_ _ _ _ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY ================================================================ Five Star - ELECTRONIC EDITION - * * * * * ================================================================ Issue 64 March 4, 1997 It's like free, man ---------------------------------------------------------------- Visit us on the web at http://www.lcshockey.com/ for all your hockey needs. To subscribe/unsubscribe from the LCS mailing list send e-mail to zippy@psu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------- Cullen Speaks! ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Meredith Martini, Correspondent Valentine's Day, 1997. The mission? Find LCS hero John Cullen. First assignment: find out where the Tampa Bay Lightning are staying in the Washington area. The location is a secret known only to the Lightning and Capitals... and every autograph hound in Maryland. OK, so it wasn't that difficult to find the team. Second assignment: brave the terrible weather February hath wrought, as several inches of snow and slush overnight have ice-coated the Maryland interstates during rush hour and slowed traffic to a crawl... except that later in the morning the temperature went over freezing and much of the mess melted. OK, the drive wasn't that bad either. Third assignment: having arrived safely at the hotel, it's time to find our hero. Your reporter waits in the hotel lobby, searching high and low for Cullen and finding only a somewhat dazed Rob Zamuner. Right team, wrong guy. Unlike the rest of the Lightning, apparently our hero does not eat breakfast: there is no sign of Cullen. The team bus arrives at the hotel and your reporter decides to wait by the bus with the precious few autograph seekers in attendance who wait for the wonderful moment when our hero will sign their cards. Most of the team leaves the building and boards the bus (and most of them do sign autographs; after all, these are hockey players). Still no sign of Cullen. Bill Houlder discovers there is still snow remaining in front of the hotel and begins bombarding teammates and fans alike with slushy snowballs. Cullen finally emerges from the hotel just in time for Houlder to land a ball of slush on Cullen's shoes. Cullen glares at Houlder but it doesn't do any good as Houlder continues throwing snowballs. Your reporter waits for Cullen to appease those wanting his autograph, then approaches our hero, inquiring if he is familiar with LCS. He isn't. The reporter explains that he is the hero of millions from eight to eighty who wish to hear his words. More snowballs fly by as Houlder sights more people deserving of a snow shower. Cullen agrees to share some thoughts after the morning skate. Next assignment: cool heels in the USAir Arena parking lot - literally, it hasn't been plowed. The only entertainment is heckling Calle Johansson - he's 30 today, although Phil Housley maintains Calle is merely 29 for a second time. Finally the Lightning complete their morning skate and return to their bus, giving the reporter just enough time to speak with Cullen. LCS: You're having a very good year this season. What do you think is different this year that's really improved your play? Cullen: Just working hard, personally I don't think I'm having that great a year, but I'm just working hard and trying to do the best I can and help the team win. LCS: What do you think of the new building in Tampa? Cullen: It's beautiful, it's a beautiful rink, the fans really like it, it's great to play in. Our record's not too good there right now but we're working hard at it. LCS: What's your best memory from your time with the Penguins? Cullen: Best memory was probably my first game, first NHL game, I'm the type of guy they said would never make it and I had four great years and had a lot of fun, met a lot of great guys. LCS: I know the first you heard about LCS was when I told you this morning. How does it feel to be the hero of a worldwide publication? Cullen: [Laughing] Geez, it kinda makes me feel pretty good what you said to me this morning, and LCS, I thank them for treating me so well. LCS: Our other hero at LCS is Badaboum, the former mascot of the Quebec Nordiques. Do you have any idea where he might be? Cullen: Oh really? Badaboum, I'm not quite sure where he is, I really don't keep track of former mascots around the league. LCS: You wouldn't happen to have any idea where our Toronto correspondent went would you? Cullen: [Thinks] Uh, no. LCS: Do you have anything you'd like to say to the LCS audience? Cullen: Just thanks, you say they treat me well and I just want to thank them. LCS: Do you have any ideas on how we could continue our quest for world domination? Cullen: Have reporters like you. Aw, shucks. Unfortunately Cullen had to leave with the team, but mission accomplished! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bruins Choose Profits Over Playoffs ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Matt Brown, Boston Correspondent Boston fans who complained that the Bruins could only put 2/3 of a top line on the ice this season can quit squawking. Now even that is gone. Only hours after a heroic team effort in which the Bruins came from behind to tie one of the best teams in hockey, Bruins management ripped the heart out of the team by trading Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet, and Bill Ranford to the Washington Capitals for goalie Jim Carey, centers Anson Carter and Jason Allison, a 1997 third-round draft pick, and a conditional 1998 second-round draft pick, if Tocchet signs on with Washington after the season. 22-year-old Anson Carter was a standout with Michigan State before the Colorado Avalanche traded his rights to Washington on April 3, 1996. He has seen limited action with the Caps, but previously scored 19 goals and 19 assists this year for the Caps top farm club, the AHL Portland Pirates. Jaason Allison, a 21-year-old center, was named Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year in 1994. He had 55 goals and 142 points in his final full junior season, but he has only seven goals in 86 games with the Caps over the course of four seasons, and just five goals and 16 assists in 52 games this year. But there is little doubt that the 22-year-old Carey is the real center of attention here. He is a native of Dorchester, Massachusetts, and he led the NHL with nine shutouts last season. But his record this season is mediocre, at 17-17-3 with a 2.74 GAA. Since his flop in the playoffs against Pittsburgh, he has seen reduced playing time. "I see them as potentially good, solid NHL players," Sinden said. "We made the trade for youth. For the future, we think it was time to take a run at a younger team with potential. We think we have a lot of very good players in that age group. And if we can solidify with some younger ones, it was time to do that." While Oates and Tocchet were expected goners, the trade of Bill Ranford caught most Bruins watchers totally by surprise, and reactions ranged from disbelief to utter disgust. However, there is no truth to the rumor that Jeremy Jacobs, the Bruins owner who gave Harry Sinden a $100,000 Mercedes as a bonus last year, plans to have the car refitted with bulletproof glass. It remains to be seen whether, as a result of this trade, the Bruins are a heart transplant candidate, or simply a brain-dead organ donor. If the Bruins manage to sneak into the playoffs, it will most likely be in spite of this trade rather than because of it. But that is hardly the whole story. Face it, a team gearing up for the playoffs does not deal three of its four best players to a team directly competing with them for the last playoff slot. Like everything else Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden does, this trade was not the simple six-player swap it appeared to be on the surface. As one Bruins fan put it, "There are lies, damned lies, and Harry Sinden." Both Sinden and Capitals GM Dave Poile categorized this as a "buyer beware" trade, given that Oates and Tocchet were known to have contract problems brewing. True to form, Tocchet has already said that he will not sign, and Oates asked that he not be required to play for the Caps their first game after the trade, with a hint that he will not suit up at all until the contract matters are resolved. Bill Ranford, in some respects the innocent victim in all this, dutifully dressed as backup for Washington the next day against the Islanders. However, this is a "buyer beware" trade on both sides. You have to wonder why a team that is struggling on offense would deal a 22-year-old Vezina Trophy winning goalie with a 2.26 GAA for Ranford, an increasingly brittle 30-year old goalie who missed 20 games hurt this year, has a recent history of nagging injuries, hasn't had a GAA under 3.25 in seven years, and who has never had a GAA under 3.00 in a year he played more than six games. The answer is that Washington, or at least coach Jim Schoenfeld, were disappointed in Carey's playoff performances, and covet the "big save" ability and experience that Ranford brings to the job. The Bruins front office is betting that a return to his hometown will be just the ticket Jim Carey needs to regain his form, mature in his position, and solidify his playoff performance. All well and good, as long as you remember that a 22-year-old player only becomes available when his current team gives up on him. Would Dave Poile take the risks with Oates' contract, Ranford's injuries, and Tocchet's contract and injuries, if he thought he was giving Harry a "sure thing" goaltender and two young rarin' to go centers? Don't forget, Dave Poile is the guy who sold Harry on Al Iafrate for Joe Juneau. We all know how that turned out for Boston. In trading forwards, the Bruins gave up 100 points to gain 25 and a whole lot of calendar time. Oates was leading the Bruins again in scoring with 70 points, and Tocchet had chipped in 16 goals and 14 assists between maladies. Anson Carter and Jason Allison could muster all of eight goals between them, and two of those came against the Bruins last week. Allison was a highly touted prospect coming out of junior, but suddenly his reputation is in the gutter, supposedly because his skating skills don't measure up. Neither has Carter set the US Air Center aflame. Fortunately for Boston, it just isn't that simple. Remember the phrase about success in business -- "location, location, location." Well, success in NHL hockey is "ice time, ice time, ice time." Think back at the number of pluggers who blossomed into All-Stars just by moving from the third line to the first line at the right time, or when traded to the right team. The classic example for the Bruins was Al Secord. A bruiser and grinder with the Bruins, he became a scorer and an All-Star with the Blackhawks because he got the ice time. There is an excellent chance, or so the Bruins think, that given the ice time, of which they got little in Washington, that either Carter or Allison or both could begin to live up to their previously advertised potential. Hey, it could happen! Another important aspect of this trade is draft positioning. The Bruins hold their own first-round pick, and that of the Hartford Whalers, who are still suffering from the "Glen Wesley" hangover. The Whalers are also fighting Washington for that last playoff spot, and any trade that helps Washington hurts Hartford, potentially giving the Bruins a higher draft pick to squander along with their own, which is looking more lottery-likely with each passing game. And then there is youth. At the press conference announcing the trade, Harry talked a great deal about youth and age. "We've been thinking about having to make a move to have some youth in the organization for quite a few months. I think that probably called us to action," general manager Harry Sinden said. It was here that Harry made the most sense, although there is a sneaking suspicion that Harry was egged on to a degree by certain Boston media members who have harped endlessly about the age factor on the Bruins, and by Harry's recollection of the collapse of the great Celtic Dynasty when the big three (Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale) all got old together fast. "The youth Harry's talking about, I think this team badly needs," Steve "Master of Understatement" Kasper said. "Whether we'll be a better team on the ice right now remains to be seen." Obviously, Sinden's point that making the playoffs (or not) wasn't the deciding factor in Steve Kasper's fate had to make Stevie's part in this a little easier to bear. "I can tell you this," said Kasper, "Morale in that locker room will be better. Obviously, the last week's been very tough on our team. I think it's time for me to go through the locker room now and give all the players a pat on the back for making it through. That distraction has been removed." I'll bet they are just lining up at the door for that one. In Boston's defense, Sinden's premise is to rebuild the team from the goalie on out, following the example of New Jersey with Martin Brodeur and Florida with the Beezer. But there is a significant difference: each of these teams had a stronger and more experienced core defense, and both used systems which rely on strong backchecking, while the Bruins style has always relied on strong forechecking. This Bruins team and coach have yet to prove that they can consistently employ a backchecking style game in and game out. A further handicap is an almost universal lack of the team speed needed to play both a forechecking and backchecking two-way style. The sad truth is that even Patrick Roy would look more like the Patrick of last Fall in Montreal rather than the Conn Smythe winner of this Spring in Colorado, if he were playing for the Bruins. The more accurate appraisal is that a world-class goalie puts a strong team over the top, but may manage to keep a pathetic team out of the cellar. See also: Bill Ranford, Edmonton Oiler. The saddest part of this trade is the total disregard of the loyal Bruins fans. The people who buy the tickets spoke loud and clear last Thurday with the ovations they gave to Oates. They wanted Adam to stay. In reality, that only hastened his departure. Just like letting Joe Mullen go this year, before he could score goal number 500 -- Sinden deprives fans of what little pleasure they could get from this team. They had to dump Adam before he scored his 1,000 career point (he was 16 points away when traded) to avoid total embarrassment. Now they can potentially be embarrassed when he does it for the Capitals. When it all comes down to it, though, money is the root of all Delaware North Companies, Inc., the corporate owners of the Bruins. And the fact is that the Bruins dumped off $7 million in salaries for an outlay of around $3.5 million. Do the math, and add to that the reported $14 million that the hockey team alone made last year, on the backs of fans paying the highest ticket prices in the leagues -- don't even count the parking and concessions. Case closed. How did this all come to pass? Why would a team struggling to make the playoffs deal a future Hall of Fame center, a goalie with two Stanley Cup wins, and one of Wayne Gretsky's best pals to Washington? It all was triggered by a single goal. The Bruins played one of their best games of the year against the Avalanche, but lost on a dribbler of a goal in overtime with just 3.8 seconds remaining. After the game, during a fairly routine post-game interview, Adam Oates let loose with the blast heard 'round the hockey world, letting out the secret that the Bruins weren't exactly the strongest club in the league, and it wasn't the coaching, it wasn't the players, it was the management team that had not gotten the job done. Well, that went over big. Bruins Assistant General Manager Mike O'Connell fired back with pointed comments about Oates not supporting his teammates, claiming that Oates was in effect saying that his teammates weren't good enough to play along side him. The recriminations continued from there, with Mike trying to embarrass Oates in the locker room in Chicago, pointing to other players and asking Oates if this guy or that guy were good enough. While some traditionalists might feel that Oates violated the sanctity of the locker room with his public airing of discontent, and point to Raymond Bourque's quiet leadership as a better example of perseverence, this is unfortunately the nineties. Oates' comments were far tamer than those of players like Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, and others. That doesn't make any of them right, but it does point out that hockey players do have freedom of speech in this brave new world. The difference is that Boston management still deals with discontent in classic Stalin-style -- exile to Siberia, or someplace similar. Any difference of opinion on a player's part is treated as disloyalty, even if that player has led the team for five years without a discouraging word. Of course, Harry and Mike can say whatever they want about a player - call him a floater, lazy, washed up, and that is "management's prerogative." They vilify Oates for non-specifically saying that some of the Bruins players aren't as strong as players on other teams, and then Mike and Harry blithely ship the same players down to Providence with no pangs of guilt whatever. In fact, this is exactly what Oates was complaining about, rather than the player's skills themselves. Listen: "A guy that was on my left wing three days ago just sat out a game in the minors. Is that any way to treat people?" Oates is talking about P.C. Drouin, a rookie who went from first line in the NHL to benched in the AHL three days later. Even though this is the kind of stuff you see in Dilbert's Book of Bad Management, they say Oates is the one disrespecting Bruins players? Please. Hockey has changed, but not for the better, in this regard. Players are no longer indentured servants (well, not as much), owners are no longer sportsmen, and GMs like Sinden and O'Connell are busy trying to stay one step ahead of lawyers and sleazeball agents in the blame game. Mike O'Connell spoke as if he were concerned that Boston's players were upset by Oates' remarks. That hasn't seemed to be the case. Ray Bourque hoped that Oates would stay put. "I hope I don't have to worry about that," Bourque said. "I know what the guy's meant to this organization. I know what he brings to the rink each night. I know how hard he competes. I want to keep playing with him. You don't want to lose anybody with that amount of talent and that ability." Well, what's one more disappointment for Ray anyway? Certainly nothing worth getting embarrassed over, at least in Harry and Mike's opinion. Washington certainly knows what they want out of the trade. After the tie game between the Caps and Bruins, Washington coach Jim Schoenfeld was clearly sold on Ranford: "There was a guy on the other end that made sure we only got one point. ... Ranford played great," he added. "If you had to pick the difference in this game, it's pretty obvious it was Bill Ranford." Following the trade, Schoenfeld was even more optimistic: "If I'm a Washington Capital and I hear that Rick Tocchet, Adam Oates and Bill Ranford are coming to my team, I'm a Washington Capital that has a lot more confidence today than I had yesterday. I think it's going to be a big boost for our team." So far, it is anything but a big boost for the Bruins, in spite of Steve Kasper's "High Hopes" attitude. The team came out and showed Jim Carey what it is like to be a Bruins goalie – pure hockey playing misery, as they helpd stake him to a 4-1 deficit in the first period, before he was unceremoniously yanked in his first game. Welcome home, Jim. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Capitals Win Blockbuster Trade for Now ----------------------------------------------------------------- By Jason Sheehan, Washington Correspondent The Washington Capitals (24-32-7) and Boston Bruins (21-34-9) are two teams with a reputation of making the playoffs every year. This season, both clubs are on the outside looking in, and decided that something needed to be done. Last Saturday, the Boston Bruins shipped disgruntled center Adam Oates, right wing Rick Tocchet and goaltender Bill Ranford to the Washington Capitals for goaltender Jim Carey, center Anson Carter, center Jason Allison, a 1997 third-round draft pick, and a conditional second-round pick in 1998 if the Capitals re-sign Tocchet. Tocchet, 29, becomes an unrestricted free agent when his contract ends in May. It was the biggest deal made since 1992, when Philadelphia acquired center Eric Lindros from Quebec for six players, two draft picks and $15 million. The Bruins, in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 30 years, are obviously thinking about the future. Oates, 34, and Ranford, 30, have been involved in many NHL wars. Now, Boston has decided to rebuild with a group of youngsters, all of which are under the age of 25. Carey, a 22-year-old Boston native, has struggled this season (17-17-3, 2.74 Goals-against- average, .893 save percentage). But lately, he's been showcasing the style of play that won him the Vezina Trophy a year ago. The Bruins are banking on the fact that Carey has many good years ahead of him. Yet, after viewing his first game in a Bruins uniform, Coach Steve Kasper cannot be happy. Due to defensive breakdowns and a lack of concentration in goal, Carey was pummeled by the Toronto Maple Leafs for four goals on nine shots in the first period. He was pulled soon after in favor of Rob Tallas. "Jim Carey, as we all know, won the Vezina Trophy last year, and is a fine young goaltender," Capitals General Manager David Poile said at a press conference. "In some regard, he has struggled a little bit this year, but there's no doubt that he's a fine goaltender, and has a great future in front of him. "He goes to a city where he was born and raised. Obviously, that seems to be a good fit for the Bruins, and I'm sure for Jim Carey." The big catch for Poile and the Capitals was acquiring Oates. Oates, 34, lost favor in Boston a couple weeks ago when he blamed management for the way things were being run. According to Oates, the Bruins weren't committed to building a winner. So he asked the Bruins to clean up their act or trade him. Saturday, one of his wishes came true. But Oates wasn't done playing games. This time he asked that his contract be renegotiated (more money) or else. Well, the Capitals were in no shape to bargain at this late stage of the season. Apparently, Oates realized this fact, but didn't want to take advantage of his new club. So, he decided to play hockey now and talk about his contract this Summer. In Oates, the Capitals get one of the greatest playmaking centers of all-time. In the 90s, only one player has collected more assists: the Great One Wayne Gretzky. Age may be catching up to Oates. But based on his stats, he still has plenty left in the gas tank. Oates led the Bruins with 68 points (18 goals, 50 assists). He also has more points than any Capital player, Peter Bondra was the club's leading scorer with 59 (36 goals, 23 assists). Look for Oates to center a line alongside Joe Juneau. Oates and Juneau played in Boston a few years ago, where Oates had over 100 points and Juneau enjoyed his finest NHL season. Due to a quantity of injured players, the Capitals have lacked toughness over the last few weeks. That problem may now be solved with the acquisition of Tocchet, who has been a tough customer throughout his NHL career. Tocchet should fit in well. He, too, has battled injuries all season, his latest being a bruised ankle. But in the 40-games he's dressed, Tocchet has collected 16 goals and 14 points. Most importantly, he is the type of player that will stick his nose where it doesn't belong, which is proven by his 67 penalty minutes. However, don't expect Tocchet to be around for long. Before the trade, he stated that he wanted his next team to be his last. Philadelphia Flyers' GM Bobby Clarke called Poile soon after the trade and inquired about Tocchet's status on the open market. Tocchet has stated that he'd like to end his career in Philadelphia. But if Poile gives him what he wants, Tocchet would be happy to end his career as a Capital. Washington, who ranks last in the league in goal-scoring, needed an extra surge of offensive power. With Oates and Tocchet, Poile's wish has finally come true. Meanwhile Boston, who is six points out of a playoff spot, may be throwing the towel in and looking ahead to the future. Carter, 23, and Allison, 21, are promising forwards that have yet to mature. Due to a bucket-load of injuries, the Capitals relied on the two youngsters, but didn't receive the amount of goal-scoring pop they needed so badly. Allison hasn't scored in his last 47 games. Carter, however, has shown signs of potential lately, scoring three goals in 20 games. Right now, the Capitals are the winners of this deal. But in a few years, the tables could very well be turned when Washington is stuck with the over-the-hill gang, and Boston has the most promising young players in the league. And Carey will probably win a few more Vezina Trophies before his career comes to a close, if he finds a way to break out of his current slump. Only time will decide who is the winner of this blockbuster trade. "I think with young players you have to be patient and you have to give them time to play," Poile said. "In Jason Allison and Anson Carter's case, I think they were two young guys that were getting a big opportunity with the amount of injuries the Capitals had." ======================================================== World Domination Update, Vol.2 No.13 ======================================================== 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... LCS on America Online On February 21, LCS Guide to Hockey celebrated the opening of our new area on America Online. Unfortunately, very few of our valued readers were there to share in our excitement because of a faulty keyword. As of this update, our AOL keyword "LCS Hockey" still does not work. Until the situation is corrected, please look for the link to the LCS Guide to Hockey area in the Canadian Sports area (keyword "CDN Sports"). On AOL, you will be able to find many exclusive features not available on our web site. We provide daily recaps of NHL contests and news in the new Daily Extra section. If you like exclusive weekly columns, we offer those, too. Our AOL coverage is the perfect compliment to our web-based content. In fact, our web site can also be accessed from the new AOL area. If you're on AOL, do us a favor and use it as your access point to the LCS web site. In addition to the new content, we also offer message boards and a chat room on AOL. On our message boards, you can post your thoughts on various topics including current NHL events, the Hartford Whalers, John Cullen and waffles. Also be sure to take part in our chat room. Each week night, members of the LCS Guide to Hockey staff will host chats on various topics. Here is the current chat schedule: AOL Chat Schedule Monday - Atlantic Division 11:00 PM to Midnight EST Tuesday - Northeast Division 11:00 PM to Midnight EST Wednesday - Central Division Midnight to 1:00 AM EST Thursday - Pacific Division 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM EST Friday - Trivia or Whatever! Midnight to 1:00 AM EST We hope to see you online. 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: The Domain Name 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 Dragnet 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, Taxi. 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! 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 WANTED........................Anaheim Correspondent Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent Valerie Hammerl...............Buffalo Correspondent Tony Wong.....................Calgary Correspondent Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent Matt Gitchell................Colorado Correspondent Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent Dino Cacciola.................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 Jonah Sigel...................Toronto Correspondent Carol Schram................Vancouver Correspondent Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent Tricia McMillan...................AHL Correspondent ---------------------------------------------------- LCS: guide to hockey issue 64 March 4 - March 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 Islander's Sale Approved The sale of the New York Islanders to John Spano received unanimous approval from the National Hockey League's Board of Governors. Spano reached agreement in November to purchase the Islanders and all of the cable television rights for $165 million. But the sale to the young Texas businessman was not completed until last month, when Spano finalized negotiations with SportsChannel, which will televise Islanders games well into the 21st century. Spano is a 32-year-old native New Yorker and chairman of The Bison Group, a Dallas-based aircraft and heavy equipment firm. He and his wife have a home on Long Island and lease an apartment in Manhattan. Spano, who bought the club from John O. Pickett, has said he will not move the Islanders to another city. But he also has stated the need for renovations to the Nassau Coliseum or construction of a new arena for the Isles to become a competitive team. Firings...Hirings...Signings...etc... Welcome Back Huddy Veteran defenseman Charlie Huddy is back in the National Hockey League after being recalled Wednesday by the Northeast Division-leading Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres, looking to hold on to first place in the division and catch the Philadelphia Flyers for the top slot in the Eastern Conference, recalled the 37-year-old Huddy from Rochester of the American Hockey League. The move was necessitated by injured defenseman Richard Smehlik, who is day-to-day with a sore right knee. Huddy, a mainstay of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty that won five Stanley Cups in seven years, spent the entire season as a player-coach with Rochester, where he had four goals and six assists with 28 penalty minutes and a plus-8 rating. A veteran of 1,004 NHL games, Huddy, who played 55 games with the Sabres last season, has 99 goals and 354 assists for 453 points with 779 penalty minutes. EJ Fired The Penguins fired coach Eddie Johnston this week. He was a great man, but only an average coach. Here are his coaching records; Regular season Year, team W L T Pct. 1979-80, Chi 34 27 19 .544 1980-81, Pitt 30 37 13 .456 1981-82, Pitt 31 36 13 .469 1982-83, Pitt 18 53 9 .281 1993-94, Pitt 44 27 13 .281 1994-95, Pitt 29 16 3 .281 1995-96, Pitt 49 29 4 .281 1996-97, Pitt 31 26 5 .540 Totals 266 251 79 .513 Playoffs Year, team W L Pct. 1979-80, Chi 3 4 .000 1980-81, Pitt 2 3 .400 1981-82, Pitt 2 3 .400 1993-94, Pitt 2 4 .400 1994-95, Pitt 5 7 .400 1995-96, Pitt 11 7 .400 Totals 25 28 .472 Police Blotter: Petit and Brashear Suspended Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Michel Petit and Vancouver Canucks left wing Donald Brashear were each suspended by the National Hockey League Sunday pending a hearing as a result of incidents in Saturday games. Petit was suspended for kneeing Florida Panthers left wing Johan Garpenlov in a Saturday afternoon game at Florida. Garpenlov suffered a sprained right knee and will be sidelined up to six weeks. Petit received a major penalty and a game misconduct on the play and missed Sunday night's 2-1 win against the New York Rangers. Brashear was suspended for delivering a blind-side punch to Los Angeles Kings center Ian Laperriere in Saturday night's game at Los Angeles. He received a major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct on the play and missed Sunday night's 5-2 loss at Anaheim. J.J. Daigneault, ANA -- Abusing Ref The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim will be without defenseman J.J. Daigneault until late March after the league suspended him for 10 games, without pay, and fined him $1,000 for slashing referee Don Koharski on Feb. 23. The suspension for abuse of an official is automatically 10 games. The fine is the maximum allowed under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Daigneault struck Koharski with his stick after an accidental collision between the two. Daigneault subsequently swung and missed at Koharski. Bernie Nicholls, SJS -- Cross-check San Jose Sharks center Bernie Nicholls has been suspended for two games and fined $1,000 as a result of a match penalty for intending to injure Florida Panthers defenseman Ed Jovanovski. The incident occurred in overtime of the Sharks-Panthers game Feb. 25. 1996-97 NHL Suspension Date Player/Team/Length Opponent Reason Feb 28 Bernie Nicholls Florida Flagrant cross-check San Jose on Ed Jovanovski 2 games Feb 26 J.J. Daigneault Referee Struck Don Anaheim Koharski with his 10 games stick Feb 25 Michel Petit Florida Kneeing Philadelphia Johan Garpenlov 2 games Feb 25 Donald Brashear Los Angeles blind side punch Vancouver to Ian Laperriere 4 games Feb 18 Brent Severyn Phoenix Initiating Colorado altercation with 2 games Kris King Feb 5 Matt Johnson San Jose Flagrant elbow Los Angeles against Andrei 4 games Nazarov Feb 5 Rob Blake San Jose High-sticking Los Angeles incident against 4 games Shean Donovan Feb 5 Tony Granato Los Angeles Cross-checking San Jose Dmitri Khristich 4 games in back of head 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Beware of Doug ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Dave Feete, Playoff Prophet The trade the Devils made for Doug Gilmour is not just the trade of the year, it might also turn out to be the biggest trade in the mostly ho-hum history of the franchise. Okay, maybe Shanahan-for-Stevens comes close, but that wasn't nearly the one-sided grand theft they pulled off with this trade. They gave up a lot and got a lot in the Stevens deal. This deal puts them dead smack on top of the Cup race overnight. "No, Dave, you're overstating the case," I can hear you all say. NO, I AM NOT. See, I happen to be a lot older than most of the rest of you (yeah, it has its drawbacks, but those senior citizen discounts at the movies are great!), so I have recollections of events that happened long, long ago, when most of you punks reading this were in diapers. Now, trades like this just didn't happen in the old days, when teams would hang onto their stars tighter than Roseanne to a pork chop. But the timing of this trade is just as critical as Big Doug himself. Let me tell ya slow and careful-like: You see, way back in 1980, just about this time of year, the Islanders were lolly-gagging through the regular season. Now, this team had won the President's Trophy the year before, then got spanked by the Rangers in the semi-finals. Tore the hearts right out of 'em... 'Till Butch Goring came to town. Little Butchy was a gritty veteran center, a little ball o' fire who came from LA, where he had about as much of a shot at winning the Cup as he did at sproutin' an extra head. Well, when he joined the Islanders, somethin' just happened. Those lolly-gaggin' underachievers just lit the opposition up for the remainder of the season, and tore up everybody in the playoffs until Bobby Nystrom put the puck past a paralyzed Pete Peeters in Game Six of the finals. Lo and behold, the team that couldn't get it straight till the end of the season had won it all. Now, I ain't so senile as to say the Butch Goring was half the player "Killer" Gilmour is. I also ain't sayin' the Devils got four straight Cups in 'em either. But Goring was just what those Isles needed, just like Gilmour is just what the Devs need. How many years now have folks been saying that New Jersey has it all, and all they need is a center? A long time. And who better than Gilmour? Certainly plays good enough defense to fit into their system. He brings a little more to the table than the so-called first-line centers the Devils have had in the past few years. More of a force than Kevin Todd, Alexander Semak, and Neal Broten put together. One pessimistic and bitter Devils fan friend o' mine was whinin' that they should have gotten Oates instead, and that giving up Sullivan is gonna hurt 'em in the long run, but that's just plain silly in my opinion. Gilmour's the grittiest player around -- no disrespect to Oates -- and that is desperately needed in this division. Sullivan? Well, as skilled as he might be, he's never gonna be a Doug Gilmour. Not to mention, this is an old team, and by the time Sullivan's in his prime, the core players on this team are gonna be in the broadcast booth. Gilmour also brightens up a team that has become much like "The Borg" from Star Trek - Colin Campbell called them "an interchangeable flock." (Even Stevens has been assimilated in the last couple o' years). You can see this by the way they can change around their lines constantly during games. They're like a collective being most of the time. Now, I ain't knocking it, any team that can score 2.64 goals per game and be that high in the standings is doing something right. But maybe they need one individual, who can supply that offensive punch without damaging the collective defense one bit. Doug brings something to this team that they never really had before - an offensive player who scares the opposing team every time he wanders into their zone with the puck. I witnessed his first game as a Devil against the Islanders recently. I recall sitting there watching him rack up a goal and three assists, dishing out passes to teammates who were amazed to see that such offensive opportunities actually existed. By the end of the third, all I remember is a desperate Islander fan yelling to his team's broken and failing defense, with words that coaches will be screaming at their teams in the locker room until the Devils hoist the Cup again this June: "Beware of Doug! Don't you get it? Beware of Doug!" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Killer On The Loose ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Jonah A. Sigel Jan. 2, 1992 is known as the day general manager Cliff Fletcher made his biggest impact on the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. That was the day he dealt Gary Leeman, Alexander Godynuk, Jeff Reese, Michel Petit and Craig Berube to the Calgary Flames for Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Kent Manderville, Rick Wamsley and Doug Gilmour. Today, only Macoun still plays for the Leafs, Wamsley is a goaltending consultant. As for Gilmour, he was dealt after months of speculation on Feb. 25, 1997, along with another veteran, Dave Ellett, to the New Jersey Devils for 23-year-old defenceman Jason Smith, 22-year-old forward Steve Sullivan and 19-year-old center Alyn McCauley. Trades are announced all the time in the NHL, holding press conferences to announce and explain them is reserved for deals termed blockbusters. "Doug Gilmour's contribution to the Toronto Maple Leafs was immeasurable," Fletcher said in a press release following the deal. "He brought a standard of play and work ethic that was instrumental in any successes that this team enjoyed." The events that led to the deal were bizzare to put it mildly. On Monday the 24th, Fletcher and board member Brian Bellmore held a media conference following a three-hour board meeting apparently to discuss the on-going sex scandal at the Gardens. More realistically, the sex scandal was indeed discussed, but it says here that Fletcher also tabled the issue of the Gilmour deal and obviously got the green light on pulling the trigger. Following the Monday press conference Fletcher told the sports media that a deal could be in the works to stay in touch. A few hours later it was learned that a deal would not be made that night. Late Monday night Fletcher told New Jersey managment that in order for any deal to be made, Sullivan had to be included. Fletcher said that he felt confident enough late Monday night to call Gilmour and prepare his long-time friend and captain. When Gilmour arrived at the Gardens the following morning, things had not progressed. Fletcher informed Gimour that there was in fact a deal on the table and that it could happen any moment. Unfortunatley, Gilmour had to take to the ice with the Leafs, without saying a word to his teammates while Fletcher was able to consumate the deal. Ellett had to be called out of the whirlpool to be told. An emotonal press conference was held late that afternoon, to announce the trade. Fletcher fought back tears on several occasions as he tried to sell the public on the merit of his deal. Gilmour did not attend the conference for several reasons. First, Gilmour is not said to be very comfortable speaking under the best circumstances, so trying to speak here would have been out of the question. Secondly, Gilmour was very concerned how his young daughter would be effected and wanted to spend the time with both her and his family. Dave Ellett talked with the media and several times nearly broke down. At one point, as Ellett paused to regain his composure, Fletcher was caught wiping a tear from his own eye. Later that night, the Devils' private jet touched down in Toronto with Smith and Sullivan on board, and turned around with Gilmour and Ellett in tow. Upon arriving in New Jersey, both players were taken to the team practice facility where they underwent physicals. Gilmour told officials that he was exhausted and that he had not slept since Fletcher's call the previous night. Both Ellett and Gilmour were, in their own ways, relieved to be out of what has become a very difficult city to play hockey in. Few realize the pressure of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. There are three major papers with quality sports sections, five or six televison stations, one full-time dedicated sports station, and of course the all-sports radio station. Couple that with a building that has been sold out for almost every Leaf game since before the 1970's. Calling Toronto the NHL's pressure cooker is a massive understatement. Gilmour alluded to the fact that he coveted the opportunity to eat at restaurants and not be recognized. The debate is on as far as the deal goes. The consensus is that Fletcher made a great trade IF these players pan out. Conventional wisdom shows that Ellett is a free agent without compensation at season's end, so there is not much loss there. As for Gilmour, they have given up a great player who is about to enter the last year of his contract and is currently seeking a new deal. Realizing the need for rebuilding, trading Gilmour made sense in many ways. First, and most importantly, was that he is one of the only players who could produce any real return via trade. Smith and McCauley are both highly regarded and the New Jersey media were quite shocked that they were willing to part with either. Gilmour was also seeking the trade. Every veteran desires to play for a winner and any team that would take a serious run at acquiring Gilmour at this stage would be doing so to try to win the Cup today. Although Fletcher was adament that money was not a factor in this deal, the Leafs are well below their usual budget and SHOULD have room for free agents this off-season. Those in the know in New Jersey were disappointed that the Devils would deal Sullivan. Due to his age, the Devils wanted to make the transition from the AHL to the NHL easier on him, so they shifted him to wing where he really produced (eight goals, 16 assists in only 35 games). Many of his goals have been seen nightly on SportsCenter as the talented forward is a magician with the puck. His upbeat attitude and fearless approach made him a pivotal piece of the trade. It is McCauley that has hockey fans drooling. He is currently third in the OHL with more than 101 points in only 45 games (50 goals, 51 assists as of Thursday). He is a very impressive +41. He was also a key player of the 1997 Canadian Junior Team that captured Canada's fifth straight World Junior chamionship. After being drafted early in the first round by Ottawa of the OHL, he was expected to be a high draft pick in 1995. Unfortunatley he suffered an injury that hampered his performance that season and the result was a disappointing fifth-round pick in the draft. After the draft, McCauley really blossomed and put up number comparable to, if not better than, those drafted in the first round. So McCauley did not sign with the Devils, and if he didn't sign a three-year deal with the Leafs on Mar. 3, he would have been eligible to re-enter the draft this summer (experts claimed that he would have been a top five pick this year). So, with 19 games to go, rumors are around that very few jobs are secure in Toronto. Management would love to unload as many of their veterans as they could. While Fletcher will not be simply giving away players, it appears that he will be seeking a combination of draft picks and young talent. One hot rumor is that the Leafs have offered Dimitri Yushkevich to the Oilers for ex-Leaf Luke Richardson, who also becomes a free agent at seasons end. The holdup appears to be signing Richardson to a new deal. Other Leafs who could be on the move include: Kirk Muller (Rangers), Jamie Macoun (Flyers), Mike Craig, Tie Domi (Rangers) Wendel Clark (Dallas) and anyone else over 30. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Rumors du jour ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Tony Wong, Calgary Correspondent With the trading deadline only two weeks away, everyone is embroiled in trade rumors. However, with Gilmour and Oates now gone, it's become a lot harder to predict. So here at LCS, with the help of our crystal ball and the eyes and ears of our correspondents around the league, here are a few of the best rumors we've heard. The Top Five 1. The Vancouver Canucks trade: Alexander Mogilny, Russ Courtnall, Esa Tikkanen and the rights to Mattius Ohlund for Andrei Nikolishin, Steve Konowalchuk, Brendan Witt, Nolan Baumgartner and Washington's fourth-round pick. The only blockbuster trade of the bunch, but what a trade it is! While the principles around this trade: Mogilny, Witt and Baumgartner, have been discussed previously, the acquisition of Adam Oates makes giving up the two blue chip prospects much easier. For the Capitals, it would give them a serious shot at winning the Stanley Cup immediately. A line of Mogilny, Oates and Bondra would create a nightmare for opposing defenses. Backed by their solid blue line, Washington would finally have an offense to go with their defense. Tikkanen and Courtnall would bring playoff experience and savvy to the second and third lines. The addition of highly regarded prospect Ohlund would also help to ease the loss of Witt and Baumgartner. In the end, the Capitals essentially trade two young blue chip defensemen for Mogilny, Ohlund and a chance at the Cup. For Vancouver, the gains are much more subtle. In dealing the four players, the Canucks not only dump a lot of salary, but also a lot of negativity. Of the four players, the much maligned Mogilny was the only player actually producing anything for the team. In return, Vancouver gets two big, young talented defensemen who can step in immediately. Improperly used in Washington, Nikolishin is a talented young playmaker who can finally give Bure a center who can skate with him. Though unspectacular, Konowalchuk is also a tough, gritty winger that has some scoring touch. In essence, Vancouver gets four players for Mogilny and a prospect (Ohlund), as both Courtnall and Tikkanen are free agents without compensation after this season. For a team that was treading water, the trade makes the Canucks, younger, tougher, cheaper and better defensively. In the weak Western division, this version of the Canucks has a good chance of advancing to meet either Colorado or Detroit in the division final. From there, who knows. 2. The Edmonton Oilers trade: Luke Richardson for Shjon Podein and Philadelphia's fourth-round pick. If Sather is unable to sign Richardson, look for this trade to happen. While Sather would prefer Zubrus, Clarke isn't willing to deal the 6'3, 215 pound Russian tank. Eventually though, Sather will settle for Podein, who has Zubrus's size, and a draft pick. While relatively unspectacular, we've ranked this as our number two trade as it could be the final piece of the puzzle for the Flyers. 3. The Flames trade: Ronnie Stern and Steve Chiasson for Kevin Haller and Hnat Domenichelli. Batted back and forth between the Flames and the Whalers, the Whalers are unsure if they want to deal young Hnat. However with the Capitals and Adam Oates bearing down on the last playoff spot, Hartford may be forced to deal. For the Whalers, Stern provides the physical winger that they've been looking for all season. In Chiasson, they get a solid blueliner who can move the puck to help out Sean Burke. In picking up both these players, the Whalers plug two obvious holes in their lineup. For Calgary, Stern and Chiasson are older, players who are replaceable on a young Flames team. While not as solid as Chiasson, the Flames get a mobile young defenseman in Haller. The key for the Flames however is Hnat. Jarome Iginla's linemate in junior, the Flames would love to reunite these two talented rookies. Quite simply, the Whalers trade some of their young talent to make the playoffs. The Flames receive two excellent young players for two veterans who the Flames have deemed replaceable. 4. The Montreal Canadiens trade: Stephane Richer for Eric Weinrich. Originally based on a Shayne Corson for Gary Suter trade, Chicago's sorry offense gets a boost in the form of Richer for one of their surplus defenseman. In return, the Habs receive a solid defensive defenseman and rid themselves of Richer, who had voiced his displeasure in being in Montreal. Simply, it is a trade that fits for both parties. 5. The Los Angeles Kings trade Kevin Stevens for Luc Robitaille and cash. Both of these former snipers have performed poorly in their new homes. In Stevens, the Rangers hope that a visit from Gretzky re-awakens the tough 50-goal scorer within. For the Kings, getting rid of Stevens simply lowers their payroll. As a bonus, they get to welcome back one of the best Kings players ever. With the Rangers desperate, the Kings should be able to get New York to pay most of Lucky Luc's salary. If all turns out well, both Stevens and Robitaille return to their sniper form. Unfortunately, the guess here is that both will be disappointments in their new surroundings. Sigh. The more things change, the more they stay the same... Other Deals With so many teams active, there's bound to be other trades. Here a look at some of the less exciting ones: Dino Ciccarelli, Tampa Bay, to Pittsburgh for their second-round pick. As Tampa Bay fades from the playoff picture, they should be willing to deal their 36-year-old sniper. A good fit for the Penguins, Ciccarelli will provide the scoring boost that Pittsburgh is looking for. Derek King, New York Islanders, to Pittsburgh for their fourth-round pick. It's Mario's last year and Derek loves to shoot. An unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, a fourth-round pick is a good value for his "rental". Kirk Muller, Toronto Maple Leafs, to the New York Rangers for their second-round pick. Smith needs to win now, so he'll roll the dice on this veteran. Jamie Macoun, Toronto Maple Leafs, to the Philadelphia Flyers for their third- or fourth-round pick. A big nasty defenseman, Macoun will pay dividends for the Flyers if spotted correctly by coach Murray. Ray Ferraro, Los Angeles Kings, to the Florida Panthers for their third-round pick. Ferraro is a cheap solution for their offensive problems and allows the Panthers to improve without giving up a key draft pick or prospect. Bob Probert, Chicago Blackhawks, to the New York Rangers for their third-round pick. A good pickup for a smallish Ranger team looking for a physical presence. Steve Chiasson, Calgary Flames, for Nelson Emerson, Hartford Whalers. The Flames get a good offensive forward, while Hartford gets a strong, mobile defenseman. A good trade to fill the needs of both teams. Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks, to the Pittsburgh Penguins for their third-round pick. In one of those transactions that has made Pat Quinn famous, watch for Naslund to return to the offensive starved Penguins. For those of you still hungry for gossip, below is a quick overview of each teams and their potential trading deadline moves. Anaheim: While Kariya, Selanne and Hebert could use some help in Anaheim, the Ducks have little to deal, other than their three big stars. Unless there's a sudden change of heart, the Ducks will most likely stand pat. Boston: With Oates, Tocchet and Ranford gone, the Bruins haven't got much left. With two likely top 10 picks (their own and Hartford's), Sinden will begin to focus his energy on the draft. It looks the streak of 29 straight postseason appearances will end this year. Poor Ray Bourque. Buffalo: The Sabres would like to deal Garry Galley, however with his recent injury, that is now unlikely. With the Sabres playing like the class of the Northeast, it would be foolish for Muckler to mess with his team's chemistry. The best late season addition would be Pat Lafontaine, however that seems unlikely at this point. Calgary: With Dave Gagner an unrestricted free agent after this year and a surplus of defensemen, Calgary is looking for a deal to cash in on these commodities. Tommy Albelin, Steve Chiasson and Ronnie Stern are the players most often mentioned in trade talks. Any of these players could be had either for some scoring help, young prospects or draft picks. Though Fleury's name has been bandied about, it doesn't look like Coates is willing to deal him. Chicago: The Blackhawks would like to add some scoring help up front and are offering a variety of defensemen and Bob Probert around. On the block are several attractive veterans: Eric Weinrich, Keith Carney and perhaps Gary Suter. They'd love to add a scorer like Mogilny, but based on what they can offer in return, Russ Courtnall is a more likely fit. Colorado: The Avalanche are simply waiting for the playoffs. With Forsberg signed to a long term deal, Sakic lined up to re-sign and a bevy of premier prospects playing in the minors and junior hockey, the deepest team in the league is waiting for the Cup to arrive. A trade at this point would be a major shock. Dallas: Consistently good throughout the year, it's unlikely that the Stars will make a deal before the deadline. And those rumors about an interest in Mogilny? Just that -- idle talk for this playoff bound team. Detroit: In getting power forward Brendan Shanahan, the Red Wings are now looking for what they lost -- a mobile defenseman to run the power play. While Duchesne and Galley have failed to impress Bowman, perhaps Larry Murphy, Steve Chiasson, Rob Blake or Roman Hamrlik would. Look for the Red Wings to deal a youngster for a mobile defenseman before the deadline. Edmonton: The biggest dilemma facing Glen Sather is the signing of Luke Richardson. An unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, the 27-year-old meanie is the kind of defenseman that every team wants. However, without a signed contract, Sather risks losing him for nothing. As losing Richardson would severely hamper the Oiler's playoff hopes, look for Sather to sign Richardson first. If Sather doesn't have a signed contract by the 18th, look for him to deal Richardson -- Sather never gives up something for nothing. The most likely scenario has Richardson going to Philadelphia for Shjon Podein and another player. Florida: While the Panthers would like to add offense, they simply will not give up Jovanovski, Niedermeyer or a high draft pick. So with Mogilny out of the picture, the most likely Panther candidates become Dave Gagner and Ray Ferraro. Both could bring offense at the reasonable price. Hartford: After a mid-season collapse, the Whalers are now tied for eighth in the division with newly rejuvenated Washington hot on their heels. The Whalers are looking to add a rugged winger and another defenseman without dealing one of their younger players. Emerson, Haller and rookie Hnat Domenichelli are the players most frequently mentioned. Look for the Whale to make a minor move before the deadline. Los Angeles: With the youth movement in place, the Kings seem to be content in letting their youngsters "gain experience". While not actively shopping them, the Kings would entertain offers for Stevens, Ferraro, Olczyk and Khristich. The most viable rumor has Stevens heading to the Rangers for Luc Robitaille and a pile of cash (to pay Robitaille's contract). Montreal: Houle has announced repeatedly that he is going to "stand pat" with his existing lineup. However, for the right price, Houle will gladly deal malcontent Richer to the Western Conference. The Blackhawks have shown some interest in obtaining Shayne Corson, but with Corson clicking with Koivu and Recchi, don't hold your breath. The most likely move has Murray Baron returning to St. Louis for Stephane Matteau. New Jersey: In winning the Doug Gilmour sweepstakes, the Devils are set. Another deal would be very surprising. New York Islanders: With the Islanders fading and Derek King a free agent next year, look for Milbury to unload King to the highest bidder. Travis Green and Marty McInnis are also said to be available, but their destination is unknown. Other than dealing those three, Milbury should be content looking forward to the draft. New York Rangers: Though dazzling earlier in the year, the Rangers are currently a mess. At present, they need some rugged forwards to help fight off the bigger teams such as Philadelphia and a scorer to convert Gretzky's passes. Unfortunately, the Rangers don't have much to deal, so don't wait around for Mogilny to show up. Apparently Smith has offered Nemchinov for Russ Courtnall, but the Canucks aren't interested. Look for Smith to do his best with a flurry of smaller trades a la Pat Quinn before the deadline. Nemchinov and youngsters Karpovtsev, Dube and Goneau are the most oft mentioned heading the other way. If anyone will have him, Robitaille is gone. Ottawa: The Senators could definitely use a defenseman or another forward with some offensive skills. Unfortunately, the Senators don't have much to offer in return and will most likely stand pat and hope to make the playoffs with their existing players. Philadelphia: Now that the lure of Gilmour is gone, Clarke clearly needs to find a big, tough defenseman to clear the net. If Clarke can't pry Richardson out of Edmonton, look for him to settle for Macoun, Weinrich or Chiasson. While Clarke has shown some interest in Wendel Clark, the Leafs are probably looking for too much for him. Pittsburgh: With Jagr out and Lemieux retiring, look for Patrick to make a move. In addition to slapping the team in the face, Patrick's move behind the bench will help him evaluate his current squad. The Penguins could use another scorer, a tough winger and another defenseman. Derek King would make a fine addition to the Penguins. Phoenix: The Coyotes would love to land another defenseman, but may not have enough to offer to land one. At present, all is quiet in the desert. St. Louis: With Hull and Turgeon scoring like crazy, it's unlikely that the Blues management will mess with the current team chemistry. If any deals are made, look for minor ones, such as Stephane Matteau for former Blue Murray Baron. Tampa Bay: Like everyone else in Florida, the Lightning is looking for some more offense. But like the Panthers, they are reluctant to deal anything of value. Look for the Lightning to be quiet on the trade front unless they suddenly go cold. If they do, look for Dino Ciccerelli to be dealt, perhaps to Pittsburgh. Toronto: While Gilmour is gone, Fletcher still has a bunch of old bodies he'd like to move before the end of the year. First and foremost, Kirk Muller. Muller has been shopped everywhere, with the Rangers being the most likely destination in return for a draft pick or perhaps Christian Dube. Wendel Clark has drawn some interest from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. If they are willing to offer anything in return and take on his contract, look for Fletcher to deal him. Larry Murphy is being shopped around, with cross-town rival Detroit being the best fit. Can these natural enemies bury their differences and make a deal? Don't bet against it. Bowman knows what Murphy can do and Fletcher isn't shy. Finally, Macoun has drawn some interest from Philadelphia. If the Flyers are unable to get Richardson, look for Macoun to go to the City of Brotherly Love for a third- or fourth-round draft pick. Vancouver: If it weren't for the Rangers, the Canucks would be the biggest mess in the NHL right now. Mogilny, Russ Courtnall, Tikkanen, and Naslund are amongst those that can be had in a trade right now. Unfortunately, no one has what the Canucks want, which is a playmaking center for their two superb Russian wingers. With the new ownership getting impatient, look for Quinn to hit the trade deadline with a flurry of deals as usual. Washington: With Oates now playing for the Capitals, Washington should be done dealing, right? But remember, the Capitals are presently two points out of a playoff spot. With Poile slickly ripping off the Bruins, he still has several promising youngsters left. Could he still have a deal in the works? Don't bet against it. Even with the addition of Oates, the Caps could still use some more scoring. Stay tuned. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Johnston Out as Penguin Coach ---------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Dell, editor-in-chief It's an old truism in sports. When things are going bad a club can't change all the guys involved, so it always changes just one... the coach. Thus is the fate of Eddie Johnston. The Pittsburgh Penguins relieved Johnston of his head coaching duties on Monday, March 3, with the club having lost four straight games and eight of its last nine. The Penguins, who were once living the good life at the top of the Northeast Division, have now fallen nine points behind Buffalo for the division lead and are showing no signs of stopping their fall from grace. GM Craig Patrick will take over behind the bench for the remainder of the season. It will be Patrick's second tour of duty as Pittsburgh's coach. When he first came to the Penguins in 1989-90, Patrick handled the roles of both coach and GM for the remainder of the season while he became familiar with the personnel. There has been no talk of bringing in someone from the outside to fill the job. That is a decision that will be made during the off-season. Johnston, 61, originally coached the Penguins from 1980-1983, before then becoming the club's GM through 1988. After spending one more year as an assistant GM in Pittsburgh, Johnston moved on to become the Vice President and GM of the Hartford Whalers from 1989-1992. Once cut loose from the Whale, EJ returned to coach the Penguins at the start of the 1993-94 season. He had an overall record of 153-98-25 during his second stint with the club and improved in the playoffs after each season, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers during last year's playoffs. The announcement came as a total shock. There were no rumors of an impending move and Johnston has always been a popular coach with the players, especially Mario Lemieux. Johnston and Patrick are also very close friends, so the decision to make a change was one of the hardest in the GM's career. Which leads many to speculate that the order to fire Johnston came from on high. In other words, owner Howard Baldwin had EJ whacked "Goodfellas" style. There's no truth to the rumor that EJ had a run-in with Baldwin and Patrick at a local night spot the night before. It was reported that EJ told Baldwin to "go home and get your f*****' shine box." At which time Baldwin erupted with anger and stormed out of the bar, leaving Patrick behind to cool things off. When EJ asked Patrick if he had insulted Baldwin, Patrick responded "little bit... you insulted him a little bit." Patrick then tried to calm the situation by telling EJ that "drinks were on the house." Aw, it's all just a joke. Relax. "Our ship is definitely off course," explained an obviously saddened Patrick at the news conference. "We've got to roll up our sleeves and get to work." Johnston will stay on with the organization as an assistant GM. Johnston's strength has always been talent-evaluation and scouting, so he should be a tremendous asset to the team in the front office. "I want to thank Craig and the organization for allowing me to spend four great years here. I've really enjoyed it," offered Johnston. "Unfortunately, we haven't been going too well since the All-Star Game. For whatever reason, after those five days off, the chemistry never came back to us." One of the nicest guys in the game of hockey, Johnston was often criticized for being just that. He was perceived by many to be too much of a player's coach, not willing or able to drop the hammer on the boys when things went sour. However, blaming EJ for the Penguins' current struggles is absolutely ridiculous. This move isn't really a result of anything EJ did or didn't do. It's more of a last ditch effort to try and spark a talented team that too often fails to show any determination or emotion. Perhaps having the GM standing behind them on the bench will inspire better efforts from some of the less-reliable performers. Fear is a great motivator. Pittsburgh has seemingly had three distinctive seasons this year. The Birds opened up the campaign going 2-9-0, looking uninterested and sleepy along the way. Fans were calling for EJ's head, yet Patrick stood behind his buddy and soon made numerous trades to change the chemistry of the club. The Pens responded to the arrival of such players as Darius Kasparaitis, Stu Barnes, Jason Woolley, Fredrik Olausson, and Alex Hicks by rolling up an amazing 20-2-4 record from November 22 to January 21. Along the way they found a goaltending phenom in the form of 22-year-old rookie Patrick Lalime and forged one of the greatest lines in recent memory with Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis all skating together. Everything looked all good in the Burgh. Then things went nutty. Since January 23, the Pens have gone 5- 11-0, reverting back to the lifeless team that stumbled through the first few weeks of the season. Exhausted from starting 18 of 19 games and routinely facing 35+ shots a night, Lalime has cooled off and barely resembles the goaltender that was named the rookie of the month for December and January. Lemieux, Francis, and Jagr have all been slowed by injuries the past month and it looks like Jagr could miss the remaining of the regular season with a severe groin strain. And really, injuries are what cost EJ his job. If Lemieux, Francis, and Jagr were all healthy, they'd still be dominating with ease and the team would still be winning hockey games. It's no coincidence that the club started winning after EJ put the trio together in Hartford on November 22 and started struggling once Jagr first injured his groin shortly before the All-Star break. Obviously the team needs more balanced scoring and just can't rely on the top line to get the job done every night, but apparently the correlation between the Penguins' problems and the health of the big line has gone unnoticed by many in the Burgh. The Johnston firing has set off a wide-spread panic around the city, with many questioning whether or not this team can compete in the playoffs. Since when did the Penguins become a great team? Why are people so surprised that the club is having problems now that its three superstars are banged up? It's always the same story with the Pens, they'll only go as far as Lemieux, Francis, and Jagr will take them. They should just weather the storm, rest up the Big Three, and then take their shot in the postseason. All this panic is rather silly. How bad have things gotten? Well, Lemieux was asked by a local reporter point blank if he thought the team had enough talent to win a Stanley Cup. Lemieux, the man this team depends on for leadership and inspiration, responded with a wry smile and a "No comment." That's trouble when the man questions his teammates. But really it's the truth. This club doesn't have the scoring depth to be considered a favorite to win the Cup. After the Big Three, Petr Nedved is the only legitimate scoring threat up front. However, that doesn't mean this club, as currently comprised, can't win the Cup. After all, last season the Pens made it to within one game of the Stanley Cup Finals boasting a blue line with the likes of Sergei Zubov, Dmitri Mironov, and J.J. Daigneault, not to mention a group of forwards including such winners as Kevin Miller, Brad Lauer, and Bryan Smolinski. This year's club is improved at every position and could make another run as long as the Big Three are healthy. If they aren't, the Birds are cooked and it doesn't matter who's behind the bench or on the second and third lines. Patrick was forced to make so many trades early in the season that he basically painted himself into a corner. Making another player transaction now would be a difficult task since there aren't many guys left to trade and any possible shock value from such a move would be lessened because of the prior changes. And with New Jersey and Washington both engineering major deals in the past week that should put them ahead of Pittsburgh in the pack of Cup contenders, something had to be done. So switching coaches was really the only option management had to try and spark the team and to send the message that the club is serious about having a successful postseason. It's just too bad Eddie Johnston had to take the fall. Now it's Patrick's job to try and see that the switch pays off. LCS wishes him good luck. Because unless Jagr returns soon, he's gonna need it.

A Tribute to EJ

Before we leave the subject, LCS would like to pay tribute to Eddie Johnston. Yeah, sure, a lot of people rip on him, including some in our own LCS family. But EJ is just a swell guy. It's really hard to believe anyone could hate this man. Granted, citizens of Hartford were angered when as GM of the Whale he traded away Ron Francis. But he did get Johnny Cullen, LCS hero and the idol of millions from eight to eighty, back in return. Puts things in a different light, doesn't it? That's what I thought. Anyway, here are three things that LCS will always remember about EJ and his time as Penguin head coach. 1. EJ vs. the Capitals: Eddie had several memorable moments last Spring against the Washington Capitals. First, EJ got so upset with Caps coach Jim Schoenfeld after he felt Washington sent out its goons late in a game to rough up some Penguins, he got involved in a shouting match with Schoenfeld and the two men went nose to nose at the glass divider between benches. EJ was scrappy like that. Then a few games later, with the Penguins trying to hold onto a lead late in regulation, then-Penguin defenseman Sergei Zubov fired a clearing attempt that sailed into the Pittsburgh bench. The puck struck EJ right in the melon, opening up a nasty cut that bled like a chimp. Refusing medical attention, EJ simply held a towel to his head for the remaining minutes of the game until the time expired and his team left the ice with the win. There was EJ all loopy from the blow to the head and clutching a now crimson towel staggering off the ice to the applause of the fans. Oh, how quickly they forget. 2. The Wacky Tie: EJ was famous for wearin' this zany tie every time the Penguins hit a lull. It's tough to explain exactly how kooky the tie was, but I'll give it a shot. Okay, the top part was light blue. Nothin' real wacky yet, but it gets better. The bottom half of the tie was all gold and featured a design that looked like a harp with the space between the strings colored in and then a set of airline pilot wings on the top. Words really can't do it justice. It was some wild, wild stuff. 3. Drag Racing with Herman: LCS will never forget the time EJ came to the rescue after his son-in-law Herman got a little in over his head in a drag race. EJ's grandson, Eddie, told all the kids at school that his pop was the best driver in the world and entered Herman in a drag race competition. Herman got all dressed up like Marlon Brando in "The Wild Ones" and did his best but ended up losing the family car in a bet with a fellow racer. That's when EJ saved the day, winning back Herman's car while driving the Dragula, a motorized coffin on wheels that EJ built in his spare time. Except the only problem was that EJ's car was so fast that he couldn't stop it. Herman had to grab on to the backend of it and drag his feet while the car skidded all over the race track in hopes of slowing it down. Aw, that was great, that was fun. Yes, Eddie Johnston's time as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins is over, but he left behind a memorable legacy. Oh, EJ, we hardly knew ye... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Editorial: Patrick Proves Who's Boss ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Chris Foreman Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager, Craig Patrick, has succeeded in clearing a previously-cloudy answer to the question, "Who's the boss?" Much like Wayne Gretzky's imitation of a GM in Los Angeles, Penguins captain Mario Lemieux seemed to be the puppeteer in Pittsburgh, organizing the signing this past off-season of golfing buddy, Dan Quinn. Lemieux also complained about the state of the defense following their ousting at the claws of the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals, a catalyst for the Sergei Zubov-for-Kevin Hatcher swap. It was, however, his campaigning for Coach Eddie Johnston which best-demonstrated Lemieux's prominence in Pittsburgh's acquisitions. Lemieux lobbied hard for Johnston's return to the club for the 1993-94 season after Scotty Bowman departed to the "Motor City" to guide the Red Wings. The Penguins complied, hiring the man who drafted Lemieux first overall in the National Hockey League's 1984 Entry Draft. Despite Lemieux's influence, Patrick elucidated any misunderstanding involving his star center's supposed orchestration by firing Johnston March 3 (for your information, the Penguins released Quinn earlier in the season). The move came on the heels of a 1-8-0 Penguins' mark since Feb. 8, the day ex-bench jockey Bowman defeated the team in overtime for his 1,000th career coaching victory. Pittsburgh, in the interim, anyway, is in the hands of Patrick, who returns to ice level for his second stint coaching the team. An assistant for the "Miracle on Ice" United States gold medal-winning Olympic hockey triumph in 1980, Patrick was behind the bench in 1989-90 as he took over for Gene Ubriaco, who he fired. To many, Eddie Johnston resembled Grandpa Munster in appearance. Converse to the best interest of the team, his techniques also resembled those of a grandfather's. He appeased his players, allowing them to do whatever they wished, rather than impersonating a more disciplinarian portrayal of a father figure. Prevailing thought widely accepted that Johnston's "player's coach" method absolutely could not exist in any other city. He compiled a 153-98-25 in his second go-around (31-26-5 this year), but his practices were lenient to the point of accommodating the players' desires. Severe injuries and Lemieux's status are exceptions, however, Johnston failed to challenge his players and prepare them for each game. It has long been my opinion that the most vital responsibility of a coach is to motivate the players. Hockey is not an "x's and "o's" sport. Nor is there an opportunity to match up a righty versus lefty situation as in baseball, which statistics and tendencies determine. The coach's chores involve installing a system, which Pittsburgh basically lacked, and to inspire and instill confidence in your team. In the past month, the Penguins looked just as intimidated as they were uninterested. Pittsburgh played a wide-open brand, which best-adapted to the team's offensive strength, but never seemed to follow-through with Johnston's teachings. Defense is the equivalent of the plague to Pittsburgh, as they wanted nothing to do with it. When they had a lead, they played to extend it, rather than to secure it. Does that sound like the preachings of a coach? Unlikely. They refused to listen to Johnston, who faltered to punish his pupils for their rebelliousness. The players do deserve fault, but how much of their shortcomings are related to the reality that Johnston declined to penalize them when they didn't perform their job? I feel they should aim substantial blame at the former Hartford GM. Consider also the team's reluctance to shoot on the power play despite their coach's constant yelping, much like the fans', to the tune of "Shoot the puck." Yes, I say tune because the saying is immortalized in a song. How does it reflect upon your ability if you're whining about your team not shooting the puck --- again, and again? Where is the coach's control over the team? If they aren't achieving your standards, should that require a change? Johnston did audition Hatcher in front of the net, thereby removing his biggest threat from the blue line, but had to scrap that idea when his six-foot-four defenseman injured his neck. He briefly tried Dave Roche and Joe Dziedzic, as well as the recently-obtained Garry Valk, however, never maintained a state of consistency. In fact, consistency survived for about as long as a ding-dong stays on Rush Limbaugh's plate. Johnston tinkered with lines like coherence was going out of style. Lemieux's wings were a revolving door until he combined him with his two other top players, Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr. The move stimulated Lemieux's resurgence, but left the rest of the roster is disarray. Second-line center Petr Nedved, who may be a more efficient left wing, struggled at times, flanked by wingers ranging from Andreas Johansson to Greg Johnson to Joe Mullen to Tomas Sandstrom to Alek Stojanov. Name a Penguin and it's almost a certainty that he spent a few games on a unit with Nedved. Such constant movement may have damaged Sandstrom, as well. Sandstrom clicked with Lemieux over the past few years, but wasn't given a chance to rekindle their stable on-ice relationship. Pittsburgh dealt him to Detroit for Greg Johnson in January. Johnston also managed to ruin a good thing in rookie goaltender Patrick Lalime. After Ken Wregget sustained a pulled left hamstring, Lalime stepped in and lit the league on fire, started 18 of the subsequent 19 games. Keep in mind that Lalime is a 22-year-old, first-year netminder, playing behind a porous defense and an offensive-minded team. Lalime's mechanics have broken down since his 14-0-2 start, and he's lost faith in himself, appearing both physically and mentally drained. It all adds up to Johnston's stature as the most-overpaid babysitter ever. He fell asleep at the controls and couldn't steer the bandwagon back on track. Patrick, who of late was expected to drop the bomb on a trade, put his foot down and could be the stabilizing presence they need. For nearly two weeks, Patrick's dual role figures to strike fear into players' hearts. They now recognize the urgency of the situation, and realize that underachieving could lead to a trade. I generally dislike the double duty of a coach/GM, however, it should work to the Penguins' favor. Patrick has everyone's attention now, a sentiment which should scare the hockey world. -------------------------------------------------------------- Brent Peterson Knows John Cullen -------------------------------------------------------------- by Tricia McMillan Something the average hockey fan notices pretty quickly is the age of the players, especially those just turning pro. Most players are drafted in the 17-to-19 age group and start their pro careers shortly thereafter. But what happens to the players who develop later in their careers? When Lightning prospect Brent Peterson was of draft age, he had only just begun to play hockey on a serious basis and he wasn't of professional quality. "I was kind of a late bloomer, and I wasn't really sure where my hockey career would take me so I wanted to get an education," says Peterson, now 24. "That was more important to me at the time than playing hockey. I didn't want to be 24 and have no education to fall back on so that was my main reason for going to college." Peterson, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, chose Michigan Tech largely for academic reasons, although the hockey aspects were also appealing. "I liked the coach there, the people there, and just the small town atmosphere," he says. "And I was going to get a lot of playing time there." As it turned out, going to college gained Peterson the education he wanted (a business administration major, he's interested in a future career in the financial field), and also gave him the opportunity to demonstrate he was a very good hockey player. He earned the captaincy of the Michigan Tech Huskies and led the team in goals his junior and senior years, tallying 20 goals or more for three straight seasons, totalling 80 goals for his college career. He also caught a lot of attention from scouts who never noticed him earlier and he was drafted by the Lightning in the 1993 supplemental draft. Peterson has split the season between Tampa and Adirondack, otherwise he'd likely be Adirondack's top scorer. As it is, Peterson has scored 31 points, including 15 goals, with Adirondack so far this season and at 6'3" he adds a lot of size to the team as well. Adirondack added a second affiliation with Tampa this year and Peterson has been one of the beneficiaries, as he played his first professional season in the IHL with the Atlanta Knights but much prefers the AHL. "[The IHL] wasn't so much of a developmental league, players were a lot older and maybe finishing up their career there," says Peterson. "Here the players are coming into the league and being groomed for the NHL. It's such a great league to get experience and get some ice time in and learn, I think it's a great league for developing players." That the arrangement in Adirondack is new to everyone didn't help the team at the beginning of the season, but Peterson believes the team has worked out any kinks they may have had to start the year. "I think it's going pretty well, everyone seems to be getting a lot of ice time and there doesn't really seem to be any problems between the two teams," he says. "I think everyone's fairly happy with the way it's going...we're playing a lot better than we did at the first half of the year. It was an adjustment for sure, meet half the team and expect to play well." Peterson was first recalled to the Lightning early in November and remained there some six weeks, scoring his first two goals including his first NHL goal in Detroit, ironically enough. "It was a big thrill for me and hopefully I'll get a chance to score some more," he says of that game. His opportunity for more goals came sooner than expected, as two days after our interview he was recalled again and he remains with the Lightning as of this writing. Of course, since Peterson has played a stint with the Lightning and is there now, this means he's been (and is) a teammate of LCS hero to millions, John Cullen. What does he have to say about our favorite player? That is, after he laughs at the question? "He's funny, he's a lot of fun on the ice and he keeps everything loose," says Peterson. "He's a great player, very feisty. He's a skilled player and a guy you always want to have on your team." Peterson believes fun is the most important aspect of hockey. "It is just a game, if you don't enjoy the game there's no point in playing it," he says, "But if you have fun and you work hard then everything else just seems to fall into place." ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Islanders' Best Lachance So Far ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Dave Feete, Old Grouch Kiddies, I'm a-gonna share with you a tale of mine that I remember from my youth. See, around about '90 or '91 there was this young whipper-snapper defenseman comin' out of Boston U, who eeeeverybody was so dang excited about. Why, at the time, people were talkin' the kid up like he was gonna be the new Coffey, or Leetch, like they do to every dang young hotshot who hasn't seen a durn second of NHL ice time. As I recall, the kid went by the name of Lachance. Well, golly, my memory ain't what it used to be, but I seem to recall that he was drafted fourth overall by the Islanders way back in '91. Yep. And then went off to serve his country in the W-W-2, a-fightin' the Germans tooth n' nail in Nicaragua. Saved his entire battalion from the VC. Came back and won the Medal of Honor, even got so loopy as to show LBJ his butt. Well, either he did that or joined the US Olympic Hockey Team, I cain't recall. Yup. Every gol-durn Islander fan was watchin' them games with a plentiful amount of drool a-comin' out of the corners of their mouths, a-hopin' and a-prayin' that they were looking at the next Denis Potvin. Well, with no goals and one paltry assist in eight games, not too many Isles fans were a-hootin' and a-hollerin' about them numbers, I can tell you. "There's always added pressure once you get picked in the draft," I can hear him say, as if it were yesterday. Anyway, after a-servin' his country in some fashion or another, the kid returned for the end of the long-since-lost Islander season, playin' in their last 16 games. Played durn admirable too... Went +13 for a purdy bad team in that short time. Not too bad for a young greenhorn just a-barely cuttin' his baby teeth. Which made the Islander organization just gleam full a' pride. Had such faith in the kid that they let rock-steady Joe Reekie slip away to Tampa Bay fer nuthin' in the expansion draft just to hang on to him. Which was about as much faith as the Islanders showed in anything or anybody back in those days. But, as sometimes happens, life warn't so jim-dandy after that. The next year, and the next few in fact, Scotty just couldn't keep up. Seemed like the flashes of brilliance he showed every blue moon were buried in a big pile-a games where ya couldn't tell if he was thar a-tall. Seemed like he was lost in the years he shoulda been risin' up and makin' a name for himself. Lotsa fickly, nutty Islander fans were callin' him "a bust." Optimists like me were gettin' head pains hearing comparisons to Wayne McBean, a d-man who was taken reeeal high in the '88 draft, and was (at the time) a-strugglin' to keep his spot in the Isles' roster. It's funny, I ask him about it now, and he just ain't bitter a-tall, don't blame the fans, media, nobody in the organization for puttin' pressure on him. "They gave me my fair shot," Lachance reckons. "They took the pressure off." Gives a ton a-praise to his Hall-of-Fame former coach to boot: "Al [Arbour] was great for my confidence early on, you know. He didn't expect too much from me until I did grow into a better player," he remembers fondly. Well, after figgerin' that he wasn't gonna be Brian Leetch, Lachance picked himself up by his bootstraps and settled on a style of play that has suited him mighty well. "You have to make adjustments as you get older," he confided. "And as the competition gets better. It's something you have to adapt to, and it has to do with adapting to who you play with as well." Who you're playin' with? I figgered for sure he was talkin' about the latest young hotshot Islander, Bryan Berard. Come to think of it, them two are paired up a lot. "Yeah, well, [Berard has] changed my style 'cause it's made me probably play more defensively, play more of like, in a role of maybe Kevin Lowe, which is a great... sure, steady defensively. That's why I think I've molded him, I have to try to play a little bit more for him." "I guess, I'm steady, you know?" he said, when I asked him to ponder his new-found consistency. "I take care of my zone before I would go up in the offense, right? I'd say, I haven't gotten the points this year, but I'm steady. I like to call myself a two-way player, but obviously I'm a little better defensively than I have been offensively." He's made such strides that this season he dressed with the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. A lotta you young fellers might not appreciate how long and hard Scotty's road has been, so I hadda come an' fill y'all in. Oh, sure, I heard it all, about him being an injury replacement for Zig-Zag Ziggy Palffy. But he played the game well, and weren't in over his head a-tall. "It was definitely an experience," he told me. "I was obviously surprised, but it was an amazing feeling, walking in the room the first day on Friday. For practice and pictures, when you look around the room and you see the jerseys hanging up, players you've grown up watching." "I played with Paul Coffey, for a lot of shifts, and I grew up watching him in Edmonton," he said, laughin'. "I'm sure maybe he doesn't want to hear that!" A tear comes to my eye seein' how much more comfortable he is in the locker room, so much more mature. "So that was an honor, and of course, I played with Scott Stevens, it was ... It really didn't matter to me who I played with, just as long as I was out there playing." Nice to see an all-star without the high-falutin' attitude that ordinarilly goes with it like bread does with butter. "I always liked the Flyers," he remembered, gettin' talkative all a-th' sudden. "So I try to emulate a guy like Mark Howe, who was great defensively and did a good job offensively as well. So of course a guy like that. And of course Ray Bourque who, well there weren't many defensemen who didn't try to emulate him." Nice to see a man finally at peace with himself, just a-startin' to make his name known, not a-carin' about fame, nor personal glory, nor the lights, action and loose women of the big city accross the way. "I'm just having fun at just about everything I do," he says, with a look of true serenity. "I mean, first it started with the draft, being drafted that high was a tremendous feeling, and it was great to have my parents there with me. Then getting to the [1993] Stanley Cup Semi-Finals was a great experience. Then the All-Star game, it's one of those things where I'm just having fun." --------------------------------------------------------------- Greats of the Game: Marcel Dionne --------------------------------------------------------------- by Chris Foreman Rarely does a superstar slip through the cracks of prestige and recognition as inconspicuously as Marcel Dionne. Despite a resume which reflects his standing as third all-time in goals (731), assists (1040), and points (1771), the spotlight seemed to shun the steady centerman over his 18 National Hockey League seasons. Depreciated throughout his proficient career, Dionne was a member of only four season-ending All-Star squads (two first-team and two second-team selections). However, as fans dispute who the greatest players were, Dionne's name infrequently comes up in discussions, in spite of the brilliance he displayed from 1971-72 to 1988-89. Part of the blame for the oversight, whether intentional or unintentional, may be tied in with the lack of jewelry on his fingers. Mired on more than a few inept teams, Dionne attended the Lord Stanley's playoff bash only nine times, playing in just 49 games. Regardless, the smooth playmaker maintained a respectable status, recording 45 post-season points (21 goals and 24 assists). Born Aug. 3, 1951 in Drummondville, Quebec, his hockey prowess was evident as early as in Junior hockey with St. Catharines in the Ottawa Hockey Association. In three seasons, Dionne dominated play, racking up 507 points (including the playoffs). That superiority encouraged the Detroit Red Wings to tab the five-foot-eight, 190-pounder as the second-overall choice in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, behind the Montreal Canadiens' Guy Lafleur. The right-handed shooter compiled four stellar seasons in Motown, topping the 40-goal mark twice (1972-73; 1974-75) and the 100-point plateau once (1974-75). In his first campaign he broke Gilbert Perrault's rookie point record (77 points), but the Calder Trophy eluded him for Montreal's goaltending sensation Ken Dryden. Dionne did, however, bring home honors as the Lady Byng Trophy winner, as the league's most gentlemanly player. In the summer of 1975, Dionne moved on to Hollywood where he would light the lamp 40 times in his initial season and appear in his first playoff series. He spent nearly 12-full years in Los Angeles, reaching 50 goals six times and 100 points on seven occasions. Dionne finally encountered some fame with the Kings centering the "Triple Crown Line," flanked by left wing Charlie Simmer and right wing Dave Taylor. He collected his lone Art Ross Trophy in 1979-80, a distinction he received for his league-leading 137-point performance. A mid-season trade in 1986-87 shifted Dionne's magnificent career to Broadway, where he would eventually conclude his career with the "Blue Shirts." Dionne was solid in New York, managing to crack the 30-goal class one final time in 1987-88 as well as a second Lady Byng Trophy. His farewell tour a year later featured a 37-year-old Dionne struggling to compete in a game he once mastered. He played in just 37 contests, scoring 23 points, and actually spent a nine-game stint skating through the motions for Denver of the International Hockey League (no goals and 13 assists). Laurels largely failed to decorate Marcel Dionne's mantle, despite an illustrious career. His legend, however, is cemented into NHL history in the record books, and in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto through his induction in 1992. ================================================================= 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. D - Robert Svehla, Gord Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Paul Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett Warrener, Per Gustafsson, Geoff Smith. G - John Vanbiesbrouck, Mark Fitzpatrick. Injuries: Tom Fitzgerald, rw (achy all over, day-to-day); Geoff Smith, d (shoulder, two weeks); Johan Garpenlov, lw (MCL, eight weeks). Transactions: Returned Craig Ferguson, c/lw, to Carolina (AHL). Recalled Craig Fisher, c, from Carolina (AHL). Returned Jason Podollan, rw , to Carolina (AHL). Game Results: 2/18 at Pittsburgh L 4-2 2/20 at New Jersey T 2-2 2/22 Philadelphia L 4-3 OT 2/25 San Jose T 2-2 2/27 Saint Louis W 3-2 OT 3/01 at Tampa Bay L 2-0 TEAM NEWS by Eric Seiden "It's a hockey night in South Florida, and here come your Panthers," screamed the announcer. But it wasn't with enthusiasm because there was little to be enthusiastic about as the injury- ridden Panthers failed to impress anyone living or dead. The Penguins game marked two former teammates return against the Panthers. Mario Lemieux scored his 28th career goal against John Vanbiesbrouck, his highest total against any goalie. As a power play ran down, Lemieux one-timed former Panther defenceman Jason Woolley's pass from the bottom of the left circle and beat Vanbiesbrouck who was cradling the net post. When New Jersey came to town, it was the quietest warm up in team history with perhaps not even 1,000 fans. The parking lots were deserted, and the stands were a ghost town thanks to a flaming paint truck which overturned and closed I-95 for hours snarling traffic in a massive rush-hour parking lot that stretched almost 30 miles. By opening faceoff, not 4,000 fans had made it in. But it was full to the rafters by the second period when people finally made it there close to 8pm. Several players were not dressed because they were unable to make it to the arena in time for the game. The game was a depressing, boring match up characterized by marginal, spotty play. The ref called nothing for most of the game, at least being consistent. Frankly, it's one of the few hockey games I've been bored stiff at. The Panthers recalled center Craig Fisher from the Carolina Monarchs of the American Hockey League in an attempt to bolster their forward position which has been lackluster for weeks. Fisher was acquired by the Panthers from the Islanders for one dollar because they no longer wanted to pay his contract. The knee disease continues to plague the Panthers as Johan Garpenlov leaves for another two-month stint of recovery putting his return well into the playoffs. An MRI revealed a Grade 3 sprain of the right medial collateral ligament. "It's another blatant knee injury. It's the same blatant knee-on-knee and it's getting harder to stomach," said Panthers coach Doug MacLean following the incident, for which Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Michel Petit was suspended two games. The Flyers game was a pretty damned good game all in all despite the fact the Panthers lost in overtime. Almost playoff hockey one thinks to oneself. Yes, it certainly was except for some ugly moments. The return of Ed Jovanovski was a mixed blessing. He scored a couple of goals, but his incessant puck turnovers led to a few for the Flyers. In the same game, the return of team captain Brian Skrudland was inconsequential. He had the flu and obviously his heart wasn't in to it. Tommy Fitzgerald missed most of the rest of the game because he couldn't skate too well. While he started, he was gone soon in to the game and did not return. And, like all Flyer versus Panther games, there were many, many ugly fights. St. Louis provided a brief winning moment in a string of disappointing games consisting of hard losses and ties -- many of them deserved. The game winner was scored by Rob Niedermayer. The game was characterized by the return after six weeks of greatly missed Ray Sheppard. The same day he appeared on the cover of "The Hockey News" under a caption about players respecting each other. Craig Fisher got to start in his first NHL game (in fact it was only the fifth one he had played). He looks good and he busts his ass for his team, but he has to learn to make plays happen. Captain Nemo (as David Nemorivosky is being called) looks nice too. During the San Jose game, Bernie Nicholls of the Sharks drew a very rare Match Penalty for a blatant attempt to injure during the overtime period. He received a two-game suspension for deliberately injuring Florida Panthers defenceman Ed Jovanovski in a game Tuesday. Nicholls, who will not be paid for those two games, also was fined the maximum $1,000. Once again this proves the fines are a joke. "Nicholls' crosscheck against Mr. Jovanovski was reckless and dangerous," NHL senior vice president Brian Burke said of the blow to the head. "It was clear his actions were not defensive in nature." "It wasn't my intention to cross-check in the head. I was trying to get him off Tony Granato. I hit him as he was getting up." Nicholls said shortly after the game. The next morning the headline in the Miami Herald read "Panthers Sink to Sharks' Level" and boy did they ever; sometimes a performance just stinks. The next day on television Scott Mellanby indicated he thinks that the Panthers are trying TOO hard. Fans are not in agreement -- from a fan perspective, it's a sad day in Pantherland. For this game, Mark Fitzpatrick was in goal and looked horrid the first period. He seemed a little out of step. Nobody would have been surprised if the score was 3-0 the first period in San Jose's favor. Finally, Fitzy seemed to snap out of it. The listless Panthers, save for the end of the third period, put very little heart into this game. I am ashamed to say they sucked it up and have nobody to blame but themselves. Ed Jovanovski continues his reign of stupidity and made some horrendous errors out on the ice (namely in the form of stupid, moronic turnovers). Scott Mellanby was uncharacteristicly sluggish. Although he isn't a fan favorite, I'd rather have Chris Wells on the ice ANY day because at least he isn't stupid. Eddie is being stupid, and it angers me because he's not stupid. He's got hockey sense but refuses to use it: turnovers in the zone, loose play when he should be tight, and draws D-U-M B penalties. Which brings up Tampa. (I actually took the five-hour drive and went to this game.) First and foremost Mark Fitzpatrick in goal was fantastic. We lost because the Panthers failed to try very hard. A half-hearted effort seldom produces a win. Overconfidence? Not likely. The way the Panthers are playing that's a laughable idea. In the third period the Panthers finally tried to play NHL calibre hockey, but it was too late. Rob Niedermayer played with his stick, but didn't shoot OR pass. He just danced. It was a nice show of stickhandling but no attempt to score. Jovanovski kept turning the puck over in the neutral and offensive zones, but in the defensive zone he made some very nice plays. Billy Lindsay made a STUNNINGLY beautiful check and got called (questionably) for charging. Robert Svehla drew not one but TWO stupid penalties. Kerry Fraser sunk to new lows in officiating by totally ignoring one team's offences. I've been to quite a few stadiums. Tampa doesn't allow fans down to watch pre-skate down by the glass which is the most asinine thing I've ever heard in my life. They were rather rude about it too. They threatened to have Panther fans *ARRESTED* if they didn't leave and return to their seats. For a new arena, the Ice Palace sucked. Sterile, spartan and utilitarian, but not 'nice'. The United Center, Madison Square Garden, and the current Miami Arena are all nicer. And more distressing, the Ice Palace has no urinals in the mens room. I don't understand this. I really don't. You have to wait for a stall. The ignobility of it all. RANDOM ITEM NOTES: Tom Fitzgerald had a son on the 25th of February; his name is Casey James Fitzgerald and was born at 8:30 pm. Congratulations to the parents. When a Pittsburgh reporter said every time he sees a goal from Martin Straka it looks like something from a highlight film, MacLean quipped, "It's tough to fill a reel." Straka has six goals this year. (Relayed by reporter David J. Neal) PLAYOFF TICKET INFORMATION: 1. No extra tickets are allowed. One per seat only. 2. There may be NO tickets available to games unless you're a season ticket holder. Unless there are a lot of people who don't order playoff tickets, there may not be individual game tickets available. 3. Face value is at a noticeable premium over regular prices. FAMILY LEARN TO SKATE CLINIC: Learn to skate 3/23 at 3pm with Vanbiesbrouck, Skrudland, and MacLean. You have to spend $25 at Winn Dixie Supermarket and take the coupon to TicketMaster which entitles you to buy four seats at the clinic. Your own skates are required. Call 954-768-1900 for details. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW JERSEY DEVILS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jacques Lemaire Roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bob Carpenter, Bobby Holik, Denis Pederson, Peter Zezel. 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, Dave Ellett, Kevin Dean. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham. Injuries: None. Transactions: Traded Steve Sullivan, c, Jason Smith, d, Alyn McCauley (OHL), c, and a conditional draft pick to Toronto for Doug Gilmour, c, and Dave Ellett, d. Game Results: 2/17 at Rangers T 2-2 2/19 Rangers T 1-1 2/20 at Florida T 2-2 2/22 at Tamapa Bay L 3-1 2/26 at Islanders W 5-3 2/27 Buffalo W 4-1 3/01 Pittsburgh W 6-3 TEAM NEWS by David Ibrahim While predictions of the arrival of the Messiah in the year 2000 abound, Devils fans worldwide claim he has come a little early. And he's not some tall guy with a beard and a crown of thorns, but a 170-pound Canadian with five o'clock shadow and a crown courtesy of CCM. Yes, the trade rumours proved true, and Doug Gilmour (along with Dave Ellett) has come to New Jersey. While the Devils give up some youth and untapped talent in this trade, New Jersey gets something it has never had before: a top playmaking center who's still at or near the top of his game. The detractors cry: What about Neal Broten, Peter Stastny, Bernie Nicholls and Kirk Muller, when he was still a team player and not the crybaby he's been since his days with the Islanders? Broten and Stastny were both terrific centers, but played for the Devils well past their prime years. Muller had some great years with NJ, with 87-88 being his best when he scored 37 goals and 94 points. Unfortunately for the Devils he peaked with the Canadiens. Nicholls is the same story: not quite as talented and he also was never too thrilled to play for the Devils. What prompted the Devils to make a trade was actually a 13-game unbeaten streak. While most would say a GM would be foolish to break team chemistry in the midst of a hot streak, the streak contained a glaring, disturbing fact: six of those games were ties, games where the Devils had chances to win but couldn't capitalize. In the first game of a home-and-home vs. the struggling Rangers, the Devils lost a 2-1 lead in the third period and couldn't get much going after that. Two nights later in a 1-1 tie, the Devils had opportunities galore late in the third and in OT, including a 4-on-1 with 10 seconds left in the game. Like the rest of the season and the season before, lack of scoring was really starting to hurt them in the standings. After an exhausted Devils team came back for a 2-2 tie in Florida the next night, the Devils were out of gas and almost out of goals in a 3-1 loss to the Lightning. A 13-game unbeaten streak suddenly was a four-game winless streak. Something had to be done. Gilmour's arrival paid immediate dividends: he dominated play in his first game with the Devils, scoring a power-play goal and notching three assists in an offensively charged game against the Islanders. Ellett was no slouch either, picking up two assists on a couple of nice plays. The next night against the Sabres, the game was tighter until the Devils broke it open with two early goals in the third by Ellett and Guerin. Gilmour finished it off with an empty-netter. Saturday's game was one unprecedented in Devils regular season history: a game where the Devils consistantly pressured the other team's defense with solid and creative offensive play. Although they slipped and allowed three quick goals by the Penguins, NJ buckled down and suffocated the Pittsburgh offense. Not only has Gilmour improved play with those on his wings, but the whole team has picked it up offensively. Scott Niedermayer, whose offense has barely been noticable this season, has been making some fantastic passes since Gilmour's arrival. Thomas and Guerin both seem to be waking up, each with two goals since Gilmour has come to town. Most noticeably, the Devils have scored 15 goals in three games in a season where the offense has been near the bottom of the league. While the Devils won't average that high the rest of the season, the offense has taken a remarkable step forward in those three games. Lemaire recognizes Gilmour's talent, and is letting him do things his way and play somewhat outside the Devils' system. While he might be worried that the Devils have had their lapses in two of the games (they blew a three-goal lead against the Isles), Lemaire and the players know that they just might not be used to being ahead by so many and might relax just a bit too much. Lemaire doesn't seem to be worried, though. When asked if he would give up an average of one more goal a game to score two more, Lemaire responded: "I'll give you one for the next game, and I'll take two. I'll even give you two, if we get three." Off the Boards: John Maclean and his wife had their first child last week, and MacLean has responded with three goals in two games, one of them on a penalty shot against Dominik Hasek. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK ISLANDERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Rick Bowness Roster: C - Travis Green, Bryan Smolinski, Derek Armstrong, Claude Lapointe. LW - Derek King, Marty McInnis, Niclas Andersson, 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, Jason Holland. G - Eric Fichaud, Tommy Salo. Injuries: Dennis Vaske, d (recovering from concussion, has resumed skating and may return this month). Transactions: None. Game Results 2/21 at Buffalo L 2-5 2/23 Pittsburgh W 4-1 2/26 New Jersey L 3-5 2/28 at Ottawa L 1-4 3/02 at Washington W 2-0 TEAM NEWS by David Strauss Just last week, Islanders general manager Mike Milbury looked at his handy-dandy Zippy the Chimp pocket schedule and saw the Islanders had a stretch of five games in nine nights. He did some calculating in his brain, checked it on his official Zippy the Chimp pocket calculator, and determined that that stretch would "determine whether we stay in the playoff hunt." So, now that the five games are over, one wonders what Milbury has decided. The Islanders went 2-3-0 in those games, and stand exactly where they were, five points behind the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. There were certainly some missed opportunities, though. For instance, last Friday, the Whalers and Canadiens, who are tied for seventh, both lost, but the Islanders again failed to capitalize on their good fortune. Their loss that night to the Senators left the Islanders last in the Conference. "We can't even look at those teams any more," veteran defenseman Scott Lachance said, talking about the four teams standing between the Islanders and a playoff berth. "If we don't win, it's a moot point." The loss to Ottawa in the midst of what was supposed to be a playoff run, a test of the team's character, was almost inexcusable, especially considering how bad a loss it was. Todd Bertuzzi took a moronic penalty, then yelled at referee Rob Shick, earning a double-minor - and handing Ottawa a four-minute power play which they scored on. Bryan Smolinski continued to struggle. Tommy Salo allowed two goals to Alexei Yashin from behind the goal line. The Islanders managed one goal against Ron Tugnutt, who had allowed seven in his previous 15 minutes against the Avalanche and Flyers - and who was 2-9-0 with a 4.67 career goals-against average against the Islanders. If the team had managed to do better in that five-game span, it's possible that Milbury would have traded for veteran leadership. Instead, it looks as though he might be trading away some of his vets for more youngsters, and unofficially start the drive for Joe Thornton. Smolinski might be on the block again, and also Derek King, who will be an UFA at the end of the season. There's also been discussion that Milbury would seriously consider a good offer for struggling Todd Bertuzzi. Milbury will spend this week scouting several Canadian Hockey League games in search of prospects for the June draft. The Islanders have two first-round picks - their own and the selection of the Maple Leafs - and the two teams are now 24th and 26th in the 26-team league. Though Milbury declined comment on his plans for the Islanders, he did say he had seen a tape of the performance against the Senators. He told reporters he had asked himself, "Where was the passion?"' When asked how he explained that lack of passion in the playoff race, he answered "I don't know," and walked away, shaking his head. Notes: Continued reports from the media in both countries seem to make it appear that the hiring of Denis Potvin by the Isles is almost a done deal. Don't believe it. Potvin was reportedly offered the job as Team President, a business-only position, but Potvin wanted the GM's role as well, and refuses to work with Milbury. New owner John Spano is standing behind his GM, and so it appears almost certain Potvin will stay in Florida behind the mike. Tommy Salo's 2-0 shutout over the Caps Sunday was his third over Washington this season, making him the first Isles goalie ever to whitewash the same team three times in one season. The Caps have only scored one goal against the Isles all season. The other Swedish Tommy, Soderstrom, was reassigned to Rochester of the AHL after refusing to let the Isles buy out the last year of his contract. He'll likely never again play in the NHL, although there's a YMCA team in Montana who might sign him. Here is a listing of the Islanders free agents after this season: RESTRICTED: Shawn Anderson (II); Niklas Andersson (II); Dave Archibald (II); Derek Armstrong (II); Denis Cheruyakov (II,VI); James Dowd (II); Corey Foster (II,VI); Travis Green (II); Doug Houda (II,V); Brent Hughes (II,V); Kenny Jonsson (II); Yan Kaminsky (II,VI); Derek King (II,V); Scott Lachance (II); Claude Lapointe (II); Mike MacWiliam (II,VI); Marty McInnis (II); Dave McLlwain (II); Tommy Salo (II); Bryan Smolinski (II); Chris Taylor (II,VI); Nick Vachon (II). UNRESTRICTED: Michael Donnelly (III); David Sacco (VI); Andrey Vasiliyev (VI); Randy Wood (III). ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK RANGERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Colin Campbell Rosters: C - Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Sergei Nemchinov, Chris Ferraro, Mike Eastwood. LW - Adam Graves, Luc Robitaille, Darren Langdon, Bill Berg, Sylvain Blouin. RW - Niklas Sundstrom, Brian Noonan, Pat Flatley, Shane Churla, David Oliver, Alexei Kovalev. D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns. G - Mike Richter, Glenn Healy. Injuries: Alexei Kovalev, rw (torn anterior crucuiate ligament, out for the season). Transactions: Picked up David Oliver, rw, off waivers from Edmonton. Returned Vladimir Vorobiev, rw, and Jeff Nielsen, lw, to Binghamton(AHL). Recalled Chris Ferraro, c, from Binghamton(AHL). Game Results 2/19 at New Jersey T 1-1 2/21 at Hartford L 7-2 2/23 at Philadelphia L 2-1 3/01 at Detroit L 3-0 3/03 San Jose W 5-4 OT TEAM NEWS by Alex Frias Reliance on the superstars has been a problem all season, and when they falter no one has taken charge. Leetch and Richter have been sensational and have won several games by themselves, but now Leetch is pushing to create offense and that hurts the team defensively. Gretzky continues to set up his linemates, but with that infamous goalless streak, can't really be counted on lighting the lamp. Messier leads the team in goals, but at 36, he is suffering from his annual back pain. Luc Robitaille is shuttling from the top lines to the third line, and it's become quite obvious there are no other natural goal- scorers on this team. And while Eastern Conference rivals New Jersey and Washington continue to make themselves better, GM Neil Smith has gone out and acquired the ever-dangerous David Oliver. Now that I think about it, the Rangers are fortunate only to be one point out of fifth place and four points out of fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?!?: Frank Brown is his name, and on Friday, February 28, he put the hockey world on its head. Brown, a columnist for the New York Daily News suggested that Neil Smith trade Mark Messier. Yeah, you heard me. Trade Messier and "get something for him before his walkaway free agency arrives." Two facts are clear: One, he was brought to New York to help the Rangers win the Stanley Cup, which he did. He was brought to the Big Apple to teach the organization how to win, how to carry themselves as champions, and he's done that in spectacular fashion. Now Mike Richter, Adam Graves and Brian Leetch will teach those same lessons to the next generation of Rangers. Two, Messier is the heart-and-soul of a team two victories above .500 that doesn't look like a Stanley Cup contender with or without him. And that is exactly why Brown believes the Rangers should trade "the Messiah". Brown goes on to state how if the Rangers do keep him through the end of the season, there is his pending unrestricted free agency to deal with. Brown believes that $6 or $7 million is far better spent on two to four younger players, who can better support Leetch and Richter. Brown goes on to state possible destinations for Messier, among which included Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix. I have to agree with Brown on a few of his points. If Messier does go on to sign with another team over the summer, Smith is going to be made out the fool for not trading Messier while he had the chance. However, I really believe the Rangers will fall apart without Messier. And though he is the 36-year-old heart-and-soul of the team two games above .500, Messier is the Ultimate Ranger and should end his career as a Ranger. Too often in sports do we forget that these players aren't robots, but they're human beings. Messier has done so m