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Five Star - ELECTRONIC EDITION - * * * * *
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Issue 62 February 4, 1997 It's like free, man
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send e-mail to zippy@psu.edu
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LCS: Fashion Statement
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By Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
Thinkin' about layin' down 70 skins for a new hockey jersey?
That's air-knit replica, of course. The real thing will cost
well over $100, even $200 if it features a swell Nike swoosh on
the bottom. That's a hefty investment, especially if you're
broke like we are here at LCS.
That's why we figure it is our duty to clue you, our valued
readers, into the coolest jerseys in the NHL. By following our
rankings you'll at least be able to make your next purchase a
wise one.
Teams are ranked 1 to 26 on the combination of both their home
and away jerseys, although a preference between the two versions
will be given. Third jerseys were not rated or taken into
consideration since, well, they all blow.
Keep in mind we're not evaluating the entire uniform, just the
jerseys. After all, when you go to the mall you don't buy the
socks and pants to kick around the hood with the other O.G.s... I
honestly have no idea what the last part of that sentence even
means.
The ratings were determined by a number of factors. We can't
really go into them now since they are so complicated, but our
system is very similar to the one used by Star Search.
The one constant theme, however, is coolness. When in doubt we
just asked ourselves a simple question: "Would the Fonz wear it?"
Actually, asking what the Fonz would do in a situation is a good
way to lead one's life. I know it got me through dental school.
One last thing, when trying to write about and describe a whole
bunch of things, such as all the jerseys in the NHL, it is hard
to come up with new adjectives to keep the article fresh
throughout. So, LCS broke out several old school terms. Play
along at home and see if you can find 'em.
LCS is now proud to present the coolest jerseys in the NHL... to build the suspense, we'll
start at the bottom.
26. New York Islanders: Well, duh? Just looking
at the Islanders makes me hungry for some tar tar sauce and
french fries. It's tough to come up with a phrase to describe
the Islanders uniforms, but "candy-ass monkey suits" does nicely.
The idiotic logo has been beaten to death in the pages of LCS in
the past, and rightly so, but the rest of the jersey isn't
exactly top notch stuff either. If not for the inclusion of
grey, the wavy shoulder lines would be tolerable. There are just
too many contrasting colors making up the aforementioned lines.
It's really just a mess.
With that said, next season when they officially replace that
dork on the front with the old trusty Isles logo, LCS wouldn't
mind owning a few. They'll still be ugly. But they'll be just
ugly enough that, well, they'll be cool. The lighthouse shoulder
patches are also pretty nifty.
Home or Away: Like it matters. Either one will draw the
laughter of men, women, and children alike, not to mention the
fright of small woodland creatures, wherever you choose to
travel.
25. Los Angeles Kings: If ever a team was in
desperate need of a make-over, it's the Los Angeles Kings. Once
the gang-land appeal of silver and black wore off, the Kings were
done. And what's up with that logo? It looks like a jello mold.
Sure, the old purple and yellow jerseys with the Parkay logo were
ugly. But, and this goes back to the same principal mentioned
earlier in the Islander review, the old Kings jerseys were so
ugly they were cool. See how that works? Plus, Bernie Nicholls
broke into the league wearin' one of them. That doesn't hurt at
all.
If anyone out there has one and is willing to part with it, don't
be scared to send the email. It was always a dream to own an old
Kings jersey in tribute to Broadway Bernie.
LCS apparently isn't alone in missing the ol' days. The Kings are
reportedly considering bringing back a little bit of the purple and yellow next
season, along with a totally new logo.
Home or Away: Home white.
24. Boston Bruins: Outside of the Fishstick
Boys, this is easily the worst revamped jersey of the lot. I
wonder if Bruin management still has the crack pipe they were
smoking when they decided to change jerseys last season? The
vertical stripes down the sleeves are absolutely brutal. The new
bear depicted on the shoulders also looks drowsy and
uninterested. Although, he does have to watch the team
play every night...
Home or Away: If a gun is held to your head and you are
forced to purchase one, go with the road jersey. At least it's
black, so you can try and hide in the shadows when stuck wearing
it.
23. Anaheim Mighty Ducks: When the logo for the
team was first unveiled, one thought came to mind: "Damn, that's
stupid." First impressions are tough to shake. The kooky
slanting line at the bottom doesn't really help matters much.
And the color scheme is nauseating. The Ducks are exhibit A in
why purple should not be used as a primary color in jerseys. The
Baltimore Ravens are Exhibit B. Although, as mentioned above,
those old purple and yellow Kings jerseys were bad as hell. But
they were the rare exception. Word on the street is that the Ducks might
drop the purple in time for next season.
Anaheim did make one nice addition to the jerseys this year with
the circular "Mighty Ducks of Anaheim" shoulder patches. Hey,
even a blind chimp finds a banana now and then.
Before we leave the subject of the Ducks, I must make a
confession. I actually own an Anaheim jersey. A purple road
one, too. However, and this is key, I purchased it on sale and
then got "Kariya" on the back. Pardon granted.
Home or Away: Go with the home white.
22. San Jose Sharks: Everybody loves teal!
Well, guess what? We ain't everybody. The Sharks jerseys
created such an uproar among fans when they were introduced back
in 1991 that few noticed that they were really, really lame. If
the presence of teal wasn't enough, the fin shoulder patches are
always a solid source of ridicule.
That's not to say that a San Jose Sharks jersey wouldn't make a
damn fine birthday present for, oh I don't know, maybe an Ace
Reporter? Especially when the second choice was a pinata filled
with eggs.
Home or Away: Definitely home white. Yeah, definitely.
21. Florida Panthers: The Cats' jerseys are not
real easy on the eyes. The word "garish" comes to mind. Primary
colors are swell, but that's a little silly. The road jerseys
are just way too bright and colorful. Make sure all epileptics
stay at a safe distance. They also have palm trees on their
shoulders. Whether a hockey jersey or shirt for all occasions,
that's never a good sign.
Home or Away: The home whites will induce fewer seizures.
20. Tampa Bay Lightning: It hurts, but it must be
said. The jerseys of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the very sweaters
that LCS hero and the idol of millions from eight to eighty
Johnny Cullen routinely dons, are not that good. There's just
something about big circular logos featuring a body of land that
rubs us the wrong way. The differing striped patches under the
arms is definitely unique. Unfortunately, the first time you see
them you immediately wonder if the club just ran out of material
and was trying to hide the mistake.
Home or Away: Not a great deal of difference. LCS would
probably lean towards the home white.
19. Ottawa Senators: Ottawa is one of the most
disappointing teams in the league. When the Senators first
entered the NHL in 1993, their jerseys were bad. Then the club
got all wacky on the junk and decided to update the sweaters
before the 1995-96 season. The general color scheme, emblem, and
shoulder patches remained. Unfortunately, the striping on the
sleeves and along the bottom were changed. No goooooood. The
stripes just look like they don't belong. They're so big,
bright, and thick, they take away from the classical design of
the sweaters.
Home or Away: The home whites are void of the
ridiculous stripes. The black road jerseys are awful.
18. New Jersey Devils: The Devils' jerseys are
just so... so... well, so-so. They're just there. Nothing
hideous, yet nothing spectacular either. If it's one thing LCS
hates, it's indecisiveness. Right, Zippy?
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an inside joke referring to Zippy's
annual problems selecting players during our in-house hockey pool
draft. Only seven other people on the planet will get the joke,
but that's six more than usually gets them, so I went for
it).
C'mon, El Diablo, take a stand! Either be cool or be like the
Islanders, but don't ride the fence.
Home or Away: It doesn't really matter. They're both
about the same. Might as well get the road red, that way you'll
at least feel you're gettin' more for your money... with the cost
of dye and all.
17. Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver is a tough
call. The black, gold, and red scheme isn't for everyone. It
seems people either love it, or hate it. There isn't much room
for compromise.
The logo itself is original, and gay all at the same time. A
skate made up of streaking lines? Well, at least it beats the
old yellow "V" jerseys. What else could they do? There just
aren't a lot of possibilities. Rumor has it that the Canucks
are in for a total uniform overhaul next season. So enjoy these
while you can.
Home or Away: Home whites are nice. The road black can
be a bit overwhelming.
16. Philadelphia Flyers: There's just not much
one can do with a club called the Flyers, either. Considering
the circumstances, the winged P isn't all that bad. The black
and orange also bring back memories of Halloweens past... the
candy, the costumes, the fifty-dollar fines and time served...
Home or Away: Get the road orange. That's not exactly a
color that comes along too often, so snag it when you can.
15. St. Louis Blues: St. Louis is an interesting
subject. If the entire uniform were being discussed, then they'd
be further down the list. The Blues' pants and socks just don't
go well with the road sweaters. However, on their own merits,
the jerseys themselves aren't too shabby.
While the diagonal lines often catch grief, they represent sheet
music, so that's pretty cool. The big flaw in the St. Louis
jerseys are the numbers. There's really no excuse to have the
numbers not overlap the diagonal lines. As it stands now, the
numbers get misshapen in order to fit the uneven horizon. Not a
good idea. If the numbers were normal, the St. Louis sweaters
would have scored a lot higher. It's tough to beat them wacky
trumpet shoulder patches.
Home or Away: This is a tough call. The home whites
definitely look better with the rest of the uniform, but the road
blue is swell when worn by itself.
14. Phoenix Coyotes: At the beginning of the
season the Coyotes would have probably ranked lower, but since
that time LCS has had the pleasure of seeing the jerseys in
person. For some reason, jerseys always look better in person
than on TV.
That's not to say the desert dogs' duds are perfect. Far from
it. Let's face it, the logo is just plain nutty. Although
that's not necessarily a bad thing. The first real major
drawback to the jerseys is the Midwestern design around the
collar, cuffs, and bottom. It's just too thick, too busy, too
much. Combined with the logo, it's enough to send former acid
users into a flashback. Also, on the replica versions of the
sweaters, this part of the jersey is made of some sort of goofy
material reminiscent of wrist bands and sweat socks. That's odd.
Then there are the enormous circular moon patches that read
"Phoenix Coyotes" just in case the players forget who they are
playing for in the middle of a game... oh boy. It would have
been bold if the club left off the team name and instead just
went with only the crescent moon shape. Now that would have been
a statement. But they didn't, so it isn't. If the patches were
different the Coyotes would have scored a lot higher.
Home or Away: Road black is where it's at.
13. Buffalo Sabres: Another one that looks
better in person than on the tube, Buffalo did a pretty good job
of changing their look this season. The design is original, but
the drastic contrast of the black and red is an acquired taste.
Depending on the person, the color scheme will either be annoying
or sharp. We tend to gravitate towards sharp.
The twisting white buffalo head as the new logo is interesting.
The white buffalo has long been considered a symbol of good luck
by some Native American cultures. Although, this particular
depiction of the mythical beast makes it appear as though he is
chewing fleas and ticks from his back. That's a nice touch.
The one overwhelming flaw the Buffalo jerseys are burdened with
is the lame shoulder patches. A letter "B" with a sword
through it? Gimme a break. It's like an episode of Sesame
Street. "Today's jersey is brought to you by the letter B!"
It would have been nice if the Sabres would have used the old
logo as the shoulder patch. They could have redone it in black
and silver. That would have been real wizard.
Home or Away: If you like black, the road sweater will
give you your money's worth. LCS, however, chooses the home
white.
12. Hartford Whalers: The Whale have some smooth
threads. They can't go out pimpin' with 'em, but they're smooth
none the less. The blue, green, and silver are easy on the eyes.
And the Whale tail is synonymous with style. The only thing
missing are the old Dickie the Whale shoulder patches the club
used to sport back in the day.
Home or Away: Both are real nice. Blue or white, you'll
be the hit of any gathering while wearing the sea mammal's
colors.
11. Dallas Stars: If not for the weak stripes
down the sleeves of the home jerseys, Dallas would be in the top
five simply on the strength of its swanky road sweaters. The
only downside to the road version is the white numbers and
letters. The Stars used to have dark green, but were forced to
change when announcers complained that it was too hard to read
'em. Damned announcers. They should mind their own business.
Here's a tip, tho', when considering purchasing a Dallas jersey.
Go with the Starter version, not the CCM. Starter stitches the
logo directly onto the jersey. CCM uses a big ol' patch, causing
the jersey to hang all kooky. Starter good. CCM bad.
Home or Away: The road black Starter version may be the
nicest jersey on the market. Good luck finding it.
10. Calgary Flames: LCS gave the Flames a whole
mess of grief when the new duds made their debut a couple years
ago. Now they're ranked 10th. Hey, things change...
Actually, if considering the entire uniform from top to bottom,
the Flames would probably be in the top three. The jerseys are
strong on their own, but when combined with everything else the
result is dy-NO-mite. The red, gold, and black seem to symbolize
the harvest and all that is good with the land of Alberta. The
flaming C is still one of the best logos around.
Home or Away: Road red.
9. Washington Capitals: The Caps made a wise
decision when electing to change their uniforms last season.
Their old ones looked like they were stitched by Betsy Ross. And
that's not really a good thing.
The stylized eagle may be a bit weak, but the blue, bronze, and
black scheme is a winner. The real saving grace of the jerseys
are the shoulder patches, which depict the U.S. Capitol building,
and the lettering. Few jerseys, if any, look as nice as a road
blue Capitals sweater all lettered up... especially if it's in
honor of the one, the only, Peter Bondra.
Home or Away: Road blue is exceptional.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Birds get bonus
points for having two distinctive designs for home and away. The
whole flip-flop-of-colors thing gets a little old.
At the Igloo, the Pens look sharp in the white and gold with
black trim. Some in the Pittsburgh area still prefer the old
skating penguin to the current logo, but, well, they're drunk.
The new logo is real boss.
Then on the road, the Pens skate wearing black trimmed in gold
and white, with "Pittsburgh" written down the front. That's a
classic look. However, the penguin emblems on the shoulders are
what really make the jersey special. In fact, they make the jersey
so special that the Penguins are mulling over the idea of
losing the "Pittsburgh" and replacing it with the normal home logo
next season.
Home or Away: The road black is real groovy, but it might
sweat the Rangers a bit too much. The home white is a true
individual.
7. Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks still have one
of the most recognizable jerseys in the game. The logo is
classic and the tomahawk shoulder patches are the best in the
business.
Home or Away: Go with the home white. The black and
white stripes at the bottom of the road sweaters tend to dominate
things a bit too much.
6. Edmonton Oilers: Usually when uniforms get
redesigned, it's done by corporate suits that aren't aware of
what's down on the beat, cold in the joint, or tight out on the
street. Yet somehow the Oilers managed to do the job right.
The fine folks of Edmonton wisely kept the same classic Oiler
logo that has five Stanley Cups to its credit, electing instead
to change up some of the striping and introducing a golden-bronze
color to the mix. They also added some zany shoulder patches
depicting a goalie and an oil well. Don't look now, but
somebody's creative...
Having seen the glory of the Oil's new sweaters for himself,
Zippy swears the new gold trimming glows with magical powers,
almost to the point of being hypnotic. So keep that in mind when
going to purchase one. You may want to bring along a designated
driver.
Home or Away: They're both real nice. However, the road
blue is one of the best in the game. Get that lettered up with
Doug Weight or Curtis Joseph and you'll be all good.
5. Detroit Red Wings: Sometimes style and
simplicity are one in the same. The Red Wings have a very simple
design, but it doesn't come off looking plain. The road sweaters
are drenched in red, with only three white stripes to help
accentuate the storied winged-wheel logo. The home whites
feature a totally different design, always a plus, and are just
as crisp with only the red and white scheme. Detroit sweaters
also have another factor in their favor: tradition. Being able
to pull on the same style jersey Gordie Howe once wore is a good
thing.
Home or Away: Either one is smooth. White may be
slightly better but if you're looking for a red jersey, the road
Detroit sweater can't be beat.
4. New York Rangers: The red, white, and blue
work well together. Once again, the slight variation between the
home and road sweaters is a nice touch. The diagonal "Rangers"
down the front may not seem all that special, but it's good
enough for the Penguins to blatantly rip it off. And again
tradition weighs heavily in their favor.
Home or Away: They're both extremely strong. Home white
could get the edge simply because the shoulder design is so
unique.
3. Colorado Avalanche: Feet patches and all, no
jerseys look cooler in person than those of the Colorado
Avalanche. While the Red Wings only need two colors to achieve
greatness, Colorado showed it could be done with as many as five.
Using blue, burgundy, black, white, and silver, the Avalanche
color scheme has set a new standard. The logo, featuring a puck
zipping around a sturdy mountain-esque letter "A", personifies
the strength and speed of hockey. The jagged baseline cut also
brings to mind the mountain range where the club calls home. To
truly see the jerseys at their best, make sure to get them
lettered. The font used is unique to the Avalanche and the dual-
color trim sets the numbers off nicely.
Home or Away: Road burgundy is one of the game's best,
holding a slight edge on the home white... but not by much.
Can't really go wrong with either.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: During the 80's the
Leafs sweaters were awful. Then in 1992, the acquisition of Doug
Gilmour sparked a renaissance in Toronto Maple Leaf hockey that
brought with it new uniforms. Instead of electing to go to some
nutty new-age design, the Leafs turned back the clock and
structured the uniforms after those of a by-gone era. Toronto
kept the newer updated version of the Maple Leaf logo, but the
basic jersey design and striping is almost identical to the ones
worn by the club during the days of King Clancy. The team
strengthened its ties to the past by stitching a miniature
version of the original leaf logo on the shoulders. By
remembering the past, the Leafs have solidified their grand
tradition for today's generation.
Home or Away: Road blue might have a slight advantage.
1. Montreal Canadiens: Hockey is a game of
tradition. And no one team represents this better than the
Montreal Canadiens. Their sweaters have remained the same since
the glory years of Maurice Richard and Toe Blake right up until
the current reign of Saku Koivu.
They also just look good. The Club de Hockey logo is simple, yet
profound. The red, blue, and white color scheme gives the
jerseys a classic appeal. The red shoulders on the home whites
make the two versions of the sweater distinctive and individual
to themselves.
The bottom line, though, isn't what the jerseys look like, but
what they mean. There's just something special about owning a
Montreal jersey. With each passing day it gets harder and harder
to find remnants of hockey's glorious past. Even the legendary
Montreal Forum was toppled by the ever-present quest for
modernization. The Habs' sweaters are one of the few remaining
symbols of the game's greatness. They need to be respected and
revered as such.
Home or Away: Perfection either way.
==============================================================
A Matter of Vision: Milbury Hands Isles Coaching Position to
Bowness
==============================================================
By David Strauss
"It's a matter of vision, a matter of what's best for all
concerned."
In an emotional move both the new owner and the now-former coach
termed "a mutual decision," John Spano and Mike Milbury stated
their intentions. They want everyone to know that Milbury
stepping down as Islanders coach was a determination made by both
of them. Together. Yup, not just one of them.
"Effective immediately, I've resigned as head coach of the New
York Islanders," Milbury told reporters shortly after informing
his players of the change roughly 90 minutes before that night's
game.
Milbury stated that he didn't want the question of his future
status to get in the way of the team's play as the season wore on
(hello, Bill Parcells?). He will now concentrate on his duties
as GM.
Associate coach Rick Bowness, who also succeeded Milbury as head
coach of the Bruins in 1991, was named to replace him effective
immediately -- according to Milbury, on a "non-interim" basis.
"I had to convince myself this was the right thing to do at this
time," Milbury said, stoically. "We came to a mutual conclusion,
and I must say somewhat reluctantly, because I really enjoy the
coaching aspects of the game, that perhaps it would be in the
long-term best interests of this team to let Rick assume the head
coaching position. I still think I have things to offer as
coach, but we have important picks and John feels I should be
very involved in the selection process."
"There are potential free agents out there, that I need to get a
head start on... It's an emotional time for me, but this was the
right time." According to Milbury, his desire to realize his
long-term vision for the franchise outweighed his coaching
passion.
The announcement came at the end of a confusing two-day period in
which Milbury had visited Spano in Dallas and reportedly
convinced the new owner to let him stay on in the dual role.
The day before the announcement, at the morning skate, before
speaking to Spano and reaching a definite decision, Milbury said
only that he wanted to have a decision on the coaching situation
- one way or the other - by the end of the day. Later, when
asked point-blank if he wanted to remain coach, he seemed to
admit that he did.
"I would say it took some convincing for me (to step down)," he
said, "because I do feel some confidence in my ability as
coach... I was reluctant, being only seven points back (of a
playoff spot) and because I love it."
A Dallas businessman whose net worth, according to sources, is
$750 million, Spano completed the $165-million deal to purchase
the Islanders just days before the announcement. That made this
move seem impetuous, especially because, asked in November if his
style is closer to George Steinbrenner or Leon Hess, Spano, a
native New Yorker, said: "George Steinbrenner."
Last night, though, Spano said this decision was not impulsive -
although many were wondering whether he was planning to hire
Billy Martin to replace Milbury.
"He didn't have to convince me [of his plan]," Spano said. "I
understood what his vision was. But if I don't participate in the
direction of the team -- I think this is one thing everyone told
me has been lacking with the club for 10 years -- this was
something that was going to happen in the summer anyway... If
Mike said he wanted to still stay [as coach], Mike would still be
there. He felt this best for the team, for the future of the
team."
But Spano did indicate that the Islanders' record of 36-75-19
under Milbury and his recent outburst and ejection by referee Don
Koharski in Pittsburgh had a bearing on the decision.
"I think it had something to do with it, sure," Spano said,
referring to the ejection. "It's hard for it not to... And we
always wished we had won a little more. But while I think Mike
did a good job with this team, I also think his expertise is in
assessing talent."
Milbury stated with some degree of certainty that despite
persistent media rumors, Spano wasn't looking for a quick fix for
the team's current struggles.
"John really wants to get there in a hurry... but I think I know
this business... and know that I have a plan. Slowly but surely,
I convinced him of that plan... I got exactly what I wanted from
John yesterday and today. I went to Dallas to get a mandate for
my plan and my timetable and got a definition of my role.
Together we got there."
In the second year of a five-year, $3.5 million contract, Milbury
was the only remaining dual GM/coach in the NHL since St. Louis
fired Mike Keenan a month ago. He was originally hired away from
his job as a commentator on ESPN in July of 1995 to replace the
fired Lorne Henning as coach. It was at this press conference
where he uttered his infamous quote that immediately endeared him
to suffering Islander fans everywhere, "Screw the Rangers, screw
the Devils, I work for the Islanders and I could care less about
those teams."
Immediately upon his hiring as coach, speculation began that Don
Maloney was not long for the GM job. With the team struggling,
and the Kirk Muller fiasco dragging on, Maloney was fired in
December 1995 and Milbury replaced him soon after. The
44-year-old Milbury had led the team to a record of 14-23-9 in
this, his second season as coach.
Spano insisted, "This is not a John Spano decision. It was a
mutual decision. Mike came to me... and felt it was best for the
future of the team..."
Bowness, the seventh coach in franchise history, turned 42 the
day after being appointed. He led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup
semifinals in 1992, but was fired for Brian Sutter after one
season. He became the expansion Senators' first coach in 1992-93
and was fired in December 1995 after compiling a 39-178-19 record
over three seasons. The Islanders have adjusted the remaining
two years of his contract to reflect his new title, but terms
were not disclosed.
Milbury hired Bowness last January to be his associate coach, and
yesterday admitted the plan all along had been that Bowness would
take over if and when Milbury decided to give up the coaching
job.
"I have a lot of faith in Rick. I brought him here as an
associate coach, named him as such, with the idea that when I
stepped down, he would be the [one to replace me]. That time is
now."
Some in the New York media reacted to the announcement as if it
was a sign of panic. Spano was adamant this wasn't the case. "I
look at this very much as a positive," Spano said. "It's not a
negative at all. This is what is best for the team, best for
Mike, best for Rick, best for the fans. I'm very happy that's
what Mike wanted to do."
Milbury, though, sent somewhat mixed signals about his feelings.
"It's emotional. It's difficult. I love coaching. I think I'm
good at it... It was a draining experience. There wasn't much
time for me, personally. At the same time, it has been
exhilarating... As far as I'm concerned, I've done a hell of a
job."
It appeared to be a very tough decision for both Spano and
Milbury, who was torn between his love of coaching and his
ultimate goal. "This is my life's work," he said. "I'm trying to
win a championship."
Guy Charron, who celebrated his 48th birthday the day before the
announcement, will remain as the assistant coach.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Attention Sharks fans: The Eagle has landed
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Mark Spiegel
In a week's time the San Jose Sharks acquired, then (temporarily)
lost, one of the NHL's premier goalies.
In a multi-player trade, the Chicago Blackhawks sent sent three-time
All-Star and two-time Vezina Trophy goalie Ed Belfour to the Sharks
for Ulf Dahlen, Chris Terreri, Michal Sykora, and (if the Sharks can
sign Belfour) a conditional second-round pick in the 1998 Entry
Draft.
Belfour will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current
season.
One week after joining the Sharks, Belfour suffered a strained
medial collateral ligament injury to his right knee. An MRI
examination on Sunday determined that an injury that will keep him
out of action for up to two-to-three weeks.
Belfour was injured in Saturday's win by the Sharks over Colorado,
when he stopped a breakaway by the Avalanche's Rene Corbet. With
only minutes remaining in the second period, Corbet broke in on a
breakaway and Belfour attempted a quick poke-check. The Eagle's
move was successful, as the puck glanced off the crossbar, but
Corbet came down on Belfour's right leg.
Belfour remained in the game for the rest of the period, but was
replaced by Kelly Hrudey for the third period. "When Eddie came to
the bench complaining about his knee with 2-3 minutes left in the
period I knew something was up," commented Hrudey after the
game.
What prompted this trade in the first place?
For the Blackhawks, Belfour had clearly moved beyond their limits,
especially with a lot less expensive Jeff Hackett delivering so far
in the Chicago net. Both Belfour and his agent have indicated they
expect to get Patrick Roy/Dominik Hasek type money. That would put
Belfour in the $4 million-plus-per-year category. With the
Blackhawks previously failing to come to agreements with Jeremy
Roenick, Joe Murphy and Bernie Nicholls, losing Belfour seemed to
fit the current script.
"I had a long talk with Eddie and he was out of our price range,"
said Hawk GM Bob Pulford.
So why would the Sharks risk getting Belfour for only 40 (now with
the injury 30-35) games?
Why? The Sharks believe they can sign Belfour.
"...Once (Belfour) sees the ownership, the area, and the fans we go
right to the top of the pack (competing for Belfour)," commented
Sharks GM Dean Lombardi. Belfour got his first dose of San Jose
during the Colorado game when the fans loudly chanted
"Eddie.....Eddie" after several good saves by the new Sharks
netminder.
"It was just like the old (Chicago) stadium. I had to calm myself
down," a happy Belfour commented after the game.
So, at least initially, Belfour seems perfectly happy in San Jose.
But will the Sharks pay Belfour the money that Chicago wouldn't?
"It would be logical to do that if he's as valuable to us as Hasek
is to Buffalo," stated Lombardi. Mo' money, no problem...
Add to that a relative buyers' market for goalies. I mean, just
how many other teams that are potential Cup contenders are in need
of a high-priced goalie? Not many.
So while the Sharks have money and appear willing to engage in a
bidding war for the Eagle, they may well not have to.
Of course this was all based upon the assumption that Belfour could
play regularly and demonstrate skills deserving of a Hasek-type
salary. Now with the injury, all of this is somewhat in doubt.
Acquiring a premier goalie was definitely one of the building blocks
the Sharks need in their quest to become a legitimate contender.
Kelly Hrudey is already 36 years old. Hrudey may well not be around
when the Sharks finally jell.
Chris Terreri will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
Terreri is an East Coast boy. About the only tan he ever wore was
a beige T-shirt. So resigning Terreri for next year was about as
likely as finding an LCS staffer sober on a Saturday night.
Goalies in the Sharks prospects pipeline are all several years away
from a significant role with the mother club.
Dahlen, with a $1.3 million salary, just wasn't producing, with
only eight goals and 11 assists. Fresh surroundings seem to be
helping Ulfie as he's scored twice in his first two games with the
Hawks. If Dahlen can keep it up he'll add nicely to a somewhat low
scoring team.
Michael Sykora, 23, could become the Hawks next Steve Smith, or more
likely, the next Ivan Droppa. Sykora has size and decent offensive
skills, but plays a rather soft game for his size (6-5, 220).
After a strong start this season, Sykora had been riding the
press box for most games lately. Sykora has already taken his
first step to being a Blackhawk. Michal has dropped the face visor
he always wore as a Shark.
So in the final analysis, Chicago got some offensive help, a solid
backup goaltender, a blue line prospect and possibly a good draft
pick for a goalie they would lose for nothing at season's end. San
Jose has the potential for acquiring a premier goalie, something
the franchise has lacked all along, to help solidify its defense
for the next four or five years.
And Eddie the Eagle? He gets to play in the West Coast version of
the old Chicago Stadium.
"EDDIE!..........EDDIE!.......EDDIE!.........."
========================================================
World Domination Update, Vol.2 No.11
========================================================
by LCS: guide to hockey
World Domination ain't easy, it takes time. You know, it took Larry King,
the iron horse of broadcasting, years to reach stardom. So how can we complain.
Here is a recap of the latest from the offices of LCS Guide to Hockey...
Thanks Inside Edge
LCS would like to extend a thanks to the people who are responsible
for producing the Washington Capitals' game program, Inside Edge,
for including a blurb on LCS in their 'Skating the Net' section.
Here is what the fine folks at Inside Edge had to say about LCS:
"LCS: Guide to Hockey, a bi-weekly internet-only hockey publication. This
one is really special - features, in-depth reports, stats, rosters,
injuries, schedules and more. Every issue is archived in an
extensive file of back issues. Check out the recent article on
Capitals' defenseman Joe Reekie."
LCS Debut on AOL Rescheduled for mid-February
The grand opening of a new frontier of LCS dominance was delayed as
a result of a recent alien invasion. Thankfully the Space Goats left
the Vienna, VA headquarters of AOL shortly after consuming a meal of
pancakes.
AOL has rescheduled the opening of the new LCS Guide to Hockey area to
February 10. Hopefully. Until our area is open, look for us on the hockey
chat boards praising John Cullen.
We hope that many of our loyal readers will make plans to help us
celebrate the opening of our new AOL area. As the time draws closer,
we will announce other new features that you can expect from LCS.
LCS: The Announcement List
Do you want to be reminded of future issues of LCS? If so, sign up for the
LCS Announcement List by sending
an e-mail message to zippy@psu.edu.
The list will alert you to new issue releases, features and news from LCS.
LCS: the hockey pool
January 14th marked the half-way point of the LCS pool. The top three
epoch finishers will be awarded prizes at the end of the season. Please
take time to find out how well your team is doing. The pool rules and
results are available from LCS: the hockey pool.
LCS: 'round the 'net
Announcement In order to make accessing LCS easier for you, our valued
readers, LCS can now be found at http://www.lcshockey.com. Eventually
this will become our permanent address on the 'Net. But don't worry,
our old address at http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/ will remain valid.
NHL Directory
An addition has been made to the LCS web site. To serve you, our valued
customer better, we have created the NHL Directory. A wealth of team and
NHL information is included in the directory, including: arena information;
team addresses, phone numbers and fax numbers; general manager, coach and
captain histories; and links to team records, retired jersey numbers,
current rosters and schedules.
LCS: Questions o' the Month
The Questions o' the Month have been a formidable challenge to all who have dared solve
their riddles. So difficult are these questions that not a single soul was able to correctly all 10
Gilligan's Island trivia questions for the month of January. Two
readers got nine-of-ten correct, but it still ain't a perfect score.
Once again we're disappointed with you, our intelligent, valued
readers. This month we're going with another classic television
program you all should know, Dragnet. If you answer all 10 questions right,
you can win a free LCS T-shirt.
LCS: the t-shirt
Offical LCS t-shirts can now be purchased by the general public. The shirts
are 100% cotton and come in three colors (size XL only). All shirts
sport a spiffy LCS logo on the front. To find out how to order, visit
the LCS t-shirt page. Our supply of shirts is running low and once
they're gone this shirt design will never be available again.
Coming Soon!
LCS on AOL, a classic television spokesman, the opening of the
LCS Hall of Fame, and much, much more...
_____________________________________________________
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
John Kreiser.....................Featured Columnist
David A. Feete......................Featured Writer
Sandi Trudo...................Anaheim Correspondent
Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent
Valerie Hammerl...............Buffalo Correspondent
WANTED........................Calgary Correspondent
Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent
Matt Gitchell................Colorado Correspondent
Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent
Jonah Sigel...................Detroit Correspondent
Simon D. Lewis...............Edmonton Correspondent
Eric A. Seiden................Florida Correspondent
Steve Gallichio..............Hartford Correspondent
Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent
Jacques Robert...............Montreal Correspondent
David Ibrahim..............New Jersey Correspondent
David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent
Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent
The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents
Eric Meyer...............Philadelphia Correspondent
Jeff Brown....................Phoenix 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
Tricia McMillan...................AHL Correspondent
----------------------------------------------------
LCS: guide to hockey issue 62 February 4 - February 18
1997. Email address: sportif@oak.westol.com Good ol'
postal address: 632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA
15601. Web Site: http://www.lcshockey.com/
------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Round-up
-------------------------------------------------------------
By LCS: guide to hockey
General NHL News
Lemieux Records Four
During a recent game in Mario Lemieux's home town of Montreal, the Pens captain
recorded four goals in the third period to lead Pittsburgh to 6-4 victory.
Lemieux's effort marked the 11th time in league history that a player has scored
four times in a period, the fifth time it has been done in the
final stanza. Washington's Peter Bondra was the last player with
four in a period, scoring four times in the first against Tampa
Bay on Feb. 5, 1994.
Bowman Nears Milestone
Scotty Bowman, coach of the Detroit Red Wings, needs only one more
victory to become the first NHL head coach to reach the 1000 win plateau.
No other head coach, active or non-active, has coached or won as many games
as Bowman. In fact, his closest competition is from ex-Isles coach Al Arbour.
G W L T Pct.
Scott Bowman, Stl-Mon-Buf-Pit-Det 1704 999 451 254 .661
Al Arbour, StL-NYI 1606 781 577 248 .564
Dick Irvin, Chi-Tor-Mon 1437 690 521 226 .559
Billy Reay, Tor-Chi 1102 542 385 175 .571
Toe Blake, Mon 914 500 255 159 .634
Clarke Heads Olympic Team
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke will head Canada's hockey selection
committee for the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
The Toronto Star reported Wednesday that Clarke will be assisted by fellow
general managers Bob Gainey of Dallas and Pierre Gauthier of Ottawa.
Arbour Honored
It's been 13 years since the NY Islanders have had any playoff success.
Success due in part to their former coach, Al Arbour. In order to honor
Arbour, who lead the team to 4 Stanley Cup championships in the early 80s,
the NY Islanders raised a number "739" banner to the rafters of the Nassau
Coliseum. The 739 represents the number of wins during Arbour's coaching career
with the Islanders.
Firings...Hirings...Signings...etc...
Milbury Steps Down
He didn't want to do it, but Mike Milbury stepped down from his coaching duties
with the NY Islanders. John Spano, who recently purchased the Isles franchise,
influenced Milbury's decision to step down from coaching. Milbury will now
concentrate on his GM duties as the team continues to rebuild.
Police Blotter:
Jim Cummins, CHI -- Misconducts
Chicago Blackhawks right wing Jim Cummins received an automatic
one-game suspension from the National Hockey League Thursday for
picking up his third game misconduct penalty of the season in
Wednesday's home loss to Vancouver. Cummins and Vancouver left
wing Donald Brashear each received fighting majors and game
misconducts following a melee at 3:03 of the first period.
Cummins, who has two goals, two assists and 111 penalty minutes
in 33 games, received a double game misconduct Nov. 17 against
Los Angeles.
Todd Harvey, DAL -- Elbowing
The NHL announced Sunday that Dallas Stars center Todd Harvey was
suspended for Sunday's 4-3 loss at Detroit and could miss more
action, pending a hearing. Harvey was suspended for a flagrant
elbow against Buffalo's Matthew Barnaby in the third period of
Friday's 3-1 loss to the Sabres. Harvey was assessed a major
penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct.
Sean O'Donnell, LOS -- Unfair Fighting
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean O'Donnell was suspended by the NHL for one
game without pay and fined $1,000 Thursday for an incident in a January 29
game against Colorado.
In that game, O'Donnell made contact with Avalanche forward Valeri Kamensky while
on the Kings' bench.
Peter Bondra, WAS -- Kneeing
Bondra was suspended
for at least one game and missed Sunday night's game pending a
hearing. At the hearing the suspension, which is the result of a
kneeing incident against Florida's Ray Sheppard in the second
period of Saturday's 3-1 Capitals victory, could be increased.
Bondra was assessed a major penalty for kneeing.
1996-97 NHL Suspension
Date Player/Team/Length Opponent Reason
Feb 2 Peter Bondra Florida Kneeing incident
Washington against Ray Sheppard
At least 1 game
pending hearing
Feb 2 Todd Harvey Buffalo Flagrant elbow
Dallas against Matthew
At least 1 game Barnaby
pending hearing
Jan 30 Sean O'Donnell Colorado Involved in
Los Angeles altercation on
1 game bench with
Valeri Kamensky
Jan 23 Jim Cummins Toronto Drawing third
Chicago game misconduct
1 game of the season
Jan 19 Craig Berube Ottawa Slashing
Washington Dennis Vial
2 games
Jan 11 Rich Pilon Pittsburgh Stick swinging
NY Islanders Mario Lemieux
2 games
Jan 7 Mike Craig Vancouver High-sticking
Toronto Mike Sillinger
2 games
Jan 7 Troy Mallette Dallas Flagrant elbow
Boston Grant Marshall
2 games
Jan 1 Keith Primeau Washington Slash
Hartford Joe Juneau
2 games
Dec 31 Greg Hawgood Edmonton Slash
San Jose Boris Mironov
2 games
Dec 6 Pavel Bure Buffalo Forearm blow
Vancouver Garry Galley
1 game
Nov 30 Guy Lapointe Edmonton Attacking a fan
Calgary assistant coach
2 games
Nov 30 Kevin Constantine Edmonton Attacking a fan
Calgary assistant coach
1 game
Nov 26 Grant Ledyard Florida Kneeing
Dallas Rob Niedermayer
2 games
Nov 26 Sasha Lakovic Edmonton Attacking a fan
Calgary
2 games
Nov 15 Mathieu Schneider Anaheim Flagrant elbow
Toronto Paul Kariya
3 games
Nov 1 Alexei Zhitnik Dallas High-sticking
Buffalo Jamie Langenbrunner
2 games
Oct 16 Daniel Lacroix Los Angeles Elbowing
Philadelphia Kevin Stevens
2 games
Oct 11 Brendan Shanahan Edmonton Cross-checking
Detroit Greg de Vries
1 game
Oct 8 Mark Messier Florida Checking from behind
NY Rangers Mike Hough
2 games
Oct 8 Louie DeBrusk Vancouver Slashing
Edmonton Dana Murzyn
4 games
Oct 7 Scott Stevens Detroit High-sticking
New Jersey Igor Larionov
1 game
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Bourque Becomes the Lead Bruin
---------------------------------------------------------------
by Matt Brown
Raymond Bourque became the Boston Bruins all-time leading scorer
by registering a goal and two assists on February 1st in Boston's
3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bourque broke the record
of 1,339 points held by Bruins legend Johnny Bucyk, which stood
since 1977. Bourque's goal at 5:33 of the first period gave him
1,340 points, breaking a tie with Bucyk and sending his teammates
onto the ice for congratulations (the Bruins had sought and
received NHL dispensation to have this post-goal celebration
without drawing a delay of game penalty).
"It couldn't have been broken by a better person or greater
hockey player," said his former teammate and current Bruins radio
analyst Johnny Bucyk. "It shows you just how great a hockey
player he is."
Typically humble, Bourque dismissed all the fuss: "Big
celebrations are really not for me," said Bourque, "But I'll take
it and move on. When you play a long time and stay healthy, good
things will happen to you."
A measure of his greatness as a hockey player is that he is the
only defenseman in the NHL to become the leading all-time scorer
for his hockey club.
With this accomplishment, Ray Bourque has all but assured his
place in the rafters alongside the other legendary Bruins whose
sweater numbers have been retired. But if you look at this
record as Ray's paying off the mortgage on that FleetCenter loft,
consider that Ray first bought the deed to that house 10 years
ago.
It was on the night of December 3, 1987, in perhaps the most
memorable non-game moment in Bruins history, that Ray Bourque
performed one of the most dignified acts in the history of
hockey. During the ceremonies on "Phil Esposito Night," Ray
pulled off his number seven sweater at center ice and handed it
to Phil Esposito, revealing the number 77 that Ray has worn ever
since. This magnanimous gesture floored Esposito, who to this
day says that Ray Bourque's act, rather than all the goals and
the scoring titles and the Stanley Cups and the fame, remains the
greatest event in his hockey life.
And this is the moment that defines Raymond Bourque as a Bruin, a
hockey player, and as a man. This more than anything, except
perhaps 18 years of loyalty and excellence to the hockey club,
tells the story about the strength and character and generosity
of Ray Bourque. Because Ray had already gotten permission from
Phil to keep wearing number seven after it was retired, but Ray
chose instead to change his number. This may seem a trivial
thing, but it is not. Ask Phil Esposito, or anyone else
who has played the game.
Yet despite his accomplishments, Ray Bourque is often overlooked,
is unnoticed, at least in comparison with other superstars in
hockey. All the press seems to want to talk about is the fact
that Ray Bourque has never skated the Stanley Cup around a rink.
As a Boston Bruin, he will always be second in popularity behind
Bobby Orr. Boston sports fans will always think of Orr, Larry
Bird, Ted Williams, Carl Yastremski, and Bill Russell before they
consider Raymond. As a pure scoring defenseman, he comes in
second to Paul Coffey. As a defensive defenseman, some will
rank him behind Chris Chelios. But put offense and defense
together, add his durability, and Ray Bourque has no equal; not
Orr, not Coffey, not any of the Hall of Fame greats in NHL
history.
His coach and friend Steve Kasper probably said it best: "It's
unfair to compare players from different eras, but when all is
said and done, Ray Bourque's longevity and the fact he's done it
for 18 years makes him one of the greatest ever," Kasper said. "I
don't think anyone will realize how good he is until he retires."
There is little doubt that Bourque will have a place in the
Hockey Hall of Fame soon thereafter.
Part of this image problem is because Ray is basically a quiet
guy who does not hog the spotlight, wear a wedding dress to a
press conference, complain about his pay, or whine about wanting
to be traded to a Stanley Cup winning team. He just plays the
game he loves, day in and day out, year by year, without a lot of
noise and nonsense. He is the embodiment of leadership by
example.
Look behind the scenes, and you will see the man who always has
time for his teammates, the reporters, the fans, and the kids.
Especially the sick kids. Ray is a frequent visitor to local
hospitals, and every year he participates in autograph signings
to benefit a young boy or girl with leukemia or another dread
disease. He makes appearances to help with charities. He gives
of himself to the Greater Boston community, and he is universally
respected for it.
Ray's accomplishments are lengthy and incredible.
Raymond Jean Bourque was the Bruins eighth-pick overall in the
1979 Amateur Draft. His pick was obtained from the Los Angeles
Kings in a trade for goaltender Ron Grahame. Some consider this
an astute trade.
He began his career by winning the Calder Trophy as the league's
leading rookie in 1979-80. He has won the Norris Trophy as the
NHL's leading defenseman five times, and the King Clancy Trophy
(the annual award "to the player who best exemplifies leadership
qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy
humanitarian contribution in his community") in 1991-92.
He has 353 goals and 989 assists in 1,264 career games with
Boston. He is only the the third defenseman in NHL History to
record 300 goals. He is just the second defenseman, and seventh
player overall, to reach the 900 assist plateau.
Last season was Ray's 12th selection as an NHL First Team
All-Star, tying him with Gordie Howe for the most ever.
Moreover, he has been either a first team or second team All-Star
every season of his career, a mark no other player in the NHL has
achieved, at least not over the course of 18 years. He was named
the MVP of the 1995-96 All-Star game when his goal with 37.3
seconds lifted the Eastern Conference team to a win at the
FleetCenter on January 20, 1996.
Most significantly, Ray was named the 15th Captain in the history
of the Boston Bruins for the 1985-86 season, and he has been "the
Captain" ever since, owning that title. He is soon to complete
11 full seasons in that role.
The Bruins have scheduled a ceremony to honor Raymond before the
February 4th game against the Ottawa Senators, to give the
hometown fans a chance to express their appreciation to Ray for
18 years of excellence and class. Expect the fans to rock the
FleetCenter when Ray is introduced like it hasn't been rocked
since it first opened last year. You won't hear that sound again
until the Bruins win a Stanley Cup, or Ray's number 77 is raised
to its rightful place among the legends.
--------------------------------------------------------------
This Yogi Does More Than Steal Picnic Baskets
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Tricia McMillan, AHL Correspondent
The 1996 NHL draft was supposedly a weak one. Don't bother
telling the Washington Capitals that, however, as the Caps
managed to find a bumper crop of youngsters who are excelling
this season. And while the Caps' first pick (by way of the
Kings) was the much-hyped Alexandre Volchkov, it was their own,
second first-round pick, Jaroslav Svejkovsky, who has earned
himself a lot of hype.
In a year where many Caps draftees have been standouts,
Svejkovsky has been his own highlight reel. Svejkovsky
(pronounced Sheh-KAHV-skee) has played most of the season in the
AHL for the Portland Pirates, where he has won both Player of the
Week and Rookie of the Month, was named to the World All-Star
team, and leads all AHL rookies in scoring in spite of taking
time off to play in a few NHL games. And oh yeah, he's already
been featured on ESPN2. Not bad for a guy who just a year and a
half ago was in Europe, didn't speak English and didn't play much
hockey either, to the degree he nearly quit hockey completely.
Svejkovsky, a native of Plzen in the Czech Republic, had
been playing in the Czech junior leagues when he tore ligaments
in his knee during an under-18 international tournament. He
missed nearly a year of playing time and also missed being
drafted in his first year of eligibility as no NHL teams had seen
him play. He considered quitting the sport, but played well to
finish his final season in Ta'Bor Czech. So, undaunted but not
knowing a word of English, he packed his bags and joined the
Western Hockey League's Tri-City Americans in hopes of being
drafted by an NHL team.
The first thing Svejkovsky learned in North America was that
no one could pronounce his first name correctly (not to mention
his last name!). The solution? A nickname no one can forget. "My
friends... they didn't know how to pronounce my name, so that's
why they gave me 'Yogi'," explains Svejkovsky. 'Yogi' has now
stuck to the degree that few people call him Jaroslav and he
often adds 'Yogi' to his autograph.
Once in Tri-Cities, Svejkovsky learned English quickly (he
also speaks Russian and German) and North American hockey even
faster.
"[When} I started in the Western Hockey League I was 19 so other
guys were younger...and the difference wasn't that bad," says
Svejkovsky, who is now 20.
The change in playing style didn't affect Svejkovsky, as he
scored goals in the WHL. Oh boy did he score goals, picking up 58
goals in 70 games and adding 43 assists; he had 22 multiple-goal
games and three hat tricks. Svejkovsky was named Rookie of the
Month by both the WHL and CHL in November of 1995 and was named
to the CHL Top Prospects game, where he had a goal and two
assists; he also played in the WHL All-Star game and was named to
the Second Team All-Stars. Washington, ever on the lookout for
goalscoring, took notice - and took Svejkovsky 17th overall in
the draft.
Due to his age, Svejkovsky was eligible to play in the AHL
this season and the Capitals decided that was the best place for
him to begin his professional career. Svejkovsky believes that
was the right decision.
"When I started the season I knew I needed to play a lot. I'm
sure if I was in Washington I wouldn't play so much," he
explains. "So I started in Portland, I had a lot of ice time,
power play, scored some goals. I'm sure this year is good for me
and I can get a lot of experience."
The Capitals were somewhat concerned with Svejkovsky's lack of
strength and defensive ability, but still offense remains their
priority for him. "I have to do my job, I have to score goals,
that's why they drafted me. Maybe play...better defense, be
stronger," he admits.
The change to professional hockey has been noticeable to
Svejkovsky - "Guys in the AHL, they're much stronger players than
in juniors" - but not to anyone else. Svejkovsky had his first
Player of the Week award barely a month into his first
professional season and was named Rookie of the Month for
October. He not only leads the league in rookie scoring with 47
points, but is tied for first in the entire league in goalscoring
with 27; he's also among the league leaders in power-play goals
(nine) and game-winners (five). Svejkovsky credits his quick
adjustment to his teammates' on-ice assistance, but his
scoring success was inevitable.
"[Yogi]'s got a great natural ability to score goals," says
Portland head coach Barry Trotz. "He's been a big surprise but
he's probably a year away from making it because of his lack of
strength. Another year of building strength and he'll play in the
NHL."
Of course, Svejkovsky's already played in the NHL, one of
only three 1996 first-rounders to make his debut already
(Philadelphia's Dainius Zubrus and Anaheim's Ruslan Salei are the
others). He received two callups to the parent Caps this season,
playing six games and picking up his first NHL point (an assist)
and his first goal against Anaheim.
Svejkovsky went out on a limb before the Caps' tilt with the
Ducks, promising his teammates he would score his first goal that
night. "I was 90% sure I will [score a goal] so I said I will do
it," he says matter-of-factly.
While Svejkovsky is an admirer of Jaromir Jagr, at the draft he
was quite excited by the idea of playing with Bondra and Czech
hero Michal Pivonka. The Capitals see a lot of Bondra in
Svejkovsky and have played all three together several times this
season, something Svejkovsky was hoping for - even if he was a
little intimidated.
"My favorite thing was to play with great players, players
like I was dreaming about, Peter Bondra, [Phil] Housley, just the
greatest players," he says of his NHL stint. "I'm so happy I get
the chance to play with them."
But with more polish needed in his game, Svejkovsky was
returned to Portland and found himself named to the 'World'
All-Star team, where he attracted plenty of notice from scouts
and media and was interviewed live on ESPN2, where the bubbly
rookie left Deuce reporter Brian Engblom flabbergasted. "He was
amazing. He was just great wasn't he?" a dazzled Engblom told the
ESPN2 audience.
"It was fun," Svejkovsky says of the All-Star game. "I had a
lot of fun, sometimes too much fun because we didn't get many
hours to sleep, we had a lot of practices and interviews and a
lot of stuff."
While he does have some more work to do on his game and some
off-season training to do, Svejkovsky is not long for the minors.
"I was hoping I can be one of the best players in Portland," he
says. "I think I can make the NHL team this year. I believe in
myself.
"I came here [to North America] and I started from zero, I
started almost a new life. This is my new country."
---------------------------------------------------------------
AHL Fashion
---------------------------------------------------------------
By Tricia McMillan, AHL Correspondent
As long as we're going to rank the NHL's uniforms/colors, we may
as well get the AHL in there as well. Mind you, a lot of AHL
teams are sorely lacking in originality and copied the parent
team's outfit with small word changes here and there. As a
result, I really don't see the point in including the St. John's
Maple Leafs, Saint John Flames, Fredericton Canadiens, Providence
Bruins, Adirondack Red Wings or Binghamton Rangers here. If you
want to know where they rank, just look at where their parents
wound up.
But for the AHL originals (or at least partly originals), drum
roll please:
1. Carolina Monarchs (Same colors as Florida):
The Monarchs are rated number one for their road jerseys, which
have to be the most colorful daggone things I've ever seen. If
you missed this morning's sunrise, go to a Monarchs road game -
same thing.
2. Albany River Rats (Same colors as New Jersey):
Same basic idea as the Devils, but who could resist such a nifty
looking rat?
3. Portland Pirates (Same colors as New Jersey)
Apparently a failure to notice they're the Capitals, but a good
logo and snazzy look, especially on their third jersey. Besides,
black is mean and dangerous right?
4. Hamilton Bulldogs (Same as Hamilton): They
adopted the new colors of the Oilers, but with a grouchy looking
dog instead of an oil spout. Very classy and classic look.
5. Syracuse Crunch (Black, purple, teal, yellow):
All the hip colors in one place, but how many teams invent their
own superhero? Besides, they knew the parent Canucks looked
terrible.
6. Baltimore Bandits (Black, purple, silver,
yellow): Last year they would have ranked No. 1, but in
accordance with their lack of marketing ability they had to
change one of the few things they did right in the first place
and tinkered with the unis. Great colors... until someone thought
yellow would look good in there.
7. Springfield Falcons (Blue, green, black): OK,
but whose idea was it to get into anatomically incorrect birds
anyway?
8. Worcester IceCats (Blue, green): So many
shades of blue it was frightening when Eric Fichaud matched a
fan's fingernails. Stupid logo too.
9. Hershey Bears (Maroon): Hershey commits that
worst of all sins... Booorrrinnnggg. What worked in the thirties
doesn't cut it in the nineties.
10. Rochester Americans (Red, blue): Ditto.
Except they've adopted a third jersey which is outright hideous
with stripes. The American flag does not look good on hockey
players...
11. Philadelphia Phantoms (Purple, orange):
Godawful color combo. You get this feeling the players are about
to ask you to sign for a FedEx package.
And the very worst is...
12. Kentucky Thoroughblades (Purple, teal):
Purple pants. Nuff' said.
Come to think of it, maybe we should encourage a failure of
originality in the AHL. After all, the best uniforms copy the
parent teams to some degree and most of the complete copies look
pretty decent. It's a thought...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
IHL Fashion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By LCS: Guide to Hockey
They all blow...
=================================================================
Editorial: Fox's Coverage Still Lacking
=================================================================
By Jason Sheehan
A year has passed since Fox unveiled its glow puck, and nothing
has changed.
Fans who tuned into Saturday's Rangers-Flyers game were
unpleasantly reunited with FOXTRAX, otherwise referred to as the
glow puck.
Sure, the idea of having red comet tails and an easily viewable
puck sounds great at first, but when put to practice, it stinks.
It wreaks. It doesn't belong in the game of hockey.
Canada realizes this and won't destroy the tradition of the game.
But young fans in the United States, who know more about a
"Tickle Me Elmo" doll than they do about hockey, love the idea
because they don't know any better.
So, what does this tell us? Fox cares more about the young
audience than they do about hockey enthusiasts who contribute to
the majority of its ratings. And while Fox destroys "The Coolest
Game on Earth," we have no choice but to watch our favorite teams
play on this commercialized network every week.
Imagine being a child, without cable, learning the game of hockey
from Fox. This little kid doesn't know that the blue dot
bouncing in front of his eyes isn't real. He sees what is on
television, and believes it really exists. Why should he think
otherwise?
Then, the child asks his parents to take him to a hockey game at
the local arena. All he wants to see is the glow puck, because
it looks cool. When the parents finally take their kid to the
rink, they have no idea why their little one is so disappointed.
Why? Because to this boy/girl, hockey isn't about beautiful
goals and double-padded saves. It's about a glowing puck. And
in the real world, FOXTRAX doesn't exist.
If fans had a choice to flip the channel to a broadcast not using
FOXTRAX, Fox would lose its rights to cover the NHL due to low
ratings. There should be a Surgeon Generals warning on the
screen before each game stating, "Watching this program could
result in a loss of sight."
Fox should take a lesson from the ECHL (East Coast Hockey
League). In the 1997 ECHL All- Star-Game, which was shown on
regional sports networks across America, they used a "fire puck."
What made this puck so entertaining to watch was the fact that it
didn't take anything away from the game. The puck wasn't the
size of a beach-ball and didn't find its way into the crowd on a
regular basis unless someone lifted it over the glass. Only the
puck itself glowed, not the entire surrounding area. And when it
got covered up, the glow got covered up. All this means the puck
could actually pass behind players and get lifted into the air
without wreaking havoc on depth perception.
The "fire puck" was perfect. When a player powered a slap shot
on net, a dumb comet tail didn't appear. Instead, the puck
turned bright red as it traveled to the goaltender. As the puck
moved up the ice, it turned into a bright white.
Fox would receive the praises of hockey worshipers if they threw
FOXTRAX into a garbage can at a fish market. But, as we should
all know, Fox still thinks its blundering idea is "innovative."
Unfortunately, glowing pucks bouncing off spectators in the
fourth row isn't the only problem Fox viewers encounter. The
stupid robots, which have been around since Fox's NHL coverage
made its debut three years ago, have always found a way to make
even the best hockey game into a fiasco.
Imagine this situation. Your favorite team has been scored
against, but your star player receives a beautiful pass and is in
alone with the opposing goalie. Then, out of nowhere, these
robots appear, with laser beams and steamrollers, and block half
the screen.
Out of the blue, hockey has become a cartoon. You can't see the
breakaway, because Fox doesn't care about the breakaway.
Producers at Fox are having way too much fun with their toys.
Then, your favorite team scores, but you couldn't see the goal as
if happened. Sure, Fox shows the replay from a zillion angles,
but it's not the same as seeing it live. Would other networks,
such as ESPN, fall into this trap? Heck no! That's because ESPN
cares about you, the hockey fan. Fox only cares about the bottom
line: and that has everything to do with money.
Yet there's always hope. You may be one of the lucky few whose
team doesn't play on Saturday afternoon. That appears to be the
only way out of Fox's disastrous coverage.
Another alternative would be to turn the television off in favor
of the radio. This may sound like a step backwards in
technology. Buy hey, that is exactly what Fox shows us
every week. Fox should have its hockey license taken away.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Mentors of masked men
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Chris Foreman
Hockey becomes more specialized each year. Oxymorons such as
"defensive forward" and "offensive defensemen" are stalwarts in
our puck jargon. Teams plug players into roles as checkers who
play with the lead and power-play virtuosos. There seem to be
players who only play Thursday nights when there is a full moon
against teams from cities that begin with the letter "A." By the
turn of the century, we could have a separate Zamboni driver for
each period.
Perhaps it's not that preposterous, yet, but positions now exist
for trained professionals that weren't previously available in
the sport. One such post is the goaltending consultant.
What was once a fallacy is now a religion, as no fewer than 19
teams employ an erstwhile puckstopper of some variety to advise
today's netminders, particularly the younger specimen. These
instructors are indispensable, as with such a technical position,
each movement requires justification. Any action which disrupts
the routine can destroy the flow of motion and could eventually
frustrate a goalie. An even level of confidence is vital, as the
player should never become too comfortable or too disenchanted.
Since these masked men are such an integral component of a
franchise's foundation, clubs are assuring that they properly
teach them their craft.
A diluted talent pool from league-expansion, or more defensive
systems may help explain why goals-against averages are rapidly
decreasing and save percentages are swiftly increasing.
Notwithstanding, a notion quickly receiving responsibility for
the glut of glorious goalies are the consultants who counsel
them.
One of the more notorious culprits is Francois Allaire.
Previously Patrick Roy's mentor in Montreal, Anaheim credits
Allaire with accelerating the revival of the Mighty Ducks
defender of the crease, Guy Hebert.
Following a winless October (0-6-2; 4.24 GAA) in which he looked
out of sync, Hebert rattled off exceptional numbers in the
succeeding three months. He welcomed November and injured
teammate Paul Kariya's return by posting a 4-3-2 mark and 2.20
GAA. December delivered cooler temperatures to most of the
hockey world, but Hebert was an inextinguishable fire,
surrendering just 18 goals in nine games. Hebert attained a
season-high win total in January (7-5-1), as well as an All-Star
appearance for the ailing Chris Osgood. Through Feb. 2, Hebert
(16-18-6; 2.75 GAA) ranks eighth in the National Hockey League in
save percentage (.916), and is tied for fourth in shutouts (4).
Allaire simply worked on getting Hebert to challenge and square-
up against shooters, a principle which seems automatic. However,
when a goalie is beaten consistently over the course of a week
and begins to slump, he begins to question his approach. The
game then becomes more cerebral than physical, and a lapse soon
evolves into a complete collapse. In the past, netminders
had very few people to enlist should they need to discuss their
predicament. In fact, only two former goaltenders are NHL head
coaches today (Edmonton's Ron Low and Pittsburgh's Eddie
Johnston). Often they were left to detect the cure themselves.
Another of Allaire's pupils, Pittsburgh Penguin newcomer Patrick
Lalime, also is auspiciously displaying his methods. Lalime is
performing to perfection the butterfly style that his idol, Roy,
popularized. The St. Bonaventure, Que. native speaks to Allaire
at least once a week, a conversation which is perhaps better
medicine for the mind than the body.
It's implausible to think that Lalime has such a rock-solid
psyche. His past would seem to foreshadow anything other than
what he has accomplished this season, which is an acclaim to his
train of thought. His attitude is that of a speeding subway,
stopping only at the intended destination, rather than a
derailed, battered locomotive.
Lalime's midget team cut the NHL's Rookie of the Month for both
December and January, and his Canadian Tier II team skipped him
in favor of female puckstopper Manon Rheaume. When the 1993
Entry Draft rolled around, 15 goalies preceded him. Last spring
he and current backup Philippe DeRouville sat and watched as
flash in the pan Blaine Lacher started for the Cleveland
Lumberjacks in the International Hockey League playoffs. A
further setback for Lalime figured to be Pittsburgh's drafting of
Craig Hillier in the first round of this past summer's
draft. This year he divided time in the Jacks crease with Mike
Tamburro and Derek Wilkinson.
Who would have believed that Lalime would emerge as the Calder
Trophy favorite, Pittsburgh's number one goaltender, and an NHL
record holder? Perhaps nobody, excluding Allaire and Lalime.
Lalime has effectively translated Allaire's teachings into
victories, going 16-2-2, including a record-breaking 16-game
unbeaten streak (14-0-2) to initiate his career. It surpassed
the previous mark shared by Ken Dryden (13-0-2) and Ross Brooks
(12-0-3). The headstrong Lalime has demanded little consultation
since making his debut Nov. 16 against the Rangers, only twice
yielding more than three goals in a game. Wise in the sense that
he recognizes his limitations, Lalime has promptly grasped how to
position himself toward the shooter and is a valiant vacuum.
He rarely allows a quality rebound opportunity, permitting the
puck to hit him, then cover it up. Most deflections which do
occur result in either the disc being tossed to the corners or
out of play. The attribute is one which is nonexistent in the
repertoires of most butterfly disciples, such as Montreal's
Jocelyn Thibault.
The aforementioned rationale support the contention that Lalime
is a true netminding star. This season's credentials, through
Feb. 2, include top billing in save percentage (.935),
goals-against (2.11) and winning percentage (.850). In addition,
Lalime has blanked the opposition three times in 18 starts.
Not limited to North America, the concept of counselling has a
global appeal. Russian goaltending icon Vladislav Tretiak has
overseen the maturation process of Eddie Belfour since his
appointment as a part-time Blackhawks coach in 1990. The first
Russian-born hockey player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame,
Tretiak, 44, has worked with Belfour since the two met while the
newly-acquired San Jose Shark was a member of the Canadian
Olympic team in 1988. He had spent time with "The Eagle" and
backup Jeff Hackett during the preseason, three regular season
homestands and the playoffs, although it is unknown whether
Belfour's departure signals the conclusion of Tretiak in that
capacity. For Chicago, anyway.
Under the first year of Tretiak's guidance, Belfour (43-19-8;
2.47 GAA) won the Calder Trophy (Most Outstanding Rookie), Vezina
Trophy (Most Outstanding Goaltender), William M. Jennings Trophy
(Lowest team GAA), and the NHL named him a first-team All-Star.
Upon his arrival in San Jose, Belfour paid homage to his teacher
by changing his number from his customary 30 to Tretiak's number
20.
The rest of the mentors: You'll notice a lot of
unnoticeable names on the list below. As in baseball with
hitting coaches, goaltending consultants aren't necessarily the
superstars, but those who can accurately and distinctly describe
the position to others. Dominik Hasek, for example, will never
have a career such as this awaiting him after his retirement
simply because he owns such an unorthodox style. He cannot
possibly relay to others how he makes saves because he doesn't
play a lucid style. On the other hand, veterans in the mold of
Andy Moog, John
Vanbiesbrouck or Mike Vernon could be exquisite experts in their
field.
Boston: Cap Raeder
Calgary: Bill Hughes
Colorado: Jacques Cloutier
Detroit: Ken Holland
Florida: Billy Smith
Hartford: Steve Weekes
Los Angeles: Don Edwards
New Jersey: Jacques Caron
New York Rangers: Sam St. Laurent
Philadelphia: Reggie Lemelin
Phoenix: Pete Peeters
Pittsburgh: Gilles Meloche
San Jose: Wayne Thomas
Tampa Bay: Tony Esposito
Toronto: Rick Wamsley
Vancouver: Glen Hanlon
Washington: Shawn Simpson
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Badaboum Search Update
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
Two more weeks have passed, yet there's nothing new to report on
the Badaboum front. We are working on a few leads at the moment
and hope to have something concrete by next issue. In the
meantime, LCS would like to share a few of the touching letters
we've received in hopes of helping the quest for our big blue
hero.
Even though my knowledge (and to be honest, my interest)
about NHL mascots is very limited, I was emotionally touched by
your search for Badaboum. Living in Germany for all my life, I
never had the inspiring experience to see what must have been the
greatest hockey mascot of all time. But lately, when I watched a
game of my German Hockey League club, I didn't believe my eyes,
when after the first period, an unidentified, very blue giant was
skating over the ice... Even more startling is, that the concept
of team mascots is almost completely unknown over here! Could it
be that Badaboum is on a mission here in Europe? Could it be that
Badaboum is paving the way to Europe for retired NHL mascots,
just like retired NHL players who make some bucks over here at
the eve of their careers? Maybe you should investigate
in this direction...
Sincerely yours,
Bernd Hoidn,
Mainz/Germany
Here at LCS, we really don't have the funds for an investigative
journey overseas. So we did the next best thing. We got all
liquored up on imported beer while watching old reruns of
Hogan's Heroes. It's not really clear how this helped
in our search for Badaboum, but it sure as hell was fun... oh,
that Col. Klink..."Ho-o-o-gan!"
Badaboum is alive and well running a poutine shop in Tweed,
Ontario. He rents a room from Elvis and believes Al Morganti is
the reincarnation of Stephen Leacock.
Danny Stahl
Ottawa, Ontario
I was at a "poutine shop" once. Couldn't walk for a week.
I don't even know what that means. Anyway, I don't really know who
Stephen Leacock is either, but I'm sure he must have been a fine man if
he could be confused for Al Morganti, our hockey reportin' hero.
Nobody knows were he is now but lots of people suspect that
Badaboum and Marcel Aubut (former owner and president of the
Quebec Nordiques) are one and only person and nobody cares about
Marcel Aubut anymore, so you have your answer.
Michel Dion,
Bålsta, Sweden
No, Aubut weighed more...
I think I saw him on my college campus, Oklahoma State
University.
Anonymous
LCS checked this one out. Unfortunately, what was confused for
Badaboum was actually an experiment gone awry by the University
science department. The kids were trying to invent a long-tailed
hamster when something went screwy. At first the creature was
feared, but he soon gained a following for his ability to drink
all challengers under the table and for the way he could run
around in a wheel really, really fast. "Okie" is now enrolled at
Oklahoma State where he's majoring in Chemical Engineering while
also serving as the class president and unofficial "Big Man on
Campus."
Hark! I have news of Badaboum. A friend of mine who has this
friend whose roommate's ex-boyfriend used to work in NHL offices
in New York under Gary Bettman. As I understand it, Gary Bettman
had ol' Badaboum shot and made into a deep shag pile rug for his
office. It seems Badaboum had too much pride and would not accept
the new commissioner's decision to rename him to "The Northeast
Division's Blue Mascot". Bettman tried to legally force the
Great Blue One to change his name and a lawsuit was brought
forth. Badaboum borrowed a couple of bucks from some guy named
Eagleson (Jim Kelley, professional hockey writer, says the money
was skimmed from the Old Mascots retirement fund. This would, of
course, explain the relative obscurity of that damn ugly chicken
and Sabretooth's new red and black skin) and mounted a successful
defense. In the end, the commissioner decided the Mascot was just
too Canadian and turned off potential US hockey fans. With that
fateful decision and the moving of his hockey club, Badaboum's
fate was sealed.
The story has an ironic ending. Poor Mr. Bettman was rumored as
of late, to have been lamenting the loss of Badaboum. With the
recent talks of the league expansion to 67 cities in the US and
Mexico, original mascot ideas have been very rare. Indeed the
possible expansion into Atlanta revealed the mascot name of
Badaredneck. Alas, Mexico City's entry of Badaboumino was deemed
inappropriate for young children. Perhaps your crack staff of
reporters could investigate more of the possible new mascots.
John Carney
Buffalo, New York
We can only hope and pray that this isn't true. Besides,
Badaboum would really make a better pair of socks than a rug.
Well, that's a modest sampling of the letters we've received to
this point in our search. Please, keep those cards and letters
coming. Every little bit helps.
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FLORIDA PANTHERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Doug MacLean
Roster: C - Brian Skrudland, Rob Niedermayer, Martin
Straka, Chris Wells. LW - Johan Garpenlov, Dave Lowry, Bill
Lindsay, Mike Hough, Radek Dvorak, David Nemirovsky. RW - Scott
Mellanby, Ray Sheppard, Jody Hull, Tom Fitzgerald, Jason
Podollan. D - Robert Svehla, Gord Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Paul
Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett Warrener, Per Gustafsson, Geoff Smith.
G - John Vanbiesbrouck, Mark Fitzpatrick.
Injuries: Ed Jovanovski, d (MCL tear, 4-6 weeks); Ray Sheppard,
rw (MCL tear, 5-7 weeks); Brian Skrudland, c (shoulder, day-to-
day); Tom Fitzgerald, rw (stomach, day-to-day).
Transactions: Steve Washburn, c, called up and returned to
Carolina Monarchs (AHL). Jason Podollan, rw, recalled from
Carolina Monarchs (AHL).
Game Results:
1/20 Colorado L 4-2
1/22 at Hartford L 2-1 OT
1/23 at Boston W 4-1
1/25 Tampa Bay W 3-2
1/28 Montreal W 5-1
1/30 Boston W 3-1
2/01 Washington L 3-1
2/03 at Montreal T 2-2
TEAM NEWS by Eric Seiden
"It's a hockey night in South Florida, and here come your
Panthers," screamed the announcer.
The Hartford game contained one helluva fight. All players on the
ice had at it after Cheap-Shot-Artist Keith Primeau put a stick
to the gut of Mark Fitzpatrick. Six players got roughing minors
and four got game misconducts.
Sadly Fitzpatrick missed the save to preserve the tie in overtime
with only 17.8 seconds on the clock, and the Panthers extended
their winless streak to four.
The last two periods against Hartford the Cats played great. They
really did. They just couldn't get the puck in the net.
Sometimes the better team doesn't win, and this time the Panthers
were the better team. For two full periods and one OT
period the Cats outplayed Hartford and beat them like a pack of
rented mules. Only they didn't get it in the net and a lucky
puck slipped past Fitzy as the clocked wound down.
The Panthers game against Tampa saw Andrei Lomakin's record of
two goals in 2:07 (December 8, 1993) broken by Scott Mellanby who
scored two goals in just 0:50. The first period was called early
due to broken glass. It was caused when Patrick Poulin missed a
check on Per Gustafsson and hit the glass on the door to the
visitor's penalty box causing it to shatter, littering the
ice with tiny particles. Neither player was hurt. The last 3:22
of the first period was tacked on to the start of the second
period so repairs could be made. The beginning of the second
period was delayed as the repairs were still not complete.
After the final whistle blew on the 3-2 Florida win, John
Vanbiesbrouck went after Alexander Selivanov, said something, and
tried to get him to drop the gloves. Officials kept the two
separated. "He can't even speak English. I don't know what he was
talking about," said Beezer.
The Washington Capitals will be without leading scorer Peter
Bondra for at least one game after he was suspended effective
with Sunday's game at Buffalo, pending a hearing with Brian
Burke. The suspension is the result of a kneeing incident against
Ray Sheppard in the second period of Saturday's game. Bondra was
assessed a major penalty for kneeing, and a subsequent MRI
indicated Sheppard will miss at least five weeks with a torn MCL.
The Panthers have been beset with MRI injuries all season. In the
same game, Robert Svehla took a puck to the eye during practice,
but was able to return despite the eye being grotesquely swollen
and bloody throughout the game.
The contest itself was characterized by some of the Panthers
worst play all season with missed passes, poorly executed setups,
and all around unprofessional hockey. Johan Garpenlov summed up
the Capitals game well, "We had a really bad game today.
Nobody played well. Well, Beezer played well."
After the game, fans saw Bryan Murray yelling at Bondra after a
tirade on the referees. Bondra was still on the ice because he
was one of the stars of the game, and Murray was in the hallway
because the referees' room is near the visitors' locker room. "He
was complaining to the officials after the game, he was doing his
job as a GM," said an official. But Murray, still fuming, kept
the tirade going.
"Here is what's happening in our league: the skill players are
constantly complaining about being hooked, held and impeded,"
said Murray, who then directed a remark at Bondra. "But if they
want to be respected, they can't be involved in this kind of
thing. Every time this happens, you always hear the same thing,
`He's not that kind of player.'"
"I don't have any idea how you go out and find a natural
goal-scorer," Murray added. "I guess our younger players are
going to have to step up now."
PANTHER HOLDINGS
Florida Panthers Holdings has purchased Incredible Ice in Coral
Springs, Florida. There is a meeting with City Commissioners to
discuss expansion of land and possibility of Panthers practicing
at the new rink. It really is a modern facility with two full
size rinks. The Panthers currently practice at Gold Coast in
Pompano Beach, Florida, but their lease is up this season. Coral
Springs is closer to the Panthers new arena being built in
Sunrise, Florida. Coral Springs is near Boca Raton, where much of
the team currently resides. Panthers Holdings (PUCK) is a
publicly traded company that had an IPO at $10 per share and now
trades at around $30 on the NASDAQ.
MURRAY IN HOT WATER
The Miami Herald indicates that GM Bryan Murray was fined for a
December, 10 1996 discussion with a replay official. Murray
admitted he was reprimanded and denied he punched the official or
broke down the official's door. "I knocked on the door, and went
in." There was no indication if Murray was fined.
KLIMA COMING?
The Herald also reports the Panthers are not interested in Petr
Klima despite published reports because, "The type of team we
have allows for a skill guy to come in, a hard-working guy who is
disciplined." Apparently Klima doesn't fit the bill.
PANTHERS IRC CHAT
A group of fans have set up an IRC channel to discuss the Florida
Panthers. Regularly scheduled chats will be planned in the
future, but now it's just a random get together. Join #Panthers
on any of the following IRC servers.
irc.afn.org
irc.gfn.org
prairienet.org
irc.macatawa.org
irc.freenet.victoria.bc.ca
irc.stetson.edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jacques Lemaire
Roster: C - Bob Carpenter, Bobby Holik, Denis Pederson, Steve
Sullivan. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Steve Thomas, Valeri Zelepukin,
Brian Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, Patrik Elias. RW - Bill Guerin, John
MacLean, Randy McKay, Reid Simpson. D - Scott Stevens, Scott
Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, Lyle Odelein, Shawn Chambers, Jason
Smith, Kevin Dean. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham.
Injuries: None.
Transactions: Sent Petr Sykora, c, to Albany (AHL).
Game Results:
1/21 at Los Angeles W 4-1
1/22 at Anaheim L 3-1
1/24 at San jose W 3-1
1/29 Ottawa T 1-1
1/31 Toronto T 3-3
2/01 at Montreal T 4-4
TEAM NEWS by David Ibrahim
Another week, the same old story. If you want to know what's
going on with this team and what's wrong, just read last issue's
article, or any previous one for that matter. However, for the
sake of filling space, I'll say it again: Not enough goal scoring
and a power play that is dead last in the league.
Management has semi-acknowledged that the team is lacking up
front. Now, how long will it take before something actually
happens?
Probably sooner than later. The last week was filled with lost
opportunities. After a solid west coast swing (2-1-0), the Devils
turned in three disappointing performances in a row, all three of
them ties. A game against the lowly Senators saw the Devils play
sluggishly all night. The Devils blamed a long lay off for the
problems. Two days of fun and sun in California? Sounds awful.
Only a third-period goal by rookie Jay Pandolfo saved the team
from a total embarrassment. Two nights later against the last
place Maple Leafs, the Devils had a 3-2 lead but couldn't hang on
as the scoring dried out prematurely once again. The next night
in Montreal, the Devils had a 3-1 lead in the second, ended up
falling behind 4-3, but got a breakaway goal from Steve Sullivan
to even the score. The defense was more to blame this time, but
the Devils offense was virtually non-existent in the second half
of the game.
In an incident before the game, Lemaire stirred the pot
unnecessarily again by starting Dunham instead of playing Brodeur
in his home town with 50 friends and family members in
attendance. Lemaire's excuse: he didn't think Brodeur got to bed
early enough the night before. Brodeur, forever the nice guy,
wouldn't come out and say that Lemaire was wrong, but he
definitely implied it and his frustration showed. Dunham played a
good game and made two game-savers in OT, but no doubt Brodeur
was in the right. Lemaire wouldn't play Dunham the night before
at home because he believes Dunham has trouble in the
Meadowlands. Once again, making a mountain out of a mole hill.
What will happen now? The team drifted through the last month
(4-4-4 12 pts) when they really could have made a move in the
standings. Lost opportunities that could very well come back to
haunt them, not unlike last year. February is going to be a tough
month, with several games against the Rangers, Flyers and
Panthers. The elusive scoring center would be a great help, and a
growing sentiment is that a change at the top wouldn't be such
a bad idea either. No one on the Devils has broken 20 goals yet
and their two leading scorers are well short of averaging a point
a game.
Off the Boards
* Rumors of Doug Gilmour coming to NJ persist, but GM Lou
Lamourillo rarely pulls the trigger unless a deal obviously
favors the Devils.
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NEW YORK ISLANDERS
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Head Coach: Rick Bowness
Roster: C - Travis Green, Bryan Smolinski, Derek Armstrong,
Claude Lapointe. LW - Derek King, Marty McInnis, Niclas
Anderssen, Brent Hughes, Paul Kruse. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Dan
Plante, Randy Wood, Steve Webb, Todd Bertuzzi. D - Scott
Lachance, Dennis Vaske, Richard Pilon, Bryan McCabe, Kenny
Jonsson, Bryan Berard, Doug Houda. G - Eric Fichaud, Tommy Salo.
Injuries: Dennis Vaske, d (concussion, indefinite... and not
looking good).
Transactions: GM Mike Milbury stepped down as coach and was
replaced by assitant Rick Bowness. Please, see feature story
elsewhere in this issue.
Game Results
01/22 Edmonton W 8-1
01/24 at Hartford W 5-2
01/25 Chicago W 3-2
01/28 at Calgary L 4-3
01/30 at Vancouver L 2-1 OT
01/31 at Edmonton L 1-0
TEAM NEWS by David Strauss
Remember a few weeks back where this column described the
Islanders' season as resembling a game of "Chutes and Ladders"?
Guess which team hit one nasty little chute just as they grabbed
hold of a ladder?
The Islanders began a three-game western road trip just four
points out of a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference
race. That after a three-game winning streak which saw them post
an impressive 8-1 win over Edmonton, a 5-2 win over Hartford, and
a 3-2 win over Chicago (their first win over the Blackhawks in
Uniondale since 1984).
They then went out west and lost to the Flames, Canucks, and
Oilers in four days, leaving the team 16-26-9 and just one point
ahead of the 13th-place Senators and only two better than the
Maple Leafs, who have the lowest total in the league. The only
bright spot to the current standings is that the Islanders own
the first-round pick of the Maple Leafs, as well as their own, in
the talent-laden 1997 draft. Which means they are close to
getting the first two selections in the draft.
"We played very hard for the whole trip, but got three one-goal
losses," coach Rick Bowness said after Friday's 1-0 loss to the
Oilers. "It's disappointing to play that hard and that well and
not get any points... Our guys hurt over this."
Chutes. The team should be hurting. After falling behind 4-0 in
Calgary, they rallied to make it a 4-3 game before losing. Tommy
Salo was spectacular in net against the Canucks in a 2-1 loss,
but after tying the game in the 3rd period, they lost on a goal
90 seconds into overtime. What made it even worse was that both
goals were deflected in off Islander players.
They picked up their game the next night and thoroughly outplayed
the Oilers in Edmonton, but were stymied by the magnificent play
of goalie Curtis Joseph, who earned just the second 1-0 victory
in Edmonton history. The other came against the Islanders in the
1984 Stanley Cup Finals.
Joseph robbed Travis Green several times, including twice in a
15-second span in the third. "I thought I had him beat. I think
the whole rink thought I had him," said Green. "I don't know
what to say. I'm just really disappointed."
Chutes. Derek King in Calgary delivered the best check of the
western trip. Unfortunately, it was on teammate Scott Lachance.
Ladders. For the first time all season, Todd Bertuzzi played
with some kind of fire. Bertuzzi was solid in all three games,
scoring one goal and three points and finishing his checks.
Chutes. Bertuzzi missed another goal in Edmonton, hitting the
post when goalie Joseph threw his stick at the puck. The
infraction should have resulted in a penalty shot but none was
called.
The phantom penalty shot was a perfect example of what can go
wrong when a team isn't getting the breaks. In the second
period, with the Isles down 1-0, Bertuzzi burst down the center
with a clear scoring opportunity. Goaltender Joseph threw his
stick at the puck just as Bertuzzi was about to launch a shot at
the left side of the net, but referee Bill McCreary never made a
call. And though a video replay appeared to confirm the penalty,
it was too late to change the non-call. According to NHL rules,
Joseph could have been penalized under Rule 88, Throwing Stick,
Section (a).
"We argued it," Islanders coach Rick Bowness said. "And Bill
McCreary disagreed. End of discussion."
As Bertuzzi said: "Yeah, he did throw his stick at the puck. But
he missed it. I had him. I just didn't put it in."
Ladders. The team was lucky enough to not fall out of the race,
and remain only five points behind the eighth-place Canadiens
with a game in hand.
Chutes. In three games, totaling 181 minutes 30 seconds, the
Islanders scored all of four goals. And it is not as if they did
not have their chances. The performance by Joseph was
extraordinary, but the team didn't score enough in the other two
games either. The effort was there, but nothing showed for it.
Only six teams in the National Hockey League have scored fewer
goals than the Islanders (137).
Ladders. At least there was further encouragement in the
continued solid play of goalie Tommy Salo, who nearly matched
both Joseph and Vancouver's Kirk McLean on consecutive nights.
Salo stopped 35 of 36 shots against Edmonton, but he had no
margin for error. In two games, the Islanders scored one goal for
him.
Chutes. Chutes. Chutes. "It was a long trip," Bertuzzi said.
"There's no reason why we couldn't grab a couple points."
NOTES
The Islanders played their annual wheelchair floor hockey game
this week against the physically challenged high school students
of the host Henry Viscardi School in Albertson. Forward Derek
King, a veteran of previous wheelchair events, led the Islanders
team. Teammates Derek Armstrong, Marty McInnis, Steven Webb,
Bryan McCabe, Bryan Berard, and Eric Fichaud joined him.
"The annual wheelchair game has been a tradition for the entire
Islander organization that the players are very proud to be a
part of," King said. "I feel it's a great opportunity to share
such a special day with such extraordinary kids."
Edmund Cortez, president of the National Center, said that ties
between the Islanders and the Viscardi School are strong. "The
Islanders have been playing hockey with our kids since 1976, so
this relationship is a long-standing and very special one,"
Cortez said. "The game is one of the highlights of the year for
everyone here and it's really hard to tell who enjoys themselves
more, the kids or the adults."
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NEW YORK RANGERS
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Head Coach: Colin Campbell
Rosters: C - Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Sergei Nemchinov,
Niklas Sundstrom. LW - Adam Graves, Luc Robitaille, Darren
Langdon, Bill Berg, Sylvain Blouin. RW - Alexei Kovalev, Brian
Noonan, Pat Flatley, Shane Churla, Vladimir Vorobiev. D - Brian
Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Doug
Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Jay More, Eric Cairns. G - Mike
Richter, Glenn Healy.
Injuries: Alexei Kovalev, rw (torn anterior crucuiate ligament,
out for the season); Shane Churla, rw (sore knee and groin, 2-3
weeks).
Transactions: Recalled Dan Cloutier, g, from Binghamton (AHL).
Returned Cloutier, g, to Binghamton (AHL). Returned Christian
Dube, c, to Hull (QMJHL).
Game Results
1/21 Edmonton T 4-4
1/22 at Washington W 5-3
1/25 at Pittsburgh W 7-4
1/27 Chicago L 5-2
2/01 at Philadelphia W 4-2
2/02 Boston L 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Alex Frias
The New York Russian Rocket?: "I like to skate. I like
to pass," a smiling Vladimir Vorobiev said.
Apparently the 24-year-old likes to score as well. In his
Madison Square Garden debut, Vorobiev scored his first NHL career
goal along with three assists in the 4-4 tie with the Oilers.
The next night, in a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the
Capitals, he scored again, rocketing a pass from Wayne Gretzky.
"This is a real good showing for him," GM Neil Smith said.
"Whether he's the right guy for the rest of the year I don't
know, but he did himself a lot of good so far."
Richter Separates Shoulder: Mike Richter suffered a Grade
1 separation of his left shoulder and missed two games because of
it. Richter separated it doing a double-leg sliding save during
practice and landed on the shoulder.
Probert Rumors: With the Rangers in the market for a
heavyweight, rumors are circulating about Bob Probert possibly
coming to the Big Apple. Probert, who was once Colin Campbell's
personal charge in Detroit, would definitely help in the tough
guy department as the Rangers can't have rookie Eric Cairns fight
all their battles. If Probert does come over, this would most
likely mean dealing resident tough guy Shane Churla. Churla, who
has fallen out of favor with Campbell after his acts of
insubordination, was a teammate of Blackhawks coach Craig
Hartsburg when they played for the North Stars.
Larmer Back in Blue?: Colin Campbell phoned Steve Larmer,
but was foiled in his attempt to talk the former Rangers' RW out
of retirement.
"I talked to him and he said, 'No,'" Campbell said. "I said,
'Think it over and I'll call you back.' He said, 'OK.' Then,
two seconds later, he said, 'No, I'm having too much fun.'"
Campbell's desire to talk Larmer out of retirement says a lot
about the coach's confidence in his forwards, who would blame
him. The Rangers don't have enough smart, tough, checking
wingers. Larmer was the essential "old reliable" with a scoring
touch. Brian Noonan comes closest, but he isn't the player
Larmer was and isn't big enough to battle a John LeClair. Pat
Flatley, for all his hard work, can barely keep up. And Sergei
Nemchinov is doing such a good job that Neil Smith is looking to
trade for a checking center. The only guy that fills the
aforementioned description is Bill Berg, and he doesn't have that
scoring touch.
It's up to Smith to find someone of Larmer's ilk without giving
away the future (case in point, last season's
youth-for-experience trade w/LA that has come back to haunt the
Rangers).
Game Recaps
Jan. 21, tied Edmonton 4-4: Rookie Vladimir Vorobiev
scored his first NHL goal and set up all three others - including
Messier's tying tally with 1:41 left in regulation - as the
Rangers pulled out a wild 4-4 tie at the Garden. Brian Leetch
also had a good game as he scored two first period goals.
Jan. 22, beat Washington 5-3: Leetch scores another two
goals to help lift Rangers over the guerrilla warriors named the
Washington Capitals. The win was their first against the Caps
after three losses this season and raised their troublesome
divisional record to 5-12-4.
Jan. 25, beat Pittsburgh 7-4: After falling behind 2-0
after the first period, Gretzky gave the team a little pep talk
and went on to set up three straight goals as Gretz energized the
Rangers and sparked the comeback that produced a 7-4 victory over
the Pens.
The Rangers have outscored the Penguins 23-8 in the three
meetings this season and have scored 10 goals on 53 shots on
rookie sensation Patrick Lalime.
Leetch's second-period assist was his 482 of his career, moving
him past Jean Ratelle into second place on the Rangers' all-time
list behind Rod Gilbert (615).
Jan. 27, lost to Chicago 2-1: Chicago was 17-26-8
entering the game and they simply had to be beaten. The Rangers
chose instead to beat themselves. One game after pulling off an
impressive come-from-behind victory at Pittsburgh and one game
before having to face the Flyers in Philadelphia, the Blueshirts
allowed Chicago's only offensive threat, Tony Amonte, to beat
them.
Feb. 1, beat Philadelphia 4-2: Richter was simply
brilliant making 39 saves in what had to rank as one of his
finest performances of the season. With the Flyers crashing and
crashing heavy, Gretzky saw a season-low amount of ice time along
with Robitaille and Vorobiev because they were being overrun by
the burly Flyers. This win should have an asterisk next to it as
it was all Richter.
Feb. 2, lost to Boston 3-2: Once again, the Rangers don't
play down to the level of the teams at the bottom of the Eastern
Conference standings, they play below them. And they've blown an
unacceptable amount of points in the process. Staking the Bruins
to a three-goal lead, the Rangers couldn't come all the way back
and suffered a dreadful 3-2 loss at the Garden. Colin Campbell
had to put Messier and Gretzky on the same line for the final 40
minutes in a desperate attempt to avert this disaster, which was
unavoidable.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Terry Murray
ROSTER: C - Eric Lindros, Rod Brind'Amour, Dale Hawerchuk, Joel
Otto, Daniel Lacroix. LW - John LeClair, Dan Kordic, Shjon
Podein. RW - Mikael Renberg, Pat Falloon, John Druce, Trent
Klatt, Dainius Zubrus, Scott Daniels. D - Eric Desjardins, Paul
Coffey, Petr Svoboda, Chris Therien, Karl Dykhuis, Kjell
Samuelsson, Janne Niinimaa, Michel Petit, Darren Rumble. G - Ron
Hextall, Garth Snow.
Injuries: Karl Dykhuis, d (sustained a dislocated shoulder Jan.
28 vs. Phoenix, out indefinitely); Petr Svoboda, d (sustained a
piched nerev in his neck Jan. 28, has missed the last three
games, day-to-day); Kjell Samuelsson, d (sustained a ruptured
disk in his back, required surgery, out two months); Dale
Hawerchuk, c (sustained a pulled rib cage on his left side vs.
Detroit Jan. 25, has missed the last three games, day-to-day).
Transactions: January 29 - recalled Darren Rumble, d, from
Philadelphia (AHL); January 31 - reassigned Darren Rumble, d, to
Philadelphia (AHL); February 1 - recalled Darren Rumble, d, from
Philadelphia (AHL).
Game Results
01/21 Dallas T 3-3
01/22 at Detroit T 2-2
01/25 Detroit L 4-1
01/28 Phoenix W 4-1
01/29 at Washington W 2-1
02/01 NY Rangers L 4-2
TEAM NEWS by Eric Meyer
Remember that yellow brick road that was supposed to be built
here in Philly? Yeah, you know the one: the yellow brick road
that was supposed to lead right to the Stanley Cup. Well, it
appears that there might be a little rust forming on it.
No longer are the Flyers boasting a monster unbeaten streak; that
was in December and early January. This is now early February,
and ladies and gentlemen, there in now a chink in the armor. Just
4-3-4 are the Flyers in their last 10 games. Said coach Terry
Murray after the team's loss to Detroit on Jan. 25, "The wheels
have been getting loose in the last couple of games since the
All-Star Break...Now they have completely fallen off"
Ok, yeah, I know, the Flyers aren't exactly on a free fall here.
In fact, they did rally a bit following the loss to the Red Wings
to win their next two games in back-to-back nights, home against
Phoenix in a 55-shot barrage against Nikolai Khabibulin and then
the next night in Washington, 2-1 over the Caps.
So then what's going wrong here? Well, let's start with an
obvious area: the All-Star Break. The Flyers had been on an
incredible run going into that said break, having gone 15-1-4 in
their twenty previous games. Quite a run, but take a week off and
even the hottest teams get some time to cool off.
And cool off is just what the Flyers did. Though they would tie
their first two games after the break, it was quite clear that
this was not the same team that had lost just one time in twenty
games. Having tied Dallas, 3-3 on Jan. 21, the team came out flat
the following night in Detroit and was very lucky to escape the
Motor City with a 2-2 tie. Lucky, because Ron Hextall decided it
would be a nice time to stand on his head and save the game for
his team.
And what about that goaltending situtation here in Philly? Funny
how during the first half of the season and throughout the big
seventeen-game unbeaten streak every Flyers fan's best pal was
Ron Hextall. But what do you know, the team starts struggling a
bit and people in this city love to point fingers? Well, Terry
Murray was the focus of all the finger pointing early on when the
Flyers struggled to keep above .500 in the first quarter
of the season, but now if looks as if the burden has been shifted
away from Mr. Murray and on to Mr. Hextall.
So can we really blame Ron Hextall? Some numbers for the season:
23-10-3, 2.28 GAA, .907 SV%, three Shutouts. So that doesn't seem
too bad does it?
Maybe that doesn't cut the mustard around here. And maybe people
are starting to look at some recent games; some recent big games,
against some big competition. Against Detroit at the CoreStates,
Hexy let in four goals on fifteen Red Wing shots. Against New
York, he let in four goals on seventeen shots.
In fact, one Philadelphia sportstalk radio station which shall
remain nameless, before the Flyers-Rangers game, was asking
listeners to call in and name the goaltenders that you would be
willing to trade Hextall for.
Personally, I can't bash Hexy yet, I look more to what's been
going on directly in front of him, i.e., injuries to the defense.
Kjell Samuelsson is gone, and should be missed for another month
or so with a ruptured disk in his neck that needed surgery. His
plus/minus rating of +17 is second best on this team. Also missed
for the past couple of games has been Petr Svboda. He's struggled
with small injuries throughout the season, but the loss of
Svoboda means that Eric Desjardins must pair up with Chris
Therien on defense. Svoboda was +9. Then, there's the loss of
Karl Dykhuis. Ok, they lost Dykhuis, so what, you say? He's been
having a subpar year by any standards, but...
he's been there pretty much all year. He's someone that the
Flyers had gotten used to out on the ice. His loss means
more reshuffling for Terry Murray.
And what about reshuffling by Terry Murray? Can you say Legion of
Doom, bye-bye? That's right, during the Flyers 4-1 win over
Phoenix, coach Terry Murray broke up the Legion of Doom line,
moving Mikael Renberg back to the third line along side Joel Otto
and Shjon Podein, bringing in rookie Dainius Zubrus to play the
right wing with John LeClair and Eric Lindros.
So was this move a total shock? Nope! Before the move Dainius
Zubrus had amassed six goals on the Flyers' checking line in only
37 games played. While paired up with the Legion of Doom line,
Renberg had tallied only ten goals in 48 games. Add that to the
fact that Renberg has taken over four times as many shots on goal
as has Zubrus and you start to see why Terry Murray made his
move.
So what has Zubie done on the front line in his first three
games? Not too shabby, one goal and two assists. What's not seen
in the scoring column, however, is that Zubrus has begun to show
a physical side on the front line that he seemed to be lacking a
bit when placed on the third line. Against New York, Zubrus was
all over the ice, laying body checks and scrapping in the corners
for the puck. It seems this move might just pan out until Renberg
can show Terry Murray that he has regained the scoring touch that
has made him a go-to guy for this Flyers team in the past.
And what about that New York Ranger game? Up until this point of
the season, I kinda thought it would be the game of the year for
this team (for the record I still think the tie at Colorado was
much better). And in many respects it was.
The game was played before a near capacity house of 19,700 plus
thronging fans at the CoreStates Center. And while the niagara of
"Rangers Suck!" chants that rained down in waves from the stands
was impossible to ignore, there was a definite smattering of
support for the (stinkin'!) New York Rangers.
It took about 28 seconds for the bad blood to boil between these
two teams as Eric Cairns and Scott Daniels dropped the gloves at
center ice. Two more fights would break out in the first period
alone (Kordic-Langdon, Lacroix-Beukeboom).
And unlike the Flyers' previous Saturday matinee at the
CoreStates against the Red Wings, where the Flyers looked
incredibly flat and could never get anything started, this game
against the (stinkin'!) Rangers would be different. Trailing 1-0
in the second period, Eric Desjardins fired a shot on net from
the point which redirected off the skate of Shjon Podein
to tie the score at one. Minutes later, Eric Lindros took a feed
in front from John LeClair and shot the puck past goaltender Mike
Richter to give the Flyers their first lead of the game, 2-1. But
the turning point in the game would occur when Alexander
Karpotsev would tie the score with under a minute to play in the
second period. That was pretty much the straw that broke the
Flyers' proverbial camel's back. Two more goals from the
(stinkin'!) Rangers in the third period and a lackluster
performance from the Flyers in the final frame gave the
(stinkin!) Rangers a 4-2 win. The loss dropped the Flyers record
against Atlantic Division opposition to just 8-9-2.
Meyer's Flyers Tidbits...
* From the "Buy him a new pair of walking shoes" department
comes the story of Flyers' defenseman Darren Rumble. His recall
from Philadelphia (AHL) on Feb. 1, marked the 5th time
this season that Mr. Rumble had made the pilgramage across the
parking lot from the CoreStates Spectrum to the CoreStates
Center. Now those are some Frequent Flyer miles for you.
Get it? Because you know, Flyer miles and he's on the
Fly---forget it!
* Once again, I must take the time in this issue to give some
props to the Flyers' little brothers in the minor leagues, the
Phantoms. The team recently set the AHL record for consecutive
home wins by defeating division rival Adirondack at the
CoreStates Spectrum. Though they did have their streak snapped
before a sold out CoreStates Spectrum crowd of 17,380 with a tie
against Hershey, they still have a 20-game home unbeaten
streak. Hey, with the Sixers eating a fat "you-know-what"
across the way, maybe more people will get to check out the
Phantoms. Once again, congratulations!
* Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke was officially named
chairman of a three general manager committee that will select
Canada's Olympic Hockey team for 1998 in Nagano, Japan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Terry Crisp
Roster: C - Brian Bradley, Chris Gratton, John Cullen, Daymond
Langkow, Allen Egeland. LW - Paul Ysebaert, Shawn Burr, Rob
Zamuner, Jason Weimer, Rudy Poeschek, Patrick Poulin, Brent
Peterson, Jeff Toms. RW - Dino Ciccarelli, Alexander Selivanov,
Mikael Andersson, Paul Brousseau. D - Roman Hamrlik, Bill
Houlder, Cory Cross, Dave Shaw, Igor Ulanov, Drew Bannister, Jay
Wells. G - Daren Puppa, Corey Schwab, Rick
Tabaracci.
Injuries: Brian Bradley, c (wrist, indefinite); Daren Puppa, g
(back, indefinite).
Transactions: Traded Craig Wolanin, d, to the Toronto Maple Leafs
for a third-round choice in the 1998 Draft.
Game Results:
1/21 Colorado W 3-2 OT
1/25 at Florida L 3-2
1/27 at Ottawa L 5-3
1/30 Montreal L 4-1
2/01 Boston L 3-0
TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell
The men with lightning bolts on their pants are in some serious
trouble. They've lost four straight games and are only one point
ahead of the New York Islanders for last place in the Eastern
Conference. The Bolts currently check in with a record of 18-25-
6, good for 42 points and sixth place in the Atlantic; six points
out of the final playoff spot.
Home Cooking Sucks: The main reason for the struggles is
the team's play on home ice. The Bolts have only won six times
at the Ice Palace this season, the fewest home wins in the NHL.
If their home record (6-11-6) was anywhere near their mark on the
road (12-14-0), a return trip to the postseason wouldn't be in
such doubt.
Not So Special Teams: The biggest ingredient in the
Lightning's success last season was the performance of their
special teams. Well, not this year, Bucko. The Bolt power play
ranks 17th (14.6%) and the penalty-killing is 16th (82%). This
just in, that's not good...
God Bless Cullen, Everyone: Johnny Cullen, LCS hero and
the idol of millions from eight to eighty, is still leading the
club in scoring with 13 goals and 40 points in 47 games. All
hail Johnny Cullen... Johnny Cullen is great.
Chris Gratton has been having a pretty strong campaign and checks
in second with 17 goals and 36 points in 49 contests. Dino
Ciccarelli has slipped considerably from his early pace and is
third with, still a team-high, 19 goals and 35 points in 47
games.
Gritty gutty Rob Zamuner is fourth on the team in scoring with 10
goals and 32 points. He's also second on the club in +/- with a
+5, trailing only Igor Ulanov's +6. Shawn Burr has recovered
from having his little finger mangled by a Rob Dimaio slash and
is fifth with 12 goals and 25 points in just 41 games.
Alexander "Knuckles" Selivanov got off to a horrible start this
season but is slowly beginning to crank it up, with 12 goals and
25 points on the season. Roman Hamrlik has continued his fall
from grace with just seven goals and 25 points after being
considered among the league's elite offensive defensemen last
season. If his scoring numbers weren't bad enough, Hamrlik also
sports a -15. Even Picasso spilt some paint now and again, but
this is like knockin' over a whole damn paint store...
Wolanin History: Craig Wolanin's tenure as a Lightning
Bolt didn't last long, as last week he was traded to the Toronto
Maple Leafs in exchange for a third-round 1998 Draft choice.
After being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche over the off-
season for future considerations, Wolanin spent most of his time
in Tampa recovering from shoulder surgery. The rugged defender
did not register a point in 14 games with the Lightning and was a
-7. Wolanin is a big, strong blueliner that will stand up for
his teammates and is excellent in the locker room.
Unfortunately, he is also a plodding skater that is prone to
mental mistakes. Maybe he can help light a fire under the lowly
Leafs.
Bradley Wrist Woes: On January 28, Brian Bradley had a
cast placed on his injured wrist to keep the tendons and muscles
immobilized, in hopes of hurrying up the healing process.
Bradley originally injured the wrist on January 9 against the
Philadelphia Flyers and has been out of the lineup ever since.
The cast will be removed in two weeks and the injury reevaluated.
If this does not work, surgery would be the remaining option and
that would also mean an early end to Bradley's 1996-97 season.
Bradley has led Tampa Bay in scoring every year since the club
joined the league back in 1992-93.
Puppa Close: Daren Puppa is recovering slightly ahead of
schedule after undergoing back surgery earlier in the season. In
fact, the 31-year-old netminder is skating with the team at
practice and could be only a week or two away. Puppa won the
season-opener in Pittsburgh on October 5, but has not taken the
ice since. His healthy return would be an enormous boost to the
club's playoff hopes.
Short Game Recaps
Jan. 21 beat Colorado 3-2 in overtime: The Bolts snapped
Colorado's 12-game unbeaten streak with a 3-2 come-from-behind
overtime win. The Avalanche enjoyed a 2-0 lead entering the
third period thanks to goals by Eric Lacroix and Brent Severyn,
but Cullen and crew came to play in the third. Selivanov and
Gratton lit the lamp in the final frame to send the game to extra
time. Then Bill Houlder slammed a point shot through a screen
and behind Patrick Roy for the winner. Yeehaw! Bolts win!
Yeehaw!
Jan. 25, lost at Florida 3-2: The Panthers once again
took the Battle of Florida. All of the game's scoring came in
the middle period. Gord Murphy got things started, but was
quickly answered by Burr to knot the game at 1-1. However, Scott
Mellanby did his rat trick thing by scoring two goals only 50
seconds apart to push the Cats back on top to stay. Houlder
added his second goal in as many games before the second
intermission. John Vanbiesbrouck made the 3-2 score hold up,
even though the Bolts outshot the Panthers 30 to 18 for the game.
Jan. 27, lost at Ottawa 5-3: Burr scored twice in the
first period to give the Lightning a 2-0 lead. Hamrlik would
later add his seventh of the season, but it wasn't enough to stop
the Senators who got two goals from Alexei Yashin and another
from the great Daniel Alfredsson. Damian Rhodes stopped 24 of 27
shots to earn Ottawa the win. Rick Tabaracci took the loss,
stopping 26 of 31 Senator chances.
Jan. 30, lost to Montreal 4-1: The Habs actually beat the
Lightning in Florida, quite the rare occurrence. Martin Rucinsky
led the way for the Canadiens with two goals and Jocelyn Thibault
was strong in making 35 saves. Cullen had the lone Bolt goal.
Johnny also dropped the gloves and showed rookie Darcy Tucker
what life's all about in the third period. It was one of five
fights on the evening.
Feb. 1, lost to Boston 3-0: With Bill Ranford still on
the shelf, Rob Tallas was in the Boston net and turned aside 25
shots for his first career NHL shutout. Ray Bourque also had a
goal and two assists for the Bruins, becoming the franchise's
all-time leading scorer. Tabaracci stopped 24 of 26 shots in
defeat and Selivanov led the unproductive Bolt attack with five
shots on goal. The Lightning went 0-for-5 with the man-
advantage.
Upcoming Games: The Bolts head to Phoenix to battle the
Coyotes on February 4 and then make a stop in Dallas before
returning home to face the Buffalo Sabres. Then it's back on the
road for a game against the Panthers and the first half of a
home-and-home with the Capitals.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS
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Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld
ROSTER: C-Michal Pivonka, Joe Juneau, Dale Hunter, Kevin
Kaminski. LW- Andrei Nikolishin, Anson Carter, Jason Allison,
Steve Konowalchuk. RW-Peter Bondra, Kelly Miller, Todd Krygier,
Mike Eagles, Craig Berube. D-Calle Johansson, Sylvain Cote, Joe
Reekie, Ken Klee, Phil Housley, Eric Charron. G-Jim Carey, Olaf
Kolzig.
INJURIES: Pat Peake, c (shattered right heel, indefinite); Chris
Simon, lw (back spasms, day-to-day); Mark Tinordi, d (broken
right ankle, 2-3 weeks); Sergei Gonchar, d (bruised right knee,
day-to-day).
TRANSACTIONS: Recalled Eric Charron, d, from Portland (AHL).
Recalled Anson Carter, lw, from Portland. Recalled Jaroslav
Svejkovsky, lw, from Portland. (Feb. 2) NHL Suspended
rw Peter Bondra for at least one game pending a further hearing.
Game Results:
1/22 NY Rangers L 5-3
1/24 Dallas L 5-2
1/26 Edmonton L 3-1
1/29 Philadelphia L 2-1
2/01 at Florida W 3-1
2/02 at Buffalo T 2-2
TEAM NEWS by Jason Sheehan
Worst Homestand in Team History
The Capitals are not earning their keep in the house that Abe
(Pollin) built.
When the Washington Capitals returned to the USAir Arena for four
straight home games, they were climbing back into playoff
contention and playing their best hockey of the season. When the
four games were over, the Capitals resembled a ship that had been
lost at sea.
For the first time in team history, the Capitals lost four
straight games at home, and slipped to eighth place in the
Eastern Conference. A result of defensive lapses, poor
goaltending and a lack of cohesiveness on the ice were disastrous
for Washington.
Washington also had a devil of a time converting its scoring
chances. The Capitals outshot every opponent by a decisive
margin during the losing streak, but failed to score more than
three goals in a single game. That, in itself, is a recipe for
disaster.
When the New York Rangers came to town Jan. 22, they were on a
mission to make goaltender Jim Carey's night in net a short one.
Without fail, the Rangers succeeded.
Carey allowed three goals on seven shots, two of them which
should have been stopped, in the first 12 minutes, and was chased
from the goal in favor of Olaf Kolzig. It was Carey's shortest
stint of the year, and the first time he was taken out of a game
this season.
But Kolzig seemed to inject a shot of life into the crumpled
Capitals. He held the Rangers in check for 47 minutes and
allowed the Capitals to make a comeback bid, tying the game at
3-3 with two goals from right winger Peter Bondra and a goal from
left winger Steve Konowalchuk.
New York spoiled Washington's comeback bid with just 36.8 seconds
left when defenseman Brian Leetch's shot from between the circles
found its way under Kolzig's blocker.
Adam Graves then scored into an empty net with 20.1 seconds left
to lift the Rangers to a 5-3 win. In the end, it was the same old
story for the Capitals; too little, too late.
A win would have raised Washington's record to .500 for the first
time since Dec. 6. The Capitals are still trying to reach this
goal.
The middle game of the homestand against Dallas was not
memorable. As if the Capitals couldn't possibly sink any lower,
they did by playing their worst game in quite some time.
Virtually every member of the Capitals looked like they were
skating in slush, while Dallas, a team that prides itself on
playing tight-to-the-vest hockey, glided on the frozen pond and
pounded Washington unmercifully, 5-2.
The Stars, however, have made many teams look bad on home-ice
this season. They came into the USAir Arena with an NHL-best 14
road victories, and left with 15. Dallas also has won five of
its last six away games at Washington. On this night, the
numbers didn't favor the Capitals, and neither did the sluggish
performance.
The Capitals skated into a Super Bowl Sunday matchup against a
tired Edmonton Oilers squad hoping to turn things around in a
positive direction. But a man named CuJo (Oilers' goalie Curtis
Joseph) carried the Oilers on his back, earning a 3-1 win.
Joseph was sharp all day. He made 40 saves, most of them from
close range, and watched as teammates Dan McGillis scored twice
and Todd Marchant, who missed a first-period penalty shot, put
Edmonton's third goal on the scoreboard.
Of note, defenseman Calle Johansson collected his 300th career
assist on Bondra's power-play goal in the second period.
Washington outshot Edmonton 41-25.
Thanks to the Philadelphia Flyers, the fourth and final game of
the Capitals' miserable homestand was a record-breaker.
Ron Hextall stood on his head, stopping 29 shots, and left the
Capitals searching for the definition of opportunistic as
Philadelphia slipped by Washington, 2-1.
It was a night of firsts. Of course, the loss etched a mark of
shame into the team record book, but it was also the first time
Philadelphia had beaten Washington all season. The Flyers
haven't lost a game on the road in over two months.
Rod Brind'Amour and Dainius Zubrus scored for the Flyers, while
red-hot Bondra scored the Capitals' lone goal.
Of note, Bondra's goal moved him into a second-place tie with
Mike Ridley on the Capitals' all-time list. He has scored 218
goals in a Capitals uniform.
The Capitals must have been asking, "How many records can we set
in one week." If there was a record for amount of records broken
in one week, the Capitals would stand a fair chance of being near
the top of the league. But teams such as Washington aren't
judged on the amount of records, whether good or bad, broken in
one week. Teams are judged on wins, which is something the
Capitals just don't have enough of.
But there is no need for the Capitals to hit the panic button,
yet. After a dismal homestand, the club got well in Florida, as
they relied on solid goaltending from Jim Carey to beat the
Panthers, 3-1.
Since record keeping has become such a major topic this week, it
would be an outright travesty not to mention that this win
snapped Florida's winning streak at four, and Washington's losing
streak, also at four games.
The Capitals then took a long flight to Buffalo to meet a rested
Sabres' club the next night. Here, the Capitals did better than
expected, earning a 2-2 tie.
With Bondra out of the lineup (details later in article) and
trailing 1-0 after two periods of play, the Capitals surged to
the lead in the third period with goals from right winger Kelly
Miller and Konowalchuk. But the lead was short-lived. Michal
Grosek scored the game's final goal with 4:31 left and sent both
teams to the locker room with a point.
Earning three-out-of-four possible points in the start of a
five-game road trip was vital in the Capitals' efforts to climb
out of a season-long hole. However if winning ways are to
continue, Washington must find a way to score more goals on a
regular basis.
Players Failing to Reach Expectations
The reason why the Capitals have been lagging below .500 this
season is because a handful of players are having off-years.
With 30 games left in the season, the Capitals only have three
goal-scorers in double digits: Bondra (32), center Joe Juneau
(14) and Konowalchuk (10).
Players such as centers Jason Allison and Michal Pivonka, left
wingers Todd Krygier and Chris Simon, and defensemen Phil Housley
and Calle Johansson just are not getting the job done.
Lately, Allison has come close to knocking the puck past the red
line. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
The frustrated Capital is goal-less in his last 36 games,
although Coach Jim Schoenfeld plays him regularly on the top two
lines. So calling Allison a first-round bust may not be out of
the question.
Pivonka, who led the team in scoring a year ago, currently finds
himself in 11th place in team scoring. He has only scored twice
in 22 games since returning from knee surgery Dec. 11, and has 16
points (4 goals, 12 assists) in 32 games played this season.
Pivonka, like Allison, also skates on a top line, usually with
Bondra. For the Capitals to pick up important wins down the
stretch, Pivonka must come alive.
The Capitals had hoped for Krygier to use his speed to score more
than the four goals he has this season. However, Krygier does
have an excuse. A wrist injury sidelined him for about two
months, before returning Feb. 1 at Florida. The main problem
with Krygier is that he hasn't skated hard to the net. He
usually takes his speed to the outside perimeter, where skilled
defenseman have easy pickings.
Simon, long hair and all, was like a ball of fire when he was
traded from the Avalanche in November. He scored six goals in
his first 10 games, but has only scored three since.
He won't be scoring any goals from the sidelines, which is where
he currently is due to back spasms. Simon is listed as
day-to-day.
Washington also is lacking a goal-scoring punch from its
offensive defenseman, Johansson and Housley. Johansson, while
steady on defense, is without a goal in the past 17 games.
Housley, meanwhile, also has failed to light the lamp in his last
17 games. However, Housley has drastically improved the Capitals
power play, which ranks in the upper third of the league. The
Capitals are fifth in killing penalties.
Sergei Gonchar, another offensive-minded defenseman, injured his
right knee against Dallas when he was hit by defenseman Joe
Reekie's clearing attempt. Gonchar, like Simon, is listed as
day-to-day and should be back soon.
Another major problem, as if the Capitals don't have enough, is
the fourth line of Kevin Kaminski, Mike Eagles and Craig Berube.
Combined, the fourth line has scored only two goals this season,
both of which were scored by Berube. Eagles has no goals in 44
games, and Kaminski has not accumulated a single point in 27
games.
For the Capitals to snap out of their goal-scoring slump, someone
will have to get hot, soon. Washington hasn't scored more than
three goals since a 6-3 win over Toronto Jan. 13. Scoring three
or fewer goals a game just doesn't get the job done. And the
Capitals have learned that the hard way.
Bondra Suspended Indefinitely
Bondra has been a naughty boy lately.
In the Florida game, Bondra skated through the Capitals' zone and
collided knee-on-knee with Panthers' leading goal-scorer Ray
Sheppard. Sheppard was helped off the ice, and Bondra was given
a five-minute major penalty for kneeing.
Immediately after the game, Panthers' General Manger Bryan Murray
called the NHL Offices in New York City and asked that Bondra be
suspended. His wish was granted less than 24-hours later.
Bondra was suspended for a minimum of one game, which was served
at Buffalo Feb. 2, and could miss more action pending a hearing.
"He was skating to me, the puck was coming to him and I tried to
play him and the puck," Bondra said. "I didn't try to hurt him,
I don't think he saw me. I feel bad about it, I am disappointed
if he is hurt bad."
Sheppard, who will miss four-to-six weeks with a sprained right
medial collateral knee ligament, thinks the hit was intentional.
"Eight years ago, guys didn't hit guys like that," he said. "It
was more shoulder-on-shoulder. There's a growing amount of hits
below the waist. We play this for a living and if a guy's
unfortunate, it could end his career.
"When someone doesn't see someone, you're putting a guy's career
at risk," he continued. "You should have enough respect for the
players in the league that you wouldn't put their career at
jeopardy."
Stat of the Week
Capitals Captain Dale Hunter is trying to become the first NHL
player to tally 1,000 points while sitting in the penalty box for
over 3,000 minutes. This season, Hunter hasn't missed a game and
is playing his best hockey in quite some time, earning 32 points
(eight goals, 24 assists) in 52 games.
It's unlikely that he will break the 1,000 point barrier this
season. But should the 37-year-old warrior decide to play next
season, this record should be his for the taking.
Upcoming Games
The Capitals complete their five-game road trip in Western
Canada. Washington will face Calgary (Feb. 7), Edmonton (Feb. 9)
and Vancouver (Feb. 11), before returning East for a home-
and-home series with Tampa Bay (Feb. 14 and 15).
If the Capitals slip into yet another losing streak, their bid at
a 15th consecutive playoff appearance may be over.
===================================================================
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BOSTON BRUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Steve Kasper
Roster: C - Adam Oates, Jozef Stumpel, Ted Donato, Clayton
Beddoes, Trent McCleary. LW - Troy Mallette, Brett Harkins, Rob
Dimaio, P. C. Drouin. RW - Rick Tocchet, Steve Heinze, Sandy
Moger, Sheldon Kennedy, Jeff Odgers, Landon Wilson, Tim Sweeney,
Jean-Yves Roy. D - Ray Bourque, Don Sweeney, Kyle McLaren, Jon
Rolhoff, Dean Chynoweth, Steve Staios, Barry Richter, Dean
Malkoc. G - Bill Ranford, Rob Tallas, Paxton Schaeffer.
Injuries: Steve Heinze, rw (torn MCL, hip and groin strain, 6-8
weeks); Sandy Moger, rw (elbow surgery, indefinite); Bill
Ranford, c (shoulder muscle cyst, day-to-day); Kyle McLaren, d
(separated shoulder, indefinite); Jozef Stumpel, c (back strain,
day-to-day).
Transactions: sent Todd Elik, lw, Mattias Timmander, d, Anders
Myrvold, d, to Providence of the AHL. Called up Paxton
Schaeffer, g, and P. C. Drouin, lw, from Providence of the AHL.
Game Results
1/22 at Ottawa W 4-1
1/23 Florida L 4-1
1/25 Colorado W 4-1
1/30 at Florida L 3-1
2/01 at Tampa Bay W 3-0
2/02 at NY Rangers W 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown
On the heels of the All-star break, a diehard Bruins fan would
say "They're doin' it again." The reference, of course, is to
the incredible second-half performance of last year that took
them from tenth place in the Eastern Conference around the break
to fifth place by the end of the season. For an optimist who
would look at the FleetCenter as half-filled rather than half
empty, the Bruins' modest record of 4-2-0 in the last six games
seems like a portend of things to come, at least in comparison to
the effort and results of the last month or so.
For example, instead of losing to Ottawa twice, the Bruins
actually beat the Senators, then dispatched the league-leading
Avalanche at home and the formidable Rangers in New York. Were it
not for two losses to last year's playoff nemesis, the Florida
Panthers, this report would be giddy if not delirious.
As important as getting more wins than losses for a change was
the team's 3-1-0 record in road games, crucial because the Bruins
have 19 of 31 remaining games on the road. Of 11 division games,
six are at home, which is good, but expand that to include all
Eastern Conference foes, and 12 of 23 games remaining are away.
Add seven of eight games away against the Western teams, and you
have a tougher row to hoe than last year. The Bruins have a
three-game homestand this week, then they hit the highway,
playing only nine of the next 28 games at home.
Of course, this would matter more if the Bruins had anything
resembling a home-ice advantage. The reality is that they are
10-14-5 at the FleetCenter, and that means they need to go 8-4-0
just to break even. That will be tough, facing the likes of
Florida, Philadelphia, Montreal (always a dogfight), Buffalo, and
Pittsburgh at home.
They are in 10th by a point, much the same as last year going
into February. With 46 points in 51 games, they trail Hartford
and Montreal by just one point, with two games in hand over
Montreal, though Hartford has one in hand over the Bruins.
Washington is but one more point ahead, but they have played an
extra game, so Boston could draw even with Washington by beating
Ottawa on Tuesday night, and actually pull ahead of the Capitals
by beating Hartford on Thursday, since Washington doesn't play
again until Friday. Hey, even 15 minutes in playoff contention
would look good right about now.
But it is perhaps too much to expect the same kind of late charge
that propelled the Bruins into fifth place in the conference,
especially with Bill Ranford out at least another week rehabbing
his shoulder, recovering from the draining of a muscle cyst. All
of the enthusiasm has to be tempered by the injury reports. The
body count keeps rising, and players are leaving in stretchers
faster than the Causeway Street M.A.S.H. unit (the Bruins
training staff) can patch them up and get them back on the front
lines.
Case in point: Tim Sweeney gets set to return against Tampa Bay,
but down goes Jozef Stumpel in a collision with Rob Dimaio - the
best check of the night by a Bruin in a 3-1 loss to Florida, and
it is against another Bruin. Stumpel is out with a bruised
tailbone of all things, and has missed two games. The joke is he
could have skated okay, but sitting on the bench between shifts
would have been too much.
Then against Tampa Bay, Dean "of the defense" Chynoweth suffered
a corneal abrasion, which in layman's terms means a poke in the
eye with a sharp stick. At this point, it isn't clear when Dean
will be back, but the damage could have been far worse.
The following night against the Rangers, Kyle McLaren was
separated from his shoulder by a certain Mr. Samuelsson, whom
Bruins fans are sure to remember from his past escapades. This
time, Ulfie put a legal hit on McLaren, but try not to read the
worst into his motives: "It was a clean hit; he was coming
across, just the kind of hit you look for." To do what,
Horseface? Plant a little surprise kiss? Can you say "intent to
injure?" Or to paraphrase the Church Lady, "Could it have been …
Ulfie?" However exaggerated this is, tell me there isn't a Cam
Neely fan who doesn't believe in his heart that a body search of
the Ulfinator would turn up a 666 tatoo somewhere.
No one is more surprised than Sheldon Kennedy over the tremendous
outpouring of support from fans and fellow players, in the wake
of his announcement that he was sexually abused by his hockey
coach in Juniors. But even more startling is the way that
Kennedy has become a hero and inspiration to an astounding number
of people who have been victims of abuse. Kennedy is receiving
almost a thousand letters per day from kids, and adults who were
abused as kids. These people have suffered sexual or physical
abuse at the hands of supposedly responsible adults and
relatives. They look at Kennedy's story, from his struggle
to survive his guilt to his courage to face his demons, and they
write to him of the strength it has given them to overcome what
has happened to them. Kennedy recently sat down with his wife to
read through just a portion of the mail, and they didn't come up
for air until eight hours and some 400 letters later.
Meanwhile, Kennedy was recently named the most influential
sportsperson for 1996, an honor usually reserved for bigwigs
rather than players. The Toronto Globe and Mail's annual List of
Power and Influence in Canadian Sport put Sheldon Kennedy at the
top of the list. It was the first time an athlete has ranked so
high. Kennedy plans to design and open a camp for abused kids in
British Columbia on 650 acres of land donated by a friend, to
give these kids a chance to get away from the guilt and the
sadness – a chance he never had.
Pressed into service by Bill Ranford's injury, Robbie Tallas has
seen both the good and the bad. He has had several strong games,
but in others he looked as if he were having second thoughts
about the big leagues. Not that he was getting much help from
his defense or much backchecking from his forwards at the time.
But over the recent stretch of games, Tallas has looked pretty
good, even in the losses to Florida.
However, on Friday, Tallas was doing more than wondering about
his choice of professions. During practice, he made a goalie's
least favorite save, a dinger, as Steve Staios' one-timer struck
him in the so-called "upper thigh area." Tallas immediately went
to his knees, saw stars, and got a second look at his breakfast.
He was helped off the ice, could barely walk, and went to the
hospital to check for damages. Fortunately, it was only a bruise
rather than something more serious. Tallas decided to double up,
adding an extra "cup" to his protective gear for the short term,
and vowed to go shopping for something a little more
state-of-the-art than his current protector.
Tallas was expected to sit out the next game against Tampa Bay on
Saturday, but not only was Robbie able to start, he put it all
together and blanked the Bolts 3-0 on Saturday for his first NHL
shutout. Granted, his teammates, feeling some responsibility if
not pity, went well out of their way to keep the Lighnting as far
away from Robbie as possible, holding them to 25 shots.
Even more surprising, Robbie followed that performance the next
night with a game-saving stint against the Rangers. He turned
away all 10 shots he faced in the third period to preserve a 3-2
win. Tallas got a little help from his friends again, especially
when Don Sweeney cleared a bouncing puck that squeezed through
Tallas right off the goal line to save a certain tying goal.
"He's a gritty individual and a battler and tonight he made some
big saves," Boston coach Steve Kasper said. "The whole team just
got an unbelievable boost on the bench that he was battling for
us." And why not? His teammates knew Robbie was literally
putting everything he had on the line for them.
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BUFFALO SABRES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ted Nolan
Roster: C - Michael Peca, Derek Plante, Brian Holzinger, Wayne
Primeau. LW - Brad May, Michal Grosek, Rob Ray, Vaclav Varada.
RW - Dixon Ward, Donald Audette, Jason Dawe, Matthew Barnaby.
D - Alexei Zhitnik, Garry Galley, Darryl Shannon, Jay McKee,
Mike Wilson, Bob Boughner, Richard Smehlik. G - Dominik Hasek,
Steve Shields.
Injuries: Andrei Trefilov, g (shoulder, 8 weeks); Pat LaFontaine,
c (post-concussion syndrome, indefinite); Anatoli Semenov, rw
(shoulder, 8 weeks); Randy Burridge, lw (knee, 2-3 weeks).
Transactions: Sent Wayne Primeau, c, to Rochester (AHL).
Recalled Vaclav Varada, rw, and Wayne Primeau, c, from Rochester
(AHL). Sent arrie Moore, rw, to Rochester (AHL).
Game Results
1/20 Chicago W 2-1
1/22 Montreal W 6-1
1/24 Edmonton L 3-1
1/25 Hartford L 5-1
1/29 Pittsburgh W 3-1
1/31 Dallas W 3-1
2/02 Washington T 2-2
TEAM NEWS by Valerie Hammerl
There's no place like home. The Sabres are finding things quite
comfortable in their new home at Marine Midland Arena, so a
seven-game homestand -- longest in club history -- seemed like
the perfect way to keep in the hunt for first place in the
Northeastern Division. With the help of Rob Ray, the Sabres took
nine of a possible 14 points. That's right, Rob Ray!
Though Ray is known more for agitating the opposition and getting
in fights, he amassed his fifth, sixth, and seventh goals of the
season during the homestand. His record high is eight, and Ray
is on pace to shatter that mark.
Not all the news out of Buffalo is good, however. Randy Burridge
tore cartilege in his knee during a lengthy workout following a
pair of losses. Burridge is expected to miss at least two weeks.
* The Sabres have lost no more than two games in a row all
season.
* Steve Shields became the first goaltender besides Dominik
Hasek to play a game for the Sabres at Marine Midland Arena. It
was a 3-1 loss to Edmonton.
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HARTFORD WHALERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Keith Primeau, Kent Manderville,
Jeff O'Neill, Mark Janssens. LW - Geoff Sanderson, Hnat
Domenichelli, Paul Ranheim, Stu Grimson, Sami Kapanen. RW -
Steven Rice, Nelson Emerson, Kevin Brown, Kevin Dineen, Robert
Kron, Kelly Chase. D - Glen Wesley, Adam Burt, Curtis
Leschyshyn, Marek Malik, Kevin Haller, Glen Featherstone,
Alexander Godynyuk, Gerald Diduck, Jason McBain. G - Sean Burke,
Jason Muzzatti.
Injuries: Kevin Haller, D (groin strain [1 January], day - to -
day; Jeff Brown, D (back surgery [23 October], out for regular
season); Jeff Daniels, LW (torn knee ligament [20 December],
six - to - eight weeks); Glen Featherstone, D (broken foot [21
December], four - to - six weeks); Robert Kron, RW (knee strain
[25 January], three - to - four weeks); Mark Janssens, C (knee
strain [22 January], three - to - four weeks); Sami Kapanen, RW
bruised knee [12 January], day - to - day).
Transactions: 29Jan97: Jeff O'Neill, C, recalled from Springfield
(AHL); 24Jan97: C Jeff O'Neill assigned to Springfield (AHL).
Hnat Domenichelli, C, and Kevin Brown, RW, recalled from
Springfield. 22Jan97: Jason McBain, D, recalled from
Springfield.
Game Results:
01/20 Toronto W 3-1
01/22 Florida W 2-1 OT
01/24 NY Islanders L 5-2
01/25 at Buffalo W 5-1
01/30 at Los Angeles L 5-3
01/31 at Anaheim L 6-3
TEAM NEWS by Steve Gallichio
Notes from here and there:
* The Whalers started the second half of the season with
much the same inconsistency as they ended the first. A
lackluster win over Toronto, followed by a thrilling overtime win
over Florida. With that momentum in hand, the Whalers proceeded
to go splat at home against the Islanders, losing 5-2.
* In the Department of Really Weird Stats, the Whalers are
6-0-0 this season following a three-goal loss. True to form,
following the Islander loss, the Whalers went into Buffalo and
soundly thumped the Sabres 5-1 for their first victory in the
Marine Midland Arena. The team record is 8-2-3 following a
three-or-more goal loss, both remarkable and yet sad that the
team has lost 13 games by three or more goals.
* In a bid to cut costs, the Whalers left their defense at
home for a two-game California trip against Los Angeles and
Anaheim, allowing 77 combined shots on goal in a pair of losses.
Goalers Sean Burke and Jason Muzzatti never had a chance.
* Following the loss at home against New York, sophomore
center Jeff O'Neill won an all-expenses-paid trip to Springfield
of the American Hockey League. O'Neill has had bright spots this
season, but by his own admission has lost confidence after a
cascade of mistakes, causing him to play too passive and
tentative - always a disaster when every split second counts in
the NHL. Wings Hnat Domenichelli and Kevin Brown, each producing
at Springfield, were promoted to the parent club.
The demotion ended up being much shorter that either O'Neill
or the Whalers counted on. The next night against Buffalo,
Robert Kron went down after knee-to-knee contact with Sabre Mike
Wilson. With center Mark Janssens also out with a knee strain
following a tussle with Florida's Paul Laus, O'Neill returned for
the California trip...and promptly posted a hat trick in the
losing effort against Anaheim. No truth to the rumour that every
Whaler forward will now be demoted at least once this season.
On the other hand, based on some of their production, it
might not be such a bad idea.
O'Neill has performed well after previous benchings, so now
the question that needs to be answered is, can he maintain the
inner drive and focus needed to succeed without constantly being
kicked in the hockey pants?
* The all-points-bulletin on defenseman Kevin Haller appears
to have turned up a body. Haller, out the past 13 games with a
groin pull/abdominal muscle strain, is expected to return this
week. Sparkplug Sami Kapanen, who aggravated a knee strain three
weeks ago after only four games back in the lineup, should return
as well. Kron and Janssens each suffered knee strains and are
expected to miss three-to-four weeks.
* Trade rumours: With the Whale in desperate need
for size and toughness on wing and defense, GM Jim Rutherford
sought out the Calgary Flames for a little wheeling and dealing.
Hartford and Calgary nearly completed a deal involving Kron and
Domenichelli from Hartford, with Ron Stern and Steve Chiasson
coming back east. But Domenichelli was brought up to prove to
Hartford whether he should stay or go, and he seems to have
indicated a willingness to stay, scoring his first goal and pair
of points against Buffalo playing on Keith Primeau's left side.
In the same game, Kron went down with an injured knee. Also in
the Buffalo game, right wing Nelson Emerson responded to hearing
his name in trade rumours with a five-point night. So for now
the trade talk has settled down, but a deal or two before the
deadline is inevitable to pump this team up a belt size or two.
* Sword of Karmanos update: The Whalers were 15-10-6
before the Whalers announced their need for a new arena in
Hartford to prevent their departure, and 5-13-1 since. The state
and team are just weeks, perhaps days, away from deciding whether
or not to build a sleek new, modern, multi-purpose facility in
Hartford to house the Whalers, the University of Connecticut, and
the ubiquitous monster truck rallys.
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MONTREAL CANADIENS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mario Tremblay
ROSTER: C - Saku Koivu, Marc Bureau, Darcy Tucker, Vincent
Damphousse, Sebastien Bordeleau. LW - Shayne Corson, Martin
Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet, Scott Thornton, Brian Savage, Pierre
Sevigny. RW - Mark Recchi, Stephane Richer, Turner Stevenson,
Valeri Bure, Chris Murray, David Ling. D - Vladimir Malakhov,
Jassen Cullimore, Murray Baron, Stephane Quintal, Patrice
Brisebois, Peter Popovic, David Wilkie, Craig Rivet, Brad Brown.
G - Jocelyn Thibault, Jose Theodore.
Injuries: Benoit Brunet, rw (broken hand, 5 weeks); Saku Koivu, c
(torn knee ligaments, day-to-day); Craig Rivet, d (separated
shoulder, day-to-day); Patrice Brisebois, d (separated shoulder,
6 weeks); Marc Bureau, c (torn knee ligaments, 2 weeks).
Transactions: 01/02: Pierre Sevigny, lw, returned to Fredericton
(AHL) as to get back in shape after being injured; 01/31: Jose
Theodore, g, recalled from Fredericton; 01/27: Terry Ryan, lw,
was re-assigned to his junior team, the Red Deer Rebels (WHL). He
might be able to play again, next week. Ryan missed the last 43
games suffering from post-concussion syndrome; 01/20: David Ling,
f, recalled from Fredericton (AHL) after Richer and Brunet were
injured against Detroit. Told Pat Jablonski to beat it.
Game Results
01/20 Detroit W 4-1
01/22 at Buffalo L 6-1
01/25 St. Louis L 8-1
01/26 Pittsburgh L 5-2
01/28 at Florida L 5-2
01/30 at Tampa Bay W 4-1
02/01 New Jersey T 4-4
TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert
NO BUSINESS PARTICIPATING IN THE PLAYOFFS... THUS FAR!
A quick look at Les Canadiens Team Clinic roster might bring a
sigh of relief after the All-Star break. Corson, Rucinsky and
Bure - among others - were back in the lineup and should have
brought in a breath of fresh air... Well, the illusion ran no
longer than three periods as Montreal defeated Detroit at the
Molson Centre. Then, the Canadiens resumed their disastrous
season, as they recorded four losses in succession. No team
spirit, no valuable goaltending and, eventually, no spot in the
playoffs.
Actually, hopes of having a competitive team this season are
fading for Canadiens fans. Who is to be blamed? Directions,
players... No one has a clue. However, Canadiens home games have
been sold out thus far. Incredible. Fans are so resilient, eh!
As crisis are pilling up, the last one might be labelled: The
goaltending saga...
More seriously, as it develops, it will be very difficult for the
Canadiens to take part in the playoffs. For many reasons, Mario's
boys are merely not competitive enough to have a chance to
bounce back before the postseason starts. Except for a handful of
veteran players like Koivu, Recchi, Savage who deserve to fight
for the a Stanley Cup, the remainder of the roster has barely no
business showing up in the playoffs. It's as simple as that!
Theodore in, Jabber out!
Goaltending wise, Thibault is undoubtedly a good goalie, but he
lacks experience and consistency. Against Buffalo, those flaws
were brought under the spotlight as "Tbo" was unable to keep his
team afloat, giving up three goals when Buffalo scored three in
fewer than four minutes midway through the second period. Even
though Tremblay yanked Thibault right after that debacle, Pat
Jablonski didn't fare any better. In addition, Thibault's
teamates have passed (anonymously) bad comments on the goalie's
performances.
It's nothing but true that Montreal is giving up the second most
shots in the NHL. But is Thibault entirely responsible for that
situation? No way. As a matter of fact, Thibault had to be
backed up by Jose Theodore as to bring in competitiveness for the
position of #1 goalie. It goes without saying that letting in 24
goals in only four games (against Buffalo, St. Louis, Pittsburgh,
Florida) is an unacceptable situation. A trade? What for? The
price to pay would have been too high. Plus, teams would have
asked for key players. So Theodore's recall seems to be the best
solution... for the moment.
As for Pat Jablonski, the direction simply asked Jabber to stay
at home when trying to work out a deal with another NHL
franchise.
Win In Tampa Provided Oxygen
Offensively, the situation is just as critical. Recchi, who was
hot over the past few games has idled. Look: minus-4 in the
Canadiens' 6-1 loss in Buffalo, minus-4 in a debacle against
St.Louis and minus-3 in the loss to Pittsburgh. Damphousse is no
better: minus-2 in Buffalo, minus-5 against St. Louis, minus -3
at home versus Pittsburgh.
By chance, a new line made up of Turner Stevenson, Scott
Thornton, Darcy Tucker has taken over. However, Tremblay has
decided to move Damphousse on the second line while Corson was
sent to the first one.
That coach's decision paid off as Les Canadiens snapped a four-
game losing streak against Tampa Bay where Rucinsky, --without a
point since Dec.21-- scored twice to help Canadiens get away with
their first win ever in Tampa.
Ok, Mario's Boys showed --as a team-- what a second effort is all
about. But, it's like Montreal must have its back to the wall to
react in the proper way. For the first time this season, the Habs
were seven games below the .500 mark. As a matter of fact, this
grueling week (01/21-01/28), they had really hit rock bottom
again before eventually getting away with a victory in Tampa.
That situation reminds us of something, doesn't it? Remember:
Dec. 24, Canadiens were routed, at home, by Ottawa (6-1). But,
two days later, they fought like a lion and played like a
desperate team in Pittsburgh (Dec. 26). A 3-3 tie that had
temporarily lowered grumblings that were going on, then, in the
Canadiens' entourage. Last Friday's victory may result in a dŽjˆ
vu. But fans might react differently if nothing positive comes
out of this victory since time is running out as to get the
eighth spot for the playoffs.
Koivu's Absence Is Almost Over
Well, time has come to figure out what good things could happen
to Montreal in the near future. Of course, Koivu's return to the
competition is the little light at the end of the tunnel. Odds to
see the Finn dressed within a week are great. Even though
Malakhov showed us how fast he can be back on track as he
returned to competition in Tampa Bay, there remains that it's
unlikely that Koivu will have recovered fully for his first
games. Yet, his presence is poised to lift up Canadiens spirit
and confidence. A major factor that has been eluding them for a
while... Down the road, other players like Rivet, Sevigny will
hopefully resume the competition. As it looks now, before long
Tremblay may be left with a surplus of players. The question is:
Is it too late?
Habs vs Devils: Thibault toned down criticism
By all accounts, it would take a miracle to have this bunch of
players back in shape simultaneously and to be ready on the nick
of time as to bid for a position in the post-season games. Fans
haven't given up yet on their favorites' chances to participate
in the playoffs. Yes, a miracle may happen over the next few
weeks, just because Team Clinics is getting empty faster than
expected.
For instance, as the Canadiens entertained New Jersey, Stephane
Richer excelled as he scored the fourth goal meant to be the
winner if not for Thibault allowing an easy goal, the one that
pulled the Devils into the tie. However, Thibault fared well,
making 46 saves after being bombarded with 50 shots -- the most
ever by a visiting team in Montreal.
Yet, one looks forward to seeing Theodore's return. More than
ever, the Canadiens #2 goalie is featured as the Montreal joker
poised to save the '96-'97 season from the wreck.
ON MY NOTE PAD...
Pressure growing on Thibault
Even though Thibault had the upper hand in the goaltending
shuffle that saw #2 goalie Jablonski ousted from the roster last
week, Jocelyn has no option but to convince Les Canadiens that
they have been right to keep him in Montreal. Now that Theodore
has joined the team, two kids are in front of the net. Isn't that
a big gamble for the Canadiens direction?
Habs frustrated by three of the best NHL goalies
In three consecutive games, Les Canadiens have run into the
hottest goalies of the NHL as Mario's boys were opposed by
Dominik Hasek (Sabres), Grant Fuhr (Blues), and Patrick Lalime,
the revelation of the year among goalies. Being frustrated by
those goalies and plagued by injuries makes the Canadiens the
most unlucky team of the NHL. But, may that assessement be
standing for an excuse. NO WAY.
Quintal: 500th in the NHL!
Defenceman StŽphane Quintal reached the 500th game cap in the NHL
against the New Jersey Devils. Meanwhile, he completed his 147th
game in the Habs uniform.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OTTAWA SENATORS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Roster: C - Alexei Yashin, Radek Bonk, Shaun Van Allen, Dave
Hannan, Bruce Gardiner, Sergei Zholtok. LW - Shawn McEachern, Tom
Chorske, Randy Cunneyworth, Dennis Vial, Denny Lambert.
RW - Daniel Alfredsson, Alexandre Daigle, Andreas Dackell
D - Steve Duchesne, Sean Hill, Stanislav Neckar, Frank Musil,
Lance Pitlick, Jason York, Wade Redden, Janne Laukkanen. G -
Damian Rhodes, Ron Tugnutt.
Injuries: Sean Hill, d (torn ACL, out for season); Stanislav
Neckar, d (torn ACL, out for season); Lance Pitlick, d (knee
injury, surgery required, two to four weeks); Dennis Vial, lw
(finger surgery Jan 20, out six weeks); Daniel Alfredsson, rw
(strained back, day to day).
Transactions: Jan 14 - Returned Jason Zent, lw, to Worcester
(AHL). Jan 15 - Shawn MacEachern, lw, returned after missing 17
games with broken jaw. Jan 22 - Radek Bonk, c, returned after
missing 23 games with broken wrist.
Game Results
01/22 Boston L 4-1
01/25 Calgary T 2-2
01/27 Tampa Bay W 5-3
01/29 at New Jersey T 1-1
01/30 St. Louis L 5-2
02/02 at Toronto W 2-1
TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders
A Clean Break?
Ahhhhhh... smell that fresh -45 degree Celsius weather outside.
It's that time of year again... the time when hockey players lick
their wounds, sharpen their skates, retape their sticks, and put
out to pasture the horrors of the first half of the season.
With the All-Star break tucked away in the history books, the
1996-97 NHL campaign, Part Deux, officially kicked back into high
gear in mid-January.
And as hockey reporters focused on fending off the usual "The
first half of da season is over, ya know, so we have to forget
what happened den..." or the ever-annoying "It's a new season -
we all have perfect records again", meanwhile the Bytown Express
(aka the Senators) were busily regrouping at the Corel Centre
with one goal in mind - make the playoffs.
Traditionally, these next two months spell the end of the line
for the weaker sisters of the league. While most Ottawa fans are
thankful that their team is still in the playoff hunt at
this point, and the same time the Sens realize that a quick
disappearing act in January or February could mean disaster at
the box office come next year.
So, the pressure is on for Monsieur Jacques, Pierre et da boyz.
And you thought Montreal was a pressure cooker?
Redefining the Word "Ugly"
With the rhetoric and catch phrases aside, it was time to play
hockey. First up were the Bruins at the Corel Centre. Riding a
four-game losing streak, Boston seemed to be the perfect stepping
stone for the second half of the Sens season.
Problem was, however, Ottawa seemingly forgot how to climb those
bloody stairs! In one of the most lackluster, listless, lame,
lazy and lethargic performances of the season, the Senators
dropped a 4-1 decision to the Bruins, and in doing so, dropped
back down to 26th place overall.
About the only bright spot for the Sens was the return of Centre
Radek Bonk, back from a broken wrist that kept him out for 23
games. In fact, Bonk scored Ottawa's only goal and even (gasp)
layed a few bodychecks along the way! Meanwhile, the rest of the
crew fell asleep at the wheel. The power play went 0-for-5. Ron
Tugnutt turned in one of his weakest performances, especially
on the second goal which saw him stranded outside of his net.
Daniel Alfredsson isn't used to having off nights, but this was
certainly one of them, particularly in the second when he was
stripped of the puck by Ray Bourque, who then fed Adam Oates with
a breakaway pass to make it 1-0.
"I think this loss was huge," understated winger Shawn
MacEachern. "These are the games that you look back on in the
summer when you're out of the playoffs and say: 'We could have
beaten the Bruins that night.' It's huge."
Well, at least, most of the Sens were asleep that
night....
Officers, We Have a 5150 in Progress
The Bruins-Sens game did offer up some comic moments. With the
score 1-0, Boston's Brett Harkins scored a disputable goal.
After further review, the goal was disallowed by video replay
official Ian Sandercock. That sent Bruins GM Harry Sinden into a
rage, complete with veins popping, nostrils flaring, cheeks
flushing, and tongue a-flapping. It was nice to finally see
Harry prove to the whole world just how big a moron he really is.
From Bad Guy to Good Guy
On the complete opposite end of the Sinden scale is Sens rookie
defenceman Wade Redden. Prior to the Bruins game, Redden shelled
out an estimated $150,000 to rent out one of the Corel Centre'e
luxury suites for the remainder of the season. The suite, to be
renamed Wade's World, will be used to give terminally and
chronically ill children a chance to watch a live Senators game.
A generous gesture? You bet. But, don't forget - Wade is only
19 years old, making the gesture even that much more amazing. A
doff of the cap to you, Wade.
Put Yer Thinking Caps On
Who holds the Sens current record for most consecutive games
played? Answer at the end of our column.
Fanning the Flames
Okay, so the Senators got off on the wrong foot against Boston.
But, luckily, in an act of kindness never before seen from the
schedule-maker, the Sens got a chance to do it again, this time
against Calgary.
Like Boston, Calgary hadn't exactly been burning up the standings
coming into the tussle against Ottawa. Eight games under .500 and
with a struggling Theo Fleury, dare we say that Calgary "seemed
to be the perfect stepping stone" for Ottawa?
For the first half of the game, it looked as if Ottawa was going
to shrivel up and play dead, much like in the Bruin debacle.
Powered by an offensive outburst from the lumber of Corey Millen
(would the person who dropped his teeth in astonishment please
come to front and claim them before they get lost), the Flames
built up a quick 2-0 lead.
But then, Sens coach Jacques Martin did something wild, something
crazy, something totally outlandish - he double shifted his star
players.
Thanks to the extra ice time, Ottawa got goals from stars Alexei
Yashin and Daniel Alfredsson en route to a 2-2 come-from-behind
tie.
Clearly, Yashin was the difference. From the second period
onward, Yashin was creating scoring chances for his linemates,
whoever they may have been. And it was Yashin who provided the
effective screen that allowed Alfredsson to tie the game with
only 30 seconds left on the clock.
* Yashin's goal - his 20th of the season - was also his 200th
career point.
* With the tie, Ottawa moved to within five points of the final
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
* Calgary almost won the game in overtime, as rookie sensation
Jarome Iginla blasted a bullet past Sens goalie Damian Rhodes.
Luckily for Ottawa, it dinged off the crossbar.
* Next to Yashin, Rhodes also deserved some kudos, stopping two
breakways in the second period following some sloppy giveaways.
They're Nice Guys...Just Don't Invite Them Over For Dinner
Again
On the night before their next matchup versus Tampa Bay, the Sens
gathered at Sean Hill's house to watch the Super Bowl. One
problem though - Hill was out of town that weekend.
Frank Musil walked away with a 31" TV - no, he didn't steal it
from the Hill residence. He won it in a draw among players, who
each chipped in a couple of quid.
Speaking of Trotting Along - Here Comes Tampa Bay
On a snowy night in Ottawa, 13,283 fans found their way to the
Corel Centre, but soon began wondering "Why?" as they witnessed
the Lightning open up a 3-1 lead by 5:45 of the second period.
Tampa dominated the opening half before the Sens, lead by Alexei
Yashin's two-goal effort, powered back to win 5-3.
Reactions after the game? After coming alive in the second
period, Sens played what coach Martin referred to as "desperation
hockey". Meanwhile, Lightning coach Terry Crisp countered with
this gem, "Our effort was horse manure. I'm allowed to say that,
aren't I?"
What Else Do You Guys Do In The Clubhouse?
Sens massage therapist Brad Joyal wore a T-shirt during the Tampa
game that read "Steve Jones, You're The Man"....he won a $350
clubhouse bet for guessing who would win The Phoenix Open golf
tournament.
Seems to be a lot of betting going on among Sens players these
days, eh?
Something About Those Lights...
The last time Ottawa played in New Jersey, they eliminated the
Devils from the playoffs with a 5-2 win in final game of year.
This didn't matter to the Sens as they worked to keep their
playoff chances alive and neither did it matter to the Sens that
the 1-1 tie this time around provided the same limited
entertainment that most Sens-Devils games do.
The Sens only goal came via a mistake by Brian Rolston
which allowed Shaun Van Allen to pick up his first goal since the
December 4th Penguins game. The difference in this game was the
play of Damian Rhodes who stopped 35 of 36 shots. "I like playing
in New Jersey, the lighting's good".
* Some bad news to report - Sens star Daniel Alfredsson left the
game in first period with a back strain. So continues the streak
of Sens stars going down in a New Jersey game. Like we said in
the last issue, just mail your two points to the Devils - it just
isn't worth it!
We Got Those 'We Miss You Mike Keenan' Blues
The St. Louis Blues, who were plain terrible under former
dictator Mike Keenan, visited the Corel Centre with a 7-3-0
record under new head coach Joel Quenneville. With a streak like
that, it only takes common sense to figure out what happened
next.
The Sens three-game unbeaten streak ended as they returned to old
form, being outshot 32-19 en route to a 5-2 loss.
The difference in this game was the rejuvenated play of Pierre
Turgeon and Brett Hull who were in Rhodes' face all night
(Turgeon had a goal and three assists; Hull a goal and two
assists - just another day at the office). Yashin was the Sens'
lone bright spot, scoring on the first shot of the game (his
fourth in as many games). In fact, by game's end, Yash the Slash
registered an amazing eight of Ottawa's 19 shots.
Now That's Dedication
Bruce Gardiner witnesses Captain Cunneyworth stunned by a Geoff
Courtnall check. Not sure if it was clean or not, Gardiner
chases Courtnall around the ice, through the gate and onto the
Blues' bench! "I didn't realize I was on their bench," said
Gardiner. "Then I look up and see Tony Twist."
Star Gazing
Blues coach Joel Quenneville is a dead-ringer for Tom Selleck...
just had to tell somebody.
The Cubicle Shuffle
Following the Blues game, Sens brass moved Alexander Daigle to
another stall in the Sens dressing room. Daigle used to be
between Steve Duchesne and Radek Bonk but has traded places with
Andreas Dackell and is now between Bruce Gardiner and a couple of
empty stalls.
We can only guess what that might mean. Daigle isn't too worried
about it, and Sens management dismissed it as just a routine
re-assignment. If history has a tendency to repeat itself (and
it usually does), does this mean Mr. Daigle will be wearing
another uniform soon?
Wade, Part II
Defenceman and all-around nice guy Steve Duchesne paid for 200
kids to get into the Blues game and even sprung for a hotdog and
pop to boot. It was all done through the Sens "Partners In
Caring" program. It's beginning to look (and feel) a lot like
Christmas... (STOP THAT MUSIC, IMMEDIATELY!)
Domi Carries Maple Laffs On His Back
The Sens entered the game against the cellar-dwelling Leafs with
one goal in their last 26th power-play opportunities (yet the
Sens still have the 4th best power play in the league).
The game, dubbed by some as B.O. (Battle of Ontario), was the
main event for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. Sens coach Martin
gave the team the day off to avoid the Toronto and HNIC media
hounds and to avoid adding further pressure to the shoulders of
goalie Damian Rhodes, who was making his first visit to his old
haunting grounds since the trade last season.
Tie Domi opened the scoring (Note: This is not a typo...) with a
skilled effort to protect himself from a Craig Wolanin slap shot
and redirect it off his back into the Sens net. Later in the
first period the Sens managed three clear breakaways in a row,
with Shaun Van Alen scoring on the third to tie it 1-1. But then
Ottawa took the lead for good on a McEachern goal early in the
third, and the rest was history, 2-1 the final score.
* For Yashin and coach Martin, the pressure of the playoff run
was most apparent as they lost their tempers over a close offside
call. Yashin ended up with a 10-minute misconduct.
* The Sens outshot the Leafs 38-20 (season low for the Leafs at
the Gardens) and dominated most of the game.
* How frustrated are Hogtowners? With 8:05 to go, Mats Sundin was
charged with a major penalty and game misconduct for checking
from behind. Eat your heart out, Don Cherry!
* With the win, the Senators eclipsed their season high point
total set by last year's club with 42 points. And to think,
there are still 33 games left in the season. Way to go, guys!
Senator Tidbits
* Bernie Ashe, the Ottawa Senators' Chief Operating Officer,
recently left the club to join AIT corporation as Vice President
of Sales.
* Injured defenseman and rock and roll connoisseur, Stan Neckar,
is using his time away from the rink to learn to play the drums.
* The 4th Annual Senators' Charity Carnival, held January 25th
and hosted by the players and their wives, raised $60,000.
* It's February and the Sens find themselves five points out of a
playoff spot. What a neat dream....
Nagano-Bound
The Canadian Olympic hockey team selected Sens GM Pierre Gauthier
as its assistant GM who, along with fellow assistant GM Bob
Gainey (Dallas Stars), will work with Flyers GM Bobby Clarke to
bring home the Gold at the 1998 Winter games in Nagano, Japan.
They have quite a task ahead of them - Canada hasn't won Gold in
Olympic hockey since the Edmonton Mercurys did it in 1952. The
Nosebleeders congratulate Gauthier on being named to the team -
let's just hope he can get the Sens to the playoff first before
concentrating on the tournament.
Tales From The Alumni File
The Nosebleeders would just like to take this moment to
congratulate former Sens head coach Rick Bowness, who was
recently promoted as the New York Islanders head coach
after Mike Milbury stepped down to concentrate full time on his
GM duties. Don't let Bowness' record fool you, he is a fine
coach and a great leader. His three years in Ottawa were pretty
awful, but the Nosebleeders peg none of the blame on coaching.
Let's face it, could anybody win with a first line centre like
Sylvain Turgeon? Considering what he was forced to work
with, Bowness did a tremendous job.
As such, we are happy to see Rick finally getting another crack
as a big league head coach. Congrats, Rick!
P.S. In his first game as Isles big boss man, New York humbled
Hartford 5-2. It's nice being right sometimes...
Trivia Answer
Randy Cunneyworth is the team's current Ironman King, having
played in 100 consecutives. He's now only approximately 1000
games away from breaking Doug Jarvis' record.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Eddie Johnston
Roster: C - Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Petr Nedved, Stu Barnes,
Tyler Wright. LW - Andreas Johansson, Alex Hicks, Dave Roche,
Joe Dziedzic, Alek Stojanov. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Greg Johnson,
Glen Murray, Joey Mullen. D - Darius Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher,
Chris Tamer, Fredrik Olausson, Jason Woolley, J. J. Daigneault,
Francois Leroux, Craig Muni, Neil Wilkinson, Ian Moran. G - Tom
Barrasso, Ken Wregget, Patrick Lalime, Philippe DeRouville.
Injuries: Fredrik Olausson, d (broken cheekbone, indefinite);
Neil Wilkinson, d (broken cheekbone, indefinite); Chris Tamer, d
(pelvic injury, indefinite); Ken Wregget, g (hamstring, about a
week); Alek Stojanov, lw (abdominal pull, indefinite); Tom
Barrasso, g (shoulder surgery, out for season).
Transactions: Traded Tomas Sandstrom, rw, to Detroit in exchange
for Greg Johnson, rw. Recalled Ian Moran, d, from Cleveland
(IHL).
Game Results
1/21 Calgary W 4-2
1/23 Colorado L 4-3 OT
1/25 NY Rangers L 7-4
1/26 at Montreal W 5-2
1/29 at Buffalo L 3-1
2/01 Phoenix W 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell
After bustin' heads for the past couple months, the runaway train
that was the Pittsburgh Penguins is finally starting to slow
down. The Birds managed a meager record of 3-3-0 over the past
two weeks, and turned in some rather forgettable performances.
The good news, however, is that the Pens' overall record of 28-
18-5 (61 points) is still good enough for first place in the
Northeast Division, one point ahead of the pesky Buffalo Sabres.
Test Failed: The Penguins were looking at the games
versus Colorado and the Rangers on January 23 and 25,
respectively, as their first major tests since revamping their
roster all those many weeks ago. While it was true the Pens were
rolling up the wins at breakneck speed, most of the points were
coming against the little sisters of the league. So when the
defending champion Avalanche skated into the Igloo, the Pens were
looking to make a statement. And they did... almost.
While Colorado's best two players, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg,
were still missing from the Avalanche lineup, the Pens took the
ice without Mario Lemieux. The Greatest One suffered back spasms
in the first period of the Pens' 4-2 win over Calgary two nights
earlier, and was not able to dress. The missing fire power
definitely took away from the excitement usually generated when
these two teams meet, but the Pens were bolstered when Jaromir
Jagr and Petr Nedved were able to go after there was some
question as to the status of both players in the days preceding
the game. Jagr had slightly aggravated an old groin pull during
practice and Nedved was still trying to recover from a wrist
injury suffered on January 14 against Dallas.
The injury news got worse for Colorado when Joey Dziedzic
accidentally kicked Patrick Roy's right hand as the all-world
netminder was attempting to cover a loose puck nine minutes into
the first period. Roy attempted to remain in the game, but was
forced out at the next stoppage in play. Craig Billington came
in to replace him and did a nice job the rest of the way.
The Avalanche didn't seem phased by the injury to their legend
between the pipes and built up a 3-0 lead by the end of the
second period on a pair of power-play goals by Adam Deadmarsh and
a short-handed tally by Keith Jones. The men with feet on their
shoulders simply dominated play over the first forty minutes and
showed a bewildered Penguin team what life's all about. To this
point in the game, it wasn't exactly the effort coach Eddie
Johnston had in mind prior to the evening's festivities. But,
hey, they play three periods for a reason.
Following the lead of the great Ron Francis, the Penguins
rebounded in the third period to score three unanswered goals
against the Champs. Francis got things started by whacking a
loose puck from the high slot over Billington's shoulder to make
the game 3-1. Joey Mullen then circled behind the Colorado net a
few moments later and wristed a shot through a Tyler Wright
screen and past Billington to make the game 3-2. After a
perfectly good Kevin Hatcher goal was waived off because a
totally uninvolved Jason Woolley had his skate blade a quarter
inch into the crease, the Birds closed out the three-goal barrage
when Dziedzic fought off a check at the left post and smacked a
rebound in the skates of Billington over the goal line.
Scoring three goals in the third period against a team like the
Avalanche is always something to hang the hat on, but the goals
wouldn't have meant a damn thing had it not been for the play of
Patrick Lalime. The youngster was trying to stretch his NHL
record 16-game unbeaten streak (14-0-2) from the start of a
career to 17, which, incidentally, would have tied his hero
Patrick Roy's longest career unbeaten streak. Squaring off
against Roy was to be a career highlight for Lalime, but things
got off to a rocky start when Roy had to leave the contest and
when the Champs rang up the 3-0 lead. Lalime hung in there,
tho', and played some superb hockey in the third period to keep
his club in the game. Two saves in particular come to mind. The
first was a left-to-right picture perfect butterfly stop on Eric
Lacroix, who was camped all alone in front only to have his one-
time shot off a pass from behind the net denied by Lalime's right
pad. The second enormous save came off the stick of the super-
skilled Valeri Kamensky. The talented Russian winger freaked
Freddy Olausson one-on-one and waltzed down the right side of the
slot before wiring a wrist shot for the top right corner. Lalime
somehow managed to get a piece of the shot with his catching
glove, sending the puck to the glass. Yes, Lalime definitely did
his part.
With Lalime building a wall in net and all the momentum in the
world behind them, the Penguins seemed poised to close the deal
in overtime. But the Avalanche weren't just handed the Cup.
Colorado fought back and carried the play to the Pens in the
extra session. After the Avalanche cycled down low and drew a
delayed penalty call, Deadmarsh retained possession of the puck
along the backboards and flung a pass out front to a charging
Sylvain Lefebvre. The puck hit the heel of Lefebvre's stick and
his attempted shot bounced directly to Kamensky who was stationed
at the left post. With Lalime expecting the shot from Lefebvre,
Kamensky easily slipped the puck into the open cage before
getting hauled to the ice.
The loss snapped Lalime's magical streak and also put an end to
the club's 14-game unbeaten streak (12-0-2). The Pens deserve
credit for fighting back in the third period, but hopefully they
also learned a lesson. Playing twenty minutes of hockey just
won't cut it against the league's elite teams.
Apparently no one in the locker room picked up on that lesson.
The Birds came out three days later against the New York Rangers
and duplicated the previous effort, only in reverse. This time
the Pens came out on a mission in the first period and slowly
tailed off the rest of the way.
Surprisingly, Lemieux was back in the lineup but had little
effect on the game after his first few shifts. In fact, the
entire Oprah line of Lemieux, Francis, and Jagr
(so called because the have all the money), didn't record a point
on the afternoon. That'll be trouble every time.
The Rangers completely dominated the game from the second period
on and racked up a rather easy 7-4 win. Lalime played his worst
game as a Penguin, allowing six Ranger goals. And there were
some soft ones. This was just a game to forget.
The Penguins' other loss over the past two weeks came against
Division rival Buffalo. Holding a four-point edge in the
standings at the time, the Penguins missed a golden opportunity
to extend it to six by putting on a pitiful performance at Marine
Midland Arena. The Sabres out-worked and out-hustled the
Penguins from the opening faceoff. Philippe DeRouville got his
first start in net, as Lalime was sidelined with the flu. He
didn't play that bad, but the obvious difference between the two
young netminders was striking.
Three big games. Three disappointing losses. The club showed
the same inconsistency throughout these games that plagued them
early on this season. Hopefully it will only be a minor set back
and not a trend.
Sandstrom Gone: Tomas Sandstrom just wasn't the same
after Steve Rice blasted him with a blind-side, open-ice hit in
Hartford last season. His scoring touch disappeared and he
didn't do a whole lot in other areas to earn his million-dollar
paycheck. Factor in that he was going to be an unrestricted free
agent at the end of the season and the writing was on the wall.
GM Craig Patrick made the wise move and sent Sandstrom to Detroit
in exchange for winger Greg Johnson. The 25-year-old Johnson
brings plenty of speed and skill to the already talent-laden
lineup. Johnson has mad skills. He can also play all three
forward positions, which gives the Pens even more flexibility up
front. And coming from an air-tight system like Detroit, he
knows how to find the defensive zone.
Johnson won't be counted on for defense, tho'. The Pens will be
turning him loose with Petr Nedved on the second line to generate
offense and take some pressure off Lemieux, Francis, and Jagr.
Johnson and Nedved were teammates on the 1994 Canadian Olympic
Team. Both have blazing speed and will have defensemen backing
up as soon as they make an appearance. While they rocket up ice,
Alex Hicks will be the third man hanging high and keeping after
the defensive end of things. Hicks has been one of the Pens'
steadiest performers since arriving from Anaheim and is very
deserving of his role on the second line.
In their two games together Nedved and Johnson have shown the
ability to read off each other rather well, especially in the
Phoenix contest where Johnson got his first point as a Penguin
with an assist on Nedved's 23rd goal of the year.
The real highlight of Johnson's first two games as a Bird came in
his debut against Buffalo. With the Pens trailing in the third
period, Johnson made a tremendous individual rush up ice through
about 12 Sabre players. Yes, guys were actually jumping off the
bench trying to stop him. Hasek did deny Johnson's shot, but the
moment was already made. Johnson should have a bright future in
the Burgh. It was a good trade.
Ranger Domination: The Blueshirts have pimp slapped the
Penguins on every occasion this season. Messier and crew have a
3-0-0 record against the Pens so far, outscoring the black and
gold by a ridiculous 23-8 margin. The Rangers also humiliated
the Birds twice during the preseason. Who says old guys can't
play hockey?
Injury Update: Part of the reason why the Pens have
stumbled a bit lately is that they can't seem to keep the regular
lineup healthy. At least one important fixture always seems to
be missing. Against Colorado it was Mario. Then against the
Rangers it was Darius Kasparaitis on the shelf with a twisted
ankle. Darius returned the next game against Montreal, but
Freddy Olausson promptly took a Stephane Quintal slap shot in the
face. Joey Dziedzic was also sidelined for two games with a
banged up shoulder after a collision with Adam Graves.
While Dziedzic, Kasparaitis, and Mario are all back and healthy,
Olausson will be out for several more weeks with a fractured
cheekbone. Neil Wilkinson has been skating in practice with a
fractured cheekbone of his own, but his return is still in all
likelihood a week or two away.
Chris Tamer continues to be baffled by the tightness in his hip
and abdomen. Last week he was said to be about 10 to 14 days
away, but that now appears unlikely as Tamer continues to show
little, if any, improvement. First diagnosed with an abdominal
strain, Tamer was then tagged with what was called a cracked
pelvic bone. Now there seems to be some disagreement on that
front. Tamer was scheduled to get a second opinion on the injury
early this week.
There isn't a whole lot of news about Alek Stojanov either. His
abdomen strain, which was suffered in a minor auto accident in
late December, is slowly getting better.
Ken Wregget is getting closer and could be back within a week to
ten days. He's been sidelined with a hamstring strain since
December 26.
Moran Back: Because of the rash of injuries on defense,
and Francois Leroux battling the flu, Ian Moran was recalled from
Cleveland before the February 1 game against Phoenix. Moran
wasted little time in making an impact, assisting on the first
goal of the game. He then went on to get abused several times by
Coyote forwards...
Lalime Back on Track: After having his 16-game unbeaten
streak interrupted by two straight losses to the Avalanche and
Rangers, Patrick Lalime returned to form on January 26 in
Montreal. A native of St. Bonaventure, Quebec, the 22-year-old
netminder put on a show for family and friends.
The nerves might have gotten to him a bit at the beginning of the
game, perhaps proven by the fact he allowed an extremely soft
shot by David Wilkie to slip under his pads for the first goal of
the afternoon. Coming on the heels of two straight losses, the
goal by Wilkie had more than a few people worried about the
youngster's confidence. Yet he handled the adversity like a pro
and was spectacular the rest of the way. Lalime even denied
former Penguin Mark Recchi on two consecutive breakaways in the
second period.
After backstopping the Pens to the 5-2 win over the Habs, Lalime
missed the next outing against the Sabres with the flu. Unable
to eat for a couple days, Lalime reportedly lost eight pounds.
That may not seem like a lot to some people, but Lalime needs all
the weight he can get. He tips the scales at 170 pounds.
Stretch that over a 6'2"-frame and the result is one skinny
professional athlete. One league official reportedly joked,
"Instead of measuring his pads, they should check to see if his
waist is 12 inches."
Lalime recovered from the flu and was able to put back on about
five pounds in time to welcome the Phoenix Coyotes to the Igloo
for the first time on February 1. Lalime again started the game
by allowing a soft goal, this time to Keith Tkachuk, but then
slammed the door the rest of the way en route to a 4-1 win.
Tkachuk was simply amazing and could have easily had a hat trick
on most other goaltenders, as Lalime time and again stoned the
rugged left winger on glorious scoring chances. The best save
may have come on the first shift of the game when Tkachuk managed
to deflect a low point shot up towards the top left corner of the
net. Lalime instinctively waved his blocker behind his head and
knocked the puck down before quickly turning and smothering it
with his glove hand as it trickled near the goal line.
Craig Janney, who LCS lovingly refers to as Sparkles,
saw enough of Lalime to come to this conclusion. "The kid in net
played great. He's the real deal." Well said, Sparkles, well
said.
Lalime's record now stands at 16-2-2. His 2.11 goals-against
average is tops in the league, and so is his .935 save
percentage.
Mario Magical in Montreal: The Penguins have never fared
well in Montreal. The franchise's all-time record in the Forum
was 4-53-7. That's just silly. Like his teammates, Mario
Lemieux has often had problems scoring against the Habs on their
home turf. Well, that all changed on January 26.
With the two clubs tied 1-1 entering the third period, Lemieux
elevated his game to a higher level for the final twenty minutes
and rang up four goals to lead the Pens to a 5-2 win. To be
honest, tho', it was probably the ugliest four-goal game of
Mario's career.
His first goal came after a nice criss-cross play with Francis
just inside the Montreal stripe. Francis fired a wrist shot that
Jocelyn Thibault denied, but Lemieux pounced on the rebound and
fluttered a shot over Thibault's shoulder for a 2-1 lead at 4:35
of the period. Less than five minutes later, Mario collected a
loose puck in the right wing corner of the Montreal zone and
whipped a wrist shot off the left shoulder of a surprised
Thibault and into the goal for a 3-1 lead. It was, like, the
50th time in his career Mario has made a goalie look stupid by
scoring from behind the goal line. The most famous, of course,
was his embarrassment of Eddie Belfour in Game One of the 1992
Stanley Cup Finals.
After Sebastien Bordeleau gave the Habs a ray of hope at 12:42,
Mario once again established a two-goal Pittsburgh lead. This
time thanks to a little help from the Molson Centre boards.
Francis attempted to hit Lemieux with a lead pass but it just
missed and continued on along the left wing boards into the
Montreal zone. As Thibault left his cage to play the puck in the
corner, the biscuit hit a bump in the boards and bounced free of
the wall and into open ice. Lemieux tracked it down and flipped
a backhand into the vacated net before Thibault could recover.
Mario closed the game out by collected a rebound in front of his
own net and launching a shot the length of the ice and into an
empty net to seal the 5-2 win. The fans in Montreal recognized
Lemieux's accomplishment with a standing ovation. It brought
back memories of 1993, when the fans at Madison Square Garden
gave Mario a similar honor following a dazzling five-goal
display.
The four goals in a period was a Penguin record. It tied the NHL
record, which has been done on 11 other occasions. The hat trick
was the 39th of Lemieux's storied career, tying him with Mike
Bossy for second place behind only Wayne Gretzky's 49. The
offensive outburst also marked the tenth four-goal game of
Lemieux's career, which is a new NHL record.
If this is Lemieux's final season, at least he gave the home town
fans something to remember him by. The Pens will return to
Montreal on February 5 and March 26.
599 and Counting: Lemieux had a shot at equalling another
Wayne Gretzky record when the Pens battled the Coyotes February 1
at the Civic Arena. Lemieux entered the game with 597 career
goals. If he could notch three against the desert dogs he would
reach the 600-goal mark in 718 games. The exact number
of games it took Wayne Gretzky to turn the trick. That's just
eery.
Lemieux was all business in the first period. He bagged number
598 when an attempted shot by Ian Moran on the power play
deflected to Lemieux at the left circle. With Nikolai Khabibulin
having committed to the first shot, Mario quickly one-timed the
puck into a wide open net for a 1-0 lead. A few moments later
Lemieux turned in what is becoming his signature move this season
for goal number 599. Storming down the left wing, Lemieux cut
sharply into the slot, walked around a defender, and then shot
along the ice just inside the left post past Khabibulin for his
second goal of the period.
Lemieux continued to generate chances in the second period but
was kept off the board by Khabibulin. Mario picked up the pace
even further in the third period and again tested the acrobatic
Russian netminder with some quality stuff. The first big chance
came when Lemieux chased down a puck in neutral ice and was side
by side with Teppo Numminen down the left wing. Unable to get
enough separation to cut in front of Numminen, Mario let a
backhand shot fly. Unfortunately, it sailed a few inches wide of
the far post.
The next bid for 600 was vintage Lemieux. With the Penguins
short-handed, Lemieux and Francis were out hounding the point
men. Oleg Tverdovsky attempted to flip a pass across to his
partner at the point when Lemieux struck. The pass was a good
four feet off the ice and had plenty of pep on it, but Lemieux
simply reached out and plucked it from the air. Not wanting to
slow down to retrieve the bouncing puck, Mario released up ice
and accepted a brilliant lead pass from Francis. It was one-on-
one with Khabibulin for 600. A Coyote defender was able to get a
stick into Lemieux as he approached the net in an attempt to slow
the big guy down. And the hook did hamper Mario's move to his
backhand, although it really wasn't one of his best. Khabby
stayed with the play the entire way and kicked the shot into the
corner with his right pad to spoil the fun. Lemieux finished the
game with just the two goals, giving him 36 on the season, and
the Penguins won, 4-1.
Afterwards, when asked if he was aware that he needed a hat trick
to tie Gretzky's mark, Lemieux smiled and said, "No, you guys
should have told me." Perhaps thinking back to the numerous
chances he had to score the third goal, Mario then laughed and
said, "I'll finish second again, I guess."
Any bets that he bags number 600 on his first shift against
Vancouver Tuesday night? When Mario does net his next goal, he
will become the seventh player in the history of the NHL to
record 600 goals, joining Gretzky (853), Gordie Howe (801),
Marcel Dionne (731), Phil Esposito (717), Mike Gartner (685), and
Bobby Hull (610). The goal will also make Mario the fifth player
in the history of the league to have at least 600 goals and 600
assists. Gartner is three assists shy of joining that elite
club, as well.
For those of you scoring at home, Mario now has 599 goals, 858
assists, and 1458 points in 718 career games. That's over two
points a game. And that's, like, really, really good.
Bergkvist Update: Stefan Bergkvist is still on the road
to recovery from his battle with Acoustic Neuroma. In early
December Bergkvist had a benign tumor removed from his right ear.
The surgery has left him deaf in that ear and the right side of
his face is paralyzed. The paralysis should pass with time.
While recovering, Bergkvist's spirits were bolstered by the
visits and well wishes of his Cleveland Lumberjack teammates.
Now Stefan is healthy enough to skate with his mates in practice
and has his sights set on returning to the lineup this season, a
prospect that was considered a long shot at best at the time of
the surgery. LCS will keep you updated on his progress.
Dziedzic Comes Alive: LCS has been singing the praises of
Joe Dziedzic for quite some time now, and the big winger is
finally starting to reward us for our support. Joey D has scored
a goal in each of his last three games and is playing with the
kind of fire and determination often missing from the Penguin
lineup. To put it simply, Dziedzic is a force.
Murray Still Missing: Glen Murray is still struggling.
He has been relegated to basically a fourth line role. Murray
hasn't scored a goal in 24 games. His last red light came on
December 7 in a 5-3 win over Anaheim. He has all the tools to be
an impact player. There are a lot of players in the league that
have less talent than Murray yet are scoring many more goals.
Confidence has to be the key.
Swoosh: Jaromir Jagr has been having problems with his
right ankle. The story goes that Jagr's right foot is flat or
somethin', so that when he skates his right ankle sort of bends
inward. Sort of like when people are skating for the first time,
how they're often on the inside edge of the blade while standing
still. See what I'm sayin'?
Anyway, it has been causing the Czech wonder kid a whole mess of
grief lately. With the help of some skiing expert, Jagr has now
tried to build up his right skate with some sort of brace on the
inside or somethin'. I know this is getting pretty technical,
but try and keep up.
Speaking of his skates, Jagr broke out the new Nike skates for
the game against Phoenix. The skates are really quite ugly, but
if they help his ankle then that's just swell. Jaromir still
leads the league with 42 goals, but the ankle problem has
definitely taken its toll. Jagr has only one goal in his past
six games.
Tough Luck, Hatch: Kevin Hatcher just can't seem to get
past 11 goals. The Penguins had two goals wiped out in the back-
to-back losses to the Avalanche and Rangers due to the idiotic
in-the-crease rule. On both occasions the goals would have
belonged to Kevin Hatcher. Ouch. Sandis Ozolinsh leads all
defensemen with 16 goals.
Honor Roll: The Pens swept the NHL honors for January.
Lalime claimed Rookie of the Month by posting an 8-2-1 record.
He also won the award in December, becoming the first back-to-
back winner since Nicklas Lidstrom in 1991-92.
Mario won Player of the Month honors after posting seven goals
and 26 points in 11 games. He was also a +15 over that time.
Short Game Recaps
Jan. 21, beat Calgary 4-2: Lemieux scored a swell goal
and then a few minutes later freaked Steve Chiasson one-on-one
during a rush up ice before crashing into the net. He had to
leave the game with back spasms. Barnes, Francis, and Hatcher
added the other goals. Lalime stopped 49 shots to set a new
Penguin team record for most saves at home.
Jan. 23, lost to Colorado 4-3 in OT: Already went over
it. Francis, Mullen, and Dziedzic had the goals. Lemieux didn't
play. The loss snapped the team's 14-game unbeaten streak and
Lalime's 16-game unbeaten streak. One bright spot, however, was
the inspired play of the fourth line made up of Wright, Mullen,
and Dziedzic.
Jan. 25, lost to the Rangers 7-4: Talked about it
already. It was ugly. The Oprah line was shut
out. Nedved had two goals, Barnes and Dziedzic each added one.
Jan. 26, won at Montreal 5-2: Talked about it. Lemieux
scored four in the third period to carry the Pens to the victory,
Woolley also chipped in one.
Jan. 29, lost at Buffalo 3-1: The Sabres seriously
outplayed the Pens. DeRouville got his first start in net and
only gave up two, but he looked silly in comparison to Lalime.
Hasek kept the Pens quiet and made an amazing glove save on
Lemieux in the third. Jagr had the lone Penguin goal, a fluke
that was intended to be a pass but bounced in off Hasek's stick.
Feb. 1, beat Phoenix 4-1: Lalime was back in net and was
once again superb in running his record to 16-2-2. Lemieux had a
pair, Dziedzic and Nedved also scored. Tkachuk was a dominant
presence for the Coyotes all game long.
Upcoming Games: The Pens host the Canucks February 4
before heading to Montreal the very next night. Then it's back
home for games against Detroit and the Fish Stick Boys before a
home-and-home with the Flyers. The game against Detroit will be
the first meeting of the season between the Penguins and the Red
Wings. The Wings are the only team the Penguins have yet to play
this season.
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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 - Alexei Zhamnov, Kevin Miller, Denis Savard, Jeff
Shantz, Brent Sutter, Steve Dubinsky, Kip Miller. LW - Murray
Craven, Bob Probert, Jim Cummins, Ethan Moreau, Dave Chyzowski. RW
- Tony Amonte, Eric Daze, Darin Kimble, Sergei Krivokrasov, Ulf
Dahlen. D - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter, Steve Smith, Eric Weinrich,
Cam Russell, Keith Carney, Enrico Ciccone, Michal Sykora. G - Jeff
Hackett, Chris Terreri.
Injuries: Steve Smith, d (sore back, day-to-day).
Transactions: Traded Ed Belfour, g, to the San Jose Sharks for
Chris Terreri, g, Ulf Dahlen, rw, Michal Sykora, d, and a
conditional 1998 draft choice; signed Jeff Hackett, g, to a new
three-year contract; recalled Dave Chyzowski, lw, from Indianapolis
(IHL).
Game Results:
01/20 at Buffalo L 2-1
01/22 Vancouver L 4-3 OT
01/24 Toronto L 2-1 OT
01/25 at NY Islanders L 3-2
01/27 at NY Rangers W 2-1
02/01 at Los Angeles W 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Dan Glovier
Eddie's Going to California
With all the rumors of Eddie Belfour being traded to Philadelphia,
Vancouver, or Tampa Bay, it wasn't a complete shock that the
two-time Vezina trophy winner was traded. What was a bit of a shock
was where the Eagle landed.
In the Shark tank.
The Hawks sent Eddie Belfour to the San Jose Sharks for winger Ulf
Dahlen, defenseman Michal Sykora, goalie Chris Terreri, and a
provisional draft pick. Why did Eddie end up there? I dunno, but we
can look at what happened during a very strange 24 hours.
There were rumors circulating everywhere that Eddie was all but
gone, and the hottest rumor of all was that he was going to Philly
and the Hawks were getting Rob Brind'Amour. This rumor led to a
plethora of pre-game chat, but the entire United Center was a bit
stunned when it really hit them that Eddie was probably gone: he
was a healthy scratch against the Maple Leafs that night. Now it
went from bar room talk to a near-reality.
As the game progressed, it was leaked that a deal with San Jose had
been struck, and the initial deal reported was Belfour for Terreri
and Jeff Friesen. That floated around for a bit until the "actual"
trade was announced.
There were reports that a third team was involved in the talks, but
at the last minute they decided to play "hard ball" and killed any
possible three-way deal. This third team was reported to have been
Philly. (Now what Philly wants with Belfour, while giving up
Brind'Amour, is beyond me. Heck, they both won the same number of
Stanley Cups, and Hextall has a Conn Smythe Trophy sitting on his
mantle.) So Bob Pulford and his son-in-law (trivia plus!) Dean
Lombardi pulled the trigger on their part of the deal.
Well, Sparky, what does this all mean to the Hawks organization? In
this trade, the Hawks have arguably picked up their third-best
forward. At the very least, Ulf Dahlen is a top four/five forward
on this team. With the way he plays, and the Hawks system, I have a
feeling he will flourish. Honestly. He scored the game-winner in
his first game, and followed that up with a two-point performance
the next game. He should fit in nicely with Amonte and Zhamnov.
Michal Sykora is a huge (6'3", 225 lbs.), 24-year old defenseman
who has some skills. He's a bit of a project, but with Chris
Chelios as a teammate, it will help his development immensely. Just
ask Keith Carney what this can do for a young defenseman. Chris
Terreri is a solid backup goalie, and everyone needs one of
those.
It's a bunch of stuff (and some decent stuff), but it really doesn't
address the glaring weakness of this team: a second-line center. Now
they did trade for some depth here, and getting Sykora when you
have a need up the middle does suggest that perhaps another trade
will come to fruition involving a defenseman being sent from the
Hawks (with perhaps some other stuff) for that second-line
center.
Can Jeff Hackett now accept the role of The Man on this team?
Before the trade, the Hawks couldn't win with Belfour in the pipes,
and Hackett at least won a game once in a while. However, he will
have to prove he is playoff ready. Eddie never proved he was Cup
ready, but the last two years he played pretty darn well in losing
efforts.
Now, it really didn't shock anyone that Bob Pulford would trade
Belfour. Belfour wanted Patrick Roy money, and that has lots of
zeroes in it. Too many zeroes. Negotiations between Pully and Ed
Belfour's agent (Ron Salcer) weren't progressing well at all, and
this is the second-straight negotiation where these two men were
going head-to-head in a very non-productive manner. Remember,
Salcer is Alexei Zhamnov's agent as well, and they didn't work and
play well together on that one. Not since Fred Sanford and Aunt
Esther have I seen two people who just can't see eye-to-eye.
Couple the negoations problems with Eddie's public outbursts (ala
Jeremy Roenick), and the recent signing of Jeff Hackett to a
three-year deal, and you have all the evidence you need.
As a fan, I will be interested to see how Eddie plays on a team that
doesn't have one of the league's best set of defensemen. Maybe it
will inspire him to greater heights. Maybe the opposition will get
that split-second they need to exploit the upper-half of the net.
Whatever the case, it will be weird watching Belfour play for
someone wearing teal.
The Rest of the Story
Same old, same old with the Hawks. Play hard, don't get points.
There have been some recent developments with some individual
players.
Jeff Shantz has been working his tail off lately, creating havoc and
scoring chances. Jeff Cantz apparently can.
Someone got to Bob Probert. He's been creating all kinds of space,
trouble, and general nastiness almost every game for the last three
weeks or so. He isn't doing anything stupid, he's just letting
everyone know who he is, where he is on the ice, and letting them
know hard.
Rumor Mill
Now that Eddie's gone, the talks can go back to which forward the
Hawks are going after this week. The Doug Gilmour rumor has been
floating around for a bit, but the latest one is very
interesting.
Theo Fleury's name has been popping up, and there's even a report
that the Hawks gave Calgary a list of players to look over. Now
Theo's really cool, but it would be a miracle if he came here. More
than likely, they may be talking about Robert Reichel or perhaps
Dave Gagner.
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DALLAS STARS
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Head Coach: Ken Hitchcock
Roster: C-Mike Modano, Todd Harvey, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk,
Bob Bassen. LW-Dave Reid, Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Brent
Gilchrist, Bill Huard. RW-Pat Verbeek, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jere
Lehtinen, Grant Marshall, Mike Kennedy. D-Derian Hatcher, Craig
Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Grant Ledyard, Mike Lalor, Richard Matvichuk,
Sergei Zubov. G-Arturs Irbe, Andy Moog.
Injuries: Greg Adams, lw (partially-herniated disk, indefinite).
Jere Lehtinen, rw (torn MCL in right knee on Jan. 31, indefinite)
Transactions: Claimed Neal Broten, c, off waivers from Los Angeles
Jan. 28; recalled Mike Kennedy, rw, from Michigan (IHL) Feb. 3.
Game Results:
01/21 at Philadelphia T 3-3 OT
01/24 at Washington W 5-2
01/25 at Toronto W 5-1
01/27 Los Angeles W 7-2
01/29 Anaheim W 3-1
01/31 at Buffalo L 3-1
02/02 at Detroit L 4-3 OT
Team News by Jim Panenka
This issue's column is gonna be a little light, you'll have to
forgive me. So, lets just get to it, ok?
Broten returns to the Stars
GM Bob Gainey had said, just after stepping down as head coach,
that if there was anything you could blame on him during his
tenure, it was trading away Neal Broten.
Gainey traded Neal in February of 1995, after a disagreement
between the two men became heated. Gainey had said that he may have
been a little too quick to pull the trigger on the deal.
Fast-forward to the present. When Broten was placed on waivers by
Los Angeles, Gainey saw the perfect opportunity to bring the Stars'
all-time leading scorer back to the team. This was to make amends
of sorts for that initial trade from Dallas by Gainey. It isn't
often you get the chance to get a player back. On Jan. 28, it
became official. Neal Broten was once again a Dallas Star.
Broten was a pivotal member of the Minnesota North Stars from
1980-1993, including leading the team to the Stanley Cup Finals
against the Pittsburgh Penguins. His success continued after the
franchise moved South. He scored the Dallas Stars first goal on
Oct. 5, 1993 against the Detroit Red Wings.
The team never again found the same success they had when they went
to the finals, and just two seasons later Broten was traded to New
Jersey. Of course, we all know how well Neal did in helping the
Devils win the Stanley Cup. It is this playoff experience, combined
with the experience he earned in the Dallas Stars inaugural season,
that helped Gainey make the decision to pick Broten back up.
"Neal can provide us with his experience as we head into our most
difficult part of the year and into the Stanley Cup playoffs,"
Stars general manager Bob Gainey said. "Our team has shown a strong
team concept this year and Neal will add to that within the
group."
The 37-year-old Broten had struggled a bit the last two seasons. He
had a meager total of 23 points last year. And, he only managed one
assist with New Jersey, and four assists with Los Angeles this year
before being placed on waivers.
Broten was getting shuffled around, including a short stay in the
minors. It was possible his career was going to end with a quiet
fizzle. It is only fitting that he returns to Dallas to most likely
finish his career on a winning note. At least he now has that
chance.
As the last remaining member of the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 USA
Olympic squad, he deserved that chance to land on his feet and
begin playing in familiar surroundings, and closer to his family.
Broten's family never moved away from Dallas, so now Neal has the
luxury of going home, rather than spending two to three months or
more living out of a suitcase in hotels.
Broten was lucky the Stars were in the perfect position to pick him
up. The team needed a proven playoff performer. And, Broten needed
a stable, supportive environment to work on getting his 'A' game
back.
Broten suited up for the club's second game after acquiring him, on
Jan. 31, at Buffalo. He also played the following game on Feb. 2 at
Detroit. It was obvious Neal was just trying to stay positionally
strong, and was trying to get the feel for Hitchcock's system, and
his line's timing.
While he didn't record any points, he did make an impact in the
last game at Detroit. Neal was there as the safety valve in the
slot several times, sending away sure scoring opportunities back
into center ice, before the plays had a chance to develop.
Once he gets the feel for the team's new look, The Stars all-time
leading scorer will get the chance to pad his 852 (266g, 586a)
point total. The Stars hope he does so all the way to the Cup
Finals, even if it's just one more time.
Harvey suspended pending hearing
Center Todd Harvey was suspended for the Feb. 2 game against
Detroit, pending a meeting with the league. The suspension is a
result of a flagrant elbow thrown to Buffalo Sabres' Matthew
Barnaby during the Stars 3-1 loss to the Sabres. Harvey got a major
penalty and a game-misconduct at the time of the incident.
Modano's goal-scoring streak ends
Mike Modano stepped up after the break in a major way. He was
leading the league in game-winning goals just prior to the column
deadline, and had a six-game goal-scoring streak before Sunday's
loss to Detroit. The scoring streak remains alive, however, since
Modano received an assist for Joe Nieuwendyk's goal on Sunday.
It's only fitting he get the assist, since it was really Modano's
goal to begin with. Modano let one rip off of a feed from Jamie
Langenbrunner, and it trickled under Osgood about six inches from
the goal line after Ozzie made the initial stop. Nieuwendyk swept
in from the side of the goal to give it the final push into the
net. It probably would have made it in, anyway.
Oh well, whatever. As long as the pill made its way in, right?
Lehtinen goes on the shelf
Jere Lehtinen was being mentioned often in December-January as one
of the Stars' hardest working, and most consistent players during
that span. He was one of the most important members of the first
line, and continued to excel at forechecking and picking up
turnovers. He managed to continue his success with Modano, despite
losing linemate Greg Adams to injury.
On Jan. 31 in Buffalo, Lehtinen suffered a torn MCL of the knee. He
wasn't even sure of when it happened during the game, but he was
damn sure it had happened. The injury is said to be almost
identical to the one Derian Hatcher had suffered in December.
Hatcher missed 14 games due to the tear. That means Lehtinen will
most-likely miss the entire month of February.
The team responded well to Hatcher's loss, compiling an 8-5-1 record
during the team captain's absence. It may be a little harder to
compensate for Lehtinen's speed and defensive positioning. Modano
will surely struggle with a slower line, and one that is out of sync.
Hopefully the guys can keep it going. Missing both Adams and
Lehtinen at the same time would have been a near-fatal blow. But,
thankfully, the Stars have more depth this year, and just got a
little deeper with the recent acquisition of Broten.
"This is a situation where we've really got to have some people
step up for us," coach Hitchcock said of his team's fate.
"The good thing is we've got a lot of right wings, and we'll be
bringing Mike Kennedy back from Kalamazoo this week, too. Every
team goes through some tough injury situations, and we just have to
fight through this," elaborated Hitchcock.
The injury situation is now compounded by Harvey's possible absence
due to suspension. This will be the first true test of the team's
ability to stick together despite some rough obstacles.
Older wounds healing quickly
Although the player's wounds list is growing, the Stars managed to
retire a few gremlins with their recent five-game non-losing
streak. The biggest sore spot was the power play. Thanks to
defenseman Darryl Sydor, the power play just got a lot better.
Sydor's mobility, and his knack for reading the play well, has led
to a recent scoring explosion by the Stars power-play unit. The
scoring began on Jan. 24, when the Stars defeated Washington 5-2.
Two of the Stars' five goals were a direct result of Sydor's play
on the point. Sydor scored the first one himself, and Modano mopped
up the second. Both originated from the point.
The team had said that the troubles they were experiencing during
the advantage came from a lack of two good pointmen. Sergei Zubov
had done the best he could without any consistent help, but when
Sydor was moved to the other side, good things began happening.
There was also a fundamental shift in strategy from the coaching
staff-they began calling for things to happen more down low, behind
the net. Previously, the strategy was to continue to try to fight
for possession along the boards between the hash marks.
After prescribing this minor change, the goals began rolling in. It
is about time. The scoring streak on the advantage even continued
at home for a convincing 7-2 whooping of the LA Kings. This was
after the team had a resoundingly successful three-game road trip.
They had tied the Flyers 3-3, and had won big against both
Washington (5-2), Toronto (5-1).
The festivities continued against Los Angeles (7-2) and Anaheim
(3-1) at home.
Not surprisingly, the number of power-play goals for these games
were two of five in Washington, none in Toronto (but one
short-handed goal by Modano), two of four against Los Angeles, and
two of four against Anaheim.
It goes without saying that the Stars don't win big unless they
score on man-advantages. Dallas loses most of the close, one-goal
games if they can't make the other team pay for their mistakes.
Irbe like wall!
Arturs Irbe has finally reached a comfort zone in his playing
level. He has been much more at ease since Roman Turek was sent
down to 'the Zoo' (IHL K-Wings) for conditioning.
Word has it that Irbe met with Hitchcock during Turek's tryout
period to see just where he stood with the team. The meeting must
have been productive, since Turek was sent down and Irbe came back
chompin' at the bit.
During the first half, Irbe was far too committal, and often beat
himself by thinking the play out a little too hard. During his last
few starts, old Archie has looked like a new netminder.
He is staying put, and letting the pucks hit him. His conservation
of motion makes him look a lot more like Moog. All that Irbe has to
do now is stay on good position. Now, more often than not, he will
make the first save.
And, to shore up his positional strength, Arturs is scooping up the
rebounds like Turek did, just like an angry bear clawing at a
five-pound salmon.
They say you control your own fate as a goalie if you can control
your rebounds. Irbe has just began controlling his fate much for
the better. Keep it up, Archie!
Line flows
Since Harvey, Adams, and Lehtinen are out, and since Kennedy,
Broten, and Huard are back in, coach Hitchcock is really going to
have to earn his pay by figuring some way out to assemble this mess
into four cohesive lines.
According to a recent interview of Hitchcock by Dallas Morning News
correspondent Tim Colinshaw, Hitchcock now plans on possibly
distributing the lines as follows:
Benoit Hogue-Mike Modano-Jamie Langenbrunner
Brent Gilchrist-Joe Nieuwendyk-Pat Verbeek
Dave Reid-Neal Broten-Guy Carbonneau
Bill Huard-Bob Bassen-Grant Marshall
Now that's a different look from the first half of the year! The
only consistent pairing will be Reid-Carbonneau.
Reid gets hat trick, and highlight-reel goal
Of course, I neglected to mention Dave Reid's hat trick last issue.
It came during the 6-3 thumping of the Red Wings on January 8.
Reid has continued his forechecking antics with partner Guy
Carbonneau, and the league finally got a chance to see just what
I've been raving about. These two are just too much together.
Did you see Reid's pass to Carbonneau during the 5-2 win against
Washington on January 24? It was a true thing of beauty, people.
During that play, Reid had possession of the puck, and swooped in
behind the net, circling around for an apparent wrap-around.
Instead of turning to face the net, he kept his back to it,
protecting the puck the whole time. Just as the Caps defense was
closing in to poke-check Reid, Reid slipped the biscuit through the
crease with a beautiful no-look pass behind him, through his
legs!
Carbonneau was waiting in the right spot to sop up the gravy with
this biscuit! Guy looked more surprised than Ollie the goalie on
that one! The Caps goaltender never got a piece of the pass.
Reid added an empty-netter to pad his totals to 1-1 for two points
for the night.
Points points
Modano now has a dominant lead on point production with 23 goals,
and 26 assists for 49 points. This is a result of his recent
goal-scoring tear. If Modano can keep scoring, even though his line
has been effectively dismantled, he may just make it to the 40-50
goal mark after all. Of course, he will really have to pour it on,
but stranger things have happened.
Pat Verbeek is now second with 35 points (10g, 25a). Nieuwendyk,
Langenbrunner, and Hogue are not far behind in the thirties.
Verbeek has finally begun getting his feel back. He scored a goal
against Los Angeles, and has looked much more confident since.
Maybe it was because he changed twigs? Word has it that Verbeek now
has a new stickmaker. Something to do about the length was the
reason given.
How about that Langenbrunner? He is right up there in the top-five
in scoring. And, he was responsible for setting up all three of
Dallas' goals scored in the losing effort to Detroit on Sunday.
Modano may just ask to keep this new line intact, considering
Langenbrunner's hard work has been paying off.
That's the news...
Well, the team was really pumping hard on all cylinders before the
recent injury bugs. If they can keep the momentum going, even
though they have now dropped two in a row, things will start
getting scary for the opposition. Hitchcock has been able to
address each and every problem he has faced with success up to this
point.
Even though the problems just got a lot bigger, he will now have
the opportunity to form a 'second' team, one that was totally
different from the one that began the season. Neal Broten may add
the missing element to keep this 'new' team glued together for the
all-important playoff stretch.
Yikes! Yep, it's that time already - time to start thinking about
the postseason. Better start buying those playoff tickets!
And I am outta here!
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DETROIT RED WINGS
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Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Roster: C - Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris
Draper. LW - Brendan Shanahan, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Martin Lapointe,
Bob Errey, Tim Taylor, Tomas Holmstrom. RW - Doug Brown, Mathieu
Dandenault, Darren McCarty, Kirk Maltby, Joey Kocur, Tomas
Sandstrom. D - Nicklas Lidstrom, Bob Rouse, Vladimir Konstantinov,
Slava Fetisov, Jamie Pushor, Brian Glynn, Aaron Ward, Anders
Eriksson. G - Mike Vernon, Chris Osgood, Kevin Hodson.
Injuries: Sergei Fedorov, rw (groin pull, day-to-day).
Transactions: Acquired Tomas Sandstrom, rw, from the Pittsburgh
Penguins for Greg Johnson, c; signed junior center Darryl Laplante
to a three-year contract.
Game Results:
01/20 at Montreal L 4-1
01/22 Philadelphia T 2-2
01/25 at Philadelphia W 4-1
01/29 Phoenix L 3-0
02/01 at St. Louis W 4-1
02/02 Dallas W 4-3 OT
TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino
There was no question about it. Going into the all-star break, the
Detroit Red Wings were struggling. The players knew it. The fans
knew it, too. But what both didn't know was why.
After the break, the Wings continued their descent, losing 4-1 to
the struggling Montreal Canadiens. Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the
game at Molson Centre, but collapsed in the third period. The Habs
scored four times in the third, deflating any hopes the Wings had
of a strong start to the second half of the season. Mike Vernon,
who was replacing the injured Chris Osgood in goal, only faced 19
shots and let in three goals. The Detroit power play went 0-for-6
for the evening. The evils that haunted the Wings at the end of
the first half of the season stuck with them to open the second
half.
But whatever the problem was, it seems the Red Wings have finally
found a remedy. Since the Montreal contest, Detroit has gone
3-1-1. But what's more impressive than the record is the
opponents. The Wings took three out of a possible four points in a
home-and-home series against the Philadelphia Flyers, trounced an
up-and-coming Blues squad that is challenging the Wings for second
place in the Central Division, and defeated the first-place Dallas
Stars in overtime, 4-3.
The Wings' resurgence began at home against the Flyers. Detroit
actually had a 2-1 lead in the third period and looked like it had
everything in control, but Dale Hawerchuk and John LeClair teamed
up on a give-and-go to escape Motown with a tie. LeClair picked up
the puck in the neutral zone and passed to Hawerchuk, who stepped
into the Detroit zone and quickly passed the puck back across to
LeClair, who was streaking down the slot. LeClair one-timed to
puck past a sprawling Vernon to tie the game, 2-2. Despite that
breakdown, the Wings defense played extremely well against the
Flyers, letting Eric Lindros and Co. have just 20 shots on goal.
The Wings power play wasn't as hot, however, going 0-for-7.
The teams moved east to Philly for a rematch three days later.
This time, the Wings were solid in every aspect of their game. The
Wings took a 2-0 lead in the first, the defense only allowed 18
shots, the power play scored twice and Vernon stopped all but one
Flyer chance as Detroit downed Philadelphia, 4-1.
Finally, the Wings were on a roll. After playing two tough
contests against the Flyers, up next for Detroit was the
up-and-down Phoenix Coyotes. We all know who the Dogs goaltender
is, don't we? And we all remember what that certain goaltender did
against the Wings in the playoffs last year, don't we? Well he did
it to them again. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 30 shots while
blanking the Wings, 3-0. The Wings just can't seem to beat Khabby,
no matter what city he's playing in.
Following the schooling by Khabby, the Wings traveled to St. Louis.
The Blues had just recently bypassed the Wings and had taken over
second place in the Central before the teams met, which made for an
interesting match-up. What made it even more entertaining was the
homecoming of former Blue, Brendan Shanahan. The once-fan favorite
in St. Louie was back to face a team without the man who traded him
away, Mike Keenan.
Shanahan didn't disappoint the crowd in his return, scoring two
goals against Grant Fuhr, including a short-handed tally. Mike
Vernon continued to play well in Chris Osgood's absence, as well,
stopping 25 of 26 shots as the Wings won, 4-1.
With that Central Division victory under their belts, the Wings
headed back home to meet the Dallas Stars. The game marked the
return of Osgood to the Detroit lineup. Would it be a mistake to
throw Osgood into the fire against the Stars in such an important
game? As it turned out, the game would be perfect for Osgood to
return. The Detroit defense only allowed the Stars to get 12 shots
on Osgood. At the other end of the ice, Slava Kozlov, who was
benched for the games against Philadelphia and Phoenix, scored the
game-winning goal with a backhander against Andy Moog just over a
minute into the overtime session to give the Wings a 4-3 win. The
win closes the gap between the two teams (the Stars are currently
ahead of the Wings by five points) and gives the Wings a slight
edge for any further action between them later in the season.
Sandstrom arrives in Detroit
The man who set up Kozlov for the game-winner was the newly
acquired Tomas Sandstrom. It was Sandstrom's first point as a Red
Wing after being dealt to Detroit by the Pittsburgh Penguins for
Greg Johnson.
Media outlets in Detroit hyped up the trade as an addition of size
and strength to the Red Wing lineup. Sandstrom is 6-foot-2, while
Johnson is a tad bit smaller at 5-foot-11. However, while
Sandstrom have played like a big winger at one time, that hasn't
been the case this season in Pittsburgh. Injuries have taken their
toll on Sandstrom. He has been injured a lot during the past two
seasons. And even when he was healthy enough to get into the
lineup, his presence wasn't felt. Pens fans only saw Sandstrom
drive hard to the net with the puck a handful of times this
season. And if Sandstrom doesn't drive to the net, he can't be
successful. Perhaps more playing time and a new atmosphere will do
wonders for Sandstrom.
Oh those shiny Nike skates...
Reports have Nike spokesman Sergei Fedorov returning to the Red
Wing lineup as early as Thursday. Fedorov pulled his groin in the
Wings 3-0 loss to Phoenix and was having trouble skating late last
week.
Speaking of Fedorov...one has to wonder if Sergei actually looked
over the scripts for some of the Nike commercials he's featured
in. Nike must be paying him some big bucks if he's allowing them
to call him a "long-haired Russian freak boy". Or maybe that just
translates to "good-natured, fun-loving pal" in Russian...
Home sweet home...
Kozlov's goal which gave the Red Wings the overtime win against
Dallas also gave the Wings their first win at Joe Louis Arena since
Dec. 26.
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PHOENIX COYOTES
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Head Coach: Don Hay
Roster: C -Jeremy Roenick, Cliff Ronning, Craig Janney, Mike
Eastwood, Chad Kilger, Mike Stapleton, Bob Corkum, Travis Hansen.
LW -Keith Tkachuk, Darrin Shannon, Kris King, Jim McKenzie, Igor
Korolev. RW - Mike Gartner, Shane Doan, Dallas Drake. D - Teppo
Numminen, Oleg Tverdosky, Dave Manson, Norm Maciver, Brad McCrimmon,
Jeff Finley, Jim Johnson. G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Darcy Wakaluk,
Scott Langkow.
Injuries: Dallas Drake, rw (bruised knee, day-to-day); Brad
McCrimmon, d (sprained wrist, out indefinitely); Darcy Wakaluk, g
(arthroscopic knee surgery, out until at least mid-to-late
February).
Transactions: Returned Deron Quint, d, and Brent Thompson, d, to
Springfield (AHL); recalled Scott Langkow, g, from Springfield.
Game Results:
01/23 Anaheim W 6-3
01/25 Vancouver W 4-0
01/28 at Philadelphia L 4-1
01/29 at Detroit W 3-0
02/01 at Pittsburgh L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Jeff Brown and Jim Iovino
Khabibulin Stops Pucks, Beats Ducks, ‘Nucks
After spending the mid-season break
reflecting on a disappointing first half and looking for a way to turn the team
around in time to make a run for the playoffs, the consensus around the Phoenix
Coyotes clubhouse was that the two home games coming off the break were must wins.
With a tough road trip coming up against Philadelphia, Detroit and Pittsburgh,
getting home-ice points was the focus on the practice ice during the off-week.
"We had three good practices. Maybe it was a blessing with the All-Star break," said
Defenseman Norm Maciver. "It was kind of like a mini training camp."
Blessing or not, the Coyotes were fired up when the puck dropped against the Mighty
Ducks in their first game back. They jumped out to an early two-goal lead with
tallies from Mike Gartner and Craig Janney. Paul Kariya kept the Ducks in it, three
times cutting the lead from two goals to one, but the Coyotes shut down the rest of
the Ducks offense. In all, Kariya accounted for 10 of the 34 Anaheim shots on goal.
Cliff Ronnning added two goals, Norm Maciver (in his first game back after missing
six weeks due to a neck injury) had one and Captain Keith Tkachuk tossed in the empty-net
goal to close the scoring at 6-3.
"It was a must win game," said Cliff Ronning. "We worked hard and hard work pays off."
Coach Don Hay agreed. "The break helped. The things we worked on in practice showed…we
had a good work ethic."
Winger Mike Gartner had this to say, "When you’re in a situation where you feel you have
to win and you come out and win you have to feel good about it. We have another game in
a couple of days that once again we feel is a must win situation. We feel it’s a game we
can win and we have to win."
Gartner was right. The Coyotes played perhaps their soundest hockey of the season against
Vancouver two nights later. Two early goals from Jeremy Roenick and third period scores
from Gartner and Ronning buried the Canucks, but this night belonged to netminder Nikolai
Khabibulin. The Coyotes goalie stopped all 26 shots he faced en route to his first shutout
this season.
"I played a good period against Anaheim and I just continued to play good against
Vancouver," said Khabibulin. "It was good to get the shoutout and hopefully this will
give me confidence."
Don Hay was again pleased with the performance his team put on. "This is the best game
we played…we looked after the puck all night and didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot."
Roadtrip Rollercoaster
If the Coyotes rode any kind of high into the three-game road
trip last week, they fell off it somewhere outside of Philadelphia last weekend. They
were outskated, outhit, outshot, and outscored by the Flyers in a game that seemed to be
played on an ice surface that continuously tilted towards netminder Nikolai Khabibulin.
To Khabibulin’s credit he did stop 51 of the 55 shots sent his way, though he had to wonder
where his defense disappeared to. In comparison, the Flyers picked a good day to rest
Ron Hextall, as Garth Snow had a relatively easy night, shutting down the Dogs until Bob
Corkum corked one with just under four minutes remaining.
"We got dominated by a hard working hockey team," said Don Hay after the game. "The were
very physical and they just outworked us."
Jeremy Roenick put it a little differently. "We just wanted to watch them skate around.
We were spectators tonight, plain and simple," he said. "Don’t get me wrong, they work
hard, they have size, but it makes it a little easier when you sit back and watch."
The Dogs took Roenick’s words to heart the next night in Detroit. They scored early
with first-period goals coming from Darrin Shannon and Bob Corkum, two guys who get a
lot of ice time but not much press. Shannon’s goal was his fourth on the season while
Corkum netted his fifth, his second goal in as many games. Keith Tkachuk added his 31st
goal early in the second period, and the rest of the night belonged once again to Nikolai
Khabibulin. Khabibulin made 30 saves on the night, earning his second shutout in just
five days. The win was the second against Detroit this season for Phoenix.
"Some goalies just play good against some teams," commented Khabibulin.
He and the Coyotes didn’t fare as well against Pittsburgh, giving up two first period
goals to Mario Lemiuex on the way to another lopsided defeat at the hands of a better
team. Like so often happens, the only spark came from team Captain Keith Tkachuk who
spent the game wheeling into the offensive zone and darting through the Penguins defense.
Tkachuk was the only Coyote to light the lamp behind Patrick Lalime, who stopped 29 shots
in his first game back from battling with the flu. Lalime set the record earlier in the
season for consecutive games without a loss to start a career (14-0-2).
Lalime or no Lalime, according to Coach Don Hay, "We had a lot of chances to win this
game…we didn’t take advantage. We had the right guys to finish and we didn’t finish."
Tkachuk on Fire
As expected, Keith Tkachuk is leading the team, both in points and
in heart. Tkachuk's got the "C" on his chest for a reason. He's
the one the rest of the Coyotes look up to, and he hasn't
disappointed. In 51 games, Tkachuk has 32 goals and 132 penalty
minutes, which leads the team in both categories. Tkachuk
displayed all of his talents during the Coyotes' 4-1 loss to
Pittsburgh. He showed some impressive skating skills for a power
forward against the Pens, darting around many black and gold
defensemen. Tkachuk also scored the Dogs' lone goal.
While Tkachuk is proving his worth to the franchise, teammate
Jeremy Roenick is having trouble living up to the hype surrounding
his arrival in Phoenix. Roenick has scored just 14 goals and 36
points in 41 games, not exactly the type of numbers expected from
the talented center. Roenick is also a -12 in the plus/minus
department, third worst on the team.
Maciver's back
In a move that should definitely help the team, defenseman Norm
Maciver returned to the lineup after a long stint on the IR due to
neck surgery. Although he's on the small size, Maciver is capable
of making a big impact on any team he plays for. When Maciver
played for Pittsburgh last season, the Pens' power play was scoring
at an incredible pace. But after he was traded to Winnipeg
(Phoenix) for Neil Wilkinson, the Pens' power play struggled under
the direction of Sergei Zubov. Maciver's return will definitely
give the team a boost for the second half of the season.
Khabby, Khabby...
Khabibulin had an outstanding stretch recently between the pipes.
First, Khabby shut out Alex Mogilny, Pavel Bure and the rest of the
Vancouver Canucks, 4-0. Then he turned in an incredible 51-save
performance against the Philadelpia Flyers. Had it not been for
Khabby, the Coyotes' 4-1 loss could have been a lot uglier.
Continuing to have the hot hand, Khabby came back the next game in
Detroit and managed to shut out Brendan Shanahan and Co., 3-0.
That's exactly the kind of effort Phoenix needs from Khabby the rest
of the way, especially with backup Darcy Wakaluk still on the shelf.
Perhaps the LCS idol-in-waiting is going to turn his dream, and ours,
into a reality...
Upcoming:
The Coyotes return home for three games this week to face Tampa Bay and the
division rival Blackhawks and Stars. Then they hit the road for a quick two-game trip
to St. Louis and Dallas before squaring off at home against Colorado on Feb 13.
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ST. LOUIS BLUES
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Head Coach: Joel Quenneville
Roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Craig MacTavish, Peter Zezel, Harry
York, Jim Campbell, Jamal Mayers. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Tony Twist,
Stephane Matteau, Scott Pellerin, Mike Peluso. RW - Brett Hull, Joe
Murphy, Brian Noonan, Steve Leach. D - Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger,
Igor Kravchuk, Marc Bergevin, Trent Yawney, Jamie Rivers, Ricard
Persson. G - Grant Fuhr, Jon Casey.
Injuries: Peter Zezel, c (sore back, day-to-day); Steve Leach, rw
(left ankle surgery, out indefinitely).
Transactions: Named Jim Woodcock senior vice president of marketing
and communications.
Game Results:
01/20 at NY Islanders W 6-4
01/23 Vancouver W 4-3
01/25 at Montreal W 8-1
01/27 Anaheim L 4-1
01/29 at Toronto W 4-0
01/30 at Ottawa W 5-2
02/01 Detroit L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Joe Ashkar
How about 'dem Blues? Since replacing coach and GM Mike Keenan, the
Blues seem to have turned their season around and are one of the
hottest teams in the league.
New head coach Joel Quenneville has brought stability and harmony
to a team in turmoil for much of the past two seasons. The players
are responding to coach Q's relaxed but disciplined system and it's
showing up with a 7-4 record under their new leader.
Unlike Keenan, Quenneville is excellent at communicating with his
players and emphasizes teaching rather than criticizing when
players make mistakes. This is building confidence with youngsters
such as Jim Campbell, Harry York, Libor Zabransky, Robert
Petrovicky and Jamie Rivers.
In addition to the rookies, the veterans have been rejuvenated and
are coming back to life. High-priced free agent Joe Murphy, who had
been invisible in the first half of the season, has regained his
scoring touch. Murphy has five goals and four assists in his last
six games.
The Brett Hull, Pierre Turgeon and Geoff Courtnall line has been on
a tear during that streak. Turgeon recently had an 11-game point
streak snapped against the Detroit Red Wings, while Hull extended
his point-scoring streak to 12 games and goal-scoring streak to six
games. Hull has 17 goals in his last 18 games with plus/minus
rating of +6 since Keenan's dismissal, including 11 goals and 20
points in 11 games with Joel Quenneville at the coaching helm.
Under Keenan, Hull had a mere 12 goals and -10 rating in 32 games.
Talk about a turnaround!
The team itself has won six out of their last eight games and
silently climbed into the Western Conference standings. They seem
to be clicking on offense, defense and special teams. During the
streak, they are averaging 4.15 goals for in comparison to 2.375
goals against.
The only area that hasn't improved since Keenan's departure in
their play on home ice at Kiel Center. While recording one of the
best road records in the league at 15-10-3, they are a
disappointing 10-14-1 at home. Under Quenneville, they are 6-1 on
the road and 1-3 at home. They will look to improve on their home
record during their upcoming seven-game homestand, their longest of
the season.
Quenneville's lone home victory was a come-from-behind against the
Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 23. The Blues appeared to have the game
under control when Brett Hull gave them a 2-1 lead early in the
third period. A defensive lapse by the Blues allowed the Canucks to
score two unanswered goals in a span of 24 seconds to take a 3-2
lead. Jamie Rivers, who was called from Worcester of the AHL,
scored his first NHL goal to tie the game 3-3, and Hull capped the
dramatic comeback by scoring the winning goal with 1:14 left in the
game.
The Blues extended their winning streak to four games when they
went into Montreal and embarassed the Habs, 8-1. It was the
Canadiens worst loss in history at the Molson Centre. Rookie Jim
Campbell tallied twice for his 16th and 17th goals of the season.
Campbell leads all rookies in goals and overall scoring with 36
points. Hull also scored twice while MacInnis, Murphy, Pronger and
rookie Harry York added the other goals. Former Canadiens captain,
Pierre Turgeon, made his return to Montreal a successful one by
assisting on both of Hull's goals.
In their return to Kiel Center, the Blues suffered yet another
letdown at home by dropping a 4-1 decision to the Mighty Ducks of
Anaheim. Teemu Selanne scored twice for Anaheim and former Blues
goaltender Guy Hebert was a brick wall in net by stopping 38 of 39
Blues shots -- many of them excellent scoring chances. Hull's goal
had tied the game 1-1 midway through the second period but
defensive breakdowns allowed the Ducks to score three consecutive
goals for their first victory of the season over the Blues.
Back on the road, the Blues blanked the Leafs 4-0 at Maple Leaf
Gardens with a strong overall performance. Grant Fuhr recorded his
second shutout of the season with 29 saves while Hull, MacInnis,
Murphy and Turgeon drilled Leafs rookie goaltender Marcel
Cousineau.
Twenty-four hours later, the Road Warriors stormed into Ottawa and
beat the Senators, 5-2. Jon Casey replaced Fuhr in net and the line
of Hull, Turgeon and Courtnall combined for three goals and six
assists. The Blues outshot the Senators 32-19.
In their first meeting with the Detroit Red Wings since last year's
exciting seven-game playoff series, the Blues suffered a
heartbreaking 4-1 loss. The game marked Shanahan's first return to
Kiel Center in a Red Wings uniform and his two goals helped spark
his team to victory. The Blues played well enough to win the game,
but Mike Vernon was making some unbelievable saves in net to keep
them off the scoreboard. Only a wicked shot by Hull was able to get
past him. Hull goal had brought the Blues within 2-1 early in the
third and change the momentum of the game.
The Blues had a chance to tie the game on a late third period power
play but Shanahan stole the puck from Chris Pronger at the blue
line and beat Fuhr shorthanded to put the game away.
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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
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Head Coach: Mike Murphy
Roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Kirk Muller, Jamie Baker, Darby
Hendrickson, Brian Wiseman. LW - Fredrik Modin, Wendel Clark, Todd
Warriner, Nick Kypreos, Mark Kolesar. RW - Mats Sundin, Sergei
Berezin, Tie Domi, Mike Craig, Zdenek Nedved. D -Matt Martin, Dave
Ellett, Jamie Macoun, DimitriYushkevich, Larry Murphy, Mathieu
Schneider, David Cooper, Craig Wolanin, Nathan Dempsey. G - Felix
Potvin, Marcel Cousineau.
Injuries: Mathieu Schneider, d (abdominal strain, out until very
late January or early February) Nick Kypreos, lw (broken bone in
ankle, out until very late January or early February).
Transactions: Acquired Craig Wolanin, d, from the Tampa Bay
Lightning for a third-round pick in the 1998 draft; recalled Nathan
Dempsey, d, from St. John's (AHL); returned Shayne Toporowski, rw,
to St. John's; recalled Mark Kolesar, lw, from St. John's.
Game results:
01/20 at Hartford L 3-1
01/22 Calgary W 5-3
01/24 at Chicago W 2-1 OT
01/25 Dallas L 5-1
01/27 Colorado L 5-2
01/29 St. Louis L 4-0
01/31 at New Jersey T 3-3
02/01 Ottawa L 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Matthew Secosky
Despite Don Cherry's unwaivering support and his declaration that
"the Leafs play with heart", the Toronto Maple Leafs are a long
shot to qualify for postseason action. Sure they are only seven
points out of a playoff spot with 29 games remaining on the
schedule, but you don't get to be the worst team in the NHL for no
reason. You have to do it the old-fashioned way. You have to earn
it.
Some die-hard fans however, refuse to rake up the Leafs and turn
them into a beneficial mulch just yet. For instance, one
dillusioned fan, who we will refer to here as "Nick Cole",
continues to exclaim, "The Leafs will make the playoffs because I
say so." As touching as the sentiment is, it's painfully obvious
who's been hitting the Mad Dog 20/20 again...well other than me,
that is.
Getting back on topic, there is one reason that Toronto won't be
seeing extra action this year. They lack depth, scoring, consistent
goaltending, and many of their key players are just too old.
As for the lack of depth and scoring, Mats Sundin is the only
player averaging over a point per game (62 in 53 games) and will
more than likely be the only Leaf with more than 30 goals. Gilmour
and Murphy follow Sundin with 46 and 30 points respectively, but
Gilmour only has 11 goals, Murphy five. Wendel Clark, who just
returned after missing 16 games with a broken thumb, is still
second on the team with 16 goals. His return will help the offense,
but a team effort will be needed if they are to make the
playoffs.
Felix Potvin has proved he can be one of the best goalies in the
game, but has struggled at times this season. Why? Hell if I know.
But a strong finish by Potvin could give the Leafs the lift they
need to make it to the postseason. But let's not talk crazy.
The biggest problem the Leafs face, however, is age. Four of their
top five scorers are 30 or older, and have seen better days.
Gilmour and Clark are fierce competitors, but injuries have
hampered their effectiveness. Larry Murphy is still a solid
defenseman, but the offensive numbers have been on the decline
since the end of last season. In short, the Leafs' core of players
is just too old to be successful in the NHL today. It is impossible
to believe they can absorb the daily grind of NHL life like they
once did...they aren't spring chickens you know. I've always wanted
to say "spring chicken." I don't know what it is about spring
chickens, but they sure is tasty.
The Leafs have an abundance of superb veteran talent, but an
infusion of talented youth is in order to even the mix. Spoons also
help mix many things.
On the trading front, the Leaf voted 'Most Likely to Be Traded' by
his classmates would have to be Doug Gilmour. His playmaking
skills, hard-edged play, and snappy dressing make him a valuable
commodity on the open market as teams prepare for the upcoming
playoff and sidewalk sale season.
Maybe they all should take a puck to the head...
On Jan. 24, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Kirk Muller
got beamed in the head by a grossly off-target shot by teammate
Doug Gilmour. Muller left the game for stitches and a stiff drink,
but returned in time to score the game-winning goal 2:07 into
overtime to give the Leafs a 2-1 victory and end a five-game road
losing streak.
Craig Wolanin...in-depth trade analysis
My take on the trade for Craig Wolanin: WHY? Why would a team
struggling like the Leafs trade for Craig Wolanin? I'm at a loss
for words. A 29-year-old defenseman with a bum shoulder always does
wonders for a team. Here's a break down of the trade:
This season: (With Tampa Bay) Craig Wolanin: 15 games 0-goals
0-assists 0-points plus/minus -9
(Somewhere to be determined) Third-Round Draft Pick in 1998: ?-?-?
+/-? ????????
So as you can see, the third-round draft pick in 1998 has just as
many points as Wolanin, and more than likely has a better
plus/minus. And when you consider that selecting a draft pick is a
lot of fun, Tampa Bay easily got the best of the deal.
Notes:
* Toronto is 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and 2-11-1 in their last
14.
*Felix Potvin still leads all NHL goaltenders with 27 losses.
Potvin has a 3.44 g.a.a. and a .898 save percentage to go along
with his 16-27-0 record. ha ha.
* The Leafs ruined a potential record by recording their first tie of
the season on January 31. The lone tie now ties them with the 1929-30
Boston Bruins for the fewest ties in a season. San Jose owns the modern
NHL record with two ties.
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TEAM REPORTS
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC DIVISION
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ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
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Head Coach: Ron Wilson
Roster: C - Jari Kurri, Kevin Todd, Steve Rucchin, Ted Drury, Sean
Pronger. LW - Paul Kariya, Shawn Antoski, Brian Bellows, Garry
Valk, Ken Baumgartner, Warren Rychel. RW - Teemu Selanne, Joe Sacco,
Roman Oksiuta, J.F. Jomphe, Craig Reichert, Peter LeBoutillier. D -
Milos Holan, Dave Karpa, Bobby Dollas, Dmitri Mironov, Darren Van
Impe, Jason Marshall, Nikolai Tsulygin. G - Guy Hebert, Mikhail
Shtalenkov.
Injuries: Roman Oksiuta, rw (groin strain, day-to-day); Joe Sacco,
rw (chest muscle strain, day-to-day); Shawn Antoski, lw (strained
hip, day-to-day).
Transactions: Recalled Craig Reichert, rw, from Baltimore (AHL);
assigned Frank Banham, rw, to Baltimore; placed Ted Drury, c, on
injured reserve; recalled Peter LeBoutillier, rw, from Baltimore;
assigned Jeremy Stevenson, lw, to Baltimore.
Game Results:
01/22 New Jersey W 3-1
01/23 at Phoenix L 6-3
01/25 at Los Angeles T 2-2
01/27 at St. Louis W 4-1
01/29 at Dallas L 3-1
01/31 Hartford W 6-3
02/02 Colorado L 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino
The Mighty Ducks continue to find themselves in the middle of the
pack in the Pacific Division and are continued to be led by the
KRS-One line of Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne and Steve Rucchin.
KRS-One is currently one-two-three on the team in scoring. Selanne
is leading the Ducks in every category with 29 goals, 39 assists
and 68 points in 51 games. Despite playing in 13 less games due to
an injury at the start of the season, Kariya is close behind the
Finnish Flash. Kariya has 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points in
38 games. Rucchin is a distant third with 12 goals and 36 points.
Kariya leads the trio with a +18 plus/minus rating. Selanne is a
+8; Rucchin +9.
The point totals for the Ducks' top line are quite similar to most
top lines around the league. So why is Anaheim below the .500 mark
(20-25-6 as of Feb. 3)? The main reason is a lack of offensive
support. Dmitri Mironov, a defenseman, is fourth on the team in
scoring with 32 points. Kevin Todd has the next-highest point total
of the rest of the Ducks forwards, scoring just eight goals and 23
points in 50 games. And Todd hasn't scored a point in 17
games...not good. He was a healthy scratch for the Ducks' 5-2 loss
to Colorado.
If Anaheim was located 1,000 miles east...
Here's a wacky stat for ya. Since Dec. 30, the Mighty Ducks have
gone 6-1 against Eastern Conference opponents and a mere 2-5-1
against teams in the Western Conference. What could that stat mean
for the Ducks in the second half of the season? Head coach Ron
Wilson hopes not much. The Ducks only play three more games
against Eastern Conference teams the rest of the season: home games
against the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers and a road tilt
against the Washington Capitals.
A warm welcome...
Right wing Peter LeBoutillier has been making the most of his
opportunities since being called up from Baltimore. LeBoutillier,
who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 198 lbs., has found ways to get his
name on the scoresheet in each of his first four games in the
NHL.
LeBoutillier, Anaheim's fifth choice in the 1995 draft, was
welcomed into the NHL by none other than heavyweight champ Tony
Twist in his first appearance of the season. The two went
toe-to-toe in the 4-1 win against the St. Louis Blues.
Two games later, LeBoutillier found himself in another scrap, this
time with Hartford's Keith Primeau. LeBoutillier, who has racked
up 175 penalty minutes in Baltimore this season, received an
instigator penalty, fighting major and a game misconduct for his
efforts. It was much of the same against Colorado, as LeBoutillier
dropped the gloves with Brent Severyn.
As for the other game? Leboutillier chose to use his stick instead
of his fists and scored his first NHL goal on his first, and only,
NHL shot. It was the Ducks' only goal of the game. Way to go,
Peter!
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CALGARY FLAMES
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Head Coach: Pierre Page
Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Dave Gagner, Corey Millen, Cory
Stillman, Aaron Gavey. RW - Theoren Fleury, Jarome Iginla, Ron
Stern, Ed Ward, Sandy McCarthy. LW - German Titov, Jonas Hoglund,
Todd Hlushko, Mike Sullivan. D - Tommy Albelin, Yves Racine, Steve
Chiasson, Joel Bouchard, Chris O'Sullivan, Todd Simpson, Cale
Hulse, Jamie Huscroft, James Patrick, Zarley Zalapski. G - Trevor
Kidd, Dwayne Roloson.
Injuries: James Patrick, d (underwent knee surgery Dec. 12 to
repair torn ligament in left knee, out for remainder of the
season); Zarley Zalapski, d (suffered bruised knee Oct. 6,
underwent knee surgery to repair torn ligament in right knee, out
for remainder of the season); Sandy McCarthy, rw (underwent ankle
surgery Jan. 24, sidelined 3-5 weeks).
Transactions: Recalled Chris O'Sullivan, d, from Saint John (AHL)
Jan. 22; recalled Paxton Schulte, lw, from Saint John Jan. 23; sent
Dale McTavish, c, to Saint John Jan. 23; sent Paxton Schulte, lw,
to Saint John Jan. 30.
Game results:
1/21 at Pittsburgh L 4-2
1/22 at Toronto L 5-3
1/24 at Ottawa T 2-2
1/28 NY Islanders W 4-3
1/30 San Jose L 6-3
2/1 Vancouver W 3-0
TEAM NEWS by Tony Wong
Two Weeks at a Glance
At last report, the Flames were in sixth place in the division
(11th in the conference) and embarking on a 13-game spell that
would decide their fate. Six games in, the Flames have moved
closer to the Grail (now fifth in the division and 10th in the
conference), however mostly due to the incompetence of their
division rivals.
Against Pittsburgh and Toronto, Calgary controlled play but was
foiled by superb individual efforts by Patrick Lalime (49 saves)
and Doug Gilmour (five points, assists on every goal).
Against the Senators, the Flames played well in the first and last
periods, but a second period letdown resulted in a tie in Ottawa.
The story was much the same in New York, as the Flames dictated
play in the first two periods and hung on in the third for a 4-3
victory.
Against San Jose, Trevor Kidd seemed lost as the Sharks scored on
three of their first four shots. The result: a 6-3 win for the
Sharks. The loss wasn't entirely Kidd's fault as the rest of the
team also put forth a lackluster effort.
Two days later, Kidd was reborn. After spending time with
goaltending mentor Glenn Hall, Kidd shut out the Canucks with the
help of Aaron Gavey, who contributed two goals to the cause. (Note
to Al Coates - you can hire a goaltending coach anytime now...)
Overall, the Flames looked very much like the schizophrenic team
that they have been all year, where confidence has ruled their
fate. The Flames play as a disciplined, cohesive team, following a
singular game plan -- until they are confronted by adversity.
Whether it has been a hot player (see Lalime, Gilmour), a bad goal
(see Kidd versus San Jose) or an unusual situation (see the game
versus the Islanders where a 4-0 lead became a close 4-3 win), the
Flames seem to panic when confronted with a situation. Perhaps it
is a lack of leadership or maturity which is leading to this
tendency to panic. In any case, they need to come up with a cure
quickly.
Fleury Trade
First mentioned here last edition (Jan. 21), the "Trade Fleury"
movement has really heated up. What was once a "what if" scenario
has become, with a little help from the local print media, a real
possibility.
As a coach, Pierre Page has always believed in the dual tenets of
hard practices and superior conditioning. For the marginally
talented Flames, Page believes it is essential for success. Just
prior to the All-Star break, the Flames underwent fitness testing.
Never a conditioning freak, Theo Fleury along with German Titov,
tested at the back of the pack.
At the All-Star game, Fleury discovered that many of his colleagues
practiced much less. Worn down from the special attention he
receives each game as the Flames singular star, Fleury wondered out
loud to the press that perhaps he too should "practice less".
Voila! Within 48 hours the coach and his star player had an
official "difference in opinion." Several days later, an editorial
titled "Trade Theo!" hit the front of the sports section, and
Calgary was abuzz. Though Page and Fleury have undergone a number
of closed door meetings, announcing all is well, the "Trade Fleury"
sentiment is out and growing.
What might have been an innocent comment -- a la Alex Mogilny --
has now turned into a situation which Al Coates must deal with.
With the local media driving the "Trade Theo" sentiment, hanging on
to Fleury may be as dangerous as trading him. For now, Fleury has
wisely decided to "let his play do the talking."
What to do? Coates needs to evaluate what Fleury's market worth
is, who is interested and what he can get. In the event that the
Flames go in the tank over the next two weeks, Coates has to be
ready to deal Fleury before the deadline. The preparation is
essential, as trading a player has now become a complex transaction
involving salaries, budgets and agents (see the Shanahan/Coffey
trade for details).
Here at LCS, we shudder to think of the Flames without their
diminutive captain. However, if the Flames are not in a position
to make the playoffs after the next two weeks, trading their
29-year-old captain to the highest bidder may not be a bad idea.
Hey Hartford, two first round picks and another player sounds fair,
doesn't it?
Trade Rumors
As with all teams struggling to make the playoffs, trades rumours
are a facet that we all must deal with. Here at LCS, when it comes
to rumours, I figure we might as well contribute to the cause and
start the fire. Below are some possibilities:
Ronnie Stern, Tommy Albelin and a third-round pick for Hnat
Domenichelli and Hartford's first pick: The Whalers get the tough
winger they desperately need and a good defenseman without giving
up a core player or losing a key draft pick. The Flames get Jarome
Iginla's talented junior linemate with the best name this side of
John Cullen and improve their position in the talent filled 1997
draft. Sandy McCarthy is a bigger, younger and meaner (although
slower) version of Stern and Albelin's place next year can be
filled by Patrick or Zalapski.
Dave Gagner for Chris Wells: Florida gets an excellent two-way
player who is also an offensive threat. The Flames receive a
talented hometown prospect for a player that is a free agent
without compensation next year. The net result for Florida would
be Stu Barnes for Dave Gagner -- an excellent trade for the
playoff-bound Panthers.
Dave Gagner and Steve Chiasson for Mathieu Dandenault and a
third-round pick: Detroit gets a transition defenseman and another
piece of firepower to launch at Colorado. While Dandenault has the
skills to be a star, the current management might not get a chance
to see him blossom if they don't win the Cup this year. The Flames
get a potential star for the future, by dealing a future free agent
and one of their numerous defensemen.
Theo Fleury and Dave Gagner for a Niedermayer: Yes, I broke down
and included a Fleury trade, even though we'd hate to see him go.
This trade would work for both New Jersey and Florida, giving them
a giant injection of offense for their much maligned Niedermayer.
In return, Calgary would receive a potential superstar.
Interesting eh?
Report Cards:
Last issue, we issued the warning. This issue, time is up. Yes,
it's time for the annual mid-season report cards. Who's played
well, and who's played like a dog. Without further adieu...
Robert Reichel: Woof, woof. Despite all the catcalls and
bad press (LCS included), Robby hasn't played all that bad. He's
played hard, created opportunities and been a good role model for
the kids. He just hasn't scored. Unfortunately, the Flames
unlocked the millions for a 40-goal scorer, not just a nice guy.
So unless Reichel starts putting the puck in the net, he will
continue to be a disappointment to Flames fans everywhere. One
bright note: Reichel has always performed exceptionally better in
the second half -- let's hope he stays true to form. Good attitude
only saves you from an F, Robbie. Grade: D-.
Dave Gagner: Perhaps the first half MVP. A consistently
solid two-way force all year long, the most valuable thing about
Gagner has been the effect he has had on his rookie linemates
Iginla and Hoglund. Of the four forwards that have a plus rating,
three reside on this line. If Iginla wins the Calder, Gagner
should be the first player he thanks for showing him the way.
Though Calgary would like to re-sign Gagner (he is an unrestricted
free agent after this season), they probably can't afford him.
$1.5 million (his current contract) would be beyond the price range
of what the Flames want to pay for an aging veteran (the Flames
currently only pay about $500,000 of his salary. The Maple Leafs
pay the rest.). However, his good play makes him a very tradeable
commodity. We'll miss you Dave. Grade: A-.
Corey Millen: We expected Millen to be a good penalty
killer and an opportunistic third-line center at the beginning of
the year. Halfway through, we can't help but say we're
disappointed. Corey's play has been inconsistent and combined with
some minor injuries, he has been in and out of the lineup. He's
played well as of late, so we'll give him the benefit of the
doubt. You pass. Grade: C.
Cory Stillman: A combination of poor luck (only three
goals) and eroded confidence have dogged Stillman offensively all
year. Though his two-way play has been solid, the Flames need more
out of this former number one pick. Grade: C-.
Aaron Gavey: A strong two-way player who reminds us of a
faster Joel Otto. Other than some deft handiwork in the last week
(three goals), Gavey has been solidly unspectacular. No mistakes
and a little flash of late, marks him slightly above average.
Grade: C+.
Theoren Fleury: Two words. Inconsistent and
disappointing. Fleury's play this year has been streaky --
irritating and dominating the opposition on one night and
disappearing the next. Without Roberts to draw the opposition's
checkers, Fleury has struggled. More disappointing has been Theo's
poor leadership. Loose lips and an alert media have led to several
controversies, including the latest public disagreement with Page.
While Fleury's opinions may be correct, airing them to the media
and not the coach is not behavior becoming of the captain of a
young team. Nevertheless, Fleury is still the leading scorer of the
team and has singlehandedly won several games this season. Mixed
reviews for the Mightiest Mite. Grade: B.
Jarome Iginla: Third on the team in scoring, the highest
plus/minus on the team, kills penalties, plays the body and has
made a city quickly forget how much they loved former 50-goal
scorer Joe Nieuwendyk. Oh yes, he's a 19-year-old rookie, too.
But he's from Edmonton -- we can't love everything about him...
Grade: A-.
Ronnie Stern: Still tough, but the flashes of hockey skill
have been far and few between this year. Defensive lapses, a lack
of physical play and the impending return of Sandy McCarthy means
that Stern's time in Calgary is limited. As a tough winger who can
skate, Stern is still a valuable trade commodity. See ya, Ronnie.
Grade: C-.
Ed Ward: A big winger who has quietly worked his way into
the lineup as a regular. We don't notice him much on the ice, but
he's one of the four forwards who are not in the minus category.
Ed, even though we can't see you, you must be doing something
right. Grade: C+.
German Titov: Workmanlike as usual, Titov has converted on
his opportunities on the top line when they have arisen. Usually a
top forward defensively, Titov seems to have forgotten how to
backcheck. We'll have to dock you for that, German. Grade:
B-.
Jonas Hoglund: A surprise when he made the team, Hoglund
has been offensively streaky, occasionally getting in the groove
and releasing his wicked shot. He has meshed well with his
linemates, though, and only forgets to cover his man once in a
while. Grade: B.
Todd Hlushko: In and out of the lineup, Hlushko plays like
the prototypical NHL journeyman. Solid for several games, Hlushko
seems to lapse when in the lineup too long. After a trip to the
press box, he seems hungry again. Grade: C.
Mike Sullivan: Hasn't used his speed effectively this year
to consistently irritate the opposition like he usually does. Not
much more to say. Grade: C-.
Tommy Albelin: A steadying force on the blue line, Albelin
has been boringly effective and has worked well with the
youngsters. However with the surplus of young defensemen and
Zalapski and Patrick back next year, his averageness might be worth
more to the Flames somewhere else. Grade: B.
Yves Racine: Though viewed as a journeyman defenseman
throughout his career, Racine has played exceptionally well since
coming to Calgary. Though not gifted offensively, and a somewhat
soft hitter defensively, Racine gets the puck and gets it out of
the zone. You can't argue with effectiveness. Grade:
B+.
Steve Chiasson: Injuries have prevented Chiasson from
taking a regular spot on the blue line for the Flames. As a
million dollar defenseman, Chiasson needs to be a force. Since his
return, he hasn't been exceptional, but provides a kind of quiet
leadership for the defense. Let's hope he continues to improve.
Grade: C+.
Joel Bouchard: Has looked rock solid some nights and very
much like a pylon on others. He's played almost every game this
year and I still can't figure him out. 50% good, 50% bad. Sounds
like a he squeaks by with a pass. Grade: C.
Chris O'Sullivan: A former forward, O'Sullivan led the
defensive corps in scoring at the beginning of the year.
Unfortunately, sometimes he looked a lot like a forward playing
defense and was sent down. Let's hope this time he remembers to
hit guys when they come over the blue line. Grade: C.
Todd Simpson: Knocked Forsberg out. Bure hates him. While
Simpson makes his share on rookie mistakes, he sure smells like a
poor man's Ulf Sameulsson. While the Forsberg hit gave him
notoriety, Simpson's nasty play has quickly made him a hated
opponent. Though he doesn't play by the rules all the time, he has
been one of the most effective Flames defensemen in the first half.
Grade: B+.
Cale Hulse: Simpson's quiet partner, Hulse has had an
excellent first half. Placed in key situations all year, often
against the league's best lines, Hulse has not looked out of
place. Not bad for a rookie. Grade: B+.
Jamie Huscroft: Solid in limited action, works well a la
Hlushko when spotted. Has shown a knack for irritating opposing
players. Grade: C.
Trevor Kidd: A spectacular first couple of months, a really
bad spell and now -- recovery. Though Kidd has only been in the
nets every other night, his season has mirrored the success of the
Flames. Battling for the number one job, Kidd played exceptional
(as did Tabaracci) and the Flames surged to the top of the
Pacific. With Tabaracci gone, Kidd hit a streak of bad offensive
support that turned into a horrendous losing streak. The Flames
followed him into the abyss. When Kidd has had his confidence, he
has been a bona fide number one goalie, carrying the team on
occasion. When he hasn't -- it's been virtually an automatic loss
for the Flames. With a shutout in his last start against
Vancouver, let's hope the confidence meter is going up. Grade:
D.
Dwayne Roloson: Roloson, like Kidd, has been inconsistent.
After an excellent start, Roloson has cooled off in his starts of
late, with some weak performances interspersed with some average
ones. If Roloson wants a job as a NHL goalie, he needs to show the
spark and consistency that he had when he was first called up. If
he does -- the number one job is available. Grade: C.
Coaching: As was the case last year, Page has done very
well with the talent at hand. Unfortunately, Page doesn't have a
Gary Roberts to pull out of his sleeve for the second half.
Positives: Team concept and development of the youngsters. Page
has preached team defense and the Flames have bought in. When
clicking on all cylinders, the Flames are a no-star workaholic
defensive team, much like the Florida Panthers. As for the
youngsters, the Flames have survived the first half and are only
two points out of a playoff spot. Negatives: For all his tricks,
Page has not fared well in handling his players. His rotating
goaltending scheme ruined the confidence of Trevor Kidd and the
Flames have suffered inconsistent goaltending over the last three
months as a result. His handling of his captain and star, Theo
Fleury has been poor. While Fleury is partially to blame, it is up
to the coach to take the initiative. Page needed to talk to his
star player before Fleury's pouting and frustration became a
distraction to the team. Grade: C.
Management: "Move Slow, Move Smart" has been the motto
during Al Coates tenure. While evaluating the current talent,
Coates has only made moves when necessary. Both first half
acquisitions, Gavey and Racine, look good and resolved situations
that were getting out of hand. The question is, if the Flames look
like they might miss the playoffs, will Coates make the right moves
to re-tool for next season? Will he trade Fleury? And if he does,
will he get what he's worth? We're waiting, Al. Grade:
B.
Upcoming games:
2/3 Los Angeles
2/5 at Edmonton
2/7 Washington
2/9 Anaheim
2/11 Boston
2/13 Edmonton
2/15 Toronto
As mentioned last issue, all seven games in the next two weeks are
against sub-.500 clubs. If the Flames can win at least five of the
games, they will be back in contention. If not, look for Fleury to
be traded.
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COLORADO AVALANCHE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Marc Crawford
Roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Stephane
Yelle, Josef Marha. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Yves Sarault, Rene
Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Keith
Jones, Scott Young, Mike Keane, Christian Matte. D - Sandis
Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov,
Jon Klemm, Brent Severyn, Aaron Miller, Richard Brennan. G -
Patrick Roy, Craig Billington.
Injuries: Joe Sakic, c (deep leg laceration, 1-2 weeks).
Transactions: Returned Jean- Francois Labbe, g, and Eric Messier,
d, to Hershey (AHL).
Game Results:
01/21 at Tampa Bay L 3-2 OT
01/23 at Pittsburgh W 4-3 OT
01/25 at Boston L 4-1
01/27 at Toronto W 5-2
01/29 Los Angeles W 6-3
02/01 at San Jose L 2-1
02/02 at Anaheim W 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Matt Gitchell
Joe Sakic logged 15 minutes of ice time on Monday.
No, it wasn't in a game, but it was the first time the Avalanche
captain had been on skates since Jan 4. Sakic went down with a
severely lacerated calf muscle early this year, the victim of an
accidental kick by Philadelphia's Dale Hawerchuk. The skating
session, at the University of Denver Arena, marks the first visible
sign of improvement for the Avalanche captain, and Sakic's return
is slated from anywhere between 10 days and two weeks.
Sakic, who had only missed 28 games over an 8 1/2 year career, has
missed 13 games to this point in the season, but still leads the
Avalanche team in scoring with 55 points in 40 games played. Sakic
was on crutches for about two weeks, then returned to riding the
stationary bike to keep in shape. "It felt pretty good for the
first time,'' Sakic said of his brief Monday skate. "There wasn't
any pain. I felt a little tightness, but for the first day it went
pretty well."
The team has gone 8-3-2 since Sakic's injury, and for part of that
time the Avs were missing Peter Forsberg and others.
In the past two weeks, the Avalanche has played well (what else is
new?), but it seems the team still has a problem building intensity
when they play the not-so-great teams of the league. The Avs fell
in the last two weeks to Tampa Bay, Boston, and San Jose, teams
with a combined record of 57-77-17. But let's not paint an overly
pessimistic picture, here. The team wrapped up what was basically
one long road trip, playing just two out of 13 games at home, and
made it through that stretch 8-3-2.
Injury Notes:
Colorado fans found themselves gasping at yet another injury Jan. 23
when Patrick Roy left the game against Pittsburgh with a sprained
thumb. It seems Uwe Krupp skated over Roy's exposed glove 14
minutes into the game, and then Pittsburgh's Joe Dziedzic did the
same. Roy stayed in the game for a while, but eventually had to
leave. Roy had to sit out for two games, but returned for the
Avalanche against the L.A. Kings Jan. 29. Whew.
Offense Notes:
Despite having the two leading scorers on the team out for a
stretch, the Avs continue to post impressive numbers. This team is
DEEP. The Avalanche has seven players with more than 15
goals, the most of any team in the league. Adam Deadmarsh and Keith
Jones have continued to produce for the Avalanche, with Deadmarsh's
10 points in 10 games (5-5) and Jones' six points in the same
stretch (3-3) beefing up the Avs' offensive output, and making the
Avs' second line, even without Sakic, a powerful threat.
Also, since his return to the lineup after missing six games with a
separated shoulder on Jan. 15, Valeri Kamensky has been a heavy
producer as well, especially now that Peter Forsberg has come back
from his thigh injury. Kamensky has had three goals and five assists
since coming back, and Peter Forsberg has had five assists in the
five games he's been back. So, the Avalanche's offensive machine
rolls on, and Sakic's return should be in time for him to find his
rhythm with the team again before playoff time hits.
Defense:
Defensively, the club has been reasonably solid, keeping most teams
to two goals or less -- a few shaky moments against Tampa Bay and
Boston not withstanding. But on the whole, the defensive corps has
allowed the offense to stay in the game, and kept the games
winnable even though the end result didn't show it.
Special Teams:
The Avalanche continue to have great performances from the special
teams folks, with the power play still sitting at third overall in
the league (21.7 percent), and the penalty kill in the number one
slot (89.6 percent). Sandis Ozolinsh leads the league in power-play
points (28), with Joe Sakic right behind with 26.
Rumor Mill:
As the end of the season slowly approaches, you start hearing more
things like "word around the league says..." and "A source in the
front office sez..." Some of the latest knitting-circle talk has the
New York Islanders ponying up a ton of dough at the end of the
season for (get this) Peter Forsberg or Joe Sakic or both.
I could be wrong, and I might have an over-romanticized view of the
club, but the concept of Joe Sakic leaving the Avalanche for the
Islanders is a bit odd, if not downright silly. Sakic was the man on
the Nordiques (except for Badaboum, of course) when the Nords stank
like a month-old piece of whatever it is that stinks a lot. The man
knows what it's like to lose, and he's made comments about how
great it is being on a winning club versus a team of the undead. It
is my amateur opinion that the man will indeed want a raise, maybe
even a big raise, but if the dollar figures between are anywhere
near one another, he'll stay with Colorado.
One of
the issues that complicates matters is the fact that Ascent
Entertainment, which owns the Avalanche, is stuck in what could be
described as a "crappy" lease at McNichols Arena. Ownership is
losing millions per year, but has made strong contractual
commitments (with strong contractual paychecks) to players, such as
Valeri Kamensky, for millions.
So the quandary is this: Will Ascent eat the cost of keeping the
"dynasty" together, or will Avs GM Pierre Lacroix take what he can
get for Sakic (a minimum of five first-round draft choices from any
team that Sakic or Forsberg would be shipped to), keep Forsberg,
and keep building for the future? Keep an eye out for what Lacroix,
the Smartest Man in the Game (and you can tell him I said so), and
Ascent have up their sleeve.
Player Notes:
The Avalanche have rotated six rookies into the lineup this year,
and without a doubt the one that stands out most for the Avs is
Aaron Miller. Miller has been rewarded with ice time, playing in 32
games for the Avs, and scoring 11 points, not up there with Sandis
Ozolinsh's numbers, but not bad for a defenseman nonetheless.
Miller has put in three game-winners for the Avalanche as well, and
sits at +2.
In the last report I mentioned which Avalanche players had gone
without a goal thus far in the season. Since publication, each of
those players has scored. Go figure. The list included: Adam Foote,
who beat Felix Potvin with a nifty backhander from the left circle
in Toronto on Jan. 27; Claude Lemieux, who has scored four goals
since issue 61 of LCS: Guide to Hockey hit the web; and Brent
Severyn, who was determined to grow his facial hair out until he
scored his first goal as an Avalanche player (and was consequently
looking quite scruffy), ended his drought Jan.21 with a goal
against Tampa Bay in the Avs' 3-2 overtime loss in Florida.
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EDMONTON OILERS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Low
Roster: C - Doug Weight, Jason Arnott, Todd Marchant. LW - Dean
McAmmond, Rem Murray, Miroslav Satan, Ryan Smyth, Mats Lindgren. RW
- Mariusz Czerkawski, Mike Grier, Dave Oliver, Andrei Kovalenko,
Kelly Buchberger, Louie DeBrusk. D - Kevin Lowe, Luke Richardson,
Bryan Marchment, Jiri Slegr, Boris Mironov, Jeff Norton, Donald
Dufresne, Daniel McGillis, Sean Brown, Greg de Vries. G - Curtis
Joseph, Bob Essensa.
Injuries: Jason Arnott, c , returned from ankle injury Jan. 31,
missed two games; Greg de Vries, d (suffered sprained ankle Jan.
26, sidelined 7 to 10 days); Boris Mironov, d (suffered
abdominal/groin strain Jan. 21, sidelined indefinitely).
Transactions: Recalled Sean Brown, d, and Greg de Vries, d, from
Hamilton (AHL).
Game Results:
01/21 at NY Rangers T 4-4
01/22 at NY Islanders L 8-1
01/24 at Buffalo W 3-1
01/26 at Washington W 3-1
01/29 San Jose W 3-1
01/31 NY Islanders W 1-0
TEAM NEWS by Simon D. Lewis
The Defence Never Rests
That's right! The Edmonton Oilers are playing defence. No, I'm not
kidding. Sure, they're one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL,
but look at those last four results...only 10 goals for, but a tiny
total of three against. Everyone knew that Curtis Joseph was a
quality goalie, but he's not doing it alone. The backchecking is
solid, the front of the net is cleared, defensive zone assignments
are picked up. It's playoff hockey in January.
After an 8-1 pasting in Uniondale against the Islanders something
must have snapped; the collective shoe dropped. Either that or
coach Ron Low has found some, as yet, legal substance with which to
doctor the boys' water bottles. Whatever it is, it's working.
They're Not Booing. . .They're Yelling Cujo
Just a few numbers for
you all. Number of games Curtis Joseph played in St. Loo -- 314.
Number of shutouts he earned there -- 5. Number of games he's
played this year for the Oilers -- 45. Number of shutouts -- 6.
(Bob Essensa has one.) Number of shutouts Bill Ranford had as an
Oiler -- 8. Number of shutouts Grant Fuhr had as an Oiler -- 9.
This is the kind of performance that lets you go 8-3-1 in
January.
Twice in a Lifetime
You don't hear that scoreline very often in the NHL. 1-0. In 1,545
league and playoff games, the Oilers had only won by that score once
before beating the resurgent Islanders on Jan. 31. The other game
is a golden memory for Edmonton fans. On May 10, 1984, Kevin
McClelland ripped a 35-footer past Billy Smith of the Islanders for
a 1-0 Edmonton win. It was Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. Is
there some kind of mojo working here? Does this mean the Oilers
will triumph again? Don't bet on it, but there's no question that
the boys in dark blue are doing a lot more things right over the
last few weeks. They're winning the close ones.
Centre of Attention
Jason Arnott seems too tired of winging it. He's a natural centre
who has been asked to play the wing because the Oilers have a
surfeit of pivots. Over the last two months, between an injured
ankle and a generally slow output, he's only notched 13 points.
The problem for Arnie is twofold. That Doug Weight guy plays a
silky centre, so he gets to be No. 1. Then there's Mats Lindgren
who is also looking great. He's set between Kelly Buchberger and
Ryan Smyth. That line's been hot, so they get to be No. 2. If
Jason wants to play centre, he's No. 3. On the wing he just
doesn't seem comfortable. Here's hoping he can keep it
happening.
Waiting for Andrei to Tank It
It really doesn't look like he's going
to disappear when the playoffs going gets tough. That's the
putative reason the Habs traded Andrei Kovalenko to Northern
Alberta for Scott Thornton. So far, Glenn Sather and Ron Low can
only grin from ear to ear. The Tank is still crushing goalies.
Hello, Joe
He's not on the big team yet, but Joe Hulbig (1st round pick,13th
overall 1992) is making some heads turn down in Hamilton (AHL).
This power forward-in-waiting is making just enough offensive noise
that the Oilers will soon have to clear a stall for him in the
dressing room. If Louie Debrusk and Dean McAmmond don't pull up
their socks, we may be seeing big Joe in the Oiler silks.
February 2
The groundhog pokes his nose out of his den. In the bright sunshine
he sees the shadow of a Maple Leaf on the ground. He vanishes. Too
bad! That means six more weeks of bad hockey.
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LOS ANGELES KINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Larry Robinson
Roster: C - Yanic Perreault, Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere. LW -
Dimitri Khristich, Kevin Stevens, Vladimir Tsyplakov, Barry
Potomski, Craig Johnson. RW - Brad Smyth, Ed Olczyk, Vitali
Yachmenev, Dan Bylsma. D - Rob Blake, Doug Zmolek, Mattias
Norstrom, Phillippe Boucher, Sean O'Donnell, Steve Finn, Jan
Vopat. G - Stephane Fiset, Byron Dafoe, Jamie Storr.
Injuries: Craig Johnson, lw (abdominal surgery, few weeks). Jan
Vopat, d (ankle, day-to-day). Byron Dafoe, g (finger, day-to-day).
Transactions: Placed Neal Broten, c, on waivers. Assigned Jaroslav
Modry and John Slaney, defensemen, to Phoenix (IHL).
Game Results:
01/21 New Jersey L 4-1
01/22 at San Jose L 7-2
01/25 Anaheim T 2-2
01/27 at Dallas L 7-2
01/29 at Colorado L 6-3
01/30 Hartford W 5-3
02/01 Chicago L 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Matt Moore
Sigh...I guess I just have to come to terms with this news: The
Kings really are a pretty bad team. They go out one day and look
like they could thrash just about any team in the league just to
raise my hopes, then they suck it up for the next week or so,
losing games to teams that they should lose to, and losing big
while doing it.
A perfect example would have to be the Jan. 22 game against the
Sharks, where the Kings lost 7-2. Admittedly, the game was on the
road and a tie would have been ok, but the Kings didn't even bother
to show up. It was a disgrace to the team, and unfortunately, just
a sign of how they were going to play for the next few games.
Rob Blake did give the team a lift with his return to the lineup
for the game against the Sharks. This was a game that the Kings
should have won, and would have won, except for a reversal of a
goal due to a player being in the crease. The Ducks radio color
man, former King Pat Conacher, should be given some credit for the
Kings strong play due to his comments that put down the Kings
rebuilding efforts, even though his team isn't "rebuilding" but
isn't that much better than the Kings. This might just be a sign
of how bitter he is at being traded by the Kings last year, and too
be honest, comes as a surprise since during much of his time with
the Kings he came across as being a bit more classy than his
comments reflect. Guess I was wrong...
Kevin Stevens continues his strong play, despite having lost that
"C" on the sweater. While still an alternate captain, he was the
leading scorer on the Kings in January and shows no sign of slowing
down. He is playing the best hockey since when he was a Penguin,
and now, considering the problems that Rick Tocchet has had in
Boston, that trade seems to have been a much better deal for the
Kings than originally thought.
However, the current captain for the Kings seems to be a bit rusty
in coming of his broken hand. Rob Blake has played surprisingly
poor for such a good player. In fact, just off of recent play, I
would have to say that Aki Berg has been the best defenseman. Berg
has continued his strong play that he has shown since his being
called up a few weeks ago. He has improved his language skills
considerably in the past year or so, and apparently that has helped
out with his being able to communicate with his teammates. He is
using his 6'5" 210lb. frame to his advantage now, both with legal
and illegal checks, and is showing surprising speed for such a big
guy in going up the ice with the puck. Scary part is he is only 19
and if he keeps on improving he will be a force.
Kai Nurminen has continued his strong play, turning into one of the
Kings best scoring threats. His play would be improved even more if
he had better passing players surrounding him, but I think that
applies to ever player in the NHL. What seems to have turned him
around is the realization that the NHL plays a much rougher style
than he was used to in Europe. Now that he has learned that, no
matter what he will be hit, and he has adjusted his play
accordingly. Now he seems more willing to be more physical; he is
able to survive in the better scoring areas. Add his adaption to
the physical play with both his speed and natural scoring ability,
and he has turned out quite well.
Unfortunately, the Kings lost their best goaltender of late, Byron
Dafoe, to a thumb injury on his right hand and will not be able to
play in their game against the Calgary Flames. Add this to the
recent bad play (where Dafoe was the only reason it wasn't even
worse), and the Kings seem to just keep on digging themselves
deeper and deeper into a hole, with the playoffs just being a hope
and not a reality.
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SAN JOSE SHARKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Al Sims
Roster: C - Jeff Friesen, Bernie Nicholls, Ron Sutter, Darren
Turcotte. LW - Viktor Kozlov, Tony Granato, Andrei Nazarov, Tim
Hunter, Dody Wood, Chris Tancill. RW - Shean Donovan, Owen Nolan,
Todd Ewen, Steve Guolla. D - Doug Bodger, Marcus Ragnarsson,
Todd Gill, Al Iafrate, Greg Hawgood, Mike Rathje, Marty McSorley,
Vlastimil Kroupa, Chris LiPuma. G - Eddie Belfour, Kelly Hrudey,
Wade Flaherty.
Injuries: Mike Rathje, d (surgery to repair groin tendon,
indefinite). Eddie Belfour, g, (sprained medial collateral
ligament, 2-3 weeks). Darren Turcotte, c, (punctured ear drum,
day-to-day).
Transactions: Traded Ulf Dahlen, rw, Michael Sykora, d, Chris
Terreri, g, and a 1998 conditional second-round pick to the Chicago
Blackhawks for Ed Belfour, g; called up Chris Tancill, lw, Chris
LiPuma, d, and Wade Flaherty, g, from Kentucky (AHL);
called up Alexei Yegorov, c, for two games, from Kentucky.
Game Results:
01/20 at Vancouver L 6-1
01/22 Los Angeles W 7-2
01/24 New Jersey L 3-1
01/27 at Vancouver L 5-2
01/29 at Edmonton L 3-1
01/30 at Calgary W 6-3
02/01 Colorado W 2-1
TEAM NEWS by Mark Spiegel
Of course the big news of late in San Jose has been the acquisition
of goalie Ed Belfour from the Blackhawks. With the Sharks
struggling to reach a playoff spot, some type of change was
expected. With all of the off-season changes and acquisitions,
merely improving over last season's dismal performance just isn't
enough. Whether unwritten, or whether inspired by memories of the
1993-94 team and the run it made, most fans would have hoped for
better than bobbing in and out of the Pacific cellar.
With all of the changes made, it was understandable that it might
take time for the team to gel. However, now that both the actual
(41 games) and figurative (All-Star break) midseason points have
been passed, it must be getting a little worrisome in the Sharks'
offices. Through the first 20 games of the season, the Sharks were
7-9-4. From games 21 to 41 San Jose compiled a 7-13-4 record. Not
exactly what you'd call improvement.
Since the All-Star game the Sharks have continued their just under
.500 play, coming out flat against the Canucks, bouncing back to
trounce the Kings at the Tank, then losing a home game to the
Devils that nobody on the team wanted to play due to the trade
rumors filling the air.
The initial rumors, apparently started in Chicago, had Jeff Friesen
traded with Chris Terreri to the Hawks. This not only caused a run
on supplies of tar and rope at local hardware stores, but apparently
depleted the Sharks supply of fax machine paper. Many a fan
electronically voiced their opposition to trading the budding young
star.
"I definitely know who not to trade now," GM Dean Lombardi
sheepishly commented.
The thought of being traded so upset Jeff that he hung around at the
Tank, following the game with the Devils, after midnight until he
was reassured by the Sharks that he was not involved in the trade.
During the game, with New Jersey players reminding him on ice about
the rumors, Friesen had become so convinced he would be traded he
thought "if nothing else I wanted to score one more goal for the
(San Jose) fans."
Even older players, like Bernie Nicholls, whom Lombardi undoubtedly
quizzed to get inside info on Belfour, were affected. "I didn't
even want to go out and play the last period," lamented Nicholls,
who was a teammate of Belfour's last season.
Finally with the trade completed, the Sharks headed out for their
second game in a week at the Garage in Vancouver. Despite
outshooting and generally outplaying the hometown Canucks, the
Sharks failed to get a point. Similarly two nights later in
Edmonton, again the Sharks played well enough to win but came up
empty. Finally, closing out both the road trip and the month of
January, the Sharks were rewarded for their improving play with a
6-3 drubbing of Theo Fleury and the Calgary Flames. Up 5-0, before
the Flames first goal midway through the second period, the Sharks
nearly forgot the game is 60 minutes, relying on their new goalie,
Eddie the Eagle, to come up with 17 saves in the third period to
preserve the win.
Finally back home in the Tank, the Sharks put together one of their
best games of the season and defeated the defending Cup champion
Colorado Avalanche, 2-1.
It was the first home game for new goalie Eddie Belfour. Belfour,
who has now changed his number to 20 in honor of Vladislav Tretiak,
received a thunderous ovation from the Tank crowd when his name
was announced as the starting goalie.
The Sharks came out flying, often bottling up the Avs with
aggressive forechecking. With the score still tied at 0-0, and
goalies Ed Belfour and Patrick Roy battling for their teams, the
Sharks were forced to kill off over three minutes of penalties,
including a five-on-three situation, against the league's leading
power-play unit.
The penalty kill was successful and added further inspiration to the
Sharks drive. But they were, after all, playing the defending
champs with Roy in net, so despite several good scoring attempts,
it wasn't until 2:52 of the first period that the Sharks could put
the puck past St. Patrick.
A shot by Doug Bodger from the point went behind the Colorado net
where Stephen Guolla, showing wonderful poise for a rookie, gathered
it in and skated out to the right side of the crease. While
Guolla maneuvered, Owen Nolan snuck in behind the Colorado defense.
With a flick of Guolla's stick the puck found Nolan at the backdoor
for a quick deflection into the net behind Roy.
The Avalanche evened the score, just under four minutes into the
second period. Winger Scott Young received a backhand pass, from
linemate Rene Corbet, just outside the San Jose blue line. Young
stickhandled into the Sharks zone and fired a shot between goalie
Ed Belfour's pads to tie the score at 1-1.
With just over five minutes left, a stop by Eddie the Eagle on a
breakaway by the Avs' Corbet, resulted in, what we would learn
later, a strained MCL in Belfour's right knee. Corbet had fallen
on the Sharks' netminders' right leg when Belfour lunged forward to
poke check the puck. Despite the pain, Belfour remained in net
until the end of the period.
The third period started with a stunned Kelly Hrudey in net. "I was
nervous like nobody's business for the first five minutes or so,"
Hrudey admitted post-game. With the recent trade and Belfour's
performance through the first two periods, Kelly added "the pressure
doesn't get any bigger."
Hrudey came and delivered, and got a big boost when Jeff Friesen
scored what would turn out to be the game-winner, just over one
minute into the third. Friesen's score began when Owen Nolan took
the puck from behind the Colorado net and charged in to just left
of the crease. The NHL's version of Babe Ruth fired a quick wrist
shot at Roy. Roy made the initial save, stopped Nolan's attempt on
the rebound, but couldn't stop Friesen's whack at the second
rebound.
With a one goal lead, the Sharks gradually went more and more into a
defensive mode. Trapping at mid-ice, dumping the puck at the
Colorado blueline, only sending in a single forechecker. And the
whole team did it. Everybody worked their dorsal fins off
finishing checks, playing their positions, clogging the passing
lanes. The commitment was personified by center Dody Wood, who,
having one of his best games ever as a Shark, stayed on the bench
for a few quick sutures, rather than waste time going to the locker
room.
While Doug Bodger drove superstar center Peter Forsberg to
frustration with his defensive play, winger Todd Ewen was giving
Claude Lemieux lessons on being an obnoxious pest. Yeah, it was
that good of an effort by the Sharks.
"From start to finish we played with the best team in the league,"
head coach Al Sims happily stated afterward.
Defenseman Doug Bodger, instrumental in defending against Colorado's
top line of Kamensky, Forsberg and Lemieux added: "We hit everything
early and made it tough on them. When we come to play we can play
with anybody in the league."
Marty McSorley, often teamed with Planet Al Iafrate in the final
minutes of the third, and remembering the frustrating loses earlier
in the week said: "(We are finally) getting rewarded for our
effort."
Current Lines
Lines and defensive pairings for the Sharks have been:
Guolla Friesen Nolan
Kozlov Nicholls Nazarov
Granato Wood Donovan
Tancill Sutter Ewen
Bodger Gill
McSorley Ragnarsson
Hawgood Iafrate
Baby Sharks showing teeth
Three of the Sharks young hopes for the future have really improved
their play over the last 20 games. Jeff Friesen, now playing the
center position he played in juniors, is scoring at more than
a point per game (PpG) clip. The twin 6-foot-5 Russian towers,
Viktor Kozlov and Andrei Nazarov , have made big jumps in their
scoring. Kozlov's dazzling stickhandling is being complemented by
more goals and assists. Andrei "Natural Born Killer" Nazarov has
more than doubled his goals per game (GpG) average, while keeping
his PIM at a "respectable" 145.
GpG PpG
---- ----
Jeff Friesen
-previous games 0.27 0.43
-last 20 games 0.35 1.10
Viktor Kozlov
-previous games 0.17 0.43
-last 20 games 0.30 0.65
Andrei Nazarov
-previous games 0.14 0.32
-last 20 games 0.35 0.70
Black and Blue Sharks
Defenseman Mike Rathje, whose injured groin was operated on in
December, may now be lost for the remainder of the season. The
Sharks are reporting that they now suspect the injured muscle may
have separated from the bone. Since muscles are attached to bone
by tendons, and that's what the team doctors said they operated on
earlier, one has to wonder what exactly they were doing when they
cut into ol' Mike.
Tony Granato is back in the lineup after sitting out a few games
with a sore back.
Center Darren Turcotte punctured an ear drum with a Q-tip swab
over a week ago. The speedy forward has been held off the ice
as he's still having trouble keeping his balance while walking.
Sounds like he's prime LCS staff material...
Goalie Eddie Belfour, just a week after joining the team, injured
his right knee in the win over Colorado on Saturday. An MRI
assessment of the knee determined showed a slightly sprained
medial collateral ligament, requiring up to 2-3 weeks of IR.
Teal Guys Finish Third
Through the official midpoint of the season, 41 games, the
Sharks had improved by 13 points over their admittedly dismal
1995-96 performance. Last year the Sharks were 8-29-4 after
41 games, while this season the team was 14-22-5.
A nice improvement, but only third to the Dallas Stars and
Ottawa Senators. The Senators improved by 15 points over
last year's 41-game record, while Dallas led the entire
league, improving by 17 points to a 23-15-3 mid-1996-97 record.
Sharks Trivia Quiz:
Last issue's quiz was:
Sharks' All-Star Tony Granato was signed during the off-season after
playing for the Los Angeles Kings for several years. Originally a
New York Ranger, who was Tony traded for in being sent to L.A.?
The answer is:
Granato, and teammate Tomas Sandstrom, were traded to the Kings for
Tony's current Sharks teammate Bernie Nicholls.
This issue's quiz is:
Before the acquisition of Eddie Belfour, Arturs Irbe's performance
during the 1993-94 season was about as close as the Sharks have
come to having a first rung NHL goaltender. Accordingly, Irbe
holds every all-time goaltending record the Sharks have, except one
category. Arturs holds the team record for best GAA, most wins,
games played, and shutouts, among others.
What one Sharks' all-time goaltending record does Irbe not hold?
(Hint: he's tied for second with fellow former Shark Jeff
Hackett...)
Answer next issue...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Tom Renney
Roster: C - Trevor Linden, Mike Ridley, Mike Sillinger, Scott
Walker; LW - Martin Gelinas, Markus Naslund, Esa Tikkanen, Gino
Odjick, Donald Brashear, David Roberts; RW - Pavel Bure, Alexander
Mogilny, Russ Courtnall, Troy Crowder; D - Jyrki Lumme, Dana
Murzyn, Bret Hedican, Chris Joseph, Mark Wotton, Dave Babych,
Adrian Aucoin, Leif Rohlin; G - Kirk McLean, Corey Hirsch.
Injuries: Troy Crowder, rw (torn rib cartilage Jan. 25, 3-to-6
weeks); Jyrki Lumme, d (returned from shoulder injury Jan. 23,
missed 11 games); Mike Ridley, c (returned from testing on legs
and back Jan. 27, missed 4 games); Adrian Aucoin, d (returned
from shoulder sprain Jan. 30, missed 6 games); Trevor Linden, c
(returned from sprained MCL Jan. 30, missed 24 games); Gino Odjick,
lw (returned from groin strain Feb. 1, missed 5 games).
Transactions: Alexander Semak, c, assigned to Syracuse (AHL) Jan.
22 for two weeks conditioning; Lonny Bohonos, rw, assigned to
Syracuse (AHL) Jan. 31.
Game Results:
01/20 San Jose W 6-1
01/22 at Chicago W 4-3 OT
01/23 at St. Louis L 4-3
01/25 at Phoenix L 4-0
01/27 San Jose W 5-2
01/30 NY Islanders W 2-1 OT
02/01 at Calgary L 3-0
TEAM NEWS by Carol Schram
First, the good news: the Vancouver Canucks finished the month of
January with a record of 8-4-1. Old-time fans who remember the 70s
and 80s and the team's traditional January eastern road-trip to
accommodate the Ice Capades will also remember that, historically,
points are hard to come by during this month. It should be no
surprise that those eight wins have set a franchise record for
victories in January. It also matches the entire season's win
total for their GM Place cohabitants, the NBA's Vancouver
Grizzlies!
More from the bright side: the Canucks are healthy -- really, for
the first time in two years. Heart-and-soul team captain, Trevor
Linden, finally rejoined the lineup Jan. 30 at home against the New
York Islanders, and the former NHL Ironman admitted that his
adrenaline was pumping as he lined up to take the opening face-off
for the first time in 24 games. As well, Jyrki Lumme and Adrian
Aucoin have returned from their respective shoulder problems. Gino
Odjick came back from his groin injury in time to offer some moral
support to Pavel Bure in his rematch against the evil Todd Simpson
and the Calgary Flames. And Mike Ridley was talking about retiring
after the All Star break; he took four games off to have more
tests done on his mysterious leg and back troubles but now he says
that, at the very least, he will finish out the season. Only
spare-part tough guy Troy Crowder is currently on the injury list:
he took full advantage of his recent ice-time to polish up his
pugilistic skills, but injured his ribs against Phoenix in his
second fight of the night with Jim McKenzie and is out for at least
a couple of weeks.
Linden is making every effort to restore peace and team unity, both
on and off the ice. His size, intensity, and face-off skills are a
welcome sight up the middle. And Trevor's positive spin on the
team's position heading into the second half is also refreshing
after Esa Tikkanen and Alex Mogilny's complaining have grabbed all
the headlines. Linden says that having everybody back healthy is
"almost like making a trade, without having to give anybody
up".
Nevertheless, two weeks ago, the second half of the Canucks' season
got off to a bit of a rocky start. Mike Ridley had been the only
player to appear in every game this season, but he disappeared
right after the All Star break in an effort to satisfy himself
about the long-term state of his health. Alex Mogilny's suggestion
that the team needed to acquire a center continued to linger in the
media, and then Esa Tikkanen got into an ugly, public scrap with
management regarding his desire for a new contract.
A story surfaced in a local paper a couple of weeks ago suggesting
that negotiations between the Canucks and Tikkanen's agent, Rich
Winter, were going poorly, and that Vice President of Hockey
Operations George McPhee had allegedly made some derogatory
comments about the Finn's "lifestyle". Tikkanen is in the last year
of a six-year contract that pays him about $1.1 million Cdn. He's
set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after
celebrating his 32nd birthday on Jan. 25.
Tikkanen and Winter are no strangers to extreme negotiating
techniques. In 1991, Winter filed a complaint with the Alberta
Labour Relations Board alleging that NHL Players' Association head
Alan Eagleson had been in a conflict of interest position when he
negotiated the players' 1986 collective bargaining agreement,
essentially because he was colluding with the league and its
management figures. Winter petitioned to have the CBA overturned,
thus allowing his clients Tikkanen and Craig Muni to become free
agents. While this demand was not successful, Winter was an
integral figure in bringing Eagleson's precarious position into the
public eye, forever changing the face of labour relations in the
NHL.
When Tikkanen was acquired by Vancouver last fall, the organization
appeared to bend over backwards to accommodate the player's needs.
At first, Tikkanen refused to report to the Canucks and hid out for
awhile in Edmonton with his family, reputedly looking for a
contract renegotiation. Undaunted, the Canucks kept up the pressure
for Tikkanen to join the team, but when he did get to Vancouver, he
failed a medical exam on his knee, casting his entire hockey future
into doubt. Team medical staff worked hard to get Tikk back into
playing shape and he became a solid contributor through the rest of
last season. Over the summer, he had further treatment on the
wonky knee and has been relatively solid so far this year.
If Tikkanen had retired last season for medical reasons, he likely
would have received a significant insurance payout, so he probably
didn't benefit that much financially from playing the rest of last
season and this one. Tikk's benefit comes from getting to the end
of the year -- to unrestricted free agent status -- and hopefully
to getting one more big contract before the knee finally packs it
in. Rich Winter has implied that the Canucks had appeared to agree
with this rationale, but when Winter proposed a new two-year
contract for his client that would work on a sliding scale
depending on Tikkanen's ability to play, to a maximum of $2 million
US, the Canucks countered with a one-year extension in the
neighborhood of $1.2 million US -- far from Winter's estimation of
Tikkanen's market value.
Thanks to the Canucks' foot-dragging and George McPhee's alleged
comments, Tikkanen had had enough of the situation by Jan. 19, when
Winter went public to the local media with his trade request. The
next night, Tikk performed well and scored a goal in the Canucks'
6-1 drubbing of San Jose. He referred to the game as "another day
at the office", but was so infuriated with his contract situation
that he was intending to "accidentally on-purpose" miss the team
flight for its three-game road trip. At this moment, both the
Tikkanen/Winter faction and the Vancouver hockey community are
lucky that Tom Renney is a little more eloquent than Rick Ley ever
was. Winter flew in from Edmonton on Tuesday and the three sat
down to discuss the situation. Winter said that "Tom just made a
great case". Tikk went on the trip and has been behaving with his
usual intensity, and the buzz has now shifted to an impending
meeting between Winter and Pat Quinn, where hopefully something
will be worked out.
Tikkanen's trade request carries a strange resonance. While he
holds five Stanley Cup rings and there's no doubt that he's one of
the brightest hockey minds in the NHL, he has two big black marks
against him. One is his rather chippy personality, which is a big
part of what makes him such a successful agitator on the ice. The
other is his fragile body, which could potentially give out on him
at any time. With so much uncertainty league-wide about the value
of future unrestricted free agents as the March 20 trading deadline
approaches, even the prospect of trying to set a price for Tikkanen
is going to be a huge headache for Pat Quinn. You can also be sure
that he's not going to trade a pest like Tikkanen, who shadowed
Pavel Bure so effectively in playoffs past, to any team in the
Western Conference. So it's likely that, now that he's calmed
down, Esa will stay right here for the rest of the year. Now the
only question is whether or not the Canucks can make him feel happy
about it.
With all this dissension and distraction swirling about, the
Canucks have managed to write a different story on the ice over the
past couple of weeks. Right after the All Star break, Vancouver
squashed San Jose in their game rescheduled due to a wicked
December snowstorm. After Owen Nolan's scene-stealing performance
at the All Star Game, there was some concern that the Sharks would
be all pumped up, but a 1-1 tie was as close as San Jose ever got
as Markus Naslund showed flashes of brilliance when moved up to the
top line with Tikkanen and Bure, leading the way to a 6-1 Vancouver
win.
Next, the Canucks began a three game road trip by stealing two
points in Chicago. Down by one with five minutes to go, a dormant
Alex Mogilny took a stupid penalty for boarding. The Hawks failed
to put the game away, so Mogilny amended for his mistake by making
a perfect pass to Dave Roberts to set up the tying goal, then
bagged the winner himself in overtime.
Nevertheless, the Canucks wouldn't be the Canucks if they didn't
find a way to dog it after cracking that .500 plateau. The
following night in St. Louis, they were badly outshot and
surrendered a third-period 3-2 lead, thanks to a pair of blistering
shots from Brett Hull. Then Vancouver finished out its three-game
trip in the desert -- whining about lack of time off to play golf.
Instead, the boys seemed to take their little vacation during
game-time. The game was filled with fisticuffs and Nikolai
Khabibulin was spectacular in net, but Vancouver suffered another
embarrassing road loss on Hockey Night in Canada as they dropped a
4-0 decision to the surging Phoenix Coyotes.
Another meeting with San Jose turned into one of the most
entertaining games of the year. It was Eddie Belfour's first game
in Pacific Teal, and he was spectacular early in the first period
as the Sharks got off to a strong start. Tom Renney called a
time-out midway through the period with his team down 2-1. The
Canucks came back to tie before the end of the first on their way
to a convincing 5-2 victory, most renowned for its near-brawl close
to the end of the game. Scott Walker and Dody Wood had a good
scrap in the first period, and Donald Brashear and Marty McSorley
were close to going at it in the second, but the sparks really flew
after Brashear decisioned Dody Wood at 18:52 of the third. Skating
by the San Jose bench, Brashear made "like Rocky", pretending to
dust off his hands after the scrap. That brought the down ire of
Bernie Nicholls, who unleashed a verbal onslaught on the
disrespectful winger. Esa Tikkanen came to Brashear's defense by
swinging his stick at Nicholls to distract him -- he earned himself
a ten-minute misconduct in the process. Tikkanen's actions made
Owen Nolan mad enough to jump right into the Canuck bench to go
after him, prolonging the fracas a little bit more. Once the
incident was finally sorted out, it took just three second after
the puck was dropped for Chris Joseph to take a go at Todd Gill,
who has been antagonizing the Canucks, and Pavel Bure in
particular, all season long. Joseph is not noted as a fighter, but
handily dispatched the scrappy Shark captain for the final decision
of the night. The Sharks didn't give Ed Belfour a whole bunch of
help, either, as they surrendered countless odd-man rushes and gave
up 34 shots to the often-passive Canucks.
Vancouver faced another one of their patented risky' games the
following Thursday, as Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars --
or Long Island, if you will -- skated into town. The game was a
yawner, but Mike Sillinger got credit for banking a puck into the
Islanders' net off the skate of defenseman Kenny Jonsson in the
second period, and for awhile Kirk McLean's unbelievable netminding
made it look like that goal might hold up. But Marty McInnis sent
the game into overtime with his 15th of the year midway through the
third, and it took a patented Jyrki Lumme rush on a perfect pass
from Alex Mogilny a minute and a half into the extra frame to grab
the two points for the home team.
After winning two at home, it was back to Air Canuck for another
big five-game eastern road swing, starting Saturday in Calgary.
The Canucks seem to play some of their worst games when they're on
the road and on Hockey Night in Canada. The Colorado 9-2 blowout
back in October, a 6-1 meltdown against the Habs, and last week's
4-0 shutout by Phoenix come immediately to mind. Ironically, some
of their best games of the year have come on Saturdays at home --
like exciting wins against Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers, a
handy pummeling of the Leafs, and a hard-fought slugfest back in
November against the rival Calgary Flames.
The Canucks and Flames haven't met since that fateful night when
Pavel Bure and Todd Simpson each picked up $1,000 fines for their
over-the-top aggression, highlighted by Bure's sucker-punch to
Simpson's head. Simpson has gained more notoriety as the second
coming of pure evil after taking out Peter Forsberg before
Christmas. There's normally no love lost between these two teams,
so it was expected that sparks would fly on Saturday night.
Instead, fans were presented with a virtual no-hitter, good
goaltending, and a 2-for-3 power play performance by Calgary as the
Canucks failed to score for the second Saturday in a row, dropping
a 3-0 decision to their troubled division rivals. Vancouver had
their chances, but Trevor Kidd was sparkling in net after a sub-par
performance in his last outing. The Canucks let down in the second
period, Aaron Gavey potted a couple with the man advantage, and the
rest was history.
Vancouver finishes out their road trip this week with stops in
Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Toronto (on Saturday...uh-oh...).
Then it's back to a relaxing three games over a ten-day homestand.
The way things have been going, stayed tuned at that time for the
next suspense-filled installment of our local sports saga...
OTHER NEWS:
* The battle of the number one goalies has heated up again as Kirk
McLean appears determined to regain his undisputed number one
status. McLean has been 8-5-1 since returning from knee surgery
just after Christmas. His average has dropped to 3.06, and he has
kept his team in a number of games, particularly during their
frequently sluggish first periods. Corey Hirsch is healthy now,
but has been seeing little game-time during Captain Kirk's hot
streak and hasn't had much success when he does get to play,
although his save percentage remains slightly higher than
McLean's. Hirsch's last appearance was in the team's 4-0 shutout
loss to Phoenix, and it's rumored that he'll get the start Feb. 3
against Ottawa since the team is playing back-to-back road games
and McLean lost his last start. Hirsch currently holds a 3.35 GAA
and a record of 9-13-1 in 24 games played while McLean is 13-9-1,
also in 24 games.
* It's generally agreed that the Canucks can't stay above that
magical .500 mark because their best players -- Bure and Mogilny --
aren't being their best players game in and game out, but
working-class coach Tom Renney reveals his Canadian National Team
coaching roots when he praises the effort and development of his
role-players, especially during this injury-plagued period. Mike
Sillinger is probably the single most improved Canuck over the past
two months, but the team also has to be pleased with the
performances of guys like Dave Roberts, Scott Walker, Donald
Brashear and Gino Odjick up front, while Chris Joseph, Adrian
Aucoin and Mark Wotton have done the job more often than not on the
blue line. Much has been made of the character' required to ice a
winning squad, and players like these are showing they may have the
grit and desire that a team needs to make a good run through the
stretch and into the post-season. On Hockey Night in Canada last
week, Don Cherry emphasized the Canucks' explosive scoring
potential and strong goaltending while insisting once again that he
would not want to be a team facing Vancouver in the playoffs.
Despite their superstars, Vancouver has some of the most balanced
scoring in the league, with six players over the 10-goal plateau
and that doesn't include Esa Tikkanen, with nine, or the
injury-plagued snipers Russ Courtnall or Trevor Linden, who have
each tallied just five goals so far this year.
* While Tikkanen and his agent Rich Winter have once again painted
the Canucks and Vice President of Hockey Operations George McPhee
as brutally tough negotiators, Gino Odjick seems to have no trouble
getting it right. Maybe it's that intimidating boardroom
presence. After a week of talks, without an agent, Odjick emerged
with a new five-year deal that will pay him in the neighborhood of
$4.3 million. The deal includes a retroactive raise for this
season from about $600,000 Cdn to about $800,000 US, plus four
more years and an option for a fifth. Additionally, Odjick saved
himself the agent's commission -- generally around 15%. Gino is
now in his seventh NHL season, all with Vancouver. He would be an
unrestricted free agent without compensation in three years as a
player with 10 years experience who is making below the league
average. Management made the move to re-sign him now, because
Gino's popularity with Canuck fans and his teammates makes him a
valuable commodity. And Gino has additional reason to be satisfied
with this new financial security: the never-married tough-guy
became a father for the fifth time last week, this time to a baby
girl, China.
* Even with all Vancouver's injuries and the gaping hole at center,
Alexander Semak had not played a game since before Christmas when
he was assigned to Syracuse for a two-week conditioning stint on
Jan. 22. Semak was given some time off over the holidays to return
to Russia when his father passed away, but apparently all those
delicious press-box meals since his return have left him in
something less than game shape. Hence, the Syracuse assignment to
get him some playing time. Apparently Semak's $735,000 US one-way
salary is not enough to ease his dissatisfaction with his working
conditions. Upon his arrival in Syracuse, he pulled out his own
version of the Donald Brashear/Mario Tremblay battle, telling local
media that "I think the coach has got something against me. He
can't touch anybody but me. Why? Because he doesn't have
experience." With Lonny Bohonos' return to the Crunch and Troy
Crowder's rib injury, there is roster space available on the big
club for Semak, who has already cleared waivers once this season,
when his conditioning stint ends next Wednesday. Unless, of
course, Pat Quinn shocks everyone and actually makes a deal...
* When Russ Courtnall becomes an unrestricted free agent this
summer, he could end up staying in Vancouver, he could sign a
contract with another NHL squad, or he could turn to a new career
as an action hero. When the Canucks visited St. Louis on Jan. 23,
Russ was leaving the team's hotel on his way to meet his brother
Geoff for lunch when he saw a man run by in full flight. It turned
out that he had grabbed a woman's purse, so Russ hopped in a cab
and chased the thief down until he tired. After the robber pleaded
with Courtnall not to do anything to him, since he had a wife and
four children, the hockey player re-claimed the purse and returned
it to the hotel and its owner -- all with a group of teammates
looking on. The grateful woman's response? "Didn't you get my
coat? He had that too!" In this day and age, a crime-fighter's
work is never done...
* While Pat Quinn has been admitting lately that he has tried to
get his hands on, among other things, a puck-moving offensive
defenseman, the ghost of Jeff Brown is gradually fading away.
Brown's recovery from spinal fusion surgery is not going all that
smoothly, and his chances of returning to the NHL are currently
estimated at just 50%. Tom Renney has also recently admitted that,
while he has not vetoed' any trades per se, he has suggested to
Quinn that some of the players available at this time might not be
good fits into the current Canuck system. Just a thought -- does
the name Craig Janney spring to mind??
================================================================
=================================================================
Next Issue: February 18, 1997
=================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL STANDINGS February 3, 1997
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference
NORTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD
Pittsburgh 51 28 18 5 61 188 155 16-5-3 12-13-2
Buffalo 52 27 19 6 60 150 135 16-7-3 11-12-3
Montreal 54 19 25 10 48 168 189 12-11-4 7-14-6
Hartford 50 20 23 7 47 146 163 14-9-2 6-14-5
Boston 51 20 25 6 46 147 175 10-14-5 10-11-1
Ottawa 50 17 23 10 44 138 148 10-14-6 7-9-4
ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD
Philadelphia 51 29 15 7 65 161 126 14-9-3 15-6-4
Florida 52 26 15 11 63 149 120 13-6-4 13-9-7
NY Rangers 54 26 21 7 59 184 150 14-11-4 12-10-3
New Jersey 49 24 17 8 56 129 123 11-7-7 13-10-1
Washington 52 21 25 6 48 136 141 11-11-2 10-14-4
Tampa Bay 49 18 25 6 42 137 156 6-11-6 12-14-0
NY Islanders 51 16 26 9 41 137 149 11-12-2 5-14-7
Western Conference
CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD
Dallas 52 29 19 4 62 157 127 13-10-2 16-9-2
Detroit 50 24 17 9 57 152 115 13-8-5 11-9-4
St Louis 53 25 24 4 54 160 165 10-14-1 15-10-3
Phoenix 51 22 25 4 48 140 161 10-12-4 12-13-0
Chicago 54 20 26 8 48 137 143 8-16-3 12-10-5
Toronto 53 19 33 1 39 150 188 12-15-0 7-18-1
PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD
Colorado 53 32 13 8 72 182 124 16-4-4 16-9-4
Edmonton 52 25 22 5 55 164 151 14-10-2 11-12-3
Vancouver 51 24 25 2 50 161 170 14-10-1 10-15-1
Anaheim 51 20 25 6 46 146 155 13-12-2 7-13-4
Calgary 52 19 27 6 44 131 154 12-12-2 7-15-4
Los Angeles 53 19 28 6 44 144 183 11-11-3 8-17-3
San Jose 51 19 27 5 43 134 162 9-14-3 10-13-2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL LEAGUE LEADERS February 3, 1997
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
------------------------- ---- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ----
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 36 50 86 27 45 11 1 5 1 219 16.4
JAROMIR JAGR PIT 50 42 34 76 27 40 10 2 6 1 194 21.6
TEEMU SELANNE ANA 51 29 39 68 8 20 5 1 3 1 168 17.3
WAYNE GRETZKY NYR 54 16 52 68 15 12 4 0 2 1 202 7.9
MATS SUNDIN TOR 53 29 33 62 0 41 3 3 4 0 201 14.4
RON FRANCIS PIT 51 19 42 61 19 8 5 1 1 0 122 15.6
MARK MESSIER NYR 48 29 31 60 15 63 5 5 6 1 165 17.6
BRIAN LEETCH NYR 54 15 42 57 26 28 7 0 1 0 177 8.5
PAUL KARIYA ANA 38 22 34 56 18 6 9 2 6 0 205 10.7
KEITH TKACHUK PHO 51 32 23 55 1- 132 6 2 2 1 189 16.9
ZIGMUND PALFFY NYI 49 30 25 55 13 33 4 4 5 0 182 16.5
JOHN LECLAIR PHI 51 29 26 55 19 40 6 0 4 2 204 14.2
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 29 26 55 22 96 12 3 5 2 207 14.0
JOE SAKIC COL 40 15 40 55 1- 20 6 1 4 0 173 8.7
BRETT HULL STL 52 29 25 54 3- 8 7 1 4 2 211 13.7
MARK RECCHI MON 54 24 30 54 0 40 4 1 2 0 132 18.2
ADAM OATES BOS 51 18 36 54 10- 6 2 2 4 0 107 16.8
STEVE YZERMAN DET 50 14 40 54 19 32 4 0 2 0 146 9.6
PETER BONDRA WAS 48 32 20 52 7 60 5 4 2 1 183 17.5
TONY AMONTE CHI 54 31 21 52 26 44 7 1 2 2 174 17.8
VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MON 54 20 32 52 13- 56 6 2 2 1 167 12.0
PIERRE TURGEON STL 49 13 38 51 5 10 2 0 4 0 137 9.5
BRIAN SAVAGE MON 53 18 32 50 3- 33 5 0 1 0 156 11.5
MIKE MODANO DAL 52 23 26 49 21 18 7 4 7 0 196 11.7
PETR NEDVED PIT 47 23 25 48 5 42 9 1 3 0 123 18.7
ALEXANDER MOGILNY VAN 49 20 28 48 6 8 3 1 3 1 100 20.0
DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTT 47 18 30 48 6 24 9 0 0 2 141 12.8
DOUG WEIGHT EDM 52 13 35 48 0 64 4 0 0 0 133 9.8
PETER FORSBERG COL 36 12 36 48 19 30 4 2 2 0 92 13.0
--- INDIVIDUAL LEADERS ---
-- GOAL SCORING -- -- ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP G NAME TEAM GP A
------------------------- ---- -- --- ------------------------- ---- -- ---
JAROMIR JAGR PIT 50 42 WAYNE GRETZKY NYR 54 52
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 36 MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 50
PETER BONDRA WAS 48 32 RON FRANCIS PIT 51 42
KEITH TKACHUK PHO 51 32 BRIAN LEETCH NYR 54 42
TONY AMONTE CHI 54 31 JOE SAKIC COL 40 40
ZIGMUND PALFFY NYI 49 30 STEVE YZERMAN DET 50 40
MARK MESSIER NYR 48 29 TEEMU SELANNE ANA 51 39
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 29 PIERRE TURGEON STL 49 38
JOHN LECLAIR PHI 51 29 PETER FORSBERG COL 36 36
TEEMU SELANNE ANA 51 29 ADAM OATES BOS 51 36
BRETT HULL STL 52 29 DOUG WEIGHT EDM 52 35
MATS SUNDIN TOR 53 29 DOUG GILMOUR TOR 53 35
-- POWER PLAY GOALS -- -- SHORT HANDED GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP PP NAME TEAM GP SH
------------------------- ---- -- --- ------------------------- ---- -- ---
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 12 MARK MESSIER NYR 48 5
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 11 PETER BONDRA WAS 48 4
JAROMIR JAGR PIT 50 10 ZIGMUND PALFFY NYI 49 4
GERMAN TITOV CGY 50 10 MIKE MODANO DAL 52 4
ANDREI KOVALENKO EDM 51 10 TODD MARCHANT EDM 52 4
PAUL KARIYA ANA 38 9 ADAM GRAVES NYR 54 4
DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTT 47 9 MARTIN RUCINSKY MON 42 3
PETR NEDVED PIT 47 9 RANDY BURRIDGE BUF 49 3
RAY SHEPPARD FLA 48 9 MIKE PECA BUF 49 3
ADAM DEADMARSH COL 49 9 BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 3
KEITH JONES COL 50 9 MATS SUNDIN TOR 53 3
ALEXEI YASHIN OTT 50 9
SANDIS OZOLINSH COL 53 9
-- GAME WINNING GOALS -- -- OVERTIME GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP GW NAME TEAM GP GOT
------------------------- ---- -- --- ------------------------- ---- -- ---
MIKE MODANO DAL 52 7 ROBERT KRON HAR 48 2
PAUL KARIYA ANA 38 6
JEREMY ROENICK PHO 41 6
MARK MESSIER NYR 48 6
RAY SHEPPARD FLA 48 6
JAROMIR JAGR PIT 50 6
JIM CAMPBELL STL 53 6
WENDEL CLARK TOR 37 5
DEAN MCAMMOND EDM 45 5
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV DET 46 5
BILL GUERIN NJD 49 5
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 5
ZIGMUND PALFFY NYI 49 5
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 5
-- GAME TYING GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP GT
------------------------- ---- -- ---
ADAM GRAVES NYR 54 4
ERIC LINDROS PHI 28 2
DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTT 47 2
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 2
ALEXANDRE DAIGLE OTT 50 2
STU BARNES PIT 51 2
JEFF FRIESEN SAN 51 2
JOHN LECLAIR PHI 51 2
THEOREN FLEURY CGY 52 2
BRETT HULL STL 52 2
TONY AMONTE CHI 54 2
-- SHOTS -- -- FIRST GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP S NAME TEAM GP FG
------------------------- ---- -- --- ------------------------- ---- -- ---
THEOREN FLEURY CGY 52 228 OWEN NOLAN SAN 48 8
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 219 PETR NEDVED PIT 47 7
BRETT HULL STL 52 211 ZIGMUND PALFFY NYI 49 7
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 207 BRIAN ROLSTON NJD 49 7
PAUL KARIYA ANA 38 205 MATS SUNDIN TOR 53 7
JOHN LECLAIR PHI 51 204 TONY AMONTE CHI 54 7
AL MACINNIS STL 52 204 RAY FERRARO LOS 52 6
PAVEL BURE VAN 50 202 SCOTT MELLANBY FLA 52 6
WAYNE GRETZKY NYR 54 202 JOE SAKIC COL 40 5
MATS SUNDIN TOR 53 201 VALERI ZELEPUKIN NJD 41 5
ALEXEI YASHIN OTT 50 197 DINO CICCARELLI TAM 47 5
PETER BONDRA WAS 48 5
MARK MESSIER NYR 48 5
DAVE ANDREYCHUK NJD 49 5
ADAM DEADMARSH COL 49 5
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 5
JOHN LECLAIR PHI 51 5
TEEMU SELANNE ANA 51 5
DEREK PLANTE BUF 52 5
DIMITRI KHRISTICH LOS 53 5
BRIAN LEETCH NYR 54 5
-- SHOOTING PERCENTAGE (MIN 49 SHOTS) --
NAME TEAM GP G S PCTG
------------------------- ---- -- --- --- ----
MIKE RIDLEY VAN 47 15 56 26.8
MIROSLAV SATAN EDM 48 15 66 22.7
JAROMIR JAGR PIT 50 42 194 21.6
NIKLAS SUNDSTROM NYR 54 18 84 21.4
RAY FERRARO LOS 52 18 86 20.9
ANDREI KOVALENKO EDM 51 25 122 20.5
ALEXANDER MOGILNY VAN 49 20 100 20.0
MIKE SILLINGER VAN 49 14 70 20.0
JOE NIEUWENDYK DAL 36 18 93 19.4
GREG ADAMS DAL 34 15 78 19.2
STEPHANE MATTEAU STL 48 12 64 18.8
PETR NEDVED PIT 47 23 123 18.7
JEFF O'NEILL HAR 44 13 71 18.3
MARK RECCHI MON 54 24 132 18.2
ADAM DEADMARSH COL 49 22 123 17.9
TRENT KLATT PHI 47 14 78 17.9
MARKUS NASLUND VAN 49 12 67 17.9
TONY AMONTE CHI 54 31 174 17.8
STEVE HEINZE BOS 30 17 96 17.7
MARK MESSIER NYR 48 29 165 17.6
PETER BONDRA WAS 48 32 183 17.5
DEREK KING NYI 51 18 103 17.5
TEEMU SELANNE ANA 51 29 168 17.3
VALERI KAMENSKY COL 42 17 100 17.0
STEVEN RICE HAR 49 15 88 17.0
-- PLUS/MINUS --
NAME TEAM GP +/-
------------------------- ---- -- ---
VLADIMIR KONSTANTINOV DET 47 32
DAVE ANDREYCHUK NJD 49 28
JAROMIR JAGR PIT 50 27
MARIO LEMIEUX PIT 49 27
TONY AMONTE CHI 54 26
BRIAN LEETCH NYR 54 26
VIACHESLAV FETISOV DET 41 26
SERGEI FEDOROV DET 43 25
DARRYL SYDOR DAL 52 23
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DET 49 22
VYACHESLAV KOZLOV DET 46 22
--- GOALTENDING LEADERS ---
-- GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE --
(MIN 16 GP)
GOALTENDER TEAM GP GA AVG
------------------------- ---- -- --- -----
PATRICK LALIME PIT 22 42 2.10
JOHN VANBIESBROUCK FLA 37 76 2.14
CHRIS OSGOOD DET 32 67 2.17
ANDY MOOG DAL 36 73 2.17
MARTIN BRODEUR NJD 40 81 2.17
JEFF HACKETT CHI 19 42 2.20
PATRICK ROY COL 42 93 2.24
RON HEXTALL PHI 37 80 2.28
MARK FITZPATRICK FLA 21 41 2.33
MIKE VERNON DET 17 40 2.39
-- WINS --
GOALTENDER TEAM GP W L T
------------------------- ---- --- -- -- --
PATRICK ROY COL 42 26 9 6
DOMINIK HASEK BUF 47 26 16 5
RON HEXTALL PHI 37 23 10 3
MIKE RICHTER NYR 38 23 12 3
GRANT FUHR STL 46 23 18 4
CURTIS JOSEPH EDM 45 22 17 5
ANDY MOOG DAL 36 20 10 3
MARTIN BRODEUR NJD 40 20 11 7
JOHN VANBIESBROUCK FLA 37 18 11 7
PATRICK LALIME PIT 22 16 2 2
GUY HEBERT ANA 41 16 18 6
FELIX POTVIN TOR 46 16 28 0
-- SAVE PERCENTAGE --
GOALTENDER TEAM GP GA SA SPCTG
------------------------- ---- --- --- ---- -----
STEVE SHIELDS BUF 3 5 104 .952
PHILIPPE DEROUVILLE PIT 1 2 38 .947
PATRICK LALIME PIT 22 42 648 .935
KEVIN HODSON DET 4 5 73 .932
CRAIG BILLINGTON COL 14 25 352 .929
ROMAN TUREK DAL 5 9 121 .926
PATRICK ROY COL 42 93 1243 .925
JOHN VANBIESBROUCK FLA 37 76 1019 .925
JEFF HACKETT CHI 19 42 558 .925
DOMINIK HASEK BUF 47 117 1524 .923
-- SHUTOUTS --
GOALTENDER TEAM GP SO W L T
------------------------- ---- --- -- -- -- --
PATRICK ROY COL 42 6 26 9 6
CURTIS JOSEPH EDM 45 6 22 17 5
DOMINIK HASEK BUF 47 5 26 16 5
CHRIS OSGOOD DET 32 4 15 9 6
MARTIN BRODEUR NJD 40 4 20 11 7
GUY HEBERT ANA 41 4 16 18 6
PATRICK LALIME PIT 22 3 16 2 2
TREVOR KIDD CGY 33 3 12 15 4
ANDY MOOG DAL 36 3 20 10 3
RON HEXTALL PHI 37 3 23 10 3
MIKE RICHTER NYR 38 3 23 12 3
--- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE SCORING LEADERS ---
PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
------------------ ------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ----
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 17 19 36 0 64 4 0 6 0 141 12.1
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 15 19 34 4 28 6 1 1 0 108 13.9
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 12 19 31 3 37 3 0 3 0 79 15.2
BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 51 5 25 30 4 53 3 0 0 0 118 4.2
JANNE NIINIMAA PHILADELPHIA 46 2 25 27 8 28 1 0 0 0 89 2.2
HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 10 15 25 3 10 3 1 3 0 68 14.7
SERGEI BEREZIN TORONTO 44 14 8 22 8- 2 6 0 1 0 109 12.8
JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 11 9 20 0 8 2 0 4 1 106 10.4
ANDREAS DACKELL OTTAWA 50 8 12 20 4- 6 1 0 2 0 57 14.0
REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 8 11 19 7 10 1 0 1 0 51 15.7
--- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE LEADERS ---
-- GOAL SCORING -- -- ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP G NAME TEAM P A
------------------ ------------ -- --- ----------------- ------------ -- ---
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 17 JANNE NIINIMAA PHILADELPHIA 46 25
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 15 BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 51 25
SERGEI BEREZIN TORONTO 44 14 JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 19
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 12 JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 19
JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 11 JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 19
DANIEL GONEAU NY RANGERS 41 10 WADE REDDEN OTTAWA 50 15
HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 10 HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 15
DAYMOND LANGKOW TAMPA BAY 46 9 ANDREAS DACKELL OTTAWA 50 12
ANDREAS DACKELL OTTAWA 50 8 STEVE SULLIVAN NEW JERSEY 24 11
REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 8 SERGEI ZHOLTOK OTTAWA 30 11
BRAD SMYTH FLA-L.A 31 7 DENIS PEDERSON NEW JERSEY 40 11
MATS LINDGREN EDMONTON 39 7 REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 11
DENIS PEDERSON NEW JERSEY 40 7 ETHAN MOREAU CHICAGO 54 11
DAINIUS ZUBRUS PHILADELPHIA 40 7 MATS LINDGREN EDMONTON 39 10
ETHAN MOREAU CHICAGO 54 7 MIKE GRIER EDMONTON 49 10
-- POWER PLAY GOALS -- -- SHORT HAND GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP PP NAME TEAM GP SH
------------------ ------------ -- -- ----------------- ------------ -- --
SERGEI BEREZIN TORONTO 44 6 MARK WOTTON VANCOUVER 35 1
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 6 MATS LINDGREN EDMONTON 39 1
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 4 DAYMOND LANGKOW TAMPA BAY 46 1
TOMAS HOLMSTROM DETROIT 24 3 JOEL BOUCHARD CALGARY 47 1
DANIEL GONEAU NY RANGERS 41 3 HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 1
HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 3 JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 1
BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 51 3
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 3
-- POWER PLAY ASSISTS -- -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP PPA NAME TEAM GP SHA
------------------ ------------ -- --- ----------------- ------------ -- ---
JANNE NIINIMAA PHILADELPHIA 46 14 JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 2
BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 51 10 JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 2
CHRIS O'SULLIVAN CALGARY 27 6 SEBASTIEN BORDELEA MONTREAL 21 1
JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 5 AARON WARD DETROIT 28 1
WADE REDDEN OTTAWA 50 5 CALE HULSE CALGARY 38 1
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 5 STEVE STAIOS BOSTON 40 1
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 5 DARREN VAN IMPE ANAHEIM 44 1
SERGEI ZHOLTOK OTTAWA 30 4 REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 1
DREW BANNISTER TAMPA BAY 46 4
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 4
-- POWER PLAY POINTS -- -- SHORT HAND POINTS --
NAME TEAM GP PPP NAME TEAM GP SHP
------------------ ------------ -- --- ----------------- ------------ -- ---
JANNE NIINIMAA PHILADELPHIA 46 15 JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 3
BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 51 13 JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 2
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 10 SEBASTIEN BORDELEA MONTREAL 21 1
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 9 AARON WARD DETROIT 28 1
SERGEI BEREZIN TORONTO 44 8 MARK WOTTON VANCOUVER 35 1
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 8 CALE HULSE CALGARY 38 1
CHRIS O'SULLIVAN CALGARY 27 7 MATS LINDGREN EDMONTON 39 1
JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 7 STEVE STAIOS BOSTON 40 1
WADE REDDEN OTTAWA 50 7 DARREN VAN IMPE ANAHEIM 44 1
SERGEI ZHOLTOK OTTAWA 30 6 DAYMOND LANGKOW TAMPA BAY 46 1
TOMAS HOLMSTROM DETROIT 24 5 JOEL BOUCHARD CALGARY 47 1
DREW BANNISTER TAMPA BAY 46 5 HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 1
HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 5 REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 1
-- GAME WINNING GOALS -- -- GAME TYING GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP GW NAME TEAM GP GT
------------------ ------------ -- -- ----------------- ------------ -- --
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 6 STEVE SULLIVAN NEW JERSEY 24 1
JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 4 JAY PANDOLFO NEW JERSEY 31 1
AARON MILLER COLORADO 32 3 BRAD SMYTH FLA-L.A 31 1
HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 3 MATTIAS TIMANDER BOSTON 35 1
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 3 JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 1
DENIS PEDERSON NEW JERSEY 40 2 BRUCE GARDINER OTTAWA 44 1
DAINIUS ZUBRUS PHILADELPHIA 40 2 DARCY TUCKER MONTREAL 46 1
DANIEL GONEAU NY RANGERS 41 2 TODD SIMPSON CALGARY 52 1
DANIEL MCGILLIS EDMONTON 43 2
DARCY TUCKER MONTREAL 46 2
ANDREAS DACKELL OTTAWA 50 2
-- SHOTS --
NAME TEAM GP S
------------------ ------------ -- ---
JIM CAMPBELL ST LOUIS 53 141
BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 51 118
SERGEI BEREZIN TORONTO 44 109
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 108
JONAS HOGLUND CALGARY 41 106
-- SHOOTING PERCENTAGE (MIN 46 SHOTS) --
NAME TEAM GP G S PCTG
------------------ ------------ -- --- --- -----
REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 8 51 15.7
JAMIE LANGENBRUNNE DALLAS 52 12 79 15.2
HARRY YORK ST LOUIS 50 10 68 14.7
ANDREAS DACKELL OTTAWA 50 8 57 14.0
JAROME IGINLA CALGARY 52 15 108 13.9
-- PLUS/MINUS --
NAME TEAM GP +/-
----------------- ------------ -- ---
JANNE NIINIMAA PHILADELPHIA 46 8
VLADIMIR VOROBIEV NY RANGERS 8 7
ERIC MESSIER COLORADO 17 7
DENIS PEDERSON NEW JERSEY 40 7
REM MURRAY EDMONTON 52 7
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