* * * * * SPECIAL DARCY TUCKER TRIBUTE ISSUE * * * * * _ _ _ _ | | ____ __ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY ================================================================ Five Star - ELECTRONIC EDITION - * * * * * ================================================================ Issue 115 March 10, 1999 317,000 bytes ---------------------------------------------------------------- Visit us on the web at http://www.lcshockey.com/ for all your hockey needs... not really. To subscribe/unsubscribe from the LCS Hockey mailing list contact zippy@lcshockey.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Darcy Tucker Is Awesome ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell Welcome to LCS Hockey's Darcy Tucker Tribute Issue. It's no secret that we love ourselves some Darcy Tucker. But we don't think he's getting the attention he deserves from the mainstream media. That's why it's our duty to take the word to the streets. We're hoping that this very special tribute issue will help raise Darcy Tucker awareness and bring our newest cult hero closer to you, our valued readers. Often described as the next generation Dale Hunter, Tucker is a fiery competitor that shows up every night for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's a driver. He's a winner. With Darcy at the helm, and promising youngsters Vincent Lecavalier and Pavel Kubina following his lead, things are gonna change for the Bolts. I can feel it. Despite his lack of size (he's listed at a generous 5'11, 182), Darcy is fearless. He battles on every shift. Whether it means dishing out punishment or taking some for the team, there's nothing Tucker won't do to help his club win. And if things get chippy, Darcy will be the first to drop the gloves and throw. Say when. That's all you gotta do. Say when. But don't think he's just a scrapper. Tucker's got skills. He's scored at every level and there's no reason to believe he can't enjoy similar success in the big show. While this is technically his third full season in the NHL, it's really his first campaign as a headliner after serving a limited role during his first two years in Montreal. Darcy currently has 15 goals and 32 points in 63 games for the Lightning. Those numbers will only improve in the future. I think Tucker could be a 20-goal, 60-point guy as early as next season. So, Darcy, if you're readin', don't make me look stupid, dude. Tucker's points are all the product of hard work. He never takes the easy way out. He goes to the net, digs the corners, mixes it up with the big boys, and bangs away. Once he claws his way into the open, Tucker has enough talent to finish the play. It's his ability with the puck that will make him more than just a grinding third-line center. A year or two down the road and the Bolts could have a fearsome one-two punch in the middle with Lecavalier and Tucker. A natural leader, there's no question Tucker will be the captain one day for the men with lightning bolts on their pants. He's already worn the C at times this season and it won't be long before it's welded to his chest. It's Tucker's unbridled intensity that makes him so damn special. The guy can be flat out scary at times. Push him too far and Darcy will snap in the gulliver and go Clockwork Orange. Fearless, tough, talented... Darcy Tucker is just everything a hockey player should be. So please, do yourself a favor and start watching Darcy Tucker. He's earned our respect and he deserves yours as well. Together we can make a difference. I don't even know what that means. Oh yeah, it turns out our tribute is well timed. Darcy's birthday is March 15. He'll be 24. That's right, I'm actually 26 days older than Darcy Tucker. Man, that hurts. You realize how brutal it is to find out that you're older than one of your favorite hockey players? I mean, what the hell have I done with my life? There's Darcy, a month younger than I am, and he's playing in the NHL with lightning bolts on his pants. Meanwhile, I take great pride in being able to rattle off all 43 original episodes of "Columbo" in less than a minute. There's something wrong. Where am I going? What am I doing? Darcy's out scoring goals and busting heads in the best hockey league in the world, and I'm stuck sitting in front of a keyboard making obscure references and lame jokes for the "enjoyment" of literally dozens of people. When am I gonna start living my life? When am I gonna make my mark on the world? Today, that's when! This is the first day of the rest of my life! Nothing will ever be the same from this day forth! And I owe it all to the inspiration of Darcy Tucker. If he can do it, so can I, damn it! So can I! But I don't know, it's kind of cold outside. It's been snowing all day. And I chill easily. Plus, you know, I think there's a new episode of "NewsRadio" on tonight. Come to think of it, what's the rush? Van Gogh didn't start to paint until he was 27. Hell, Miguel de Cervantes didn't write "Don Quixote" until he was like in his 60s or somethin'. I could pretty much piss away the next 30 years and still beat him. Whatever. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the tribute issue and takes it to heart. All hail Darcy Tucker. Darcy Tucker is good. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CREDITS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Zippy..................................Computer Boy Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter Matthew Secosky......................Mr. Enthusiasm Nicole Agostino.......................Got Me Ripped Alex Carswell.................Anaheim Correspondent Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent Matt Barr.....................Buffalo Correspondent John Alsedek..................Calgary Correspondent Chris Schilling..............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 Vacant.....................New Jersey Correspondent David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent Gregg Jensen..................Rangers Correspondent The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents Eric Meyer...............Philadelphia Correspondent Bob Chebat....................Phoenix Correspondent Jerry Fairish..............Pittsburgh Correspondent Tom Cooper..................St. Louis Correspondent AJ DaSilva...................San Jose Correspondent Seth Lerman.................Tampa Bay Correspondent Jonah Sigel...................Toronto Correspondent Jeff Dubois.................Vancouver Correspondent Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent Tricia McMillan...................AHL Correspondent Peter Farkasovsky.....................Correspondent Howard Fienberg.......................Correspondent ----------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Hockey - Issue 115 - March 10, 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? ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Darcy Tucker Interview ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Seth Lerman Darcy Tucker brings a flash of light to what many consider a team in transition. Barring some unforeseen miracle, the Tampa Bay Lightning will finish with the worst record in the National Hockey League for the second consecutive year. However, all is not lost. As coach and general manager Jacques Demers constantly reminds us, the future of the franchise is in the young talent which he has assembled. This talent base includes Tucker. Following a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on February 24, Tucker reflected on the perils of playing for a franchise which has clearly had its share of problems, both on an off the ice. "It's especially tough when we play well like we did tonight," said Tucker. "We have too many bad breaks. It's the way it's been going for us all year. "It's maddening. As a team, we lose too many games." Losing is not something which Tucker is accustomed. After winning three Memorial Cup Championships as a member of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens with their sixth-round selection (151st overall). For a young player who has consistently been with storied franchises, the move to Tampa could have been detrimental to his growth as a player. However, Tucker views playing for the Lightning as an honor, and hopes to still be a part of the team when it achieves success. "It's been tough, a learning experience, that's how I am taking it," said Tucker. "I could look at it as a disappointment, but I'd rather look at it as a learning experience. I am a young guy and maybe I need to go through this or the team needs to go through this and when we play in the Stanley Cup finals, it'll make it all the more sweeter for us." This is Tucker's third season in the NHL, and already he is being viewed as a team leader. When Rob Zamuner, the Lightning's captain, went out of the lineup with a groin injury, Tucker wore the "C" in his absence. He refuses to get down on the young players. "They're learning. You have to remember we're a young team. Sometimes young players try too hard, and when they do that, the over exuberance causes them to make mistakes. I went through the same thing when I played in Montreal. When I was there I made a lot of mistakes from trying too hard, making the fancy play, and it cost us. We have to keep it simple. We'll go through more tough times as we get better." On the ice, Tucker plays with a great deal of enthusiasm. At the time of this writing, he is second on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 17 assists, and first in penalty minutes with 141. He is most often remembered for a fight last season with Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis, a long-time nemesis. "Darius plays the game with a lot of passion, the same as I do," said Tucker. "I study the game of hockey and work hard. I'm a little more of a fighter; he's more of a hitter and gets under people's skin, but he is not willing to drop the gloves. Fighting is part of the game, and it's something I enjoy. We got into a fight last year because he was going after people's knees. I had to teach him a lesson - and I did. "I am a feisty guy, a competitor and that's part of the game, getting involved and being involved in the game. I don't take too many minor penalties. Most of mine come from fighting or roughing. I am not a fancy guy who will make an unbelievable pass; I will make my points from going to the net." Off the ice, Tucker considers himself a quiet, family-man. He and his wife, Shannon, expect their first child at the end of March. His wife is the sister of Montreal's Shayne Corson, who is considered by Tucker to be as close as a brother. As for their on-ice battles, Tucker said that is out of the question. "Me and Shane have a working agreement to keep our sticks down and our heads up," said Tucker. "We love each other like brothers; we are both competitors. We are both family-oriented. He gave his sister away when we got married. It was a great day because their father passed away in 1993 and he went through a hard time, and for him to give his sister away was a big honor. "I am starting a family now. My wife is having a baby. The due date is the 21st of March. That's kind of taking up all of my time. I'm not the kind of guy that has a hobby or anything. Once in a while, I'll play some golf. Other than that, I have a cottage in Ontario in the summer time. I'll go on the boat and relax, spend time with my family and enjoy the off-season." For the third season in a row, the Lightning will miss the playoffs. But for now, the players are concentrating on finishing the season strong. In one four-game stretch, they defeated the Coyotes, Flyers, and Avalanche, all of whom are considered to be in the running for the Stanley Cup. "We seem to get up for those games, that's when we play the best; we have something to prove," explained Tucker. "It's kind of nice to see the guys play well together and hustle as we did tonight (2-1 victory over Colorado)." Asked how he felt on being the centerpiece of a tribute issue, Tucker replied: "It's very nice, especially for me. I came a long way to get to where I am today. It's been a long hard road. I'm a small guy that never really was given a chance to fulfill my dream when I was younger. At every level they said I was not good enough to play at the next level. It's really gratifying for me to feel that people recognized how hard I work out there. I love the game and it's something that's never going to diminish." ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Darcy Tucker File ---------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey Here are the basics on Darcy Tucker. Read them. Share them. But above all, commit them to memory. Born: March 15, 1975 in Castor, Alberta Height: 5'11 Weight: 182 Position: Center Number: 16 Shoots: Left Drafted: Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the sixth round (151st pick) of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Became a Bolt: Acquired by Tampa Bay along with Stephane Richer and David Wilkie in exchange for Patrick Poulin, Mick Vukota, and Igor Ulanov on January 15, 1998. CAREER STATS Regular Season Year Team League Gms G A Pts PIM 91-92 Kamloops WHL 26 3 10 13 42 92-93 Kamloops WHL 67 31 58 69 155 93-94 Kamloops WHL 66 52 88 140 143 94-95 Kamloops WHL 64 64 73 137 94 95-96 Fredericton AHL 74 29 64 93 174 Montreal NHL 3 0 0 0 0 96-97 Montreal NHL 73 7 13 20 110 97-98 Montreal NHL 39 1 5 6 57 Tampa Bay NHL 35 6 8 14 89 Total 74 7 13 20 146 98-99 Tampa Bay NHL 63 15 17 32 141 Playoffs Year Team League Gms G A Pts PIM 91-92 Kamloops WHL 9 0 0 1 16 92-93 Kamloops WHL 13 7 6 13 34 93-94 Kamloops WHL 19 9 18 27 43 94-95 Kamloops WHL 21 16 15 31 19 95-96 Fredericton AHL 7 7 3 10 14 96-97 Montreal NHL 4 0 0 0 0 CAREER NOTES Won three WHL championships with Kamloops (1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95), and shares the CHL record for most titles. Won Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (1993-94). Led the 1994-95 WHL playoffs in scoring (16-15-31 in 21 games). Named to Canadian Hockey League All-Star first team (1993-94). Named to Western Hockey League All-Star first team (1993-94 and 1994-95). Named to Memorial Cup All-Star team (1993-94 and 1994-95). Won Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Trophy (1995-96). Played first NHL game on January 13, 1996 (St. Louis). Recorded first NHL assist on December 11, 1996 (Buffalo). Scored first NHL goal on March 29, 1997 (Los Angeles - Byron Dafoe). Won LCS Hockey's Darcy Tucker Award (1997-98) for being the best Darcy Tucker he could be. Currently engaged in a blood feud with Darius Kasparaitis. PERSONAL NOTES Darcy is married. His wife, Shannon, is the sister of Shayne Corson. Makes off-season home in Endiang, Alberta. Name rhymes with "bad mother (sunshiner)." Would one day like to meet LCS Hockey editor-in-chief Michael Dell and buy him several rounds in thanks for this swell tribute issue. ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Kids Love Darcy Tucker ---------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey (EDITOR'S NOTE: Um, we asked a bunch of area school kids to draw pictures of Darcy Tucker. But if you want to see 'em, you're gonna have to visit the web site. Really, would it bust your ass to go to the web site? C'mon!) ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Darcy Tucker Song ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Matthew Secosky (EDITOR'S NOTE: Um, guess what? Matthew wrote a song about Tucker, but to hear it you'll have to visit the web site. Live with it.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- How to Make a Darcy Tucker Puppet ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell (EDITOR'S NOTE: THis article is much funnier if you could actually see the picture of the Darcy Tucker puppet. But to do that you'll have to visit the web site. Don't be scared to pick up on that pattern.) Everyone loves puppets. I know. I asked. Now you can have the fun and excitement of puppetry in your own home. Follow these simple instructions and you'll be able to make your own Darcy Tucker puppet! NEEDED SUPPLIES * One small brown paper bag * Crayons * Needle and thread * Two popcycle sticks * Three buttons of varying sizes * Scotch tape * Glue * One pint of human blood (optional) * And an imagination! DIRECTIONS Step One: Darcy Tucker wouldn't be Darcy Tucker without a swell Tampa Bay Lightning jersey. Using your crayons, color in the jersey of your choice on the front of the brown paper bag. I chose the away sweater, since Tucker isn't scared to go into somebody else's barn and embarrass them in front of their family and friends. And it should really go without saying, but the bottom of the bag is the puppet's head. That way you can stick your hand up the puppet and move its head and say things like, "Hello, I'm a puppet." Step Two: Choose the two buttons you want to use as eyes and glue them in place. I decided to go with one large button and one small button to help depict the crazed look Tucker often uses to his tactical advantage. Step Three: Glue the remaining button in place for the nose. Step Four: Once again using your crayons (is there anything they can't do?), draw in a mouth at the edge of the bag's overlapping flap. I was originally going to sketch a menacing snarl on my puppet to help bring Tucker's blazing intensity to life. But I instead elected to go with a cheerful smile, perhaps capturing the very moment Tucker heard about our tribute issue. Step Five: Tape the popcycle sticks to the sides of the bag to give your puppet arms. After all, how could Tucker beat the opposition senseless without arms? Step Six: Your puppet may look a little too nice at this stage of its construction. So we have to do something to make it look mean. Thread the aforementioned needle with the color of your choice, I would recommend basic black, and give your puppet a few well-earned stitches. You can place them anywhere on the face, but alongside the right eye is probably the most aesthetically pleasing. Step Seven (optional): This step is optional, depending on how mean you want your puppet to look. But to capture the true spirit of Darcy Tucker, splash a healthy dose of blood all to and fro across the puppet's face and jersey. Make it fun. Step Eight: Enjoy your Darcy Tucker puppet! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Point/Counterpoint - Who's Coller: Kasparaitis or Tucker? ---------------------------------------------------------------- You Can't Spell Kasparaitis Without C-O-O-L by Michael Dell Let me just start by saying that I love Darcy Tucker like a brother. A brother I've never met or spoken with, but a brother nonetheless. Hell, it was my idea to do this whole tribute issue. So I refuse to make fun of him. Usually in these point\counterpoint things I help build my case by ripping the subject of the opposing view to shreds with a series of sarcastic statements and caustic quips. But not today, my friend. I have come not to bury Tucker, but to praise Darius Kasparaitis. The competition for the title of the Coolest Player in the NHL is clearly a two-man race between Darcy and Kaspar. No one else is even close. They could both start listening to The Backstreet Boys and watching Jay Leno and they'd still be a country mile ahead of the pack. But as cool as Tucker is, and Don Knotts knows he's cool, even he is no match for Kasparaitis. The Wacky Lithuanian is something special. When exploring Kaspar's coolness, it's perhaps best to start with the obvious: his name. Darius Kasparaitis. It just drips coolness. In fact, wasn't that the name of the James Bond villain in "From Russia with Love"? Of course, it also sounds a little bit like some sort of liver ailment. "Yeah, the doctor says I have to give up the sauce. He says I got a touch of the Darius Kasparaitis." It's a name with character. There's no forgetting Darius Kasparaitis. You may not know how to spell it, but you won't forget it. Meanwhile, my name sounds like the kid you don't remember going to high school with. Aw, it still hurts. But I digress... Then there's his sweater. Darius wears the number 11. And, as we all know, that's the sign of Cullen. Need I say more? When it comes to the actual game itself, there's no denying that Darius is a world-class defenseman. A ferocious body-checker, Kaspar leads the NHL in hits per game (3.6). And a Kasparaitis hit isn't just your average check. Oh no. Of his 173 credited hits this season, a good 120 were probably of the highlight variety. He puts more people out than an anesthesiologist. Kasparaitis is simply the best hitter in hockey. A very compact 5'11, 209 pounds, Darius generates his destructive power thanks to enormous leg strength. He just drives right through guys, exploding at the moment of impact. It's a beautiful thing to watch. From a safe distance, that is. Kasparaitis checks come in a variety of forms. There's the "You're an idiot so I'm gonna knock you the (sunshine) out" check. This occurs when opposing forwards have the audacity to look down at the puck while being on the same side of the ice as Darius. Not a good idea. Kaspar's not scared to step up and lay the smack down with the People's Shoulder. The most famous example of this would be the colossal collision with Eric Lindros last spring that left the Philadelphia captain a broken man. It was, and still is, the biggest hit ever witnessed by man or chimp. Kaspar knocked Lindros the (sunshine) out. That doesn't happen every day. Then of course there are the numerous grinding checks along the boards in the defensive zone. Because of his powerful legs, Darius doesn't need to build up momentum to deliver a punishing blow. Somebody will dig a puck free from the wall and try to cycle low, Darius takes one step and it's lights out. And heaven help the poor soul that tries to beat Darius to a puck dumped into the Penguin zone. He'll race right alongside and let the guy think he has a play before reminding him what life's all about. The most recent example happened this past week when the Montreal Canadiens came to town. The workers at the Civic Arena are still trying to scrape Vincent Damphousse off the boards. But by far, Kasparaitis is most feared for his devastating hip checks. Anyone trying to go wide on Kaspar is begging to get wrecked. Observing Darius throw a hip check is a wondrous thing. One gets the sensation of witnessing an animal stumble into a steel trap. Before they realize they're in danger, it's too late. The jaws have snapped shut. Once Kaspar makes up his mind to go for the hip check, there's nothing his prey can do. It's automatic for the people. He lulls his quarry to sleep by innocently backing off the blue line and opening an inviting lane down the boards. Once the bait is taken, Darius squats down, somehow manages to accelerate while looping sideways, and thrusts his hip into the helpless victim. From there it's a one-way ticket to Palookaville, with great passing scenery of the ice, the ceiling, and the ice. Some people complain about Darius going after their knees, but they're just punks. It's a clean check. If you're not man enough to risk a cripplin', then don't go down the wall. It's all part of the game. While his physical play overshadows all else, people often neglect the rest of Kaspar's game. Sure, he may shoot worse than the Apple Dumpling Gang, but Darius is an excellent skater that moves the puck extremely well. He'll never be a serious point producer, but that's not his job. He's the very definition of a defensive defenseman. He hits everything in sight, blocks shots, works the front of the net, and is usually smart in his own zone. Okay, so he's made his share of mistakes, but who hasn't? I know I've made mine. The last one about five weeks ago. Aw, it still hurts. But I digress... Like any great athlete, Darius has a flair for the dramatic. He'll come through with the big play when his team needs it most. If the Pens are sagging, rest assured that Kaspar will make something happen. It takes but one Kasparaitis check to turn a game around. He's provided so many sparks over the years that Smokey the Bear once tried to beat him to death with a shovel. When Petr Nedved made his return to the Civic Arena as a member of the New York Rangers, guess who was there to welcome him? First shift. Nedved tried to find the puck in his skates along the right wing of the Ranger zone. Trouble. Darius stepped up and drilled him to the ice with considerable malice. The Igloo crowd went crazy go nuts. The fans wanted a pound of flesh. Kaspar gave it to 'em. That's just the kind of guy he is. Aside from holding out like a crybaby, the easiest way to get on Kaspar's hit list is to mess with one of his teammates. Take liberties with another Bird and it won't be long before your next of kin gets a phone call. Darius is all about standing up for his teammates. On January 30, Boston's Rob Dimaio made the unfortunate mistake of running Alexei Kovalev into the boards from behind. Kovalev had gone back to touch up an apparent icing, but the stripes blew the call. Dimaio never slowed down and plowed the unsuspecting Russian winger into the backboards. Kaspar was not amused. From that point on Dimaio could have replaced his jersey's spoked-B with a bull's eye. He didn't finish the game unscathed. Kaspar saw to that, rocking Dimaio with a devastating open-ice hit. When Kasparaitis goes out for revenge, he does it with hard, clean checks. He doesn't hide behind the stick. He doesn't run people from behind. The biggest misconception about Kaspar is that he's a dirty player. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've never once seen him use his stick on an opponent. Everything is with the body. Kaspar will never pass up an opportunity to finish a check. It doesn't matter the score or the time of the game, Darius is gonna deck ya. He just doesn't quit. He's a competitor. He'll do whatever it takes to win. If that makes him dirty, then every player in the NHL should be so filthy. Need proof of his toughness and commitment to the team? Darius has played the entire year with a torn ACL in his right knee. I'll repeat that. Darius has played the entire season with a torn ACL. That's pretty damn cool. He originally suffered the injury in a preseason contest and was expected to undergo season- ending knee surgery. But Darius wasn't goin' out like no punk. Most mortal men would have had the surgery and sat back and collected a paycheck for the next six months. Not Kaspar. He fought through the pain and was back on the ice after missing a mere eight games. Sadly, Kaspar recently re-injured his right knee in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. The knee was badly swollen and everyone feared the worst. But Kaspar didn't care. After one day he gave the crutches back to the trainers. Even after an MRI revealed more damage had been done to the knee, Kaspar insisted that he wouldn't be gone long. He's going to rehab for a week and then see how it feels. Aw, that's just Kaspar being Kaspar. Needless to say, if he's forced to have surgery the Pens are beat. See, all of the above would be more than enough to make Kasparaitis the coolest player in the NHL, but there's more. Oh, there's more. The thing that places Kaspar in his own stratosphere of coolness is his sense of humor. He brings the comedy. Earlier in the season I reported how the Penguins took a bunch of area kids shopping for winter clothes. For those that missed it, Darius stole the show, pulling off the always popular pretend- the-little-boy-asked-for-high-heeled-shoes gag. It was classic. Then about a month ago the club held a "Skate with the Pens" event that allows fans to take the Civic Arena ice with their heroes. The kids all flocked to Darius. Then they all got whacked. Whenever an equipment-clad youngster approached, Kaspar swatted them away or bumped 'em to the ice with a hip check. They got up, he knocked 'em down. A good time was had by all. Kaspar also isn't scared to speak his mind in the papers. He tells it like it is. With the Penguin forwards refusing to get the puck deep during a recent losing skid, Darius only half- jokingly said that he'd start hitting his own teammates if they didn't quit turning over the puck. The club responded with a win the next night. And we can't dismiss the fact that Darius is currently engaged in a blood feud with Darcy Tucker. Anyone crazy enough to mess with Tucker is Alaska cool. Don't even front. Don't even Wu-Tang Clan me. Darius Kasparaitis is the coolest hockey player... IN THE WORLD! I could go on singing Kaspar's virtues for hours, but now's the time to yield the floor to my esteemed adversary. Jim? Tucker Spells Coolness by Jim Iovino Delly, you ignorant slut. How could you possibly say Darius Kasparaitis is the coolest player in the National Hockey League in the LCS Hockey Darcy Tucker tribute issue? That's just wrong. The whole idea behind the Darcy Tucker tribute issue is to worship Darcy Tucker, not to explain, in horrific detail, the coolness of Darius Kasparaitis. Sure, Kasparaitis is cool and all, but if it wasn't for Tucker, Kaspar's rating wouldn't be as high as it is. Was it not Tucker who goaded Kaspar into that classic battle during the Pens-Lightning game earlier this season? It was. Who else would Kaspar have gone up against - a little rich boy like Vincent Lecavalier? Sure, the first-round pick will take on Ottawa's Marian Hossa, but I highly doubt it he'd pick a fight with Kaspar. Kaspar has his cool moments, but so does Tucker. Remember that week early in the season when Darcy seemed to score seven goals in a row by crashing the net, running over a goaltender and knocking the puck across the goal line all in one motion...that was great, that was fun. You'd have to watch some old-school hockey games on ESPN Classic to find exciting action like that. Tucker is old school. He's not flashy. He's not a show off. He's just a pure hard-nosed, grind-it-out hockey player. You know, Delly, it's the little things in life that go unnoticed, yet are so important. Little things like taking a hit to make a play. Or going into the corners and mucking it up along the boards to win the puck. Or picking up the toilet seat when you go to the bathroom and putting it back down when you're done so your girlfriend doesn't yell at you when you come out. Tucker does all of those things well. He's just that kind of guy. But doing the little things means you never get as much attention as you would if you scored a hat trick. Or if you knocked the opposing team's top center out of the lineup for 17 games after catching him with his head down coming through center ice and laying him out with a solid shoulder to the noggin. Any great player in the game could do that. But to put in the same workman-like effort night in and night out and being a team player takes more concentration -- more skill, if you will -- than most players are willing to put forth. Darcy Tucker is willing to do that for his team -- even if his team is the lowest-rated in the National Hockey League. These are tough times for anyone on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster, Tucker included. But you don't see him whining or complaining about wanting out. You don't see him coasting through the regular season dreaming of the vacation time he'll soon be having. Tucker continues to work hard. He's setting an example for his teammates. He's setting an example for kids across America. And he's setting an example for you and me. If that isn't coolness, Michael Dell, then I don't know what is. Thank you and good night. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Fleury Finds a New Home ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Jim Iovino Almost once a year a National Hockey League team partakes in a ritual called Rent-A-Player. The San Jose Sharks did it several years ago with no success. They sent three players to Chicago for unrestricted free-agent-to-be Ed Belfour with hopes of signing the goaltender to a long-term deal before season's end. However, the Eagle decided to migrate South over the summer for a chance to win the Stanley Cup in Dallas. The Sharks were left for dead with nothing to show for their efforts to improve their goalie situation. But those are the risks involved with trading for unrestricted free agents late in a season. The Colorado Avalanche is the latest team to rent a player. The Avs acquired Theo Fleury, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, from the Calgary Flames along with left winger Chris Dingman for Rene Corbet, Wade Belak, a draft choice and future considerations. Unlike the Belfour trade, which eventually hurt the Sharks, the Fleury trade ultimately could do more harm to the Calgary franchise than Colorado. Even if Fleury decides to jump ship after the season and sign somewhere else, the Avalanche still has a solid nucleus to build off of. The Flames, on the other hand, do not. A Sad Day in Calgary Fleury was the heart and soul of the Calgary franchise. His energy lifted the team, and its fans, when times were tough. His skill kept the team respectable even when it looked more like a minor league franchise than an NHL squad. And Fleury's desire, courage and insatiable urge to win and succeed made him the No. 1 player in the hearts of fans in Calgary and throughout the rest of North America. Fleury stands just 5 feet, 6 inches tall. But even at that height, he meant more to the Flames than any other player to their respective teams in the league. Now that he's gone, no one is quite sure how much longer the team can remain in Calgary. There was a time when the Flames were one of the best teams in the NHL. That wasn't very long ago. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Calgary fielded one of the most skilled teams in the league with the likes of Fleury, Al MacInnis, Doug Gilmour, Gary Suter, Hakaan Loob, Mike Vernon, Gary Roberts, Joel Otto and Joey Nieuwendyk. Slowly, however, the economics of the NHL became too great for the Flames to handle. Great players left the team for bigger contracts elsewhere. And when they left, no one was signed to take their place. The Flames fell lower and lower in their division, and it got to the point where the 1989 Stanley Cup champions struggled just to make the playoffs by the mid-90s. Fleury was there through it all. He was a rookie when the Flames won the Cup in 1989. While his game matured and he rose through the ranks of hockey's elite, the teams he played for became less and less talented. Fleury became frustrated. He was mad that he couldn't carry the team by himself. Fleury might be small in size, but he carried the weight of the franchise on his shoulders. And a lot of times that weight dragged him down. At one point Fleury turned in his captaincy because the pressure was too great on him to continue to try and play like he knew he should. He couldn't be a good role model when the frustrations of losing continuing to build. At times Fleury needs to release that pressure. He felt guilty doing it, however, when he knew his teammates and the entire city of Calgary was looking at him for positives and a sign that things were going to be all right. As his teammates continued to exit stage left, Fleury remained a Flame. He loved the city. He loved the atmosphere. He loved the people. And everyone loved Theo. The mutual admiration kept Fleury in Calgary for much longer than people thought. Somehow the Flames scraped together enough money to sign him to a new deal several years ago that paid him $2.5 million a year. There's no doubt that the franchise could hardly afford a salary like that, but the Flames couldn't afford to lose Fleury, either. That's what made it so tough for the Flames to deal their star last week. That was why there were special sections dedicated to the Fleury trade in all the local Calgary papers. Fleury was the Flames. Without him, the fans have no one to rally around. No one to peg their hopes on for a brighter future. Without Fleury, the Flames franchise will probably be moved in a few seasons. The money problems that necessitated the Fleury trade will also necessitate the move of the franchise to a bigger market. Avalanche of Talent Perhaps it's ironic that Fleury was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche itself moved to Denver from a small-market region, Quebec. The Nordiques, an original member of the World Hockey Association, were forced to move because of the economics of the NHL. Since moving to Colorado, the Avalanche has turned into one of the best teams in the league. They've been able to succeed for such a long time because they have the capital to re-sign their star players. Team captain Joe Sakic almost left several years ago as a free agent. The Avs have also tried to lock up other key members like Patrick Roy. The plan is for Sakic, Roy and the rest of the team to talk Fleury into remaining in Colorado for more years to come. First up, however, are the 1999 playoffs and Stanley Cup. The addition of Fleury to an already powerful lineup makes the Avs a front-runner for another Cup run. In Fleury's first game, he teamed up with Sakic, who is a close friend, and Peter Forsberg on a line. Not too shabby. When Fleury was traded, he was already the sixth-highest scoring player in the league. He did all of that in Calgary without a superstar to pass to or give him passes. Imagine him now on a line with a Sakic, Forsberg or Kamensky. The possibilities for success are endless. The Avs are hoping Fleury will like the skill level in Colorado so much that he won't want to leave after the season. They will be talking contract with Fleury's agent during the rest of the season with hopes of signing him before July 1, when he officially becomes an unrestricted free agent. Colorado paid a high price for Fleury's services. If Fleury doesn't sign a new contract with the Avs, that price will seem even higher. To get Fleury, Colorado had to give up two current team members: Corbet, who was a third-line player but has the potential to do more; and Belak, who could become a hard-nose defenseman if he stays away from injuries. The Flames will also receive a draft pick and future considerations. The draft pick will be a second rounder if the Avs don't re-sign Fleury; a first rounder if they do. The future considerations could be the most important part of the deal as far as the Flames are concerned. The Avalanche reportedly offered Calgary one of four top prospects in the Colorado organization. All four were drafted this past year. The prospects are: Martin Skoula, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenceman who was chosen 17th overall. Robyn Regehr, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound defenceman who was chosen 19th overall. Scott Parker, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right winger who was chosen 20th overall. Ramzi Abid, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right winger who was chosen 28th overall. The Flames had 30 days from the time of the trade to choose the player they wanted. As of now, it looks like Calgary will take Regehr, who is described as an Adam Foote-type defenseman. Skoula, who is a teammate of Flames prospect Daniel Tkaczuk, is also a possibility. He has more offensive skills than Regehr, but is also solid defensively. If you haven't seen him in action yet, Parker is a future enforcer who has already seen action in the NHL. Abid needs work on his skating before he's to be considered a tremendous prospect. No matter who the Flames get, he probably will not be able to take the place of Fleury. And for all intents and purposes, the prospect chosen probably won't play his career in Calgary. Fleury didn't want to leave Calgary, but he explained that the business of the game forced him to. The Flames didn't want to trade Fleury, but they, as well, blamed the economics of the game. Inevitably, the Flames won't want to leave Calgary, but once again, economics will be to blame. It is a sad sight for the National Hockey League, but Fleury's situation is just the tip of a Canadian iceberg that won't melt until small-market teams like Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa get pushed out of the game by the almighty American dollar. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Selanne Has Ducks Soaring ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Peter Farkasovsky In some professions, being the sixth fastest won't get you much recognition. Have you ever heard of Slappy's House of Cold Pizza? I rest my case. In the NHL, however, being the sixth fastest to 300 goals is something to quack. . .er, crow about. That's just what Teemu Selanne, the flashy winger for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, achieved late last month against the San Jose Sharks in just his 464th game. Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Brett Hull, Mike Bossy and Jari Kurri have gotten there faster. You know, that's not bad company -- Hall of Fame company, to be exact. "It's an honor to be one of those guys," says Selanne. "It's a nice honor to score 300 goals, but I didn't really even think about that too much. I just try to do my job and the goals are there when I'm playing well." Saying that Selanne and the Ducks are playing "well" right now would be an understatement -- kinda like saying Michael Jackson likes kids -- as they are breaking more records than bikers at a Disco-Must-Go Rally. The Ducks went 10-3-0 in February, setting club records for wins and points in a month. A victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday gave the Ducks a seven-game win streak, also a club record. In that same game, Selanne broke the club points streak record by contributing an assist in the first period. The Finnish Flash tallied 12 goals and 13 assists in 13 games during the Ducks' record-setting month of February. With numbers like that, the league should've given him something -- and they did, naming him NHL Player of the Month. I was thinking of something like a gift certificate to Giant Eagle or a free oil change, but the employee of the month thing isn't bad either. Let's face it, the guy has rocket speed, a cannon shot, pin-point accuracy and more moves than a bowl of Jell-O in an earthquake. Those qualities have been evident throughout Selanne's NHL career and even right from the beginning as he lit the lamp 76 times his rookie season, breaking Mike Bossy's record of 52 goals by a rookie. Selanne was traded to Anaheim in February of 1996 to help star left winger Paul Kariya bolster a sagging offense. Both have been central to Anaheim's success; however, in years past, if either or both didn't have a good game the Ducks had little chance of winning. This season, the Ducks have had more balanced scoring from their second and third lines. "They really have supported us," says Selanne. "There are a lot of nights that our line hasn't played as well as we wanted, and we got some help from the other lines. That's a big thing." Huge when a team is preparing for a playoff run. Usually by April, Selanne is known as the "Finished Flash," as he has been in the playoffs only twice. But the Ducks are in fifth place in the Western Conference and are looking towards their first playoff appearance since the 1996-97 season, and their second berth ever. Another reason for the Ducks' emergence has been a healthy Paul Kariya, who missed most of last season because of a contract dispute and injuries. Improved team chemistry and work ethic are others, says Selanne. "I think one of the biggest things is we have so much consistency and the difference between the good game and bad game; the gap is really small. So, that's what really makes our team so much stronger than before." ---------------------------------------------------------------- Silver Spoons Forever ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell Every person's life has a defining moment for which they are remembered above all else. For some this happens in high school with the crown of Home Coming Queen or the title of football hero. I always thought it would be pretty terrible to peak in high school; to be through at 18. That's why I'm pacing myself. At my current rate of progress, I should be a somebody by the time I'm 63. Let's hope. Probably the only thing worse than having all of life's glory in high school is reaching such status at a younger age. Do something memorable as a kid and you're pegged for life. For instance, take child actors. Think Emmanuelle Lewis is ever going to shake the Webster label? Yeah, good luck. Or how about Urkel? That kid might as well close the garage door and start the car. It's over. But there are a few exceptions to the rule. Every so often someone will come along with the ability to reinvent themselves, allowing them to excel and achieve fame on separate occasions for uniquely different tasks. The year was 1982. A 12-year-old teen heartthrob by the name of Ricky Schroder burst upon the scene with a starring role in the NBC sitcom "Silver Spoons." Schroder portrayed Ricky Stratton, a rich kid that lived with his dad in an enormous mansion that featured, among other things, full-sized arcade games and a miniature locomotive capable of transporting people all through the house. It wasn't long before the blond-haired, blue-eyed Schroder became a fixture on teen magazines and a hot topic among junior high school girls. All the attention was fine when he was 12, but trying to shed his Ricky Schroder, teen icon, persona proved to be quite painful once "Silver Spoons" finished its run in 1987. It would have been easy for Schroder to pack it in and live off his past glory while settling into the life of an everyman. But he strived for more. He dropped the "y" from his first name and began pursuing harder, more dramatic roles. The transformation was completed this fall when he made his triumphant debut on ABC's "NYPD Blue." No longer riding around his living room on a train, Ricky, excuse me, Rick Schroder now gets to bust heads on the mean streets of New York as detective Danny Sorenson. Jimmy Smits who? Schroder does such an excellent job that it's almost impossible to imagine anyone else as the partner of Andy Sipowicz. It's amazing, really. His past is buried. His future bright. But Schroder is not alone in his staggering accomplishment. There's a young man in Denver, Colorado, looking to follow in his footsteps. In 1989, two years after "Silver Spoons" died, little Chris Drury helped lead his team from Trumball, Connecticut, to the Little League World Series championship. Drury was the winning pitcher in the deciding game and will forever be immortalized in the minds of those who, you know, actually give a rat's ass about little league baseball. I'm not sure who that is exactly, but I'm sure they exist. Reaching such lofty heights at a tender age could stunt one's personal growth. Drury could have easily rested on his laurels and the years would have passed with a blur. One day he's striking out some kid from Taiwan, the next he's a 47-year-old bag boy at the local supermarket that likes to go to bars alone and tell whoever will listen about the time he, well, struck out some kid from Taiwan. But Drury wasn't satisfied polishing his own "Silver Spoons." He wanted more than a momentary train ride through the living room of life. He wanted to be a hockey player. While Drury's interest in baseball faded in high school, his love of hockey grew. With his older brother Ted, who currently plays for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, acting as a role model, Chris applied himself to the game on frozen pond and was rewarded with a four-year scholarship to Boston University for his efforts. He also caught the eye of the Colorado Avalanche, who drafted him in the third round of the 1994 Entry Draft right out of high school. Drury thrived at BU, leading the Terriers to an NCAA title, finishing as the school's all-time leading scorer (116 points), and winning the Hobey Baker Trophy in his senior year. He enjoyed such success that the temptation to leave school early and make a bid for the NHL was quite enticing. But Drury remained loyal to his school. He had an obligation to fulfill. And he's a man of his word. "After my junior year, there was a real good possibility [to leave school]," said Drury. "I was thinking about it, talking about it with my family and my coaches. But, you know it just didn't feel right. My gut feeling was to go back for my senior year. I felt I signed and accepted a four-year scholarship at BU, and I wanted to honor that commitment." With his college career complete, and the Hobey Baker to his name, Drury made his way to training camp in Colorado this past fall with hopes of making the big team. It wouldn't be easy. The Avalanche were already three deep at center and boasted a roster with such superstars as Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Patrick Roy. That's a tough situation for any rookie. And Drury admits that at first it was a bit overwhelming. "You can watch them on TV all you want, but when you sit in the same room with them it's a little different," explained Drury. "After the first day, I realized they're just normal guys like you and me, they tie their skates the same way, tape their stick the same way. They're just great guys who are exceptional hockey players." Once he relaxed, Drury was able to impress the Avalanche coaches enough with his speed and competitive nature to earn a spot on the opening day roster. "I didn't really know what to expect," said Drury, thinking back to the early days of training camp. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be on the team from the start, if I was going to spend the whole year, half year in the minors. I didn't know what they had planned for me. "I knew a lot of it was going to depend on how I adjusted. I'd say the biggest adjustment has been life-style change, moving to a new city. Obviously, it's a big difference than college. There's no homework. You're not surrounded by your friends and family. You're kind of off on your own, starting a new thing. That was probably the biggest difference for me." Drury's adjustment was made somewhat easier by the presence of another talented rookie, Czech winger Milan Hejduk. Both youngsters have injected the Colorado offense with two things it desperately needed: speed and enthusiasm. Perhaps sensing their importance to the future of the team, the Avalanche veterans have welcomed Drury and Hejduk with open arms. "I think all the veterans have handled myself and Milan really well, knowing it's our first year, trying to include us in everything at home and on the road," said Drury. "They've all just been real terrific about it." Of course, Drury had a slight edge over Hejduk when it came to adjusting to life in the NHL. Whenever Chris needed some advice, all he had to do was look to big brother Ted. "My brother has helped me a ton," claimed Drury. "He didn't really just say one thing, or a few things to get me ready. It's probably been just leading by example, just over the years, watching him play in the league, just learning how to keep myself healthy, get the proper rest away from the rink so you do have some energy down the stretch here and for the playoffs." At 5'10, 180 pounds, Drury's biggest asset as a player is his speed. He has exceptional quickness and can dart all over the ice. However, speed alone wouldn't keep him in Colorado. All the skating in the world doesn't mean a damn thing if you can't finish. Drury knows how to finish. He currently has 15 goals and 35 points in 62 games, tying him with Vancouver's Bill Muckalt for the lead among rookie scorers. Drury, 22, hasn't had the benefit of playing on one of Colorado's top two lines this season. That honor has gone to Hejduk, the more natural shooter and compliment to the likes of Sakic and Forsberg. Drury, who enjoys taking the body and playing a physical game for his size, has found his niche playing the left wing on the third line with Stephane Yelle at center and either Shean Donovan or Shjon Podein on the right side. The rookie uses his speed to forecheck hard and create havoc while never neglecting the defensive responsibilities that often come along with a third-line role. That's what makes Drury so special. He has the talent of a top flight scorer but also is willing to do the dirty work on a third line. He just loves to compete. He's an intense kid. It's a quality that he shares with first-year Avalanche coach, Bob Hartley. Drury has found playing for Hartley to be quite the experience. "It's pretty intense," admits Drury. "That's probably one word I can describe him. Every game, every practice, you got to come to work and show him that you want to be out there." The wear and tear of an NHL season, not to mention the stress involved, took its toll on Drury early in the season. "I'd say probably around the 20-, 25-game mark, I felt a little sluggish, a little tired," recalled Drury. "But coach Hartley and our strength coach Skip Allen sat me down, worked some things out. I lost four or five pounds at that point. Started riding the bike, doing some extra skating. Since then, I've really felt great, feel light, have lots of energy." The Avalanche will be counting on that energy to help spark their Stanley Cup run. Drury could prove to be such a vital cog in the club's success that the Calder Trophy might become a natural byproduct. If it happens, great. If not, no big thing. Drury has his priorities in the right place. "I think there are too many things going on right now with our team, worrying just about winning hockey games than to get caught up in an individual award," said Drury. Yes, Chris Drury is an adult now. His childhood days are behind him. He's no longer the lad with the fastball capable of sitting down Asian kids one, two, three. Drury is a hockey player now. He's an NHLer. That's what should be remembered. And never call him Ricky. All together now... "Here we are, face to face, a couple of Silver Spoons. Hoping to find, we're two of a kind, making a go, making it grow. Together, we're gonna find our way, you and I. Together, takin' the time each day, to learn all about those things you just can't buy. Two Silver Spoons together, you and I. Together, we're gonna find our way, you and I. Together, we're gonna find our way, you and I. Together." ---------------------------------------------------------------- "The New Boys Are Coming In On The 4:15 Bus!" ---------------------------------------------------------------- by John Alsedek First, about the title...it's actually a line from that quintessential hockey film, 'Slap Shot,' and was made in reference to the acquisition of the Hansen Brothers. I had considered using a line of Paul Newman's - "Why, every piece of garbage that comes on the market, you just gotta buy it!"- until I realized that: a) it's pretty much impossible to not take a comment like that the wrong way; and b) LCS is a family web site, albeit in a 'The Hills Have Eyes' sort of way. I take the time to mention this only because Ripple isn't getting any cheaper, and LCS pays by the word...oh. Crap. Never mind. Anyway, we're less than two weeks away from that annual rite of spring, the NHL trading deadline (March 23rd, for all you anal retentive date-stickler sorts out there). Most years, one or two major deals might go down, but mostly the deadline is just a chance for teams to dump salaries and swap minor-leaguers. Not this year, though - Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix has guaranteed that. He's a long way from being the genius that he thinks he is, but give Lacroix credit for making things a heap more interesting going into the playoffs. With the Avs having dealt for fiery winger Theo Fleury (about which you can read more on LCS's wizard Flames page, written by that hockey genius and shameless self-promoter John Alsedek), they've effectively challenged the rest of the potential Cup challengers to put up or shut up. With that in mind, here's more than a half-dozen (seven, to be exact) trade-deadline deals that might happen, as well as the likely results thereof. Now, bear one thing in mind as you read: I don't have access to any more info than the rest of you. I just have the basics - print reports, NHL 2Nite, spy satellites, bugs in executive washrooms, ninja infiltrators, the usual. Okay, now you can go on. 1) RW Theo Fleury & LW Chris Dingman to Colorado for LW Rene Corbet, D Wade Belak, and future considerations Yeah, I know - this one already happened. However, it's worth mentioning anyway, just because of what it represents. When Pierre Lacroix dealt Rene Corbet, a top prospect, and a second-rounder to the Flames for what will likely be a short-term rental on Fleury, he sent a message in big bold letters - LIKE THESE - to the rest of the NHL: this is COLORADO'S year! Of course, if he doesn't fill his club's biggest need - another defenseman (besides Sandis Ozolinsh) who can actually do something with the puck besides dump it into the offensive zone, it WILL be Colorado's year...to find a new GM. Los Angeles blueliners Steve Duchesne and Garry Galley ain't gonna get any more available; he could probably squeeze Vladimir Malakhov outta the Habs for the right price. Can an amped-up Avs squad win the Cup? Sure, but only if Patrick Roy plays a heckuva lot better than he did last year. 2) LW Wendel Clark to Dallas for LW Brendan Morrow & a 2000 2nd-round pick Colorado thrusts, Dallas parries. A recent spate of injuries has exposed potential areas of weakness in the Stars lineup, specifically on defense and left wing. As a result, Bob Gainey picked up warhorse Doug Lidster - who played for the Canadian National Team earlier this season - to add some depth on the blue line. And as for the port side...Gainey is doubtless looking for someone who fits the Stars mold: tough, skilled, hard-working, injury-prone...did someone say Wendel Clark (I mean, you know, besides me)? If they don't get Clark, look for Dallas to make a big push for Broadway Adam Graves. Now, you'd think that sort of addition, combined with an already potent offense and arguably the best two-way defensive corps in the league would equal Stanley Cup. I'm not so sure, though, and the reason can be summed up in two words: Ed Belfour. If he plays at his bellyflopping, slashing best, the Stars make it past the Avs to the Finals. If he plays at his bellyflopping, slashing worst, they're out in the second round. 3) D Ulf Samuelsson to Detroit for future considerations The Wings thought they'd filled their need for a top-four blueliner over the summer when they signed Uwe Krupp. Unfortunately, as long a reach as the 6'6" Krupp has, it's not quite long enough to reach from the IR. So Detroit is still looking for a mobile, two-way defenseman - but then, who isn't? They'll doubtless be ringing Rangers GM Neil Smith about Mathieu Schneider, but, with the Rangers still in the hunt for a playoff berth, they're gonna have to settle for the dastardly Swede. It's a good deal for both teams; Samuelsson's not gonna be playing for a while (concussion), but Detroit won't care as long as he's ready for the playoffs. Just what the tried-and-true future considerations consists of will show who's the slicker manager - Detroit will probably want to unload Aaron Ward and a draft pick, while the Rangers will want prospect Jesse Wallin. The Wings would be well-advised to hold onto Wallin: to the disappointment of octopus-mongers in the Motor City, the Wings are going out in the second round no matter what. 4) C Alexei Zhamnov to Toronto for a players/futures combination Every hockey pundit and his dog (or cat) have Dougie Gilmour and Chris Chelios being traded by the Hawks for futures. I don't. Chicago already has plenty of kids - now they just need to do something besides underachieve. Besides, someone has to bring the younguns along. However, one guy who has definitely worn out his welcome (besides owner Bill Wirtz and GM Bob Murray) is Alexei Zhamnov, nicknamed 'Archie' for his red hair, freckles, and salary of about two hundred g's per goal. Toronto's Mike Smith was with the Winnipeg Jets organization when they drafted Zhamnov, and is nonetheless interested in acquiring him. In all fairness to Zhamnov, he's a tremendously skilled player who often looked ill at ease in Chicago's dump-and-chase system; the Leafs' run-and-gun offense should be much more to his liking. Who will the Hawks get in return? Maybe wild card '98 draftee Nikolai Antropov and a player like Alyn McCauley or Todd Warriner - two guys waving red flags for entirely different reasons. With an honest to goodness second-line center and Cujo's usual acrobatics in goal, look for Toronto to make some real noise in the East - as in second-round noise. 5) RW Mark Recchi to New Jersey for LW Brian Rolston & D Brad Bombardir As I said earlier, all that loose talk about Gilmour being traded to an Eastern team is gonna come to naught. The prime candidate is supposedly New Jersey, but it's just not the sort of deal that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello likes to make. Besides whatever bad blood there may be between 'Killer' and Lamoriello, it's just not Lou's style. He prefers the low-cost (well, lower-cost) short-term rentals - like the deal he made to get Gilmour in the first place. Anyway, the last thing the Devils need is another center: they've already got eight natural centers on their roster. No, what they really need is a goal-scoring right winger who also knows his way around his own end, and who's an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Enter Mark Recchi. The Habs have a number of needs - depth at center, tough wingers, stay-at-home d-men - and, as usual, the Devils have enough talent in the minors to stock a second NHL team. If it isn't Rolston and Bombardir who get dealt, it'll be guys like them. Will Recchi be enough to get the Devils back to the Finals? No, but at least they won't go out in the first round like they would without him. 6) C Stu Barnes & D Bobby Dollas to Florida for D Jaroslav Spacek, a 2000 first-round pick and futures I just can't figure the Florida Panthers. Just look at their collection of forwards. They've got the three S's: speed, skill, and, uh, grit. Only one problem: beyond Pavel Bure, nobody on the roster shows all three on a regular basis. Given the Russian Rocket's ongoing knee problems, the Cats desperately need another player of that ilk - particularly if they plan on actually making the playoffs this year. Fortunately for Miami's hockey faithful, ownership has shown a willingness to spend spend spend, and there's a guy available who fits the bill...a guy they already know. Need a hint? Playing in a STU-pefying situation in Pittsburgh, he has been STU-pendous, and Florida GM was STU-pid for trading him in the first place. Yep, I'm talking Stu Barnes. He's become something of a spare part in Steeltown - more because of his salary and the arrival of Alexei Kovalev than any drop in his performance - and could be had for the right price. Florida also needs help on defense; they're likely to get a guy like Dollas or Wilkinson as a throw-in, but they could also end up with Kevin Hatcher if they're really willing to pay through the nose. If the Panthers make the playoffs (a big IF) and Bure stays healthy (another big IF), Stu and the boys could go all the way back to the Conference Finals and be a regular whirligig of fun to watch on the way. 7) D Boris Mironov to Philadelphia for F Dainius Zubrus, G Jean-Marc Pelletier, and other stuff To say that the Flyers have underachieved recently is like saying that Rembrandt van Rijn painted pictures, or that Anheuser-Busch brews beer; it's an accurate statement, but one which gives you no sense of scale. Having lost to such league powerhouses as Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, Philly hasn't even looked like they should be in the playoffs, let alone winning Lord Stanley's Cup. Nevertheless, I'm picking the Flyers to wake up from their malaise and win that big hunk o' silver, because I think Bob Clarke is gonna say "To hell with the future!" and make moves for this year. They'll go after - and maybe acquire - former Flyer Mark Recchi, which would be a big help. However, their big move is going to be to get what every team seems to need - a tough, mobile defender who can play both ends well. The one guy available who really fits the bill is Edmonton's Boris Mironov, who turned a lot of heads and crunched a lot of bodies in last year's playoff series versus the Avs. He's still playing well, but is up for a new contract over the summer and is likely to be asking for $4 million per - a little rich for the Oilers' blood, particularly as their blue line is already loaded with younger, cheaper prospects. Both New Jersey and Florida have expressed interest in obtaining him, but the Flyers are the only ones who have the commodity Edmonton needs most - a hot goalie prospect who's just about NHL-ready. 'Slats' has also been interested in 20-year-old Zubrus for the past two years, and could always use a draft pick or two (as long as he promises not to use them on any guy named Jason). Heck, he might even take back slow-but-steady (emphasis on the slow) defenseman Luke Richardson if Philly eats half his contract. Sound like overpaying? Well, yeah...but hey, it's a seller's market. Yeah, but it'll be worth it if the Flyers can manage to win another Cup before the fans get into lynch-mob mode - and, given the temperament of Philly's fans, that won't be long. But wait! There's more! Yep, we at LCS just give and give and give till it hurts. So here's a bonus for both of you loyal readers (thanks Mom and Dad)... 8) C Andrew Cassels to Buffalo for W Matthew Barnaby and future considerations News flash: the Sabres need scoring. Darcy Regier may still think he's gonna get Doug Gilmour by offering Motormouth Matthew Barnaby, but he'll eventually wise up and go after a reasonably-priced substitute: soon-to-be UFA Andrew Cassels. Cassels, as you may recall, was Geoff Sanderson's favorite center back when he was Geoff Sanderson. Given that the Coyotes and Rangers have also inquired about the Flames pivot, the price may go up from what the Sabres want to pay (Barnaby, Derek Plante) to something the Flames might actually want (Vaclav Varada, Erik Rasmussen). Most likely, they'll meet somewhere in between - Barnaby and a high draft pick, plus another pick if Cassels signs with the Sabres over the summer. If he can get Sanderson scoring like he did for Dickey the Whale, it'll be worth it. Otherwise, it's the Sabres out by Game Six of the second round. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Chimp Bytes: General NHL News and Notes ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Zippy, Wonderous Chimp Islanders send Lachance to Habs The Islanders confused everyone once again when they traded defenseman Scott Lachance to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday for a third-round pick in the 1999 entry draft. Lachance, who was chosen fourth overall in the 1991 entry draft, played all 450 of his NHL games on Long Island and had 26 goals, 79 assists and 348 penalty minutes. I think Lachance summed it up best when he said, "I'm a little confused and a little shocked... a third rounder won't help (the Islanders) for four, five years." Pens ex-owner may owe $45 million A former owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins could owe the bankrupt team's banks $45 million, according to documents filed in bankruptcy court. Lawyers for current Penguins co-owner Roger Marino said the documents indicate that former co-owner Morris Belzberg guaranteed loans that banks made to the team. Belzberg is one of the original partners of Penguins co-owner Howard Baldwin and retains a stake in the team. Two-ref system to be used in playoffs The NHL likes the two-referee system so much that Tuesday it decided to employ it throughout the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs. "The general managers and governors of our clubs were overwhelmingly in support of the two-referee system for use in the playoffs," NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. "When the system was phased in during the regular season, the games had a quicker pace, interference was reduced and improper conduct behind the play was controlled." 1999 Women's World Hockey Championship UNITED STATES 11, SWEDEN 0: Cammi Granato and Katie King each scored two goals as the United States outclassed Sweden 11-0 and co-favorite Canada routed Germany 13-0 Tuesday in the fifth women's world hockey championships. Also scoring for the Americans were Angela Ruggiero, Jenny Schmidgall, Stephanie O'Sullivan, Karyn Bye, Sue Merz, Tricia Dunn and Krissy Wendell. Group A GP W L T Pts. GF GA United States 2 2 0 0 4 21 2 Sweden 2 1 1 0 2 14 1 China 2 1 1 0 2 4 5 Russia 2 0 2 0 0 4 13 Thursday's Group A games Russia vs. Sweden United States vs. China Tuesday's Group A results China 3, Russia 2 United States 11, Sweden 0 Monday's Group A results United States 10, Russia 2 Sweden 3, China 1 Group B GP W L T Pts. GF GA Canada 2 2 0 0 4 23 0 Finland 2 2 0 0 4 16 0 Switzerland 2 0 2 0 0 0 17 Germany 2 0 2 0 0 0 22 Thursday's Group B games Switzerland vs. Germany Canada vs. Finland Tuesday's Group B results Canada 13, Germany 0 Finland 7, Switzerland 0 Monday's Group B results Canada 10, Switzerland 0 Finland 9, Germany 0 Friday's placement games B3 vs. A4 A3 vs. B4 Saturday's semifinal games B1 vs. A2 A1 vs. B2 Sunday's games 5th/6th place - Winner B3/A4 vs. Winner A3/B4 Bronze Medal - Loser B1/A2 vs. Loser A1/B2 7th/8th place - Loser B3/A4 vs. Loser A3/B4 Gold Medal - Winner B1/A2 vs. Winner A1/B2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- AHL News ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Tricia McMillan Player of the Week (Feb. 21): As a whole, Fredericton goalie Jose Theodore is not real happy about being in the AHL. But he had to be pleased for at least this week, as he went 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA, a .962 save percentage and a shutout for the baby Habs and that was good enough for some hardware. Theodore had a 41 save blanking of the Falcons and held his own against Hartford to give the Canadiens a perfect week on the road. Player of the Week (Feb. 28): He has the award, but still hasn't been online. Portland's Jean-Pierre Dumont won the POTW for the second time this year, and again the Blackhawks yanked him out of the AHL just before he could do the POTW online stint. Dumont scored four goals and added three assists in the Pirates' two games during the week, both of which they lost. Dumont is now third in rookie scoring and second in rookie goal-scoring, having topped the 30 goal mark, and has a seven game goal-scoring streak alive. Rookie of the Month: Weren't we just talking about him? That would be the Pirates' Dumont, who picks up this award as well. Dumont had a total of 16 points in eight games during February, with 11 goals and five assists. Only Jason Podollan has scored more goals this season. Dumont has also finally taken the lead in rookie power play goals with 12, an honor that had been held by Martin Sonnenberg for two months after his recall to the NHL. Dumont won't be adding to his totals though, he's back in Chicago. Goaltender of the Month: Nothing like perfection to get noticed. Providence's John Grahame was 8-0-0 for the month, posting a 2.82 GAA and an .890 save percentage in the nine games he appeared in. While Grahame was yanked from one game, the P-Bruins came back to win and get him off the hook. Grahame hasn't lost a game since December 26, with 16 straight wins despite the occasional mid-game departure. Plus/Minus Player of the Month: The overall leader in plus/minus this season is a Providence Bruin, Antti Laaksonen. The winner of the monthly award for February is a Providence Bruin, but not Laaksonen. Terry Virtue wins the award after posting a +15 in 13 Bruins games during February. That brings Virtue's overall rating to +30, still behind Laaksonen's +34. The Battle For Quebec: After the failure of the Nordiques and the Rafales, one would think Quebec City and Le Colise‚ wouldn't be attractive to a new team. Instead, two groups fought over who gets to put an AHL team there. Jean-Paul Boily's group was the first interested and had strong backing from the Ottawa Senators, with whom they had completed an affiliation deal. Polls indicated about two-thirds of the fans in QC would support a Senators farm team there. Conversely, Jacques Tanguay's group didn't get an agreement with Montreal until late February and the fans haven't gotten over their dislike for the Canadiens. But Tanguay is close to a deal with Molson for sponsorship and already owns a Le Colise‚ tenant, the Quebec Remparts. Once the agreement with Montreal was set, Tanguay got his team and Freddie lost theirs, apparently guaranteeing the AHL will be in Quebec City next season. The Senators have already started their next plan for the dormant franchise they own - a farm team in the Corel Centre. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, the Adirondack Red Wings are toast. The ownership group of both the Detroit and Adirondack Wings is in the process of building a nice new arena in Rossford, a suburb of Toledo, and will move the baby Wings there as soon as the arena is finished. That could be as soon as 2000-2001. That would also put the Red Wings' AHL and ECHL affiliates in the same city. Could be interesting to see which one draws better. Messin' With Success: Two teams that had a good thing going in the net voluntarily ended it. The only goaltender who's been healthy or consistent for Portland all season is Joaquin Gage, who also happened to be the only Portland goaltender not under contract to Washington. Gage was released when the other goalies were finally healthy, but fear not, he landed with the Providence Bruins. Yes, that is correct. The Boston Bruins, seeing the sterling tandem of Jim Carey and John Grahame in net, and seeing how Carey was in the top five in most AHL goaltending categories, put him on waivers and bought out the last two years of his contract. Carey was signed by the goalie-short St. Louis Blues hours after clearing waivers. And The Rest...: Hartford's Vladimir Vorobiev had a twelve game point streak... Cincinnati set a franchise record for attendance Feb. 21, drawing 8,241... The second overtime game under the new rules featured the first four-on-three power play - and it resulted in a win for St. John's, as Lonny Bohonos' power-play goal in overtime put them up over Fredericton 3-2 on Feb. 22... The next night the two teams repeated their performances, with St. John's picking up a 5-4 victory in OT this time. Jason Podollan finished a hat trick 1:46 into overtime for a win and his AHL-leading 38th goal... Saint John picked up a 5-2 win against Lowell Feb. 23 as Greg Pankewicz had two goals and an assist... While Adirondack's ECHL acquisition Xavier Majic had been racking up the assists, he didn't get a goal until Feb. 24. That was the game-winner for the Red Wings, who defeated Springfield 4-3... Another OT game in the new system and another decision. Albany beat Syracuse 3-2 on a Richard Rochefort goal early in overtime on Feb. 24... Landon Wilson scored two goals but it was Shawn Bates' unassisted shortie that was the game-winner as Providence knocked off Hartford 6-5 Feb. 24. The Bruins spotted the 'pack three goals before mounting a comeback... Fredericton came out ahead of Saint John Feb. 25 by a score of 5-2, with Scott King picking up three points... Kentucky picked up several protests of their 'Wieners on Ice' intermission promotion on Feb. 26. Apparently a lot of people thought having a half dozen dachshunds 'race' was cruel. There were no protests lodged against the second intermission baby race, however, and both promotions went on as scheduled... Mark Greig registered a hat trick plus an assist as the Phantoms defeated Adirondack 5-2 on Feb. 26. Peter White assisted on all of Greig's goals, plus scored one of his own... Also notching a hat trick that night was Providence's Shawn Bates, who scored two of his shorthanded as the baby Bruins also won by a 5-2 score over Worcester... Kentucky's dachshund race went off without a hitch, but the game was hitched by Springfield's Joe Dziedzic who scored two goals as the Falcons beat their hosts 4-2... Hamilton won their fourth straight on Feb. 26, beating Syracuse 4-2 as Craig Millar had a three point night for the Bulldogs... For the second time in a week, the Albany River Rats defeated Rochester by that all popular score of 4-2 on Feb. 26. Eric Bertrand scored two for the Rats... Cincinnati defeated Hershey 2-1 compliments of Ivan Ciernik's successful penalty shot against David Aebischer... Another 2-1 score Feb. 27 as Fredericton's Jose Theodore was less than three minutes away from blanking the Maple Leafs... Another day, another hat trick. Saint John's Hnat Domenichelli picked up one and Chris Clark added his own pair as the Flames beat Portland 6-3. Martin St. Louis set up all of Domenichelli's goals... Hershey won over Kentucky in overtime 5-4 Feb. 27 on Mike Gaul's OT winner. Chris Armstrong and Christian Matte had three points each... Providence finally lost a game, just their third in thirty games, when Lowell beat them 3-1 on Feb. 27... Cincinnati was also an overtime winner, getting a goal in the first minute of OT from Jeff Winter to top Springfield 3-2 Feb. 27. It was Winter's first point of the season... Scott Roche came close to a shutout but settled for a mere 5-1 win over Hartford Feb. 27... A wild one between St. John's and Portland Feb. 28, as seven goals were scored in the third period. The Leafs' four goals gave them the 7-5 victory... Hamilton's Mike Minard joined the team Jan. 27 when Tim Thomas quit. Minard won his fourth straight game for the Bulldogs Feb. 28, stopping 48 of 50 shots... Philadelphia thought they were going to win. Kentucky had other ideas and scored two late goals for a 3-3 tie, keeping the T-Blades one point ahead of the Phantoms. Steve Guolla set up all of Kentucky's goals... Attendance for the game at the First Union Centre was 19,524, second best attendance in AHL history. The Phantoms were trying to top 20,000 and get the number one spot... Dane Jackson scored two for Lowell but New Haven came back for a 2-2 tie on Feb. 28... Hartford took a 3-0 lead into the third period against Providence but blew it, allowing the Bruins to tie and then letting Randy Robitaille win it in OT. The Wolfpack played with only 13 skaters in the game... Rochester blew a 3-1 lead, giving up a natural hat trick to Martin St. Louis and thus a 4-3 lead to Saint John. But Mike Hurlbut scored less than six seconds left to leave the teams tied at 4... Portland's Jean-Pierre Dumont also picked up a hat trick Feb. 28 against St. John's, but Portland still lost the game 7-5... The Hershey Bears are suing the UHL's Muskegon Fury. The Bears loaned Rod Hinks to the Fury in the 96-97 season, but Muskegon never reimbursed Hershey for their part of Hinks' salary... Only Providence has won more road games than the Beast of New Haven... Nothing like the last .02 seconds of the game. That's when Joe Dziedzic scored the game-winning goal for Springfield in their 3-2 victory over Saint John Mar. 3... Rob Shearer and Christian Matte combined for the three goals as Hershey defeated Albany 5-3 on Mar. 3. The pair have 36 points in their last 11 games... The borrowed Bujar Amidovski won his first game for the Phantoms, stopped 30 shots for a 3-2 win over New Haven Mar. 3... Worcester tends to outshoot opponents. For instance, outshooting Portland on Mar. 3 55-27. Oh yeah, Portland's Martin Brochu stopped all 55. Meanwhile Benoit Gratton had a hat trick and Ryan VandenBussche had a pair of goals as the Pirates proceeded to lambast the IceCats 8-0... Saint John lost by a 3-2 score again on Mar. 4, but with four minutes left this time. Erik Rasmussen scored the game-winner for Rochester... Jean-Francois Jomphe was involved in all three Springfield goals, including scoring the game-winner, as the Falcons beat Fredericton 3-1 Mar. 4... The Phantoms got a point out of Fredericton when Richard Park tied the game with just 36 seconds left in regulation Mar. 5. The game ended 3-3... St. John's outshot Lowell 34 to 20 Mar. 5, but it was the Monsters who got the 2-1 win... Alexander Boikov scored two goals for Kentucky as they defeated Adirondack 3-2 Mar. 5. It was the T-Blades' first win in five games... Worcester made reparations for the Portland blowout with a 5-2 win over Hartford Mar. 5. Jochen Hecht had two goals for the IceCats, while Tyson Nash and Stephane Roy had three points each... New Haven got a shorthanded goal from Pat Mikesch in the third period to earn a 2-2 tie with the Pirates... Lowell's Mike Kennedy scored in overtime as the Lock Monsters beat St. John's by a 3-2 score for the second game in a row Mar. 6. The game went to OT when Mike Mader scored with 34 seconds left in regulation... Mike Gaul had his first two goal game in over a year but it wasn't enough. Rochester beat Hershey 5-3 Mar. 6 on a three goal first period... Syracuse won for only the second time in 19 games - against division leader Kentucky. The Crunch dropped the T-Blades 6-2 on five power play goals, two from Josh Holden... Adirondack's Ryan Tobler scored late in regulation Mar. 6 to give the Wings a 3-2 win over Cincinnati... Providence goaltender John Grahame set a new AHL record Mar. 7, winning his 19th straight game to break Mike Dunham's record. The Bruins beat Fredericton 5-4 on a couple of goals from Shawn Bates... Kentucky gave back to Syracuse Mar. 7, winning 5-3 as Steve Guolla and Matt Bradley scored 10 seconds apart in the last minute of the game... Brad Smyth, Vladimir Vorobiev and Derek Armstrong all had three points for the WolfPack against New Haven as Hartford won 6-3... Mike Gaul scored an overtime game-winner for the second time in eight days, this time getting a power play goal with 51 seconds left against Cincinnati Mar. 7... Also getting an OT game-winner that day was Worcester's Lubos Bartecko, to give the IceCats a 5-4 win over Adirondack. Jan Horacek had three points... ================================================================ 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: None. Transactions: None. Game Results: 2/28 Phoenix W 4-1 3/03 at Toronto W 5-2 3/05 Boston L 4-1 3/07 at NY Islanders W 4-2 TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell We still don't have a New Jersey correspondent. If you want the gig, you're gonna have to write and let me know. I mean, I'm a good guesser, but my talents only go so far. I can only do so much. Meet me half way. Thanks. Now a Haiku...
Scott Stevens is good, He'll be featured next issue, Have you seen my pants?
Thank you. Thank you very much. My book of Haikus, entitled "Haikus? I Got Your Haikus Right Here," can be purchased at better bookstores everywhere. Ask for it. Peace out. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK ISLANDERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Bill Stewart Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Trevor Linden, Bryan Smolinski, Claude Lapointe, Sergei Nemchinov, Craig Janney. LW - Mike Watt, Mike Hough, Ted Donato, Gino Odjick. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Joe Sacco, Mariusz Czerkawski, Kevin Miller, Mark Lawrence, Steve Webb. D - Kenny Jonsson, Richard Pilon, Eric Brewer, David Harlock, Barry Richter, Zdeno Chara, Ted Crowley. G - Felix Potvin, Tommy Salo, Wade Flaherty. Injuries: Felix Potvin, g (groin strain, 4-6 weeks); Gino Odjick, lw (abdominal surgery, season). Transactions: Traded Scott Lachance, d, to Montreal for a 3rd Rounder. (Like, Yay. Huge deal.) Game Results 2/25 Toronto L 4-1 2/27 Detroit W 3-1 3/02 Ottawa L 4-2 3/04 Dallas L 3-2 OT 3/06 at Philadelphia T 3-3 3/07 New Jersey L 4-2 3/09 Philadelphia T 3-2 TEAM NEWS by David Strauss In a season that has seen Hoistgate, holdouts, and horrible hockey, it seemed the Islanders at least had some hope for the future in new coach Bill Stewart, who has righted the sinking ship and made the team respectable the last few weeks. Now it turns out that Stewart may not stick around long enough to finish the job. Though Stewart led the Isles to a 6-9-6 record in his first 21 games, 17 against playoff teams, he may not want to continue if the Islanders ownership doesn't show a commitment to winning. Stewart, 41, hasn't made any strong comments either way, but after GM Mike Milbury gave him a vote of confidence for next season, Stewart said cryptically, "We'll see where we go." The New York Post has reported that Stewart has told a friend he will not come back to the Isles next season unless he knows management and ownership are committed to winning, committed to spending some money in the off-season. If Stewart leaves the Isles, it will cast a greater cloud over the floundering franchise, but he will no doubt land on his feet. After winning the AHL Coach of the Year last season with the St. John Flames, Stewart was offered the job in Florida last summer before Calgary demanded a first-round pick as compensation. According to sources, when Stewart was promoted from assistant Jan. 21, Stewart and president David Seldin agreed to meet again in two months to discuss his future. Stewart apparently made this promise on a handshake. Initial reports emanating from the organization that Stewart received a raise to $240,000 were greatly exaggerated. That figure still would've made Stewart the lowest-paid coach in the league, below Calgary's Brian Sutter ($278,000). However, New York papers are reporting that the Islanders were only willing to bump Stewart from his $120,000 assistant's salary to a pro-rated $140,000. Stewart has refused to publicly comment on his salary. But salary is not the main issue as Stewart decided whether to stay with the Isles, but the question of whether New York Sports Ventures is willing to make the effort to putting a winning team on the ice. Certain, Stewart has shown he can coach in the NHL. The team he inherited was in an 0-10-1 slide, and the Isles have been competitive against the league's elite teams, Dallas, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, in recent games. Whether Stewart will get the chance to show what he can do with a full season is, it appears, up to him. **** Trade rumors are swirling around the Isles. The only untouchables, according to GM Mike Milbury, are defensemen Kenny Jonsson, Eric Brewer, and Zdeno Chara. Yes, he didn't mention Ziggy Palffy. But don't expect to see Palffy dealt, not when he's locked up in a relatively affordable contract. The following players, however, shouldn't be buying any Long Island homes in the next two weeks, as some or all of them might be moved: Trevor Linden, Robert Reichel, Bryan Smolinski, Mariusz Czerkawski, Craig Janney, and Tommy Salo. Another year of rebuilding lies ahead, it seems. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK RANGERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: John Muckler Rosters: C - Wayne Gretzky, Manny Malhotra, Petr Nedved, Marc Savard. LW - Brent Fedyk, Adam Graves, Darren Langdon, Kevin Stevens, Eric Lacroix. RW - Todd Harvey, Mike Knuble, John MacLean, Niklas Sundstrom, Mike Maneluk. D - Jeff Beukeboom, Brian Leetch, Stan Neckar, Peter Popovic, Ulf Samuelsson, Mathieu Schneider, Ruman Ndur, Chris Tamer, Rich Brennan. G - Mike Richter, Dan Cloutier. Injuries: Wayne Gretzky, c (protrusion of the vertibrate 2-4 weeks); Ulf Samuelsson, d (concussion, day to day); Jeff Beukeboom, d (concussion, indefinite); Peter Popovic, d (eye, day-to-day); Todd Harvey, c (thumb, day-to-day). Transactions: Mike Maneluk, rw, claimed off waivers from Chicago Blackhawks. Game Results: 2/26 Phoenix W 3-0 2/28 Philadelphia W 6-5 3/02 Dallas T 2-2 3/04 at Washington W 4-2 3/07 at Boston W 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Gregg Jensen SPARK IT UP! For two seasons, they have been billed as the worst team that money could buy. Suddenly, pulling together despite an avalanche of injuries, the Rangers have become scrappy underdogs. They are finally playing with emotion. Maybe that's due to desperation, maybe due to the loss of Wayne Gretzky, or maybe it' because there are only 19 games left and they are fighting for their playoff lives. Whatever the reason, they are playing like a team on a mission. They are 4-0-1 in their last five. It seems like they are starting to gel...finally. Adam Graves, in his option year, continues to tear it up as he notched his 31st goal of the year against Washington on Thursday. He is a workhorse that is nearly impossible to knock off the puck. Mike Richter continues to stand on his head every night, and Brian Leetch is logging 30+ minutes a game in what could be a Norris Trophy season for the Captain. The veterans are starting to lead this team forward. If Neil Smith can continue to stay away from making any deals that would disrupt the chemistry, this team will be the 8th seed. WAYNE'S WOES The Great One's misses his first game as a Blueshirt. Gretzky finally gave in to a nagging neck and back problem. An MRI discovered that he has a protrusion between the 5th and 6th vertebrate. Gretzky is on the shelf for the first in 223 straight games, including 222 since becoming a Ranger. THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT I applaud John Muckler's decision to play the younger guys. The Rangers have cut their average age from 30 this time last year to 25. Manny Malhotra, Marc Savard, Christian Dube, Scott Frasier, and Rich Brennan have all provided a much needed spark. Malhotra and Savard have really stepped up in Gretzky's absence. The team finally seems to have the right mix of veterans and youth. They are still a player or two away from being a legitimate contender, but the infusion of youth looks to be just what the doctor ordered. TOUGH ROAD TO HOE The Blueshirts have five games in eight days, including one against Washington and one against Boston. It's do or die for this team. Can they continue to hold it together despite all the injuries? We shall see. Hopefully, the report I file in two weeks will be filled with talk about who the Rangers will play in the first round of the playoffs. Out of the 19 remaining games on the schedule, 13 are against .500+ teams. No easy task at all. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 - Jody Hull, Keith Jones, Mikael Renberg, Dainius Zubrus. D - Dave Babych, Adam Burt, Eric Desjardins, Karl Dykhuis, Dan McGillis, Luke Richardson, Chris Therien, Dmitri Tertyshny. G - Ron Hextall, Jean-Marc Pelletier, John Vanbiesbrouck. Injuries: Eric Desjardins, d (stomach flu, day to day). Transactions: Traded Andrei Kovalenko, rw, to Carolina in exchange for Adam Burt, d. Game results: 02/24 at Florida L 5-3 02/26 at Tampa Bay L 4-1 02/28 at Rangers L 6-5 03/02 at Montreal L 4-1 03/04 Ottawa L 5-0 03/06 Islanders T 3-3 03/07 at Buffalo T 1-1 TEAM NEWS by Chuck Michio UGH Will the Flyers EVER win again? I'm not one for mincing words. The Flyers suck with a capital "S." Their defense is in shambles, their goalies look like they're playing dodge ball, and their stars are as lethargic as fat people after lunch at the Super Bar. How bad are things in Flyersland? Bad enough that their most talented prospect, goaltending prodigy goalie Jean-Marc Pelletier, had to be prematurely summoned to the parent club in a desperate last-ditch attempt to stop the bleeding between the pipes. He failed, but it was hardly his fault. General Custer faced better odds. Normally a top prospect would be disappointed to be sent back to the AHL after just one game, but considering the way the Flyers played in front of Pelletier, he probably returned to the Phantoms skipping and whistling "Happy Days Are Here Again." Flyers Coach Roger Neilson sounds like another guy who wishes he could go somewhere else. He can't, so he did the next best thing, he sent his players away. After watching his club get shellacked 5-0 by the Senators last Thursday, Neilson uttered the classic quote, "I told them I don't want to see them until Saturday." I can certainly understand how he felt. Predictably, Bob Clarke responded to the carnage by shipping out another malingerer, this time recently acquired Andrei Kovalenko. Goodbye, Andrei, we hardly knew ye. In exchange for Kovalenko, Clarke got Adam Burt, a consistent but unspectacular defenseman. As a service to dedicated readers of this column, I've prepared the following in-depth scouting report on the newest Flyer. Some d-men have great shots. Others are tremendous playmakers. Some, like Paul Coffey, have great wheels. Adam Burt has a similar distinguishing trait. He has a gigantic nose. I'm not kidding, Flyers fans. It's really, really, REALLY big. Big like a beak. Other than that, he's pretty much your generic NHL defenseman. Yeah, that's what you needed, Clarkie. As if having Rod Brind'Amour didn't already take care of the nose thing. RESTART THE CHELIOS WATCH? What the Flyers really need is a potential monster on the blue line. And despite the fact that he's a jackass, he doesn't want to leave the Blackhawks, and he told Bob Clarke to "shut up," Chris Chelios may yet be joining the Flyers. The deal looked dead a couple weeks ago, but that was before Hawks scout Dale Tallon began following the Flyers around like a lost puppy. As further evidence that something may be in the works, Flyers scout Al Hill is presently training his eyes on Chicago. Apparently, Chicago offered Chelios to the Flyers for Dainius Zubrus and Chris Gratton at the beginning of the season, but Clarke said "no thanks." That was then, this is now. Look for Trader Bob to do what he has to do, probably part with Dainius Zubrus and another player, perhaps the suddenly brain-dead Karl Dykhuis or disappointing Colin Forbes. Will it really help? Damn right it would. I hate Chelios more than Celine Dion, the commies, and old people in the passing lane, but he'd bring some defensive stability, a history of strong clutch play, and some much needed attitude and leadership to the orange and black. As if that isn't enough, it's also possible that he could lift his play back to All-Star level in Philly. Guys his age aren't supposed to log 30 minutes of ice time a game, but that's exactly what he has to do on a terrible Blackhawk squad. With the Flyers, he could give 100% for 20 minutes instead of 75% for 30. In short, he's the man for the job. Let's hope Clarke can get the job done. KUDOS TO LANGKOW Daymond Langkow is not a big guy, a tough guy, or a scary guy. Fortunately for the Flyers, that didn't stop him from trying to kick the hell out of Bill Berg against Ottawa last Thursday night. How good was it to see a Flyer with a little fight in him? A Flyer who wasn't happy about getting pummeled. A Flyer with some pride. Pretty sad, isn't it? Once upon a time, no one, NO ONE could beat the Flyers in Philly without unleashing a gigantic can of whoop-ass on themselves. Teams that escaped with victories also left with swollen eyes, bloody noses, and the knowledge that the Flyers would never, EVER accept defeat. Those days are gone. Ottawa destroyed the Flyers, embarrassed their promising rookie goalie, and laughed and had a gay old time throughout. It would make a normal person sick, and an old-time Flyer kill, but most of the current crew were content to sit impassively on the bench with stupid looks on their faces and hometown boos raining down on their heads. Not Daymond Langkow. He did what any person with a heart would do. He grabbed one of those smirking, Canadian squirrels and attempted to lay the smack down on him. God bless him for it. Losing sucks. I'm glad at least one Flyer realizes that. PELLETIER STILL PROMISING Don't be misled by Jean-Marc Pelletier's sacrificial lamb cameo appearance in the Flyers net last week-the kid is for real. The line score says five goals in 60 minutes, but that hardly tells the story. Prior to the embarrassingly shaggy final two minutes, Pelletier showed a ton of promise, particularly on a dazzling glove save on a blistering one-timer from between the circles. The youngster also displayed remarkable side-to-side quickness, all the more impressive considering his monstrous size. Unless the Flyers advance deep into the playoffs this year, look for Pelletier to take over the number one goaltender role next season. In other words, look for Pelletier to take over the number one goaltender role next season. You heard it here first. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Kevin Constantine Roster: C - Martin Straka, Robert Lang, Jan Hrdina, Tyler Wright. LW - German Titov, Stu Barnes, Kip Miller, 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, Jean-Sebastien Aubin. Injuries: Darius Kasparaitis, d (knee, indefinite); Kevin Hatcher, d (broken foot, 3-4 weeks); Tom Barrasso, g (broken right hand, 4-6 weeks); Jeff Serowik, d (concusison, day-to-day); Victor Ignatjev, d (shoulder, indefinite). Transactions: None. Game Results 2/28 at Washington L 4-3 3/03 Montreal T 4-4 3/05 Edmonton T 2-2 3/07 Colorado L 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Jerry Fairish This article is going to be a little short this issue. The reason for this is that I have been quite busy over the last couple of weeks and have not had a lot of time to write. I can mention that I did see the Pens play the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon at the Igloo. Unfortunately, the Arctic Birds came up a little bit short and the Lanche managed a 3-1 win. Goaltender Peter Skudra had the opportunity to become a hero Sunday, but instead he let up a weak goal to Milan Hejduk that really turned the tide of the game and took any momentum the Penguins may have had. The Pens had a 1-0 lead going into the third period thanks to a goal by Martin Straka in the first. However, early in the first period, Joe Sakic, Michael Dell's all-time hero, successfully tipped a shot under Skudra to tie the game 1-1. Later on in the third, Milan Hejduk skated over the blue line to the top of the right circle and threw a really weak wrist shot on goal that miraculously found its way to the back of the net and the Avalanche took the lead and never looked back. Claude Lemieux finished Colorado's scoring with an empty-netter. The Pens are still in the boat they have been in all season long; they do not have any depth at the goaltending position. Tom Barrasso is hurt every other game giving Skudra the opportunity to prove he's a winner. However, Skudra doesn't possess the skills it takes to be a quality starter in the NHL. Like I mentioned in the previous issue, he's just too small and frankly he's uh, well...too small. Now while I was at the game Sunday, I got a hold of one of the programs with the players' heights and weights. Peter Skudra was listed in at 6' 1", 185 pounds. If Peter Skudra is 6' 1", then I'm 6' 5", oh wait I am 6' 5". Well if Peter Skudra is 6' 1", then I'm at least 6' 6". There! Friday, February 26, 1999: The Challenge Heard 'Round the World! As the entire staff (all five or six of us) sat at Buffalo Wild Wings in Greensburg, PA this Friday night, we were involved with our normal game of bar trivia. This game in particular featured Candy Ass, a team captained by one Michael Dell, that also featured Matt Secosky, Lance Miller, and Bernie Dominiak. They were challenged by the Great Team, the Team of Winners, The Team to End All Teams...Rudypoo. Rudypoo was of course led by yours truly. I had "help" from the likes of Zippy the Wonder Chimp, Ace Reporter Jim Iovino, and Chris Geffel. Now somehow Candy Ass managed to squeak out a victory over Rudypoo in the first game of the evening. Their celebration wouldn't last long. Rudypoo came storming back and took the next three games. That's right, three games in a row. No doubt we dominated that bunch of slackers. Did I mention we won three games in a row? I thought I did, but I was just making sure. Losing three games in a row will drive anyone crazy, well not anyone, just the likes of your Editor-in-Chief, Michael P. Dell. It seems Mike Dell can't take somebody making him look like the buffoon that he is. Did I say that out loud? Anyway... Mike Dell issued to me the Challenge Heard 'Round the World, "I will beat your a** at Trivial Pursuit!" Now obviously I laughed hysterically at such a silly challenge, considering the fact that I had just about single-handedly beat Delly three games in a row. three games in a row. Dell then says, "Next Friday you against me." I decided to humor him and accept the challenge. Friday March 5, 1999: The Bell Was Answered! Mike Dell decided to talk trash all week about how he was going to kick my tail and so on and so-forth. Blah, blah, blah! Anyway, we started of the first game with Mike Dell, myself, and my girlfriend Kris playing. Now Mike Dell, I will admit, won the first game. BUT...I must put this on record...I was cheated out of a pie piece on the Entertainment question, thus losing to Mike Dell 6 pieces to 5. I want to make it known that I should have won the game, but was ripped-off due to a technicality in my answer. Game Two: Mike Dell VS. Jerry Fairish: One on One, The Showdown, Armageddon. I started off by answering 162 question in a row. That number may be slightly exaggerated but I'm just trying to get my point across. Dell came back with two straight answers. Two in a row for Dell is pretty good. Anyway, the game continued and I easily won 6 pieces to 4. 6 TO 4!!!! It wasn't even close. So no matter what your genius editor may say, I won straight up! He wanted to go one on one with the Great One. HE LOST! I'm the most electrifying man in trivial entertainment today. We played a third game with everyone participating, and once again Mike Dell proved victorious. When it came down to it, Mike Dell could not handle the pressure, he couldn't handle the man, he's yella, he folded, he was beat by the best...me! (EDITOR'S NOTE: True, Jerry did win one of the three games. But I was just trying to make it fun. And the version of Trivial Pursuit he has is all gay. I actually think five out of every six questions wears leather chaps. Every time there was a legitimate, intelligent question that truly tested the extent of a man's knowledge, I was all over it. Meanwhile, Jerry answered every gay question this side of "Come here often?" I mean, is it my fault I don't own John Tesh's Christmas album? And I still took two out of three with ease. In fact, I don't even think I used the right side of my brain all night. There is not a person alive that knows more about nothing than I do. Believe it.) ================================================================= ================================================================ TEAM REPORTS ================================================================ EASTERN CONFERENCE NORTHEASTERN DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON BRUINS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Pat Burns Roster: C - Jason Allison, Anson Carter, Joe Thornton, Tim Taylor. LW - Sergei Samsonov, Ken Baumgartner, Rob Dimaio, Peter Ferraro, Ken Belanger, Landon Wilson. RW - Dimitri Khristich, Steve Heinze, Per Johan Axelsson, Cameron Mann, Randy Robitaille. D - Ray Bourque, Don Sweeney, Dave Ellett, Kyle McLaren, Hal Gill, Darren Van Impe, Grant Ledyard, Mattias Timander, Brandon Smith. G - Byron Dafoe, Rob Tallas. Injuries: Darren Van Impe, d (shoulder separation, indefinite); Mattias Timander, d (shoulder, day-to-day). Transactions: Recalled Landon Wilson, lw, and Brandon Smith, d, from Providence (AHL). Game Results 2/27 Washington W 4-3 3/02 Phoenix W 3-2 3/03 at Carolina L 2-1 3/05 at New Jersey W 4-1 3/07 NY Rangers L 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown First things first. If all this column's predictions were as bad as the one made before the Chicago game, then the Bruins really will win a Stanley Cup before Ray Bourque retires. This resident boob figured that the Bruins losing skid would continue against the Blackhawks, but just the opposite happened. The Bruins went on a tear, not losing at all while this fan and alleged columnist was on vacation in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, vacations end, and so do winning streaks. The Bruins have lost two out of three games since then. So if any of the more superstitious readers out there would like to pledge cash to the "Send Matt on another cruise vacation for the rest of the NHL season" Fund, to ensure that the Bruins make the playoffs, all contributions would be welcome. The Bruins won that Chicago game 6-3, with Dimitri Khristich's first hat trick as a Bruin, and the first NHL goal from rookie Cameron Mann. Dirk Graham, then the Chicago coach, commented that being outplayed in your own building was unacceptable, and apparently management agreed, as Graham was relieved of his duties soon after. The Bruins brought up Cameron Mann a while back, but he didn't seem to catch on. This trip, however, Mann started to click when paired with Joe Thornton. Then the Bruins went to Kanata, or whatever they call that place where the Ottawa Senators really play, and handed a 5-2 whuppin' to the best team in the east. Mann had two more goals, both assisted by Thornton, and Khristich had two more assists. More importantly, the Bruins solved goalie Ron Tugnutt, who has been a tough nut for them to crack over the years. The Tugger let up three goals in the first and was replaced at the start of the second by Damian Rhodes, who didn't fare much better. To top it off, the Bruins had a comeback tie against the New Jersey Devils, who had also manhandled them in their last meeting. This time, it was Cameron Mann doing the manhandling, as he scored at 18:19 of the third to force the tie. Byron Dafoe was the difference though, as the Bruins were outshot 39-28, with a 15-7 New Jersey bulge in the third period. Next came a win over Washington, with Khristich, Jason Allison, and Anson Carter scoring four goals against their old mates, going 3-for-5 on the power play. Byron Dafoe evened his record at 19-19-8, so that he was no longer the best goalie in the NHL with a losing record. He frustrated a 36-19 shot advantage for the Caps, also his old team, leaving the lowly Caps to wonder what might have been. Next the Bruins beat the road-slumping Phoenix Coyotes, barely, as P.J. Axelsson had a goal and an assist in the third period, and Robbie DiMaio scored his first goal in about a decade (well, more like a month). Cameron Mann scored his fifth goal in five games, and Boston fans were saying "Where have I heard that name before? Cameron?" Then the vacation ended. A day later, a dreadful 2-1 loss against the Hurricanes, and the Bruins have had a 1-2-0 record since then. Byron Dafoe was blameless, as both shots were killers by unchecked players in the slot, and the Bruins' offense was aimless, with only an Anson Carter goal in the first finding its way past Arturs Irbe in the Carolina net. After a lackluster effort against the 'Canes, the Bruins went into New Jersey and tromped all over the Devils, winning 4-1, playing their best 60 minutes of hockey all season. The Bs were led by two first-period goals from defensemen Kyle McLaren and Grant Ledyard, and an insurance empty-netter by Anson Carter. So the Bruins optimistically went against the New York Rangers with a four-point lead for the eighth and final playoff spot. Simply put, they were stoned by Mike Richter in a 3-1 loss. Boston outshot the Rangers 38-18, but as the Bruins proved earlier in the week, shot totals do not get you points in the standings. The worst touch was having Kevin Stevens, ex-Bruin whipping boy, score the winning goal. The highlight of the game came when Ken Belanger boarded Ulf Samuelsson from behind in the first, rendering the Ulfster unconscious. When Ulfie awoke, he was looking around and seeing 20 Cam Neelys, and the hometown Boston crowd booed the fact that he was able to leave the ice under his own power. It's great to be loved. Ulf left the game with a concussion, and in need of stitches from a long cut on his face where his shield was driven into his cheek. Belanger was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for hitting from behind. Belanger was not particularly contrite, saying essentially that Ulf turned the wrong way. Ulf didn't get a lot of sympathy from the NHL offices, either, because he was on the giving end of so many questionable hits of his own over the years. Heck, when your former coach from last year, Colin Campbell, is the guy in charge of meting out NHL justice, and Belanger doesn't get even a one-game suspension, you definitely have a bad rep. Overall, a 4-2-1 record over the last two weeks is hard to complain about, compared to the previous stanza of 0-3. Unfortunately, the teams nipping on the Bruins' heels in the playoff hunt did as well or better, so the Bruins find themselves still tied for eighth going into Tuesday's game against Florida, only the tie is with the Rangers, not the Panthers. One of the trends in Boston professional sports seems to be to give away star players and get nothing in return. The Red Sox have become proficient at this, letting both Roger Clemens and Mo Vaughn walk away without getting so much as a pouch of Red Man in exchange. The Patriots joined the Getaway Club by losing Curtis Martin and Tom Tupa and Dave Walabaugh, two of them to the NY Jets, who are rapidly approaching the hate level usually reserved for the Yankees. Not one to miss a trend, Harry Sinden decided to one-up the other Boston sports teams in free agent futility. Harry, in his wisdom, decided to PAY goalie Jim Carey to leave without compensation! Trader Harry bought out the rest of the Net Detective's multi-million dollar contract so he could jettison the young fellow, who promptly signed on as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues for no compensation. NADA! So in effect, the Bruins paid Carey to leave. Not even a bag of pucks in return. Now, we all know that trades aren't always what they seem. When an All-Star gets traded for two fifth-round draft picks, you know there are either favors owed, or future considerations, or an agreement to trade my mess for your mess. But couldn't the Bruins, who clearly were not going to use Carey for anything except expansion bait, and St. Louis, which has been about as hurtin' for goaltending as a team can be (excepting perhaps Calgary), have worked out a deal? Boston could have paid part of Carey's salary (no more perhaps than the buyout) and gotten a player or two in return from the Blues, even if only for appearances sake? Finally, an apology is in order. In writing of possible trades the Bruins could make, I inadvertently confused Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs with his former Quebec Nordiques soulmate Owen Nolan, who is indeed with the San Jose Sharks, and hopefully will stay there. The confusion was caused by years of watching these two apparently talented players display, side-by-side, approximately zero leadership and grit. Colorado won a Stanley Cup seemingly minutes after trading these two (well, actually, it was more than a year later, since Sundin was traded to the Leafs in June 1994). Nolan is a big guy who plays soft for his size, and has only been on a playoff team twice in his career. Getting him was arguably the worst trade the San Jose Sharks have ever made (sorry, Al Iafrate) because they gave up Sandis Ozolinsh to get Nolan - it doesn't get more one-sided than that. Note that the Sharks have hardly made the playoffs since. So the meaning in the column was that Nolan should stay a Shark. Sundin hasn't had the privilege. However, Mats isn't exactly the Gordie Howe of the nineties either - he has only been on three playoff teams (this year's Toronto squad will make four). While he is averaging better than a point a game this year, and over his career, his limited post-season play isn't up to that standard. However, he is not the loser he was portrayed as in the last column. Still, the Leafs can keep him. Maybe subliminal references to the player Bruins fans really want should be sprinkled liberally (Tony Amonte) throughout articles like this to have a potential (Tony Amonte) effect on the general manager. Maybe if enough Bruins fans chanted (Tony Amonte) at the games, at the dinner table, at the Delaware North concession stands, on talk radio, on the T, maybe Harry would hear the mantra of the great collective unconscious. Then, Harry will trade for Owen Nolan - he is a "can't lose" proposition for Harry, because if Nolan stars in Boston, Harry is a genius, and if Nolan crashes and burns, then Nolan is a high-priced bum who took Harry's money on false pretexts. Did I mention Tony Amonte? Thinking the unthinkable - the Bruins could end up as one of those have-not teams, trading away players at the deadline, if their play does not improve soon. The trading deadline is in about two weeks, so when Pat Burns calls the upcoming games "the week" it isn't too hard to read that as a two-edged sword pointing right at some of his veteran players. One of the guys who would seem to be most vulnerable would be Dimitri Khristich, if only because he has more playoff experience than most Bruins forwards. Khristich has slumped some since the All-Star game, though still leading the Bruins in goal scoring. He might be a hot property for teams looking to add depth, if the Bruins miss the cut. Another might be Ken Baumgartner, if a contender feels a little soft in the corners, or has an injured hit man at the deadline. One thing for sure - there isn't enough time left on the season for Harry Sinden to bring back Steve Kasper to use as a scapegoat. If the Bruins miss the playoffs this year, it is not a failure in coaching, nor is it a failure by the players, even if some of them did not perform as well as last year. Face it, other teams got better, talent-wise, and the Bruins did not. This would be purely a management failure. It is management's job, for example, to realize that more Eastern Conference teams than ever before will miss the playoffs, because of the unbalanced number of teams in the conferences (14 East vs 13 West). Management must take responsibility for building a team strong enough to withstand the changes, however unexpected, in their competitors. Toronto's management did so, getting goalie Curtis Joseph and young defenseman Bryan Berard, transforming their team into a contender. Boston, meanwhile, picked up Peter Ferraro and Ken Belanger, hardly household names anywhere but in the Ferraro and Belanger households. Ferraro has been sent to the minors, and Belanger doesn't get a regular shift many nights, so what has the brain trust done to improve the team? Heck, Curtis Joseph has five assists for Toronto, more than Baumgartner and Belanger combined! This is not a knock on the players on the team, or the guys called up from Providence. The simple fact is that the Bruins do not have the depth and skill to match up to the elite teams in the league, and because of their relative inexperience, sometimes they are overmatched by the middle of the pack teams as well. The Bruins cannot sell out the FleetCenter regularly now, even with price cuts and promotional discounts, even after having the coach of the year and the rookie of the year last season. Think about the cavernous echo of the FleetCenter all next year if the Bruins are golfing in April. Think of it this way, Harry: the fans would rather have you do something than nothing. Fans look at the Kevin Stevens deal and the Jim Carey deal and say, "They turned out to be stiffs!" But they don't ever say, "Harry should have stood pat." They appreciated the attempt, because it gave them hope. Have some hope, Harry, even if you have to spend a little of Jeremy Jacob's money to buy it. ----------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFALO SABRES ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Buffalo report didn't arrive in time for the text issue. You'll have to check the web. ----------------------------------------------------------------- MONTREAL CANADIENS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Alain Vigneault Roster: C - Saku Koivu, Vincent Damphousse, Scott Thornton, Trent McLeary, Sergei Zholtok. LW - Shayne Corson, Martin Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet, Terry Ryan, Brian Savage, Dave Morissette, Patrick Poulin. RW - Mark Recchi, Turner Stevenson, Jonas Hoglund, Jason Dawe. D - Vladimir Malakhov, Stephane Quintal, Patrice Brisebois, Brett Clark, Miloslav Guren, Craig Rivet, Igor Ulanov, Eric Weinrich, Alain Nasreddine. G - Frederic Chabot, Jeff Hackett. Injuries: Benoit Brunet, lw (back spasms, day-to-day); Martin Rucinsky, lw (shoulder injury, undetermined). Transactions: None. Game Results 02/25 at Ottawa L 3-1 02/27 Ottawa W 4-1 03/02 Philadelphia W 4-1 03/03 at Pittsburgh T 4-4 03/06 Tampa Bay L 6-1 03/08 Florida L 5-2 TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert Analyze this... 'cause nobody can After a humiliating 6-1 loss against Tampa Bay, Montreal had definitely shattered all hopes of making it into the playoffs. It's a team that has been difficult to figure out this season. It's a team capable of the worst as well as the best. It's so unexplainable that sports writers are out of words to analyze the situation. It's a let's blame someone game: GM Houle, Corey, free agents Damphousse and Recchi... is Vigneault's turn coming? Needless to say that the dressing room was a quiet place after the players were hit by lightning on Saturday March 5 and eaten alive by the Panthers on March 8. The Habs' offense is almost non-existent and defense is disorganized. It's just about the way it has been all season long if you don't consider the couple of winning weeks in December and January. Morale has been going up and down like a yo-yo. After every win - like the one against Philadelphia - everybody thought the team was back on track. Over confidence, lack of respect for some opponents but mostly weakness of character and lack of leadership explain the 25-31-8 record. So is the problem in the muscles or in the head? After the loss against Florida defenseman Stephane Quintal said: "I don't know, maybe we're a bunch of chokers. We got close to where we wanted to be. We were two games under .500. But when it came time to push further, we didn't do it." The Habs dropped to the 12th spot over the last week. Hope is hard to come by in Montreal: The Canadiens would need at least a record of 12-5-1 to make the playoffs... "I don't think anybody's packed it in," said Mark Recchi. "We just haven't done what it takes." Does he know that the season is almost over? "We got lots of scoring chances in the first period. But when it came time to face up to adversity we weren't able to," said Montreal coach Alain Vigneault. Goalie Jeff Hackett had been keeping hope alive ever since he arrived in Montreal. For a while he seemed to inspire his teammates. But the unexplained negative feeling in the dressing room must be catching. He has allowed 15 goals in his last three games. Hackett seems discouraged. One man can't do it all. Where are the defensemen when he needs them? Where are the big important goals from guys like Recchi and Damphousse? Let's face it, the only places to see the Habs in May will be a golf course or a psychiatrist's couch. ----------------------------------------------------------------- OTTAWA SENATORS ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Dec 12 - Lance Pitlick, bruised hip, athroscopic surgery, 8-10 weeks; Jan 16 - Chris Murray, sprained left knee/MCL, 8-10 weeks; Feb 20 - Chris Phillips, sprained right ankle, 6 weeks; Feb 20 - Patrick Travese, separated shoulder, 4-6 weeks; Feb 23 - Steve Martins, hip flexor, Day-to-day; Mar 04 - Wade Redden, right shoulder, 1 week. Transactions: Feb 22 Radim Bicanek Emergency recall from Grand Rapids (IHL); Feb 25 Radim Bicanek Emergency recall cancelled and re-assigned to Grand Rapids (IHL); Feb 25 John Gruden Emergency recall from Detroit (IHL); Feb 27 John Gruden Emergency recall cancelled and re-assigned to Detroit (IHL); Mar 05 John Gruden Emergency recall from Detroit (IHL); Mar 05 Yves Sarault Emergency recall cancelled and re-assigned to Detroit (IHL). Game Results 02/23 at Boston L 5-2 02/25 Montreal W 3-1 02/27 at Montreal L 4-1 03/02 at NY Islanders W 4-2 03/04 at Philadelphia W 5-0 03/06 Toronto W 3-1 TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders With an 8-2 record over their last 10 games and riding a three- game winning streak, the Senators surged into first place overall in the Eastern conference. In their last 29 games they are 20-5-4. This period, the Senators avenged their 5-0 home loss to Philadelphia with a 5-0 victory in Philadelphia. When combined with their convincing victory against Toronto, the Senators are starting to look like the team to beat in the Eastern conference. A cautionary note to this type of thinking may be the Montreal and Boston losses where both teams avenged recent defeats to the Senators. The big off ice Senator news this period continued to be the issue of team taxation and fair play in the hockey market place for Canadian teams. Rod Bryden continued to alert fans and Canadian citizens with his public message campaign about the plight of Canadian hockey teams. Overtaxed and unable to get a fair deal, Bryden has threatened that he may have to move the team to greener pastures south of the 49th parallel (to the USA). A team press release this period provided some data as to what has changed since the June 20th, 1992 date on which Alexei Yashin was drafted. Both Bryden and the report concur that there are two main issues. Firstly, the Canadian dollar has declined significantly; from 1.20 Canadian to the US dollar in June 1992, to 1.52 Canadian to the US dollar. On today's team payroll of Cdn$ 34.2 million that represents an increase of Cdn$ 7.2 million (enough to afford say... one or two serious players). The second main issue is taxation and public funding of sport facilities. Estimated taxation on the Senators' Kanata home (Corel Centre) was 1.2 million in 1992. Tax assessment for 1998 is some $7.4 million (up from $4.3 million the year before). Don't ask the Nosebleeders where all this extra money is going - it'