In the near future we will also be opening our own Chat (IRC) server. This will let you talk live to our staff members, amongst yourselves and on special occasions with NHL Celebrities like John Cullen. The Forum can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/chat/ WEB EXTRA: BURNS AND HENSLEY, OFF THE GOAL POST Allow Burns and Hensley to walk you through the latest in the NHL every week in their recurring column on LCS's Web Extra coverage. Burns and Hensley aren't bound by the cold hard facts of a story, or the forces of nature, in their attempts to enlighten you on the state of the NHL. So, let Burns and Hensley share their opinions and a bowl of Coco Puffs with you today. Be sure to read the latest NHL report from John Kreiser each week as he takes you behind the scenes of the NHL in order to provide you with an insiders view of current NHL events. A new column is posted weekly. Also remember to visit our Web Extra daily for the latest NHL news and weekly features. A new article is posted daily. We like to think of it as an issue between issues. http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/extra.html QUESTIONS O' THE MONTH February: The February edition of the Questions O' The Month are over. The tribute to one of the greatest shows of all times..."Perfect Strangers" will be retire undefeated, as nobody has answered the 10 multiple choice questions correctly. I'm sad to say it, but no t-shirts have been awarded. March/April: The March edition of the Questions O' The Month will be posted on Saturday, March 23. This round will focus on basic NHL trivia and events in order to give you, our valued readers, a chance at winning. While they will be NHL and LCS related, they still won't be easy, but most of the answers will be able to be found somewhere on the LCS: Guide to Hockey Web Site. http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/qom/question.html That wraps up yet another installment of the World Domination Report. Go now and enjoy the lastest edition of LCS. thanks, zippy the wonder chimp _____________________________________________________ CREDITS Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief Zippy the Wonder Chimp.................Computer Boy Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter Matthew Secosky............................Whatever Dan Hurwitz.............Force for Cultural Hegemony Burns and Hensley...............Featured Columnists JJ Silverstein.................Hockey Pool Help Guy Sandi Trudo...................Anaheim Correspondent Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent Valerie Hammerl...............Buffalo Correspondent Ryan Ferris...................Calgary Correspondent Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent Matt Gitchell................Colorado Correspondent Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent Brian Wishnow.................Detroit Correspondent Simon D. Lewis...............Edmonton Correspondent Eric A. Seiden................Florida Correspondent Steve Gallichio..............Hartford Correspondent Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent Dan Piedra...................Montreal Correspondent David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents Andrew Monfried..........Philadelphia Correspondent Joe Ashkar..................St. Louis Correspondent Mark Spiegel.................San Jose Correspondent Troy Ely....................Tampa Bay Correspondent Brad Ross.....................Toronto Correspondent Carol Schram................Vancouver Correspondent Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent Meredith Martini...........Washington Correspondent Eric Legault.................Winnipeg Correspondent ---------------------------------------------------- LCS guide to hockey issue 40 March 1996. Email address: sportif@oak.westol.com Good ol' postal address: 632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA 15601. Web Site: http://www.canadas.net/sports/sportif ------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Curtain Closes on the Legendary Forum ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Dan Piedra Every sport seems to have a centre stage for its spectacle to be highlighted. Tennis has Wimbledon, baseball has Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, golf has St. Andrew's, soccer has Maracana and Wembley Stadiums, and hockey has the Montreal Forum. On Monday, March 11 the entire sports world said good-bye to this historic edifice which has come to be known by many as the "Mecca" of hockey. Since opening its doors on November 29, 1924, the corner of Atwater and St. Catherines Streets has been the home of hockey's most notable arena. The original Forum seated 9,300 and was built at a cost of $1.5 million. Initially, it served as the home of the Montreal Maroons. The Canadiens became permanent tenants of the Forum in 1926. In 1949, $600,000 were spent in renovations which added 3,163 seats. By 1968, the Forum had to be expanded once more to accommodate an increasing demand for seats. The $10 million renovation project was completed during the off-season. In fact, workers started disassembling the Forum on the night of its final game while the Stanley Cup was being presented to the Habs who had just defeated the St. Louis Blues. The entire roof was removed and replaced. The result was the air-conditioned 18,000- seat arena that stands before us today. Included within the current arrangement are the 1,700 standing room seats which have given many the opportunity to catch a game at the Forum for a very affordable price. Fans with such tickets make the customary line up several hours before the game. The doors are opened about 1 « hours prior to the game, at which time the traditional run for the best spots begins. Those that get there first, end up standing within a mere 30 feet of the rink for a tremendous view. Although many events have been carried out within the confines of the Forum, such as the Beatles' 1964 North American debut concert and the 1976 Olympics, everyone will remember it for hockey-related events. If the walls of that great arena could talk, what stories they would tell! They would recall all the greats which demonstrated their remarkable skills. Heroes such as Auriele Joliet, Howie Morenz, Bill Durnan, Toe Blake, George Vezina, Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Henri (Pocket-Rocket) Richard, Jacques Plante, Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Guy Lafleur, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden, and Patrick Roy to name a few. The events are countless and the emotional electricity that has passed through the Forum, if harnessed, could probably light up a metropolitan city for quite some time. One of the earliest memories of the Forum involved the legendary Howie Morenz. Morenz was a small player by today's standards, but he was 160 pounds of pure energy. In a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in the spring of 1937, Morenz made a move around the opposing defence but somehow lost his balance and went into the boards. Auriele Joliet was on the ice at the time with Morenz and recalled, that as Morenz went down, he put up his feet and ended up with his blades stuck into the boards. As Earl Seibert, one of Chicago's defencemen came by, he was checked into the fallen Morenz. Seibert fell across Howie's legs breaking four bones in his left leg and ankle. Later, as he contemplated his future, Morenz told Joliet, "Whenever I can't play hockey anymore, I'd just as soon be dead." Howie's condition would take a turn for the worse and on the night of March 8, according to most reports, Morenz left his bed and picked up his crutches in order to go to the bathroom. Before he reached the door of his room he collapsed and died of an embolism that had been in his system for quite some time. On March 11, 1937, his funeral was held at none other than the Forum itself. The place was packed with friends and fans who came to pay their last respects to the great Canadien. At centre ice stood a single casket, flowers surrounding it to each side. To this day, many believe that when one speaks of the ghosts of the Forum, they are referring to the ghost of that great hero: Howie Morenz. Ironically, the final game at the Forum occurred 59 years to the date of Morenz's funeral. The walls of this great edifice would also remember the glory days of Maurice Richard. Prior to his appearance, the Habs were teetering on bankruptcy and eternal oblivion. But the Rocket brought a winning tradition and a magic to hockey which soon had the Forum packed with adoring fans. Who will ever forget his five-goal and three-assist performance on the night of December 28, 1944. It was through his leadership and skill that the Habs were able to ride to five consecutive Stanley Cups. However, no memory of the Rocket would be complete without a recollection of the infamous "Richard Riots" which caused havoc to break out across Montreal during the end of the 1955 season. Clarence Campbell, then NHL President, had suspended Richard for an incident against an official which occurred towards the end of the regular season. As a result, Richard was unable to play against the Detroit Red Wings the following night, March 17. Campbell ignored the threats of Montrealers who promised that all hell would break loose if Campbell showed his face in Montreal. Sure enough, Campbell showed up when the two teams faced-off at the Forum. During the game a fan made his way down to Campbell's usual seat, section 118, seat B20 and slapped him in the face. From there on all hell did break loose. A smoke bomb was let-off near the very seat occupied by Le President. The Forum was evacuated and the game forfeited to the Red Wings. As the fans spilt out onto the streets, the nightmare continued. Windows were smashed and stores broken into as chaos ruled everywhere. The Canadiens would go on to the finals without Richard but would lose in seven to the Red Wings. Indeed, if these walls could talk they would speak of the great teams of the Seventies. They would recall a night in September 1972, when in the first game of the Summit Series, the USSR humbled a proud and seemingly invincible Team Canada by a score of 7-3. Fans across Canada were left with their mouths wide open as they questioned their supremacy of a sport which they felt was theirs. Although Team Canada would battle back to win the historic series, the opening game in Montreal awoke many to the greatness of the Soviets. The Forum would also remember with great fondness the December 31, 1975 game vs the Russian Red Army. To this day, this ranks as one of the best games ever played by two of the world's best teams. Fittingly, the two teams played to a 3-3 tie. It was during this decade that the Canadiens sent out what could arguably be one of the best teams ever. Between 1976 and 1979 the Canadiens dominated the NHL with their tremendous speed. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest moments on Forum ice came in the semi-finals of the 1979 playoffs. The Canadiens were matched up against Don Cherry's Boston Bruins. Both teams had duked it out for six games with each team winning three. The series, and a birth to the finals vs the New York Rangers was on the line as game seven opened up in Montreal. The Canadiens dominated the play throughout the first two periods, but were turned back, time and time again by Bruins goalie Gilles Gilbert. As the teams left the ice for the second-period intermission, the Habs trailed 3-1. Doom and gloom set in amongst the Forum faithful. But the Habs came out flying and led by Guy Lafleur, notched two quick goals to bring the packed Forum to its feet. Minutes later though, the same crowd that had been celebrating and shouting themselves hoarse, were silenced when the Bruins turned a wrap-around play into a goal which eluded goaltender Ken Dryden. With minutes to go, the Bruins seemed ready to finish-off the Habs. Then it happened. Boston was caught for too-many-men on the ice and Montreal's power play took over. Guy Lafleur would score the equalizer with only 74 seconds left in the game, by blasting a Jacques Lemaire drop pass past a sprawling Gilbert. The Forum roof was practically raised as the cheers and celebration thundered up into the rafters. Later, in overtime, Yvon Lambert would tip in a Mario Tremblay pass from the corner and send the Canadiens to the finals were they would win their fourth straight Stanley Cup. A similar event occurred in 1986 when the Canadiens faced off in the Adams Division Semi-Final against a better Hartford team. A youngster by the name of Patrick Roy had backstopped the Habs along their Cinderella ride and would continue to do so en route to the team's 23rd Stanley Cup. But the boys would not have had a chance to drink from Lord Stanley's mug, had it not been for the heroics of Claude Lemieux. It was his goal in double overtime of game seven which sent a frenzied Forum crowd into fits of celebration. The Forum would go on to remember Patrick Roy for his heroics in the 1993 drive to the Cup. Fans will recall the dreaded Marty McSorley stick incident which turned the series around for the Habs. Late in game two, with the Habs trailing the series 1-0 and trailing the game by a goal, McSorley was sent out for having an illegal curve on his stick. Eric Dejardins would score on the ensuing power play and add another in overtime resurrecting a dying Habs team and launching them towards their 24th Stanley Cup which would hence be the last presented at the Forum. Interestingly enough, the Cup has only been presented to a visitor once at the Forum. That event occurred in 1989 when the Calgary Flames clinched the cup over a Pat Burns team. Prior to that, the Stanley Cup had been presented 12 times to the Canadiens and twice to the Maroons. And what about the many individuals who made the Forum special with their off-ice performances. Individuals like Roger Doucet, whose voice thundered the National Anthem like no other could. And what about public address announcer Claude Mouton whose voice was as recognizable as the hockey stick-shaped escalators which welcomed fans from St. Catherines Street. And what about Danny Gallivan, the radio and television voice of the Habs for so many years. The mere mention of his name conjures up memories of Savardian spineramas, cannonading shots, and Herculean saves. Ah yes, what magic! No memory of the Forum would be complete without mentioning the world renowned hot-dogs, the best in the world of sports. And, yes, President Ronald Corey has already confirmed that the Molson Centre will provide the same "steamers" as the good ol' Forum. But the end had to come. So, on the night of March 11th, fans from across the continent gathered around their T.V. sets to take in the final game at the hallowed arena. Appropriately, the Canadiens defeated the Dallas Stars by a 4-1 mark. But the party was only just beginning. In the end, the Canadiens organization demonstrated their true class by presenting a tremendously enjoyable and emotional post-game party. It was their way of bringing together the past, present, and future of the organization, as well as the many fans which have followed this team through the years. Together, they said good-bye to the arena which had provided them with so many memories. For the current players on the team, the night would be a learning experience. Each player had become familiar with the infamous words from John McCrae's "In Flanders Fields" which adorn the Habs' dressing room: "To you with failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high." But on this night, those same words would be forever engraved in their hearts as a torch was literally passed through a line of former team captains. The torch was handled by such greats as Emile (Butch) Bouchard, Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard, Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, and current captain, Pierre Turgeon. Coach Mario Tremblay said after the event had finished, that his young team had been truly touched by the on-ice proceedings. He also noted that the Russian players, were inspired by a guest appearance from Vladislav Tretiak. Although, the former Soviet goalie had never played in the NHL, he had enjoyed much success within the confines of the Montreal Forum. Truly, everyone took a piece of history home with them in their hearts. And what exactly will happen with the Forum? There appears to be a plan to breathe life into the old Forum after all of its seats, banners, benches, and other paraphernalia have been auctioned off. Montreal Mayor Pierre Bourque recently confirmed in an interview with the Montreal Gazette that the city, Canadiens president Ronald Corey, and a local developer are working on a proposal that would give the Forum a new role as an avant-garde recreation and leisure centre. If such a plan fails to materialize then another plan calls for it to be used as a potential condominium complex. Bourque also mentioned that demolition is also a possibility whereby the land on which the Forum sits could end up being transformed into a public park. What a way for the Grand ol' Lady to be remembered. Perhaps only now that the Canadiens have moved into the new Molson Centre, will many be brought to the realization that the days of the Forum are indeed over. The public address anouncement late in the third period of Monday's final game said it all: "Dernier minute de jeur dans Le Forum de Montreal. Last minute to play in the Montreal Forum." This was after all, a place where hockey heroes became a part of our life, even a part of our family. It will be hard to let go of this great building. Even the present-day team has felt out of place as they practiced and showered in their new home. It too, will take some getting used to. But life goes on, for it must, and new memories will await those who venture into the newly built Molson Centre. The Original Hey, Hey, Hey...NEWS! ---------------------------------- by Zippy The Wonder Chimp * The NHL recently announced that the 1997 NHL Entry Draft will be held in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena. This will be the first time Pittsburgh has hosted the Entry Draft, which will take place on June 21. Of course, the staff of LCS will be there to cover every minute of draft excitement, both on the draft floor and in the arena seats. The best part is that LCS offices are a short drive to the arena. At least next year we won't have to drive to Hartford to be thrown-out of the draft. If it does happen, guess we can just drown our sorrows in some Iron. Also, don't forget about this year's draft to be held on June 22 in St. Louis. LCS correspondents will be on hand to bring you every detail of the draft. * The Philadelphia Flyers are on the verge of being sold. If the reports are true, the Flyers, along with the Philadelphia 76ers(NBA), the new CoreStates Center and the CoreStates Spectrum, should be under new ownership within a few days.
Comcast Corp. is reportedly near reaching an estimated $500 million
agreement that would give them 60 percent ownership of the Flyers and
complete ownership of the 76ers and the two arenas. The Flyers current
owner, Ed Snider, would retain 40 percent ownership and his sports management
company, Spectacor, would continue to operate both arenas.
* Police Blotter:
- WANTED: Anyone with information leading to the arrest of the
individual(s) who stole the hard-earned money of LCS
idol and hero to millions from eight to 80, John Cullen, on
March 18 should contact zippy@psu.edu. Somewhere from
$2,500 - $5,000 was stolen from the Tampa Bay locker room during
a game in Hartford, Cullen lost $500. Please help us identify
and capture the individual responsible for this horrible crime.
- Winnipeg Jets left wing Keith Tkachuk received a two-game
suspension and was fined $1,000 as a result of a high-sticking
incident on March 13. During the second period of a contest
against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tkachuk caught Leafs defenseman
Dave Ellett with a high-stick. No penalty was called on the
play.
- Jim Cummins won the contest this week with a breath-taking
8-game suspension. The Chicago right wing was issued the
sentence after an ugly incident versus Florida. In the contest,
Cummins started off the festivities by cross-checking Florida
defenseman Brad Smyth. Then the fists began to fly. However,
Smyth was on the ice and in no position to fight back. Sensing
a teammate in trouble, Rob Niedermayer attempted to foil Cummins'
attack. Irritated by the interference, Cummins promptly turned
his attention to Niedermayer and kept the fists flying. As
I said before, it was ugly.
Cummins was given a cross-checking minor, a fighting major, and
a game misconduct for his actions. After further review, the
league decided the 8-game suspension was warrented. Cummins
will be able to return to the Blackhawks on April 3.
- Ottawa Senators left wing Michel Picard was suspended on March 15
pending a hearing concerning the incident. The suspension was
issued as a result of a cross-check he placed on Dallas Stars
defenseman Richard Matvicuk.
* Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Gaston Gingras announced his
retirement from professional hockey on March 8. Gingras was Montreal's
first pick in the 1979 draft and played for the Candiens for three seasons
before being traded to Toronto in 1982. He spent parts of three seasons
with the Leafs before being dealt back to the Canadiens in 1985. His second
stint as a Canadien lasted until 1987 when he was sent to St. Louis Blues.
After the 1988-89 season, Gingras began a professional hockey career in
Europe. He remained in Europe until he was re-signed in 1995 by the
Montreal Canadiens. In his third tour of duty with the Canadiens, he was
assigned to Fredericton to help develop the Canadiens pool of young
defensemen. In 476 career NHL games, Gingras recorded 61 goals and
174 assists.
* It is offical, the Florida Panthers will remain in the Sunshine
State. Last week, Bud Paxson, founder of the Home Shopping Network, and
Bruce Frey made an $85 million offer to purchase the club from Panthers
owner H. Wayne Huizenga. While $85 million may be the price Huizenga
was interested in, there are still possibly two other offers he has to
consider before deciding to make the purchase. However, with a qualifing
deal on the table, it guarantees the Panthers will remain in Florida.
* The schedule and details of the World Cup of Hockey have
been finalized. The three-week tournament will open on
August 26th in Stockholm. The first round of competition will
consist of round-robin tournaments within the two pools. The
European pool will be comprised of Sweden, Germany, Finland, and
the Czech Republic, while the North American pool will feature
the likes of the United States, Canada, Russia, and Slovakia.
The complete schedule for the World Cup is listed below.
Contests will be broadcast in the United States by various regional
networks and the Fox owned fX network. The final series will will
be televised by Fox, hopefully without the glowing puck. Also,
Canadian viewers will have the option of watching the World Cup on
the CBC or The Sports Network.
1996 World Cup of Hockey schedule
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: All times EDT.
FIRST ROUND
Monday, August 26
Germany at Sweden, Stockholm, 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 27
Czech Republic at Finland, Helsinki, 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 28
Germany at Finland, Helsinki, 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 29
Sweden at Czech Republic, Prague, 1:00 p.m.
Russia at Canada, Vancouver, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 31
Czech Republic at Germany, Garmisch, 2:00 p.m.
Slovakia at Russia, Montreal, 5:00 p.m.
Canada at United States, Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 1
Finland at Sweden, Stockholm, 12:00 p.m.
Slovakia at Canada, Ottawa, 8:00 p.m.
Monday, September 2
Russia at United States, New York, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 3
United States at Slovakia, New York, 8:00 p.m.
QUARTERFINAL SERIES
Thursday, September 5
Europe No. 3 at North America No. 2, Montreal, 8:00 p.m.
Friday, September 6
North America No. 3 at Europe No. 2, Ottawa, 8:00 p.m.
SEMIFINAL SERIES
Saturday, September 7
Quarterfinal 1 winner at Europe No. 1, Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 8
Quarterfinal 2 winner at North America No. 1, Ottawa, 8:00 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(best-of-three)
Tuesday, September 10
Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 12
Montreal, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 14
Montreal, 8:00 p.m. (if necessary)
=====================================================================
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Can Lightning Strike in Playoffs?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
by Jim Iovino
In classical mythology, Zeus was known as the lord of both
gods and men. His attributes were thunder and lightning. In the
National Hockey League, John Cullen is known as the idol of
millions from ages eight to 80. His attributes are the lightning
bolts on his pants.
But while Cullen and the Tampa Bay Lightning won't be
confused for Greek or Roman gods, they have turned some heads by
putting together a surprising season that could very well
get them into the playoffs.
After taking baby steps during the team's first three
seasons in the league, the Lightning have finally learned how to
win on a consistent basis. Currently, Tampa Bay holds a 32-27-10
record, sixth in the Atlantic Division, but good enough for a
spot in the playoffs.
Things didn't look so bright for the Bolts at the beginning
of the season, however, as the team tripped out of the starting
gates. The Lightning posted a dismal 3-9-4 record over the first
16 games of the season. Ownership of the team was unhappy with
the performance it saw and demanded better. Rumors had both
coach Terry Crisp and general manager Phil Esposito getting
the boot if things weren't turned around quickly. And unlike
many of the sad stories of coaches getting fired this season, the
one in Tampa Bay had a happy ending. The players got their act
together on the ice, started putting in better performances, and
actually won some games. The highlight of the season thus far
has been the team's recent run for a playoff spot. Since they
lost three straight games in mid-February, the Lightning have
gone 10-3-2.
Even though two of those losses were recent back-to-back 5-0
shutouts by the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators, the Bolts
haven't lost sight of their ultimate goal -- a spot in the
playoffs.
So what has made this season different than the last three
in which Tampa Bay was less than a mediocre team? Three things
stand out: special teams, the rise of a young star on defense
and the emergence of a strong starting goaltender.
Last season, the Lightning had the fifth-worst power play in
the league, struggling at a dismal 14.1 percent. Only four
players scored more than two power-play goals and no one on the
club reached double digits. Compare that to this season where
the Bolts hold the league's third-best power-play mark, clicking
at a cool 21.3 percent. Ten players have scored three or more
goals with the man-advantage, including three who have reached
double digits.
One reason for the team's success on the power play has been
the much-improved play of defenseman Roman Hamrlik. After
plodding through his first three seasons in the league
wondering why his team took him with the first pick in the 1992
entry draft instead of Alexei Yashin, Hamrlik finally developed
into the kind of player the Lightning hoped he would be. His
solid shot and adept passing not only makes him look great on the
ice, but it makes his teammates look good as well. Currently,
Hamrlik is second on the team in scoring with 56 points (13
goals) in 69 games. He has scored 10 power-play goals from the
point this season.
Hamrlik leads the offense, but it's goaltender Daren Puppa
who has stolen the team a few wins defensively. The "Puppa
Scoopa," as ESPN2 hockey guru Bill Pidto calls him, has put
together a Vezina Trophy-winning season between the pipes for the
Lightning. Although he probably won't get the award, he should
be given consideration because of the solid season he has had.
He's picked up 72 percent of his team's wins, posted a 2.50
goals-against average, collected five shutouts and is tied with
the Buffalo Sabres' Dominik Hasek for the league's best save
percentage at .919.
With Puppa in goal, Hamrlik on the blue line and a balanced
attack up front, the Lightning will probably achieve their goal
of making the playoffs. And don't forget about Johnny Cullen.
If the LCS demigod eats his ambrosia, the Lightning
could surprise a team in the first round of the playoffs.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Changing Leafs in Toronto
-------------------------------------------------------------
by Brad Ross
I think I understand why the NHL imposes a trading deadline
each season: to give Cliff Fletcher a rest. The Toronto Maple
Leafs president and general manager has been one busy man leading
up to the March 20 cut-off for player transactions. Actually,
he's been faxing away all season.
The acquisition of New York Islander hold-out Kirk Muller in
January was big news in this hockey-mad town. Fletcher wanted
the gritty centre desperately... just what the team needed, many
said. A few weeks later, Dave Gagner came to the Leafs from
Dallas. The Leafs were beginning what turned out to be the worst
slump since 1985. It was so bad, in fact, that head coach Pat
Burns was fired in the end. Yet, Gagner was, by far, the best
Leaf each night. But he wasn't the "spark" that so many said was
needed.
A few weeks later, Fletcher pulled the trigger on another
deal: Nick Kypreos and Wayne Presley from the Rangers for Sergio
Momesso and Bill Berg. A grinders deal if there ever was one.
Still, nothing worked. The Leafs continued their losing
ways, going nine without a win. All these trades and so little
to show for them. Something had to be done, so Fletcher fired
Burns, replacing him with Nick Beverley, director of player
personnel and scouting on an interim basis. Beverley is 3-1-2 so
far behind the bench.
Then this past week, the biggest news of all, despite the
speculation dating back as far as the beginning of the season:
the return of Wendel Clark. The former Leaf captain came back to
Toronto along with defenceman Mathieu Schneider from the New York
Islanders in exchange for Darby Hendrickson, Kenny Jonsson,
junior prospect Sean Haggerty, and a first round pick in 1997.
The next night, Dave Andreychuk was sent to the New Jersey
Devils in exchange for two draft picks. Fletcher called the
trade of the one-time 50-goal scorer an economic one. The fact
of the matter is Andreychuk was not doing his job and quite
possibly cost Burns' his. But that's another story.
Back to Wendel. The 29-year-old Kelvington, Saskatchewan
native was selected by Toronto first overall in the 1984 NHL
entry draft. From the moment Clark pulled a Leafs jersey over
his head, he has epitomized Toronto hockey -- gritty, tough,
humble, determined... you get the point.
But in 1994 Toronto hockey fans were stunned to learn that
their favourite son had been traded to Quebec for Mats Sundin.
No knock on Sundin, but the Leafs captain was supposed to be
untouchable. Through the dismal years of Harold Ballard-
ownership through to two final four campaigns under Burns, Wendel
Clark WAS Toronto Maple Leafs hockey. And now he was gone. And
now he's back.
The Leafs were falling fast. They were in very serious
trouble, sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference and
quite possibly out of the playoffs. Some will argue that
bringing Clark back to Toronto is merely a smoke screen and that
the ageing, ailing Clark will add nothing the Leafs don't already
have. Maybe. Clark's presence on the ice, however, has lifted
his team when it was needed... with a big hit, a key goal.
The goal for Fletcher right now is making the playoffs. If
Wendel can make the difference in a few games this season, then
the trade was a good one. Acquiring Schneider, too, will give
the Leafs the added strength they seemed to be lacking on the
back line. While losing Jonsson -- someone Fletcher vowed he
would never trade -- is hard to swallow, that was the price
Toronto had to pay to make a run at THIS year's Stanley Cup.
Toronto is playing for today, not tomorrow. Islander's GM Mike
Milbury is going to have a lot to thank Fletcher for in a few
years. After all, it was at last year's trading deadline that
Fletcher swapped first-round goalie selection Eric Fichaud for
Benoit Hogue of the Isles. Fletcher later called it the worst
trade he ever made as Hogue headed to Dallas along with Randy
Wood for Gagner.
Whatever the outcome of this year's season, Cliff Fletcher
has been keeping the fax machines at 60 Carlton St. busy. Now
it's time to sit back and watch... to see if Fletcher still
deserves the nickname "The Silver Fox". Perhaps the "Old Grey
Fella" will be more apropos come June. For those who bleed blue
and white, let's hope not.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Thinking About the Future...
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Dan Hurwitz
A dark cloud has hung over Long Island since Don Maloney's
shenanigans sent the Islanders on a tailspin. The Senators are
even more hopeless than a fan wondering if home games are in the
Civic Centre, Palladium or Corel Centre. And the once lively
sharktank is no longer biting. So while the Devils, Rangers,
Flyers, Maple Leafs and Panthers lead the charge in making
playoff-calibre trades, the Isles, Senators and Sharks are
thinking towards the future.
On Long Island, Mike Milbury stepped into the vacant general
manager position like he was destined to occupy that desk on the
Gisland. Extremely polite about not wanting to stab his former
boss in the back when the position opened, Milbury has begun
undoing the damage Maloney did to the once-proud franchise.
Maloney's single biggest deal is all but undone, as Kirk Muller
and Mathieu Schneider have both ended up in Toronto in separate
trades, as has former Leafs captain Wendel Clark. Come to think
of it, Milbury has even begun undoing his own finest work, as
center Martin Straka was just thrown to the Panthers mere weeks
after coming over in the Muller trade. The reason? Too darn
many small, finesse-type European players for Milbury's liking.
Sure, the remaining group who fit that description are a
promising lot. Led by veteran Alexander Semak, they also include
Niklas Anderson, Andrei Vasiliev and this year's breakthrough
player, Zigmund Palffy. Palffy is one of Milbury's pet projects,
and the boss likes to call his young gun "a blossoming
superstar." Two other players are central to Milbury's plans to
build a winner: Darius Kasparaitis, the fiendishly dirty
Lithuanian defenseman, and Eric Fichaud, the former first-rounder
who has become "The Man" in net for the Islanders in the
twighlight of this season.
So what is the method to the Milbury madness? Why hasn't he
traded for the Recchin' Ball to help him with his demolotions?
Well, having learned the trade from one of hockey's most revered
GM's, Boston's Harry Sinden, Milbury is building his future
fishstick franchise from the defense out. Next year, the
Islanders will be able to boast Kasparaitis, Scott Lachance,
Kenny Jonsson, and this past summer's first-overall selection,
Brian Berard. Not a bad bunch of young guns at all. And if
Fichaud is the real thing and either Tommy Soderstrom or Tommy
Salo can plug the net in backup duty, the Islanders may have one
of the league's most improved goals-against figures.
Up front is where the Islanders are still a project. After
Palffy and the other slick forwards mentioned before, there are
precious few players capable of stepping into the void left by
the departures of such scorers as Pierre Turgeon, Kirk Muller,
Steve Thomas and Clark. Derek King is getting on in years and
Travis Green has shown only flashes of brilliance. Still, the
last time the Islanders became a dynasty, it started with Denis
Potvin and finished with such diamonds in the rough as Mike
Bossy, Bryan Trottier and Bobby Nystrom. With one of hockey's
finest minds in Milbury running this fixer-upper, look for
serious contention within just a few short years.
As for the Senators, patience may be wearing thin in
Canada's Capital. The new building which everyone said would
save this franchise financially is in place. And so are the
Senators...in last place, that is. But any day now it looks like
the Quebec Nordiques plan will take effect. In fact, with three
straight wins this late in the season, it looks as though it may
already be happening.
Ottawa is packed with promising young talent in Alexei
Yashin, Daniel Alfredsson, Stan Neckar, and Damien Rhodes.
Slowly, the veteran presence is being eliminated as older players
such as Dan Quinn and Don Beaupre have been sent packing, meaning
it is time for the youngsters to step up.
It may also be time to move Alexandre Daigle.
Unfortunately, his season-ending injury cost the team the chance
to move him by this week's trade deadline, but he could go during
the summer or early next year. The Senators have been revving
their engines for a marked improvement for a few years and it's
time to start expecting them to strut their stuff. Even though
the Playoff are out for this year, it is refreshing to see
Ottawa's team playing hard enough to turn a few heads. The
strange thing is that so many players have been rumored to want
an exit visa that this inspired play seems to indicate they may
all be in place for a while longer. Have patience, Ottawa fans.
If the Lightning can do it, so can the Sens.
As for what went wrong this season in San Jose, the most
brilliant minds in hockeydom are shrugging their shoulders in a
collective "I dunno." Coming off a pair of Cinderella
first-round upsets in the past two years, the Sharks simply
lacked any of their expected intensity this season. With the
addition of talented players like Owen Nolan, Doug Bodger, Chris
Terreri and Ray Sheppard, the Sharks looked like darkhorse
contenders in the Pacific Division. Unfortunately, the upward
climb sputtered into a nasty spiralling dive and the Sharks are
going to be fish out of water come the postseason.
Already, former fifty-goal scorer Ray Sheppard has been
moved to Florida for a second- and fourth-round pick. This may
seem like a paltry sum, but just the same, Sheppard was once
traded for a dollar. The question for the future is whether or
not any of the young defensemen can replace Sandis Ozolinsh on
the blue line. Then there's the matter of what to do about
diminishing returns from formerly potent offensive players like
Craig Janney, Kevin Miller and Ulf Dahlen. The Young Guns
approach worked well for a while in San Jose. Is it time for new
veteran leadership, or have the Sharks gone back to the
rebuilding phase? Even though they have way too much talent for
their record, don't expect too much retooling in the off-season.
This exact same lineup has the ability to rebound next year in
the weak Pacific Division.
Realistically, the Islanders, Senators and Sharks have
bright futures. Honest. But when you're all watching the Red
Wings, Avalanche, Blues and Penguins, you just kinda missed a bit
of a preview of tomorrow's hottest teams.
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Hardware Hopefuls
---------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell
Are you like me? Do ya... do ya like the postseason award
show? Ah yes, there is nothing like poorly written jokes
stumbled over by a mishmash of hockey players and other Canadian
celebrities to really make an evening special. And who can
resist those awkward silences?
Yes, the end of the 1995-96 NHL season is at hand and the
postseason award show is looming ominously on the horizon. With
about 12 games left in the season, now is the time for award
hopefuls to step up their play in order to ensure that they will
be lucky enough to share the stage with the likes of the immortal
Alan Thicke come this June. So who are the favorites to walk
away with the postseason hardware this year? Well, never fear,
LCS is here for a reason. Although, keep in mind
these are the players we think will win the awards based on the
voting, not necessarily the guys we ourselves would pick. And as
always, this is only an exhibition, so please, no wagering...
HART TROPHY
A few months ago it appeared as if Mario Lemieux and Mark
Messier were going to battle it out for the NHL's top honor this
season. However, injuries have slowed Messier and the Rangers of
late. Even though Lemieux isn't putting up points like he was
earlier in the season, he is still the driving force behind the
Penguins and should walk away with his third career Hart Trophy.
The interesting question is who will be the third nominee?
Lemieux's presence automatically eliminates Jaromir Jagr. Eric
Lindros is having a fine season, but the Flyers' recent struggles
will count against him. Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic will split
the Colorado vote and will likely eliminate each other from the
race. Alexander Mogilny has gone above and beyond expectations
in Vancouver. Will his 53 goals be enough to land the Russian a
Hart nomination? It should be, but it probably won't. And what
about li'l Theo Fleury? He has done everything this year for the
Flames. Unfortunately, Calgary's average record and the fact
that Gary Roberts' return to the lineup was another significant
contributor to the Flames' turnaround will be enough to keep
Fleury in the dark.
What about goaltenders? The usual Hart nominees between the
pipes, Dominik Hasek and John Vanbiesbrouck, faded as the season
progressed. Chris Osgood? Well, maybe... no. However, there is
one goaltender out there who could get the third slot. That's
right, the New Jersey Devils' Martin Brodeur could be the third
man in the Hart race. Brodeur has been a constant in New Jersey
all season long and has been putting up some amazing numbers
during the Devils' recent hot streak. Don't be surprised to see
Brodeur mentioned with Lemieux and Messier.
LIKELY WINNER: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
ART ROSS TROPHY
Obviously this is a two-man race between teammates Mario
Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. At the time of this article Lemieux
has a five-point lead on Jagr, 136 to 131. The Pens have 13
games left on their schedule, including three back-to-back game
situations. So Mario will likely sit out three of those six
games. That could be all the opportunity Jagr needs to pass up
his idol in the scoring race. However, when there's a scoring
title on the line Lemieux means business, no matter how much he
says they don't matter. If he needs six points in the final
game, Mario will get six points in the final game... he ain't no
joke.
LIKELY WINNER: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
NORRIS TROPHY
The media circus that is New York City will do its best to
get Brian Leetch his second Norris Trophy. And, truth be told,
Leetch is a deserving candidate. He leads all defensemen in
scoring with 13 goals and 71 points in 69 games and he's also a
+14 for the Atlantic Division leading Rangers.
However, Leetch is not the best defenseman in the game.
That honor has to go to Chicago's Chris Chelios. Since he has
learned to control his temper a few years ago, Chelios' play just
keeps getting better and better. In 70 games Chelios has fired
home 13 goals and added 48 assists for 61 points, while playing
at a +22. Without their leader on the blue line, the Blackhawks
would not be considered the force they are in the Western
Conference.
The third nominee will once again be Ray Bourque. Despite
the struggles of his team, Bourque has been the lone constant in
Beantown. The ageless one leads all defensemen in goals with 19
and has 67 points in 68 games.
LIKELY WINNER: Chris Chelios, Chicago Blackhawks
VEZINA TROPHY
It's been kind of a strange year for goaltenders. First
there's that whole Patrick Roy being traded stuff, then a guy
like Jeff Hackett leads the league in goals-against average and
save percentage for most of the season... that's just silly.
Midway through the season the fact that this year's Vezina
would go to John Vanbiesbrouck was considered a foregone
conclusion. However, the Beezer, along with his Florida
teammates, have struggled mightily the last few weeks. The
recent slump has all but eliminated Vanbiesbrouck from Vezina
contention.
Chris Osgood has put up strong numbers all season and should
be one of the final three. Osgood's record of 34-5-3 is simply
mind-boggling and his 2.16 goals-against average and .913 save
percentage solidify him as a deserving finalist. Unfortunately,
Osgood has two things going against him in his dream for a
Vezina. First, he plays behind the best defensive team in the
league. And second, well, he's like, you know... Chris Osgood.
He just doesn't have league-wide respect. If he can win a few
rounds during the playoffs that could all change in time for the
1997 Vezina race. Until Osgood proves himself in the postseason,
he will never be a serious contender for the Vezina.
The winner this year should be Martin Brodeur (29-23-11,
2.25 GAA, .914 SV%). Not only has he been exceptional over the
past few weeks while New Jersey tries to secure a playoff spot,
but he is widely regarded as the best goaltender in the league
anyway. He already has a Stanley Cup victory and a Calder Trophy
to his name, so a Vezina would round out the collection nicely.
There will be a mad rush during the last ten games to see
who the third nominee will be. Jim Carey and his seven shutouts
will keep him in contention, while Tampa Bay's remarkable climb
in the standings could give the nod to Daren Puppa.
LIKELY WINNER: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
CALDER TROPHY
Before the season started Montreal's Saku Koivu was all but
handed the Calder. Which is usually the Kiss of Death. Koivu is
a tremendous talent and will one day be a star, but he had just
an average rookie campaign with 17 goals and 39 points for the
Habs.
Chicago's Eric Daze earned his stripes during the playoffs
last season and exploded on the scene this year for the Hawks.
Despite seeing little time on the power play, Daze has been the
rookie leader in goals almost since day one and has given the
Blackhawks another legitimate goal-scoring threat up front. His
6'4" frame and excellent work ethic should make the 21-year-old
winger a fixture in the Windy City for many years to come.
Playing in a large market like Chicago will also give him a leg
up on the Calder competition.
Meanwhile, Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson has been the lone
bright spot in yet another dismal season for the Senators. The
23-year-old Swedish winger has been Ottawa's only reliable weapon
on offense. He leads the Senators, and all rookies, in scoring
with 21 goals and 50 points in 68 games. In fact, Alfredsson has
21 more points than Ottawa's second leading scorer. While his
scoring abilities are obvious, the thing that really makes
Alfredsson stand out from the crowd is his remarkable sense for
the game. Not only does he work hard away from the play, but he
also rarely makes a bad decision when the puck is on his blade.
Alfredsson would be LCS's pick for the Calder,
however, the fact that he plays in Ottawa will likely hinder his
chances of competing with the more-recognized Daze.
Also look for Florida's Ed Jovanovski to receive some much
deserved attention. He should earn the third nomination.
LIKELY WINNER: Eric Daze, Chicago Blackhawks
SELKE TROPHY
I don't want this to sound cruel or anything, but does
anybody really care?
LIKELY WINNER: Who cares?
LADY BYNG TROPHY
Ditto.
LIKELY WINNER: Babe the pig... that little fella is winnin'
everything lately!
JACK ADAMS TROPHY
Doug MacLean had Coach of the Year honors wrapped up before
Florida's recent slide. Now, like Vanbiesbrouck, MacLean's
visions of a postseason award could be a thing of the past.
However, Florida's early-season success could still be enough to
keep him in contention.
Terry Crisp, MacLean's neighbor in sunny Florida, may steal
the award thanks to a late-season surge by the Lightning Bolts.
Of course, who couldn't coach a team with Johnny Cullen and
"Knuckles" Selivanov? Crisp will also get some votes simply
because he now has the longest tenure behind the bench of any
active NHL coach. Such survival skills are often rewarded.
Scotty Bowman deserves to be nominated for keeping the Red
Wings on track after last season's disappointment in the Stanley
Cup Finals. Of course, Chicago's Craig Hartsburg will likely
squeeze in ahead of Bowman because of the rookie-coach factor.
There really aren't too many other candidates. A case could be
made for Pierre Page's efforts in keeping the Flames a playoff
contender and Colin Campbell could receive a lot of votes since
he coaches in New York.
LIKELY WINNER: Doug MacLean, Florida Panthers
Well, that's how LCS sees the races for the major
postseason awards. We'll hand out our own postseason honors in
our big end-of-the-season extravaganza slated for the week after
the Cup is won. It should be some exciting stuff. I doubt if
any players will show up for our awards ceremony, but we're
hoping to have some famous celebrities on hand. Now if only Gary
Coleman and Don Knotts would return my calls...
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
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BOSTON BRUINS
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Head Coach: Steve Kasper
Roster: C - Adam Oates, Jozef Stumpel, Ted Donato, Ron Sutter. LW
- Shawn McEachern, Dave Reid, Davis Payne. RW - Cam Neely, Rick
Tocchet, Joey Mullen, Steve Heinze, Sandy Moger, Mark Potvin. D -
Ray Bourque, Al Iafrate, Don Sweeney, Rick Zombo, Jon Rohloff,
Kyle McLaren, Dean Chynoweth, Phil VonStefanelli. G - Bill
Ranford, Craig Billington.
Injuries: Al Iafrate, d (knee, day-to-day); Cam Neely, rw (sore
hip, indefinite); Dave Reid, lw (abdominal muscle strain,
day-to-day).
Transactions: Signed Ron Sutter (c) as free agent from Phoenix,
IHL. Traded Steve Leach (rw) to St. Louis for Kevin Sawyer (lw)
and Steve Staios (d).
Game Results:
3/05 at Islanders L 5-3
3/07 Islanders W 4-3
3/09 Philadelphia W 3-2
3/10 at Florida W 4-1
3/14 Pittsburgh W 4-2
3/15 at Washington W 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown
The Bruins started out by scraping bottom, losing a killer
to the New York Islanders on Ziggy Palffy's second hat trick in
as many games. The Islanders scored on 50% of their power plays
(2-for-4) and had five goals on 16 shots. Not a pretty sight
between the pipes. But the fault was hardy just the goalkeeping.
Boston's forwards did little to contain the Isle's young guns,
and made rookie goalie Eric Fichaud look like the second coming
of Chico Resch.
Two nights later, the Bruins stopped Palffy from setting an
NHL record (for hat tricks in three straight games), holding him
to one goal, and by the way, winning the game. Not a big deal,
you say, beating the Isles at home?
Maybe not, but it was the start of something big. The
Bruins went on a tear, beating four Eastern Conference playoff
rivals, winning five in a row for the first time this season. In
the process, they also ended a frustrating streak of losses to
the Penguins, beating the Icebirds 4-2 at the Fleet behind
superb goaltending from Bill Ranford, and a hat trick in the
third period by Rick Tocchet. Each goal was a zinger from right
in front of his ex-teammate Ken Wregget, such as the one-timer of
an airborne feed by Todd Elik.
Elik was a big part of this win, and the Elik-Adam
Oates-Tocchet combo has been flying. Usually, the sweet feeds
are from Oates, but in this game, Elik was making the plays,
usually taking the first pass from Oates and getting it
to Tocchet in prime goal-scoring position.
Ranford has been nothing short of spectacular during the
five-game streak. His 2.00 GAA during the wins is backed by a
.937 save percentage, much improved over his earlier numbers.
Ranford is looking both more relaxed and more animated. One
caution: he is getting banged into, and banged up, almost every
game. He got a skate in the back of the knee against Washington
and his yelp was heard throughout the arena. Fortunately, a few
minutes later he was laughing about it with Ray Bourque. Still,
without Ranford, the Bruins would be unlikely to see the
playoffs.
* Meanwhile, the Bruins said goodbye to Steve Leach, trading
Leach to the Blues and Madman Mike for for minor-league tough guy
Kevin Sawyer and defenseman Steve Staios, both 22-year-olds. It
was a youth movement thing, mainly. Steve Leach was 30, and his
joining the Blues gains them the distinction of being the NHL's
oldest team (though aquiring Craig MacTavish from Philly might
have also contributed).
Steve Leach was a Bruin through and through. He played
tough and at times this season was the only only one who would
stick up for a teammate. But Steve seemed caught between a puck
and a hard place. He didn't have the hands or the shot accuracy
to be a major scorer, but he didn't have the size to be a major
masher. In St. Louis, he is expected to add some work ethic and
crunch to the lineup. The Blues need to have at least one
hitting forward after Tony Twist gets tossed each game, right?
Bye-bye Steve, and good luck in Gretzkyland.
* The Bruins have been shorthanded at Providence, and none too
nasty at Boston, so the addition of an enforcer like Sawyer might
help. That is, if he weren't damaged goods. The Blues said he
was fine, but not so. He hasn't skated for a couple of weeks
because of a groin pull. Gotta check the teeth before you
buy the horse, fellas. Sawyer's numbers with the AHL Worcester
Icecats are impressive, though, if you are worried about the
Bruins not getting their fair share of penalties: 6'2", 205lbs,
40 games, three goals, four assists, 268 penalty minutes!
Staios, who played in Peoria last year, isn't as big but has a
little better touch, with one goal and eleven assists in 57 games
with Worcester. Neither player will be a playoff catalyst.
* However, that playoff catalyst might well be 34-year-old Ron
Sutter, who was playing with Phoenix of the IHL. Sutter brings
the grit and determination that the Bruins have seemed to be
lacking. While Sutter cannot play a major role in scoring, he
can shadow and pestify other team's scorers, and he is an
accomplished penalty killer. So far, in his first four games as
a Bruin, Sutter has done exactly that, and it shows on the
scoreboard.
* Philadelphia was Sutter's first game, and teamed with Sandy
Moger, he was a big part of Boston's comeback win. He played
Lindros tough on faceoffs and helped hold the Legion to two
goals. However, the play of the night that changed the game for
both teams was a clean check turned nasty by Moger. He rode
Lindros along the boards at center, and Lindros dinged his head
on the stanchion next to the timekeeper's bench. Lindros was
down and dazed, and for the rest of the game the Flyers were
distracted, running around at Moger, drawing penalties and
forgetting about the hockey game. It cost them a win.
* Looking over the sick list at St. Elsewhere, Cam Neely is
still out, resting the hip, with no real prognosis for return.
Steve Kasper doesn't want to rush him back and risk losing him
for the playoffs. Dave Reid came back after his finger break,
only to go out again with strained abdominal muscles. He
is healing but probably not ready for Monday against San Jose.
The guy who might be back is Al Iafrate. The Boston Globe
reported that big Al was supposedly going to dress against the
Sharks, but believe it when you see it, because the papers have
been mum since that one hint.
Jozef Stumpel returned from his fractured cheek, and has two
goals and one assist in the four games since. He is wearing a
full mask to protect his cheek, and playing very well.
* For the first time in a great while, the Bruins have
actually scored more goals overall than have been scored against
them. For most of the season, the Bruins have been slightly on
the negative side on this stat, for the first time in many
seasons.
* One major difference in the Bruin's play is that the
forwards are backchecking better. They are cutting down on the
odd-man breaks, pressing the point men, and generally being a
heck of a lot pestier. The effect has rubbed off on both the
power play and the penalty kill. During the last three games,
the Bruins have gone 4-for-9 on the power play against Florida,
Pittsburgh, and Washington. During the last five games,
opponents have gone 2-for-28, only a 7% success rate. That
pretty much tells the story.
* The Bruins snuck back into a playoff spot, but wins by
Montreal on Saturday and Washington on Sunday bumped them back
into ninth. Monday's game against San Jose thus represents
another crucial two points, and the Bruins must avoid
a letdown. The game against the Sharks is the Bruin's
game-in-hand against Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Washington. It is
also their extra home game (the other teams have six remaining).
While it is not a so-called four-point game, it is the closest
possible thing to one. However, the crucible for the season
should be the three games remaining against the Montreal
Canadiens. These games are likely to be the deciding
factor in the Bruin's playoff race. What more could a Bruin's
fan ask for? The rivalry of all time, with winner-take-all
(well, at least eighth place), and the loser dropping millions in
luxury box playoff revenues. This could end up as the equivalent
of a best-of-three playoff series.
But Coach Kasper has said, rightfully, that for these games
to be meaningful, his players have to play focused hockey every
game, from now to the end of the season, not just against the
Hab-nots. Perhaps for the first time this season, Bruin's fans
have reason to hope that the team is listening to Stevie.
* The B's are within striking distance of every team except
the Rangers and Pittsburgh, and even a home ice berth is not out
of the question. Note that if the Bruins were in the Western
Conference, they would be in fourth place, beating out St. Louis
based on number of wins. Most of the Eastern teams are
playing each other as the season winds down, and the more they
can knock each other off, the better for Boston. Hope springs
eternal, at least for four more weeks.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFALO SABRES
----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ted Nolan
Roster: C - Pat LaFontaine, Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Dave Hannan.
LW - Jason Dawe, Yuri Khmylev, Brad May, Randy Burridge, Michal
Grosek, Robb Conn. RW - Matthew Barnaby, Rob Ray, Scott Pearson.
D - Alexei Zhitnik, Garry Galley, Charlie Huddy, Darryl Shannon,
Mark Astley, Bob Boughner. G - Dominik Hasek, Andrei Trefilov.
Injuries: Richard Smehlik, D (knee, out for season); Donald
Audette, RW (knee, out for season).
Transactions: Defenseman Doug Houda cleared waivers and was
assigned to Rochester (AHL). Reassigned center Brian Holzinger
to Rochester (AHL).
Game Results
3/06 at Vancouver L 5-2
3/08 at Anaheim L 3-2 OT
3/10 at San Jose L 6-4
3/13 at Los Angeles W 6-2
3/15 vs Calgary L 3-1
3/16 at Hartford L 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Valerie Hammerl
The schedule makers weren't easy on the Buffalo Sabres. The
team had just lost the first part of a home-and-home series with
the Vancouver Canucks when they had to fly out for the team's
western road trip. It started with a 5-2 drubbing by the
Canucks, in large part a result of a hat trick by Russ Courtnall.
Even the return of winger Brad May, playing with a soft cast on
his arm, wasn't enough to generate a win, or even a tie. Dominik
Hasek, a two-time Vezina trophy winner, was chased from the nets
at the start of the third period, and was replaced by backup
netminder Andrei Trefilov. It didn't affect the outcome.
The return of Jason Dawe to the lineup from cracked ribs for
the next game against Anaheim should have given the team a needed
lift. With two more healthy players back on the roster, center
Brian Holzinger was sent back to Rochester. The line of
Dawe-Plante-Barnaby was reassembled. The Sabres played a strong
game, but a late third-period goal by Robb Conn was disallowed,
and it seemed to deflate the Sabres somewhat. The team lost
in overtime to an opponent they should have been able to beat.
The Sabres' woes snowballed. The chartered flight from
Anaheim to San Jose was cancelled at the last minute when the
charter company went bankrupt. Scrambling for transportation,
the team was forced to bus its way for five and a half hours.
Cranky and tired, they arrived in San Jose, prepared to meet the
woeful Sharks. Coach Ted Nolan issued twice-per-day practices.
The Sharks took it to the Sabres, managing an empty-net goal to
put the game away.
On to Los Angeles. Practice was scratched in favor of a
team meeting. Randy Burridge flew out from Buffalo, ready to
play, his knee fine. A Los Angeles team that is still feeling
the loss of Wayne Gretzky folded to the Sabres, snapping the
lengthy winless streak. But it was the first of three games in
four nights, and the Sabres still had to fly across the
continent, this time via commercial aircraft.
A layover in Chicago the previous day prevented the team
from practicing on 3/14. Worse, when they arrived in Buffalo to
play Calgary, the ice was a mess, a combination of the circus
coming to town the previous week and the Aud beginning to show
every one of its fifty-six years. Glass panels popped out
frequently and had to be re-inserted back between their supports.
There are no plans to fix Memorial Auditorium in any way prior to
the end of the season. Next season, the Sabres will move into
their new home, Marine Midland Arena. To add to Buffalo woes,
young defenseman Mike Wilson was late for practice, and was
awarded coach Ted Nolan's usual punishment -- a trip to
the press box for that night's game. Judging by the ice, it may
have been a blessing. Calgary coach Pierre Page deemed it the
worst ice conditions he'd seen in all his years in the NHL and
requested that league officials view the ice to verify whether it
was of game-shape. It was, but barely. Some of the chippiest
sixty minutes of hockey follwed, and the Sabres, despite a gritty
effort, failed to keep up with the Flames and nemesis Gary
Roberts. The Sabres lost 3-1, including an empty-net goal by the
Flames.
The Sabres headed for Hartford. Wilson was back on the
ice, his replacement Mark Astley back out of the lineup. The
Hartford game had some novelties -- a fight not in front of but
inside the Buffalo bench and an illegal stick call on Geoff
Sanderson -- but the outcome didn't change much for Buffalo, as
Hartford managed to walk away with a 2-1 win, with the Sabres not
even close to scoring in the final minutes.
* Charlie Huddy played in his 1000th NHL game while on the
western road trip.
* Defenseman Richard Smehlik is skating with the team, and
traveled with the team to Hartford. There is a good chance that
he will play prior to the end of the season.
* Rumor has it the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres
are eyeing each other for trades. John Muckler and Don Lever
were reportedly in Toronto for the Leafs-Canucks game, and
Vancouver management was at the Whalers-Sabres game. The Canucks
have been shopping for a center to complement Alexander Mogilny.
* The Buffalo Sabres' playoff hopes are now exceedingly slim,
barring the nearly total breakdown of a team currently in the
final spots for the playoffs.
* The Sabres face the Montreal Canadiens for a home-and-home
series beginning March 18. It will the second game ever played
in the new Molson Centre.
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HARTFORD WHALERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Andrei Nikolishin, Jeff O'Neill,
Mark Janssens. LW - Scott Daniels, Paul Ranheim, Brendan
Shanahan, Geoff Sanderson. RW - Kelly Chase, Nelson Emerson,
Kevin Dineen, Sami Kapanen, Robert Kron, Steve Rice. D - Jeff
Brown, Adam Burt, Gerald Diduck, Glen Featherstone, Brian Glynn,
Brad McCrimmon, Glen Wesley, G - Sean Burke, Jason Muzzatti.
Injuries: RW Kevin Dineen, broken wrist (9 February), six - to -
eight weeks.
Transactions: none.
Results:
3/06 Detroit L 4-2
3/08 Toronto W 7-4
3/09 @ St. Louis L 6-3
3/13 Pittsburgh W 3-2
3/16 Buffalo W 2-1
3/18 Tampa Bay W 6-3
TEAM NEWS by Steve Gallichio
It would be a terrible cliche to say that all the games the
rest of the season are "big games" for the Hartford Whalers.
It would also be generally untrue, in the same way that
cliches like "you have to play 60 minutes of hockey to win" are
also usually untrue. In fact, considering that over 90% of all
hockey games are won by the team leading when entering the third
period, and in fact an also-very-large percentage of games are
won by teams that lead after just one period of play, it really
doesn't make sense to look at hockey as a 60 minute game. But
"hockey is really just a series of 20 minute contests whose
outcomes have significant statistical bearing on the summed
outcome of an entire 60 minute game" just doesn't roll off the
tongue in the same way, so we're stuck with that "playing 60
minutes to win" tripe. Unless, of course, you're playing the
Bruins.
But Mr. Whale digresses. The point here is that there
aren't any single big games left this year as the Whale pushes to
recover from a disastorous 1995 with a playoff spot in 1996.
Starting on Saturday 16 March, 11 of the Whalers' final 16 games
were to be played against the teams at #5-10 in the Eastern
Conference, with one more each against Ottawa and the Islanders.
Only three games remain against any of the current top four teams
in the conference. While there are no "single" big games, there
are plenty of small challenges, to be taken one at a time, in
order to climb back up the mountain. With a 19-10-2 record since
New Year's Day, the standings show them as on the outside looking
in, but with all the teams in their scope also on their schedule,
they will have no one to blame but themselves if they fall short
again this year.
We could make some comment about them holding their destiny
in their own hands, but that would just be another cliche.
Still, the Whale have gotten an admirable start to the
stretch, beating Buffalo and Tampa Bay to start the 16 game
dash for cash, and cap off a current five-out-of-seven streak
with losses only to the Detroit Red Wings and a brutal two-minute
breakdown that put the Whale in an unrecoverable 3-0 hole early
in Brendan Shanahan and His Cast of Thousands' home-coming game
in $t Louis on 9th March.
The victory over Buffalo was mildly costly, as both Scott
Daniels and Glen Featherstone picked up their fourth game
misconducts of the season in an early scrap. As anyone who
watches these two teams on a regular basis knows, the Whalers
and Sabres definitely do not like each other. Hartford/Buffalo
games, aside from presenting two of the finest goaltenders in
hockey in Dominik Hasek and Sean Burke, are perfect justification
for the V-chip.
In this particular game, Rob Ray spent the better part of
a full shift chasing Mark Janssens and Shanahan around for a
fight, but neither would oblige. Janssens was still suffering
from a fractured orbital bone as result of an unfortunate
decision to fight Tony Twist in $t Louis, and Brendan frankly
has better things to do with his time than fight with Ray. But
Daniels doesn't, and he was more than happy to give Ray what he
wanted. When all was said and done, both Daniels and
Featherstone ended up actually in the Buffalo bench (courtesy of
Garry Galley) fighting with Sabre players still on the ice. With
each's fourth ejection of the season, both would have to sit out
games against Tampa and Montreal, both also historically chippy
games for Hartford.
Also penalized in the melee was goaltender Jason Muzzatti,
who nabbed both a roughing minor and a ten-minute misconduct
while leaning over out of the Whalers' bench, thus adding to an
earlier from-the-bench incident this season and cementing his
reputation as the Toughest Backup Goaltender in Hockey (tm).
Naturally Kelly Chase had the indignity of not only serving
someone else's minor, but also someone else's misconduct. Chase
spent 14 minutes serving bench penalties in the game, and was
seen near the end consulting with interior decorators at the
penalty box in order to make it a more comfortable living
environment for him. Add a few plants, hang a couple of
pictures, maybe a fridge...
The Sabre game was also interesting in that it was the first
game played after a potentially explosive media exchange between
Shanahan and members of the Whalers' management team, most
prominently Director of Player Personnel Kevin Maxwell.
Maxwell essentially took Shanahan to task for not playing
with the intensity and physical style that characterized Shanny's
career before coming to Hartford, and for becoming too much of
a perimeter player rather that causing havoc in front of the net.
"It's frustrating because Brendan's such a well-respected
guy by his peers," Maxwell said. "And he's got the ability, so
everybody would toe the line if he took the initiative and if he
played in a robust style, It's contagious."
Maxwell's comments were the first public observations from
the Whalers about what had been obvious for much of the season:
that Shanny hasn't played the same hell-fire emotional game that
the Whalers were hoping to see when he was brought to Hartford
and made team captain.
There are many plausible reasons. For starters, there is
still almost certainly lingering effects of Shanahan's wrist
ligamament damage that cost him the first quarter of the year.
Also, as team captain, he has dedicated himself to a style which
will keep him on the ice as much as possible. And with 31 goals
in the past 40 games, there can't be too much arguing with that
philosophy. But it's also indisputable that the Whalers play
much better when they have their physical side showing, and
Shanahan was a guy expected to set some of that tempo. To this
point in the season, that's a side of him that has been lacking.
Shanahan, needless to say, was not pleased by the comments.
"If you're going to look for a leader on a team, whether it's in
scoring, hitting, or commitment to defense," Shanny said, "I know
I'm the guy that can change the mood of the team. If the team
wants me to play more physical and concentrate on that, then the
players can tell me that."
The situation was defused rather quickly, as GM Jim
Rutherford and Coach Paul Maurice (the highest winning percentage
in Whaler history! Tee-hee!) quickly spoke out in defense of
Brendan, echoing some of his comments that the team needs his
offensive leadership on the ice perhaps even more that his
physical leadership, and that he was playing exactly the type of
game he was being asked to play.
For what it's worth, in the game immediately after the
flare up, Shanahan purposefully avoided a fight with Ray and then
scored the game-winning short-handed goal on an ensuing Buffalo
power play. This just a few nights after scoring the game-winner
in the final minute against Pittsburgh after also turning down
a fight with a few minutes to play. So the "turn the other
cheek" strategy definitely has its rewards; but it's also true
that in the two games following the newspaper quotes, Shanahan
played his two most physical games of the season.
The more devious minds among us would perhaps believe that
Maxwell was merely being the designated "ax man" by dropping
comments to the press designed to light the pilot under Brendan
for the critical stretch run. The more optimistic among us
hope that it works to that effect without backfiring.
* And what would a Whaler report be without the obligatory
news-about-moving section? For this week, the news is this:
The Whalers are combining forces with the state government to
launch a serious season ticket campaign to the public but
predominantly at the statewide corporate ticket base in order
to attempt to double the Whale's season ticket base from its
current 5,000 to as high as 10,000 or more, and to fill the
18 skyboxes currently unsold as well as hang onto another 17
renters that have yet to renew for next season.
With the state economy suffering from a long downturn, the
corporate ticket holders bailed out on the Whalers far earlier
the average fans did, and in most cases have yet to return. The
state's Connecticut Development Authority arm, broker of the sale
to the KTR group that owns the team, has promised to pry open
parking and concession revenue streams that had been closed off
to the Whalers, but only if the team, along with the statewide
marketing campaign, can demonstrate that the people of the
state really want the team to stay, and do so with their
pocketbooks.
There are still rumours that the team is a hair trigger away
from announcing a move immediately at the conclusion of the
season, but they are contractually precluded from doing so for at
least two more season unless the CDA allows them to leave early.
While still possible, that seems remote in light of the announced
campaign, to be coordinated by state's Lt. Governor Jodi Rell.
So it's put up or shut up time for the people of the state to
decide whether NHL hockey is really important for them.
Hey, wait, that's another cliche...
* Oh, and one final note. During Monday's game against the
Lightning, Tampa Bay's locker room was burglarized to the tune
of over $2500. LCS favorite John Cullen, but
committed enemy of all things Whalers, was swiped of over $500.
Drinks tonight are on Mr. Whale.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
MONTREAL CANADIENS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mario Tremblay
Roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Saku Koivu, Brian Savage, Marc
Bureau, Craig Conroy. LW - Vincent Damphousse, Martin Rucinsky,
Benoit Brunet, Donald Brashear, Chris Murray, Scott Fraser. RW -
Mark Recchi, Andrei Kovalenko, Turner Stevenson, Valeri Bure. D
- Vladimir Malakhov, Stephane Quintal, Lyle Odelein, Patrice
Brisebois, Peter Popovic, Rory Fitzpatrick, Craig Rivet, Robert
Dirk, David Wilkie. G - Jocelyn Thibault, Pat Jablonski.
Injuries: Benoit Brunet, rw (strained back, day-to-day).
Transactions: None.
Game Results:
3/09 Ottawa W 3-2
3/11 Dallas W 4-1 * Last game at the Montreal Forum
3/13 @ New Jersey T 1-1
3/16 N.Y. Rangers W 4-2 * First game at the Molson Centre
TEAM NEWS by Dan Piedra
*
After returning from their California trip where they posted
a miserable 0-3 record against San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles,
the Canadiens now find themselves in a bit of a jam. What seemed
like a sure playoff birth a few days ago is now a tight-collar
race for one of the eight playoff spots in the tightly-contested
Eastern Conference. Assistant coach Steve Shutt described the
team's recent effort as, "Awful . . . just awful. We had a great
practice on Friday. We told them what had to be done against the
Kings on Saturday, and what happens? We're supposed to be the
toughest team in the league now, and we were outfought, out
hustled and outworked." Sound familiar? You better believe it.
That's what happens when a team plays some of their worst and
uninspired hockey in quite some time.
For now, the team will have to work even harder knowing that
they could have put some space between themselves and other
Eastern Conference hopefuls. Mark Recchi was quick to point out
some of the obvious faults with their recent efforts. "We
weren't doing the things we were supposed to do defensively, and
it just seemed to carry over into the next game. We don't do it
against the great teams. We didn't do it against Pittsburgh
before we headed west, but when we run into teams like those in
California, we seem to cheat. We play scared against the good
teams. We don't want to get blown out. We're afraid to be
embarrassed, but we should be doing it all the time. The good
thing is we have a good bunch of good guys. I know this: if we
can pull out of it at home . . . if we can get back to playing
good hockey, we can be a pretty tough team." Only time will
tell.
* The schedule makers must have known that the Canadiens would
need some time to recover from their recent three-game road trip.
Thus, they were blessed with a six-day break before they hit the
ice against the Ottawa Senators in what was the final Saturday-
night game at the hallowed Forum. The break gave the Habs a
chance to work-out and get to know their new home: The Molson
Centre or as some have fondly dubbed it, "The Keg". Thus far the
players are absolutely ecstatic about the facility. The ice
seems to be fast. Marc Bureau represented the majority when he
said, "Usually, when you have new ice, there's the danger that it
will crack but that didn't happen. It was very good." Mark
Recchi believes that the fast surface will help a good skating
team such as the Canadiens.
The Molson Centre will seat 21,000, but will not have the
spectacular standing room sections which many grew accustomed to
seeing at the Forum. However, it will have excellent sight-lines
as many of the upper-deck seats have been built at tremendously
steep angles. As in Ottawa's newly opened Corel Centre there are
no dividers holding the glass which means that when you shoot the
puck around the glass, it will go around in true fashion. The
boards will be much like the ones at the Forum, hard and non-
forgiving. Because of the limited amount of give which these
boards are blessed with, the propensity for injury will be higher
than in some of the arenas which use flimsy boards.
* Prior to closing the Forum on Monday night, fans were
treated to a Heroes of Hockey game featuring some of the best
players to ever put on a Hab's jersey. The Senior Canadiens were
matched up against a younger, faster NHL club that included Anton
and Peter Stastny, Laurie Boschman, Gilbert Perreault and Rene
Robert, and Lanny MacDonald. Also making an appearance was
70-year-old Detroit Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay. Also there
were 65-year-old Dickie Moore, and 58-year-old Frank Mahovlich
who scored a beautiful goal off a backhand shot. The game also
included several laughs, such as Pierre Bouchard getting sent off
for too many men on the ice after referee Ron Fournier measured
Bouchard's waistline and found him to be a little to big for the
ice. Undoubtedly, the fans' biggest ovation was reserved for Guy
Lafleur followed by Bob Gainey and the Habs' current assistant
coach Yvan Cournoyer. Mind you, Maurice (Rocket) Richard came
out on the ice prior to the game and received a thunderous
ovation.
* The record book will say that the final game played at the
Montreal Forum was played between the Habs and the Dallas Stars
on the night of March 11, 1996. It will also go on to record
that the red-white-blue won 4-1. However, it will fail to
accurately describe the emotional feast had by all who watched or
attended the event. The pre-game activities and post-game
festivities were drenched in tradition and pride. The ghosts of
the past were literally called back in the form of Roger Doucet
who through the magic of video tape performed the Canadian
National Anthem as only he could. You had to know that this
would be a night like no other. The tradition continued to
parade itself before a jam-packed Forum as Guy Lafleur and Jean
Beliveau joined Rocket Richard for the ceremonial faceoff prior
to commencing the night's game.
Following the 4-1 win by the Canadiens, the red carpets were
rolled out, and the fans were treated to one final celebration: a
Hall-of-Fame Farewell to the Forum. Twenty Hall-of-Famers were
brought out onto the ice to thunderous ovations. The fans gave
Guy Lafleur and Bob Gainey a tremendous ovation, but the night's
longest applause belonged to Mr. Montreal Canadien himself:
Maurice Richard, who received a standing ovation upwards of ten
minutes. In the end, a torch, symbolizing the Canadiens' pride
and tradition over the years was passed on through all the
previous captains in attendance, to the present day captain
Pierre Turgeon. Once the Hall-of-Famers had been escorted of the
ice, Turgeon remained on the ice holding the torch. The
scoreboard then posted the following message: See you Saturday at
the Molson Centre. The night was over, but the memories will
live on forever.
* Tidbits on the final game: Pierre Turgeon scored the first
goal of the night, while Andrei Kovalenko scored the final goal
at the Forum. The standard, "Last minute to play in the third
period" announcement was changed on this night to read, "Last
minute of play at the Montreal Forum."
After the game, several of the Canadiens' forwards scraped
together a pile of ice which they then put into a bag. Yes,
there was a purpose to this apparent madness. At a recent visit
to the Children's Hospital, a five-year-old suggested that to the
players that they should mix ice from the old with the new when
the team steps onto the Molson Centre ice. As such, the
scrapings will be kept cold until which time the boys will drop
them on the new ice.
* Forum Paraphernalia Goes for Big Bucks: Got a couple of
thousand dollars lying around that you don't quite know what to
do with? How about purchasing a piece of Forum history.
Following the final game at the Forum, articles from the same
building were put on the auction block. One gentleman paid over
$31,000 for the Stanley Cup banner marking the Montreal
Canadiens' first official NHL championship in the 1923-24 season.
One of four small shot clocks went for $1,000. One of the famed
hot-dog grills also fetched $1,000. About 1,000 hockey fans paid
$35 for a chance to bid on a variety of historic items within the
forum. The money raised went to the United Way and retired
Canadiens players fund.
* Amid all the celebration and the raising of the retired
numbers, the Molson Centre was finally opened. The state-of-the-
art centre saw the Habs upend the New York Rangers by a 4-2 mark.
Not surprisingly though, the talk of the town was the Molson
Centre. Canadiens President Ronald Corey reiterated that the
arena was built with the fans in mind. The sight-lines are among
the steepest in the league and provide an excellent view from all
of the seats. Molson Centre officials are quick to point out
that the last row is 16 meters closer to the ice surface than in
Calgary's Saddledome, considered by many to have among the best
sight-lines in hockey. Besides having the standard private boxes
which should fetch a pretty penny, the Molson Centre comes
complete with three restaurants, a Hall-of-Fame which features
plaques and photos of past Canadiens greats, and access to train
and subway. The Habs dressing room is a carbon copy of the
infamous room which housed the Canadiens at the Forum. The only
difference is that it now features newer, sharper pictures of the
Hall-of-Famers which adorn the walls.
Although the standing room area is gone, the Molson Centre
will provide affordable seats for families and young fans alike.
The cheapest seats in the house will go for $15.00 a pop. Not
bad for a seat in what can arguably be considered the world's
best hockey forum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OTTAWA SENATORS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Roster: C - Radek Bonk, Alexei Yashin, Dave Archibald, Trent
McCleary. LW - Randy Cunneyworth, Troy Mallette, Tom Chorske,
Dennis Vial, Michel Picard. RW - Rob Gaudreau, Scott Levins,
Daniel Alfredsson, Pavol Demitra, Pat Elynuik. D - Steve
Duchesne, Janne Laukkanen, Jaroslav Modry, Sean Hill, Stanislav
Neckar, Frank Musil, Chris Dahlquist. G - Damian Rhodes, Mike
Bales.
Injuries: Alexandre Daigle, c, (broken arm, out for season);
Ted Drury, c, (wrist injury, out indefinitely); Kerry Huffman, d,
(fractured left wrist, out indefinitely).
Transactions: Called up Michel Picard, lw, from PEI (AHL).
Sent Antti Tormanen, rw, to PEI (AHL).
Game Results:
3/07 at Pittsburgh L 5-1
3/09 at Montreal L 3-2
3/13 Dallas W 4-1
3/15 Vancouver W 2-0
3/17 Tampa Bay W 5-0
TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders
* After seven losses in a row, the Senators rebounded with
three straight wins including two shutouts in a row.
* The Ottawa Senators were the second-last team to play the
Montreal Canadiens in the historic Montreal Forum. It was
unfortunate that the Sens played such a lacklustre game,
especially on national TV. The final score, 3-2 for the Habs,
was much closer than the game realy was.
* Senators must work hard to overcome lack of goal scoring and
after their poor performance against Montreal, coach Martin put
the players through a few days of very vigorous workouts. The
Sunday (a scheduled off-day) practice was 50 minutes of non-stop
skating and drills, without the use of any pucks or sticks. The
tough practices seemed to pay off as the Sens played a much
better game against the Dallas Stars, winning 4-1. The Sens
jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and then employed a
rather defensive strategy to maintain the lead.
* The Senators followed up their good game against Dallas with
a second solid performance against Vancouver. The Sens played
very well in their own zone as they defeated the Canucks 2-0.
The Canucks had eight power-play opportunities but could not
score. Sens goalie Damian Rhodes made several outstanding saves,
robbing the Canucks of what seemed like sure goals. For Rhodes,
it was his first career shutout. It was the 70th NHL game for
the 26-year-old netminder. He was deservedly named the game's
first star and was given a loud standing ovation from the 17,000
plus-fans.
* On kid's day (really just an afternoon), a hot Tampa Bay
team visited the Corel Centre. Dushene and Yashin played a
strong game, and with Rhodes again in the net (30 shots), the
Sens soundly beat the Lightning. Frustrations showed late in the
game, including Enrico Ciccone taking on Dennis Vial.
* With the almost shutout againt Dallas, followed by two
straight shutouts againt Vancouver and Tampa Bay, Damien Rhodes
star continues to shine. Since coming over from Toronto, Rhodes
has played in 24 straight games. He has yet to replace his Maple
Leaf blue pads and trapper. His supplier has tried several pairs
but none have been to Damian's liking; fellow netminder Mike
Bales was saying that Rhodes was "particularly fussy" about how
his pads felt. Given how well Rhodes has been playing, he might
find it too superstitious to change even if he did find the right
pair!
* As the trading deadline approaches this week (March 20th),
several Sens could be on the move. General Manager Pierre
Gauther has said he "will deal from a position of strength",
indicating that he will only make a deal if the offer from the
other team is right. He is in no hurry to unload the players
sought after by other teams. The main rumours swirl around
defencemen Stanislav Neckar, Sean Hill, Steve Duchesne, Frank
Musil and forwards Troy Mallette and Dennis Vial. One strong
rumour has Musil and Vial heading to Pittsburgh in return for
Markus Naslund. Pittsburgh is apparently looking for some added
toughness, especially given the NY Rangers addition of Marty
McSorley and Shane Churla. We really doubt that Hill or
Duchesne will be dealt unless a very good offer is made.
* Antti Tormanen was demoted to Prince Edward Island; there
are no plans to call anyone up to replace him.
* The Ottawa Senators began their season ticket campaign for
next season this week. The Sens have frozen the cost of most
season tickets and even dropped the price of some of the
expensive hard-to-sell first tier corner seats. In addition, in
a rather precedent setting move, the Senators are offering all
season ticket holders the opportunity to cancel their season
tickets after the exhibition season and Opening Night games. If,
for any reason, a season ticket holder is not happy with the team
after the preseason and Opening Night performances, the Senators
will refund the remaining forty home games. The Senators are
obviously making every effort to please their current season
ticket base as well as expand upon it. The following other
incentives are being offered:
- a guarantee that season ticket holders will receive first crack
at purchasing tickets to the World Cup Games to be held at the
Corel Centre in September.
- a rather generous payment plan that lets fans pay for their
season tickets over 10-monthly installments. The surcharge for
this payment option is only two per cent.
- one additional free ticket to each preseason game, although it
may not be in the same section or price range.
- for fans that pay in full right away, the Sens are offering
discount coupons on food, drinks and other merchandise at the
Corel Centre.
- two free tickets for children to a designated game.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Eddie Johnston
Roster: C - Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Petr Nedved, Bryan
Smolinski, Dave McLlwain, Chris Wells. LW - Markus Naslund, Dave
Roche, Joe Dziedzic, Brad Lauer. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Tomas
Sandstrom, Glen Murray, Ed Patterson. D - Sergei Zubov, Dmitri
Mironov, Francois Leroux, Chris Joseph, Neil Wilkinson, Chris
Tamer, Ian Moran, Stefan Bergkvist, Corey Foster, Drake
Berehowsky. G - Tom Barrasso, Ken Wregget.
Injuries: Tomas Sandstrom, rw (cracked sternum, 2 weeks); Chris
Joseph, d (knee, day-to-day); Ian Moran, d (bruised shoulder,
day-to-day); Stefan Bergkvist, d (appendectomy, indefinite).
Transactions: Called up defensemen Corey Foster and Drake
Berehowsky from Cleveland (IHL).
Game Results:
3/05 Winnipeg L 6-3
3/07 Ottawa W 5-1
3/09 New Jersey L 4-3 OT
3/13 at Hartford L 3-2
3/14 at Boston L 4-2
3/16 NY Islanders W 4-2
TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino
A slump by the New York Rangers allowed the Pittsburgh
Penguins to jump back into the race for the top spot in the East,
and a three-game winning streak did just that. With a win
against Ottawa on Mar. 7 the Pens took over sole possession of
first place in the Eastern Conference, but they didn't hold on to
it for long. The Pens lost it the next game against the New
Jersey Devils, a game which started the Pens on a three-game
losing streak. A win against the New York Islanders on Saturday
put Pittsburgh back into a tie with the struggling Rangers for
the top seed in the East.
The past two weeks saw Petr Nedved and Jaromir Jagr turn
into a scary duo for the opposing teams. When Ron Francis left
the lineup because of a suspension and a bad back, Jagr and
Nedved began to click together in the offensive zone. Using
recent call-up from Cleveland Brad Lauer as a decoy, the two have
put a hurting on several teams.
The dynamic duo started their dominance in the first of a
three-game home stand at the Igloo Mar. 5 against the Winnipeg
Jets. Nedved put together the game of his career by scoring
four goals that night. It was Nedved's first hat trick of his
career. Jagr, who had four assists on the evening, helped set up
three of Nedved's tallies. Soon-to-be LCS idol
Nikolai Khabibulin started in goal for the Jets, but was chased
out midway through the game.
That same night, recently-acquired forward Dave McLlwain
proved that Mario Lemieux can make a scorer out of anyone who
plays on his line. McLlwain, who was acquired from the
Ottawa Senators for an eighth-round pick on Mar. 1, was playing
in the IHL at the time of the trade. However, by the magic of
Eddie Johnston, upon arriving in Pittsburgh he found himself
penciled in on the Pens' top line along with Lemieux and Ron
Francis. After pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming,
McLlwain potted two goals in the Pens' 9-4 blowout of the Jets.
If McLlwain's name sounds familiar to Pens' fans, there's a
good reason. The 29-year-old forward played 90 games for
Pittsburgh over two seasons in the late 80s. He was re-acquired
by the Pens because of his speed and defensive skills.
McLlwain's the kind of grinding player fans in the 'Burgh have
been asking for ever since the likes of Phil Bourque and Troy
Loney laced up the skates during the Pens' Stanley Cup years.
Two days after the drubbing of the Jets the lowly Senators
came into town, and McLlwain was still on Lemieux's right side.
It didn't take long for the two to light the lamp, because just
18 seconds into the game Lemieux knocked a backhander past Damian
Rhodes on a cross-ice pass from McLlwain. Rhodes looked like he
knew he would be in for a long night.
Around four minutes later, Bryan Smolinski and Glen Murray,
who have been playing well lately, scored just 47 seconds apart
to make the score 3-0. The Senators quickly called timeout to
gather their senses from the unseen blow to their egos, and it
worked. From then on, the Senators put good pressure on the
Pens, outshooting them 18-7 in the second, but Tom Barrasso
played a good game to get a 5-1 victory. The Pens only played
the first and last five minutes of the game but still dominated
the Senators.
However, had it not been for some unusual missed
opportunities by Lemieux, the game would have been a lot uglier.
The Ottawa game was a good example of what has been happening
to Mario lately. He has scored just four goals in the past seven
games, but it hasn't been due to a lack of effort. Lemieux has
been snake bitten -- he's hit posts, missed nets and has done
everything he could to not score. Either his lack of goals means
something is wrong with Lemieux again or it could mean he's just
human like the rest of the world.
The win against the Senators gave the Penguins a three-game
winning streak heading into the final game of their home stand
against the New Jersey Devils. The Pens jumped out to a 2-0
lead on goals by Nedved and Lemieux, but they let the Devils back
into the game and found themselves tied at two after the first
period. The teams traded goals in the second and played a
scoreless third, leaving the game to be decided in overtime. And
sure enough, just 21 seconds in, the Pens became sloppy in their
own end and it cost them. With good speed, Sergei Brylin caught
Pittsburgh flat-footed backing into their own end and cut to the
outside. He threw a shot on goal that was saved by Barrasso, but
the rebound came right back out into the slot and Bill Guerin
knocked it in for the game winner.
For the third straight game, Barrasso had to make more than
35 saves. To give up that many shots to teams like the Jets,
Senators and offensive-starved Devils doesn't bode well for
Pittsburgh's defense. Come playoff time, the Pens will be
pummeled if they continue to let their goaltenders get shelled
game in and game out.
If that wasn't enough incentive for general manager Craig
Patrick to swing a deal for one or two quality defensive
defensemen, the next two games were. The Pens lost to two
mediocre teams fighting for a playoff spot, the Hartford Whalers
and Boston Bruins. And once again, the defense didn't come
through when needed.
The mighty Whale chalked up a 3-2 win at the Mall, their
first victory over the Pens this season. They're now 1-3-1
against Pittsburgh this season. With the game tied 2-2 in the
third, Whaler captain Brendan Shanahan scored a fluke goal to
give his team the win. Shanahan tried to pass the puck out front
from behind the net, but it bounced off Dmitri Mironov's skate
and into the goal past Barrasso with just 45 seconds left in the
game. Jagr had a chance to tie things up with just eight seconds
left, but Sean Burke made the save to preserve the victory. The
Whalers had 33 shots on goal.
The next night the Bruins had their chance to finally get a
victory against the Pens. Lead by Bill Ranford, who stoned the
Pens all night long, Boston pulled out a 4-2 victory. Ranford
was incredible the entire game. He made some unbelievable saves
on both Jagr and Lemieux. After one series of action during
which Ranford first stopped Lemieux from the side of the net
and then turned around and stoned Jagr with an amazing glove
save, Jagr just shook his head and smiled, knowing that a
goaltender just made him look silly.
While Ranford kept Pittsburgh off the scoreboard, former Pen
Rick Tocchet hurt his old team by netting a hat trick. All three
goals were classic Tocchet goals from right outside the crease.
Ken Wregget saw his first action since Mar. 1, stopping 31 of the
Bruins 35 shots.
The Pens rebounded from the three losses with a victory
against the New York Islanders, 4-2, moving them back into a tie
for first place in the Eastern Conference. Lemieux scored his
57th goal of the season, defenseman Corey Foster netted his first
goal with the Pens and Barrasso stopped 33 shots to get the win.
Foster and Drake Berehowsky were recent call-ups because of
injuries to several regular defensemen, including Ian Moran,
Chris Joseph and Dmitri Mironov.
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TEAM REPORTS
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
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Head Coach: Craig Hartsburg
Roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Bernie Nicholls, Denis Savard, Jeff
Shantz, Brent Sutter. LW - Murray Craven, Bob Probert, Jim
Cummins, Tony Horacek. RW - Joe Murphy, Tony Amonte, Eric Daze,
Darin Kimble, Sergei Krivokrasov. D - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter,
Steve Smith, Eric Weinrich, Cam Russell, Greg Smyth, Keith
Carney, Roger Johansson, Ivan Droppa, Igor Ulanov, Brad Werenka.
G - Ed Belfour, Jeff Hackett.
Injuries: Jeremy Roenick, c (sprained ankle, day-to-day); Murray
Craven, lw (back spasms, day-to-day).
Transactions: Sent Jimmy Waite (goaltender) to Indianapolis
Ice (IHL); Sent Sergei Krivokrasov (forward) to Indianapolis;
Recalled Sergei Krivokrasov (forward) from Indianapolis.
Game Results:
3/05 at Tampa Bay L 2-0
3/08 Los Angeles L 4-2
3/11 Florida W 8-4
3/14 Vancouver W 5-1
3/17 NY Islanders W 5-1
TEAM NEWS by Dan Glovier
* The Hawks were playing some pretty uninspired hockey, losing
seven of eight games. Recently, they rattled off three straight
impressive victories, winning them by a combined 18-6. This stat
may make you think that the Hawks are truly back and are ready to
start kicking some butt again.
Or not. Let's take a look at these "big" wins.
They started this nice little streak off against the
struggling Florida Panthers. Not only were the Panthers on a
seven-game winless streak, they were also missing two of their
top offensive threats, Scott Melanby and Stu Barnes. To make
matters worse, Rob Niedermayer was given a game misconduct at
4:40 of the first period. Now all three of Florida's scorers
were unavailable. What more could the struggling Hawks ask for?
Well, howzabout playing the Hawks favorite whipping boys,
the Vancouver Canucks? The Hawks seem to beat the Canucks with
as much regularity and ease as, say, how the Red Wings beat the
Hawks. A 5-1 final, and now the Hawks have two wins in a row.
Who's next? Bring 'em on! Do they get to play Our Lady of the
Dislocated Shoulder next? Close. They played the New York
Islanders, the team that has traded everyone on their roster with
any NHL experience. A 5-1 win later, and there is the Hawks
winning streak.
I don't want to sound too negative, but these wins can only
remind you that the Hawks have absolutely no problems with the
lower echelon teams, but when they play one of the better teams
in the NHL, things can go haywire. They don't have too much time
to prove to their critics (and more importantly themselves) that
they can play well against the Red Wings, Avalanche, and other
teams of that stature.
* Eddie Belfour returned from a lower back strain to start the
last three games marking the first time in a while that Eddie has
started three games in a row. I guess Coach Craig Hartsburg is
going to see if Eddie's going to be able to handle the workload
of the playoffs. So far his back has handled it well, the glove
has looked really sharp, and he has played with a ton of
confidence. It'll be interesting to see how this situation is
handled. Eddie loves the work, and seems to play better with an
increased workload. Coach Hartsburg also needs to keep Jeff
Hackett sharp and on his game. With the playoffs quickly
approaching, maybe the focus of the goalie rotation will change
to cater to Eddie.
* During the Hawks' latest slide, Bob Probert, Gary Suter, and
Eric Weinrich were particularly sleepy. Probert's been skating
around as if he is on a two-second delay, and apparently somebody
told him that the NHL is a no-check league. Gary Suter's been
used as a welcome mat by just about everyone in the NHL.
Normally when Suter goes through these defensive slumps, he at
least is still contributing offensively. Not this time. Eric
Weinrich, well, his play has simply been unacceptable. It was so
bad that Coach Hartsburg sat him for a game and dressed the
ever-frisky Cam Russell, who was scratched nine out of the last
ten games.
All three players have improved their play, but there is
still even more room for improvement. Who knows, maybe their
biorhythms were just really low.
* Denis Savard, however, was a bright spot during these
troubled times. Often he was the only forward showing any energy
or creativity. He may be getting up there in age, but he still
darts around like the waterbug that ripped up the league in the
mid-80's.
* The last few weeks have seen Jeremy Roenick suffer some
scary, though not serious, injuries. Roenick suffered a slightly
torn quadricep tendon in his left leg, and missed three straight
games. A complete tear of the tendon would have required
surgery, ending his season.
He returned for the game against the Canucks, and looked as
though he was never hurt. He had a great jump all game long. In
the next game against the Islanders, he started off well, but a
weird collision in the corner with Darius Kasparaitis left him
sprawled on the ice. He was assisted to the locker room, and
later taken to a hospital. It was diagnosed as a sprained ankle,
and they are not quite sure how long he will be out. Remember,
Patrick Poulin had a similar injury this year, and he missed six
weeks.
* Quick, somebody slip Bob Pulford some No-Doze. This guy's
been asleep at the wheel while the rest of the NHL is making the
trades that could fine tune their squads for the playoffs. By
the time he's ready to make his move before the trade deadline
(if he makes one), Bob Joyce and Pat Hickey will be the only
players available.
* The Hawks lost the services of Jim Cummins for eight games
and fined him $1,000 for an incident that happened during the
Florida Panthers game. Simply stated, Cummins went berserk.
He and Brad Smyth had a tussle early in the game, drawing
coincidental roughing penalties. Cummins thought that he was
jumped in the altercation, and he and Smyth exchanged words while
they were in the box. Cummins thought they would go at again as
soon as they got out. Smyth's invitation was somehow lost in the
mail, because when they were let out of the box, Smyth went to
join the play. Cummins decided to join the play as well, except
he was playing the "cross-check Brad Smyth from behind" game
(available from Parker Brothers). He then followed that up with
a flurry of punches. Rob Niedermayer came to his teammate's aid,
and grabbed Cummins. In a move very reminiscent of the "White
Shadow" episode where Salami (played by Timothy Van Patten)
punched the player from the other team during a fracas. Cummins
did the same, breaking Niedermayer's nose. After shooting Jim
with some tranquilizer darts, they were able to escort him out of
the game and into an eight-game suspension.
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DALLAS STARS
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Head Coach: Ken Hitchcock
Roster: C - Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, Benoit Hogue, Todd
Harvey, Guy Carbonneau. LW - Greg Adams, Brent Gilchrist, Mike
Donnelly, Mike Kennedy, Bill Huard, Brent Fedyk, Randy Wood. RW
- Jere Lehtinen, Jamie Langenbrunner, Grant Marshall. D - Kevin
Hatcher, Derian Hatcher, Darryl Sydor, Grant Ledyard, Craig
Ludwig, Mike Lalor, Gord Donnelly, Richard Matvichuk. G - Andy
Moog, Darcy Wakaluk, Allan Bester.
Injuries: Richard Matvichuk, d (concussion, one week).
Transactions: None.
Game Results:
3/05 at Anaheim W 3-1
3/06 at San Jose W 2-1
3/11 at Montreal L 4-1
3/13 at Ottawa L 4-1
3/15 at Toronto L 3-0
3/17 at Washington L 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Jim Panenka
The Streaky Stars are on another streak. In this case, its
a losing streak. And, the losses are coming at the worst
possible time, during the Stars' desperate run for the
playoffs. Desperate is now the only word to describe the Stars'
chances to catch up to 8th-place Winnipeg. You can make your own
predictions.
Dallas finished out a six-game road trip with a
disappointing 2-4-0 record. All four losses came in the East.
The Stars have had a tough time winning against Eastern teams all
season, but the four-game trip that began in Montreal has had the
biggest implications on the remaining season. Now the Stars, who
are 22-35-12 for 56 points, will have to climb over not only LA
and Anaheim, but Edmonton as well to continue their quest for the
last playoff berth.
A series of events in the league unrelated to Dallas have
directly affected their immediate future. The Stars' troubles
began after the Mar. 6 win against San Jose. The offense, the
power play, and Mike Modano were hot for seven straight games up
to this win, but then had a long four-day rest before traveling
to Montreal. The break in play turned out to also be a break in
that winning momentum.
At Montreal, the Stars were destined to lose before they
took the ice. The fabled cathedral of hockey, the Montreal
Forum, was closing, and the Stars were playing in the last game
to be held there. The ghosts of hockey's past united to stifle
Dallas and give the habs some great bounces of the puck, which
the Canadiens took advantage of to put Dallas away 4-1. Despite
some strong first-period play by the Stars, the night belonged
rightfully to the Canadiens and the last reflection over their
glorious past in the NHL and the Forum.
You can understand the loss in Montreal due to the hype and
emotion, but the nastiness that followed in Ottawa was the
beginning of the end for the Stars' playoff run. The Sens had
just been broiled by their head coach over their poor play, and
came out for the game against the Stars feeling they had
something to prove. The Stars continued to play pretty well, and
appeared to be in the game, until some Senators players began
ruthlessly roughing up the Stars and interfering with them to
break their concentration and take them out of the game. The
elbows and sticks began getting thrown around pretty
loosely. Where's Shane Churla!?
Modano received a high-stick to the face, and Richard
Matvichuck was knocked out of the game with a concussion by the
Weasel of the Month, Michel Picard. Mr. Weasel, excuse me, Mr.
Picard saw it necessary to cross-check Matvichuck, from behind,
to the NECK after the Stars pressed in front of the crease for a
scoring chance. Mattie didn't see Picard coming in from behind
him and crumpled to the ice after getting the blow to the head.
Picard received a one-game suspension and a $1,000 fine.
Matvichuck has missed two games and may be out for another week.
This type of premeditated injury has to be stopped. The Senators
proved nothing more than that they had to compensate for a lack
of talent with brutality. Picard and his buddies had a big laugh
at the bench following the play. Hey, man nice shot, what a good
shot, man!
The Sens won 4-1. Afterward, it appeared as if the Stars
were ready to get back to business and start winning again.
Dallas had met and won against Toronto twice before in the season
(four total meetings for the season), and they prepared for the
next meeting by planning to come out strong early and taking the
game away from the Leafs once again. But, just before the game
took place, Toronto traded with the Islanders to re-acquire their
former savior, Wendel Clark. And, of course, Clark was started
and was a major factor in the game. About five minutes into the
game, Clark found himself all alone between the D and Moog.
Wendel took the puck and flipped it above the committed Moog.
This was the worst thing that could of happened, and it did. The
early score and emotion from the crowd set the stage for the
Stars' loss. Potvin was perfect and shut out the falling Stars
3-0.
What about the Washington game? What was the big excuse for
this loss? The only point of interest was Kevin Hatcher's return
to play the team he had formerly captained. As it turned out,
that was really no factor in the game. Dallas was unable to
score on five power-play chances. This game was just a
continuation of the problems that were developed earlier in the
road trip.
What are those problems? Well, the main problem appears to
be that the team does not seem to have the character or integrity
to take control, to get into the driver's seat, in these
all-important clutch situations. Earlier in the year, the Stars
were winning and were on pace to have a winning season. Just as
the other teams started to heat up, Dallas went into the losing
freefall that prompted the coaching change. Same thing with this
road trip. The Stars were winning big, and were on the right
track to take over the last playoff spot, and threaten the 7th
spot, as well. Instead, one loss turned into four, and the
playoff run was about as good as over.
It has been said that a team plays only as well as their big
players. This has been true in the Stars' case. Mike Modano has
not only cooled off, but appears to be in a deep-freeze. Modano
has not scored a point in the last six games. His linemates
Hogue and Lehtinen have not scored in the last five games. Coach
Hitchcock publicly criticized Modano's performance during the
three-game road trip in Canada, calling his playing effort "poor
and unacceptable." Modano has been quiet about the slump, and
seems to have shrugged it off without explanation.
Modano isn't the only problem player. Captain Derian
Hatcher has been guilty of some sloppy play during the trip,
particularly in the loss to the Senators. He was directly
responsible for two of the Sens' three goals. The first was a
case where Derian missed his man, and allowed him to skate in
alone and score on Moog. The second case, Hatcher took a bad
penalty, which resulted in a two-man advantage and another goal
for the Sens. To be fair to Derian, this is very
uncharacteristic of him, and he should return to his normal,
great defensive play at any time. But for now, he has let too
many men slip by him.
The once rising Dallas power-play unit has cooled off, along
with most of the 5-on-5 scoring. The loss of Greg Adams is what
has hurt the 5-on-5 stats. Unfortunately, the loss of Matvichuck
has seriously hurt the defense, as well. Dallas gave up at least
five odd-man rushes in both losses to the Leafs and the Capitals.
Most people don't realize the impact of players like Matvichuck
until they are out of the lineup. And, now that Shane Churla is
gone, the opposition is trying to rough the Stars up more.
Hitchcock may be partially responsible for the skid, also.
Andy Moog returned from his knee injury very strong, and was
playing well, but made it clear he wasn't at 100% and
didn't expect to be started in multiple, concurrent games.
Hitchcock decided otherwise, naming Moog as his go-to goaltender,
and has started him consecutively since his return. Moog has
done his best to keep the Stars in these games, including making
his usual spectacular stops. But, Moog's fatigue, and the lack
of protection he's been getting from the defense contributed
directly to the recent losses.
Hitchcock may also be having trouble adapting to the roster
changes and calling the appropriate line combinations. While I
have no specific examples, it just seems he may not be matching
the lines player-for-player with the opposition. The temporary
loss of Matvichuck and Adams, and the return of Fedyk and Harvey
may have mixed things up a little too much for the new coach.
All these factors have combined to slow the Stars progress
after the big shakeup of 1995-96. The only thing to look forward
to is the remainder of the season will be played out against
Western rivals, which the Stars have demonstrated they can win
against. And, streaks can turn around to the other direction at
any given time. Will it be in time enough to make a difference
this season? Stay tuned.
Short Takes:
* While the rest of the team falters, several core players
have continued to play strong. Brent Gilchrist has been one of
the MVPs of the year for Dallas, always playing hard and scoring
when you least expect it. Rookie Grant Marshall has worked his
way into a spot in the lineup, and is a tough, valuable addition
to the offense. Guy Carbonneau, while normally not in the
spotlight, has continued to quietly work hard and stir things up
in Dallas' favor. It is clear the experience he brings to the
youngsters on the secondary lines has paid off for the Stars in
many ways. Mike Lalor and Bill Huard continue to do positive
things on the defensive side, along with veteran Craig Ludwig.
* Todd Harvey has returned from the IHL and is playing hard,
but has yet to make a major scoring impact. It appears he has
woken up after getting the wake-up call. Harv will get back on
the scoring sheet any time now.
* Hitchcock has finally began starting Brent Fedyk again since
his return from injury. Fedyk was scoring well before the
injury, and deserves to be put back into the second line. So
what if he had a lackluster two or three games? The guy plays
hard and is a scoring threat any time he is on the ice.
* Center Bob Bassen has finally been activated following a
torn ACL. Bassen has been traveling with the club, and has
participated in the warm-ups. He will reportedly play one
game with the Michigan K-Wings, and then will return to play for
the Stars March 20 against St. Louis. Welcome back, Bass!
* There is definitely no love lost between old teammates.
Captain Derian Hatcher had a run-in with former Star Dave Gagner
during the Leafs 3-0 defeat of Dallas on Mar. 15. Gagner pressed
in the crease for a scoring chance, and was sent to the ice by a
defenseman. Hatcher came up behind the play after Gagner had
been spilled, but Gagner turned around immediately after getting
up and speared Hatcher with his stick. I'm sure Dave wasn't
aware of who it was he was spearing. Hatcher took one massive
swipe at Gagner's face and knocked Gagner down again! This was
just an indication of the ferocity the two teams were showing
during the contest. I'll say it again- Where's Shane Churla!?
* Interesting note: Shane Churla is now in New York, playing
for the Rangers, along with Marty Mcsorley! Thank God the Stars
won't be facing the Rangers again this season!
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DETROIT RED WINGS
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Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Roster: C - Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Keith Primeau, Igor
Larionov, Greg Johnson, Kris Draper. LW - Vyacheslav Kozlov,
Martin Lapointe, Bob Errey, Stu Grimson, Tim Taylor. RW - Dino
Ciccarelli, Doug Brown, Darren McCarty, Mathieu Dandenault. D -
Paul Coffey, Nicklas Lidstrom, Bob Rouse, Vladimir Konstantinov,
Mike Ramsey, Slava Fetisov, Marc Bergevin. G - Mike Vernon,
Chris Osgood.
Injuries: Martin Lapointe, lw (sprained knee, day-to-day);
Steve Yzerman, c (flu, day-to-day).
Transactions: None
Game Results:
3/06 at Hartford W 4-2
3/08 at Colorado W 4-2
3/10 at Winnipeg W 5-2
3/12 Winnipeg W 5-2
3/17 Calgary W 4-2
TEAM NEWS by Brian Wishnow
* Injury Update:
- Kris Draper returned to the lineup against Winnipeg Mar. 12.
He had been sidelined since playing Washington on Feb. 15. His
knee injury kept him out of 13 games.
- Martin Lapointe remains the only Red Wing sidelined with a
serious injury. Martin sprained a knee against the Islanders
Feb. 29, and has not seen game action since. He has resumed
skating and practicing over the past week, and may return to the
lineup soon.
- Steve Yzerman is not really injured, hopefully only sidelined
for this past Sunday's game against Calgary. Yzerman had been
riding a 16-game scoring streak, with 10 goals among 26 points.
* The home-and-home series with Winnipeg last week was an
important physological barrier for Detroit to overcome.
Heading into their final regular-season appearance at the
Winnipeg Arena, the Red Wings were 0-2-1 against the Jets on the
season. Incidentally, the only other team Detroit has yet to
beat is Buffalo (0-1). Detroit would face Winnipeg if the
playoffs started today.
Detroit overcame doubts they could beat the Jets, winning
both games by a 5-2 score.
* Detroit's victory over Calgary Sunday clinched the Central
Division title.
The Red Wings need only a combined total of seven points
earned by themselves, or lost by Colorado, to clinch the Western
Conference.
Eleven points earned, or lost by Pittsburgh, will clinch
Detroit's second straight President's Trophy. More importantly,
Detroit will earn home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
* Standing at 52-12-4 on the year, Detroit is poised to break
the NHL record set by the '76-77 Montreal Canadiens. Scotty
Bowman's club has 108 points so far, and will gun for the record
of 132 set by that same Canadien team. Incidentally, they were
coached by Scotty Bowman.
The Red Wings reached the 100-point plateau in 64 games.
Only three teams have reached that mark quicker.
* Dino Ciccarelli's goal against Winnipeg Mar. 12 was the
545th of his career. In doing so, he passed Maurice "The Rocket"
Richard for the 13th spot on the all-time goal-scoring list.
* Streaking Red Wings:
- The Club is on a six-game winning streak.
- Went 4-0 on a recent four-game road trip.
- Won 12 of the last 13 games.
- Chris Osgood has won 12 games in a row.
- Chris Osgood has a 18-game unbeaten streak (17-0-1).
- Steve Yzerman's 16-game point streak includes 10 goals, 16
assists.
* Red Wings' tickets are expensive. Recently playoff prices
were announced. Here's a sampling of the high- and low-end
prices:
Ticket Reg. Season Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Rd. 4
'96 High $60 $75 $75 $100 $125
'96 Low $15 $25 $25 $45 $60
'95 High $43 $55 $55 $75 $100
'95 Low $15 $25 $25 $45 $50
* Get out the history books folks. Chris Osgood became only
the third goaltender to score in NHL history Mar. 6 against
Hartford. With Whaler netminder Sean Burke pulled in the waning
seconds of the game, Osgood corraled a Whaler dump-in. He
promptly wristed the puck high in the air toward the opposite
end. Landing near the Whaler blue line, the puck proceeded
almost directly into the middle of the net.
Goaltender Date Opposition
Billy Smith Nov. 28, 1979 vs. Colorado Rockies
Ron Hextall Dec. 8, 1987 vs. Boston Bruins
Ron Hextall Apr. 11, 1989 vs. Washington Capitals
Chris Osgood Mar. 6, 1996 vs. Hartford Whalers
Osgood is only the second goaltender to actually shoot the
puck into the opposing team's net. Billy Smith was the last
Islander to touch the puck before a Colorado player shot the puck
into their own net. It is also noteworthy that Ron Hextall's
second goal came in the playoffs.
The goal also happens to be the second of Osgood's career.
His first came with Medicine Hat, his Junior team in the WHL, in
'90-91.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS BLUES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mike Keenan
Roster: C - Wayne Gretzky, Craig MacTavish, Adam Creighton,
Peter Zezel, Mike Hudson. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Shayne Corson,
Basil McRae, Tony Twist, Greg Gilbert, Stephane Matteau.
RW - Brett Hull, Brian Noonan, Rob Pearson, Steve Leach, Glenn
Anderson. D - Al MacInnis, Dallas Eakins, Igor Kravchuk, Jay
Wells, Murray Baron, Christer Olsson, Chris Pronger, Ken Sutton.
G - Grant Fuhr, Jon Casey.
Injuries: Geoff Courtnall, lw (Broken thumb, underwent surgery
on 2/19, day-to-day), Greg Gilbert, lw (lower back strain, placed
on the injured list on 11/25, indefinitely); Basil McRae, lw
(strained shoulder, placed on the injured reserve on 11/9,
indefinitely).
Transactions: Acquired Craig MacTavish, c, from Philadelphia in
exchange for Dale Hawerchuk, c. Acquired Glenn Anderson, rw, via
waivers from Edmonton. Traded Dave Roberts, c/lw, to Edmonton in
exchange for future considerations. Recalled Ken Sutton, d, from
Worcester (AHL). Acquired Steve Leach, rw, from Boston in
exchange for Kevin Sawyer, rw, and Steve Staios, d.
Game Results:
3/05 Florida W 2-0
3/07 Calgary L 2-4
3/09 Hartford W 6-3
3/12 at Calgary L 2-4
3/15 at San Jose W 4-2
3/17 at Anaheim L 1-5
3/18 at Los Angeles W 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Joe Ashkar
It has been a Hectic two weeks for Wayne Gretzky and the St.
Louis Blues in which The Great One made his home debut at Kiel
Center, Brendan Shanahan returned to St. Louis for the first time
since being traded to Hartford, and Gretzky's return to Los
Angeles for the first time since being acquired by the
Blues.
Gretzky's first home game in St. Louis was a memorable one.
Number 99 got a magnificent five-minute standing ovation by the
largest crowd in St. Louis Blues history as he was introduced for
the first time on Kiel Center ice. The record crowd of 20,725
cheered the greatest player of all time with various ovation
throughout the entire game. This record crowd would later be
surpassed by a 20,803 attendance for the Hartford game and the
return of Brendan Shanahan four days later.
The Hartford game was also one for the memories. The fans
got the royal treatment during that game. They witnessed Gretzky
score his first two goals at Kiel Center wearing the Bluenote,
they watched one of their favorite players, Brendan Shanahan,
score a goal for his new team and add an assist. They saw
good buddies Tony Twist and Kelly Chase drop the gloves and go at
it in a entertaining fight and finally the Blues scored six goals
at home for the first time this season for the victory over
Hartford.
In the mid portion of a current five-game road trip, Gretzky
made his return to California a successfull one. It all started
in San Jose when the Great One and the Golden One combined for
seven points to lead the Blues back from a 2-0 deficit to beat
the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Hull recorded his 25th career hat trick
and added an assist while Gretzky scored the game-winning goal
and added two assists for his second three-point game as a Blue.
Two nights later, the Blues went into Anaheim and suffered a
disappointing 5-1 loss in which Gretzky assisted on the lone
Blues goal by Murray Baron. The Blues were flat from the moment
the puck was dropped to the ice until the final horn of a game
full of penalties and terrible officiating by referee Bill
McReary. The Ducks came out intimidating the Blues with some
hard hitting and forced them to take some undisciplined penalties
on which the Ducks capitalized with their power play. Wayne
Gretzky was booed when he was introduced in the starting lineup
and every time he touched the puck throughout the entire game.
The Blues shook off the Ducks loss and 24 hours later when
they made Gretzky's return to the Great Western Forum in Los
Angeles a Great One. N umber 99 scored a goal and added an assist
to help the Blues beat the Kings 3-1 in the first meeting against
his former team. Before the game, Gretzky was introduced over
the PA system and honored with a five-minute "Thank You" video
showing highlights and historical moments from his years with the
Los Angeles Kings. This was a very classy move by the Kings
organization.
Fans at the Great Western Forum gave the Great One a nice
ovation when he was introduced but was later booed througout the
game every time he touched the puck. It was a little bizarre
because the same fans cheered him when he scored a goal against
his former team and was later named the game's number one star.
During that game Gretzky recorded a goal and an assist to reach
an incredible 2600 career NHL points. After the game, it was a
media circus as it seemed the entire Southern California media
was jammed in the Kings Press Workroom to attend Gretzky's
post-game interview. The Blues conclude the road trip in Dallas
on Wednesday night (3/20) before going back to St. Louis to play
the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Friday (3/22) and the Detroit Red
Wings on Sunday (3/24).
* With the NHL trading deadline approaching, Blues Coach and
General Manager Mike Keenan has made a couple of moves to reshape
his team for the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs. He traded center
Dale Hawerchuk to the Philadelphia Flyers for 37-year-old veteran
Craig MacTavish and acquired veteran Glenn Anderson off waivers
from the Edmonton Oilers. Keenan is still shopping for a rugged
defenseman and one of the following names has been rumored to be
St. Louis bound: Bryan Marchment of Edmonton, Jeff Beukeboom of
the Rangers, Charlie Huddy of Buffalo and Scott Niedermayer of
New Jersey are supposidly on the trading block and they would fit
in well in Keenan's system. The only player that wound make
sense might be Marchment since the Oilers still owe the Blues
future considerations from the Dave Roberts trade.
* With only 12 games remaining in the regular season, the
Blues seem to be getting stronger and stronger. The team has a
13-7-4 record since the All-Star break and an astounding 7-2-2
record in their last 11 road games. The current streak
solidified the Blues' position as fourth overall in the Western
Conference with five points and a game in hand over the fifth
place Vancouver Canucks.
* Left winger Geoff Courtnall could make his return to the
lineup this upcoming week after suffering a fracture in his left
thumb on February 18th. Left wingers Greg Gilbert and Basil
McRae, who are on the injured list since November, are now
skating with the team and should be ready to return to the
lineup in the upcoming weeks.
* Since aquiring Gretzky, Keenan has been juggling his lines a
lot during games to try finding the right combinations. Hull and
Gretzky have been a fixture on the number one line but it has
been a revolving door at left wing. Corson has started every
game with Hull and Gretzky but later during the game, Adam
Creighton, Mike Hudson, and Stephane Matteau have earned playing
time with the two superstars. On the other hand, the defensive
pairing have been pretty much the same for quite some time now.
The first pairing consists of Al MacInnis and Murray Baron
followed by Chris Pronger and Igor Kravchuk while Jay Wells,
Christer Olsson and Ken Sutton share duties as the third-string
defensive pair.
* Blues goaltender Grant Fuhr has started all 70 Blues games
this season and is attempting to become the first NHL netminder
since Eddie Johnston (1963-64 with Boston) to start each of his
team's games in a season.
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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Nick Beverley
Centre: Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, Dave Gagner, Mark Kolesar.
Left Wing: Kirk Muller, Wendel Clark, Tie Domi, Todd Warriner,
Wayne Presley. Right Wing: Mike Craig, Mike Gartner, Nick
Kypreos, Ken Baumgartner. Defence: Larry Murphy, Mathieu
Schneider, Todd Gill, Dave Ellet, Dimitri Yushkevich, Jamie
Macoun, Rob Zettler, Matt Martin. Goal: Felix Potvin, Don
Beaupre.
Injuries: Matt Martin, d (broken ankle, indefinite).
Transactions: Acquired Wendel Clark and Mathieu Schneider from
the New York Islanders for Darby Hendrickson, Kenny Jonsson,
junior Sean Haggerty and a first-round draft pick in 1997.
Traded Dave Andreychuk to New Jersey for a pail of pucks as one
LCS reader so eloquently put it. Recalled Mark
Kolesar from St. John's (AHL).
Game Results:
3/06 New Jersey T 2-2
3/08 at Hartford L 7-4
3/09 Calgary W 4-3
3/13 Winnipeg T 3-3
3/15 Dallas W 3-0
3/17 Vancouver W 4-2
TEAM NEWS by Brad Ross
* A breath of fresh air is how many around the Toronto Maple
Leafs have described new interim head coach Nick Beverley. Pat
Burns, who was fired by Leafs president and GM Cliff Fletcher on
March 4, demanded a defensive-style game and was known for his
bombast with players who strayed too far from that system.
Enter Beverley, the ever-friendly
Maple Leafs director
of
player personnel and scouting. Since his March 6 debut behind
the bench in a 2-2
tie with
the New Jersey Devils, Beverley has
given his charges the green light on risk-taking, er, creativity.
He wants to see the puck carried in when the opportunity arises
rather than the dump and chase style that epitomized Burns'
system. He's
also committed to giving defenceman Dimitri
Yushkevich more ice-time, something Burns was reluctant to do
given the gaffes Yushkevich
was -- and
is
-- known
for.
Also enter assistant coach Mike Foligno. The former Leaf,
an assistant with the St. John's Baby Leafs of the AHL, was
brought up to help boost the spirits of the zero-confidence
Leafs. His rah-rah style as a player is expected to be
transformed behind the bench in an attempt to shake the mental
anguish many on this veteran-laden club have been wallowing in.
Since the departure of Burns, the Leafs are 3-1-2 and have moved
from eighth place in the Western Conference to sixth, one point
behind the struggling Vancouver Canucks. The addition of former
Leafs captain Wendel Clark (see separate story) and a greater
role in the dressing room for another former Leafs
captain and
now front office man,
Darryl Sittler, are all designed to get the
Leafs into the playoffs, followed by a serious run at the Stanley
Cup.
On Clark's return to Toronto, he scored the first Leafs goal
on what turned out be the game-winner in a 3-0 win over Dallas.
Clark also notched an assist and withstood huge ovations without
getting teary-eyed... something he
didn't manage during
a news
conference two years ago when he was traded to Quebec.
A new coach will be appointed in the
off-season
unless of
course
Beverley performs a miracle and gets his name etched on
Lord Stanley's Cup. Anyway, leading contenders to go behind the
bench next season include Dave King, Terry Crisp, Marc Crawford
and Jacques Demers.
* Rumours of more moves persist despite the trading deadline
being just two days away at the time of writing. One would think
that with all the deals Fletcher has made this season, he'd be
fresh out of new ones. On the block is Ken Baumgartner. The
seldom-used Baumer is known more for his pugilistic abilities
than anything else. With Tie Domi, Nick Kypreos and now
Clark
on
the Leafs bench, there's little use for Baumer's brawn.
He was
benched against Vancouver March 17. In his place was Mark
Kolesar, the St. John's call-up boy on trip no. four
to Toronto.
The Leafs would dearly love to secure Washington defenceman
Mark Tinordi, but that would require another major deal.
Fletcher maintains that he's finished making major moves and that
his current Leafs roster is the one that
will, more or less,
carry
the team through the spring. Then again, Fletcher has
said a lot then turned around and done the
exact opposite.
* Mats Sundin was made an alternate captain by coach Beverley.
While many expected Clark to sew on the "A" -- no one's about to
strip the "C" from Gilmour in favour of the former captain Clark
-- it was a gesture seen to boost Sundin's spirits and
confidence. The young centre came to Toronto from Quebec in the
highly-publicized trading of Clark in 1994. Sundin had big
skates to fill and is always mentioned in the same breath as the
Clark trade. That has got to be a little wearing.
Sundin appreciates the recognition and responsibilities that
go with it. He and goalie Felix Potvin are now the young blood
left on the Maple Leafs roster with the departure of fellow Swede
Kenny Jonsson to the Islanders. When the Leafs rebuild in the
next season or two, it will be Sundin who will lead the blue and
white.
* Prior to the Leafs' 7-4 loss to the Hartford Whalers March
8, Beverley spoke of a goaltender rotation. He said Potvin and
"backup" Don Beaupre would share starts -- one game on, one game
off. After the loss and Potvin's win the next night against
Calgary, Beverley had a change of heart. Potvin, it seems, is
regaining his status as an above-average goalie. He shut out
Dallas on March 15 and basically stole a 4-2 win from Vancouver,
performing acrobatics in a rare matinee game at the Gardens.
Said Beverley after the game, "Good teams have great
goaltending." The Leafs need Potvin to steal a few. And it
appears he's doing just that. Hey, a new mask doesn't hurt
either. Hockey players superstitious? Naw....
* Mike Gartner has now scored 30 or more goals in 16 NHL
seasons, a league record. The 34-year-old speedster potted goals
30 and 31 in a 4-2 win over the Canucks March 17. If not for
last season's shortened schedule and injuries, it could have been
17 seasons. At his wife's suggestion, Gartner reviewed tapes of
past glories to figure out why he wasn't scoring this season.
Garts surmised that he scores best when in motion. He'd been
standing around more this season and, therefore, was not
converting on what had been sure goals. Chalk one up for Colleen
Gartner. Both of Gartner's goals against Vancouver occurred as
he headed for the net.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
WINNIPEG JETS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Terry Simpson
Roster: C - Alexei Zhamnov, Chad Kilger, Randy Gilhen, Mike
Eastwood, Darren Turcotte, Mike Stapleton. LW - Keith Tkachuk,
Darrin Shannon, Jim McKenzie, Igor Korolev, Kris King. RW -
Shane Doan, Ed Olczyk, Dallas Drake, Denis Chasse, Ravil
Gusmanov. D - Teppo Numminen, Dave Manson, Norm Maciver, Jeff
Finley, Craig Muni, Oleg Tverdovsky, Brent Thompson, Deron Quint.
G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Dominic Roussel.
Captain: Kris King
Alternates: Dave Manson, Teppo Numminen
Injuries: Eddie Olczyk, c/rw, suffered MCL sprain March 7,
sidelined 4-6 weeks (placed on injured reserve March 7); Alexei
Zhamnov, c, suffered bruised back March 7, sidelined day-to-day;
Norm McIver, d, suffered groin strain March 3, sidelined
indefinitely (placed on injured reserve March 3); Randy Gilhen,
c, suffered torn knee cartilage Feb. 4, sidelined indefinitely
(placed on injured reserve Feb. 4); Shane Doan, rw, returned
March 1 after missing two games with a back strain; Darren
Turcotte, c, returned March 1 after missing six games with a
thumb strain.
Transactions: Recalled Brent Thompson, d, from Springfield (AHL).
Recalled Ravil Gusmanov, rw, from Springfield (AHL). Assigned
Mark Visheau, d, to Wheeling (AHL). Reassigned Brent Pope, d, to
Wheeling (AHL). Sent Rob Murray, c, to Springfield (AHL).
Game Results:
3/05 at Pittsburgh L 9-4
3/07 Florida W 5-3
3/09 Long Island L 4-2
3/10 Detroit L 5-2
3/12 at Detroit L 5-2
3/13 at Toronto T 3-3
3/16 at Philadelphia L 3-0
TEAM NEWS by Eric Legault
[please send all comments, criticisms, story tips, etc. to
goombah@cyberspc.mb.ca. Your input is welcome]
- After the Jets went 5-1 for the last issue, things started
to look pretty peachy for the playoff drive. There was even some
optimism heading into their March 5 game in Pittsburgh; after
all, they held the vaunted Penguins offence to just one goal
(but scored none themselves) in a Feb. 16 loss at home, and were
on a five-game winning streak. Yet whatever jaunty spirits the
Jets had were quickly exorcised, as Pittsburgh opened with
two goals in the first five minutes, and added three straight
within the next 20 minutes en route to a 9-4 blowout victory.
The nine goals against were the highest total allowed this season
by the Jets.
"We started out with some coverage problems that gave them
two goals," coach Terry Simpson said. "To be successful we have
to play a solid team game. It can't open up like that. We just
didn't finish any checks in our zone and the trouble just
perpetuated from there".
Key players in the Penguins victory were Petr Nedved,
scoring four goals for his first hat trick in 349 NHL games, and
Mario Lemieux, who added four assists. The only bright spot for
Winnipeg was Jim McKenzie, who scored a very uncharacteristic two
goals, and which must have been particularly satisfying to score
against his old team. McKenzie was chosen by the Jets in the
1995 NHL Waiver Draft.
- The game against the Panthers on Mar. 7 has proved to be a
pivotal one for a number of reasons. It marked the first time
that the Jets have managed to beat Florida in Winnipeg, and it
stands up so far as the last game they've won this month. Since
that win, the Jets have been winless in five games (4L, 1T), and
the chief reason for their slide appears to be the absence of two
of their top scorers, both of whom were injured in the Florida
game. Alexei Zhamnov, the Jets second leading scorer with 22
goals and 37 assists, has been sidelined with a bruised back
since he was cross-checked in front of the Florida net. Eddie
Olczyk also went down to injury, sustaining a 2nd-degree sprain
of his Medial Collateral Ligament, and will be out for about 4-6
weeks.
"This is depressing, but it's one of the realities of the
game," said the disappointed right winger. "Hopefully the mind
can help heal the ligament and I can get back sooner than what
they think."
Olczyk has notched 25 goals and 19 assists for 44 points,
good for 4th place among Jets scorers this season. He was also
on a six-game point-scoring streak, accumulating five goals and
seven assists since Feb. 26, and his 25 goals marks the ninth
time that the forward has collected over 20 goals in a season in
his 12 year NHL career. Both Zhamnov and Olczyk, along with
Tkachuk, combined for a total of 31 points in the six games
leading up to the injuries, making that line one of the top in
the NHL, and one of the main reasons for the Jets' prior
five-game winning streak.
- Dave Manson has reportedly agreed to the terms of a new
four-year, $6.4-million US contract. Manson was in the final
year of a $1.2-million US deal this season.
"I think it's fair for everybody," said GM John Paddock.
"We think it's comparable to the Chiassons and Cotes. They bring
something different to the table but they're similar value."
Calgary's Steve Chiasson and Washington's Sylvain Cote have
recently signed $1.4-million US and $5.8-million (over four
years) contracts respectively.
- Keith Tkachuk was fined $1,000 and suspended by the NHL for
two games Mar. 16. The disciplinary measures came as a result of
a high-sticking incident against Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner
Dave Ellet Mar. 13.
"It (the high-sticking incident) was a total accident," said
Tkachuk before the Flyers match, the first game of his
suspension. "I'm obviously not happy about it but there's
nothing I can do about it. It's bad timing, but the guys will
have to pull through and play harder. And I'm sure they will."
Tkachuk will also have to sit out the Mar. 20 game against
San Jose in Winnipeg.
- It was kind of a quiet couple o' weeks on the Jets front,
but something interesting did happen. I finally got in the press
box! I strutted into the Mar. 10 game against Detroit like a
true media weasel, and knew I had made it to the big leagues when
the check-in lady in the press lounge said to me, "Will you be
having any dinner tonight?" (- wow -).
But whatever savoir-faire I had mustered soon disappeared
after the Jets Statistics and Publications Coordinator (who gave
me the press pass) kicked me out of the Jets official's chair I
was sitting in and perfunctorily shown me to my correct seat,
which I tipped over while simultaneously dropping my walk-man as
I rose for the national anthems. I couldn't make it to the
dressing room after the game (chicken! bawk bawk!), but I did
hear somebody say to the injured Randy Gilhen upstairs: "Nice
haircut." I also gawked at Eddie O, nearly bumped into a tanned
and stern looking John Paddock, and almost knocked over a
television camera. Don't worry, I still managed to look somewhat
professional - I prominently displayed my brand spanking new
microcassette recorder, which only bonafide journalists use for
interviews. I used it to interview my friend Gord after the
game. He did have some interesting comments about our fantasy
internet hockey league, though. Transcripts are available
through goombah@cyberspc.mb.ca.
So after one game in the press box, I'm clearly a veteran
and fearless reporter. Here's hoping I can get into the Mar. 20
game vs. San Jose, as Tkachuk will be serving game two of his
suspension and should be lurking around the press box. I'll have
my recorder primed and ready for an easy interview with one of
the game's more affable and likable stars...
**Jet Notes 'n Facts**
Did you know that the infamous Jimmy Mann, former Jets
enforcer and heir-apparent to Bobby Hull (he was their 1st-round,
19th-overall pick in the Jets' inaugural NHL season in 1979), is
now a cop in Quebec? BTW, in 293 NHL games, Mann scored only 10g
and 20a, but had 895 pims!! ... Defenceman Craig Muni played his
700th NHL game against the Panthers on Mar. 7. ... Goaltender
Nikolai Khabibulin has a secret weapon, but you won't see if for
another three or so weeks - he's got new pads. "It will take
that long to break them in," said the Nyetminder. "They'll be
ready for the playoffs. I hope they bring me good luck."...
Trade rumour: Trevor Linden for Alexei Zhamnov. Pretty please?
... Keith Tkachuk leads the Jets in game-winning goals with five.
... Another reason why I like Khabibulin so much: he's got a
temper. In the Mar. 10 game vs. Detroit, Dino Ciccarelli was
making a pest of himself in front of the crease, so Habby
started whacking him and gave him a few good shoves. Trouble is,
he got a penalty, which gave the Wings a five-on-three and an
inevitable goal. ... Rumour has it that both GM John Paddock and
coach Terry Simpson are on the outs with new owners Richard Burke
and Steven Gluckstern, who want a more charismatic upper-echelon
to help sell the game in Phoenix. ... Phil Housley, who's a free
agent this summer, continues to surface as a strong possibility
of lacing up with the Jets again when the team moves to Phoenix.
... Another rumour: Darren Turcotte or Deron Quint and Ravil
Gusmanov to the Isles for Scott Lachance, but this was before the
Clark/Schneider trade. ... Winnipeg was outshot 43-17 against
Philadelphia Mar. 16 in a 3-0 loss. ... Dallas Drake has signed a
new two-year contract with the Jets for an estimated $1.2 million
US. ... Part of the privileges of carrying a media pass is access
to a mind-boggling array of stats packages. Here are some of the
more interesting statistics I've culled from a Jets stat book I
got at the Detroit game Mar. 10th: record when leading after two
periods: 19-4-3; Keith Tkachuk is 1st in the NHL with a 22.6%
shooting percentage; opposition goals against the Jets by period:
1st - 69, 2nd - 91, 3rd - 76; best monthly record this season:
October (6-4-2); best record by day: Wednesday (6-5-0); worst
record by day: Thursday (2-6-1)
**Trivia**
Last issue's trivia contest still has no winner. So here
are the questions again:
Who are the only two Jets to score five goals in a game?
Which Jet holds the team record for most goals scored by a rookie
defenceman? Who scored the goal that broke the 82-83
goal-scoring drought?
And some new questions for this issue:
Which goaltender was drafted the highest ever by the
Winnipeg Jets? Who was the Jets first-ever draft pick in the
NHL?
Submit answers to goombah@cyberspc.mb.ca. The winner will
be the first submission with all three answers right. Winners
receive a uuencoded Mike Lang (the television play-by-play man
for the Penguins, a real gem) sound file (sorry, I don't have
any Curt Keilback, unless you want Kelly Moore for some reason,
and then we'll talk) and their name published (ooh!) in this very
space in the next issue. On your mark, get set...