25 Podein, Shjon 23 1 3 4 0 10 0 0 0 0 33 3.0
COL R 36 Odgers, Jeff 41 2 1 3 -2 135 1 0 0 0 19 10.5
COL D 4 Russell, Cam 34 1 2 3 -4 69 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
COL D 29 Messier, Eric 12 1 1 2 -1 8 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
COL L 16 Rychel, Warren R 16 0 2 2 1 44 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
COL D 24 Klemm, Jon R 16 0 2 2 5 19 0 0 0 0 15 0.0
COL R 14 *Matte, Christian M 5 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 7 14.3
COL D 15 Crowley, Ted M 7 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 0 0 10 0.0
COL D 7 de Vries, Greg 41 0 1 1 -8 46 0 0 0 0 39 0.0
COL C 44 *Aubin, Serge M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
COL D 15 *Gaul, Mike M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
COL D 8 Ozolinsh, Sandis 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
COL D 59 *White, Brian M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
COL D 32 Buchanan, Jeff M 6 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
COL D 43 *Smith, Dan M 12 0 0 0 5 9 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
COL R 27 *Parker, Scott 20 0 0 0 -1 52 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
COL D 6 *Belak, Wade 23 0 0 0 -2 71 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
DAL C 9 Modano, Mike 38 13 26 39 14 26 4 1 3 1 97 13.4
DAL D 5 Sydor, Darryl 38 10 22 32 -4 17 6 0 2 1 91 11.0
DAL R 22 Hull, Brett 29 14 13 27 10 16 7 0 5 0 102 13.7
DAL C 15 Langenbrunner, Jamie 36 6 18 24 5 32 4 0 1 0 62 9.7
DAL C 25 Nieuwendyk, Joe 33 9 14 23 -2 18 4 0 1 0 65 13.8
DAL R 26 Lehtinen, Jere 33 13 9 22 15 6 5 1 1 0 79 16.5
DAL D 56 Zubov, Sergei 38 5 14 19 -2 10 3 0 1 0 76 6.6
DAL R 29 Marshall, Grant 38 8 7 15 6 38 0 0 3 0 41 19.5
DAL D 2 Hatcher, Derian 38 6 9 15 14 49 1 0 1 0 54 11.1
DAL R 16 Verbeek, Pat 38 9 5 14 1 52 6 0 1 1 59 15.3
DAL C 41 Hrkac, Tony 32 5 7 12 5 14 2 0 1 1 31 16.1
DAL R 12 Keane, Mike 38 2 9 11 -1 46 0 1 1 0 43 4.7
DAL C 21 Carbonneau, Guy 37 1 10 11 0 11 0 0 1 0 32 3.1
DAL D 24 Matvichuk, Richard 36 3 7 10 15 20 1 0 0 0 27 11.1
DAL L 14 Reid, Dave 35 2 6 8 -2 8 0 0 0 0 45 4.4
DAL C 10 Skrudland, Brian 27 3 1 4 2 25 0 0 1 0 25 12.0
DAL D 27 Chambers, Shawn 31 2 2 4 2 14 1 0 1 0 35 5.7
DAL D 4 *Gusev, Sergey 13 1 3 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 18 5.6
DAL D 3 Ludwig, Craig 37 1 3 4 7 38 0 0 0 0 19 5.3
DAL L 17 Severyn, Brent R 9 0 1 1 0 21 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
DAL C 23 Gavey, Aaron M 2 0 0 0 -1 4 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
DAL L 28 *Botterill, Jason M 7 0 0 0 -1 14 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
DAL L 46 *Wright, Jamie 7 0 0 0 -4 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
DAL D 6 Keczmer, Dan 14 0 0 0 -2 18 0 0 0 0 8 0.0
DET C 19 Yzerman, Steve 40 18 26 44 9 38 8 0 2 0 126 14.3
DET L 14 Shanahan, Brendan 40 17 15 32 1 75 2 0 3 0 156 10.9
DET R 25 McCarty, Darren 40 10 22 32 8 60 4 0 1 0 81 12.3
DET D 55 Murphy, Larry 40 7 24 31 11 34 3 1 1 0 85 8.2
DET D 5 Lidstrom, Nicklas 40 6 20 26 10 10 4 0 1 0 96 6.3
DET C 91 Fedorov, Sergei 40 9 16 25 -3 18 1 1 0 0 105 8.6
DET C 8 Larionov, Igor 40 5 20 25 -3 32 2 0 1 0 47 10.6
DET R 20 Lapointe, Martin 39 9 10 19 4 89 2 1 2 0 76 11.8
DET L 96 Holmstrom, Tomas 40 8 10 18 -10 36 5 0 4 0 59 13.6
DET C 13 Kozlov, Vyacheslav 37 7 8 15 -7 27 2 0 2 1 97 7.2
DET R 17 Brown, Doug 39 5 7 12 0 24 3 0 1 0 97 5.2
DET D 44 Eriksson, Anders 40 2 9 11 5 26 0 0 1 0 39 5.1
DET C 33 Draper, Kris 40 3 5 8 -5 42 0 0 1 0 42 7.1
DET C 23 *Roest, Stacy 24 2 5 7 -1 8 0 0 0 0 27 7.4
DET R 26 Kocur, Joe 35 2 5 7 0 70 0 0 0 0 20 10.0
DET D 15 Gill, Todd 34 3 3 6 -11 20 1 0 0 1 39 7.7
DET D 4 Krupp, Uwe R 22 3 2 5 0 6 0 0 0 0 32 9.4
DET R 18 Maltby, Kirk 16 2 3 5 -2 12 0 0 0 0 17 11.8
DET D 11 Dandenault, Mathieu 35 2 3 5 7 31 0 0 0 0 34 5.9
DET D 34 Macoun, Jamie 37 0 5 5 -11 26 0 0 0 0 32 0.0
DET D 27 Ward, Aaron 22 2 1 3 -8 29 0 0 0 0 13 15.4
DET D 3 Houda, Doug 3 0 1 1 -2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
DET L 22 *Audet, Philippe 3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
EDM R 9 Guerin, Bill 40 18 15 33 8 66 9 0 1 0 128 14.1
EDM L 20 Beranek, Josef 35 12 17 29 3 10 6 0 2 0 75 16.0
EDM R 51 Kovalenko, Andrei 39 13 14 27 -3 30 2 0 3 1 68 19.1
EDM D 2 Mironov, Boris 37 5 21 26 14 64 1 0 2 1 87 5.7
EDM R 25 Grier, Mike 40 7 14 21 -3 23 0 1 0 0 72 9.7
EDM D 22 Hamrlik, Roman R 37 4 16 20 0 30 1 0 0 0 82 4.9
EDM R 10 Falloon, Pat 40 9 10 19 3 12 4 0 0 0 86 10.5
EDM C 26 Marchant, Todd 40 6 10 16 -2 16 1 0 0 0 91 6.6
EDM L 17 Murray, Rem 36 9 6 15 2 12 1 0 2 0 54 16.7
EDM C 37 McAmmond, Dean 37 6 8 14 2 24 1 0 0 0 69 8.7
EDM C 19 Devereaux, Boyd 37 5 7 12 2 19 0 1 3 1 30 16.7
EDM C 14 Lindgren, Mats 30 2 10 12 5 16 0 0 0 0 40 5.0
EDM D 44 Niinimaa, Janne 39 0 11 11 7 44 0 0 0 0 62 0.0
EDM L 94 Smyth, Ryan 36 3 5 8 -3 30 1 0 1 1 87 3.4
EDM R 16 Buchberger, Kelly R 37 4 3 7 -2 59 0 2 1 0 24 16.7
EDM D 5 *Poti, Tom 35 3 4 7 -1 20 2 0 1 0 51 5.9
EDM R 42 K. Brown, Kevin M 12 4 2 6 -2 0 2 0 0 0 13 30.8
EDM C 39 Weight, Doug R 4 0 5 5 -2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
EDM R 27 *Laraque, Georges 5 2 0 2 2 15 0 0 0 0 6 33.3
EDM D 46 Reirden, Todd 3 1 1 2 3 8 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
EDM D 33 McSorley, Marty 17 1 1 2 -5 35 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
EDM D 8 Musil, Frank 20 0 2 2 0 18 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
EDM D 32 *Millar, Craig M 24 0 2 2 -6 19 0 0 0 0 18 0.0
EDM D 23 *Brown, Sean 28 0 2 2 -1 104 0 0 0 0 13 0.0
EDM L 21 Lacroix, Daniel 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
EDM L 28 Huard, Bill R 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
EDM C 7 *Lindquist, Fredrik M 8 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
FLA C 14 Whitney, Ray 37 12 16 28 1 6 4 0 4 0 79 15.2
FLA C 44 Niedermayer, Rob 38 11 17 28 -5 26 5 0 2 1 79 13.9
FLA C 25 Kozlov, Viktor 31 7 19 26 7 8 2 1 0 0 108 6.5
FLA R 27 Mellanby, Scott 29 10 9 19 0 25 3 0 2 2 63 15.9
FLA D 24 Svehla, Robert 36 4 15 19 -10 32 1 0 0 1 80 5.0
FLA L 21 *Parrish, Mark 34 11 7 18 0 12 4 0 2 0 70 15.7
FLA L 11 Lindsay, Bill 38 8 8 16 -3 59 0 0 2 0 79 10.1
FLA R 19 Dvorak, Radek 38 6 10 16 -3 16 0 3 0 0 81 7.4
FLA D 55 Jovanovski, Ed 38 3 11 14 -4 80 1 0 1 0 65 4.6
FLA L 16 *Kvasha, Oleg 35 7 6 13 2 27 2 0 1 1 82 8.5
FLA C 15 Gagner, Dave 33 4 9 13 -5 37 2 0 0 1 45 8.9
FLA D 3 Laus, Paul 37 1 6 7 2 142 0 0 0 0 28 3.6
FLA R 22 Ciccarelli, Dino R 5 5 1 6 2 2 4 0 0 0 12 41.7
FLA L 29 Garpenlov, Johan 33 3 3 6 -6 20 0 0 0 1 45 6.7
FLA L 9 Muller, Kirk 38 2 4 6 -7 36 0 0 0 0 55 3.6
FLA D 5 Murphy, Gord 34 0 6 6 8 8 0 0 0 0 45 0.0
FLA D 2 Carkner, Terry 29 1 4 5 -3 29 0 0 0 0 13 7.7
FLA D 7 Warrener, Rhett 23 0 5 5 -2 44 0 0 0 0 17 0.0
FLA D 8 *Spacek, Jaroslav M 24 2 1 3 0 14 2 0 0 0 32 6.3
FLA L 18 Hicks, Alex 19 0 3 3 -1 30 0 0 0 0 16 0.0
FLA L 28 *Worrell, Peter 31 0 2 2 -2 138 0 0 0 0 17 0.0
FLA R 26 Nemirovsky, David M 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
FLA R 10 *Nilson, Marcus 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
FLA C 17 Washburn, Steve M 3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
FLA D 6 *Ratchuk, Peter 9 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
FLA L 12 *Hay, Dwayne M 9 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
LAK L 20 Robitaille, Luc 40 22 18 40 4 22 5 0 4 0 145 15.2
LAK R 27 Murray, Glen R 37 15 13 28 -5 18 3 3 3 0 110 13.6
LAK C 44 Perreault, Yanic 37 8 10 18 -1 18 2 2 0 0 81 9.9
LAK L 9 Tsyplakov, Vladimir 40 8 9 17 1 18 0 2 1 0 65 12.3
LAK C 15 Stumpel, Jozef 27 5 10 15 -7 4 1 0 0 0 53 9.4
LAK D 4 Blake, Rob 22 3 12 15 3 47 1 1 0 0 71 4.2
LAK C 26 Ferraro, Ray R 30 6 7 13 0 41 2 0 2 0 32 18.8
LAK D 28 Duchesne, Steve 39 2 11 13 -2 16 1 0 0 0 62 3.2
LAK R 55 *Rosa, Pavel 11 3 7 10 2 4 0 0 0 0 27 11.1
LAK C 12 *Jokinen, Olli 26 5 4 9 1 10 2 0 0 0 43 11.6
LAK C 11 Convery, Brandon 15 2 7 9 4 12 0 0 1 0 14 14.3
LAK D 6 O'Donnell, Sean 40 1 8 9 8 79 0 0 0 0 37 2.7
LAK R 10 Audette, Donald 9 3 5 8 4 19 1 0 0 0 23 13.0
LAK L 23 Johnson, Craig 36 4 3 7 -8 16 1 0 2 0 55 7.3
LAK D 8 Bodger, Doug R 25 0 7 7 4 10 0 0 0 0 24 0.0
LAK C 22 Laperriere, Ian 30 1 5 6 -2 68 0 0 0 0 26 3.8
LAK D 3 Galley, Garry 28 0 5 5 -2 14 0 0 0 0 30 0.0
LAK C 45 Moger, Sandy 17 2 2 4 -3 14 0 0 2 0 16 12.5
LAK R 24 LaFayette, Nathan M 25 2 2 4 -2 35 0 1 1 0 33 6.1
LAK D 48 *Visheau, Mark 23 1 3 4 -5 85 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
LAK L 21 *Green, Josh M 26 1 3 4 -6 8 1 0 0 0 34 2.9
LAK D 14 Norstrom, Mattias 40 1 3 4 -2 26 0 1 0 0 33 3.0
LAK R 19 Courtnall, Russ R 19 1 2 3 -3 6 0 0 0 0 23 4.3
LAK L 17 Johnson, Matt 22 2 0 2 -1 59 0 0 0 0 3 66.7
LAK D 43 Boucher, Philippe 25 0 2 2 -11 14 0 0 0 0 49 0.0
LAK D 54 *Nemecek, Jan M 4 0 0 0 -1 4 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
LAK R 42 Bylsma, Dan 6 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
LAK L 7 McKenna, Steve R 11 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
LAK L 29 Lacroix, Eric 26 0 0 0 -7 10 0 0 0 0 19 0.0
MTL R 8 Recchi, Mark 36 7 20 27 -8 16 3 0 1 0 81 8.6
MTL C 25 Damphousse, Vincent 35 7 15 22 -5 32 3 1 1 0 86 8.1
MTL L 17 Brunet, Benoit 35 10 10 20 5 29 2 2 0 0 69 14.5
MTL L 26 Rucinsky, Martin 34 9 7 16 -12 28 4 0 0 0 97 9.3
MTL L 37 Poulin, Patrick 39 7 9 16 4 13 0 1 1 0 40 17.5
MTL D 38 Malakhov, Vladimir 32 6 10 16 0 49 3 0 1 0 72 8.3
MTL L 27 Corson, Shayne 30 7 8 15 -9 60 6 0 2 0 72 9.7
MTL C 11 Koivu, Saku 28 6 9 15 -8 12 1 1 0 0 57 10.5
MTL D 5 Quintal, Stephane 40 3 12 15 -3 52 1 0 2 0 68 4.4
MTL D 22 Weinrich, Eric 38 3 9 12 -19 29 1 0 1 0 54 5.6
MTL R 23 Stevenson, Turner 33 2 10 12 0 39 0 0 0 1 57 3.5
MTL L 49 Savage, Brian 23 6 5 11 -8 12 1 0 3 1 52 11.5
MTL R 44 Hoglund, Jonas 36 6 5 11 1 10 1 0 0 1 62 9.7
MTL R 21 Dawe, Jason 33 2 6 8 -3 12 0 0 0 0 49 4.1
MTL D 52 Rivet, Craig 35 2 6 8 -1 51 0 0 0 0 19 10.5
MTL C 34 Zholtok, Sergei 31 3 4 7 -7 6 0 0 1 0 40 7.5
MTL D 43 Brisebois, Patrice R 27 1 4 5 -14 18 1 0 0 0 51 2.0
MTL D 29 Clark, Brett 35 2 2 4 -5 14 0 0 0 0 21 9.5
MTL D 55 Ulanov, Igor 38 2 2 4 -1 51 0 0 0 0 24 8.3
MTL C 24 Thornton, Scott 9 2 1 3 6 30 0 0 0 1 11 18.2
MTL C 15 Houde, Eric M 8 1 1 2 -2 2 0 0 1 0 4 25.0
MTL C 46 *Higgins, Matt M 25 1 0 1 -2 0 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
MTL R 42 *Delisle, Jonathan M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
MTL L 14 *Ryan, Terry M 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
MTL D 48 *Guren, Miroslav M 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
MTL R 45 *Asham, Aaron M 5 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
MTL L 35 Bashkirov, Andrei M 5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
MTL L 36 Morissette, Dave M 7 0 0 0 1 35 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
MTL D 56 *Nasreddine, Alain 15 0 0 0 -1 52 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
MTL R 6 McCleary, Trent 28 0 0 0 -2 17 0 0 0 0 12 0.0
NSH C 7 Ronning, Cliff 37 10 21 31 6 20 5 0 2 0 118 8.5
NSH C 22 Johnson, Greg 35 8 20 28 2 4 0 2 0 0 69 11.6
NSH R 25 Krivokrasov, Sergei 30 13 11 24 3 22 5 0 2 1 92 14.1
NSH L 19 Brunette, Andrew 38 7 15 22 3 20 4 0 1 0 45 15.6
NSH L 10 Kjellberg, Patrick 37 8 13 21 -4 16 2 0 1 0 59 13.6
NSH C 71 Bordeleau, Sebastien 36 6 10 16 -6 6 0 0 2 0 85 7.1
NSH C 24 Walker, Scott 30 5 10 15 5 52 0 1 1 0 37 13.5
NSH D 20 Heward, Jamie 31 3 9 12 -15 20 2 0 1 0 72 4.2
NSH R 21 Fitzgerald, Tom 37 4 7 11 -13 18 0 0 1 0 76 5.3
NSH L 16 Peltonen, Ville R 14 5 5 10 1 2 1 0 0 0 31 16.1
NSH R 43 Yachmenev, Vitali 22 5 5 10 -1 6 0 0 2 0 29 17.2
NSH L 28 Lambert, Denny 35 4 5 9 -3 115 1 0 0 0 29 13.8
NSH C 9 Turcotte, Darren 36 4 5 9 -8 14 0 0 1 0 72 5.6
NSH D 5 Vopat, Jan 29 5 2 7 6 14 0 0 0 0 30 16.7
NSH D 15 Berehowsky, Drake 33 0 7 7 -2 97 0 0 0 0 32 0.0
NSH R 23 Atcheynum, Blair 23 2 4 6 -4 10 1 0 0 0 25 8.0
NSH D 42 Bouchard, Joel 21 1 4 5 -1 21 0 0 0 0 22 4.5
NSH D 6 Boughner, Bob 38 1 4 5 -2 69 0 0 0 0 32 3.1
NSH D 36 Daigneault, J.J. 34 2 2 4 -2 38 1 0 1 0 37 5.4
NSH L 32 Daniels, Jeff M 9 1 3 4 -1 2 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
NSH D 27 Slaney, John 19 0 4 4 -4 6 0 0 0 0 31 0.0
NSH C 7 Nelson, Jeff M 9 2 1 3 -1 2 0 0 0 0 8 25.0
NSH D 4 More, Jay R 18 0 2 2 2 18 0 0 0 0 24 0.0
NSH L 8 Friedman, Doug M 2 0 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
NSH D 44 *Timonen, Kimmo M 10 0 1 1 3 10 0 0 0 0 14 0.0
NSH L 17 *Cote, Patrick 31 0 1 1 -1 123 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
NSH R 12 Smyth, Brad M 3 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
NSH C 12 Valicevic, Rob M 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
NJD L 16 Holik, Bobby 36 18 19 37 14 48 3 0 5 0 110 16.4
NJD C 17 Sykora, Petr 36 11 15 26 -1 12 6 0 1 0 82 13.4
NJD C 14 Rolston, Brian 38 9 16 25 3 8 1 3 0 0 93 9.7
NJD L 23 Andreychuk, Dave R 29 11 11 22 1 16 3 0 3 1 71 15.5
NJD R 21 McKay, Randy 29 10 11 21 11 86 3 0 4 0 63 15.9
NJD L 26 Elias, Patrik 37 7 14 21 -1 22 0 0 1 0 66 10.6
NJD C 9 *Morrison, Brendan 33 5 14 19 -6 4 3 0 0 0 44 11.4
NJD C 25 Arnott, Jason 36 9 9 18 -4 21 5 0 1 0 88 10.2
NJD D 27 Niedermayer, Scott 28 3 15 18 0 8 1 1 0 0 60 5.0
NJD L 20 Pandolfo, Jay 38 10 7 17 2 8 0 1 3 0 58 17.2
NJD D 4 Stevens, Scott 36 3 13 16 17 38 0 0 1 0 56 5.4
NJD R 8 *Sharifijanov, Vadim 22 5 8 13 9 8 0 0 1 0 33 15.2
NJD C 10 Pederson, Denis 38 5 6 11 -1 30 1 0 0 0 82 6.1
NJD D 24 Odelein, Lyle 37 0 11 11 -1 67 0 0 0 0 43 0.0
NJD C 18 Brylin, Sergei 21 3 3 6 3 12 2 0 1 0 21 14.3
NJD D 28 Dean, Kevin 29 0 6 6 3 14 0 0 0 0 24 0.0
NJD L 29 Oliwa, Krzysztof 27 3 2 5 2 95 0 0 1 0 26 11.5
NJD D 2 Souray, Sheldon 29 1 3 4 3 45 0 0 0 0 50 2.0
NJD D 3 Daneyko, Ken 38 1 3 4 18 35 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
NJD L 32 Lakovic, Sasha 12 0 3 3 1 59 0 0 0 0 8 0.0
NJD C 19 Carpenter, Bob R 22 0 3 3 0 12 0 0 0 0 24 0.0
NJD D 6 Bombardir, Brad 28 0 3 3 -8 10 0 0 0 0 22 0.0
NJD L 22 Daniels, Scott M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
NJD L 11 *Madden, John M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
NJD D 7 Sutton, Ken M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
NYI C 21 Reichel, Robert 41 8 24 32 -14 24 2 0 1 0 91 8.8
NYI C 32 Linden, Trevor 41 11 14 25 -7 18 5 1 1 0 93 11.8
NYI R 25 Czerkawski, Mariusz 40 10 9 19 -4 8 4 0 0 1 97 10.3
NYI C 13 Lapointe, Claude 41 9 10 19 -9 36 2 2 1 0 72 12.5
NYI C 20 Smolinski, Bryan 41 8 11 19 -8 28 5 0 1 0 116 6.9
NYI L 15 Donato, Ted 41 5 11 16 -3 16 1 0 0 0 61 8.2
NYI L 12 *Watt, Mike 38 5 10 15 1 4 0 0 2 0 38 13.2
NYI D 29 Jonsson, Kenny 32 6 8 14 -4 14 5 0 0 0 36 16.7
NYI C 17 Nemchinov, Sergei 39 5 3 8 -14 14 1 0 0 0 33 15.2
NYI D 38 Richter, Barry 35 3 5 8 -8 8 0 0 1 0 47 6.4
NYI L 24 Odjick, Gino R 23 4 3 7 -2 133 1 0 2 0 28 14.3
NYI R 16 Palffy, Zigmund 9 3 4 7 -3 2 1 0 0 0 35 8.6
NYI R 44 Lawrence, Mark 19 3 4 7 0 10 0 0 0 0 23 13.0
NYI D 4 *Brewer, Eric 29 3 4 7 -10 12 0 0 0 0 24 12.5
NYI D 7 Lachance, Scott 35 1 6 7 -11 14 1 0 0 0 22 4.5
NYI C 11 Miller, Kevin 33 1 5 6 -5 13 0 0 0 0 37 2.7
NYI D 6 Harlock, David 35 1 4 5 -10 36 0 0 0 0 20 5.0
NYI D 3 *Chara, Zdeno 18 0 3 3 0 23 0 0 0 0 12 0.0
NYI D 2 Pilon, Rich R 33 0 2 2 -3 59 0 0 0 0 13 0.0
NYI R 14 Sacco, Joe 36 1 0 1 -15 25 0 0 1 0 55 1.8
NYI L 18 Hough, Mike M 11 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
NYI R 8 Webb, Steve 18 0 0 0 -3 17 0 0 0 0 9 0.0
NYR C 99 Gretzky, Wayne 40 7 33 40 -9 6 3 0 2 1 74 9.5
NYR D 2 Leetch, Brian 40 6 20 26 -2 18 2 0 0 0 85 7.1
NYR L 24 Sundstrom, Niklas 39 8 16 24 -8 14 1 0 1 0 43 18.6
NYR L 9 Graves, Adam 40 18 5 23 -8 35 10 0 4 0 96 18.8
NYR R 15 MacLean, John 40 14 9 23 -1 14 6 1 1 0 105 13.3
NYR R 20 Harvey, Todd 32 10 13 23 2 55 5 0 2 1 49 20.4
NYR L 17 Stevens, Kevin 39 9 14 23 2 32 2 0 1 0 62 14.5
NYR C 93 Nedved, Petr 21 8 14 22 0 20 3 0 0 0 60 13.3
NYR R 22 Knuble, Mike 40 9 11 20 -1 14 1 0 1 0 55 16.4
NYR C 33 Savard, Marc 28 5 15 20 0 12 4 0 1 0 45 11.1
NYR D 25 Schneider, Mathieu 36 4 13 17 -8 20 2 0 1 0 78 5.1
NYR C 6 *Malhotra, Manny 32 5 2 7 -3 9 0 0 1 0 20 25.0
NYR D 5 Samuelsson, Ulf 39 2 4 6 -1 59 0 0 0 0 25 8.0
NYR D 23 Beukeboom, Jeff 33 0 6 6 0 53 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
NYR D 34 Popovic, Peter 38 1 3 4 -10 18 0 0 0 0 29 3.4
NYR C 32 Pronger, Sean 10 0 3 3 -3 4 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
NYR L 10 Tikkanen, Esa M 32 0 3 3 -5 38 0 0 0 0 25 0.0
NYR D 3 Neckar, Stan 13 0 2 2 -3 4 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
NYR R 21 Fraser, Scott M 15 0 2 2 -3 4 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
NYR D 8 Mertzig, Jan M 19 0 2 2 -2 6 0 0 0 0 9 0.0
NYR D 36 *Ndur, Rumun 13 0 1 1 1 25 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
NYR D 26 Finley, Jeff M 2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
NYR D 14 Smith, Geoff M 4 0 0 0 -5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
NYR L 28 Stock, P.J. M 5 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
NYR D 4 Tamer, Chris 23 0 0 0 -6 48 0 0 0 0 14 0.0
NYR L 19 Langdon, Darren 23 0 0 0 -4 50 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
NYR L 37 Fedyk, Brent 25 0 0 0 -9 12 0 0 0 0 17 0.0
OTW C 19 Yashin, Alexei 39 17 31 48 20 18 5 0 2 0 168 10.1
OTW L 15 McEachern, Shawn 39 20 17 37 13 28 4 0 2 1 119 16.8
OTW C 21 Johansson, Andreas 39 15 9 24 2 22 6 0 4 0 82 18.3
OTW R 10 Dackell, Andreas 35 10 12 22 10 10 4 0 3 0 58 17.2
OTW L 20 Arvedson, Magnus 37 10 11 21 14 24 0 2 3 0 75 13.3
OTW D 33 York, Jason 36 4 16 20 11 14 2 0 0 1 71 5.6
OTW C 13 Prospal, Vaclav 37 4 13 17 -3 33 2 0 1 0 51 7.8
OTW D 6 Redden, Wade 37 4 11 15 6 34 2 0 1 0 62 6.5
OTW C 14 Bonk, Radek 38 8 6 14 10 28 0 0 3 0 50 16.0
OTW R 11 Alfredsson, Daniel 25 5 9 14 1 8 2 0 1 0 82 6.1
OTW D 29 Kravchuk, Igor 38 2 10 12 4 16 1 0 0 0 89 2.2
OTW L 18 *Hossa, Marian 17 3 6 9 8 6 0 0 0 0 33 9.1
OTW C 22 Van Allen, Shaun 36 4 3 7 -1 10 0 1 0 0 26 15.4
OTW R 12 Oliver, David M 17 2 5 7 1 4 0 0 0 0 18 11.1
OTW C 25 Gardiner, Bruce 32 2 5 7 4 21 0 0 1 0 36 5.6
OTW D 3 *Traverse, Patrick 25 1 6 7 8 12 0 0 0 0 20 5.0
OTW R 17 Murray, Chris 32 1 6 7 -2 60 0 0 0 0 31 3.2
OTW D 4 Phillips, Chris R 30 3 3 6 -2 28 2 0 0 0 42 7.1
OTW D 5 *Salo, Sami 21 0 3 3 8 6 0 0 0 0 23 0.0
OTW C 16 Martins, Steve 17 2 0 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 16 12.5
OTW D 2 Pitlick, Lance R 26 2 0 2 7 23 0 0 0 0 15 13.3
OTW D 27 Laukkanen, Janne 16 0 2 2 10 6 0 0 0 0 14 0.0
OTW L 26 Crowe, Phil M 8 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
OTW L 37 Sarault, Yves R 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
OTW D 23 Bicanek, Radim M 4 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
OTW L 9 Berg, Bill 8 0 0 0 -2 7 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
PHI C 88 Lindros, Eric 37 21 27 48 21 69 4 1 0 1 119 17.6
PHI L 10 LeClair, John 39 23 24 47 25 14 8 0 4 1 134 17.2
PHI C 17 Brind'Amour, Rod 39 16 25 41 9 23 7 0 2 2 91 17.6
PHI R 20 Jones, Keith 35 9 15 24 12 46 1 0 2 0 61 14.8
PHI D 37 Desjardins, Eric 35 6 18 24 9 22 3 0 1 0 88 6.8
PHI D 3 McGillis, Dan 39 4 17 21 13 30 3 0 1 0 87 4.6
PHI C 18 Langkow, Daymond 35 4 12 16 7 17 1 0 1 0 63 6.3
PHI R 19 Renberg, Mikael 25 5 9 14 1 4 2 0 0 0 53 9.4
PHI L 12 Forbes, Colin 37 8 4 12 0 25 0 0 4 0 54 14.8
PHI L 26 Zelepukin, Valeri 31 7 4 11 5 12 0 0 4 0 54 13.0
PHI R 8 Hull, Jody 31 1 8 9 5 8 0 0 0 0 34 2.9
PHI C 28 Bureau, Marc 33 3 4 7 -2 4 0 0 0 0 27 11.1
PHI R 9 Zubrus, Dainius 39 3 4 7 -2 21 0 1 0 0 36 8.3
PHI D 6 Therien, Chris 32 1 6 7 15 28 1 0 0 0 44 2.3
PHI D 5 *Tertyshny, Dimitri 32 0 6 6 2 18 0 0 0 0 32 0.0
PHI C 11 Daigle, Alexandre 26 2 2 4 -2 2 1 0 1 0 24 8.3
PHI D 24 Dykhuis, Karl 37 2 1 3 -20 22 0 0 0 0 36 5.6
PHI D 22 Richardson, Luke 39 0 3 3 5 56 0 0 0 0 29 0.0
PHI D 44 Babych, Dave 24 0 2 2 1 18 0 0 0 0 31 0.0
PHI R 15 Greig, Mark 2 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 100.0
PHI D 43 *Delmore, Andy M 2 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
PHI D 32 *Bast, Ryan M 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
PHI C 29 Vopat, Roman 26 0 1 1 -3 50 0 0 0 0 13 0.0
PHI D 25 Joseph, Chris M 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
PHI C 14 White, Peter M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
PHI L 40 Zent, Jason M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
PHI L 21 Kordic, Dan M 2 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
PHI C 15 Park, Richard M 4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
PHI R *Bonvie, Dennis 11 0 0 0 -4 44 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
PHO C 97 Roenick, Jeremy 34 15 24 39 11 36 4 0 2 0 90 16.7
PHO L 7 Tkachuk, Keith R 27 17 14 31 20 37 6 0 4 1 81 21.0
PHO R 22 Tocchet, Rick 36 12 14 26 7 77 1 1 2 0 79 15.2
PHO D 27 Numminen, Teppo 36 7 16 23 12 18 0 0 0 1 74 9.5
PHO D 20 Lumme, Jyrki 36 3 17 20 5 20 0 0 2 0 79 3.8
PHO L 17 Adams, Greg 36 8 10 18 -1 14 2 0 2 0 79 10.1
PHO R 11 Drake, Dallas 28 6 12 18 15 36 0 0 1 0 63 9.5
PHO C 36 Ylonen, Juha 36 4 11 15 12 14 2 0 1 0 43 9.3
PHO D 10 Tverdovsky, Oleg 36 5 8 13 8 12 2 0 1 0 50 10.0
PHO C 8 *Briere, Daniel 32 5 4 9 1 8 1 0 2 0 48 10.4
PHO C 21 Corkum, Bob 36 4 5 9 5 9 0 0 0 0 73 5.5
PHO R 19 Doan, Shane 35 1 7 8 -3 33 0 0 0 0 58 1.7
PHO R 16 Isbister, Brad 28 3 4 7 0 41 0 0 2 0 46 6.5
PHO C 14 Stapleton, Mike 35 3 4 7 -4 22 0 1 0 0 34 8.8
PHO D 3 Carney, Keith 36 0 6 6 8 32 0 0 0 0 26 0.0
PHO D 5 Quint, Deron 26 1 4 5 -5 12 0 0 0 0 26 3.8
PHO C 26 Sullivan, Mike 33 2 2 4 -5 10 0 1 1 0 41 4.9
PHO R 15 Cummins, Jim 21 1 2 3 1 90 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
PHO R 23 Leach, Steve 14 0 2 2 -3 11 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
PHO D 4 Diduck, Gerald 33 0 2 2 10 51 0 0 0 0 27 0.0
PHO C 50 *Letowski, Trevor 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
PHO L 29 DeBrusk, Louie M 3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
PIT R 68 Jagr, Jaromir 36 14 36 50 12 34 5 0 3 0 140 10.0
PIT C 82 Straka, Martin 36 19 22 41 12 14 3 2 2 1 90 21.1
PIT C 20 Lang, Robert 36 17 10 27 -5 12 4 0 3 1 79 21.5
PIT C 9 Titov, German 33 5 21 26 9 18 2 0 1 0 56 8.9
PIT C 14 Barnes, Stu 36 14 10 24 -3 10 9 0 2 0 86 16.3
PIT D 4 Hatcher, Kevin 36 6 18 24 12 14 2 1 2 0 72 8.3
PIT R 27 Kovalev, Alexei 31 9 13 22 -3 21 2 0 2 0 68 13.2
PIT C 38 *Hrdina, Jan 36 4 10 14 -5 14 2 0 2 0 38 10.5
PIT D 5 Werenka, Brad 36 3 11 14 13 46 1 0 3 0 38 7.9
PIT R 44 Brown, Rob R 30 4 7 11 -1 8 2 0 0 0 39 10.3
PIT R 95 Morozov, Alexei R 26 5 5 10 6 8 0 0 0 0 40 12.5
PIT C 37 Miller, Kip 33 3 4 7 -4 16 0 0 0 0 38 7.9
PIT D 16 Serowik, Jeff R 26 0 6 6 -4 16 0 0 0 0 26 0.0
PIT D 71 Slegr, Jiri 18 0 5 5 1 45 0 0 0 0 27 0.0
PIT D 47 *Galanov, Maxim 30 3 1 4 2 6 2 0 0 1 27 11.1
PIT D 8 Dollas, Bobby 33 1 3 4 -9 42 0 0 0 0 19 5.3
PIT R 24 Moran, Ian 20 1 1 2 0 19 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
PIT R 25 Kesa, Dan 26 1 1 2 -1 21 0 0 0 1 10 10.0
PIT D 11 Kasparaitis, Darius 26 0 2 2 10 32 0 0 0 0 20 0.0
PIT L 18 Lebeau, Patrick M 8 1 0 1 -2 2 0 0 0 0 4 25.0
PIT D 23 Ignatjev, Victor R 11 0 1 1 -3 6 0 0 0 0 15 0.0
PIT L 12 *Sonnenberg, Martin 6 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
PIT D 6 Wilkinson, Neil 8 0 0 0 -1 9 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
PIT C 29 Wright, Tyler 26 0 0 0 -1 55 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
SJS L 39 Friesen, Jeff 35 11 16 27 -2 12 6 0 1 1 113 9.7
SJS C 18 Ricci, Mike 39 9 13 22 2 24 1 1 1 1 48 18.8
SJS C 19 Sturm, Marco 39 11 10 21 3 32 3 2 3 1 59 18.6
SJS R 17 Murphy, Joe 35 10 7 17 5 20 1 0 1 1 98 10.2
SJS D 2 Houlder, Bill 38 3 14 17 7 24 3 0 0 0 52 5.8
SJS C 14 Marleau, Patrick 39 7 8 15 -2 10 3 0 2 0 53 13.2
SJS R 11 Nolan, Owen 37 6 9 15 -5 60 1 0 0 0 85 7.1
SJS R 21 Granato, Tony 29 6 5 11 3 44 0 1 1 1 54 11.1
SJS D 5 Norton, Jeff 29 1 10 11 4 14 1 0 1 0 41 2.4
SJS L 37 Matteau, Stephane 31 1 10 11 3 45 0 0 0 0 23 4.3
SJS R 22 Stern, Ronnie 37 5 4 9 1 69 1 0 1 0 47 10.6
SJS D 3 Rouse, Bob 39 0 8 8 -1 24 0 0 0 0 48 0.0
SJS L 32 Craven, Murray 29 1 6 7 -2 12 0 0 0 0 35 2.9
SJS C 12 Sutter, Ron 23 3 3 6 -1 36 0 0 1 0 27 11.1
SJS R 15 *Korolyuk, Alex 12 1 5 6 0 10 0 0 0 0 16 6.3
SJS L 26 Lowry, Dave 25 3 2 5 -1 12 0 0 0 1 16 18.8
SJS D 40 Rathje, Mike 39 3 2 5 2 16 1 0 0 0 34 8.8
SJS D 27 Marchment, Bryan 38 1 4 5 -5 69 0 0 0 0 37 2.7
SJS D 10 Ragnarsson, Marcus 31 0 4 4 -1 28 0 0 0 0 27 0.0
SJS D 4 Zyuzin, Andrei M 12 2 0 2 2 10 2 0 0 0 23 8.7
SJS C 8 Skalde, Jarrod M 13 1 1 2 -2 4 0 0 0 1 15 6.7
SJS D 6 *Hannan, Scott M 5 0 2 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
SJS C 9 Nicholls, Bernie R 10 0 2 2 -4 4 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
SJS C 36 Guolla, Steve M 7 1 0 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 18 5.6
SJS R 33 Myhres, Brantt 13 1 0 1 -1 51 0 0 0 0 5 20.0
SJS C 13 Baker, Jamie M 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
SJS D 20 Suter, Gary R 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
SJS R 25 Craig, Mike M 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
SJS L 7 Burr, Shawn M 5 0 0 0 -1 8 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
SJS D 42 *Sutton, Andy 9 0 0 0 -2 12 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
STL L 38 Demitra, Pavol 37 20 22 42 5 8 11 0 6 0 110 18.2
STL D 2 MacInnis, Al 37 11 14 25 13 36 6 0 2 2 135 8.1
STL D 44 Pronger, Chris 33 7 17 24 5 56 2 0 0 0 86 8.1
STL C 77 Turgeon, Pierre R 25 11 11 22 -1 14 2 0 2 1 79 13.9
STL R 48 Young, Scott 35 6 12 18 5 10 2 0 1 0 98 6.1
STL C 22 Conroy, Craig 37 3 15 18 6 18 0 0 0 0 71 4.2
STL L 33 Pellerin, Scott 36 10 5 15 -1 18 0 2 1 0 63 15.9
STL C 32 Eastwood, Mike 37 5 10 15 6 22 0 0 0 0 36 13.9
STL C 25 Rheaume, Pascal 28 5 8 13 9 22 2 0 0 0 35 14.3
STL R 27 Yake, Terry 16 3 8 11 -1 10 2 0 1 0 17 17.6
STL R 10 Campbell, Jim 29 2 9 11 -5 23 0 0 0 0 57 3.5
STL C 26 *Handzus, Michal 37 2 9 11 -7 18 0 0 0 0 50 4.0
STL L 14 Courtnall, Geoff R 21 3 7 10 1 26 0 0 1 0 54 5.6
STL C 15 *Reasoner, Marty M 22 3 7 10 2 8 1 0 0 0 33 9.1
STL L 34 Picard, Michel 22 4 4 8 -4 6 0 0 1 0 23 17.4
STL L 56 *Bartecko, Lubos 12 2 5 7 -1 2 0 0 0 0 13 15.4
STL D 6 Rivers, Jamie 36 0 5 5 1 26 0 0 0 0 37 0.0
STL L 18 Twist, Tony 26 2 2 4 1 89 0 0 0 0 14 14.3
STL R 39 Chase, Kelly 24 1 3 4 3 93 0 0 0 0 11 9.1
STL D 36 Helmer, Bryan 18 0 1 1 4 25 0 0 0 0 23 0.0
STL D 19 McAlpine, Chris 26 0 1 1 -7 30 0 0 0 0 37 0.0
STL D 4 Bergevin, Marc 36 0 1 1 -1 63 0 0 0 0 30 0.0
STL D 20 Poeschek, Rudy 9 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
STL D 7 Persson, Ricard 10 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
TBL L 17 Clark, Wendel 36 18 10 28 -6 18 7 0 1 1 104 17.3
TBL C 21 Janney, Craig 38 4 18 22 -13 10 2 0 0 1 36 11.1
TBL C 16 Tucker, Darcy 40 10 11 21 -19 84 2 2 1 0 89 11.2
TBL R 61 Selivanov, Alexander 37 6 13 19 -9 18 1 0 0 0 106 5.7
TBL D 4 Cross, Cory 38 2 11 13 -16 51 0 0 0 0 53 3.8
TBL C 8 *Lecavalier, Vincent 40 7 4 11 -15 4 2 0 1 0 50 14.0
TBL D 5 Cullimore, Jassen 36 3 7 10 -10 44 1 0 1 0 35 8.6
TBL C 77 Gratton, Chris 36 1 9 10 -11 76 0 0 0 0 82 1.2
TBL R 44 Richer, Stephane 23 3 6 9 -11 8 1 1 0 0 45 6.7
TBL D 23 Svoboda, Petr 30 4 3 7 2 36 1 1 1 0 45 8.9
TBL R 10 McCarthy, Sandy 39 3 4 7 -17 96 1 0 0 0 46 6.5
TBL D 13 *Kubina, Pavel 28 2 4 6 -15 56 1 0 1 0 43 4.7
TBL C 33 Hogue, Benoit 34 2 4 6 -18 30 1 0 1 0 43 4.7
TBL R 34 Andersson, Mikael 33 2 3 5 -4 2 0 0 0 0 37 5.4
TBL L 7 Zamuner, Rob 19 1 3 4 -2 6 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
TBL C 26 Sillinger, Mike 37 1 3 4 -13 10 0 0 0 0 35 2.9
TBL L 47 Peterson, Brent 12 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 28.6
TBL D 23 Sykora, Michal M 10 1 2 3 -7 0 0 0 1 0 24 4.2
TBL C 11 Kelly, Steve 24 1 2 3 -13 19 0 0 1 0 12 8.3
TBL D 2 McBain, Mike 21 0 3 3 -6 10 0 0 0 0 12 0.0
TBL L 62 Nazarov, Andrei 23 2 0 2 -5 31 0 0 0 0 18 11.1
TBL D 55 Bannister, Drew 12 1 1 2 1 18 0 0 0 0 20 5.0
TBL D 28 Samuelsson, Kjell 26 1 1 2 -6 28 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
TBL D 6 Wilkie, David R 13 0 2 2 -2 17 0 0 0 0 10 0.0
TBL C 15 Ysebaert, Paul M 10 0 1 1 -5 2 0 0 0 0 10 0.0
TBL D 71 *Larocque, Mario 2 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
TBL C 12 Cullen, John R 4 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
TBL D 46 Skopintsev, Andrei R 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 7 0.0
TOR C 13 Sundin, Mats 40 13 29 42 6 28 3 0 4 0 123 10.6
TOR L 32 Thomas, Steve 40 15 17 32 8 25 4 0 4 0 111 13.5
TOR R 22 Korolev, Igor 40 10 19 29 10 28 1 0 2 0 54 18.5
TOR L 7 King, Derek 39 15 10 25 5 10 5 0 1 0 82 18.3
TOR R 20 Johnson, Mike 40 13 12 25 10 10 2 3 1 0 88 14.8
TOR C 18 McCauley, Alyn R 35 7 15 22 4 2 1 0 1 0 64 10.9
TOR R 94 Berezin, Sergei 34 12 9 21 10 4 4 0 2 0 106 11.3
TOR L 19 Modin, Fredrik 40 12 8 20 6 20 1 0 3 1 69 17.4
TOR D 36 Yushkevich, Dimitri 36 5 12 17 15 58 2 1 0 0 55 9.1
TOR D 15 *Kaberle, Tomas 38 3 14 17 0 6 0 0 2 0 44 6.8
TOR D Berard, Bryan 31 4 11 15 -6 26 2 0 3 0 72 5.6
TOR D 3 Cote, Sylvain 40 3 12 15 13 14 0 0 1 0 69 4.3
TOR R 28 Domi, Tie 38 4 8 12 0 97 0 0 0 0 35 11.4
TOR L 10 Valk, Garry 38 3 7 10 3 23 1 0 0 0 54 5.6
TOR C 11 Sullivan, Steve 22 2 7 9 2 10 0 0 1 0 35 5.7
TOR D 25 Smith, Jason 39 2 7 9 -9 33 0 0 0 0 40 5.0
TOR D 52 Karpovtsev, Alexander 22 1 8 9 20 18 0 0 0 0 21 4.8
TOR D 38 Tremblay, Yannick 25 1 7 8 2 12 0 0 0 0 30 3.3
TOR L 8 Warriner, Todd 15 3 3 6 2 4 0 0 0 0 27 11.1
TOR C 14 Hendrickson, Darby 27 2 3 5 -1 20 0 0 0 0 26 7.7
TOR D 55 *Markov, Daniil R 22 2 1 3 -2 12 0 0 0 0 11 18.2
TOR L 12 King, Kris 32 2 1 3 -7 51 0 1 1 0 19 10.5
TOR D 2 Eakins, Dallas 17 0 2 2 3 24 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
TOR D 4 Dahl, Kevin M 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
VAN R 19 Naslund, Markus 39 21 15 36 -4 30 9 0 2 0 108 19.4
VAN C 11 Messier, Mark 40 12 24 36 -6 23 4 2 2 0 69 17.4
VAN R 17 *Muckalt, Bill 41 13 12 25 2 38 3 2 1 0 66 19.7
VAN D 2 Ohlund, Mattias 41 5 16 21 -7 61 1 0 1 0 79 6.3
VAN R 89 Mogilny, Alexander 22 4 15 19 4 30 0 2 0 1 36 11.1
VAN D 6 Aucoin, Adrian 41 11 7 18 2 46 8 1 1 0 83 13.3
VAN C 20 Scatchard, Dave 41 8 6 14 0 80 0 1 2 0 82 9.8
VAN C 22 Zezel, Peter R 35 6 7 13 4 16 1 0 2 0 43 14.0
VAN L 9 May, Brad 35 2 11 13 -7 58 1 0 0 0 47 4.3
VAN D 3 Hedican, Bret 40 2 11 13 7 32 0 2 0 1 50 4.0
VAN D 4 McCabe, Bryan 28 4 6 10 -3 64 1 1 0 0 34 11.8
VAN L 8 Brashear, Donald 41 4 5 9 -10 109 0 0 1 0 63 6.3
VAN C 27 York, Harry 22 5 3 8 0 8 1 0 0 0 25 20.0
VAN R 26 Klatt, Trent 40 1 7 8 -1 4 0 0 0 0 40 2.5
VAN C 44 Bertuzzi, Todd R 10 4 2 6 6 8 1 0 1 0 21 19.0
VAN D 36 McAllister, Chris 26 1 1 2 -7 63 0 0 0 1 5 20.0
VAN D 23 Baron, Murray 40 0 2 2 -4 63 0 0 0 0 27 0.0
VAN L 15 *Schaefer, Peter M 8 1 0 1 -5 2 1 0 0 0 6 16.7
VAN D 5 Murzyn, Dana 6 0 1 1 2 17 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
VAN C 14 *Holden, Josh M 11 0 1 1 -3 6 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
VAN D 7 Huscroft, Jamie 19 0 1 1 -3 57 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
VAN L 24 *Cooke, Matt 25 0 1 1 -11 23 0 0 0 0 18 0.0
VAN D 34 Strudwick, Jason 31 0 1 1 -7 68 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
VAN R 25 Staios, Steve 41 0 1 1 -7 52 0 0 0 0 20 0.0
VAN D 18 Robertsson, Bert 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
WSH R 12 Bondra, Peter 36 13 10 23 -2 32 2 2 2 0 150 8.7
WSH C 90 Juneau, Joe 36 7 15 22 -8 16 2 1 2 0 93 7.5
WSH D 6 Johansson, Calle 37 6 10 16 6 20 1 0 2 1 87 6.9
WSH L 23 Bellows, Brian 37 7 8 15 1 14 3 0 1 0 85 8.2
WSH D 15 Mironov, Dmitri 36 2 13 15 0 68 2 0 0 0 71 2.8
WSH C 77 Oates, Adam R 20 6 8 14 -1 6 3 0 0 0 34 17.6
WSH L 13 Nikolishin, Andrei 28 3 10 13 8 10 0 1 0 0 42 7.1
WSH C 22 Konowalchuk, Steve 22 7 4 11 3 10 1 1 1 0 43 16.3
WSH C 28 Black, James 31 5 6 11 6 0 0 0 0 0 46 10.9
WSH R 2 Klee, Ken 34 5 6 11 5 42 0 0 1 0 44 11.4
WSH L 17 Simon, Chris R 23 3 7 10 -4 48 0 0 0 0 29 10.3
WSH C 8 Bulis, Jan 9 4 4 8 4 0 1 0 3 0 17 23.5
WSH D 55 Gonchar, Sergei 23 5 2 7 5 21 3 0 0 0 72 6.9
WSH D 24 Tinordi, Mark 34 0 6 6 -5 77 0 0 0 0 23 0.0
WSH C 20 Pivonka, Michal 8 3 2 5 -2 6 2 0 0 0 13 23.1
WSH L 44 Zednik, Richard R 15 3 2 5 -4 28 1 0 1 0 34 8.8
WSH D 19 Witt, Brendan 30 1 4 5 -1 50 0 0 0 0 21 4.8
WSH L 27 Berube, Craig 34 3 1 4 -6 114 0 0 0 0 24 12.5
WSH L 21 Toms, Jeff 5 1 3 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 20.0
WSH C 26 *Herr, Matt M 18 1 2 3 -2 6 0 0 0 0 21 4.8
WSH D 29 Reekie, Joe 28 0 3 3 3 24 0 0 0 0 27 0.0
WSH C 32 Hunter, Dale 34 0 3 3 -6 68 0 0 0 0 15 0.0
WSH R 34 Svejkovsky, Jarolsav R 7 2 0 2 2 4 0 0 1 0 15 13.3
WSH C 36 Eagles, Mike 18 1 1 2 -1 8 0 0 0 0 10 10.0
WSH D 39 Ciccone, Enrico 20 1 1 2 0 39 0 0 0 0 9 11.1
WSH L 9 Chorske, Tom 15 0 2 2 -3 6 0 0 0 0 24 0.0
WSH L 10 Miller, Kelly 22 0 2 2 -4 4 0 0 0 0 26 0.0
WSH L 18 Halverson, Trevor 2 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
WSH D 39 Poapst, Steve M 1 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
WSH R 14 Augusta, Patrik M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.0
WSH R 14 Lefebvre, Patrice M 3 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
WSH L 48 *Gratton, Benoit M 4 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 3 0.0
WSH D 38 *Baumgartner, Nolan M 5 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
WSH D 3 Malgunas, Stewart M 7 0 0 0 -4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
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Goalie Stats thru January 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TM NO GOALTENDER GPI MINS AVG W L T EN SO GA SA SPCT G A PIM
ANA 31 Hebert, Guy 34 2054 2.22 14 13 7 2 4 76 1062 .928 0 0 0
ANA 30 Roussel, Dominic 7 376 2.23 2 3 1 1 1 14 210 .933 0 0 0
BOS 34 Dafoe, Byron 32 1856 2.10 14 11 6 2 4 65 886 .927 0 2 19
BOS 35 Tallas, Rob 9 518 2.43 5 3 0 1 1 21 219 .904 0 0 0
BUF 39 Hasek, Dominik 35 2030 1.92 20 7 6 0 7 65 1026 .937 0 0 6
BUF 30 Roloson, Dwayne 5 218 3.03 1 3 0 1 0 11 103 .893 0 0 2
CGY 40 Brathwaite, Fred 2 119 1.01 1 1 0 0 1 2 56 .964 0 0 0
CGY 30*Moss, Tyler R 11 550 2.51 3 7 0 0 0 23 295 .922 0 1 0
CGY 31 Wregget, Ken R 11 632 2.85 3 5 2 1 1 30 301 .900 0 0 4
CGY 47*Giguere, Jean-Seba R 15 860 3.21 6 7 1 2 0 46 447 .897 0 1 4
CGY 35 Trefilov, Andrei 5 186 4.84 0 4 0 0 0 15 104 .856 0 0 0
CGY 1*Garner, Tyrone 3 139 5.18 0 2 0 0 0 12 74 .838 0 0 0
CAR 1 Irbe, Arturs 28 1645 2.15 12 9 5 2 5 59 798 .926 0 0 4
CAR 37 Kidd, Trevor 16 844 2.70 6 7 2 2 1 38 381 .900 0 0 0
CHI 30 Fitzpatrick, Mark 16 848 2.62 3 6 4 1 0 37 421 .912 0 0 2
CHI 41 Thibault, Jocelyn 28 1612 2.75 9 15 3 3 2 74 807 .908 0 0 0
COL 33 Roy, Patrick R 26 1551 2.28 10 12 3 2 2 59 671 .912 0 0 20
COL 30*Denis, Marc 4 217 2.49 1 1 1 0 0 9 110 .918 0 0 0
COL 1 Billington, Craig 14 702 2.99 7 6 0 1 0 35 308 .886 0 0 2
DAL 1 Turek, Roman 11 614 1.86 6 1 2 1 0 19 244 .922 0 0 0
DAL 20 Belfour, Ed 30 1693 1.91 19 6 4 0 3 54 638 .915 0 0 8
DET 38*Maracle, Norm 10 522 2.30 4 2 2 1 0 20 241 .917 0 0 0
DET 30 Osgood, Chris 31 1774 2.71 16 15 0 3 2 80 830 .904 0 0 4
DET 31 Hodson, Kevin 2 99 3.64 0 1 0 0 0 6 41 .854 0 0 0
EDM 35 Shtalenkov, Mikhail 28 1513 2.62 10 13 3 2 2 66 653 .899 0 0 2
EDM 30 Essensa, Bob 18 906 2.65 6 6 2 1 0 40 415 .904 0 1 0
FLA 31 Burke, Sean 26 1555 2.55 11 7 8 0 0 66 700 .906 0 2 6
FLA 1 McLean, Kirk 13 772 2.80 3 7 2 0 1 36 364 .901 0 0 0
LAK 35 Fiset, Stephane 11 625 1.82 5 4 1 1 1 19 310 .939 0 0 0
LAK 1*Storr, Jamie 15 843 2.42 8 6 1 1 2 34 392 .913 0 0 2
LAK 32*Legace, Manny M 16 859 2.58 2 9 2 5 0 37 415 .911 0 1 0
LAK 31*Bach, Ryan 2 88 4.77 0 2 0 0 0 7 60 .883 0 0 0
MTL 31 Hackett, Jeff 29 1666 2.70 10 12 6 4 0 75 756 .901 0 0 6
MTL 60*Theodore, Jose M 14 751 3.20 3 9 0 1 0 40 327 .878 0 0 0
NSH 30*Mason, Chris 1 20 0.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1.000 0 0 0
NSH 1 Dunham, Mike R 20 1121 2.94 9 9 1 0 0 55 625 .912 0 0 4
NSH 29*Vokoun, Tomas 15 763 3.15 5 6 3 1 0 40 408 .902 0 1 4
NSH 35 Fichaud, Eric 9 447 3.22 0 6 0 1 0 24 229 .895 0 0 0
NJD 30 Brodeur, Martin 32 1946 2.44 18 9 5 3 2 79 794 .901 0 2 0
NJD 31 Terreri, Chris 6 358 3.02 4 2 0 0 0 18 133 .865 0 0 0
NYI 35 Salo, Tommy 31 1829 2.62 12 17 2 3 5 80 818 .902 0 0 10
NYI 1*Cousineau, Marcel 6 293 2.87 0 4 0 0 0 14 119 .882 0 0 0
NYI 30 Flaherty, Wade M 8 348 3.62 1 4 1 2 0 21 169 .876 0 0 2
NYI 55 Potvin, Felix 5 299 3.81 3 2 0 1 0 19 142 .866 0 0 0
NYR 39*Cloutier, Dan 11 532 2.37 3 3 2 0 0 21 269 .922 0 0 0
NYR 35 Richter, Mike 33 1895 2.72 13 14 5 4 3 86 896 .904 0 0 0
OTW 31 Tugnutt, Ron 21 1212 1.73 11 5 3 2 1 35 508 .931 0 0 0
OTW 1 Rhodes, Damian 22 1150 2.71 10 8 2 0 1 52 490 .894 1 0 4
PHI 34 Vanbiesbrouck, John 29 1719 1.92 13 6 8 1 3 55 612 .910 0 1 8
PHI 27 Hextall, Ron 12 668 2.34 7 3 2 0 0 26 262 .901 0 0 0
PHO 35 Khabibulin, Nikolai 26 1500 1.96 15 7 3 0 3 49 672 .927 0 0 4
PHO 28 Waite, Jimmy 12 684 2.37 6 3 2 0 1 27 297 .909 0 0 2
PIT 35 Barrasso, Tom 23 1260 2.29 12 6 3 1 2 48 527 .909 0 3 20
PIT 30*Aubin, Jean-Sebast M 9 309 2.52 3 1 1 0 1 13 112 .884 0 0 0
PIT 1*Skudra, Peter 12 623 2.99 4 3 3 1 1 31 258 .880 0 0 0
SJS 31 Shields, Steve 14 818 2.05 3 5 4 0 1 28 348 .920 0 0 2
SJS 29 Vernon, Mike 27 1565 2.53 9 12 6 1 2 66 660 .900 0 0 6
STL 30*Parent, Rich M 2 85 2.12 0 0 1 0 0 3 28 .893 0 0 0
STL 29 McLennan, Jamie 22 1191 2.27 9 9 3 2 2 45 414 .891 0 0 0
STL 31 Fuhr, Grant 18 979 2.64 6 4 5 0 1 43 362 .881 0 0 4
TBL 1*Bierk, Zac M 1 59 2.03 0 1 0 0 0 2 21 .905 0 0 0
TBL 93 Puppa, Daren R 13 691 2.87 5 6 1 1 2 33 350 .906 0 1 0
TBL 32 Schwab, Corey 9 518 3.59 2 7 0 2 0 31 291 .893 0 0 4
TBL 30 Ranford, Bill 21 1149 3.76 2 14 2 1 1 72 628 .885 0 0 2
TOR 31 Joseph, Curtis 32 1927 2.65 18 12 2 1 1 85 902 .906 0 4 0
TOR 30 Healy, Glenn 3 179 2.68 2 1 0 0 0 8 83 .904 0 0 0
VAN 31 Hirsch, Corey 13 567 2.65 3 4 2 0 1 25 260 .904 0 0 0
VAN 30 Snow, Garth 36 1903 3.00 11 18 3 3 2 95 952 .900 0 1 12
WSH 40 Rosati, Mike M 1 28 0.00 1 0 0 0 0 0 12 1.000 0 0 0
WSH 31 Tabaracci, Rick 11 597 2.21 2 5 2 0 1 22 277 .921 0 0 0
WSH 37 Kolzig, Olaf 29 1600 2.63 11 15 1 2 3 70 698 .900 0 0 19
Stats provided by Brad Murray. To subscribe to the free NHL boxscore or
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