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----------------------------------------------------------------
A TRIBUTE TO SWEDEN
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
Welcome to our tribute to Sweden! Or should I say valkommen!
A lot of people don't know this, but LCS: Guide to Hockey is huge
over in Sweden. The Swedes love the LCS. And we love the
Swedes. We're like rock stars over there. Zippy can't even walk
down the street in Sweden without being mobbed by adoring fans.
And Swedes can't walk in our neighborhood without us mobbing
them.
Why do we love Sweden so much? It's hard to say really. A true
love for Sweden isn't acquired, it's something that's born deep
in the marrow of one's bones. It would be easier to ask why the
sky is blue or the rose's scent so sweet. We don't look for
explanations. We only search for ways to express our admiration
for the great Scandinavian country.
The reason for the timing of our tribute, however, can be
explained. With the 1998 Winter Olympics just around the corner,
we at LCS would like to make a very important announcement. It
gives us great pride to throw our support behind Sweden in the
upcoming international hockey tournament. Yes, that's right!
LCS is predicting Sweden to win the Gold Medal!
Sweden's Olympic roster is a brick house. Leading the way is the
great Peter Forsberg. He led the blue and yellow to Gold before,
and he's primed and ready to do it again. While Forsberg is
undoubtedly the best all-around player in the NHL, not far behind
is Swedish teammate Daniel Alfredsson. The Ottawa winger teamed
up with Forsberg at the World Cup to put on a ghetto clinic. The
Olympics just offers them another stage on which to dominate.
See that right there is more than enough to win Gold. But
Sweden's got more to offer. Oh yes, they have more. How about
Mats Sundin? The Big Swede will humiliate the competition with
his graceful skating and effortless stickhandling. You want a
pure sniper? Look no further than the rifleman, Mikael Renberg.
It's almost not fair. I'd keep mentioning the never-ending
stream of talent on offense, but it would just intimidate the
other countries too much. It's probably best if we just moved
on.
But things are just as strong on defense, where Nicklas Lidstrom,
Calle Johansson, and Ulf Samuelsson keep things under control.
And there's no weakness in net with Tommy Soderstrom and Tommy
Salo manning the pipes. There's been talk that Soderstrom wasn't
going to play, but that's just wishful thinking on the
competition's part. We have faith that the li'l fella will be
there. Because you know what they say about Soderstrom? I
believe it's something like, "He's the greatest goaltender ever."
Yes, LCS loves itself some Sweden. And we're sure the boys will
skate away with the Gold. But we have a feeling that some of
you, our valued readers, don't share our respect. That's the
true purpose of this tribute, to help spread the good word of
Sweden and open the eyes of the blind among us. For Sweden is
great. Sweden is good.
Now go forth in peace, to love and to serve Sweden.
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Sweden: What a Country!
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino
What would a LCS Hockey Tribute to Sweden Issue be without a little
old school learnin'? If there's one thing we here at LCS Hockey
love, it's knowledge. As a matter of fact, knowledge ranks right
up there with our most favorite things in the world. I think it
rates right behind malt liquor, classic television, more malt
liquor, the Hartford Whalers, Don Knotts, Arnold Jackson and more
malt liquor. Oh yeah, and Brian Burke. Boy do we love ourselves
some Brian Burke.
Anyway, we all remember those lame-ass elementary school reports we
had to write as children, don't we? Well, this is kind of like
those reports, but since I'm not getting a grade on it I have taken
the liberty to only include cool stuff that everyone should know
about Sweden. Like what the name ABBA really means...
First of all, a geography lesson. Did you know that Sweden is
approximately the size of California? That's right, their whole
damn country is the size of an American state! Cameroon is just
about the same size as Sweden, too. That's odd. And Sweden has a
population of about 8.8 million people. That's not a lot. Now, I
didn't research this, but Los Angeles has got to be close to the
eight billion mark by now. (On a side note, Oprah has just climbed
above seven million.) Sweden is also one of the countries on earth
located farthest from the Equator. And the capital of Sweden?
None other than Stockholm.
Sweden has been at war with its neighbor, Finland, for thousands of
years. Originally a holy war fought during the Viking period over
the right to use frozen waterways on the West Bank, today the two
superpowers are still fighting and there seems to be no end to the
Cold War in sight. Finland, which was a part of Sweden until 1809,
is a surviving member of the old Communist regime. The country is
controlled by a militant communist dictator named Mikko Makkala,
who sees Finland as pure and the Swedes as a lesser breed of
Scandinavians. It is Makkala's goal to put an end to the Swedish
race, and he vows to use any means necessary to do so.
For the past 40 years, Swedish rebellion groups and freedom fighters
have given up their lives in an attempt to win back their
ever-decreasing borders and put an end to the bloodshed once and
for all. Norway, usually a country known for its isolationism, has
joined Sweden in order to help defeat evil. Their efforts took a
major setback 13 years ago when Finland dropped a small atomic bomb
on the Swedish civilian town of Amal. Luckily, the bomb wasn't a
direct hit on Amal. It veered off course and landed in the deep
waters of Lake Vanern, saving thousands of lives. God bless you
Sweden in your quest to win back your freedom from a most
impossible enemy.
Now on to the good stuff. Sure, Sweden only has 8.8 million people,
but four of those people made up the disco group ABBA. Agnetha
Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
survived the 70s and saw their songs become the anthem for many gays,
lesbians, bi-sexuals and transvestites in the 90s.
ABBA could be the most famous people to come out of Sweden, but
there are many others who can't go unnoticed. When you think of
cheesy 80s pop rock/techno crap, you just can't forget Ace of
Base. Man, that one guy in the group that got really chunky freaks
me out. I saw the sign, buddy, and it says your career is down the
drain! And what about early 80s rockers, Roxette? They were glam
rock at its best.
Sweden's not just all about rock n' roll, however. The Swedes also
know how to play tennis. Bjorn Borg was a wild and crazy Swede who
kicked butt on the tennis circuit many years ago. Borg attempted
to come out of retirement a few years back. He was still using his
old wooden rackets and everything. Things were going well until a
Finnish extremist nearly cost Borg his life during an attack at the
Australian Open. The extremist, who was miffed that Borg knocked
off Jari Varvio in straight sets, whacked Borg in the leg with
crowbar. Borg was forced to hang up his rackets once again, this
time for good.
Other important Swedish heroes include Anders Celsius, whose
centigrade thermometer bears his name and is now used in much of
the world. Gustaf de Laval was a wonderful Swede who invented the
cream separator, a milking machine and a steam turbine with a
resilient axle. I have no idea what that means. Zippy's favorite
Swede is Johan Petter Johansson, the man who invented the monkey
wrench. And where would be today without the safety match? You
can thank Swede Gustaf Erik Pasch for that every time you set fire
to an abandoned warehouse. While you're at it, thank Carl Richard
Nyberg for inventing the blowtorch. And who could forget Gideon
Sundback? He is responsible for designing a well-functioning
zipper. We all know how much fun it is to taunt the Amish with our
zippers, don't we? Let's not forget some of the great export
products to come out of Sweden. There are Volvo and Saab cars,
IKEA furniture, Absolut Vodka and Ericsson telephones. Question:
Does anyone really own a Saab? And If so, do they ever admit it?
While inventors are great and all, nothing...I said nothing beats a
Muppet. Sweden has their own very special Jim Henson character:
the Swedish Chef. The Chef has entertained crowds for years with
his zany cooking antics and mysterious semi-Swedish accent. His
chocolate moose bit is an all-time favorite among many in the
cooking community.
So there you have it -- the best Sweden has to offer. Hopefully
you've learned something new about Sweden. I know in researching
this article, I was amazed to see how far the yellow and blue have
come. From great inventors to heroic battles against the forces of
evil, Sweden is a country all of us can be proud of.
----------------------------------------------------------------
World Factbook - Sweden
----------------------------------------------------------------
by LCS Hockey
Source: The World Factbook is produced annually by the Central
Intelligence Agency. 1996 statistics.
Sweden
MapLocation: 62 00 N, 15 00 E -- Northern Europe, bordering the
Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
FlagDescription: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the
edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted
to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Geography
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 449,964 sq km
land area: 410,928 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
total: 2,205 km
border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline: 3,218 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters
and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m
Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver,
timber, uranium, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 64%
other:
27%
Irrigated land:
1,120 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the
North Sea and the Baltic Sea
natural hazards:
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the
Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
Geographic note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic
and North Seas
People
Population:
8,900,954 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
19% (male 860,940; female 815,967)
15-64 years:
64% (male 2,884,687; female 2,794,593)
65 years and over:
17% (male 654,439; female 890,328) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.56% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
11.55 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
5.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.74 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
78.06 years
male:
75.62 years
female:
80.63 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.72 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Swede(s)
adjective:
Swedish
Ethnic divisions:
white, Lapp (Sami), foreign-born or first-generation
immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%,
other 3.5% (1987)
Languages:
Swedish
note:
small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form:
Sweden
local long form:
Konungariket Sverige
local short form:
Sverige
Data code:
SW
Type of government:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Stockholm
Administrative divisions:
24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan,
Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan,
Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan,
Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs
Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands
Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala
Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan,
Vastmanlands Lan
Independence:
6 June 1523, Gustav VASA was elected king; 6 June 1809, a
constitutional monarchy was established
National holiday:
Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
Constitution:
1 January 1975
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973) is a
constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA
Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977)
head of government:
Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March 1996)
was elected by the Riksdag
cabinet:
Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament (Riksdag):
elections last held 18 September 1994 (next to be held NA
September 1998); results - Social Democrats 45.4%, Moderate
Party (Conservatives) 22.3%, Center Party 7.7%,
Liberals 7.2%, Left Party 6.2%, Greens 5.8%, Christian
Democrats 4.1%, New Democracy Party 1.2%; seats - (349 total)
Social Democrats 162, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 80,
Center Party 27, Liberals 26, Left Party 22, Greens 18,
Christian Democrats 14; note - the New Democracy Party
did not receive a seat because parties require a minimum
of 4.0% of votes for a seat in parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen), judges are appointed by the
government (prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Social Democratic Party, Goran PERSSON; Moderate Party
(conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party,
Maria LEISSNER; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; Christian
Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; New Democracy Party,
Vivianne FRANZEN; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN;
Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal
leader but party spokesperson is Briger SCHLAUG
International organization participation:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC,
CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 8, G- 9,
G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB,
NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Carl Henrik Sihver LILJEGREN
chancery:
1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
[1] (202) 467-2600
FAX:
[1] (202) 467-2699
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Thomas L. SIEBERT
embassy:
Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[46] (8) 783 53 00
FAX:
[46] (8) 661 19 64
Flag:
blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the
flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the
hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Economic overview:
Aided by peace and neutrality during World War I through
World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of
living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and
extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution
system, excellent internal and external communications,
and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron
ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily
oriented toward foreign trade. Privately-owned firms
account for about 90% of industrial output, of which
the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and
exports. In 1993, agriculture accounted for only 2% of
GDP and 2% of the jobs. In recent years, however, this
extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by
budgetary difficulties, inflation, growing unemployment,
and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international
markets. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the
EC's ECU (European Currency Unit), and depreciation of
the krona has boosted export competitiveness and helped
lift Sweden out of its 1991-93 recession. To curb the
budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy,
the government adopted an adjustment program in November
1994 that aims to eliminate the government budget deficit
and to stabilize the debt to GDP ratio. Sweden has harmonized
its economic policies with those of the EU, which it joined
at the start of 1995.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $177.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
3.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$20,100 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
2%
industry:
27%
services:
71% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (1995)
Labor force:
4.552 million (84% unionized, 1992)
by occupation:
community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining
and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants
14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%,
construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
7.8% (December 1995) plus about 6% in training programs
Budget:
revenues:
$109.4 billion
expenditures:
$146.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96)
Industries:
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and
telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products,
processed foods, motor vehicles
Industrial production growth rate:
11.7% (1994)
Electricity:
capacity:
34,560,000 kW
production:
141 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
14,891 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
grains, sugar beets, potatoes; meat, milk
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics shipped via the former
Soviet Republics and Baltic states for the European market
Exports:
$61.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood,
iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum
products
partners:
EU 59.1% (Germany 13.2%, UK 10.2%, Denmark 6.9%, France 5.1%),
Norway 8.1%, Finland 4.8%, US 8.0% (1994)
Imports:
$51.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities:
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners:
EU 62.6% (Germany 18.4%, UK 9.5%, Denmark 6.6%, France 5.5%),
Finland 6.3%, Norway 6.1%, US 8.5% (1994)
External debt:
$66.5 billion (1994)
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA, $1.769 billion (1993)
Currency:
1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere
Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.7240 (January 1996),
7.1333 (1995), 7.7160 (1994), 7.7834 (1993), 5.8238 (1992),
6.0475 (1991)
Fiscal year:
1 January - 31 December (Sweden changed its fiscal year
from 1 July - 30 June in 1995)
Transportation
Railways:
total:
12,624 km (includes 953 km of privately-owned railways)
standard gauge:
11,767 km 1.435-m gauge (7,320 km electrified and
1,152 km double track)
other:
857 km NA-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total:
135,859 km
paved:
97,818 km (including 936 km of expressways)
unpaved:
38,041 km (1991 est.)
Waterways:
2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Pipelines:
natural gas 84 km
Ports:
Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall,
Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall
Merchant marine:
total:
169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,993,422 GRT/2,183,215 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 35, chemical tanker 24,
combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil
tanker 32, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 38, short-sea passenger 7,
specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 14 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 251
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 7
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 85
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 26
with paved runways under 914 m: 127
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4 (1995 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones: 7.41 million (1986 est.)
Telephone system: excellent domestic and international facilities;
automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic;
parallel microwave radio relay network carries some additional
telephone channels
international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden
shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 360 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0
Radios: 7.272 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 880 (mostly repeaters)
Televisions: 3.5 million
Defense
Branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 2,133,816
males fit for military service: 1,867,031
males reach military age (19) annually: 51,357 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $5.8 billion, 2.5%
of GDP (FY94/95)
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Reunite LCS with a Swede
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino
It's not every day that people meet Swedes. But when it happens, it
is considered a special moment. Considering that there are only 8.8
million people living in Sweden, the staff of LCS Hockey feels lucky
to have known at least one of them.
Our encounter with a real live Swede occurred back in our days at
Greensburg Salem Senior High School in Greensburg, Pa. During my
junior year, (the rest of the staff's senior year), our high school
was infiltrated by a Swede named Ola Jorup. Ola was part of an
exchange program in 1993. Lord knows how he ended up in
Greensburg, but his presence helped all of us learn how to hate
Finland, and our ice hockey team certainly loved the skills he
brought to the team.
Ola, who never declared a true hatred for Finland in public, is from
Djurgarden, Sweden, which is right in the middle of Stockholm. A
tall, lanky fellow, Ola was a fluid skater, just like most Swedes, I
guess. By Swedish standards, Ola wasn't an outstanding hockey
player. He actually quit playing organized hockey for a while
because he thought he wasn't any good. But by Western Pennsylvania
standards, he was one of the area's best defensemen. He made the
all- star team after the season.
On the ice, Ola was known for his smooth skating. Off the ice, he
was known for his wit. He talked kinda slow in English, but I
don't blame him since it was his second language. It was always
entertaining when Ola said words like Malmo (MAL-mo) and Calle
Johansson (KAL-ee yo-HAAAN-son). The language barrier didn't stop
him from telling some great stories about life in Sweden, however.
He, although deep down we knew it was there.
Ola's favorite subject was none other than Kent Nilsson. His eyes
would always light up when he talked about "Mr. Magic". For those
of you who don't know who Nilsson is, here's some background
information. Nilsson played nine seasons in the NHL for four
different teams between 1979-80 and 1994-95. He was a prolific
scorer who totaled 686 points in 553 NHL games and won one Stanley
Cup with Edmonton in 1987. Hockey analyst Al Strachan once said
that Nilsson was the "greatest pure talent ever to play in Sweden."
Nilsson is more famous in Sweden for his international play instead
of his years in the NHL. Apparently Nilsson was a bad man when it
came to playing against the world's best. Ola would always tell us
about one great goal Nilsson scored against Finland (I think) that
made him a national hero.
Greensburg Salem only got to enjoy Ola for one year, because as soon
as summer hit, Ola went back home. And that was the last we heard
from Ola Jorup. Five years later, LCS is hoping that we'll be able
to find Ola and find out what he's doing. That's where you, our
valued European readers, come into play. You are our eyes and ears
in Western Europe. If anyone can find Ola Jorup, we know you can.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Ola Jorup,
or are personal friends of the lovable Swede, please e-mail us at sportif@westol.com.
Here's the vital information you'll need for your mission, should
you choose to accept it:
Name: Ola Jorup
Last known residence: Djurgarden, Sweden
Height: about 6-foot-1
Age: 22 (or somewhere around there)
Position: Defense
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Miscellaneous: We think his dad was really rich. His favorite
hockey player is Kent Nilsson.
(Picture on website)
----------------------------------------------------------------
SWEDISH RECIPES
----------------------------------------------------------------
by LCS Hockey
Sweden is known for lots of things, including its fine cuisine.
We searched the net and found some traditional Swedish recipes
and gave them that subtle LCS Hockey touch.
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients:
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 pound ground pork
* 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
* 4 tablespoons cream or milk
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 bottle of Night Train
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into small
meatballs and arrange on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15 minutes.
Makes about 40 swell meatballs. But you'll only be able to eat a
few before passing out. That Night Train is a mean wine.
Sillsallad - Swedish Herring Salad
Ingredients:
* 1 can (400-500 grams) pickled sliced beets
* 250 grams boiled, refrigerated, peeled potatoes
* 150 grams marinated herring filets
* 1 apple
* 1 small onion
* 1/3 cup dill pickle
* 1 bottle of Night Train
Directions:
1. Drain the liquid from the pickled sliced beets, reserving the
liquid.
2. Drain the liquid from 3/4 cup (or one jar, 6-8 oz. size)
marinated, snack tidbits or wine-flavored herring filet pieces.
3. Cut (into 1/4-inch cubes) the beets, herring, one medium sized
tart apple (peeled), and potatoes (boiled and peeled, hot or
cold) and mix them all together, while pouring in the Night
Train.
4. Blend in 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle, one small (finely
chopped) onion and the reserved beet liquid.
5. Put into a serving bowl or pack into a 4-cup mold. Cover and
chill, at least over night or for as long as two days.
This is good stuff. But you won't be able to eat much before you
pass out. That Night Train is a mean wine.
Hasselbackspotatis - Hasselback Potatoes
Ingredients:
* 12 medium-sized potatoes
* 3 tbsp butter or margarine
* 3 tbsp grated cheese
* 1-2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
* salt
* 1 bottle of Night Train
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the peeled potatoes in a wooden spoon and make vertical
slices, 2-3 mm apart,
about 3/4 of the way through the potatoes. The wooden spoon will
protect the final 1/4
of the potatoes.
3. With the cut-side up, place the potatoes in a buttered baking
dish.
4. Open bottle of Night Train and pour most of it over the
potatoes, then sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, now and then basting the potatoes with
the rest of the Night Train.
6. After 30 minutes, sprinkle with bread crumbs and, if desired,
grated cheese.
7. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
Damn, these potatoes are tasty. But you won't be able to eat too
many before passing out. That Night Train is a mean wine.
Våfflor - Waffles
Ingredients:
* 1 bottle Night Train (cold)
* all-purpose flour (325 ml)
* a pinch of salt
* 400 ml heavy or whipping cream
* melted butter
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the 325 ml of flour, 250
ml of the Night Train and the salt until you have a smooth
mixture.
2. Whip the cream until it is firm and mix it carefully with the
water-flour mixture.
3. Preheat a waffle iron (yes, unfortunately you do need a
special iron; we have not been able to find a good substitute)
and grease it lightly.
4. Pour 100 ml of the batter onto the waffle iron and cook until
crisp and golden (approximately 2 minutes).
Serve immediately together with whipped cream and a suitable
fruit or berry jam. Some even like to sweeten the waffles with
some granulated sugar. Although you wouldn't be able to eat too
many before you pass out. That Night Train is a mean wine.
Glögg - Spicy Hot Red Wine
Ingredients:
* one bottle of Night Train
* half a cup vodka
* 10 g whole cinnamon
* 1.5 grams cloves (about 20 pieces)
* a small piece of ginger
* 2 g crushed cardamom seeds
* the (dried) peels of half a bitter orange
* 300 g (slightly more than a cup) sugar
* one tablespoon vanilla sugar
Directions:
1. Crush the cardamom and cinnamon, put all spices in a covered
glass jar, add the vodka. Let stand for 24 hours.
2. Sieve the vodka, discard the spices.
4. Mix the Night Train and the spicy vodka in a pan, add vanilla
and sugar.
5. Heat covered for a few minutes, but do not under any
circumstances let the mixture boil.
Serve sizzling hot. But you'll still eventually pass out. That
Night Train is a mean wine.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Common Swedish Phrases
----------------------------------------------------------------
by LCS Hockey
In case you, our valued readers, ever travel to Sweden, we've
tried to piece together some common Swedish phrases using a
Swedish-English dictionary. The syntax may not be the best, but
the point should get across.
Lang bor de Val! - Long live the Whale!
Sicken det finns? - What it is?
Han finns de action? - Where is the action?
Har du sedd min kaslonger? - Have you seen my
pants?
Langa de vin. - Pass the wine.
Jag var i Cleveland den vecka, officer. - I was in
Cleveland that week, officer.
Du ar a illa skona kvinnor. - You are a very beautiful
woman.
Skulle du lik att se de hem av a ensam, ensam man? -
Would you like to see the home of a lonely, lonely man?
Forlat, Jag tanke den var min ben. - Sorry, I thought
that was my leg.
Behagar skaffa ej slag mig om. - Please do not slap me
again.
Nej, nej, ej de paprika sprej! - No, no, not the
pepper spray!
Jasa Gud, min ogon! - Oh God, my eyes!
----------------------------------------------------------------
A WORD WITH THE KIDS
----------------------------------------------------------------
by LCS Hockey
While planning our tribute to Sweden, we thought it would be a
good idea to get the story directly from the source. So we
contacted our friend Matti Merilaid of the Brannhallskolan school
located in Nacka, Sweden, which is just outside of Stockholm.
Last year, Matti's students, who range in age from 10-13, were
working on a class project about pre-NHL hockey. When Matti
wrote to us asking for some information to help their cause, we
were more than happy to share the knowledge. So when we needed
info on Sweden, we knew we could go to Matti and the kids. This
is just a perfect example of the special rapport we have with the
Swedish people. Which once again proves our theory, Swedes love
the LCS.
Anyway, Matti was kind enough to ask some of the youngsters at
the school to write about their homeland. We would now like to
share these writings with you, our valued readers. These
wonderful kids, who are still learning English, did their best to
share their thoughts on what it's like to live in Sweden. And we
are eternally grateful for their kindness. Enjoy.
"Hello! Here in Sweden we have no polarbears in our country. We
have 25 landscapes. Our Capital is Stockholm. Sweden is a
beautiful country. It's not so cold here but not so warm either.
We live in a suburb to Stockholm. We have many museums here.
We have landscapeanimals and landscapeflowers. Our landscapes are
called: Dalsland, Blekinge, Bohuslan, Vastergotland, Halland,
Skane, Smaland, Oland, Uppland, Norrbotten, Gotland, Gastrikland,
Lappland, Ostergotland, Halsingland, Jamtland, Sodermanland,
Medelpad, Harjedalen, Narke, Angermanland, Dalarna, Vastmanland,
Vasterbotten, Varmland. That was the 25 landscapes. We have a
very big cienam, called Cosmonova. They show films in omnimax
size. Goodbye!"
-- Sanna Bjurstrom, 12, and Hanna Sandberg, 12.
"If you compare Sweden to USA you could easily say that USA have
more 'life' than Sweden. Sweden is a very quiet country. I've
been to USA myself and was chocked over that two countries could
be so different to eachother. The food for example, USA have more
junk food than Sweden, that's why the most people in USA are very
fat, in Sweden the most people are tall and skinny. Buses, a very
important thing here in Sweden. People go to work by bus, visit
their friends by bus etc. The buses here are very comfortable.
Sweden is very big with sports, hockey for example, my favourite
team is Djurgardens I F. Other sports Sweden is good at is for
example swimming. Sweden came on the second place last week in
100 m butterfly. It was a swim-WC compatition. Now it's snowing
outside, I hate snow!"
-- Roeida Alshagra, 12.
"Sweden are a beuatiful country. You can swim on the summer and
skiing on the vinter. In Sweden lives 9 millions, only in
Stockholm lives 1 462 000 peoples. Swedens area is 450 000 km2.
In Sweden we have a big mountain that's name are Kebnekaise. This
winter we don't get so much snow so nearly everyone want snow
now. Swedens ice-hockeyleauge are the best after NHL have I
heard. I like to play hockey to. I playing ice-hockey in
Aftonbladet cup. Thats a cup for all childrens."
-- Viktor Lundbäck, 11.
"Hi, my name is Alex I'm 12 years old. My idols is Wu Tang Clan
and Cyppress Hill. I like football.
Hello, my name is Linus. I'm 12 years old. My idols are Prodigy
and Bloodhound Gang. I play hockey here in Sweden. My favourite
team is AIK.
Hello my name is Richard I'm 12 years old. My idols are Willie
Smith and Coolio. I play football and hockey. I play football
with Alex and hockey with Linus. Alex are a hip hoper.
In Sweden we become more and more like Americans. We listen at
your music (Willie Smith and Backstreet Boys for example). We
watch your movies (Titanic) and we eating American food like
hamburger and pan pizza."
-- Alex Mugabe, 12, Linus Persson, 12, and Richard Lindstrom,
12.
"In Sweden we have a zoo it's called 'Skansen', The zoo is in
Stockholm wich is Swedens capital. In the zoo we have many wild
animals. For example: bears, horses, foxes, monkeys and many
more. The animals are inside fences. We can watch them. On the
horses we can ride. Last year the bears had babys. They have it
every year. The babys are so pretty. In a bassin we have seals.We
can watch the seals on many floors. It's fun to be there. You can
find a souvenirshop there. In the shop you can buy 'dala horses',
keyrings, stickers, pens, sea shells, rubber animals and so on.
In the zoo you can go in to the terrarium, there you can see
snakes, spiders, crabbs, crocodiles they also have a nursery
where you can see baby animals when they are born. Then you buy
icecream and go home. If you want you can take the boat to
Djurgarden or take the bus from central station. In winter here
in Sweden it's rather cold. In Stockholm we don't have snow right
now, but in Lappland in the north of Sweden they have a lot
of snow (real winter). The last year we have snow. When we have
snow all the kids go out and play, or rid snowracers, it's fun.
many kids build snowcaves, snowlanterns and snowmen. We use to
ski at Hammarbybacken, that's also fun. Some ski and some
snowboard."
-- Anna Olofsson, 13.
"In Stockholm we have a tivoli we call it 'Grona Lund'. It's very
fun too be there. Beside the tivoli we have a zoo we call it
'Skansen'. It's a lot of animals there. Many tourists visit
Skansen and Grona Lund. I play football in a team Boo FF. In
Stockholm we have 'Stockholm Soccer Cup', it's a fotball cup on
grass. It's many country in it. 23th february we have
sportholliday many people in Sweden go to the Swedish
alps to ski or to snowboard."
-- Elin Lindberg, 12.
"Hello my name is Linus and I'm ten years old. We have no
president we have a king we have a crownprinsess she is going to
study in USA we have snow now we have a city-hall there we are
giving out Nobelprice we have 25 landscapes in Sweden."
-- Linus Eriksson, 10.
"Hello! My name is Miretta Palmroth and I love Michael Jackson, I
ride horses in Huddinge in south Sweden. It's very fun to ride.
Today the 23 januari me and my class 6b are going to a ice house.
There is very nice ice sculpturs in the ice house. The house is
built of ice and snow. Everybody can go and watch in the house.
We are a very small class, We are 11 students."
-- Miretta Palmroth, 13.
"We have a good hockeyteam whid name Djurgarden I F. Meny people
in the school play football with Boo FF. We lives in Orminge one
mils from Stockholm. We have thri letters more then USA: Å Ä Ö.
We have a big mountain whid name Kebenikaise. The biggest sport
in Sweden is football. We have a center ner by the school whid
name Orminge centrum and a hospetale. We have a animal park in
Stockholm whit name Skansen. This year is Stockholm
kulturhuvudstad (don't know in English). Good by."
-- Peter Sehlin, 12, Christian Bergius, 12, and David
Granlund, 12.
"Hello! In Stockholm we have a amusement park it called Grona
Lund. There we have one roller coaster, lover tunnel. radio cars,
goast tunnel and many more. When I go by a roller coaster I get
butterflys in my stomach. In the lover tunnel you can see lover
pairs and one crocodil and a few hobgoblins. You can ride radio
cars. You should croquet with other cars. It's very funny to do
that. When I go by a goast tunnel you can be scared. In the
tunnel you can find animals and ghost that scare you crazy. They
also have a flying carpet it's rotates round and round, the
swinging is glories. You can buy som lottery tickets you can win
soft animals. The animal can be very biggs. And later you going
home and sleeping. Have nice day, buy, buy!"
-- Camilla Ek, 13.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Why I Love My Swedish National Team Jersey
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Brad Kane, Carolina Correspondent
It certainly gets a lot of strange looks.
My jersey, that is. The one I got for Christmas about two years
ago; a bright yellow and blue replica jersey of the Swedish
national team. I've got a lot of hockey jerseys in my
collection, but none quite like "Tre Kronor". I love it, I
really do, just like I love most things related to Sweden -- the
language, the snow, the big sweaters, the idea of a blond-haired,
blue-eyed Swedish lass, heck, even the clogs. (OK, well, maybe
it's really the fourth item on that list I really, really like.)
But, there's always the jersey. It's a home model. Yellow, with
blue shoulders and three blue crowns on the front -- hence the
term "Tre Kronor", or "three crowns" for those of you not in the
Swedish know. (No need to feel left out for not knowing that,
though. There's only a select few that are truly up on their
Swedish culture. Sadly, I am not one of them.)
It's also got a lot of holes in it. It came like that. Tiny
little holes that almost make it look like a practice jersey.
After much thought, and some rather emotional and spirited debate
with myself about this one (hey, I was pretty mad because I
thought it WAS only a practice jersey), I've decided that the
holes are there for a reason. In fact, I'd bet lots and lots of
Swedish money (whatever it's called) that the holes are what make
Swedish players skate so much better than mere North Americans
do. Think about it -- more holes equals less wind resistance
which means greater speed. A HA! Now you know. Peter Forsberg,
I'm calling you out!
My jersey pretty much goes where I go. That means it's been to
some pretty exotic places. The convenience store right down the
street, for one. Always gets a lot of weird looks there. Sort
of makes it seem like the tub of butter that's been sitting in
the back of the fridge down there for six months came alive and
tried to buy a gallon of milk and a newspaper.
It's also been to Florida and back. Yep, that's right. It saw
more sun in one week that most Swedish folks see in a lifetime.
I wore it to a Panthers-Avalanche game down there a few years
back. Walking through the promenade at Miami Arena that's only
slightly wider than the hallway in my house, I got accosted by a
group of blond, smiling people that I assume were Swedish. Why?
Well, they weren't speaking English, they seemed really excited
and a few of them were pointing at my chest. After a few
seconds I made the connection, and I moved around them
as effortlessly as Mats Sundin on a breakaway.
After avoiding what could have been an embarrassing setback for
US-Sweden relations (hey, I don't know Swedish and trust me, you
don't want me as an ambassador), I got accosted yet again. This
time it was a drunk guy, which there seems to be a lot of in
Miami Arena. His eyes lit up when he saw me. He slowly lifted
his arm up and slowly extended his index finger in my general
direction. (Hey, I did say he was drunk). I could feel it
coming. That moment of recognition I've gotten so many times in
the past, that moment when all the neurons connect and fire at
once, that moment of true clarity that happens to people who've
only ever watched hockey at the Olympics. Now, it was happening
again. I closed my eyes in full anticipation of the blast...
"Hey, isn't that Finland?"
I stopped thinking about whatever I was thinking at the time
(probably how good that girl in the group of Swedish folks
looked), and started to shake my head. Slowly at first, then
more rapidly. I shook. I trembled. I felt like vomiting.
Finland? The hated enemy? The despised arch-rival? The country
of reindeer-loving, funny-hat-wearing, Teemu Selanne lovers?
How could he be so wrong? Even in a state of accelerated alcohol
saturation, how could he be so tactless, so uncaring, so
fast-and-loose with fact? The countries couldn't be any more
different. I mean, come on, let's look at the tale of the tape:
--Sweden is covered with snow nine months out of the year.
Finland is covered with snow nine months out of the year.
--Swedish people are predominately blond haired, blue eyed.
Finnish people are predominately blond haired, blue eyed.
--In Sweden, the main sports of choice are hockey and soccer. In
Finland, the main sports of choice are hockey and soccer.
--Swedish hockey players have great names like Hakan Loob and Per
Djoos. Finnish hockey players have great names like Kari Takko
and Jyrki Lumme.
--The Swedish national team jersey is yellow and blue. The
Finnish national team jersey is white and blue.
There you have it. The two countries couldn't be any more
different. He was clearly wrong, and after a brief explanation,
I was on my way again.
The jersey also brings me luck at my fantasy hockey league
drafts. That's subjective of course, but I'd like to believe
that it does. For some reason, though, every year I keep wanting
to take Johan Garpenlov or Mikael Andersson with my first pick.
That's a hard habit to break, and maybe one day soon I will...
But you know what I like best about my jersey? It's the
manufacturer's label on the back of the jersey near the waist.
Where most jerseys say Starter or, God forbid, Nike, mine says
neither. Nope, mine was made by Pro Joy. Pro Joy! What a
happy, succinct, name for a company. You are pro, therefore you
are joy! Or something silly like that...something really silly
like that. Considering that I've never seen another person
wearing a Pro Joy jersey, I'd like to think that I'm sorta, kinda
cool, you know? I'm original, I'm hip, I'm now. It would be
even better if the jersey had actually been made in Sweden. It
wasn't, but it was made in a place that's almost as cool (uh,
Canada).
So, come February, when the Olympics are in full swing, guess
where I'll be when Sweden takes to the ice? Um, asleep; the
games won't be on until midnight EST. But, I'll wear my jersey
to bed anyway. My dreams will be filled with the sights and
sounds of Sweden running up the score on those poor, defenseless
Finns, on the way to yet another gold medal.
NOTE: The writer would like all readers to know that no
Finnish people were harmed in the writing of this story.
_____________________________________________________
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
Alex Carswell.................Anaheim Correspondent
Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent
Joe Brunner...................Buffalo Correspondent
Tony Wong.....................Calgary Correspondent
Brad Kane....................Carolina Correspondent
Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent
Greg D'Avis..................Colorado Correspondent
Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent
Dino Cacciola.................Detroit Correspondent
Simon D. Lewis...............Edmonton Correspondent
Eric A. Seiden................Florida Correspondent
Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent
Jacques Robert...............Montreal Correspondent
Phil Aromando..............New Jersey Correspondent
David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent
Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent
The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents
Eric Meyer...............Philadelphia Correspondent
Whoever.......................Phoenix Correspondent
Joe Ashkar..................St. Louis Correspondent
Al Swanson...................San Jose Correspondent
Seth Lerman.................Tampa Bay Correspondent
Jonah Sigel...................Toronto Correspondent
Carol Schram................Vancouver Correspondent
Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent
Tricia McMillan...................AHL Correspondent
_____________________________________________________
LCS Guide to Hockey, Issue 86, January 27, 1998.
Email address: sportif@oak.westol.com Good ol' postal
address: 632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA 15601.
Web Site: http://www.lcshockey.com/ open 24 hours a day.
AOL Keyword: "LCS" or "LCS Hockey", exclusive coverage.
_____________________________________________________
----------------------------------------------------------------
World Domination Report VIII, NO VII
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Zippy, Wonder Chimp
STATE OF THE EMPIRE
World Domination ain't easy, it takes time.
Since we're impatient, the semi-brillant minds at LCS Hockey have decided to rally the
troops and make a rejuvenated attempt at world domination. In the coming weeks, we
will announce our plans to the world. Stay tuned for how you, our valued readers,
can aid our noble mission.
In the meantime, we'd like to give a shout out to Dom Giagnocavo, who
recently turned 22.
LCS Hockey on America Online
We're still on America Online, however, our area is undergoing major renovations.
It's all part of our doubled efforts for world domination. Check it out at
keyword "LCS Hockey" to read exclusive semi-daily columns from the staff of LCS Hockey.
Also try out the chat boards.
LCS: Questions o' the Month
The same questions have been online for months because, as usual, nobody
can answer them.
LCS Hockey Pool
Third epoch has begun. What else is there to say? Updates every Wednesday.
Coming Soon!
New features, more excitement, and the Olympics.
----------------------------------------------------------------
CHIMP BYTES: GENERAL NHL NEWS AND NOTES
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Zippy, Wonder Chimp
JAGR AGREES TO $48 MILLION, SIX-YEAR DEAL
PITTSBURGH - Jaromir Jagr agreed to a new $48 million, six-year
contract on January 27 that will make him the highest-paid player
in the NHL. The long-awaited deal was announced at an 11 a.m. news
conference in Pittsburgh.
The 25-year-old is already under contract through the 1998-99 season
in a deal that paid him roughly $5 million per season. The new six-year
contract will go into affect after the 1998-99 season. During the first two
years, Jagr will continue to earn $5 million per season. The last four years,
however, will be worth an average of $9.5 million per season. In 2003-2004,
the last year of the contract, Jagr will be collecting $10.4 million.
I suspect that Jagr and the Pens management developed this back-loaded
deal in order to sign Ron Francis, who will become an unrestricted free agent at
the end of the season. Jagr would be the first to admit that center Ron
Francis has played a vital role in his success. Keeping him in a Pens uniform
for another 2-3 years would be in Jagr's, and the team's, best interests. Expect
a 2-3 year deal worth $3-4 million a season offered to Francis at the end of the
year.
Following the announcement, Jagr commented on his new contract, ''I've never had
that much (money) before. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll give it to people
who don't have any.'' That Jagr is a great guy. You know, LCS Hockey is looking for
a Mr. Drummond...
The Penguins also announced a reduction in most ticket prices
for the 1998-99 season. This annoucement wasn't surprising
given the fact the Pens have only sold out two home games
this season.
HAWKS RE-SIGN LW PROBERT
Left wing Bob Probert, one of the National Hockey League's top enforcers
who is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff, signed a three-year
contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
Financial terms were undisclosed, but Probert will receive a raise from this
season's $2 million salary. He also expressed hope that he might come back
in time for the playoffs.
WILLIE O'REE GIVEN NEW MISSION BY THE NHL
In 1958 Willie O'Ree broke the color barrier in the NHL.
Exactly 40 years later to the day, O'Ree is finally being being elevated
to his rightful position as one of hockey's heroes. The tribute
occured on Saturday between the periods of the NHL Heroes of Hockey game.
The program also brought O'Ree onto the ice at G.M. Place to work with a
group of young hockey players, helping them negotiate a series of drills.
While celebrating O'Ree's past, the NHL also looked to his future as
director of youth development for the NHL/USA Hockey Diversity Task
Force. The non-profit Task Force was created to introduce children of
diverse ethnic backgrounds to hockey.
O'Ree began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal
Canadiens at the Forum on January 18th, 1958. He played only one more game
that season befpre returning for 43 games in 1960-61.
For more than two decades O'Ree continued to play professional hockey,
spending much of that time in the Western Hockey League with the Los Angeles
Blades and San Diego Gulls. He currently works in the front offices of the
Gulls organization.
As many of you know, Willie O'Ree has been a hero of LCS Hockey for many years.
In fact, the winner of our staff hockey pool is presented with a trophy dedicated
to the NHL legend.
Recently, we have been in contact with Willie O'Ree as we attempt to score an
interview with the ground-breaking athlete. Negotiations are on-going, however,
O'Ree has been kind enough to send the autographed picture displayed to the right.
(see web site, http://www.lcshockey.com/)
NHL ALL-STAR GAME SUMMARY
NORTH AMERICA ALL-STARS 8, WORLD ALL-STARS 7
1ST 2ND 3RD FINAL
--- --- --- -----
WORLD ALL-STARS 3 2 2 7
N AMERICA STARS 3 3 2 8
FIRST PERIOD -- SCORING: 1, World All-stars, Selanne 1 (Koivu),
0:53. 2, World All-stars, Jagr 1 (Bondra, Mironov), 2:15. 3,
World All-stars, Selanne 2 (Lehtinen, Fetisov), 4:00. 4, N
America Stars, LeClair 1 (Gretzky, Chelios), 4:13. 5, N America
Stars, Tkachuk 1 (power play) (Fleury, Chelios), 10:50. 6, N
America Stars, Niedermayer 1 (Sakic, Recchi), 18:25. PENALTIES:
Fetisov, Wor (cross checking), 10:04.
SECOND PERIOD -- SCORING: 7, N America Stars, Fleury 1 (Modano,
Tkachuk), 1:53. 8, World All-stars, Selanne 3 (Lehtinen, Koivu),
7:11. 9, World All-stars, Kurri 1 (Koivu, Lehtinen), 12:36. 10, N
America Stars, Lindros 1 (Chelios, Messier), 14:46. 11, N America
Stars, Amonte 1 (Sakic, Bourque), 16:19. PENALTIES: Fleury, Nor
(Obstr tripping), 18:48.
THIRD PERIOD -- SCORING: 12, N America Stars, Tkachuk 2 (Modano,
Fleury), 1:36. 13, N America Stars, Messier 1 (Gretzky), 4:00.
14, World All-stars, Kravchuk 1 (Sundin, Forsberg), 7:03. 15,
World All-stars, Larionov 1 (Bure), 9:41. PENALTIES: Weight, Nor
(tripping), 16:32.
SHOTS ON GOAL
1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WORLD ALL-STARS 7 11 11 29
N AMERICA STARS 13 17 13 43
POWER PLAY: Wor - 0 of 2, Nor - 1 of 1. GOALIES: World All-stars,
Hasek (13 shots, 10 saves), Kolzig (start of 2nd, 17, 14),
Khabibulin (start of 3rd, 13, 11; record: 0-1-0). N America
Stars, Roy (7, 4), Belfour (start of 2nd, 11, 9), Brodeur (start
of 3rd, 11, 9; record: 1-0-0).
Referee: Stewart. Linesmen: Cvik, Heyer.
A:18,422.
BLUES' HULL EXPECTED BACK THURSDAY FROM BROKEN HAND
The St. Louis Blues, mired in a seven-game winless streak, may
get a needed dose of offense from right wing Brett Hull, who is
scheduled to return against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday
night after missing 13 games with a broken left hand.
SABRES PICK UP 1998-99 OPTION ON HASEK'S CONTRACT
Dominik Hasek, the first goaltender in 35 years to win the Hart
Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, had his option picked
up Thursday by the Buffalo Sabres for the 1998-99 season.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
FLAMES' ZALAPSKI ON THE TRADING BLOCK
Flames defenseman Zarley Zalapski, who is being paid $1.6 million
this season but is a minus-11 in 35 games, apparently is on his
way out of Calgary. Zalapski, a 10-year veteran and former
All-Star, has been a healthy scratch in several games recently
and was left behind as the Flames embark on a two-game California
road trip beginning Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif. Zalapski also
has been asked not to practice with the team.
EAGLESON TO SERVE 18 MONTHS IN CANADIAN PRISION
Alan Eagleson, the founder of the National Hockey League Players
Association, will serve 18 months in a Canadian prison after pleading guilty
to three counts of fraud related to the sale of rink board advertising in
Toronto.
The 64-year-old Eagleson pled guilty to three counts of mail fraud in
Boston on Tuesday. The United States allowed extradition to Canada via a
plea bargain. Eagleson was taken to a Toronto city jail for processing and is
expected to begin serving his sentence in a minimun security facility later this
week.
ISLANDERS REACH SETTLEMENT WITH BRETT LINDROS
The New York Islanders announced a legal settlement Thursday with
former forward Brett Lindros, who was forced to retire two years
ago at age 20 due to a series of concussions. Financial terms of
the settlement, called "unconditional" and "final" in a release
by the team, were not disclosed. Various reports claimed the
Islanders withheld portions of Lindros' salary because they felt
he was not truthful about his medical history of past
concussions.
NHL FINES CANUCKS, SABRES $25,000 APIECE
The NHL fined the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres
$25,000 apiece Tuesday as a result of a series of multi-player
brawls during their game in Buffalo, N.Y., on Jan. 15. In
addition, Canucks coach Mike Keenan and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff
were each fined $5,000. "The manner in which both teams conducted
themselves in the third period goes beyond the level of what is
acceptable in this league," NHL senior vice president and
director of hockey operations Brian Burke said. "The coaches and
management of both teams are held accountable for the actions of
their players in such a situation."
MINNESOTA EXPANSION TEAM GOES STUPID, ERR... WILD, WITH NICKNAME
Minnesota's new National Hockey League franchise selected
Wild as its nickname. The announcement was made during
ceremonies at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, Minn., where
several thousand hockey fans joined former North Stars coach
Glen Sonmor and defenseman Tom Reid.
Also in attendance was NHL Senior Vice President and Director of
Operations Brian Burke and recently retired Neal Broten, who
entered the arena with the Stanley Cup and was flanked by youth
hockey players wearing jerseys of all 26 NHL teams. The logo,
also unveiled Thursday night, depicts the word Wild in an
"organic, naturalist form." The team colors are iron range red,
forest green, harvest gold and Minnesota wheat. Wild was chosen
by fans in a straw poll.
Given the result, a strong case could be made for never using a
straw poll again.
1998 Central Scouting Mid Season Report
Vincent Lecavalier continues to lead the 1998 draft class. Here is a complete
list of top prospects in the 1998 NHL draft. This years draft will be held in
Buffalo.
North American Skaters:
1. Vincent Lacavalier C 6-4 180 Rimouski (QMJHL)
2. David Legwand C 6-2 175 Plymouth (OHL)
3. Michael Henrich RW 6-2 206 Barrie (OHL)
4. Mathieu Biron D 6-7 212 Shawingan (QMJHL)
5. Bryan Allan D 6-5 208 Oshawa (OHL)
6. Manny Malhotra C 6-2 210 Guelph (OHL)
7. Rico Fata C 5-11 202 London (OHL)
8. Ramzi Abid LW 6-2 195 Chicoutmi (QMJHL)
9. Martin Skoula D 6-2 195 Barrie (OHL)
10. Brad Stuart D 6-3 215 Regina (WHL)
11. Jiri Fischer D 6-5 175 Hull (QMJHL)
12. Robyn Regehr D 6-3 211 Kamloops (WHL)
13. Alex Tanguay C 6-0 180 Halifax (QMJHL)
14. Mike Van Ryn D 6-2 186 U. Michigan (CCHA)
15. Simon Gagne C 6-0 165 Quebec (QMJHL)
16. Eric Chouinard C 6-2 195 Quebec (QMJHL)
17. Scott Gomez C 5-10 180 Tri-Cities (WHL)
18. Jeff Heerema RW 6-1 171 Sarina (OHL)
19. Blair Betts C 6-2 183 Prince George (WHL)
20. Randy Copley RW 6-2 205 Cape Breton (QMJHL)
21. Kyle Rossiter D 6-2 200 Spokane (WHL)
22. Mark Bell C 6-3 186 Ottawa (OHL)
23. Stephen Peat D 6-3 205 Red Deer (WHL)
24. Michael Rupp LW 6-5 218 Erie (OHL)
25. John Erskine D 6-4 197 London (OHL)
26. Steve Moore C 6-2 190 Harvard (ECAC)
27. Brett Allan LW 6-4 184 Swift Current (WHL)
28. Andrew Peters LW 6-4 195 Oshawa (OHL)
29. Bobby Allan D 6-1 197 Boston College (HE)
30. Mike Riberto C 5-11 150 Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
31. Chris Dyment D 6-3 190 Reading (USHS)
32. Jon Cheechoo RW 6-0 205 Belleville (OHL)
33. Paul Manning D 6-4 193 Colorado College (WCHA)
34. Justin Papineau C 5-11 160 Belleville (OHL)
35. Jay Leach D 6-5 208 Providence (HE)
36. David Cameron C 6-2 180 Prince Albert (WHL)
37. Jeff Jillson D 6-2 200 Mt. St. Charles (USHS)
38. Doug Janik D 6-1 190 Select 17 (USA Hockey)
39. Chris Neilson C 6-2 185 Calgary (WHL)
40. Joe Dipenta D 6-3 200 Boston U. (HE)
41. Barrett Heisten LW 6-1 185 Select 17 (USA Hockey)
42. Pat O'Leary C 6-3 190 Armstrong (USHS)
43. Brent Gauvreau C 6-3 190 Oshawa (OHL)
44. Toby Peterson C 5-10 196 Colorado College (WCHA)
45. Mike Pandolfo LW 6-3 226 St Sebastains (USHS)
46. Justin Morrison RW 6-3 195 Colorado College (WCHA)
47. Jon Gagnon C 6-2 180 Cape Breton (QMJHL)
48. Mattias Trattnig C 6-1 208 Maine (HE)
49. Mike Fisher C 6-0 180 Sudbury (OHL)
50. Alex Henry D 6-6 216 London (OHL)
51. Norman Milley RW 5-11 185 Sudbury (OHL)
52. Garrett Prosofsky C 5-11 180 Saskatoon (WHL)
53. Allan Rourke D 6-1 214 Kitchner (OHL)
54. Jason Beckett D 6-3 203 Seattle (WHL)
55. Erik Cole LW 6-1 185 Clarkson (ECAC)
56. Edo Terglav RW 6-1 195 Baie-Comeau (QJMHL)
57. Pat Aufiero D 6-1 185 Select 17 (USA Hockey)
58. Tyler Bouck RW 6-1 185 Prince George (WHL)
59. Geoff Koch LW 6-1 190 Michigan (CCHA)
60. Krys Barch LW 6-1 195 London (OHL)
61. Maxim Linnik D 6-5 195 St. Thomas (WOJHL - tier II)
62. Chris Corrinet RW 6-3 215 Princeton (ECAC)
63. Kevin Holdridge D 6-3 202 Plymouth (OHL)
64. Todd Horung C 6-0 200 Portland (WHL)
65. Justin Hansen RW 6-2 193 Moose Jaw (WHL)
66. Michale Ryder C 6-0 170 Hull (QMJHL)
67. Chris Brennan D 6-2 180 Collingwood (tier II- Jr. A)
68. Martin Bertak LW 6-0 192 Rimouski (QMJHL)
69. Tyler Arnason C 5-11 185 Fargo-Moorehead (USHL)
70. Shawn Horcoff C 6-0 175 Michigan St. (CCHA)
71. Klye Clark RW 6-6 210 Select 17 (USA Hockey)
72. Matt Murley LW 6-0 185 Syracuse (MTJHL)
73. Jean-Philippe Morin D 6-1 188 Drummondville (QMJHL)
74. Cutris Rich D 6-4 200 Calgary (WHL)
75. Brad Twordik C 5-10 195 Brandon (WHL)
76. Liam McCarthy D 6-3 205 Harvard (ECAC)
77. Nanthan Forster D 6-1 191 Seattle (WHL)
78. Eric Laplante LW 6-0 185 Halifax (QMJHL)
79. Jesse Cooke D 6-5 205 Calgary (midgets)
80. Jeremy Goetzinger D 6-4 202 Prince Albert (WHL)
81. Rob Scuderi D 6-1 193 Boston College (HE)
North American Goaltenders
G1. Patrick Desochers 6-4 195 Sarina (OHL)
G2. Mattieau Chouinard 6-1 200 Shawingan (QMJHL)
G3. Phillipe Sauve 6-1 175 Rimouski (QMJHL)
G4. Remi Bergeron 5-10 171 Chicoutmi (QMJHL)
G5. Jomar Cruz 6-1 177 Brandon (WHL)
G6. Fredrik Brindamour 5-11 175 Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
G7. Jake McCracken 5-11 180 Sault St. Marie (OHL)
G8. Jamie Hodson 6-1 180 Brandon (WHL)
G9. Adam Huaser 6-0 185 Select 17 (USA Hockey)
G10. Jason Labarbera 6-2 205 Portland (WHL)
G11. Jonanthan Pelletier 5-11 165 Drummondville (QMJHL)
G12. Dany Sabourin 6-2 165 Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
G13. Josh Blackburn 6-0 185 Dubuque (USHL)
G14. Chris Madden 6-0 177 Guelph (OHL)
G15. Andrew Raycroft 6-0 150 Sudbury (OHL)
European Skaters
E1. Vitaly Vishnevsky D 6-0 183 Yaroslav (Russia)
E2. Dimitri Kalinin D 6-2 198 Cheljabinsk (Russia)
E3. Artem Chubarov C 6-1 189 Dynamo (Russia)
E4. Milan Kraft C 6-2 178 Plzen (Czech Rep.)
E5. Julien Vaucliar D 6-1 198 Luhano (Switzerland)
E6. Anton But W 6-0 185 Yaroslav (Russia)
E7. Adrian Wichser C 6-0 176 Kloten (Switzerland)
E8. Petr Slobada D 6-1 178 Jihlave (Czech Rep.)
E9. Maxim Krayev W 6-0 183 Yekaterinburg (Russia)
E10. Josef Vasicek C 6-4 185 Slavia Praha (Czech Rep.)
E11. Marc Reichert W 6-2 212 Davos (Switzerland)
E12. Bjorn Christen W 6-0 183 Bern (Switzerland)
E13. Sergei Kuznetisoc C 6-0 183 Yaroslav (Russia)
E14. Ossi Vaananen D 6-2 196 Jokerit (Finland)
E15. Niklas Hagman W 5-11 198 Helsinki (Finland)
E16. David Jonsson D 6-1 187 Leksand (Sweden)
E17. Tomek Valtonen W 6-1 191 Iives (Finland)
E18. Christan Berglund W 5-11 180 Farjestead (Finland)
E19. Miroslav Zalesak W 6-0 183 Nitra (Slovakia)
E20. Gabriel Karlsson F 6-1 191 HV71 (Sweden)
E21. Tomas Zizka W 6-1 198 Zin (Czech rep.)
E22. Andrei Markov D 5-11 198 Chimik (Russia)
E23. Alexander Ryazantsev D 5-11 198 Spartak (Russia)
E24. Miiko Jokela D 6-1 207 Helsinki (Finland)
E25. Lubomir Pistek W 6-2 187 Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
E26. Christan Backman D 6-1 180 Frolunda (Sweden)
E27. Jari Vluhkola C 6-0 176 Karpat (Finland)
European Goaltenders
EG1. Zdenk Smid 5-11 172 Pizen (Czech Rep.)
EG2. Alexei Volkov 6-1 185 Sovetov (Russia)
EG3. Iija Bryzgalov 6-2 194 Togliatti (Russia)
EG4. Niklas Backstrom 6-1 176 Helsinki (Finland)
EG5. Mika Lehto 5-11 176 Assat (Finland)
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
TUESDAY, JAN. 27
Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Rocky Thompson from
Saint John of the American Hockey League.
Dallas Stars: Claimed center Jarrod Skalde off waivers
from the San Jose Sharks.
Edmonton Oilers: Loaned defenseman Alexander Zhurik to
the Belarus National Team.
New York Islanders: Sent center Kip Miller to Utah of the
International Hockey League and loaned right wing Dane Jackson
to Rochester of the American Hockey League. Recalled right wing
Dan Plante from Utah.
Phoenix Coyotes: Sent defenseman Sean Gagnon to Springfield
of the American Hockey League.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Signed right wing Jaromir Jagr to
a four-year contract extension through the 2002-03 season.
Vancouver Canucks: Recalled defenseman Chad Allan and left
wing Dave Roberts from Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Sent center Jan Bulis to Portland
of the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes.
MONDAY, JAN. 26
Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Kevin Dahl from Chicago
of the International Hockey League.
New York Islanders: Recalled right wing Steve Webb from
Kentucky of the American Hockey League.
SUNDAY, JAN. 25
No transactions reported.
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Sent defenseman Pavel Trnka
to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.
Montreal Canadiens: Recalled forward Terry Ryan
from Fredericton of the American Hockey League.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23
St. Louis Blues: Recalled defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick
from Worcester of the American Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Sent defenseman Per Gustafsson
to St. John's of the American Hockey League.
THURSDAY, JAN. 22
Calgary Flames: Recalled center Hnat Domenichelli and left
wing Todd Hlushko from Saint John of the American Hockey League.
Chicago Blackhawks: Signed left wing Bob Probert to a three-year
contract extension.
Montreal Canadiens: Recalled defenseman Brett Clark from
Fredericton of the American Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Claimed defenseman Jassen Cullimore
off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21
National Hockey League: Suspended Phoenix Coyotes right
wing Rick Tocchet at least one game, pending a Jan. 22 hearing,
for his hit on Edmonton's Ryan Smyth Jan. 20.
TUESDAY, JAN. 20
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled center Matt Cullen from
Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.
Boston Bruins: Recalled defenseman Mattias Timander from
Providence of the American Hockey League.
Vancouver Canucks: Recalled center Lonny Bohonos and defenseman
Bert Robertsson from Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
MONDAY, JAN. 19
Buffalo Sabres: Recalled left wing Vaclav Varada from Rochester
of the American Hockey League.
Calgary Flames: Recalled center Erik Andersson, goaltender
Tyler Moss and right wing Eric Landry from Saint John of the American
Hockey League.
Dallas Stars: Placed defenseman Richard Matvichuk on injured
reserve with a torn ACL. Activated right wing Todd Harvey from
injured reserve. Recalled left wing Juha Lind from Michigan of
the International Hockey League.
Edmonton Oilers: Recalled defenseman Terran Sandwith from
Hamilton of the American Hockey League.
Florida Panthers: Loaned goaltender Todd MacDonald to Cincinnati
of the International Hockey League.
Montreal Canadiens: Sent defenseman Brett Clark to Fredericton
of the American Hockey League.
New York Islanders: Recalled defenseman Jason Strudwick
from Kentucky of the American Hockey League and right wing Dane
Jackson from Rochester of the AHL.
New York Rangers: Recalled left wing P.J. Stock from Hartford
of the American Hockey League.
Phoenix Coyotes: Recalled goaltender Scott Langkow from
Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Recalled defenseman Mike McBain from
Adirondack of the American Hockey League. Loaned defenseman David
Shaw to Las Vegas of the International Hockey League.
SUNDAY, JAN. 18
No transactions reported.
SATURDAY, JAN. 17
Philadelphia Flyers: Traded center Vinny Prospal, right
wing Pat Falloon and a 1998 second-round draft pick to the Ottawa
Senators for right wing Alexandre Daigle.
Washington Capitals: Agreed to a four-year contract with
right wing Peter Bondra.
FRIDAY, JAN. 16
Colorado Avalanche: Sent right wing Christian Matte to
Hershey of the American Hockey League.
Florida Panthers: Acquired right wing Dino Ciccarelli and
defenseman Jeff Norton from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender
Mark Fitzpatrick and right wing Jody Hull. Recalled goaltender
Kevin Weekes from Fort Wayne of the International Hockey League.
Los Angeles Kings: Released left wing Sean O'Brien.
Phoenix Coyotes: Sent defensemen Sean Gagnon and Jason
Doig to Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Sent goaltender Derek Wilkinson to
Cleveland of the International Hockey League.
THURSDAY, JAN. 15
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Sent center Bob Wren to Cincinnati
of the American Hockey League.
Buffalo Sabres: Picked up the option on goaltender Dominik
Hasek's contract for the 1998-99 season.
Calgary Flames: Sent centers Todd Hlushko and Eric Landry,
right wing Erik Andersson and goaltender Tyler Moss to Saint John
of the American Hockey League.
Carolina Hurricanes: Sent left wing Bates Battaglia and
goaltender Mike Fountain to New Haven of the American Hockey League.
Dallas Stars: Sent left wings Juha Lind and Jamie Wright
to Michigan of the International Hockey League.
Montreal Canadiens: Acquired left wing Patrick Poulin,
right wing Mick Vukota and defenseman Igor Ulanov from the Tampa
Bay Lightning for right wing Stephane Richer, center Darcy Tucker
and defenseman David Wilkie.
New Jersey Devils: Sent left wing Jay Pandolfo and center
Petr Sykora to Albany.
New York Rangers: Sent defenseman Ronnie Sundin, left wing
Sylvain Blouin and center P.J. Stock to Hartford of the American
Hockey League.
Phoenix Coyotes: Sent right wing Brad Isbister to Springfield
of the American Hockey League.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Loaned goaltender Peter Skudra to
Kansas City of the International Hockey League.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14
Detroit Red Wings: Sent defenseman Yan Golubovsky to Adirondack
of the American Hockey League.
Edmonton Oilers: Sent defenseman Sean Brown, center Scott
Fraser and right wing Georges Laraque to Hamilton of the American
Hockey League.
New York Rangers: Recalled left wing Sylvain Blouin from
Hartford of the American Hockey League. Claimed center Peter Ferraro
off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins and assigned him to Hartford
of the American Hockey League.
Ottawa Senators: Loaned defenseman Radim Bicanek to Manitoba
of the International Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Sent right wing John Druce to Philadelphia
of the American Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Recalled defenseman Daniil Markov
from St. John's of the American Hockey League.
TUESDAY, JAN. 13
New York Islanders: Sent goaltender Eric Fichaud to Utah
of the International Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Loaned goaltender Stephane Beauregard
to Chicago of the International Hockey League. Activated goaltender
Bill Ranford from injured reserve.
MONDAY, JAN. 12
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled center Bob
Wren from Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Sent center
Kevin Todd to Long Beach of the International Hockey League.
Colorado Avalanche: Recalled right wing Christian
Matte from Hershey of the American Hockey League.
Vancouver Canucks: Recalled left wing Larry Courville
from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Sent defenseman Bert
Robertsson to Syracuse and right wing Lonny Bohonos to Syracuse
on a conditioning loan.
SUNDAY, JAN. 11
Los Angeles Kings: Recalled defenseman Jan Vopat
from Utah of the International Hockey League.
Phoenix Coyotes: Recalled goaltender Scott Langkow
from Springfield of the American Hockey League.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10
Calgary Flames: Recalled goaltender Tyler Moss from Saint
John of the American Hockey League.
FRIDAY, JAN. 9
Calgary Flames: Recalled forward Erik Andersson from Saint
John of the American Hockey League.
Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled goaltender Mike Fountain
from New Haven of the American Hockey League. Sent goaltender
Pat Jablonski to Cleveland of the International Hockey League.
Edmonton Oilers: Acquired defenseman Bobby Dollas from
the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for defenseman Drew Bannister.
New Jersey Devils: Sent center Sergei Brylin to Albany
of the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes.
New York Rangers: Recalled defensemen Geoff Smith and Ronnie
Sundin from Hartford of the American Hockey League.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Sent right wing Robert Dome to Syracuse
of the American Hockey League.
THURSDAY, JAN. 8
Chicago Blackhawks: Claimed center Jarrod Skalde off waivers
from the San Jose Sharks.
Florida Panthers: Signed defenseman Joey Tetarenko.
Montreal Canadiens: Recalled goaltender Jose Theodore from
Fredericton of the American Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Re-signed right wing Randy McKay to
a multi-year contract extension. Traded left wing Reid Simpson
to the Chicago Blackhawks for a fourth-round draft pick in 1998
and future considerations.
Ottawa Senators: Sent center Derek Armstrong to Hartford
of the American Hockey League.
Phoenix Coyotes: Sent center Chad Kilger to Springfield
of the American Hockey League.
St. Louis Blues: Sent right wing Chris Kenady and defenseman
Libor Zabransky to Worcester of the American Hockey League.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7
Calgary Flames: Sent center Jim Dowd to Saint
John of the American Hockey League.
Colorado Avalanche: Sent goaltender David Aebischer
to Hershey of the American Hockey League.
Detroit Red Wings: Re-signed right wing Doug
Brown to a three-year contract.
New Jersey Devils: Sent goaltender Rich Shulmistra
and center Brendan Morrison to Albany of the American Hockey League;
assigned defenseman Brad Bombardir to Albany for conditioning
purposes.
Vancouver Canucks: Sent left wing Dave Roberts
to Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
TUESDAY, JAN. 6
Detroit Red Wings: Placed center Kris Draper on injured
reserve. Recalled left wing Darryl Laplante from Adirondack of
the American Hockey League.
Edmonton Oilers: Claimed center Tony Hrkac off waivers
from the Dallas Stars.
Los Angeles Kings: Loaned goaltender Frederic Chabot to
Houston of the International Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Recalled center Sergei Brylin
from Albany of the American Hockey League.
Ottawa Senators: Recalled defenseman Radim Bicanek from
Manitoba of the International Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks: Sent Alexander Korolyuk to Kentucky of
the American Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Recalled center Andrei Nikolishin
from conditioning at Portland of the American Hockey League.
MONDAY, JAN. 5
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Sent center Matt Cullen and defenseman
Mike Crowley to Cincinnati Ducks of the American Hockey League.
Boston Bruins: Sent center Cameron Mann to Providence of
the American Hockey League.
Buffalo Sabres: Recalled goaltender Steve Shields from
Rochester of the American Hockey League.
Chicago Blackhawks: Recalled left wing Ryan Huska from
Indianapolis of the International Hockey League.
Dallas Stars: Activated center Joe Nieuwendyk from injured
reserve.
Edmonton Oilers: Sent left wings Joe Hulbig and Doug Friedman
to Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Loaned goaltender Steve
Passmore to San Antonio of the International Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Recalled left wing Jay Pandolfo and
center Sergei Brylin from Albany of the American Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks: Signed free-agent defenseman Shawn Heins.
SUNDAY, JAN. 4
Los Angeles Kings: Recalled goaltender Frederic Chabot
from Houston of the International Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Acquired center Jason Arnott and defenseman
Bryan Muir from the Edmonton Oilers for right wing Bill Guerin
and left wing Valeri Zelepukin.
SATURDAY, JAN. 3
Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled left wing Bates Battaglia
and goaltender Tripp Tracy from New Haven of the American Hockey
League.
Los Angeles Kings: Sent left wing Donald MacLean to Fredericton
of the American Hockey League.
St. Louis Blues: Signed left wing Michel Picard to an offer
sheet.
FRIDAY, JAN. 2
Boston Bruins: Sent defenseman Mattias Timander to Providence
of the American Hockey League.
Carolina Hurricanes: Traded goaltender Sean Burke, defenseman
Enrico Ciccone and left wing Geoff Sanderson to the Vancouver
Canucks for goaltender Kirk McLean and left wing Martin Gelinas.
Dallas Stars: Activated left wing Benoit Hogue from the
injured reserve list; assigned left wing Jamie Wright to Michigan
of the International Hockey League; recalled left wing Patrick
Cote from Michigan and placed him on the injured reserve list.
New Jersey Devils: Sent goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz to
Albany of the American Hockey League. Recalled center Brendan
Morrison from Albany.
New York Rangers: Recalled left wing P.J. Stock from Hartford
of the American Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Acquired defenseman Jeff Brown from
the Carolina Hurricanes for a conditional 1999 draft pick. Recalled
center Jamie Baker from Chicago of the International Hockey League.
Vancouver Canucks: Sent goaltender Corey Hirsch to Syracuse
of the American Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Sent left wing Andrei Nikolishin to
Portland of the American Hockey League for conditioning. Sent
center Benoit Gratton to Portland.
THURSDAY, JAN. 1
Calgary Flames: Loaned right wing Jesper Mattsson to Malmo
of the Swedish Elite League.
Florida Panthers: Sent right wing David Nemirovsky to New
Haven of the American Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Placed goaltender Mike Dunham on the
injured list. Recalled goaltender Richard Shulmistra from Albany
of the American Hockey League.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Quick Olympic Preview
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
Note: For daily Olympic coverage, visit LCS Hockey online.
http://www.lcshockey.com/extra/1998/olympics/
Are you like us? Do ya... do ya got the Olympic Fever? Yes, the
Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, are just around the corner.
While we anxiously await the results of the Biathlon, the whole
ice hockey deal should be pretty cool, too. Now only if they'd
let the players carry rifles...
As everyone knows by now, this year is the first time players
from the NHL have been allowed to compete in the global quest for
spot metals, making this tournament perhaps the greatest in the
history of the planet. Except, of course, for LCS' own Happy
Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament, but that should really go
without saying.
While everyone is excited about the potentially great hockey,
most are still sketchy on the details of the event itself. But
that's why LCS is here, to help you, our valued readers. Hey,
it's who we are, it's what we do.
In order to free up its stars to compete in Nagano, the NHL will
shut down for 17 days during February. The last day for NHL
games before the Olympic break is Saturday, February 7, with all
26 teams set to take the ice. The schedule resumes on Wednesday,
February 25. In between will be all the international hockey
high jinks.
There are 14 countries taking part in the competition. However,
the details of who plays who can get kind of confusing, so pay
attention.
The competition begins with a preliminary round running from
February 7-12. Eight countries will compete in the preliminary
round. These countries aren't exactly hockey powerhouses, but
they do all have sticks and matching uniforms so the Olympic
committee said, "What the hell?" They've been divided into two
groups of four:
GROUP A
Austria
Italy
Kazakhstan
Slovakia
GROUP B
Belarus
France
Germany
Japan
Each team will play three games in a round-robin format with all
the other teams in its group. Then the leaders of each group
will advance to the second round while the remaining six teams go
home with lovely parting gifts. It's the usual point system, two
for a win and one for a tie. There are no shootouts in the
round-robin stages of the tournament. If two teams finish tied
for the top spot in points, the first tie-breaker is their head-
to-head result. The second is goal differential. If the clubs
remain tied, then the situation will be decided with a rollicking
game of "Chutes and Ladders".
The two teams that advance from the preliminary round are lucky
enough to move on to the second round where they will compete
with the big boys: Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia,
Sweden, and the United States. The teams are once again divided
into two groups of four:
GROUP A
Canada
Sweden
United States
Group A winner from preliminary round
GROUP B
Czech Republic
Finland
Russia
Group B winner from preliminary round
The second round gets underway February 13 and runs through
February 16. The second verse is the same as the first. Each
group plays a three-game round-robin to decide the seeding for
the quarterfinal round.
The quarterfinal round is when stuff gets serious. It's single
elimination. The quarterfinal matchups are determined by how the
teams finished in their respective groups. All the games will
take place on February 18. The first place team in Group A (A1)
will play the last place team in Group B (B4). The first place
team in Group B will play the last place team in Group A. The
second place team in Group A will play the third place team in
Group B. And the second place team in Group B will play the
third place team in Group A.
The four teams that survive the quarterfinal will advance to the
semifinals on February 20. The winner of the A1 vs B4 game will
play the winner of the B2 vs A3 game. And the winner of the B1
vs A4 game will play the winner of the A2 vs B3 game. See how
that works? A similar system was used on "Hee Haw" for the
weekly hoe-downs.
The two semifinal losers will play for the Bronze medal on
February 21. The two winners will compete for the Gold on
February 22.
Because of the time difference involved, all the games are going
to be played while most of North America is sleeping. The
majority of games get underway between midnight and 6 AM EST. So
if you want to follow the games live, take a nap.
And because the games are played under International Ice Hockey
Federation rules, there are some noticeable differences from the
usual NHL fare. Here's a quick rundown of some of the most
important changes:
* The two rinks where all the games will be played are called
Big Hat and Aqua Wing. Wasn't that a superhero team in the mid
70s? Anyway, both rinks are 13-and-a-half feet wider than the
standard NHL pond. So that means more room to wheel.
* There are also two more feet from the goal line to the
backboards. Which means there's more room to orchestrate plays
behind the cage. That should make Wayne Gretzky all giddy.
* Icings get whistled as soon as the puck crosses the goal line.
No touch-up is required.
* If a player is seen to be in the crease, the ref could blow
the whistle and call for a faceoff at neutral ice. The puck
could be over in the corner somewhere, but if a guy gets in the
crease a whistle could be blown.
* Fighting isn't really appreciated by the international crowd.
Two majors earns a guy an automatic game misconduct. And if a
player is deemed to have instigated the fight, he receives a
match penalty. That means he is removed from the current game
and is automatically suspended from the next contest, as well.
* During the semifinals and medal rounds, if a game ends in a
tie the two teams will take a 15-minute intermission and then
skate a 10-minute overtime session. Except in the gold medal
game, where the two clubs would skate a 20-minute overtime
period. If the game still isn't decided at the end of overtime,
then it goes to a shootout. Each team chooses five shooters and
the clubs alternate penalty shots, with the order decided by a
coin flip, until one team builds an insurmountable lead. If
things aren't decided after the first five shooters, the clubs
select another five each. But this time it's sudden death and
only lasts until a decisive goal is scored. If a player is in
the penalty box at the end of overtime he is not eligible to take
part in the shootout.
So that's the schedule and the rules for the big Olympic
tournament. Earlier in the issue we already said that Team
Sweden will skate away with the Gold medal. But how will the
rest of the team's do? Well, let's take a gander, starting with
the eight clubs in the preliminary round.
Austria: Thanks for coming. Have a safe trip home.
Belarus: Um, I have no idea where Belarus is. It sounds
kind of made up if you ask me. It would be just like those wacky
Olympic committee folk to invent a country. Those guys are
nutty...
France: The red-and-white striped jerseys, black pants,
and black berets make for an eye-pleasing uniform, but France
doesn't have much of a chance in the tournament.
Germany: With Olaf "The Berserker" Kolzig in net,
Sergeant Schultz on defense, and Colonel Klink in the middle, the
Germans should emerge from Group B and advance to the second
round. Kolzig played out of his skull at the World Cup. He'll
need a similar effort this time around. Here comes Olaf, he's a
berserker...
Italy: It'll be tough for the Italians to get out of
Group A. Unless they make Slovakia a deal they can't refuse, the
Italians will be goin' home early.
Japan: Do you really have to ask?
Kazakhstan: Okay, now I know this one's made up!
Kazakhstan... that's a good one.
Slovakia: The Slovaks are clearly the team to beat in
Group A. Their offense is stacked with the likes of Peter
Bondra, Ziggy Palffy, Jozef Stumpel, Richard Zednik, Pavol
Demitra, and the Prince of Darkness himself, Miroslav Satan. The
great Robert Svehla is also around to anchor the blue line. The
only problem for the Slovaks is that the preliminary round starts
on February 7, and all those guys will still have one game left
on their NHL schedule. So if the NHL clubs don't cooperate and
let the stars leave early, Slovakia could be in trouble until the
reinforcements arrive.
Slovakia and Germany should leave the pups on the porch behind
and meet the big dogs in the second round. Here's a look at the
tournament powers.
Canada: With the memory of the US World Cup victory still
turning stomachs, the Canadians will be mission men. Whether
they have the players to get the mission accomplished is still
open to debate. The Americans were clearly the better team at
the World Cup. That forced Canada GM Bobby Clarke to make some
changes in his lineup. He tried to build a better overall team,
adding a grinder like Shayne Corson, a solid two-way center in
Joe Nieuwendyk, and a defensive role player in Rob Zamuner. The
forward ranks have a pretty good mix of talent, size, and role
players, but the Canadians don't really have that much speed.
That could be trouble on the big international rinks. And if
Eric Lindros, Joe Sakic, and Paul Kariya fail to deliver the big
goals, there could be some problems. While the offense is a bit
questionable, Canada is rock solid on defense with Ray Bourque,
Scott Stevens, Adam Foote, and Chris Pronger leading the way.
The one man that could have Canada challenging Sweden for the
Gold, though, is Patrick Roy. Never bet against St. Patrick in
big games.
Czech Republic: The Czechs are the wild card of the
tournament. They don't have a team strong enough to compete for
Gold, but they do have Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek. If those
two get hot, the Czechs could pull off a major upset along the
way.
Finland: Team Vowel is always a force. They play
exceptional two-way hockey and they always skate as a cohesive
unit. Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu will power the offense, while
Jyrki Lumme, Teppo Numminen, and Janne Niinimaa will pace the
defense. Finland's only real weakness is in net. Unfortunately,
you can't be weak in net and win a medal. Looks like it'll be
another fourth place finish for the Finns.
Russia: The Russian hockey federation is still a mess.
You know it's bad when guys are turning down invitations to play.
The club is coming off an incredibly disorganized performance at
the World Cup and there's not much hope they'll be able to right
the ship. The roster is void of stars such as Sergei Fedorov,
Alexander Mogilny, Vladimir Malakhov, and Nikolai Khabibulin, who
all declined to play. It doesn't look good for the Russians.
With some luck, they might be able to supplant Finland for fourth
place.
Sweden: Peter Forsberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Mats Sundin,
Nicklas Lidstrom, Tommy Soderstrom... Gold medal.
United States: The USA has it all. The Americans will
once again be led on offense by the baddest of the bad, big John
LeClair. He'll be joined by a superstar supporting cast that
includes Brett Hull, Pat LaFontaine, Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk,
Tony Amonte, and Doug Weight. The blue line will be secured by
Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, and the Hatcher boys. USA's biggest
worries could be in goal, where Mike Richter, John Vanbiesbrouck,
and Guy Hebert have struggled for most of the season. Failing to
select Tom Barrasso could come back to haunt the Americans.
Overall, the US has the most talented group of forwards. Canada
has the deepest defense and the living legend, Patrick Roy, in
net. But neither one has real wizard yellow jerseys. Sweden
will win the Gold, leaving the US and Canada to fight it out for
Silver and Bronze.
LCS will have more in-depth looks at the teams in our next issue,
due out Tuesday, February 10. But it won't matter, we'll still
pick Sweden. Yee-haw! Sweden! Yee-haw!
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Team Finland Could Pose Threat to Sweden
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by Gina Corallo, Correspondent
1998 Olympic Hockey will be the most exciting ever. The best
players in the world will be representing their countries and
going for the Gold. Of course we all think of LCS favorite
Sweden, or maybe even Canada or the USA, grabbing that precious
medal, however one team that could have a legitimate shot for the
first time is Finland. In fact, Finland has never won an Olympic
Gold medal. The closest they came was in 1994 in Lillehammer to
catch the Bronze, and in 1988 at Calgary to win the Silver.
Sweden, its archrival, is the defending World Champions, winning
the gold in 1994. Finland would love to have a chance at that
title. The question is - can they do it?
Offensive Punch
None other than Teemu Selanne will lead Team Finland. Selanne is
having one of his best years in the NHL, being third in the
league in scoring, and was MVP at the All-Star Game with a hat
trick. He carried the Ducks on his shoulders in the absence of
their captain Paul Kariya, as well as scoring goals at a rapid
pace. He has explosive speed, great instincts, hard accurate
shots, and is as a good playmaker as he is a finisher. Expect
Selanne to be a leader for this team, and cause heartache for
many goalies.
One of the best young players today, Saku Koivu makes things
happen every time he touches the ice. His speed and playmaking
abilities can burn any defensemen in their tracks. He scored 56
points in 50 games last season in Montreal, and is on another
scoring rampage. Even though he lacks size, he will not be
intimidated. He is a key offensive player, and will be looked
upon with Selanne to lead his team with scoring.
Jari Kurri. This veteran player is one of the best defensive
forwards in the league. Even though he is no longer a scoring
sniper, do not underestimate his playmaking abilities. He is
able to play center or wing, is used on both special teams, and
his intelligence within the game makes him a great asset to any
team. Being that Kurri will retire after this season, there is
no doubt that he will want to go out with a medal, as well as
another Stanley Cup.
There is no better agitator than Esa Tikkanen. He's best known
for his grit, enthusiasm and scoring the big goals in big games
which is what the Olympics is all about. He will go up against
any player and get under anyone's skin no matter what size or
height. Any coach would love to have a player like this on their
team. He has the capabilities of taking any top player off his
game. He always plays a tough style, is used on both special
teams, and has one of the most powerful slap shots from the point
that could stun any goalie. A major problem, however, is that he
has been struggling with injuries and is still doubtful to play.
If this is the case, Finland will lose a key player, not to
mention depth which they already lack.
Winning the Bronze medal with Team Finland in the 1994 Olympics,
Sami Kapanen knows what it takes to win. Leading The Hurricanes
in scoring this year, Kapanen provides Finland with speed,
strength, and intelligence. He is a small forward, but what he
lacks in size he makes up in spirit.
Jere Lehtinen has improved within each of his three seasons in
the NHL. He is a dependable forward and is becoming more and
more of a complete player. A candidate for the Selke trophy last
year, Lehtinen is a good all-around player who plays hard, is
strong with the puck, is a good playmaker, and never gives up on
the play. His offensive abilities are improving, partly due to
playing with Mike Modano. He is a reliable player, and can be
called upon for any situation.
Defense
Janne Niinimaa brings Finland what they need desperately - size.
Niinimaa (6'2", 190) is a strong skater and excellent
puckhandler. He is an offensive defenseman, who can jump into
the play when it presents itself, and can make plays happen.
Using his size to his advantage, Niinimaa will take the body, and
will make a player pay the price if they try to become a threat.
He plays with enthusiasm, grit, and intelligence. He is an elite
player who will do what it takes to win. He is a key player if
Finland has any chance of winning.
Jyrki Lumme provides Finland with an intelligent defense which
leads to smart offensive plays. He quarterbacks a power play,
having the ability to set the tone, and he is excellent on the
penalty kill with excellent hand skills. He challenges the
player at the blue line, in which he usually comes out the winner
due to his range. Lumme is a finesse player. He doesn't throw
body checks, but will take a hit and plays hard one-on-one.
Bringing added size and power to Finland is Teppo Numminen. He
is a smart defensive all-around player who adds solidity to any
hockey club. Numminen plays a physical game but not a mean one.
He will do what it takes to win the battles of the puck,
forechecks hard, is a strong asset on the penalty kill, and plays
a smart passing game.
Janne Laukkanen will also be a key player for Finland. He played
in the '94 games, and proved that he possesses great skating,
physical, shooting and stickhandling skills. He is a smart
player that can excel in all situations.
Goaltending a Problem?
This is where Finland lacks its talent and confidence. There are
three goaltenders who are not of NHL caliber, but could prove to
do very well. Jukka Tammi is a German netminder who has played
for Finland in the 1988, 1992, and 1994 Olympics. Jarmo Myllys
played for a short time in the NHL with Minnesota and San Jose,
now plays for Sweden, and probably has the best experience. Ari
Sulander, a Finnish goaltender recorded a league record of 10
shutouts. We will see if these goaltenders can handle the
overload of NHL superstars. The team will have to have the
utmost confidence in these goaltenders in order for them to play
to their full potential.
Team Finland can put up a great challenge to any team on a good
day. Every player must step up and play to a higher level -
especially the defense. Finland's defense has size and grit but
will have to protect their smaller players from being pushed
around, and they have the ability and players to do so in Aki
Berg (LA), Niinimaa, and Tuomas Gronman (PIT). Their offense
lacks depth and will be put to the test in keeping up with the
scoring of the other top teams. With inexperienced goaltending
and lack of size on offense, these players will be put to the
test against the tournament's elite.
Do not underestimate this team however, they have a realistic
shot at bringing home a medal and have the capability to cause an
upset - especially against rival team Sweden. Because Sweden and
Finland are in two separate Olympic groups, their first chance to
meet would be in the semifinals. There's even a chance that they
won't meet at all. But if they do, it'll be a war. And as
history as proven, there's no war like a Finnish-Swedish war.
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VANCOUVER GETS GOOD, CLEAN HOCKEY FUN DURING ALL-STAR WEEKEND
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by Carol Schram - Vancouver Correspondent
The Gary Bettman era of the National Hockey League has hit upon a
clever formula for its All Star Games: award the event to cities
with lousy hockey teams, so the community can't help but be swept
away by the excitement and star power. Since the weekend was
cancelled in 1995 due to the lockout, it has been held in Boston,
San Jose, now Vancouver, and next year it heads off to Tampa Bay.
I suppose that when the game was awarded to Vancouver last season,
it wasn't with the idea that the Canucks were going to be
cellar-dwellers in January of 1998. Truth is, though, the team's
dismal, controversy-plagued season certainly helped to shine a
positive light on the wholesome, non-threatening All-Star
festivities.
Of course, the weekend wasn't quite as meaningless as it has
been in years gone by. The new "North America vs. the World" format
added a certain degree of intensity, and with the start of the
Olympics just three weeks away, both players and coaches used the
time away from the daily NHL grind to start turning their thoughts
to the upcoming events in Nagano. While the roster of Team North
America obviously didn't include all members of the Olympic Team
Canada and Team USA, both management squads used the opportunity to
gather their players, take team photos, and start planning
strategy.
Friday night, a crowd of over 14,000 gathered to watch Team Canada
take on Team USA - in women's hockey. The rivalry between these
two squads has grown steadily over the past four years, and is
building towards the first-ever Olympics featuring the women's game
as a full medal sport. In fact, the turnout for the game in
Vancouver was the largest crowd ever for a women's hockey match -
and the game was one of the better contests that local hockey fans
have seen this year. No shrinking violets in this bunch, Team
Canada was out to avenge its loss to the Americans in the Three
Nations Cup just before Christmas, and a fierce game resulted in a
one-goal victory for the home side.
Canada's Men's Team also got together for the first time on Friday,
holding its official media kickoff that evening with a party at
Planet Hollywood. The only member missing was Rod Brind'Amour,
home with his wife who was about to give birth to their first
child. Due to Olympic deadlines, Rod's spot was taken by a
stand-in for the official team photo, and his head will be added in
later through the magic of some program like PhotoShop.
The players also got to check out a mockup of their Olympic village
dorm-rooms, including cots that are not even long enough to hold many
of the NHL's "biggest" stars. Nevertheless, unlike the NBA Dream
Teamers, Team Canada is adamant that it wants to absorb the full
Olympic experience.
Celebrity sightings abounded all over Vancouver on Friday
night.particularly at the swankier hotels and busier nightspots.
The official event was a "Cigar Party" on Granville Island, but the
players seemed to spread out pretty effectively where the good
times could be had. While countrymen often hung with countrymen -
players like Teemu Selanne and fellow Finn Jari Kurri were
virtually inseparable all weekend - NHL teammates also stuck
together, and "Teddy Flash" was also happy to spend some quality
time with fellow Mighty Duckling Paul Kariya - here only to visit
family and perform his Olympic duties. For the most part, let's
just say Friday wasn't a night when many players were concerned
about getting their rest and making curfew in preparation for
Saturday's taxing Skills Competition.
Normally, when you attend a hockey game, you feel like the true
spectator at the event, while the television audience has a chance
to peek into your world. The game's the thing, the crowd keeps it
honest, and that was essentially true during the Heroes of Hockey
portion of Saturday's events. The NHL Heroes squeaked past the
Vancouver Canucks Heroes by a 3-2 score in a suspenseful contest
with some good play, some good laughs, and a sense of wonder about
whether or not Garth Butcher or Thomas Gradin might still be able
to help today's Canucks. The two fifteen- minute periods flew by,
and the Heroes truly left the people wanting more.
Certainly, they got more glitz and flash during the Skills
Competition - from the player introductions to the pure number of
TV personalities and technical crew members scattered all over the
ice. But it was clear from the get-go that the Skills Competition
was a made-for-TV event: the live audience was present to provide
little more than ambient crowd reaction to enhance the effect for
the television viewer. Event M.C. Dave Randorf, now of Canada's
TSN, kept the crowd well-informed, but he and long-time Canucks
arena announcer John Ashbridge were noticeably lacking in the
high-energy leadership that ESPN probably would have liked, in
terms of keeping the crowd pumped up. Of course, the crowd would
have probably been happier if their view of the events wasn't
blocked by various camera crews on the ice, and if the scoring for
the competition made even the slightest sense. Goals were omitted,
non-goals were counted, the fastest-skater competition was a joke,
and it never even occurred to the technicians to check the cable
between the radar gun and the display device as poor Dimitri
Mironov took shot after shot after shot after shot. When you see
the lack of attention that the show's producers pay to the actual
"skills" involved in this event, it's easy to understand why the
players have no particular interest in bringing themselves to the
arena in tip-top form. When results are recorded willy- nilly,
instead of according to actual performance, what exactly would be
the point of giving your all??
In truth, the haphazard running of the competition is the one part
of the weekend that really looks like it could be improved in
future years. The most heart-warming smiles of the whole event
came from the representatives of (company name omitted due to
LCS Hockey policy against The Man) and the promotions firm that
put together that $5 Million Shot contest - when hapless Wayne King
went in the tank and their dream came true - it cost them a lowly
$10,000 for all that publicity!
After the hockey events, it was off to Ballantyne Pier, on the
waterfront, for the big schmooze- fest of the weekend - a huge
party with a Hollywood theme called Ice, Camera, Action. The guest
list numbered between 3,000 and 4,000 - with probably 2/3 of
attendees being hockey- related VIPs from out of town. The giant
hall was arranged as a number of different movie sets, with
different themes, different food and beverages, and different
activities. Since the powers that be at the National Hockey League
once again cheaped out on a media pass for your faithful reporter,
all I can tell you is that, from players to league elite to local
media to crew people, everyone said the event was quite a spectacle
and a great time was had by all.
Oh - I can also tell you that not every All-Star stayed at the event
till closing at 2:00 am. A few members of Team USA, in particular,
seemed determined to make the rounds around town until the wee small
hours. At least one certain member of Team Canada who has been
hamming it up with his great comic timing in a series of pre-Olympic
commericals decided that he would go in for the jazz-and-cigar vibe,
and Canuck rookie and Team Sweden member Matthias Ohlund seemed
determined to take advantage of the weekend by spending every moment
he could spare with countryman Daniel Alfredsson. But where, oh
where, was Mats Sundin????
Here in Vancouver, bars close at 2:00 every day but Sunday, but All
Stars obviously are truly superhuman. With clothing and equipment
companies, food and drink makers, and everyone else under the sun
wooing players for sponsorship and endorsement, let's just say that
the boys' options are still pretty wide open when the rest of ours
start to close. I won't name names, but if you get your hands on a
videotape of the All Star Game from Sunday afternoon, I'm guessing
you can pick out the culprits when they do those close-ups on the
faces during the player introductions.
I'll confess right here, too - I was supposed to go check out the
Pinnacle FANtasy interactive event on Sunday morning at 9:00 am. I
didn't make it, but my Mom got Bobby Hull's autograph and got her
picture taken with the Stanley Cup. Again, by all reports, the
event was a raging success and a lot of fun for even the casual
fan. If it ever comes to your town, don't be like me - make sure
you take it in.
I did get up and running in time for the game itself, though, at
1:00 p.m. The show opened with local "puck rockers" the Hanson
Brothers doing their rendition of Stompin' Tom Connors' "The Hockey
Song". While they showed tremendous enthusiasm, the sound was so
perfect that I suspected them of lip-syncing, a detail that was
unfortunately confirmed midway through a verse when the lead singer
dropped his wireless microphone: no thud, no feedback.and the
vocal part continued perfectly while the mic lay on the ice.
Hmmm. Smoke and mirrors, anyone?
Unfortunately, show organizers also erred, this time on the side of
spontaneity, when they allowed Bryan Adams to go cold with the
Canadian Anthem. Apparently our national hero had flubbed the
words in rehearsal - what exactly does it mean when he forgets the
"glorious and free" part? The tension was obvious when he stepped
out onto the red carpet in his swankiest grey t-shirt.and sure
enough, he made two small mistakes, drawing partly from the older
version of the lyrics that were officially changed a couple of
decades ago. One word of advice for your upcoming world tour Bryan
- TelePrompTer!
After the anthem, the puck was finally dropped by some fancy flying
spaceship, and the All Star Game was officially underway. Unlike
the distinctly partisan crowd, I got pretty excited by Teemu
Selanne's pretty first goal 53 seconds into the contest: after
all, I hardly ever see anybody score on Patrick Roy! But GM Place
went as quiet as it often does in the first period - as the "home
team" falls behind.
Anways, you know the basic story of the game. Despite Ken
Hitchcock's "so simple it's brilliant" strategy of forming World
Team lines based on country of origin "and hoping the Czechs and
the Slovaks can get along," the big man maintained his perfect
record of being winless as a coach in every All-Star appearance he
has made at every level of hockey. The All- Finn line of Selanne,
Kurri, and Saku Koivu was probably the most cohesive unit on the
ice for either team, although there were also flashes of brilliance
between old teammates Gretzky and Messier - and between Pavel Bure
and the free-agent center that perhaps the Canucks should have
pursued even more diligently this past summer - Igor Larionov.
As a Canadian, it was a little tough to cheer for the squad
featuring those dreaded Team USA members who caused such a big blow
to our national pride during last year's World Cup tournament.
Leave it to Theoren Fleury for the defining quote. After playing a
great game lined up with Keith Tkachuk and Mike Modano, the
gap-toothed one quipped "If I'd had two Canadian forwards on my
line, I would have celebrated my goal more." Frankly, despite a
good performance from Lindros, Sakic, Scott Stevens, and a number
of other Canadians, and despite the fact that the Americans seemed
focused on excelling at some of the more social sports during the
weekend, the gang of LeClair, Tkachuk, Amonte, Chelios and the rest
are a big, strong bunch who appear to be at the top of their games
right now. Watch out in Nagano!
On a lighter note, some of the best between-play entertainment I
have ever seen came courtesy of the Nike Goalies, who are really
coming into their own. This season's Montreal Canadiens goalie,
forced to become a gardener because of Mats Sundin, is a classic -
"Die, Maple Leafs, die!" Throughout the game, they interspersed
brief clips on the Jumbotron.
First, the goalie dropped a banana peel on the floor outside the
Leafs' dressing room - then Sundin is shown walking out the door
and absently stepping around the slippery threat. The joke
continued throughout the game - with more and more banana peels.
Then, in the third period, they switched to the goalie
spray-painting graffiti on a white brick wall: first, the
tremendous insult "Sundin is a..Swedish person", and my personal
favorite "Mats Sundin likes ABBA". They also featured Florida's
bank-robbing goalie, and debuted a commercial featuring another
former NHL netminder, now working as a babysitter, who erupts into
a fit of rage over his inability to stop Theoren Fleury. The
centerpiece of his rant: "Five-foot-six - he's only
five-foot-six!!!" Those Nike spots are always clever and
entertaining, and that 30-second clip drew one of the biggest
ovations of the afternoon from a generally happy and enthusiastic
crowd. The three live goalies also provided terrific comic relief
throughout the two days of festivities - constantly doing pratfalls
and getting into scraps on the ice, then, during one intermission,
"taking action" by chaining themselves to a GM Place net in an
effort to "be recognized" by the National Hockey League for their
past efforts. That's just great stuff.
The screen was also used to great effect during play stoppages with
a number of Saturday Night Live-style commercial parodies produced
for last year's NHL Awards. Two favorites of mine: the NHL
Campbell's Soup collection featuring flavors like Turkey Lumme, Cam
Chowder, and Nikolai Khabiboulliabase.and Keith and Wayne Primeau
presenting a new hockey helmet for the nineties - with the hair
attached to the outside.
Despite the steady presence of entertainment industry celebrities in
this city, the "Hollywood Star" designated to play EA Sports' NHL '98
between periods was none other than former Full House star Dave
Coulier - a longtime NHL fan who was also pressed into action as
co-host of the Skills Competition. Scanning the crowd, the best
they could do was James Doohan from Star Trek and some guy who was
in Slap Shot. But on Team North America's bench, young television
commercial star Ty Gretzky spent the game hangin' out with the
trainer, gazing at the many NHL mascots roaming the arena, and
occasionally tapping his famous father on the shoulder with a
question or a comment - sometimes right in the middle of play.
Truthfully, though - and I don't usually go in for this sort of
thing - one of the most endearing sights of the whole weekend was
during the post-game presentations, when young Ty was curled up,
sitting on top of the boards at the home bench, in the lap of the
Florida Panthers' team mascot. What could make a kid happier?
After the game, the All Star VIPs headed off to the PNE for their
wrap-up party, at the Pinnacle FANtasy site. They got unlimited
access to all the events and displays, and partook of yet another
magnificent feast of food and beverages. Sunday was also Mark
Messier's 37th birthday, so he took off to one of the most
fashionable Italian restaurants in town for his celebration with
friends and family, then many of the boys hooked up again at a
local nightclub to wind out the weekend. Only problem, though -
due to a crazy B.C. liquor law, bars close at midnight on Sundays,
so many of the players were only just showing up as the night was
winding to a close. By the time all was said and done, though, it
was another who's who of hockey, with everyone from Mess to Chelios
to Saku Koivu and Patrick Roy in for the last hurrah before headin'
back to their day jobs.
It's been a pretty bleak year to be a hockey fan in this town.
Absorbing, sure, but not with much to celebrate. The pure
"fun-first" attitude behind the All Star festivities was a
refreshing blast of fresh air, and the entertainment value of the
whole weekend far surpassed my expectations. Even though I didn't
get a press pass, congratulations nonetheless to the NHL for
putting on a first-class event, and to the City of Vancouver for
being such warm and gracious hosts. In a way, All Star weekend is
nothing more than a giant trade show, but there's no doubt the NHL
knows how to do it with style. Now, just clean up that Skills
Competition!
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All-Star Weekend Witnesses Three Deals
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by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
The All-Star Break witnessed more than just a mediocre pick-up
game between a bunch of international millionaires. There were
also three significant trades made. The Tampa Bay Lightning used
the time off to try and reinvent their modest roster with two
separate deals, while the Philadelphia Flyers rolled the bones on
a highly-skilled underachiever.
The Bolts kicked off the trade bonanza on Thursday, January 15,
sending Patrick Poulin, Mick Vukota, and Igor Ulanov to Montreal
in exchange for Stephane Richer, Darcy Tucker, and Dave Wilkie.
What the Bolts Get
This trade boils down to talent for toughness. With franchise
leading scorer Brian Bradley still on the shelf with post-
concussion syndrome, the Bolts are desperately trying to find
anyone who can put the puck in the net. The men with lightning
bolts on their pants have scored just 87 goals in their first 49
games. Wow, that blows.
The Bolts are hoping that Stephane Richer can help fill the net.
The 31-year-old right winger is a two-time 50-goal scorer and a
five-time 30-goal man. The only problem is that he hasn't scored
50 since 1989-90 and he hasn't bagged at least 30 since 1993-94.
He has, however, scored at least 20 goals in each of the three
seasons since then. That automatically makes him a major weapon
for the Bolts.
Richer was in and out of the Montreal lineup this season with
injuries, limiting him to five goals and nine points in just 14
games. The trademark of Richer's game has always been his cannon
slap shot. Few players in the league can bring it like Richer.
He's also an excellent skater with a powerful stride. And power
is probably the part of Richer's game that often gets overlooked.
At 6'2, 215 pounds, Richer is a big strong guy that isn't scared
to play physical. Because of his rather blase attitude and some
of his comments during his younger days in Montreal, a lot of
people perceive Richer as a floater and a one-dimensional player.
But that's not really true. He's vastly underrated when it comes
to his overall game. He knows how to play both ends of the ice.
Sure, Richer may not always be motivated to do so, but when he is
he can be a force. He's played under Pat Burns and Jacques
Lemaire, so he knows what it means to play smart, defensive
hockey.
Darcy Tucker gives the Bolts something they're in dire need of,
namely a center. Having lost Chris Gratton to free agency,
Johnny Cullen to illness, and Bradley to numerous injuries, Tampa
Bay is extremely shallow down the middle. Tucker was a scoring
ace in juniors where he collected 64 goals and 137 points in 64
games in his final year with Kamloops (1994-95). But the 22-
year-old hasn't had the opportunity to do much scoring in the big
leagues. Last season Tucker got his foot in the door with
Montreal, posting seven goals and 20 points in 73 games while
playing mostly in a checking role with the likes of Turner
Stevenson and Chris Murray. He was seeing similar duty this
season, with just one goal and six points in 39 games with the
Habs.
One reason Tucker was used as a checker in Montreal was his
grittiness. Despite being just 5'10, 178 pounds, Tucker plays a
physical style of hockey and isn't shy about sticking his nose
where it doesn't belong. He had 110 penalty minutes last season
with the Canadiens, including 10 fights, and rang up 57 more
minutes at the start of this year. Tucker knows how to score, he
has toughness, he's young, and he plays center. He'll be a
welcomed addition to the Lightning lineup.
David Wilkie was Montreal's first-round pick (20th overall) at
the 1992 Entry Draft. Like Tucker, Wilkie was also a product of
Kamloops. The 6'2", 202-pound defenseman gained a reputation
early on as a mobile guy that could move the puck and put points
on the board. In his last year of juniors (1993-94), which was
split between Kamloops and Regina, Wilkie racked up 38 goals and
77 points in 56 games. The next year he moved up to Fredericton
of the AHL and continued to produce, potting 10 goals and 53
points. He split 1995-96 between Fredericton and Montreal before
becoming a full-time Canadien last season, when he appeared in 61
games and notched six goals and 15 points. Before being traded
to Tampa, Wilkie had dressed for just five games with the Habs
this season and earned a single goal.
Wilkie definitely has the tools to be a significant contributor
along the blue line. He's good with the puck and owns a heavy
wrist shot. He could develop into a very competent pointman on
the power play. But at 23, Wilkie still needs to earn experience
in his own zone. Defense is the toughest position to learn and
it often takes youngsters a while before they can contribute. He
should be given that time in Tampa.
What Montreal Gets
Montreal made this trade to add some toughness and tenacity to
its small, skilled lineup. Obviously, Mick Vukota was acquired
to bust heads. The 31-year-old earned the reputation as one of
the game's premier fighters during his 10 years on Long Island.
In 510 games with the Isles, Vukota had 16 goals and 45 points to
go along with 1,879 penalty minutes. Over the summer Vukota
jumped ship and swam to Tampa, where he had one goal and 116
penalty minutes in 42 games with lightning bolts on his pants.
The Canadiens want Vukota to protect their talent up front. If
anyone starts running Saku Koivu and the boys, Vukota will be
around to drop the hammer.
When Patrick Poulin first broke into the league with the Hartford
Whalers in the early 90s, the left winger was ticketed to be a
perennial 30-goal scorer. Hey, remember when Upper Deck called
Poulin the next in line to Brett Hull? And Michael Nylander was
next in line to Wayne Gretzky? Aw, that was great, that was fun.
Needless to say, those lofty expectations never came to fruition.
Though this is his sixth full season in the NHL and the Habs are
his fourth club, Poulin is still just 24 years old. So there's
still plenty of time for him to find his old scoring magic. But
don't bet on it. Poulin has never scored more than 20 goals in a
season, and he did that in his rookie year of 1992-93 when he hit
an even 20. While he has never lit the lamp as expected, Poulin
did develop into an excellent checking line winger and penalty
killer during his nearly three years in Tampa Bay. He'll add
some quality depth to the Montreal forward ranks, bringing a
hardworking presence to the club's talented array of scorers.
Igor Ulanov has been somewhat of an enigma over his six-year NHL
career. The 28-year-old Russian blueliner gained the reputation
as a hard-hitting, borderline cheap player during his early days
with the Winnipeg Jets. But unfortunately he didn't come to play
with the same intensity every night. That same tag stuck with
him in two forgettable stints with Chicago and Washington before
moving on to Tampa in 1995-96. Ulanov seemed to find some of his
old rage with the Bolts, once again making a name as a banger.
He waged an absolute war with Eric Lindros in the '95-96
playoffs, matching the Flyer behemoth hit for hit. When he
brings the intensity, Ulanov can impact a game with his physical
play. That's something the Canadiens have been looking for since
they let Lyle Odelein go to the Devils. Dave Manson hasn't
really been the answer.
Outlook: The edge has to go to the Bolts on this one.
Both teams got what they were looking for in this deal. The
Bolts get a young scrappy center in Tucker, a youthful blueliner
with potential in Wilkie, and a proven scorer in Richer. The
Habs get their puncher in Vukota, another physical presence in
Ulanov, and a hard-working role player in Poulin. But over the
long haul, the youth of Tucker and Wilkie will serve the
Lightning well. How much of an impact the inconsistent Ulanov
and the oft-injured Vukota can have in Montreal is anyone's
guess. But mine is not much.
Tampa Bay followed up the six-player deal with Montreal by
engineering another trade the very next day. This time they
didn't even have to cross state lines, sending Dino Ciccarelli
and Jeff Norton to the Florida Panthers for Jody Hull and Mark
Fitzpatrick.
What the Bolts Get
Tampa Bay has had some major goaltending problems ever since
Daren Puppa's back gave out at the start of last season. With
Puppa expected to be healthy this season, the Bolts traded Rick
Tabaracci back to Calgary over the summer. Bad move. Puppa has
once again been plagued with injuries, forcing Tampa to play
Corey Schwab and Derek Wilkinson between the pipes night after
night. Yeah, that'll suck. The Bolts know that if Puppa is
healthy they're set in goal. But they needed a proven backup
netminder that could step in and do the job when called upon.
That's why the phone rang in Florida.
Mark Fitzpatrick has served as John Vanbiesbrouck's backup in
Florida since the Panthers joined the league in 1993-94. While
he knew the Beezer was the man, Fitzpatrick often clamored for
more playing time. Well, he'll get his wish in Tampa.
Fitzpatrick, 30, is a big (6'2", 198 pounds) standup goaltender
that relies on strong angle play. He's not exactly nimble in
net. In fact, he can resemble Herman Munster at times with his
stiff-legged movement. He can get used side to side. And now
that you mention it, while Fitzpatrick does have good size, he
doesn't look all that big in net. He's pretty thin in there. He
can also get picked apart upstairs by quality shooters.
So all in all, Fitzpatrick isn't exactly an elite level
netminder. He's been a backup for a reason. But then again, he
has been a backup. It's that experience that makes him a
valuable commodity to the Lightning. He's definitely better than
anything else they have.
Jody Hull is another original Panther. The 28-year-old right
winger fit in well with that club's disciplined defensive style.
Hull's got good size (6'2, 200 pounds) and knows how to use it
along the boards. While he isn't exactly the most agile of
skaters, Hull has some pep in a straight line. He's the
prototypical checking winger that can also chip in between 10 and
15 goals a campaign. Hull also displayed some versatility this
season with the Panthers by skating a few games on defense when
the regulars were nursing injuries.
What the Panthers Get
Dino Ciccarelli pretty much forced Tampa GM Phil Esposito's hand
a few weeks back when he came out and criticized the injured
Brian Bradley, questioning the center's heart. Needless to say,
Bradley wasn't too happy about being ranked by Dino and said that
he would never play on a team with Ciccarelli again. Whether
Esposito took this into consideration when making the deal isn't
clear, but what is clear is that Dino was causing some unneeded
grief in the room. His departure should help heal team
chemistry, especially if Bradley ever returns.
The Panthers were glad to take advantage of Dino's personal
conflicts in Tampa and add the aging scorer to their veteran
roster. Even at 37 years of age, soon to be 38, Ciccarelli is
still a dangerous scoring threat up front. He's coming off a 35-
goal season last year with the Bolts and had 11 more red lights
in his first 34 games this season. While it's doubtful Dino will
ever hit 35 goals again, he should be good for at least 20 to 25.
This guy has 598 goals in his career. He's not just gonna forget
how to put the puck in the net. He does most of his work within
five feet of the goal crease. And it's a good thing that he's so
good in front, because he's slower than Marlon Brando's
metabolism. Dino's not exactly gonna blow wide on the defense
and pipe one from the wing. All his goals are ugly. But they
don't ask you how you score them, just how many. Dino also has
another attribute. He remains a major pest. He can get under
anyone's skin... even his teammate's.
While Dino brings goals to Florida, Jeff Norton brings speed.
He's simply one of the best skaters in the game. Norton's
effortless in his stride and seems to float above the ice once he
gets it cranked up. He'll just add to the mobility of an already
swift Florida blue line corps, which features the likes of Robert
Svehla, Rhett Warrener, and Gord Murphy. Norton is also
excellent with the puck. He can rush it himself or launch
pinpoint passes all over the rink. His shot isn't overpowering,
but it's good enough. Put all the skills together and Norton can
man the point with the best of them.
Outlook: Tampa Bay did well in this deal, too. Sure, on
the surface Norton and Ciccarelli are the better players, but
there's more to this one than just talent. Getting rid of
Ciccarelli could be an excellent example of addition by
subtraction. He's not exactly the most likeable guy in the
world. His absence should help Tampa's team chemistry and it
opens the door for Bradley to return when he's healthy enough to
go. Dino and Norton also each pull down hefty paychecks, so the
Bolts are saving some scratch. They've also addressed two
weaknesses on their roster by acquiring a proven backup netminder
and a veteran role player with some character.
This deal could pay off for the Panthers if Dino and Norton can
provide the Florida offense with some spark. But how much longer
will Ciccarelli be able to produce? And with his reputation,
it's almost not worth bringing him into the dressing room.
Norton's got talent, but he never seems to be involved with a
winning team. There's gotta be a reason for that. He was apart
of the five-man unit that carried the Sharks to their first ever
playoff appearance, but that was when he had free reign to wheel
with Sandis Ozolinsh, Sergei Makarov, Igor Larionov, and Johan
Garpenlov. Unfortunately, Ozolinsh and the two Russians are
nowhere to be found in Florida.
The last of the three deals over the All-Star Break occurred on
January 17 when the Philadelphia Flyers traded Vaclav Prospal,
Pat Falloon, and a 1998 second-round draft choice to the Ottawa
Senators in exchange for Alexandre Daigle.
What Philadelphia Gets
Oh, that wacky Alexandre Daigle. When he was drafted first
overall at the 1993 Entry Draft, he was supposed to become
Ottawa's franchise player and the game's next great French-
Canadian superstar. Instead, he became the posterboy for a
rookie salary cap and found new ways to disappoint on a nightly
basis. Now he calls Philadelphia home.
The Flyers have long felt they needed more speed up front to
counterbalance their surplus of size. And when it comes to just
skating, few are better than the 22-year-old Daigle. Yeah, it
seems like he's been around forever, but Daigle won't turn 23
until February 7. Which reminds me, I'll turn 23 on February 17.
Send cards. And money. Send cards with money. But I digress...
There's no doubt that Daigle can motor. It's the rest of his
game that's got worry. He's got problems finishing the plays
that his speed creates. But that's a confidence thing. There
was so much pressure on him in Ottawa that it was easy to have
heavy hands. The Flyers are hoping that Daigle will be able to
relax in his new atmosphere, where Eric Lindros and John LeClair
shoulder the weight of the team, and finally start to produce the
numbers expected of him. He had only seven goals and 16 points
in 38 games with Ottawa.
One area of his game that Daigle has to improve is his defensive
coverage. He's gained the reputation as one of the weakest
defensive players in the league, thanks in large part to
finishing at a league-worst -33 last season. It'll be pretty
hard to finish at a minus in Philly, but if anyone could do it,
it's Daigle.
What the Senators Get
The Senators needed depth up front, that's why they finally
relented and parted with Daigle. The bad news is, they got Pat
Falloon in return. Yes, good ol' Pat Falloon will now be able to
taunt and tease a whole new city of fans with his blazing wrist
shot and deft scoring touch. Daigle may have had his woes, but
Falloon is Mr. Disappointment. He's about as reliable as a two-
bit wristwatch. This guy will look like an All-Star for a few
shifts, then go into a brutal prolonged slump where he resembles
little more than a life-long minor leaguer. It's frustrating
just talking about him...
Vaclav Prospal, on the other hand, looks like he could be the
real deal. The 22-year-old Czech center has big-time playmaking
skills. He doesn't have much of a shot, but he's an incredible
passer and knows how to distribute the puck. He's wise beyond
his years when it comes to handling the biscuit. Prospal won't
score many goals himself, but he could have a field day setting
the table for Daniel Alfredsson or Alexei Yashin.
Outlook: This deal pretty much hinges on Daigle. He
still has a lot of upside potential and could become another Pat
LaFontaine. Then again, he might not. He definitely has the
speed to stretch the opposing defenses. That's what the Flyers
wanted, so they have to be happy. The orange and black won't
even miss Falloon and there just wasn't enough ice time for
Prospal with Lindros, Gratton, Rod Brind'Amour, and Joel Otto
already on board.
The Senators gambled when they gave up on Daigle, but they
allowed him ample opportunity to make it in Ottawa. A change was
needed. They also freed up a major chunk of change since Daigle
was scheduled to make $4 million over the next two years of his
contract. Ottawa GM Pierre Gauthier has hopes for Falloon, but
that tune's been sung before. Prospal is the key to this deal.
He could be a swell playmaker for years to come. The main
problem at the moment is he's out of the lineup for at least the
next six weeks with a broken leg suffered against, of all teams,
the Senators. Of course, a wise selection with that second-round
pick would go a long way to swinging the deal in Ottawa's favor.
SINCE THE TRADES
Tampa Bay: Despite bringing in the five new players, the
Lightning have gone 0-3-0 in their first three outings since the
All-Star Game. Mark Fitzpatrick was in net for all three losses,
getting beaten by the Capitals (3-2, 27 saves), Sabres (4-1, 31
saves), and Leafs (5-2, 27 saves). Darcy Tucker has been the
best of the new arrivals, collecting an assist in each contest
and playing at a +3 while centering Alexander Selivanov and Jason
Wiemer. Dave Wilkie has had his problems, failing to register a
point and finishing at a -2 in each game. Stephane Richer and
Jody Hull are also looking for their first points, although Hull
played in only one of the contests.
Florida: The Panthers are 0-2-1 since acquiring Dino
Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton. Dino's got one goal in three games
and is a -2. Norton has a pair of helpers and is a -1. New
backup goaltender Kevin Weekes saw his first action in place of
Fitzpatrick in Florida's 8-3 spanking in Anaheim, stopping 15 of
19 shots.
Montreal: The Habs are 1-1-0 since the break. Patrick
Poulin has been a pleasant surprise, scoring a goal in each
contest. Mick Vukota only played in the 4-3 loss to Carolina,
but dropped the gloves with Stu Grimson and earned seven minutes
total for the game. Igor Ulanov hasn't been quite so lucky. The
mad Russian tried to take a run at a Bruin in the first period of
his first game as a Hab and ended up colliding with teammate
Peter Popovic. As a result, Ulanov blew out his left knee and
will be lost for the season. Hard to get happy after that one.
Ottawa: The Senators are 1-1-1 since bidding Daigle
farewell. Falloon has a goal and an assist in the three games.
Prospal continues to mend.
Philadelphia: The Flyers are 2-1-0 in their last three.
Daigle has one assist over that time, registering four shots and
playing at a +1.
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ALL-STAR SKILLS RECAP
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by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
It just wouldn't be an NHL All-Star Weekend without the zany NHL
Skills Competition. And it wouldn't be an NHL Skills Competition
unless ESPN butchered the coverage.
The total sports network outdid themselves this year, taking
their annual ritual of ineptness to new lows thanks to repeated
blunders by announcer Gary Thorne, the usual annoyance of Bill
Clement, and the always hurried pace of the events. Why can't
they just take their time and let the fans enjoy things. It
would be nice if they talked to more players and actually showed
a replay now and again. This thing happens once a year and ESPN
acts like they have a plane to catch. At least Barry Melrose was
around to laugh maniacally every time someone made an attempt at
a joke. That's always good wholesome fun.
While the broadcast of the event was filled with grief, the night
itself was actually pretty cool... at times.
HEROES OF HOCKEY GAME
As per usual, the old-timers kicked things off, as a team of NHL
Heroes battled a squad of former Vancouver alumni. Usually this
portion of the program is always a good time to take a nap or
catch up on some light reading, but this year's game was actually
pretty damn good. It was wide open, featured some swell passing,
a couple nice goals, and actually contained some true comedy.
The NHL Heroes eventually prevailed, 3-2, behind a pair of Darryl
Sittler goals scored less than a minute apart in the second half
of the game. Yeah, the game is divided into two 15-minute halves
with running clocks because, well, these guys are old. Anyway,
good ol' Reggie Lemelin was also a standout for the victorious
NHL squad, stopping all 14 shots he faced over the second half of
the contest.
Sittler was impressive. His first goal of the night was a
beauty. He had the defense backing in and piped a wrister from
the high slot. It was, like, a real goal. Then late in the
game, with the NHL holding onto its 3-2 lead, Vancouver elected
to pull its goaltender and go with the extra attacker. That's
when Sittler corralled the puck at center ice and was in home
free on the left wing. But instead of ending the game and
completing his hat trick with an empty-netter, Sittler carried
the puck to the crease and stopped. Aw, that's just cool.
Because as we all know, in the immortal words of Al Iafrate,
"Empty nets are for sissies." As a result of Sittler's
generosity, the home fans almost got to see their Canuck Heroes
tie the game the very next trip up ice, but a chest-high
deflection bounced off a surprised Lemelin and found its way wide
of the net.
Two other standouts were Vancouver's Dave "Tiger" Williams and
the NHL's Dennis Hull. These two had a couple of memorable
meetings. The first occurred early in the game when Tiger, the
NHL's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 3,966, appeared to
trip Hull along the boards. But appearances can be deceiving.
It was a dive all the way. So much so that Hull was given a
penalty for lousy acting and Williams was awarded a penalty shot.
Not exactly known for his breakaway prowess, Tiger roared through
center ice and picked up the puck on a mission. As he crossed
the blue line some NHL Heroes tossed a couple sticks from the
bench to try and distract him. But Tiger was a mission man. He
coolly sidestepped the launched lumber and then proceeded to
swoop in on goaltender Murray Bannerman, pulling the NHL
netminder to the ice with a nifty forehand move before flipping a
shot upstairs for the goal. Then came the best part. Much to
the delight of the Vancouver faithful, Williams busted out his
old goal celebration, sitting on his stick and riding it like a
Harley back through center. He was like all "Chugga chugga woo
woo" as he pumped his arm and sped over the ice. Aw, that was
great, that was fun.
Williams and Hull would met up again in the second half. This
time the two men squared off in front of the benches and dropped
their gloves. But then Hull wisely offered to shake Tiger's hand
instead. Good decision. As Hull was trying desperately to kiss
up to Williams, putting his arm around him like they were old
buddies, Tiger actually looked disappointed that they weren't
gonna throw. Maybe that's why the ref gave him a penalty.
Hull wasn't quite so lucky on his penalty shot. As he picked the
puck up he told everyone, "I'm gonna slap it high." Seconds
later, when his shot dribbled along the ice five feet wide of the
right post, Hull simply responded, "I missed it low." That's
classic.
In fact, Hull was easily the game's MVP. He was a walking
punchline. The jokes just kept on comin'. I don't know if he
was auditioning for Letterman or what, but Hull broke out the A
material. The best line of the night came in the moments
following Hull's precarious escape from his near fatal decision
to drop the gloves with Williams. Upon considering how close he
came to getting pummeled, Hull said, "I'm glad Tiger didn't have
a flashback." Aw, that's funny stuff.
ALL-STAR INTRODUCTIONS
After the ice was cleared from the Heroes game, it was time for
the introduction of the World and North American All-Star squads.
Since the World team is naturally the visitor, they were
introduced first. Yet all the players were wearing their home
whites. That's odd. But not quite as odd as the introductions
themselves.
Suddenly a rave broke out. The lights went down, all sorts of
lasers were shooting to and fro', and some whack-ass techno music
filled the air. There were even two guys down in the right wing
corner hawking ecstasy. It was some wild, wild stuff. What's up
with the techno music? I know these guys are European and
everything, but c'mon... I think a better choice might have been
the Neil Diamond classic "Coming to America." But, hey, that's
just me...
Once the World team was introduced, the North American club made
its way to the runway. Thankfully, the techno music was
scrapped. But not so thankfully, it was replaced some ridiculous
sounding cross between Sha Na Na and Earth Wind and Fire. My
ears are still ringing.
PUCK CONTROL RELAY
The first event of the night is always the puck control relay.
Three members from each team carry a puck through a maze of
stolen traffic cones. Once again the NHL refused my suggestions
on how to spice up this rather lame event. Sadly, there were no
fire hazards or oil slicks added this year, it was just the usual
stuff. And, like usual, Wayne Gretzky lost it for his team. Why
do they even let Gretzky do it anymore? Every year he gets
beaten like a drum. Remember the time he fell down? Maybe it's
time to just have Wayne sit on the side and keep score...
The coolest part of this year's race was a head-to-head matchup
between Colorado teammates Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg on the
first leg. Both superstars darted through the course like
nobody's business, finishing in almost a dead heat. Next out of
the blocks was Gretzky and Saku Koivu. Game over. Koivu
practically lapped Gretzky. He was already back at the hotel
having a sandwich by the time Gretzky picked up the puck. Sandis
Ozolinsh skated the anchor leg for the World squad and coasted to
victory, while Brian Leetch had no hope of pulling out a win for
North America.
The World team was given a point in the overall scoring for
winning the event. Another point is up for grabs in an
individual head-to-hate race through the course. The World team
elected to go with Teemu Selanne, while North America countered
with li'l Theo Fleury. The li'l fella appeared to school Selanne
rather easily, but upon further review, um, well, Fleury went the
wrong way around one of the cones and was disqualified. Theo's
tricky like that. So after one event, the World team had a 2-0
lead.
FASTEST SKATER
This used to be a marquee event. Two players doing laps around
the ice at speeds mere mortals could never hope to achieve. But
thanks to a lame rule that let's a player's stick be the deciding
factor in crossing the finish line, the results are usually
messed up. So I really have no idea what the final results were.
And ESPN didn't exactly help out by explaining things.
The first race had Valeri Kamensky going against Darryl Sydor.
Kamensky won easily. He was clocked at 14.1 seconds and Sydor at
14.6.
Next up was the dream race between Pavel Bure and Tony Amonte.
Watching these guys skate was something special. While the race
was incredible, Bure clearly beat Amonte across the finish line.
But Amonte was announced as having the faster time, 13.7 to
Bure's 13.9, because he stretched out with his stick to hit the
finish line. That's jive.
The same thing happened in the last heat, where Peter Bondra
clearly beat Scott Niedermayer, yet Niedermayer used his stick to
get a faster time. I wish I could tell you what his time was,
but ESPN never divulged the information.
Now here's where things get tricky. The World team was a awarded
a point for having the fastest average time, but Niedermayer
earned a point for the North Americans because he had the single
fastest time. Which is a bunch of garbage since Bondra beat him,
but what can you do? All I know is that they're all pretty
fast...
Score after two events: World 3, North America 1.
HARDEST SHOT
Everyone knew going in that Al MacInnis was the man to beat. And
the Big Daddy Mac didn't disappoint, claiming his fourth career
win with a blast of 100.4 miles per hour on his second attempt.
Mac Daddy's first try also produced the second fastest shot of
98.6... not only is that a good speed for a slap shot, but it's
also a damn fine temperature.
Dmitri Mironov added some comic relief when nothing he shot
registered on the speed gun. Normally participants are given
only two shots, but because of the faulty equipment Dmitri had to
fire a total of seven pucks. Including one, his second try,
which missed the net completely. Finally on his seventh shot,
the gun picked up a reading of 91.8. The shot that registered
wasn't his best. He wired a few top shelf that looked mighty
quick.
Mironov wasn't the only star to miss the cage. Mike Modano found
the glass after first busting his stick on his original effort.
Here's all the competitors and their best shot:
World
Pavel Bure 94.4
Dmitri Mironov 91.8
Peter Bondra 93.6
Nicklas Lidstrom 90.0
Team average.......92.28
North America
Chris Chelios 98.1
John LeClair 96.0
Al MacInnis 100.4
Mike Modano 96.9
Team average.......98.05
North America claimed two points for the event, one for having
the fastest team average and the other for having the individual
winner.
Score after three events: World 3, North America 3
RAPID FIRE
Next up was rapid fire, the first goaltending event of the
evening. This is really murder on the netminders. Two shooters
stand about 15 feet away at either side of the slot and alternate
firing five pucks each. The shooters are supposed to wait for a
ref's whistle before shooting, but they seldom do. So the goalie
ends up racing back and forth like a chimp getting totally out of
position and getting hit from all angles. It would probably be
better if they just had one shooter empty all five shots and then
have the goalie more over to the next guy, instead of going back
and forth. At least that way we'd actually get to see some
goaltending technique. Now it's pretty much just jump back and
forth as fast as you can and hope it hits you.
Scoring for this event is a little different. Along with the
team competition, goaltenders are also competing against one
another. A goalie gets a point for each save he makes, while the
three netminders that make the most saves combined earn a point
for their respective team.
Eddie Belfour took to the pipes first and went up against Daniel
Alfredsson and Jere Lehtinen. Belfour managed to shut out
Lehtinen, but Alfredsson beat him three out of five. Alf,
standing on the left side, blistered two perfect wrist shots into
the top right corner over Belfour's glove and then sealed the
deal by slapping a low shot stick-side. Alfredsson is a bad man.
Olaf "The Berserker" Kolzig was next and took on Dougie Weight
and Theo Fleury. Kolzig matched Belfour's seven saves, allowing
two to Weight and one to Fleury. Weight beat him over the
blocker and low to the glove, while Theo snuck one low stick-
side.
Martin Brodeur made his debut and promptly got beaten for six
goals by the defensive duo of Sergei Zubov and Igor Kravchuk,
with the Russian blueliners bagging three each. Zubov started
things by beating Brodeur through the five-hole and then went on
to pipe two beautiful shots in a row over Brodeur's catching
glove a la Alfredsson. Zubov came close to getting a fourth
goal, but his final shot, likewise ticketed for the top right
corner, drew iron. Kravchuk showed a little bit more variety in
his shot selection, beating Brodeur blocker, glove, and five-
hole.
Nikolai Khabibulin followed up Brodeur's weak showing by only
making five saves himself. But Khabby was all about
entertainment. He was flopping around like a mad man. It still
wasn't enough to stop Darryl Sydor from potting three and Scott
Stevens from bagging a pair. Sydor worked Khabby upstairs,
putting one over his catcher and two over his blocker. Stevens
put both of his high glove-side, with his first one catching the
right post and then the crossbar before finally nestling in the
twine on the left side of the cage. Stevens just managed to
score on his final shot, as Khabby dove across and waved the
glove in desperation. Even tho' he came up empty on the save, it
was still somethin' to see.
Patrick Roy was the final North American goaltender and had to
face the Czech tandem of Jaromir Jagr and Bobby Holik. Jagr
scored high short-side over Roy's glove on his very first shot
and later added one five-hole. Holik found the net on his fourth
shot, sneaking one between Roy's blocker and body.
Dominik Hasek, equipped with a camera on his head, closed things
out against Eric Lindros and Mark Recchi. Hasek stopped their
first six shots before Recchi finally beat him low stick-side to
the far post. Lindros immediately followed up with another low
stick-side goal. Hasek managed to deny Recchi's final chance,
but Lindros buried his last shot over Hasek's blocker.
Belfour, Kolzig, Roy, and Hasek all stopped seven shots, but the
World team won the overall event with 19 saves compared to 18 for
North America.
Score after four events: World 4, North America 3.
SHOOTING ACCURACY
Finally, an event for the masses. Who doesn't hang round the
house shooting pucks at paper plates? Everyone knows how this
works. A guy stands in the slot and gets eight shots at the four
targets. The pucks are passed out to him from the corners by
teammates. There's also a time limit. I think it's like 15
seconds. I don't know... Here are some of the highlights:
First up was Sergei Zubov. It was kind of odd putting Zubov in a
shooting competition. When Igor Larionov passed him the first
puck, Zubie surveyed the scene and passed it to another one of
his teammates. When the second puck came in from Mats Sundin,
Zubie faked a shot and then passed off. This continued until
officials finally stepped in and explained to Zubie that he had
to actually shoot the puck. Oh the horror. Anyway, Zubov
eventually hit three targets on seven shots.
After Keith Tkachuk went two-for-eight, Jari Kurri stepped up for
the World team. And how can I say this? Watching Kurri in this
event was, shall we say, disappointing? Shall we say, depressing
as hell? We shall say depressing as hell. Aw, it broke my heart
to see the once great sniper struggle to find the big foam bull's
eyes. And it wasn't that he was missing the targets, it was how
he was missing 'em. It almost seemed like he couldn't lift the
puck. Several shots trickled along the ice and bounced wide of
the net. One shot floated harmlessly on net only to hit the
target and stop dead in its tracks. Even when he hit the top
right target on his final shot, it looked like he had to use his
leg as a fulcrum to lift the puck. It... it's still hard to talk
about it... let's just move on before I start to cry again...
Another guy who had his woe was Ziggy Palffy. The man named
Ziggy only hit one target. Even Kurri hit two! Palffy just
needed some defenseman out there to split before shooting, that's
all.
Ray Bourque is always the favorite in this event and he did come
through, hitting all four targets on six shots. That same total
was matched by former winner Brendan Shanahan. Peter Forsberg
made a bid at perfection, starting off three-for-three, but
scuffled a bit trying to hit the bottom right target and ended
four-for-six.
Here's everybody's numbers:
World
Sergei Zubov 3-for-7
Jari Kurri 2-for-8
Ziggy Palffy 1-for-8
Peter Forsberg 4-for-8
Team total.......10-for-31
North America
Keith Tkachuk 2-for-8
Brendan Shanahan 4-for-6
Mark Messier 3-for-8
Ray Bourque 4-for-6
Team total.......13-for-28
North America earned one point for hitting the most targets in
the fewest shots. Since both teams had players that tied for the
individual lead, each team earned an extra point.
Score after five events: World 5, North America 5
NORELCO CRUELTY
Following the shooting accuracy, it was time for the "Norelco $5-
Million Shootout" or something like that. I'm not sure what its
official name was, but it should have been called "The You Have
No Chance of Winning Anything You Poor Bastard Shootout."
The idea was that a fan would be chosen at random to compete in
the shooting accuracy contest and be given a chance to win $5
million. The lucky fan would get a cool million for every target
he or she hit, plus a bonus million if he or she banged all four
foam plates.
That sounds like a sweet deal. The only problem is that there
were a series of ridiculous rules that made it virtually
impossible for anyone to win. The worst rule was the one that
stated the chosen fan could not have participated in any form of
organized hockey in the past ten years. That's weak. For more
info on the jive rules, read this
article written a few weeks back by our very own Ace
Reporter, Jim Iovino.
So this guy, Wayne King from Akron, Ohio, wins the drawing and
gets to go out at center in a packed arena, wearing a punk-ass
Norelco jersey and hat, surrounded by some of the best hockey
players on the planet, and gets to make an ass out of himself.
This poor guy never had a chance. Standing 31 feet away from the
net and with only eight seconds to take four shots, it was
obvious he had no idea how to shoot a puck. They said Mike
Modano was coaching him, but I guess Modano forgot to teach him
how to take a wrist shot. This guy was holdin' the stick up high
on the shaft and took four pathetic hacks. Not a single puck
made it off the ice. It was just a joke. Norelco should be
ashamed. Wayne did win a $10,000 conciliation prize. Yippee
skippee... he could sue Norelco for defamation of character and
win five times that much.
The All-Stars tried to console Wayne, but if they really wanted
to help why didn't they pass the hat around and give the guy a
million bucks. What the hell? Joe Sakic could look under his
couch cushions and give the guy two or three million.
BREAKAWAY RELAY
Getting back to the Skills Competition, there was one event left.
The Breakaway Relay. This is, by far, the best event of the
competition. Each goalie takes a turn at trying to stop six
different shooters on breakaways. It's awesome. Except, of
course, when guys show no creativity at all and just hit the hash
marks and take wrist shots. That's just sad. People don't watch
this thing to see wrist shots, they want to see talent. Make a
move!
The scoring for the event went like this: each goal scored was a
point in the team competition, while each save earned the
goaltender a point in the goaltending battle.
Here are recaps of each round:
GROUP ONE
Ed Belfour: Four saves.
Sandis Ozolinsh: Scored. Took Belfour to Freaksville
with a nifty backhand deke. He froze the Eagle by dropping his
shoulder and throwing a slight head fake before pulling it to his
backhand and slipping it home.
Slava Fetisov: Missed. He fired a wrist shot off the
left post. After looking at the tape in slow motion, the puck
appeared to bounce off the post, hit Belfour in the back, and
then barely sneak across the goal line before the Eagle swept it
out. But the ref ruled no goal.
Igor Larionov: Stopped. Tried to go forehand five-hole
but Belfour was all over it.
Ziggy Palffy: Missed. Ziggy appeared to have Belfour
beaten with a backhand move only to clank his shot high off the
right post.
Bobby Holik: Stopped. Holik fanned on his shot. Yeah,
that'll suck.
Jaromir Jagr: Scored. Jagr stunned Belfour by just
hitting the hash marks and taking a wrist shot. The puck
squeezed through Belfour's pads and crawled over the goal line.
GROUP 2
Olaf Kolzig: Four saves.
Darryl Sydor: Scored. Wristed a shot that snuck through
the five-hole.
Scott Stevens: Stopped. Stevens made a move to his
backhand but Kolzig read it nicely and snagged the shot with his
glove. He made it look easy.
Doug Weight: Stopped. I have no idea what Weight was
thinking. He has one of the best breakaway moves in show
business, where he turns his skates to sell backhand and then
stuffs it forehand, but he didn't use it. Instead he just
wristed a shot five-hole. Weak.
Brendan Shanahan: Scored. Shanny broke out some funk.
He drew Kolzig to the ice with a forehand move and then snapped a
shot upstairs.
Keith Tkachuk: Stopped. Wrist shot blocker.
Mike Modano: Stopped. Wrist shot five-hole.
GROUP 3
Martin Brodeur: Four saves.
Daniel Alfredsson: Stopped. Alfie drifted to his left
before trying to pick the top right corner over Brodeur's glove.
But Marty managed to flash the leather and knock it wide. It was
a sweet save.
Nicklas Lidstrom: Stopped. Wrist shot five-hole.
Jari Kurri: Stopped. Wrist shot that Brodeur kicked out
with his left pad.
Valeri Kamensky: Scored. It's show time whenever
Kamensky has the puck. The super-skilled Russian winger
annihilated Brodeur with a silky smooth backhand move.
Pavel Bure: Stopped. Wrist shot into Brodeur's pads.
Peter Bondra: Scored. Brodeur attempted to surprise
Bondra by diving out and trying to pokecheck, but the Slovakian
speedster slammed on the breaks and pulled the puck to his
forehand before tapping the biscuit into the yawning net.
GROUP 4
Nikolai Khabibulin: Two saves.
Ray Bourque: Scored. Piped a wrist shot top right
corner.
Al MacInnis: Stopped. Forehand move denied by Khabby's
glove.
Mark Messier: Scored. Messier held the puck for an
eternity before sneaking a wrist shot five-hole.
Tony Amonte: Stopped. Amonte was another guy who didn't
bust out his best move. Instead he just tried to go high blocker
without much success.
John LeClair: Scored. LeClair barged down the slot and
hammered a low drive past Khabby glove side.
Eric Lindros: Scored. Trickled a shot through Khabby's
five-hole.
GROUP 5
Patrick Roy: Four saves.
Saku Koivu: Missed. Koivu had Roy beaten with a backhand
move but lost the puck.
Sergei Zubov: Scored. Zubie did the same move but didn't
lose the puck. Roy was kind of irate after giving up the goal
and yelled somethin'...
Jere Lehtinen: Stopped. Lehtinen continued the string of
backhand moves, but he tried to cross up Roy by sending it five-
hole. Roy snuffed it.
Peter Forsberg: Missed. Petey ripped a slap shot high
and wide of the right post.
Mats Sundin: Scored. Roy lunged out to pokecheck and
stacked the pads the way Brodeur did earlier, but again the ploy
failed, as Sundin pulled it to his backhand and scored.
Teemu Selanne: Stopped. Selanne drew Roy to the ice with
a forehand move and held the puck before trying to fire a shot
upstairs. But St. Patrick reached up with his glove and swatted
it out of the air. It was probably the save of the night.
GROUP 6
Dominik Hasek: Six saves.
Brian Leetch: Stopped. Tried to go high glove side with
a wrist shot.
Scott Niedermayer: Missed. Fired a wrist shot wide of
the left post.
Joe Sakic: Missed. Sakic held the puck forever, waiting
until he was right on top of Hasek before blistering a quick
wrister over his glove. While the shot beat Hasek, it didn't
beat the crossbar.
Mark Recchi: Stopped. Hasek pokechecked the puck away as
Recchi was trying a backhand move.
Wayne Gretzky: Stopped. Gretzky floated a weak wrist
shot up high that Hasek caught with his left arm.
Theo Fleury: Stopped. Theo caught Hasek going down too
early and tried to go top shelf with a wrist shot. But even
though he was practically on his stomach, Hasek reached up with
his glove and snagged the puck.
Hasek needed to stop all six of his shots to send the competition
to an overtime shootout, and he came through like a champ. So
with the overall competition tied at 11-11, each team selected
one shooter to try and break the deadlock.
The World went first and chose Jagr to go up against Roy. This
was a titanic matchup. Jagr wasn't going to just take a wrist
shot this time around. He held the puck, turned it over a few
times, and then darted to his forehand and wristed one high
short-side. Roy followed the play beautifully and slid across to
the post in exceptional butterfly position. But it wasn't enough
to stop Jagr's shot. The puck somehow squeezed through Roy and
put the World ahead 12-11.
Presented with a do-or-die situation and facing a goaltender that
just stoned six breakaways, the North American team turned to the
best clutch scorer in the game. That would be none other than
Joe Sakic. The $17-million man streaked in on Hasek, pulled the
puck to his backhand, and flipped a shot upstairs that hit the
Dominator's glove and skipped into the net to tie the contest at
12-12. Aw, that's just Sakic being Sakic.
Sakic's goal meant another round of sudden death. The World team
sent up Teemu Selanne. The Finnish Flash is tremendous on
breakaways. In his vast arsenal of weapons, he has what I think
is the best breakaway move. It's a classic where he sells a
wrist shot by getting up on one leg and throwing a head fake
before pulling the puck backhand. While this would have been a
perfect time to use it, Selanne went with a slight variation of
the move. He didn't even bother to get up on one leg. He simply
cruised in, deked forehand with a head fake, and pulled the puck
to his backhand before beating Roy up under the bar. The goal
was amazing.
North America once again had its back to the wall. But Sakic had
already went. So Mike Modano was elected. Modano made his way
in on net and didn't really do a whole lot to disguise what he
was going to do. He just fired a wrist shot high glove side that
Hasek devoured with his catcher. The save gave the World team a
13-12 victory. The winners split a $90,000 purse... that doesn't
mean, like, a lady's handbag worth $90,000... but rather a total
cash prize of $90,000.
Hasek also won the goaltending competition. Here are the final
goaltending numbers:
Dominik Hasek 13 saves
Ed Belfour 11 saves
Olaf Kolzig 11 saves
Patrick Roy 11 saves
Martin Brodeur 8 saves
Nikolai Khabibulin 7 saves
Wow, this article was huge. I think I mentioned everything of
importance that happened. There were a few really cool moments:
Sakic and Forsberg going at it in the puck control relay; Bure
and Amonte motoring around the rink in the skating competition;
MacInnis breaking the century mark; the beautiful breakaway goals
by Ozolinsh, Kamensky, Jagr, Selanne, and Sakic; and the big
saves from Hasek. That's about it. I'm tired.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ALL-STAR GAME RECAP
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief
Going into the 48th Annual All-Star game this weekend in
Vancouver, there was a lot of hype that this All-Star Game would
be different than the ones that came before. This year, inspired
by the Olympics, the NHL adopted a new North America versus the
World format. The idea was that the game would be more intense
due to international pride. Well, um, maybe...
North America prevailed over the World, 8-7, Sunday afternoon,
despite Teemu Selanne scoring a hat trick and earning MVP honors
in the losing effort. The game was pretty darn entertaining,
just for the simple fact that no one played the trap. But it
really wasn't as intense as some would have liked. It was pretty
much the standard All-Star outing. Not that there's anything
wrong with that. Bodychecks were few and far between. Everyone
was over passing. There were three penalties called by referee
Paul Stewart, but all were of the accidental variety. So all and
all, the United Nations would be proud. Peace ruled the land.
It didn't take long for the World team to get on the scoreboard.
With the game less than a minute old, Scott Stevens attempted to
play the puck up the left wing boards in his own zone and gave it
away to Saku Koivu. The little Finn quickly moved it ahead to
Selanne who was all alone in front of Patrick Roy at the right
post. Selanne wasted little time in turning the puck to his
forehand and sliding a shot between Roy's pads for the 1-0 lead
just 53 seconds into the contest.
Jaromir Jagr stretched the World's advantage to 2-0 at 2:15 of
the opening period. Dmitri Mironov hammered a shot on net from
the center point that Peter Bondra deflected in front. Roy
managed to stop the initial shot but couldn't control the
rebound. Jagr pounced on it near the right post and snapped it
home.
The World onslaught continued just 1:45 later when Selanne busted
in on right wing and piped a shot high short-side past Roy.
Piped is an accurate description since the puck actually struck
the middle bar in the top of the net and caromed out before
anyone realized it was in. Selanne knew and raised his arms, but
play continued for several minutes without a stoppage. When the
play was finally reviewed, Selanne was rightfully awarded his
second goal of the game.
Falling behind 3-0 in the game's first four minutes wasn't
exactly part of the North American gameplan. Luckily, it didn't
take long for the North American stars to respond to the
challenge. Just 13 seconds after Selanne made it 3-0, John
LeClair barged around Sergei Zubov on right wing and buried a
shot between Dominik Hasek's pads to give the North American
squad life.
The unit of LeClair, Wayne Gretzky, and Eric Lindros picked up
the tempo and carried the momentum for the rest of their shift.
Then the line of Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk, and Theo Fleury came
out and dominated, further establishing the North American
presence. Fleury created a glorious scoring chance, taking
command of the puck behind the net and centering to a wide open
Modano in the slot. Mikey Mo got rid of his shot in a hurry, but
Hasek caught it in his stomach. A few moments later Joe Sakic,
Mark Recchi, and Shayne Corson also had the World team on its
heels, forcing Hasek to make a lunging save on Sakic at the left
post to deny a sure goal.
It wasn't long before the pressure turned into a power-play
chance for the North Americans. Slava Fetisov got called for
cross-checking Mark Messier at 10:04. Calling it a cross-check
might be a bit strong, but either way it was two minutes for
Fetisov. The North Americans made the advantage count when Keith
Tkachuk deflected a Chris Chelios point shot between Hasek's pads
at 10:50 to make the score 3-2. No one is better in front of the
net than Tkachuk. No one. It's a joy to watch him work.
The North Americans would draw even at 18:50 of the first period.
Sakic chipped the puck out of the zone to Recchi along the right
wing boards. The Colorado captain then exploded past Recchi in
the neutral zone and took a return pass. Sakic had plenty of
room to take the shot himself as he cruised down the right wing
of the World zone, but he slowed up and waited for Scott
Niedermayer who was coming late on the left side to create a two-
on-one. Sakic made a beautiful saucer pass over the stick of
Igor Kravchuk right to Niedermayer's blade and the speedy New
Jersey defender one-timed a bullet past Hasek to knot the game at
3-3.
While the World dominated the game's opening minutes, the North
Americans controlled the final half of the frame. They ended up
outshooting the World 13-7 in the opening 20 minutes.
That dominance carried over into the start of the second period
as Fleury gave North America a 4-3 lead at 1:53. The little
Calgary sparkplug was working the puck down low with Modano and
Tkachuk when the biscuit came free at the left side of the net
and two World defenders overskated it. That allowed Theo to step
in and sweep it past Olaf Kolzig to the far post.
The World team was clearly shaken. With four unanswered goals
against them and the Vancouver crowd getting involved, the once
promising start was suddenly in danger of becoming a blowout the
other way. Somebody had to do something. Enter Selanne. The
Finnish Flash hooked up with his fellow countrymen to produce the
prettiest goal of the game. Koivu darted into the North American
zone on the right wing and peeled into the middle as he dropped
the puck to Jere Lehtinen. The Dallas winger took a few strides
down the right side and then fired a pinpoint pass cross ice to
Selanne busting backdoor on left wing. The pass and Selanne
arrived at the left post at exactly the same time and the game
was tied 4-4.
North America came back and threatened to reclaim the lead when
Sakic won a puck in the left wing corner and set the table for
Amonte standing alone at the top of the left circle. Amonte
cranked up a big slapper and went skillet on Kolzig, ripping a
shot off his cage. Kolzig was rattled for a second but recovered
in time to watch Niedermayer's ensuing shot form the right point
deflect into the seats.
The World then got a tremendous scoring chance thanks to some
over passing by the North Americans. Modano curled inside the
blue line on the right side and sprung Leetch free down the left
wing with a nifty cross-ice pass. Leetch was all alone for a
shot but tried to center back in front. The pass missed its
target and got deflected out of the zone. Kamensky turned on the
jets and beat everyone to it, earning himself a clean breakaway
on Belfour. The Russian weapon glided in and looked the net over
before unsuccessfully trying to split Belfour's pads. The Eagle
is the best at showing the five-hole and then taking it away.
Selanne may have just bagged a hat trick in an All-Star Game, but
Jari Kurri was still his hero. And at 12:36 of the middle frame,
Selanne got to watch his hero put the World team back in front,
5-4. Kurri finished a play started by the cycling of Koivu and
Lehtinen by walking down the left wing boards and sneaking a
wrist shot under Ed Belfour's glove.
It only took the North Americans 2:10 to answer back. Messier
swung behind the world net from right to left and feathered a
sweet pass out in front to Chelios who was cheating in from the
right point. Kolzig read the play nicely and denied Chelios with
a right pad save, but Lindros was camped in front and swatted
home the rebound to once again tie the game at 5-5.
Before the World team could collect themselves, Sakic and Tony
Amonte teamed up to put North America back in front, 6-5. Sakic
carried the puck in on left wing and slowed up a bit to occupy
the defenseman and allow Amonte to storm wide. Sakic then
floated a real wizard lead pass down low to the Chicago dynamo.
With room to operate and in full flight, Amonte rocketed behind
the net and attempted to wrap the puck back in front for Sakic.
His attempted pass struck the blocker of Kolzig, who was sprawled
out on the ice trying to cover the post, and skipped up under the
crossbar for the goal.
The World team would catch a break when Fleury got whistled for
obstruction at 18:48 of the second. But they couldn't make the
power play work in the final minute and the period ended with
North America in front 6-5. The North Americans once again
outshot their World counterparts in the second period, 17-11.
The third period opened with the World on a power play for 48
seconds, but they just couldn't make anything happen. Just
seconds after the penalty expired, Tkachuk found himself a step
behind the defense chasing a bouncing puck in front of Phoenix
teammate Nikolai Khabibulin. Tkachuk swung at it and of course
hit it... that's who he is, that's what he does... but Khabby
blocked it and covered. But Tkachuk would get revenge on Khabby
a few moments later when Fleury won a faceoff in the World's left
circle. Modano chased the puck down along the left wing boards
and sent a magnificent pass through the slot to Tkachuk all alone
in the right circle. He didn't make a mistake. 7-5 North
America.
North America built a seemingly insurmountable lead at 4:00 when
Gretzky and Messier combined to give their club an 8-5 advantage.
It was a similar play to Amonte's goal, at least at the start.
Gretzky carried the puck in over the blue line with Messier on a
two-on-two against Kurri and Lidstrom. As Gretzky slowed up and
drew Lidstrom's attention, Messier charged to the net with Kurri
right on his tail. Gretzky somehow managed to slip a pass down
low past Kurri to Messier. The Moose, who was quickly running
out of real estate by the time he collected the pass, did what
few others could and roofed a backhander short-side over
Khabibulin's shoulder. That's not fair.
Messier's goal brought the Vancouver crowd to its feet and kicked
the World team in the belly. It didn't look good for the guys
with greencards. But this wily pack of foreigners had spunk.
They weren't about to give up. At 7:03 they drew within two at
8-6 when Kravchuk crashed the net and knocked the rebound of a
Kamensky slap shot past Martin Brodeur. Just 2:41 later, Igor
Larionov moved in down the right wing and threw a rather harmless
looking shot to the net from the outer half of the circle.
Brodeur was in position but Igor's shot somehow found its way
through his body and made the game 8-7. Oh yes, that World team
had spunk.
With just over 10 minutes left in regulation, the World's
comeback was in full force. But the North Americans didn't
panic. One of the reasons they stayed calm was that they had
Scott Stevens back on defense. El Diablo's captain was a rock on
the blue line, busting up several World scoring chances down the
stretch. The best came when Mats Sundin tried to orchestrate a
two-on-one in tight only to have Stevens knock his attempted pass
down and clear the puck to safety.
The World came close to tying it with just under four minutes
left in regulation when Ziggy Palffy gained the North American
stripe on the left wing, pulled up, and spotted Kurri coming
late. Kurri dropped the hammer on a one-timer from the top of
the right circle that Brodeur flopped to the ice to stop. The
puck slipped behind him and was sitting out in the open when
Chelios tried to reach in and tuck the loose biscuit under his
netminder. But stuff doesn't always go as planned. Chelios got
bumped and he ended up knocking the puck towards the open net,
but luckily the pill drew iron and slid behind the cage.
Weight would open the door for the World team at 16:32 when he
tripped Selanne at center ice. The World club went with its hot
hand and sent out its Finns to work the power play. Selanne,
Lehtinen, and Koivu were up front with Kurri and Lidstrom, the
lone Swede, at the points. North America countered with Gretzky
and Messier up front and Leetch and Chelios on the back line. It
was a mismatch. Gretzky, Messier, Leetch, and Chelios dominated
the opening portions of the penalty. Not only did they not allow
Lidstrom and the Finns a scoring chance, they created two of
their own with Messier just missing a short-handed goal after a
setup from Gretzky. This foursome set the tone and the North
Americans killed the penalty without the World team even getting
a sniff of the net.
The North Americans went on to dominate the final minutes of the
game. They kept the World team bottled up in their own zone,
cycling the puck deep and prohibiting Khabibulin from getting to
the bench. There were only 20 seconds left in the game when
Khabby was finally able to get off the ice in favor of Bondra.
By then it was too late. North America held on for the 8-7
victory, outshooting the World team 43-29 for the game.
Impressive Performances
WORLD
Teemu Selanne (3-0-3): The Finnish Flash was a worthy MVP
recipient. He was a dominant force out there.
Saku Koivu (0-3-3): It was a huge game for the Finns.
They did a whole lot of world shakin'. Koivu was one of the main
reasons why, dancing all over the ice and making plays like a
champ.
Jere Lehtinen (0-3-3): The Dallas winger doesn't get much
hype, but he's a tremendous all-around player. He rounded out
the Finn trio that controlled the flow whenever they were on the
ice.
Dominik Hasek (10 saves): Hasek gave up three goals, but
he was tested rather mightily over the last half of the first
period and made a number of key saves.
NORTH AMERICA
John LeClair (1-0-1): His goal just 13 seconds after
Selanne gave the World a 3-0 lead was the turning point in the
game. It gave his club life and made a game of it. LeClair also
helped turn the contest in North America's favor in the first
period with his relentless work on the forecheck.
Wayne Gretzky (0-2-2): The Great One played a pretty
strong game, collecting two assists and finishing at a +3. His
assist to Messier on the eventual game-winner was, like, nice or
somethin'...
Joe Sakic (0-2-2): Joe was all over the place. He
probably created more chances than anyone else, he just couldn't
finish on any of his team-high seven shots. He was especially
active in the second period when he fired six pucks on the World
cage.
Keith Tkachuk (2-1-3): The Coyote captain showed off his
mad deflection skills in the first when he waved his magic wand
and knocked one out of the air past Hasek. Tkachuk is the man
when it comes to deflecting pucks. He could make an
instructional video and call it "How to Deflect Pucks"... or
maybe "Larry"... Larry's always a good name.
Theo Fleury (1-2-3): The li'l fella was his usual scrappy
self. Theo's never just along for the ride. He makes an impact.
Mike Modano (0-2-2): Modano teamed up with Fleury and
Tkachuk to create North America's most dangerous line.
Wacky Game Fact
Ken Hitchcock was behind the World bench and lost yet another
All-Star game. The Dallas head coach is 0-11 in All-Star games
over the course of his coaching career. That'll suck...
Lines
World: Hitchcock was extremely clever with his lines,
creating trios for each country involved. Selanne, Lehtinen,
Koivu, and Kurri rotated on a Finnish line; Jagr, Holik, Bondra,
and Palffy on a Czech Republic/Slovakia line; Alfredsson,
Forsberg, and Sundin manned a Swedish unit; and Kamensky,
Larionov, and Bure comprised a Russian triumvirate. The
defensive pairings were a bit more flexible, but Kravchuk and
Fetisov skated together, as did Lidstrom and Mironov, and
Ozolinsh and Zubov.
North America: The North American lines weren't quite as
steady. Modano, Tkachuk, and Fleury stayed together the whole
time. Sakic, Recchi, and Corson started out together, but Corson
only played a few shifts because of a sore groin muscle and was
often replaced by Messier. Gretzky played the majority of the
time with Lindros and LeClair, although he did see time with
Messier. That left Weight between Shanahan and Amonte. On
defense, Niedermayer and Bourque were together a lot, Leetch
skated with Chelios, and Stevens and MacInnis were a pretty
regular pair. Darryl Sydor filled in when needed.
Closing Thoughts
The game was pretty good. It could have been better. While
there were some exciting moments, overall it seemed like the guys
didn't really care who won. It wasn't that they weren't trying,
it's just that the things they were trying were stupid. It just
wasn't good hockey. Guys were over passing and forcing plays at
the blue line. There were a ridiculous amount of turnovers. At
times play was as ugly as homemade shoes. And the game lacked
that one defining moment, like Owen Nolan last year going head-
to-head with Hasek. Rating the game on a scale of 24 to 32, with
32 being the highest, I'd give it a 28.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fountain a Happy Hurricane
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Tricia McMillan, AHL Correspondent
OK, we all know the situation with the Carolina Hurricanes. Poor
marketing, no fan support, and a 90-mile drive just to get to the
arena every day. It's not a pleasant circumstance for anyone, let
alone a player, and the Hurricanes have their work cut out for
them to acquire free agents with NHL experience. Heck, with the
limited roster spots created by a shared affiliation in the AHL,
Carolina has a tough time signing minor league free agents.
Except for one, that is. Believe it or not, former Canucks
goaltender Mike Fountain thinks being a Hurricane is just peachy.
"I wasn't worried about [the situation in Carolina], I just
wanted to play anywhere!" he says.
After five professional seasons spent primarily at AHL Syracuse,
Fountain became a free agent when Vancouver signed Arturs Irbe
and felt they were set for the year. Fountain, for his part, had
balked at returning to Syracuse last season and was more than
happy to go team shopping.
"I was very fortunate I had a lot of [team's] interest, I had
five or six teams to choose from," Fountain explains. "Carolina
presented the best opportunity for me to be in the NHL, that's
all I really cared about. And it's a good organization."
Uh, Mike? You're playing 30 miles from Hartford. Might want to
keep quiet about that.
In fact, Fountain wound up right back in the AHL with the Beast
of New Haven, a temporary franchise in the midst of wailing
Whaler fans. His first trip to the NHL this season wasn't even
under remotely amenable circumstances, as Fountain had the honors
of backing up Trevor Kidd while Sean Burke was, well, in jail.
(Fountain has since and is currently backing up Kidd because of
injuries to Kirk McLean.)
But Fountain, who recently turned 26, has had another stellar
season in the nets for New Haven so far, 13-14-3 with a 3.02 GAA
and .895 save percentage while holding the fort behind a very
young defense still learning the professional game. And he's
loving it.
"If I gotta be anywhere, might as well be here in New Haven," he
says. "Good people and good teammates down here, so if I can't be
in the NHL, I'd rather be no other place than here."
Fountain has been something of a late bloomer; he didn't even
lace up skates for the first time until he was eight years old,
"late by Canadian standards," he notes. And while he eventually
joined the crowd and because a follower of Patrick Roy, Fountain
started out as a fan of the Maple Leafs' Mike Palmateer. "A very
acrobatic goalie, I liked his style."
The North York, Ontario native worked his way through the OHL
junior system by way of Oshawa and Sault Ste. Marie, winning OHL
All-Star honors in 91-92 and earning a place on the 1992 Canadian
World Junior squad. "It's a good experience overall, seeing a
different part of the world and playing a different type of
hockey," thinks Fountain. "Just the experience of actually
going out of the country was enjoyable."
His performance in the OHL was good enough to get him drafted by
the Canucks in the third round in 1992 overall, and he stayed in
Vancouver's system for five years. Nearly all of his
professional career to date has been in the AHL, with two years
with the Hamilton Canucks and almost three full years in Syracuse
with the Crunch. Fountain holds nearly every goaltending mark for
the Crunch; heck, until this season, he was pretty much the team.
"You've got to play a lot when you're young, and the AHL presents
a pretty good situation that way," says Fountain. "It's very
important to get good, intense hockey. At this level, you get
some pretty good coaches, guys like [Portland's] Bryan Trottier
and [New Haven's] Kevin McCarthy, guys who have played the game
and can help out a lot of young guys."
When Fountain finally got the call from Vancouver, he made the
opportunity count. On November 14, 1996, he became one of the few
goaltenders in NHL history to record a shutout in his NHL debut,
stopping 40 shots and closing out the New Jersey Devils 3-0.
"Playing in my first game against New Jersey, getting a shutout -
it was an incredible feeling and a good way to start off my
career," he says in a classic case of understatement.
Fountain went on to appear in the NHL six times last season,
posting a 2-2-0 record and a solid GAA. While he hasn't actually
gotten into a game with Carolina yet, he's ready for the call
when it comes.
"Good things'll happen to people who work hard," he explains.
"That's all hockey is."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AHL NEWS UPDATE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Tricia McMillan, AHL Correspondent
Player of the Week (Jan. 11): Anaheim sent Matt Cullen
back to the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks for conditioning after he
spent one too many games in the press box. Cullen responded
with multi-goal games in three of his first four games back in
the AHL and went on to win the POTW. Cullen had seven goals and
three assists in four games during the week, including a
short-handed goal and a four-point night against Kentucky. Cullen
continued his tear into the next week and was named to the
PlanetUSA Team before being called back to Anaheim.
Player of the Week (Jan. 18): For the second week in a
row, an NHL press box denizen stops by the AHL for work and
manages to win an award. This time it's Syracuse's Lonny
Bohonos utilizing his time well, picking up 12 points in the
Crunch's five games last week. Bohonos had four goals and eight
assists, to include three straight games with at least three
points and four multiple-point games. Bohonos had a hat trick
against the Maple Leafs as well as three-assist nights against
St. John's and the Amerks; the Crunch didn't lose any of the five
games. He was recalled immediately after his award was announced.
Goaltender of the Month (Dec.): Better late than never,
but the AHL never formally announced this award to the press or
public and I wouldn't have known who won it if I hadn't been at
the game where the award was actually handed to the player.
Hershey's Petr Franek took the honors for his December heroics,
going 10-2-2 for the month and almost singlehandedly
hauling the Bears out of the basement. Good (overlooked) job,
Pete.
All-Star Preparations: Getting into full swing, the AHL
named the offiicals, the PlanetUSA Coach and both teams last
week. Refereeing the matchup will be veteran ref Greg
Kimmerly, with assistance from linesmen David Butova and Bill
Morrissey. None have appeared in an All-Star Game before,
although all have plenty of playoff experience. Kimmerly has been
officiating in the AHL for four years and has done spot duty in
the NHL. Butova is in his 21st year as an AHL linesman and
Morrissey's been at it for 19 years.
The Team Canada coach is an automatic selection - the coach of
the last Calder Cup winner gets the honors, so Hershey's Bob
Hartley gets the job and brings his assistant, Bob McGill. The
PlanetUSA job goes to the coach with the best winning percentage
as of January 20th. That would be Philadelphia's Bill Barber and
his assistant Mike Stothers, whose Phantoms had a winning
percentage of .733 on that date. That would also be Hershey vs.
Philadelphia. Bring your fight gear.
PlanetUSA: Then the teams were named. PlanetUSA is more
interesting than Canada simply by virtue of diversity, with five
countries being represented on the originally named team:
United States (11), Czech Republic (6), Russia (3), Slovakia (2)
and Great Britain (1) (The Beast of New Haven's Kevin Brown was
born in England). The Hershey Bears and Kentucky Thoroughblades
are represented by three players each, to include two starters
each. PlanetUSA also includes six rookies and their captain will
be reigning Calder MVP Mike McHugh of Hershey. The starters were
picked by fan balloting, the others by the AHL coaches.
PLANETUSA AHL ALL-STAR ROSTER
Goaltenders
Petr Franek* Hershey Bears Czech Republic
Brian Boucher (R) Philadelphia Phantoms United States
Robb Stauber Hartford Wolf Pack United States
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara* (R) Kentucky Thoroughblades Slovakia
Rory Fitzpatrick* Worcester IceCats United States
Rich Brennan Kentucky Thoroughblades United States
Vlastimil Kroupa Albany River Rats Czech Republic
Daniil Markov (R) St. John's Maple Leafs Russia
Jan Nemecek Fredericton Canadiens Czech Republic
Barry Richter Providence Bruins United States
Forwards
Craig Darby* Philadelphia Phantoms United States
Josef Marha* Hershey Bears Czech Rep.
Alexei Yegorov* Kentucky Thoroughblades Russia
Bates Battaglia (R) Beast of New Haven United States
Kevin Brown Beast of New Haven Great Britain
Craig Charron Rochester Americans United States
Matt Cullen Cincinnati Mighty Ducks United States
Robert Dome (R) Syracuse Crunch Slovakia
Michal Handzus (R) Worcester IceCats Czech Rep.
Mike McHugh (C) Hershey Bears United States
Jay Pandolfo Albany River Rats United States
Vaclav Varada Rochester Americans Czech Rep.
Vladimir Vorobiev Hartford Wolf Pack Russia
* - starter
(C) - captain
(R) - Rookie
Team Canada: Largely built from just five teams, Team
Canada features three players each from Saint John, Hamilton,
Springfield, Albany and Philadelphia. Their captain will be Dane
Jackson, provided the Islanders loan him back to Rochester in
time and there's no reason why they wouldn't. If the four
goaltenders make you wonder - Jean-Sebastien Giguere is currently
out with a knee injury and isn't expected back on skates prior to
the game, hence he can be named to the team without logistical
problems.
CANADA ROSTER
Goaltenders
Norm Maracle* Adirondack Red Wings
Jean-Sebastien Giguere (R) Saint John Flames
Jean-Francois Labbe Hamilton Bulldogs
Scott Langkow Springfield Falcons
Defensemen
Pascal Trepanier* Hershey Bears
Mark Wotton* Syracuse Crunch
Eric Charron Saint John Flames
Jamie Heward Philadelphia Phantoms
Geordie Kinnear Albany River Rats
Stewart Malgunas Portland Pirates
Craig Millar Hamilton Bulldogs
Brad Tiley Springfield Falcons
Forwards
Daniel Briere (R)* Springfield Falcons
Hnat Domenichelli* Saint John Flames
Steve Guolla* Kentucky Thoroughblades
Andrew Brunette Portland Pirates
Scott Fraser Hamilton Bulldogs
Dane Jackson (C) Rochester Americans
Shawn McCosh Philadelphia Phantoms
Brendan Morrison (R) Albany River Rats
Randy Robitaille (R) Providence Bruins
Stacy Roest Adirondack Red Wings
Marc Savard (R) Hartford Wolf Pack
Peter White Philadelphia Phantoms
Peter Zezel Albany River Rats
* - starter
(C) - captain
(R) - rookie
These rosters are, of course, preliminary. A lot of the players
named are presently in the NHL or likely to be recalled at any
time, plus the ever-present injury factor. However, the Olympic
break seems to make it probable that any player named to the
All-Star Game would conveniently be demoted by his NHL team that
week.
Caught in a Breakdown: As long as we're talking about
players in terms of nationality...Yes folks, another chart. This
one tallies up the AHL's 405 players according to their country
of origin. Some nit-picky things, as most players born in
the former Soviet Union are listed as Russian whether they are or
not (some players are from Belarus, Kazakhstan, etc.), but
generally very informative.
COUNTRY No. (%) COUNTRY No. (%)
Canada 265 (67.2%) Norway 2 (0.5%)
U.S.A. 55 (14.0%) Ukraine 2 (0.5%)
Russia 24 (6.1%) Belgium 1 (0.3%)
Czech Republic 20 (5.1%) England 1 (0.3%)
Sweden 8 (2.0%) Poland 1 (0.3%)
Finland 5 (1.2%) Switzerland 1 (0.3%)
Slovakia 5 (1.2%) Nigeria 1 (0.3%)
Germany 2 (0.5%) South Korea 1 (0.3%)
The numbers represent an increase in the number of Canadian
players in the league and a significant decline in the number of
Americans. Philadelphia and St. John's each include only three
nationalities on their teams, while Albany, Cincinnati,
Providence, Syracuse and Worcester each have six countries
represented.
Skates Are Sharp Guys: A couple of teams seemed to forget
that and it's cost them dearly. St. John's lost Todd Gillingham
for a while when a teammate stepped on his hand during a game
against Syracuse, severing tendons in Gillingham's fingers.
Portland will be without Patrick Boileau until the playoffs after
Boileau and Steve Poapst got tangled up during practice and
Poapst stepped on Boileau's leg, severing tendons. Remember your
Mom said not to play with sharp things? Remember?
They Keep A-Comin': The AHL reached the two million mark
on January 14, the earliest the mark has been reached. League
attendance is averaging 5,484 per game and on the weekend
of Jan. 16-18 it averaged over 7,300. The Phantoms drew over
17,000 for the third straight game and the Worcester IceCats
brought in over 23,500 for two games the same weekend. Albany
and Syracuse had their biggest games of the year and Cincinnati
and Hartford had their best totals since opening night. The
Wolfpack followed up by bringing in 14,115 fans on Jan. 24, more
than the Whalers drew most nights. The Phantoms continue to lead
the league with an average 10,317 fans per game.
Whippersnappers: Five rookies are leading their respective
teams in scoring: Hartford's Marc Savard, Springfield's Daniel
Briere, Syracuse's Peter Schaefer, Worcester's Michal Handzus
and Providence's Randy Robitaille. Albany's Brendan Morrison is
second in scoring on his team. Only one rookie led his team in
scoring last season: Worcester's Bob LaChance. Interestingly,
only Savard and Morrison have seen time with their respective NHL
clubs this season.
Old Dog, New Trick: Providence Bruins assistant coach Rod
Langway knew coaching the baby Bruins wasn't going to be easy,
but things got pretty weird in Cincinnati Jan. 23 when
Providence found itself short of defensemen: Langway activated
himself and suited up. Catch was, Langway, who never wore a
helmet in his NHL career, had to wear one for this game and
needless to say he doesn't own one. Cincinnati coach Moe Mantha
loaned him one. Langway had no points and was -1 on a reasonably
regular shift. He played again the next night against
Kentucky, again with Mantha's helmet, with no numerical record to
speak of.
Langway had company too, as Saint John Flames coach Bill Stewart
was forced to suit up to give the Flames a minimum number of
players for their Jan. 24 game and they still had but 15 skaters.
Stewart had his own helmet.
Coming or Going? (Apparently) Staying: it has been
reported by some Maritime publications that the Saint John Flames
and Harbour Station finally agreed on a five-year lease to
keep the team in town, although nothing has been officially
announced. The affiliation with Calgary is safe, since the Flames
are part-owners of the franchise. Going? The St. John's Maple
Leafs, on the other hand, might find themselves moving closer to
their parent team - like Maple Leaf Gardens?!? The parent Leafs
plan to move into a new building sometime in the next few
years and are studying the feasibility of moving their farm team
into the old Gardens after they depart. Toronto is a little leery
of the idea given the dismal failure of the Newmarket Leafs a few
years back.
I Told You So: Last issue I mentioned Syracuse coach Jack
McIlhargey thought - and I agreed - there ought to be a canopy
over the visitor's gate in New Haven to separate the players
from the New Haven rowdies - oh, I mean fans. New Haven didn't
take the suggestion. The result was another incident between
'fans' and players, this time involving Fredericton's Terry Ryan
and two 'fans'. All three were arrested but no other details have
become public. New Haven has added security in the area and
stopped selling the seats behind the visitors bench, but more
needs to be done. Meanwhile, the publicity-seeking loser who
precipitated the first incident with the Crunch's Paul Ferone is
suing the player - because, says the whiner, he has a bruise.
Poor baby.
Meanwhile the Canadiens were already playing that game against
the Beast sans captain Brad Brown, who seems to be having his own
problems in New Haven. Brown was suspended for the third time
this season just prior to the game for making an obscene gesture
to the Wolf Pack bench during a Jan. 14 game. It was the second
time this season Brown's been suspended for an obscene gesture,
the first time occurring earlier in New Haven when the subject
gesture was directed to referee Scott Zelkin. Brown has also been
suspended this season for leaving the bench to join an
altercation.
Storming Back: The Rochester Amerks won one game out of
thirteen in January and hadn't won on the road in six weeks prior
to beating Worcester 3-2 Jan. 24, but it was the seventh
time they had come from behind in the third period to win, more
than any other team in the league. Worcester had a 2-0 lead going
into the third but the Amerks tied it up on setups of Sergei
Klimentiev, who was playing hurt, and then won in overtime
on a play that was also set up by Klimentiev. Oh yeah, the
IceCats also outshot Rochester, 45-23, but we know how much good
that does anyone.
Small Stuff: Adirondack's Stacey Roest celebrated his
nomination to the All-Star team with two goals, including the OT
game-winner, against Cincinnati...
The Philadelphia Phantoms were called for a penalty in their Jan.
21 game against Portland because a Phantom left the ice for the
locker room a few seconds early. Portland scored on the
resulting power play...
Cincinnati's Bob Wren had a goal and an assist against Hershey
while playing on a sprained ankle. That performance was good for
a callup...
The Phantoms spotted Rochester a 3-1 lead Jan. 11 before scoring
six straight goals...
Adirondack's Norm Maracle stopped 24 shots in one period en route
to ending Albany's 12-game unbeaten streak...
Best goal differential in the league belongs to Albany, who are
+47 as a whole...
Adirondack's Paul Brousseau and Albany's Steve Brule are tied for
the league lead with 13 power-play goals each...
The St. John's Maple Leafs received a surprise when third-year
player Rob Butz unexpectedly announced his retirement from hockey
at age 22. He wants to be a Mountie...
Adirondack's Paul Brousseau picked up a hat trick Jan. 23 against
Rochester...
Philadelphia and Hamilton have cumulatively outscored their
opponents in all three periods...
As a reward for his First Team World Junior performance for
Switzerland, goaltender David Aebischer was allowed an AHL start
by the Hershey Bears against Cincinnati and in addition to
25 saves, he also scored a point...
Goaltender Igor Karpenko never played a game above the United
Hockey League level, but Saint John desperately needed someone in
net and signed him. Karpenko then shutout the River Rats,
3-0, in his first AHL start and came within nine seconds of his
second shutout in three days against Fredericton, settling for a
1-1 tie...
The Philadelphia Phantoms are best in division, with 16 wins in
their own part of the world...
The Hartford Wolf Pack were glad to get Derek Armstrong back from
the Ottawa Senators. The Wolf Pack are 8-0 when Armstrong records
a point...
The new least penalized team in the AHL is New Haven, averaging
19.7 penalty minutes per game...
Hershey captain (and PlanetUSA captain) Mike McHugh scored on a
penalty shot against the Albany River Rats Jan. 16...
Aaron Downey is making an impression with Providence Bruins - at
the halfway point of the season, he's better than halfway to
beating Dennis Bonvie's record 36 major penalties set last
season...
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who had claimed the Ferraro twins from
waivers earlier this season, put Peter Ferraro on waivers and he
was claimed back by the Rangers, who successfully cleared him and
sent him to Hartford...
Kentucky's Sean Haggerty scored a hat trick against Portland Jan.
17, but naturally it was Steve Guolla who got the game-winner...
Guolla followed up by scoring both Kentucky goals the next night
for a tie with Hamilton...
Mike Pomichter was one of Springfield's best players to start the
season, but after he broke his cheekbone and his wrist the
Falcons released him...
Fredericton is suddenly very King-like, with the additions of Los
Angeles prospects Roman Vopat, Donald MacLean and Josh Green and
the return of Pavel Rosa. Although a dual affiliation,
LA had only a couple players on the team most of the season...
Portland Pirates goaltender Martin Brochu became the franchise's
winningest goalie, picking up his 31st victory...
Saint John Flame Denis Gauthier, a former first round draft pick,
didn't score a goal until Jan. 10 and then he scored two of
them...
The Phantoms and Bears played a home-and-home series Jan. 17-18
in which the first game featured no fights and the second had six
fights in the first two periods. Make up your minds
already...
St. John's has appeared in 14 overtime games this season, tops in
the league. Their 11 ties also lead the league...
Problematic St. John's blueliner Greg Smyth picked up yet another
game misconduct and an accompanying three game suspension from
the league...
That outshooting stuff remains overrated, as the Falcons outshot
Portland 41-22 on Jan. 14 and still lost 4-2...
St. John's got Zdenek Nedved back from loan to the Long Beach Ice
Dogs and shipped out Greg Bullock to Grand Rapids for the balance
of the season...
For the first time in franchise history, a River Rat scored four
goals in a game. Petr Sykora, on a two-game rehab stint, turned
the trick against Fredericton Jan. 17 and also tied a franchise
record with five points. Rookie John Madden played on the same
line and tied a team record with four assists...
The Worcester IceCats outshot the Fredericton Canadiens on Jan.
18 28-6...in one period. Seriously. The 'cats outshot the Habs
49-19 overall in addition to their remarkable second period
and went on to win 4-2. Jose Theodore was the man under fire,
making some incredible saves but still losing...
The AHL saw four hat tricks in one week: Sykora's foursome, plus
efforts from Kentucky's Sean Haggerty, Rochester's Scott
Metcalfe, and Syracuse's Lonny Bohonos. So far there have been 30
hat tricks in the league, with two four-goal games...
Extra time is popular, as eight game went into OT in one week. 92
games have gone extra this year and 38 of those resulted in a
win. St. John's has gone extra 14 times, New Haven just four.
Philadelphia has won six, Providence has lost five...
Albany rookie John Madden leads AHL rookies with a +21 rating...
Hamilton leads the league in road victories and shutouts, and
have won more games on the road than at home...
Vaclav Varada's nine game goal scoring streak was snapped upon
his return to Rochester, but he scored again the next night...
Cincinnati's Matt Cullen went back to Anaheim with a seven-game
goal scoring streak and teammate JF Jomphe has an eight-game
assist streak still alive...
The Hershey Bears have scored 59 power-play goals and are on pace
to top 100, the only team in the AHL likely to do so...
Kentucky's Steve Guolla has his point streak up to 17 games,
longest active in the league and tied with Christian Dube for
longest of the season...
The Phantoms' home winning streak is up to nine games...
Peter Ferraro has six points in three games since joining the
Hartford Wolf Pack...
The Beast of New Haven killed off 26 consecutive power plays...
When the hapless Providence Bruins defeated Worcester Jan. 17, it
was the P-Bruins' first road win since Dec. 6...
The Wolfpack and the Bruins played the better part of a game sans
PA system. No one knew how to turn it on...
Worcester's Erich Goldmann is going to the Olympics as a member
of the German team...but the Germans may wish to reconsider.
Goldmann hasn't had a point in his last 26 games...
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Maul at the Mall Update
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief
Now little more than a week away, the preparations for the Maul
at the Mall are continuing right on schedule.
For those of you not aware of the impending titanic tussle, I
have challenged Peter Karmanos, the owner of the Carolina
Hurricanes, to a fight. If I win, LCS takes over ownership of
the Hurricanes. We would then immediately move the club back to
Hartford and the mighty Whale would swim again! In the unlikely
event that Karmanos wins, he would gain the entire LCS Hockey
empire, which includes such riches as several ALF episodes on
Beta cassette and a big barrel of grain alcohol.
The fight is going to take place at Greengate Mall on Wednesday,
February 4th. It's only fitting, seeing how Karmanos savagely
ripped the Whale from their comfy confines of the Mall in
Hartford. Now he will be beaten and torn asunder amidst the
hustle and bustle of a similar public commerce center.
While I don't expect to have much trouble in the fight, I have
started to train for the event. Yes, it's quite the strict two-
part regiment. First, I've wisely allotted myself three more
hours of sleep each day, bringing my average nightly slumber to
an even 18 hours. Rest is important. Second, I've begun
studying video of classic fights from the past. I usually start
with the episode of "Welcome Back, Kotter" when Horschak fought
Carvelli and end with the flashback episode of "The Dick Van Dyke
Show" when Rob becomes the boxing champ of his army camp under
the name "Pitter Patter" Petrie. Aw, that's good stuff.
Needless to say, we'll have coverage of the Maul at the Mall in
the next issue of LCS, which is due out on Tuesday, February 10.
We're trying to get Joe Rossi and Dennis Price, the two guys that
covered the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament for us, to
chronicle the fight. Hopefully we can get that worked out.
All that leaves is the tale of the tape. Here's how things look
heading into the fight. As always, in order to not offend our
more sensitive readers, expletives have been replaced with forms
of the word sunshine.
THE CHALLENGER
MICHAEL "THE BUTCHER" DELL
Born: Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Age: 22
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 140 pounds
Reach: 31"
THE CHUMP
PETER "THE PIG" KARMANOS
Born: Under a rock.
Age: He's an old sunshine.
Height: How high can you stack sunshine?
Weight: He's a big, fat sunshine.
Reach: He's a stubby-armed mother sunshiner.
See Website for Official Fight Poster
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BADABOUM FOUND
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by LCS Hockey
After over a year of searching, it seems we may have finally
found Badaboum! Recently a Mr. Steve Potvin wrote and informed
us that there will be a gathering on January 29 in honor of
Badaboum and the Quebec Nordiques. Here is the official notice:
There will be a show about the Quebec Nordiques and their
mascot, Badaboum, for Nordiques fans who live in Quebec City.
Computer engineering and electric engineering students from Laval
University invite everyone who loved or still love Quebec Nordiques
on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at "Les Galleries de la Capitale."
For more information e-mail François Deschamps at
francois.deschamps@residences.ulaval.ca.
Could it be true? Has our search finally come to an end? We are
feverishly trying to contact our big furry blue buddy and hope to
have word from him in the near future. In the meantime, if you live
in the Quebec City area, be sure to check out the bash on January 29
and let us know how it goes.
Viva la Badaboum!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief
Welcome to the rebirth of the LCS Hockey letters page. Back in
the day, we used to always answer reader mail at the end of each
issue. Over the years that practice went the way of the Whale
because of a combination of our schedule and the vast amount of
mail we received. We always answer mail, but going through and
picking out letters to use in a column got to be a pain. But
we're going to give it another shot. And you know why? Because
we care about you, our valued readers... that's why! So keep
those letters coming.
TOP 50 CONTROVERSY
Dear LCS, are you guys nuts? Where is Arthur Fonzarelli? How
can you possibly have the Top 50 sitcom characters of all-time
without the Fonz? He was the definition of the word "cool".
Could you please explain to me this glaring oversight?
Ed Herd
Chicago, Illinois
LCS: Ed, I knew it was only a matter of time before
the letters started pouring in about the Fonz. Sure enough,
yours was just one of many.
Granted, Fonzie is a television icon. And he was quite cool...
for the first few seasons. But by the time "Happy Days" ended
its 10-year run (1974-84), it was one of the lamest shows in
television history. Fonzie was, like, a 40-year-old guy still
walkin' around in his leather jacket and trying to act like he
was cool. It was sad. Sadder still was when he dropped the
jacket and grew a beard and tried to be a teacher at Jefferson
High. That's weak.
The Fonz was the perfect argument for dying young. If "Happy
Days" had only run for six years and went off the air when Richie
left the show in 1980, the Fonz, and probably Richie for that
matter, would have made the countdown. But the last four seasons
of the show were so repugnant, that it completely destroyed any
fondness I had for it.
And truth be told, even in the days of Richie the show wasn't
exactly one of the best examples of the genre. It often fell
back on formulaic plots and generic endings. It also used a
number of hackneyed TV traditions best left off screen; such as
the concept of flashback episodes -- where clips from old shows
are run in favor of new writing; the fish-out-of-water premise --
taking the core characters out of their normal environment for no
reason other than to have wacky adventures; introducing new
recurring gimmick characters for cheap jokes; and, the worst sin
of all, mixing serious themes into the sitcom format.
All things considered, "Happy Days" was a brutal show. The only
thing that saved it was the strong performances of Ron Howard and
Henry Winkler. But in the end, even their brilliance isn't
enough to overcome the weight of the show's mediocrity.
Your list has one huge omission. No, it's not Grant Fuhr. You
missed Dan Fielding from "Night Court." That character has
proven to be a man that all men can base their life around. He
is a hero and my inspiration. I often lie awake at night
watching old reruns of "Night Court." When the Dan speaks, I
listen. His every word is holy and right.
Troy McClure
Parts Unknown
LCS: Dan was an okay guy and all, but too much of his
humor was one note. And cheap one note at that. If I had to
take someone form Night Court, it would probably be Harry's dad,
Buddy. "But I'm feeling much better now." That was always a
good line. But overall, "Night Court", while it had its moments,
wasn't really one of the great shows. It dealt more in
caricatures than characters.
What! No Arnold Ziffle? Mr Haney? Eb? His brother had a
brooder, ya know. His sister had a blister!.
Man, what an oversight.
Joe Greco
Parts Unknown
LCS: The characters of "Green Acres" were given some
consideration, but just couldn't quite make the cut. Perhaps the
Top 50 was best summed up by LCS associate Todd Teacher. Upon
hearing that Juan Epstein was only ranked 43rd, Todd replied,
"That's a tough list." Amen to that, brother.
CAN'T FIND LOST ISSUE
If I ever see that leprechaun, I'll kick his little
Irish nads to his gizzard. Me thinks he need be a little less
cryptic in regards to clues. C'mon, evil foes surround us and
I've tried pig for Karmanos and then for you know who... and a
fart is the only evil wind I know etc. etc.
Please,
Ron LaChapelle
Parts Unknown
LCS: It's astounding the number of people that can't
decipher the Lost Issue limerick. It's not really that tricky. Don't make things more
complicated than they are. I'd break it down line-by-line for
you, but then that would be too easy. And after all, the issue
needs to be lost, not merely misplaced. Just keep in mind the
mysterious directory name is made up of three items and a total
of 13 letters. And while Karmanos is a pig, he's not the evil
foe in question. That distinction belongs to another hockey
publication. C'mon, Ron, I know you can do it buddy! Keep hope
alive!
GARY COLEMAN
Where is he at present, I understand he was sick?
Thanks for your help,
Barry Sutton
Ireland
LCS: While Gary Coleman is our spiritual advisor, we
don't actually keep in touch with him. I haven't heard anything
about him being sick, tho'. Last time I saw him was this past
summer when he did a baseball commercial for ESPN along with
Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa.
SHANE DOAN
Someone has told me Shane Doan is no longer affiliated with the
Coyotes.
Can you provide me his status? Thanks for the help and I really
enjoy
LCS...
Chris Malitsky
Parts Unknown
LCS: Unless something nutty happened that I missed,
Shane Doan is still affiliated with the Coyotes. He's just
playing for their minor league club, the Springfield Falcons of
the AHL. At the time of this writing, Doan had 16 goals and 33
points in 31 games with Springfield.
PATRICK LALIME
Where is Patrick Lalime these days? Did he ever come to terms
with the Penguins? And what about Petr Skudra, is he better than
Lalime?
Thanks,
Jerry Hubbard
Fernwood, Ohio
LCS: First off, Patrick Lalime still has not come to
terms on a new deal with the Penguins and remains their property
as a restricted free agent. A few weeks back Lalime signed a
minor-league deal with the Grand Rapid Griffins of the IHL. In
13 games with Grand Rapids, Lalime is 3-6-3. That may not sound
too impressive, but he is sporting a goals-against average of
2.10 and a .931 save percentage. He's played one fewer game than
the minimum requirement to rank among the league leaders,
otherwise he would be near the top in both categories.
As for who's better, Lalime or Petr Skudra, it's not even close.
Lalime is the man. The kid is just a good goaltender. At 23, he
still has a chance to be a star in the NHL before his career is
over. He just has to stay focused on making it back to the big
show. I don't blame him for not signing with the Penguins over
the summer. They only offered him a two-way deal, meaning he
would make two different salaries depending on whether he was
playing in the NHL or the minors. Considering all he did for the
team last season, that was a slap in the face. And Lalime knew
Tom Barrasso and Ken Wregget were going to be the top two goalies
in town, so it was obvious he was going to start the year in the
minors. That might have been acceptable with a normal contract,
but not a two-way ticket. So Lalime eventually settled for a
minor-league deal with Grand Rapids for pretty much what the
Penguins were offering on the two-way end of their contract,
reportedly around $60,000. Except when Wregget went down with a
back injury, Lalime wasn't around to step in and be Barrasso's
backup. That right there makes his holdout look like a bad
decision. But it was more of a pride thing than money.
That backup job fell to rookie Petr Skudra. The 25-year-old
Latvian netminder came to training camp as pretty much a walk-on
and earned a contract. Skudra is more acrobatic than Lalime, but
he's not a better goaltender. In fact, Skudra's flexibility and
reflexes are on par with guys like Curtis Joseph and Grant Fuhr.
But while he has the tools, he doesn't have the toolbox to put
'em in. Skudra lacks the fundamentals. His angle play is
brutal. He plays way too deep in his net and relies solely on
his reflexes to stop shots. It's not uncommon to see him with
his back against the crossbar when he makes a save. That style
can catch a team by surprise the first time through the league,
but it wouldn't last. As soon as he faced a club for the second
time, or played a team with some truly talented shooter, Skudra
would have been ripped up. With Wregget and Barrasso now
healthy, Skudra has returned to Kansas City of the IHL for more
seasoning.
Unlike Skudra, what makes Lalime so great is his technique. He's
absolutely perfect in his butterfly positioning. If you like
goaltending, it's a joy to watch this kid play. When he goes
down in the block it's butterfly perfection... pads spread low,
stick blade on the ice, arms in, and torso upright. And he's
aggressive in challenging shooters, he doesn't just sit back in
his crease and wait for the shot.
Lalime got a bad rap at the end of last season because he had a
few terrible outings in a row. But by that time he was just
exhausted. At one point he started 19 straight games and then
had a severe bout with the flu that cost him ten pounds off an
already slight frame. Throw in a ridiculous Penguin defense that
was giving up nearly 40 shots a night, and even Patrick Roy would
have shown signs of fatigue. Butterfly goaltenders, since so
much of their game is based on angle play and going down, need a
tight defense in front of them that won't allow the extra pass
that hangs them out to dry. The Penguins just didn't provide
that for Lalime last season. When they did, he was as good as it
gets. If Lalime was playing this year with Kevin Constantine's
new and improved defense-first Penguins, he would be rolling up
big numbers and everyone would be talking about the next future
star netminder. As it is, he's trapped in the minors riding a
bus every other day with no end in sight. Here's hoping he gets
a second chance at stardom. He deserves it.
MAD BRICKS
Hey LCS, let's just say that there's this stack of bricks with
five bricks in the top row and three more bricks in each
successive row down to the ground. Like, if there are, oh I
don't know, 33 rows in all, how many bricks are there in the
whole stack?
Thanks,
Joanne Boscarino
Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania
LCS: 1749 bricks.
WANNA BE A REF
I need information on how to become an NHL referee. Thanks for
your time.
Sincerely,
Nita Samuels
Parts Unknown
LCS: That's like the best straight line in the world,
but some jokes are just too easy. I have no idea how someone
would go about becoming an NHL referee. But I suspect you'd have
to go about it the same way you do any other gig: start at the
bottom and work your way up. This isn't something you can just
go and do on the spur of the moment.
As difficult as it is to believe, there are actually people out
there who dream about being an NHL referee and work at it as hard
as the players with similar aspirations. My advice would be to
start at a local level doing high school games and pick-up
leagues and whatnot, then move up to the collegiate level or
semi-pro ranks. After a few years you might catch someone's eye
and stockpile enough experience to earn a tryout with one of the
more established minor leagues. From there I'd try and get in
the AHL, since the majority of NHL officials are culled from the
AHL ranks. Then you're just a step away.
The NHL monitors the progress of officials in the various levels
of hockey and has a program to help them develop. I'm not sure
if he still does it, but former NHL linesman Will Norris used to
be the coordinator of the development program. Back in 1996, the
league had 23 officials in the program. Norris would travel
around and chart their progress. He looked to evaluate the
subjects in four vital areas: Physical ability, Skating,
Mentality, and Concentration. So pay close attention to those
aspects of your job.
I just can't understand why anyone would want to be an NHL
referee. It is, without doubt, the hardest job in sports. You
just can't win. Everything you do angers half the people
involved. And you're out there all by yourself. It's not like
the NFL where there's 10 of you that all huddle after every call.
You could be calling a great game, but if you miss one hook
you're a bum. It's just the nature of the business. It's hard
to explain just how difficult a job it is, at any level of
competition, unless you've actually ever done it. My advice to
you, my friend, is forget about being a ref. Instead, quit your
job and join the circus... carny folk are good people.
RINK SIZE
Trying to find out the exact measurements of an official NHL rink
and I'm having trouble. Can you help?
Paul Epstein
Phoenix, Arizona
LCS: The standard NHL rink is 200 feet long and 85
feet wide. If you need more detailed descriptions of each and
every aspect of the ice surface, check out an official NHL
rulebook. We used to have one but it was lost when, after
watching a Cheech and Chong movie, I accidentally tried to smoke
it. However, LCS Hockey does have a rulebook on our web site.
http://www.lcshockey.com/archive/
-----------------------------------------------------------------
More Stuff...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief
Um, here's some stuff I didn't feel like writing a whole article
about...
ALL-STAR GAME THOUGHTS
First off, the new All-Star jerseys are pimp smooth. It's nice
to see a return to classic styles and classic colors. The flags
on the upper right chest were a swell touch. If anyone would
like to send us jerseys, please, feel free. It's just too bad
the game wasn't quite as nice as the sweaters.
While the game was a refreshing change from the constant
trapping, hooking, and clutching of a normal NHL contest, that
doesn't mean it was good hockey. The new World vs North America
format didn't bring any added intensity to the festivities.
Instead everybody just skated around half-heartedly looking to
make the perfect play. I lost track of turnovers about eight
minutes into the second period. What is it about All-Star games
that suddenly makes great players so stump dumb? Just because
it's an All-Star game doesn't mean you have to make a play on the
rush every time. There's nothing wrong with a wise dump-in.
There's a fine line between playing wide-open and playing stupid.
Unfortunately, not many All-Stars knew the difference.
MINNESOTA LAME
The new Minnesota expansion franchise has selected a name. If
you haven't heard it yet, prepare to be sickened. The team will
actually be known as the Minnesota Wild. I'll give you a second
to soak that in. The Minnesota Wild. Oh boy...
Exactly what the hell is wrong with these people? Could that
name be any more gay? It's just pathetic. And, of course, the
NHL approved it because, well, the league is a pack of idiots.
They think it's hip and cool. Well guess what? It's not. It's
gay. And now the future of the sport has to live with it. Nice
job! Way to make a mockery of a once proud game!
The NHL is so weak it's embarrassing. The league is like the 42-
year-old dad who takes his teenager to the mall and tries to fit
in by dressing grunge and using popular slang. Yeah, that's
great dad. Now go home and listen to your Rolling Stone records
and wax your BMW... and how about moving the damn Whale back to
Hartford, you lousy piece of... but I digress.
SCORING SOLUTIONS
When not busy granting expansion teams gay names, the NHL is
considering ways to open up the games and increase scoring.
There's actually been talk of making the nets bigger. Yes, these
are great minds at work.
While LCS would give approval to dumping the two-line pass, since
it is an evil tool of the Trap, the game doesn't need a drastic
overhaul. All it needs is for the league to enforce the rules
already on the books. Bobby Clarke recently came out and said
the very same thing. That Clarke guy is smart like that.
"The trap we're seeing is illegal," Clarke was quoted as saying.
"According to the rule book, you can't face a player and impede
his progress. You can only check him if you're skating in the
same direction."
See, that's if the league enforced the rules. But it doesn't.
By the letter of the law, there could be an interference call
made every trip up ice. And that's why the league refuses to
call it, because there will be too many penalties. So instead of
trying to correct the problem, the league lets it fester and the
fans paying $50 a ticket get to watch games that would cure
insomnia. Calling the interference rule by the letter of the law
is the only way to clean this mess up. Sure, at first there will
be a ton of calls made. But the players will adjust, just as
they adjusted to the current state of affairs by learning to grab
everyone in sight without fear of punishment.
The league is also considering the ever-increasing problem of
ties. There's just too many damn ties these days. When the
Colorado Avalanche has 16 of 'em, there's a problem. While
calling interference would cure most of the grief, the term
shootout has once again reared its ugly head.
Let's set the record straight once and for all, shootouts are not
cool. Hockey's a team game. It shouldn't be decided in a
one-on-one confrontation totally removed from its normal
framework. If you want fewer ties, how about extending the
overtime to a normal 20-minute period? Yeah, it'll mess with
travel plans and will take its toll on players, but how many
teams are going to be willing to remain patient and play the trap
for another full 20 minutes in order to escape with a single
point? Not many. Teams would be sending guys in deep to try and
get the winner. And even if a club would choose to go the safe
route and stay true to a disciplined system, fatigue will likely
catch up to 'em and force a few mistakes. Five minutes just
isn't long enough. I could piss five minutes right here. I
don't even know what that means...
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FLORIDA PANTHERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Bryan Murray
Roster: C - Ray Whitney, Kirk Muller, Rob Niedermayer, Dave
Gagner, Steve Washburn, Chris Wells. LW - Johan Garpenlov, Viktor
Kozlov, Bill Lindsay, Radek Dvorak. RW - Scott Mellanby, Ray
Sheppard, Dino Ciccarelli, Tom Fitzgerald. D - Robert Svehla,
Gord Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Paul Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett
Warrener, Jeff Norton, Dallas Eakins. G - John Vanbiesbrouck,
Kevin Weekes.
Injuries: Rob Niedermayer, c (three weeks, knee surgery);
Panthers Fans (out-for-season, injured pride).
Transactions: Recalled Kevin Weekes, g, from Fort Wayne Komets
IHL. Acquired Dino Ciccarelli, rw, and Jeff Norton, d, from Tampa
Bay in exchange for Mark Fitzpatrick, g, and Jody Hull, rw.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results:
01/12 at Colorado L 3-1
01/14 at Phoenix L 2-3
01/21 at Anaheim L 8-3
01/22 at Los Angeles L 3-1
01/24 at San Jose T 1-1
TEAM NEWS by Eric Seiden
"It's a hockey night in South Florida, and here come your
Panthers," screamed the announcer. Or he would have had the
Panthers had any home games. Instead he stayed home and screamed
epithets at the television set in the wee hours of the morning
during the Panthers' two-part road trip.
Clearly the western road trip wore hard on the Panthers, as they
posted a perfect record. That is, to be accurate, a perfectly
awful record. They didn't win a single game. Nothing showed it
worse than the poor shell-shocked goalies in the game against the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim where the defense failed to appear and
the goalies (both Vanbiesbrouck and Weekes) fell under the
onslaught of pucks.
The big news, though, was not the Panthers, whose stench clouded
the state. The big news was a mammoth trade. The Panthers
acquired long-in-the-tooth veteran RW Dino Ciccarelli in a
four-player deal with Tampa. Seeking to help the struggling
offense, the Florida Panthers acquired Ciccarelli and defenseman
Jeff Norton in exchange for Mark Fitzpatrick, who has been a
pouting, petulant malcontent (he was tossed from a recent
practice), and Jody Hull.
The 37-year-old Ciccarelli rejoins Panthers head coach Bryan
Murray, having played for him in both Washington and Detroit. He
has 11 goals and six assists with 42 penalty minutes in 34 games
this season (as of the date of the trade).
"He's a gritty, competitive guy," said Murray. "He brings offense
and determination. He will be a real good example to the rest of
our players."
Dino's presence also means John Vanbiesbrouck, at 34, is no
longer the oldest player on the team. Beezer has already made
several subsequent cracks about this new, obviously welcome,
statistic.
Ciccarelli ranks fourth among active players and ninth all-time
with 597 goals. He has also recorded 580 assists for 1,177 points
with 1,370 penalty minutes in 1,190 career games and 18 seasons
with Minnesota, Washington, Detroit and Tampa Bay. The four-time
All-Star also has collected 118 points in 141 career playoff
games.
Overall, most people think Ciccarelli will be a good fit for the
team. Of course now I have to learn to spell his name. Three c's,
two l's. I'll get it eventually.
Norton, in his 11th season, was the leading Lightning defensemen
with 10 points (four goals, six assists) and had a team-high four
power-play goals in 37 games. The 1988 U.S. Olympian has compiled
46 goals and 271 assists with 466 penalty minutes over 572 career
games with the New York Islanders, San Jose, St. Louis, Edmonton
and Tampa Bay.
"He's a skilled defenseman, a very, very good skater who moves
the puck well," said Murray of Norton. "He'll help our power play
and our mobility on the blue line."
Fitzpatrick and Hull were both original Panthers. As part of the
trade, Florida also recalled goaltender Kevin Weekes rom Fort
Wayne of the International Hockey League. The 22-year-old is
9-2-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .924 save percentage with the Komets,
and also went 0-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA in four appearances with
Florida earlier in the season.
Some number shuffling will happen to accommodate the new players:
Ciccarelli will wear #22. Washburn is moving back from #22 to
#17. Kozlov will be moving back to #25 from #17.
"This is the other part of the trade that's very important,"
added Murray. "Kevin Weekes has gone to Fort Wayne and has been
an outstanding goaltender at that level. He deserves the chance
to play in the National Hockey League. We would not have been
able to protect Mark Fitzpatrick in the upcoming expansion
draft."
Murray didn't mention that the contract negotiations with
Vanbiesbrouck have not been going well. Word is out that the
Panthers are looking for another goalie for next season, most
likely the venerable Curtis Joseph who will be an unrestricted
free-agent. Local fans are wondering why not keep Beezer, who at
any price will still be less than CuJo.
Murray put his foot in his mouth when he was quoted in the Ft.
Lauderdale Sun Sentinel as saying, "Kevin is a quality guy. He's
an NFL goaltender. He's not a minor league goaltender and he
deserves to play." Yes, that's right the Panthers have acquired a
goaltender from the National Football League.
Speaking of Murray, the most disturbing news this week comes from
Bill Torrey who said, "Murray's job is not on the line." And why
the hell not? The Panthers (Murray) fired MacLean for the same
thing: losing badly. And frankly, the fans liked MacLean much
better. "He's going to coach the rest of the season," said
Torrey. "At the end of the year, we'll sit down." This despite
the fact Torrey and Murray clearly said Murray was in the job
only temporarily.
The Herald quotes Murray as saying, "We need some grit. And maybe
we had lost that." Hey, Murray that was Skrudland, Smith, and
others you traded away needlessly. Hey butt-munch, whose fault
was it the Panthers lost their grit? Yours. Lately Murray just
pisses everyone off. He's not winning friends in Florida.
For the first time in recent memory, team captain Scott Mellanby
has done something, at least on the surface, to make himself
possibly worthy of the sew-on letter "C" he wears. After the game
with the LA Kings, he called a closed-door meeting. This is the
first mention since early in the season that he has done anything
worthy of his captaincy. Maybe if he continues to act like a
captain he will be worthy of the letter. Alright, fans don't
expect him to be Skrudland anytime soon, but the biggest
objection was that he didn't act like a captain: here's a start.
Good show. Maybe it'll work -- we'll see.
The rumor mill has been rampant (see the bottom of this column).
However what isn't a rumor is a Jovanovski trade possibility:
"Montreal Canadiens' pro scout Mario Tremblay was at 10
consecutive Panther games. Penguins' assistant GM Ed Johnston was
at eight straight Panthers' games. Both were interested in
obtaining Eddie Jovanovski."
In reply to this, many Panther fans hope they work out a deal for
our consistently erring JovoFlop. Bill Torrey admitted that Ed
Jovanovski "has made mistakes" in the Miami Herald but didn't go
as far as to say there was a trade in the works.
In hockey news, in the game against the Avalanche, fan favorite
Billy Lindsay played his 400th NHL game. The game against Phoenix
was notable for being Kirk Muller's 1000th NHL game of his
career. "Its a nice milestone. It definitely makes me proud," he
said afterward.
The game that followed in Anaheim was notable only in that
Anaheim broke team records on the plus side, and Florida broke
team records on the minus side. It was sort of reminiscent of the
Boston game earlier this year where the Panthers romped. The LA
Kings game was a solid contest, though clearly the Panthers are
almost as weary as their beleaguered fans. As for San Jose, it
was a hard fought battle. However it was a significant note that
the only goal was scored by Dino Ciccarelli, and assisted by two
other newcomers: Norton and Kozlov, both former Sharks.
LOCAL MEDIA COMMENTS:
This week's choice comments courtesy of Greg Cote.
"Dino Ciccarelli? Old? Not at all. Although I would point out
(and not a lot of people know this) that when Ciccarelli first
joined the NHL, hockey players didn't use skates, they used skis.
Ice hadn't been invented yet."
".... The newest Panther in temp-coach Bryan Murray's grand-plan:
Code Name: desperation -- isn't old. No. Bob Hope is old. Dino
Ciccarelli? He's vintage."
On Ciccarelli: "The best right wing since Rush Limbaugh."
On goaltending: "You have a glorified minor leaguer in Kevin
Weekes. This is not a problem unless Vanbiesbrouck is out. Then
suddenly Florida has what might be the Weekest goaltending in the
league."
THE RUMOR THAT WILL NOT DIE:
The Sergei Fedorov rumor of the week. (Let the record show I find
this hilarious and not likely, however in keeping with tradition,
I've managed to come up with a "real" rumor every week and have
yet to make one up.) The Florida Panthers are supposedly working
on a contract with Fedorov. Reports are six years for $50
million. Fedorov wants a no-trade clause and for it to be
guaranteed. There is also a $17 million signing bonus which is
being paid up front. The sticking point is how much he'll be paid
this year. The Panthers want it to be $2 million this year and $8
million the next six. Fedorov supposedly wants $4 million this
year. If the two parties agree to this deal, Detroit will trade
Fedorov and Martin LaPointe to Florida for Svehla, Dvorak,
Mellanby, Garpenlov and a second-round pick. This rumor makes no
sense to anyone. Besides local fans are now grumbling about
Fedorov's piss-poor attitude. Frankly, we don't want him.
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NEW JERSEY DEVILS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jacques Lemaire
Roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bobby Holik, Bob Carpenter, Denis
Pederson, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott. LW - Dave Andreychuk,
Brian Rolston, Patrik Elias, Scott Daniels. RW - Randy McKay,
Steve Thomas, Krzysztof Oliwa. D - Scott Stevens, Scott
Niedermayer, Lyle Odelein, Kevin Dean, Doug Bodger, Sheldon
Souray, Brad Bombardir. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham.
Injuries: 1/22 - Bob Carpenter, broken bone in left foot;
expected to resume skating next week.
Transactions: 1/15 - Assigned C Petr Sykora and LW Jay Pandolfo
To Albany (AHL). 1/19 - Recalled C Petr Sykora from Albany (AHL).
1/24 - Recalled C Peter Zezel from Albany (AHL).
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results:
1/14 Rangers W 4-1
1/20 Detroit W 3-1
1/22 Pittsburgh L 3-2
1/24 at Rangers T 3-3
1/25 at Montreal W 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Phil Aromando
Dr. John McMullen, the owner of the Devils, recently lamented
that he was "just tired of always being second-best." Although
his comment was made in reference to the importance of the need
for a new arena, it could just as easily be applied to the
attitude local non-Devil fans have towards his team. Nowhere is
that more in evidence than on New York sports radio giant WFAN.
If you're a hockey fan, there is nothing quite like tuning into
the FAN for the overnight call-in show after a Devils-Rangers
game. New York sports fans are notoriously manic-depressive.
But Ranger fans are uniquely so - especially when it comes to the
Devils. They'll take a win against the Devils as proof of their
team's innate superiority. They write off a loss as an anomaly;
or qualify it, like regular caller Santo from Queens likes to,
as: 'Fine, they won one - but they won't be anything until they
beat us in a playoff series'. Somehow, no matter how well the
Devils play, they cannot convince these stalwarts that they
matter in the scheme of things.
Thankfully, the Devils won the Cup in '95. Had they not, "Game
6" may have taken the place of "1940" as the most haunting chant
to echo in any NHL arena. Still, Ranger fans are quick to point
out that the Cup was won in a shortened season and therefore
doesn't count nearly as much as walking away with it after the
epic struggle of a full regular season. And last season's
elimination by the underdog Rangers only reinforced the notion
that the Cup win was a fluke. In effect, the Devils still have
something to prove.
On the ice it's a different story. Both teams respect each
other's capabilities. In fact, the Devils may respect the
Rangers too much. They are the only team that the Devils seem to
play against with a bit of hesitation. They lose games to other
teams and can play undisciplined hockey against anyone, but it
seems the Rangers have the ability unnerve them.
It wasn't as evident in the 4-1 win on the 14th. That win was
largely due to the fact that the Devils got to rookie goaltender
Dan Cloutier for three early goals and then managed to trap the
game away; (it was the first game in a while where the Devils
literally dropped back and willfully clogged the neutral zone
from the beginning of the second period on). After Mike Richter
replaced Cloutier, the Devils didn't score again. Alexei Kovalev
scored the Rangers goal on the power play in the third and nearly
brought them within one after a 60-foot blast knocked Brodeur
down, bounced off the crumpled goalie and nearly slid into the
net. Lyle Odelein alertly got to the puck and prevented it from
going in. (Twice in the past week Brodeur has been knocked to
the ice. In the Montreal game, Mark Recchi inadvertently kicked
him in the head with his skate during a scramble in front. He
stayed down a while but didn't leave the game.) The near-miss
enlivened the Rangers and they forechecked aggressively
throughout the third, but the Devils managed to hold them off.
Brodeur only faced 19 shots and the Devils went into the All-Star
Break with the best record in the conference.
Last Saturday's tie game was entirely different. The Devils
jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Mike Richter at the Garden but
surrendered three power-play goals in three penalty-kill
situations to the resurgent Ranger power play. Only Bobby
Holik's stellar play saved the game for them. He had two goals -
both nice one-timers that cleanly beat Richter. His linemate
Dave Andreychuk also scored. He needed it. He's been struggling
to find his scoring touch. Although he's scored only nine goals
so far, he's been an important forward: he's defensively
conscious and he complements Holik and McKay working the puck in
the offensive zone. Hard to believe but the team's best and most
consistent line is composed of 2/3 of the old Crash Line.
The biggest disappointment in the game was the utterly terrible
penalty kill. The Devils rarely allow more than one power-play
goal in a game. Less than a month ago, the team was near the top
in the league. They are now eleventh. The letdown in this game
could have been attributed to Bob Carpenter's absence. He
normally goes out and manages the PK unit against guys like
Gretzky and Leetch. Denis Pederson filled in for him. I hate to
say it but John MacLean and Valeri Zelepukin were two very
effective penalty killers. Their loss may be starting to be felt
after all.
The new Crash Line is called the Mash Unit. Composed of Scott
Daniels, Denis Pederson and Krzysztof Oliwa, it's been a physical
and controversial combination. They started the game against the
Red Wings and Oliwa, on his first hit, knocked a pane of glass
out of the boards. Daniels really got into it with PJ Stock in
the Ranger game but drew criticism for head butting him. He was
called classless but it doesn't seem to bother him. Look for
this line to stay together for a while. They are a physically
imposing bunch. Now if only one of them could convincingly win a
fight.
Scott Niedermayer participated in his first All-Star Weekend, won
the fastest skater competition and scored a goal. Being around
the league's elite had a noticeable effect. In the first game
after the break, against Detroit, he sparked the Devils offense
with two assists, one on a nice individual skating effort topped
off by an excellent pass. He always plays well against Detroit.
The Detroit game was scoreless entering the third. Sheldon
Souray scored at 6:22 to break the tie. He has an exceptionally
hard and accurate shot from the perimeter. The Red Wings tied it
on a power play five minutes later but Jason Arnott, standing in
front of the net like Dave Andreychuk, allowed the puck to
deflect off his leg for the go-ahead goal. Considering the last
game these teams played in December, it seemed like it was going
to open up. It didn't. Detroit only managed one shot on net in
the second (by Brent Gilchrist; Brodeur had to make a nice glove
save), mainly because they were on the penalty kill most of the
period. Doug Gilmour quietly contributed three assists.
Petr Sykora returned from his most recent injury forcing Patrik
Elias to sit out. Jacques Lemaire has been juggling the players
that skate on the Carpenter and Gilmour lines. He seems set with
the Mash Unit and the Andreychuk-Holik-McKay setup. But he
hasn't set up consistent wingers for the other two lines mainly
because he has an overabundance of youth in Elias, Sykora and
Arnott. With Carpenter out, he played those three guys together.
With Carpenter back - one of them will have to sit. He relies on
Carpenter too much to scratch. Better candidates for sitting are
Steve Thomas or Brian Rolston. Rolston has seen a little more
offensive production of late but Thomas is struggling to generate
any offense. And neither of those players can hit the net or
finish off chances in close. There were at least three plays
apiece over the past week where they were in and shot wide or
just plain put it right in the goalie's glove. They are having a
hard time finishing.
The Devils may be the least glamorous "elite" team in the NHL.
Look at Colorado, Detroit or Philly - each team has at least one
young, dominant, name scorer on their roster. When it was
revealed after the Pittsburgh game that Lou Lamoriello was
attempting to lure Jaromir Jagr away from the Pens it made sense.
Since adding a playmaking center like Gilmour, the next
"one-player-away-from-the-Cup" issue will revolve around a
finishing winger. Not that it's desperate - the Devils are
scoring goals and getting a contribution from a variety of
players; although of late it seems to be anyone associated with
the Holik line taking the bulk of the credit. Too bad the Bill
Guerin situation ended like it did. He'd still be an asset to
this team.
In any event, Jagr reminded the Devils just what he is capable of
when the Pens beat them 3-2. Jagr scored less than three minutes
into the game and assisted on Stu Barnes' eventual game-winner.
He logged a ton of ice time. His heroics aside, Tom Barrasso
kept the game in hand during the third period when the Devils
woke up. He made exceptional stops on Bobby Holik and Dave
Andreychuk in close, turning away 12 shots in the period en route
to the victory. Rolston and Niedermayer scored the Devil goals.
It was the second straight loss to the Penguins.
You would have expected the Devils to come out as flat as they
had against Pittsburgh in the Montreal game considering their
rough and tumble match with the Rangers the day before. While it
wasn't nearly as exciting it had its share of controversy. Early
in the second period, clinging to a 1-0 lead, Bobby Holik
launched a one-timer that beat Andy Moog so cleanly that it
quickly popped in and out of the net. It was Holik's 22nd of the
year. After play resumed, the siren went off and referee Paul
Stewart was called to the scorer's box. It seems that the video
review judge had a problem with Holik's goal. Stewart hung up on
him saying it was clearly a goal. Not 20 seconds later, before
play resumed, the siren went off again. Stewart returned to the
box and realizing what it was about did not take the call. The
siren went off a third time. Stewart grabbed the phone and
finally convinced the judge to let it drop. Everyone could see
that it was a legal goal. No one was even near the crease. As
Jacques Lemaire said after the game, this type of thing could
only happen in Montreal.
The Devils led 2-0 going into the third and Montreal was
generating little pressure. When Mark Recchi scored to bring
them within one at 12:41, Montreal turned it up and Brodeur had
to make a number of tough saves to keep them from tying. Moog
played very well, stopping 38 shots. Only Brian Rolston's empty-
netter with 20 seconds left put the game out of reach. It was
the Devils' third straight win over the Canadiens this season.
The Devils' win over Montreal was their 31st of the season. They
are off to their best start ever. One thing is clear about their
tendencies. When the Devils lead after two periods, their record
is a staggering 27-1-1. When trailing after two: 1-10-2. They
have only lost 15 total games to date.
The Devils continue their road trip with three games in Western
Canada and then one more in Ottawa before heading home for a two-
game homestand (Ottawa and New York Islanders) just before Winter
Break. The game of the trip will be Wednesday's against
Edmonton. Arnott is sure he'll be booed; Guerin is sure it will
be tough to line up across from guys he played with for a long
time.
Useful Banter
With Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin gone, the Devils now only
have two players, Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur, going to the
Olympics. Since it looks like Patrick Roy will be the starting
goalie, the Devils may come through Winter Break with a more
rested lineup than initially planned.
Martin Brodeur's familiar flaming mask may be left at home for
the Olympics. He had a special one made that honors his father's
contribution to the Canadian Olympic team's bronze medal winning
effort at Cortina in 1956. Brodeur's father, Denis, was the
Canadian goaltender. Martin is not sure if he will actually wear
the mask.
Ken Daneyko may return after Winter Break. He's still skating
and working out on his own.
There have been no developments in the Gilmour contract
situation.
Recent Lines
Andreychuk-Holik-McKay
Rolston-Gilmour-Thomas
Elias-Sykora-Arnott
Daniels-Pederson-Oliwa
Defensive Pairings
Stevens-Odelein
Niedermayer-Bombardir
Bodger-Souray
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Rick Bowness
Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Travis Green, Bryan Smolinski,
Claude Lapointe, Sergei Nemchinov. LW - Mike Hough, Paul Kruse,
Ken Belanger, Tom Chorske. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Mariusz
Czerkawski, Dan Plante, Todd Bertuzzi, Steve Webb, Vladimir
Orszagh, Dane Jackson. D - Scott Lachance, Bryan Berard, Dennis
Vaske, Richard Pilon, Bryan McCabe, Kenny Jonsson, Doug Houda,
Zdeno Chara, Jason Strudwick. G - Eric Fichaud, Tommy Salo, Wade
Flaherty.
Injuries: Dennis Vaske, d (concussion, indefinite); Ken Belanger,
lw (surgery, out 10 weeks).
Transactions: Recalled Jason Strudwick, d, from Kentucky (AHL)
and Dane Jackson, rw, from Rochester (AHL).
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results
1/20 at Chicago L 5-2
1/22 at St. Louis T 3-3
1/24 at Ottawa L 3-2
1/26 at Philadelphia L 3-1
TEAM NEWS by David Strauss
So, if 1-13-2 in the last 16 games isn't enough to get you fired,
I'm kind of wondering what coach Rick Bowness has on GM Mike
Milbury. Sure they're friends. Sure they're buddies. But you
gotta wonder if Milbury once made a pass at a hippo while drunk,
and Bowness has pictures of it.
Because otherwise, it's a question as to why Milbury is standing
pat as the Isles season goes down the tubes.
The Isles (16-28-7) are a season-worst 12 games below .500 --
an embarrassing 1-13-2 in their last 16, and as a capper, fired a
franchise-low 11 shots on Flyers goalie Ron Hextall in
Philadelphia Monday night. Hextall was seen sending out for some
pizza during the second period, taking advantage of that
Toppings! Toppings! promotion.
Whether the slide is 100% Bowness' fault is certainly debatable.
The team has looked listless and bored during several games of
the streak, and were embarrassingly flat for key games against
teams like Carolina and Ottawa even before they started the
current slump. But Milbury hasn't made any moves to improve the
club either, and calling up minor leaguers like Kip Miller and
Steve Webb ain't gonna do it. Milbury has perhaps overrated his
assets, and has been cautious on the trading front, afraid to
make a deal that might come back to hurt him.
When other teams have approached Milbury about blockbuster deals,
he's been reluctant to trade away Bryan Berard or Kenny Jonsson,
whom he hopes will be the backbone of the Isles' blue line well
into the next decade. Detroit reportedly offered holdout Sergei
Fedorov straight up for Berard, which Milbury nixed.
Canadian papers were also reporting that Mike Keenan had offered
Trevor Linden and Alex Mogilny to the Isles for packages, but
with Linden suffering an injury, those potential deals are off.
If the Islanders are talented enough to beat the Stanley Cup
champion Red Wings in Detroit and tie them at the Nassau
Coliseum, then it's logical to assume that the team's lack of
cohesiveness has caused their current streak.
Milbury's rebuilding plan appeared to be on track until the
slide. The Isles were a .500 team, on course for a playoff berth.
"I was happy until Dec. 23," Milbury said. "I can't say I was
satisfied, but I was content there was progress being made.
What's baffling is we just completely tanked. There a lot of
things I've done that's made a positive impact but the net result
is we're not much different than we were last year. Somehow it
hasn't jelled."
Milbury has been reluctant to point specific fingers at specific
players, although he's obviously been displeased with the play of
such players as Berard, Mariusz Czerkawski, and Bryan Smolinski.
And then there's the C word.
"Character's an issue," Milbury said. Some interpreted this
remark as a shot at the Isles' younger players, who were said to
have little respect for their veteran teammates and no respect
for the game. "I think that's horse [manure]," Berard said. "I
believe everybody in this locker room respects the game. Some
players try to do too much, especially since things aren't going
well. Guys get away from the system, do things individually. But,
they're trying to win."
Mike Hough said it all, though, when he added "Losers find
excuses. Winners find ways."
NOTES:
The NHL's board of governors approved the sale of the Islanders
to a partnership led by Steven Gluckstern, who has been a
part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. The board also approved
Gluckstern selling his share of the Coyotes to his Coyotes
co-owner Richard Burke, freeing Gluckstern to buy the Islanders.
Gluckstern's partners in the $195 million purchase of the
Islanders are Howard Millstein, Stephen Ross and Dan Doctoross.
Until he officially takes over, however, expect John "Ogre"
Pickett to squeeze every dime out of the franchise. Why should
things change now after all these years?
Gluckstern said he expects to close both sales simultaneously in
two to four weeks. He plans to have a new arena built on the
site of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the team's home since
joining the NHL in 1972.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK RANGERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Colin Campbell
Rosters: C - Wayne Gretzky, Pat LaFontaine, Brian Skrudland,
Mike Eastwood, P.J. Stock. LW - Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Bill
Berg, Darren Langdon, Tim Sweeney. RW - Niklas Sundstrom, Alexei
Kovalev, Mike Keane, Johan Lindbom, Ryan VandenBussche. D -
Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Doug
Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns, Jeff Finley. G -
Mike Richter, Dan Cloutier.
Injuries: Ryan VandenBususche, rw, (arthroscopic knee surgery,
three weeks). Brian Leetch, d, (nerve compression in lower left
leg, day-to-day).
Transactions: Claimed Peter Ferraro, rw, from Pittsburgh.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results:
1/12 Toronto W 3-2
1/14 at New Jersey L 4-1
1/20 St. Louis W 3-1
1/22 Philadelphia L 4-3
1/24 New Jersey T 3-3
1/26 Washington T 2-2
TEAM NEWS: Alex Frias, NY Rangers Team Correspondent
Power in Play: After hovering in the middle of the NHL
pack for most of the season, the Rangers have connected on 11 of
their past 20 power-play chances, for a remarkable 55 percent
conversion rate.
Why the sudden surge? Everyone seems to have elevated their game
since the break. Alexei Kovalev has been a boon on the point,
gaining access into the attacking zone and allowing the Rangers
to set up. And Kovalev's hard shot also creates rebounds in
front when he lets go from the blue line. Brian Leetch, who has
struggled throughout the whole season, also seems to have more
jump since the All-Star game as he's been skating more freely.
All in all, the Blueshirts are passing more quickly and crisply,
and are finally taking shots from the point to create rebound
opportunities.
Kovalev Out for Two to Three: Alexei Kovalev will have
arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Wednesday. The same
right knee that he had surgically repaired last season. It's
been bothering him since a 4-1 loss to New Jersey. He will be
sidelined for three weeks and is almost assured of missing the
Olympics in Nagano.
"It's so frustrating. After knee surgery I thought everything
was going to be OK. I used to walk by the (trainer's) room and
maybe get a massage, now I have to in there every day," Kovalev
said. "You know how I feel being on that top line again. It
hurts. The first half of the year I couldn't figure out why I
wasn't playing and now I start playing the knee starts hurting
me."
Kovalev has been flourishing after being moved up to the top line
with Gretzky and benefiting from the accompanying ice time.
La-La-La-La-La-La-Fontaine: On January 22, the Rangers
lost to Philadelphia 4-3. But Patty LaFontaine joined the record
books as he scored his 1,000th and 1,001st career points. Joe
Mullen and Phil Housley were the only other Americans to have
more than 1,000 points. LaFontaine did it in 847 games. Mullen
needed 1,063 and it took Housley 1,013.
"I was always a player told I was too small and wouldn't make it.
There are a lot of players who have that attitude that you can
prove people wrong and prove to yourself you can play in this
game," LaFontaine said. "I'm thankful I've been blessed with
some talent and have been able to get to that level. Anyone who
gets to NHL level, no matter their size, has to have a lot of
character and courage to get this far. It's something that has
followed you along now, because the players are getting bigger
and bigger. I always hoped at 32 or 33 I'd find some type of
miracle food. I don't know what these guys are eating."
Joe Mullen is one my all-time heroes in all of sports, right up
there with my man Don Mattingly. Pat is on that same plateau.
Here's looking at you, Patty.
That's the Sound of the Police: An off-duty policeman who
was just trying to get his hockey skates sharpened managed to
solve the theft of $11,000 in merchandise belonging to Wayne
Gretzky and other Rangers. Four Westchester county teenagers
were arrested.
The hockey gear -- sticks, jerseys, pads, helmets and gloves,
plus a laptop computer and printer -- were stolen Jan. 15 from a
van parked at Playland Park in Rye, where the Rangers practice.
The gear belonged to Gretzky, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and
other players, according to police.
A $44 million payroll and they can't afford security?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Wayne Cashman
ROSTER: C - Eric Lindros, Chris Gratton, Dan LaCroix, Joel Otto.
LW - Rod Brind'Amour, Colin Forbes, Dan Kordic, John LeClair,
Brantt Myhres, Shjon Podein. RW - Alexandre Daigle, Trent Klatt,
Dainius Zubrus. D - Paul Coffey, Eric Desjardins, Chris Joseph,
Janne Niinimaa, Luke Richardson, Kjell Samuelsson, Petr Svoboda,
Chris Therien. G - Ron Hextall, Garth Snow.
Injuries: None.
Transactions: Traded Vaclav Prospal, c, Pat Falloon, rw, and a
second-round pick in 1998 to Ottawa in exchange for Alexandre
Daigle, rw. Assigned John Druce, rw, to Philadelphia of the AHL.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results
01/14 Montreal T 3-3
01/20 Buffalo W 3-0
01/22 at NY Rangers W 4-3
01/24 at Detroit L 1-0
01/26 NY Islanders W 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Eric Meyer
New Addition
Let me reiterate what I already said in the latest edition of LCS
Hockey "Web Extra", Philadelphia GM Bobby Clarke has held to his
word so far this season. The Flyers have not traded for a goalie
and they have not yet parted with either Rod Brind'Amour, Janne
Niinimaa or Dainius Zubrus.
That being said, the Flyers, still in need of a speedy right wing
with scoring potential, made a deal over All-Star weekend,
sending young center Vaclav "Vinnie" Prospal, right wing Pat
Falloon and a second-round pick in the 1998 NHL entry draft to
the Ottawa Senators in exchange for right wing Alexandre Daigle.
Prospal, who is still considered a rookie, had five goals and 18
points in 41 games and was last on the Flyers in plus-minus at
minus-10 at the time of the trade. He was Philadelphia's
second-round choice in 1993.
Falloon, on the other hand, has never really lived up to
expectations since coming to the Flyers in a trade with San Jose
in 1995. Expected to fill the scoring and speed void that young
Daigle is going to be asked to fill now, Falloon has often
faltered on the ice, often getting goals in streaks, but more
often than not, finding his way into the coach's dog house, as
was the case last season under Terry Murray. Falloon was
designated a healthy scratch on many occasions last year.
Injuries have also plagued Falloon. Be they abdominal strains or
leg injuries, Falloon has missed his share of action.
Daigle arrived in Philadelphia with seven goals and 16 points in
38 games this season. He had 26 goals and 51 points last season
to help Ottawa make the playoffs for the first time and has
career totals of 74 goals and 172 points in 301 games.
The big speculations was where would Daigle fit in? Would he be
on a re-vamped first line with Eric Lindros and John LeClair?
Well, no, because head coach Wayne Cashman is in no rush to
reunite his two big guns back on the first line. That left
Daigle to be inserted on the second line with John LeClair on the
left side and Chris Gratton in the middle.
So How About These New Look Flyers?
Well, for Daigle, just one point (an assist) in four games in
orange and black, assisting Eric Lindros on the power play in his
first game as a Flyer against the Buffalo Sabres. However; since
the arrival of the speedy Daigle, the Flyers have lost just one
game since the All-Star Break, a 1-0 Stanley Cup rematch with the
Detroit Red Wings in the Motor City.
But How Have They Looked?
Maybe my vision is a bit clouded, having just sat through a very
slow game against the New York Islanders at CoreStates, where the
Flyers looked tired and uninspired for two periods before picking
up their play in the final frame to seal the deal for a 3-1 win.
That being said, the Flyers, offensively that is, haven't looked
all that impressive recently. Yes, they put up a nice showing
against the Rangers in MSG, but the shutout in Detroit and a
lackluster performance against the Isles leaves some questions to
be answered.
What of this third line of Shjon Podein - Dainius Zubrus - Colin
Forbes? Podein plays with a lot of grit, Colin Forbes
complements a big line, and Dainius Zubrus is a playmaker.
So why do the three of them play together? When this third line
hits the ice, more often than not, the play appears to be
concentrated in the neutral zone. Against the Isles, New York
was able to generate some quality scoring chances with the Podein
- Zubrus - Forbes line on the ice.
What of the second line? LeClair is still as solid as ever. Chris
Gratton; however, often looks like he skates with lead in his
feet. His physical play is up, but his goal-scoring skills still
need some development on the second line.
Didn't We Trade Falloon...
Finally we have the new addition: Alexandre Daigle. Could it be
that he has a case of Pat Falloon Syndrome? The newcomer has had
numerous chances to notch his first goal, but has been unable to
convert golden opportunities. Against the Rangers at MSG, Daigle
was left alone for a wrap-around but an open net was quickly
swallowed up as Daigle's shot was turn aside by the extended
stick of Ranger goaltender Mike Richter. Against the Islanders,
on the power play, Daigle was fed a pass all alone on the right
post. After putting a nice move on goalie Tommy Salo, Daigle fed
a back-hander wide of the empty net.
Let's Not Forget The Milestones
Two such events took place in the Flyers 3-1 victory over the New
York Islanders at CoreStates. First of all, John LeClair's
assist of Eric Lindros' first goal of the game (22nd of the year)
was his 300th point as a Flyer. Rod Brind'Amour's assist on Eric
Lindros' second goal of the game (23rd of the year) was his 600th
career point.
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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
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Head Coach: Jacques Demers
Roster: C - Jason Bonsignore, Steve Kelly, Paul Ysebaert,
Daymond Langkow, Brian Bradley, Darcy Tucker. RW - Mikael
Renberg, Stephane Richer, Jody Hull, Alexander Selivanov, Mikael
Anderson. LW - Rob Zamuner, Troy Mallette, Jason Wiemer, Vladimir
Vujtek, Louie Debrusk. D - Cory Cross, Jamie Huscroft, Karl
Dykhuis, Yves Racine, Bryan Marchment, David Wilkie, Mike McBain,
Jassen Cullimore. G - Daren Puppa, Corey Schwab, Mark
Fitzpatrick, Zac Bierk.
Injuries: Troy Mallette, lw (herniated disk, out for season);
Brian Bradley, c (concussion/wrist injury, indefinite); Daren
Puppa, g (back spasms, indefinite); Cory Schwab, g (sprained
ankle, indefinite); Yves Racine, d (sprained right ankle,
day-to-day).
Transactions: Traded Patrick Poulin, lw, Igor Ulanov, d, and Mick
Vukota, rw, to the Montreal Canadiens for Stephane richer, rw,
Darcy Tucker, c, and David Wilkie, d; traded Dino Cicarrelli, rw,
and Jeff Norton, d, to the Florida Panthers for Jody Hull, rw,
and Mark Fitzpatrick, g; assigned Derek Wilkenson, g, to the
Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL); assigned Dave Shaw to the Las Vegas
Thunder (IHL); claimed Jassen Cullimore off waivers from the
Montreal Canadiens; recalled Mike McBain, d, from the Adirondack
Red Wings (AHL).
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results
01/12 Montreal L 6-3
01/14 Islanders L 7-1
01/21 Washington L 2-3
01/23 at Buffalo L 4-1
01/24 at Toronto L 5-2
Team News by Seth Lerman
Change players. Change coaches.
It doesn't matter. The Tampa Bay Lightning are still the worst
team in the National Hockey League as the season has passed the
halfway point.
How bad are the Lightning? They have lost nine games in a row,
have yet to win a game in 1988 and have been held to three goals
or less 27 straight games. In addition, their leading scorer,
Alex Selivanov, who by the way is also the general manager's
son-in-law, has just ten goals and thirteen assists.
Is there any hope for the future?
With youngsters Darcy Tucker, Steve Kelly, David Wilkie, and Mike
McBain getting regular ice time, the organization is hopeful that
this group can lead the Lightning into the next century - or the
winning circle, whichever comes first.
Of the bunch, Tucker has had the most impact. In three games
since joining the Lightning in a six-player trade with the
Montreal Canadiens, which also included Wilkie and veteran
Stephane Richer coming to the Bolts in exchange for Igor Ulanov,
Patrick Poulin, and Mick Vukota, Tucker has netted three
assists while playing on a line with Jason Wiemer and Alexander
Selivanov. As it appears now, this trio is the Lightning's only
ray of hope.
A day after making that trade, general manager, Phil Esposito
sent Dino Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton to the Florida Panthers for
Jody Hull (two goals in 20 games) and Mark Fitzpatrick.
Include the Roman Hamrlik trade to Edmonton two weeks before, and
the Lightning have traded away five players and received eight in
return.
With the influx of talent comes a lack of proven production which
is why Esposito insisted that Richer be included in the deal.
Richer has missed the majority of the season because of various
ailments. However, twice in his career he has scored more than
fifty goals in a season and the Lightning hope he will regain his
scoring touch. His arrival spelled the end of Ciccarelli's
days in Tampa. Whereas Ciccarelli never wanted to play here,
Richer views the trade as a new beginning.
It appears that Esposito's days with the Lightning could also be
dwindling, especially if the team does not improve after the
shakeup. Following a loss to the Washington Capitals, Esposito
was involved in a shouting match with Steve Oto, president of the
Lightning. If and when ownership changes hands, Esposito's will
probably be the first head rolling down the street, followed
by his brother Tony's.
The Lightning situation has surely disturbed the Hall of Famer.
Upon arriving at the NHL All-Star Game, Esposito said: "I don't
give a damn about the All-Star Game," when reminded that no
Lightning player would be participating.
In all due fairness to the league, but most of all to the fans,
Esposito should be reminded that Tampa hosts next year's
mid-season classic, which if rumors are true, will feature the
best players from North America against players who were once
traded by Esposito (including his time spent as GM of the New
York Rangers).
As each week passes, the Lightning's chances of salvaging this
season diminish - much like the fan base. With expansion
arriving next season in the NHL, the Lightning can begin a
marketing program which will list them as a "new hockey
franchise". After all, they're no better now than they were six
years ago.
Rebuilding has begun.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Wilson
Roster: C - Adam Oates, Dale Hunter, Andrei Nikolishin, Michal
Pivonka, Jan Bulis. LW - Andrew Brunette, Joe Juneau, Steve
Konowalchuk, Jeff Toms, Todd Krygier, Mike Eagles. RW - Peter
Bondra, Richard Zednik, Craig Berube, Kelly Miller. D - Phil
Housley, Calle Johansson, Brendan Witt, Sylvain Cote, Sergei
Gonchar, Joe Reekie, Ken Klee. G - Olaf Kolzig, Bill Ranford.
Injuries: Pat Peake, rw (torn ankle tendon, indefinite); Yogi
Svejkovsky, lw (sprained ankle, indefinite); Chris Simon, lw
(shoulder surgery, out for regular season); Calle Johansson, d
(sprained knee, day-to-day); Mark Tinordi, d (stomach/groin, 1
week).
Transactions: Returned Stephane Beauregard, g, to the Chicago
Wolves (IHL). Signed Peter Bondra, rw, to a four-year contract,
replacing his old contract. Placed Mark Tinordi, d, on injured
reserve. Removed Joe Juneau, lw, from injured reserve.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160
Game Results:
1/13 Ottawa W 4-0
1/15 Chicago W 3-2
1/21 at Tampa Bay W 3-2
1/25 Boston W 4-1
1/26 at NY Rangers T 2-2
TEAM NEWS by Jason Sheehan, Washington Correspondent
Caps Return to October Form
A new training regimen meant early success for the Washington
Capitals in October, but the newfound freedom to create
offensively eventually led to bad habits and a less-than-stellar
month in December.
Coach Ron Wilson's offensive system also allows defenseman to
become more offensive-minded instead of just worrying about their
own end of the ice surface.
Unlike previous seasons under coach Jim Schoenfeld, who has since
moved on to Phoenix, many players felt the noose around their
necks loosen upon learning and practicing under Wilson's
leadership.
As a result, the Capitals, whom in history have been notorious
for slumping in October, shot out of the gates faster than a
speeding bullet on the bad streets of Harlem. They began the
month with a record of 7-1-0. And as an added bonus, the Capitals
were the highest scoring team in the league. But that is all in
the past. Until now.
Fast forward to November and the Capitals were once again
crippled by injuries. A season ago, they lost 361-man games to
injury and missed the playoffs for the first time in 15-years.
This season, the injuries have only caused a minor collapse. And
that's really saying something about the quality of coaching from
Wilson, since the Capitals have lost 271-man games to injury and
are on pace to shatter last season's team record.
Fast forward to 1998 and the Capitals are once again the hottest
team in the NHL. Washington is currently unbeaten in its last
five games and is 9-2-1 in its last 11. As of Jan. 26, the
Capitals rank fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of
25-17-9 (58 points) and are third in the Atlantic Division behind
New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Not bad for a team with an injury jinx.
However, the recipe for Washington's success this season is not
as complicated to dissect as it may appear.
One reason for the Capitals' success has to do with the return of
Joe Juneau, Jeff Toms and Andrei Nikolishin. Besides returning at
about the same time, Wilson has placed these three players on his
second line.
Boston coach Pat Burns discovered firsthand the difficulty of
defeating a club with three strong lines. The Capitals pounced
the Bruins Jan. 25 at MCI Center, 4-1.
"They have three really good lines," said Burns. "That's a pretty
good team, but I thought we played them well. We just didn't
finish our chances in front of the net."
Toms has yet to register a goal since returning to the lineup
three weeks ago. Juneau, meanwhile, returned Jan. 25 from a knee
injury suffered in a knee-on-knee collision with Los Angeles
Kings forward Sandy Moger Dec. 13. Nikolishin has given the team
great chemistry since returning early this month from a knee
injury suffered last April in the World Championships.
He has tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in eight games.
Yet another reason for Washington's improved record is its
superior penalty killing unit. The Capitals have a success rate
of 88.4%, which ranks them fourth in the league. They also have
scored eight short-handed goals, which ties them for fifth. In
comparison, the New York Rangers, still limping from Mark
Messier's departure to Vancouver, is the only team without a
short-handed goal.
Perhaps the biggest reason for Washington's improved record is
the play of goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Previously a backup
goaltender, Kolzig has taken the No. 1 spot in goal away from
Bill Ranford and has become one of the best netminders in the
game.
He seems to make big stops at key times in most games, which is
supported by his statistics. As of Jan. 25 Kolzig, who has played
40 games, has posted a record of 22-10-7 to go along with his
impressive 2.29 goals-against-average and an equally astonishing
save-percentage of .919.
But to do well in the playoffs, the Capitals realize they cannot
overwork their goaltender. To ease his workload, Wilson gave
Ranford the starting assignment against Boston, his former club,
Jan. 25th.
Ranford was up to the task in his first start since going down
with a pulled hamstring last month. Not only did the Capitals
down the Bruins in convincing fashion, but Ranford played perhaps
his best game of the season, stopping 34 shots while posting only
his third win of the 1997-98 campaign.
Ranford credited his hard work in practice with assistant coach
Tim Army for his improved play and psyche as a backup goaltender.
"I felt good," said Ranford. "Any time you go a month without
playing, there's a little bit of butterflies going into the game.
But I've been working hard in practice, and there's a lot of
support from teammates all year with these crazy injuries I've
had. I was a lot more relaxed tonight than I was early on in the
first game that I played against these guys."
The first game Ranford played against his old mates was a highly
forgettable night Nov. 6 at Boston. The Capitals were stonewalled
that night by Bruins' goaltender Byron Dafoe, 2-0.
Bondra Signs New Contract
For Capitals sniper Peter Bondra, All-Star Weekend will likely
not be remembered for the thrill of sharing the ice surface with
the league's greatest players. Instead, it will be remembered for
the day Bondra's greatest financial wish finally came true.
Capitals general manager George McPhee, who suspended Bondra in
the preseason for wanting his current contract to be
renegotiated, had previously said he wouldn't rework the contract
of any signed player in the organization.
McPhee, though, realized Bondra's situation had existed long
before he took over as general manager last summer, so he budged
on his beliefs and gave Bondra his day of dollars.
Some experts may say McPhee got the best of this deal. He signed
Bondra to a four-year contract worth approximately $13 million to
$14 million. The deal voided Bondra's previous contract, which
had three years left, and caused the star winger to lose one of
his years as an unrestricted free agent.
"It was imperative that the club received an additional
free-agent year if the deal was going to be restructured," stated
McPhee. "The club has now secured two of Peter Bondra's
unrestricted years. We expect that he will be completely focused
on this team and assist on taking this team farther than ever
before."
Bondra has proven his weight in gold since signing the contract.
Skating alongside Adam Oates and Andrew Brunette, Bondra has
caught fire, scoring four goals in his last three games. Bondra
now will take his new friend, the dollar sign, to Nagano if
Slovakia advances past the qualifying rounds.
Alternate Jerseys Unveiled
For the second time in three years, Washington has a new look.
Following the lead given from the marketing geniuses in many
other cities, the Capitals unveiled their new alternate jersey
Jan. 25. The jersey, which is predominately black, features the
club's secondary logo, the Capitol Building with crossed-hockey
sticks, on the crest and a bronze stripe around the waste and
arms.
The most revealing feature, however, is the detail that went into
the numbers and letters. The stitch-work is coated in bronze and
outlined in white. The creation, which was designed by equipment
manager Doug Shearer, has already received rave reviews from fans
and players.
"It's one of the best third jerseys I've seen around the league,"
said defenseman Joe Reekie, who has worn all five jerseys, home
and away, in his four-year stint with the Capitals. "I like the
color scheme, and I think it's a nice change for the fans."
================================================================
================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BOSTON BRUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Pat Burns
Roster: C - Anson Carter, Dimitri Khristich, Joe Thornton, Ted
Donato, Tim Taylor. LW - Ken Baumgartner, Rob Dimaio, Sergei
Samsonov, Jason Allison, Mike Sullivan. RW - Steve Heinze, Landon
Wilson, Per Johan Axelsson, Jean Yves Roy. D - Ray Bourque, Don
Sweeney, Dave Ellett, Kyle McLaren, Dean Chynoweth, Mattias
Timander, Dean Malkoc, Hal Gill, Darren Van Impe. G - Byron
Dafoe, Rob Tallas, John Grahame.
Injuries: Rob Tallas, g (hamstring, two weeks).
Transactions: John Grahame, g, called up from Providence (AHL).
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144
Game Results
1/14 Pittsburgh W 5-2
1/21 at Montreal L 4-2
1/24 at Pittsburgh L 4-2
1/25 at Washington L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown
After putting together a string of seven games without a loss,
suddenly the Bruins can't buy a win. They have lost three
straight games, mostly attributable to a lack of offense, at
least at first glance. But the truth is that the team is young,
inexperienced, and overmatched by the likes of Montreal,
Pittsburgh, and Washington. When the Bruins open up
their play even a little to try to put more goals on the board,
other teams are able to take advantage.
In the three losses, Ray Bourque was a combined -6, and most of
that imbalance occurred either because Ray was pinching in to try
to generate offense, or Bruins forwards were over committed to
the attack, creating odd-man rushes. Against the Penguins in
Pittsburgh, for example, Bourque was caught up ice, leaving
rookie defenseman Hal Gill alone to defend a two-on-one break
with Jaromir Jagr and Stu Barnes. Needless to say, Jagr
froze big Hal and dished to Barnes for the score. Oh, by the way,
that turned out to be the winning goal.
Now the point is not to bash the Captain, or to disparage young
Hal. The fact of life is that the Bruins defensive posture is not
a strangulation tactic, it is a survival mechanism. When the team
plays the game within its capabilities, they are in every game.
When they forget the basics, or try to do to much, especially on
an individual basis, the opposition takes them to school.
On the positive side of the ledger, if you want a one line
summary to define the difference between last year's Bruins and
the current edition, try this on: the 97-98 Bruins conceded their
first short-handed goal of the season against the Montreal
Canadiens on January 21, in their 47th game of the season. That
is a far cry from last year, and pretty remarkable even without
the comparison to last year's Team Debacle.
This year's defensive scheme uses primarily one forechecker, and
you rarely see three Bruins behind the opposition net at once. We
all saw what happened last year when the forwards were more
free-wheeling and less inclined to get back and help on defense.
Unfortunately, not much else of that caliber came out of the
Montreal game. The Canadiens used their speed to come at the
Bruins in waves, outshooting the Bs by 33-19.
Against the Penguins, goaltender Robbie Tallas not only suffered
his first loss after starting out 2-0-2, but he also suffered a
hamstring injury that will keep him out for at least two weeks.
His injury happened when he dropped wrong, and heard his
hamstring pop when he got back up. He had to leave the game, and
could not dress the next night.
So the call went out for John Grahame. What, no Jim Carey, you
ask? Well, it turns out that Carey has what is described as a
slight shoulder dislocation that may require surgery and some
serious rehab. Grahame played for Providence against Kentucky
(what is the AHL coming to?), was called up for the Washington
game, and ended up wearing a Jim Carey number 30 sweater with
"GRAHAME" velcroed to its back because his own sweater didn't
arrive in time.
Against Washington, Joe Thornton registered his first assist and
power-play point as he dished a beauty to Anson Carter for the
Bruins' first goal. Goes to show the difference that ice time,
and power-play chances, and linemates with soft hands can make.
Then again, if Thornton had started out on the first line
instead of under the very obvious protection of Ken Baumgartner,
he might have had several fewer teeth (remember that Joe Juneau
three broken jaws in one year). So maybe it all balances out.
On a contrasting note, Sergei Samsonov had a year in the IHL to
get his bearings, and he is humming along to the tune of 20
points and people are starting to gush about his chances for the
Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. Despite being considerably
smaller than Joe, Samsonov has been able to use his speed to get
out of jams, and he hasn't really gotten tagged. If people keep
talking about the Calder, rest assured that he will start to
become a target.
The real surprise of the year might well turn our to Per-Johann
Axellson, or PJ for short. Axelsson has used his speed and
skating ability to become a regular on the checking line and
serve as a first class pest to other team's first line. Axelsson
has not earned many points but he is becoming a crowd favorite
and he could possibly become Seventh Player Award winner on a
team where rookie leader was supposed to mean Samsonov or
Thornton.
It is tempting for a coach to let his star players off the hook
for a tough game. After all, they win more for the team than they
lose. But letting it go is ultimately destructive to the team. If
the leaders mail in a game here and there, and the coach
overlooks it, the malaise is contagious, human nature being what
it is. Other players will take a game off here and there, and bad
habits will form.
There doesn't seem to be much risk of that on this year's Bruins.
Jason Allison and Dimitri Khristich didn't produce much in the
first two periods against the Capitals (each player's ex-team)
and for the third period, they each got an 18-minute parking
ticket from ex-cop Pat Burns. Burns gave them less than two
minutes of ice time in the third, sending his makeshift line of
Joe Thornton, Sergei Samsonov, and Anson Carter out for much of
the spare ice time. Burns said afterwards that he wasn't very
happy with the accomplishments of his team leading scorers that
night, so he parked them. The team did not win that game,
but perhaps the lesson was driven home.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFALO SABRES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff
Roster: C - Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Brian Holzinger, Eric
Rasmussen, Wayne Primeau. LW - Randy Burridge, Miroslav Satan,
Michal Grosek, Brad May. RW - Donald Audette, Jason Dawe, Matthew
Barnaby, Dixon Ward, Rob Ray. D - Alexei Zhitnik, Darryl Shannon,
Jay McKee, Mike Wilson, Bob Boughner, Richard Smehlik, Jason
Woolley. G - Dominik Hasek, Steve Shields.
Injuries: Brad May, lw, (torn mcl, 4wks, on ir 12/30/97)
Transactions: assigned Vaclav Varada, rw, to Rochester (AHL) for
the All-Star Break and then recalled him.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144
Game Results
01/14 at Toronto W 4-1
01/15 Vancouver W 6-2
01/20 at Philadelphia L 3-0
01/21 Carolina W 2-1
01/23 Tampa Bay W 4-1
TEAM REPORT by Joe Brunner
Since the news broke that John Rigaq had filed a letter of intent
to purchase the team, the Sabres record is 6-2-2. Although the
sale has yet to be finalized, there is a school of thought that
the prospect of stable ownership has allowed the players to relax
and concentrate on hockey. There's also a less well known school
that attributes their recent success to the absence of Brad May.
May is back skating again and should be back in the lineup next
week.
It had been anticipated that the Sabres sale would be on the
agenda at the NHL board of governors meeting during the All-Star
Break, however that was not to be. There has been speculation
that Rigas is trying to cut a better deal for himself, but thus
far there's been no evidence to support that. My feeling is that
Rigas is in no hurry to complete the sale before the trade
deadline to avoid unrealistic pressure and expectations from the
fans and media. The minute this deal becomes official, people
will either be all over Rigas to spend major bucks to acquire a
marquee player, or to bring back Ted Nolan. These distractions
are best left for the off-season. It's even possible that a major
housecleaning is planned, and it will be much easier to
accomplish that from a PR standpoint if the team doesn't do so
well.
As usual, one can't mention the Sabres without talking about
Dominik Hasek. The Dominator is now back in the familiar
position of leading the NHL in save percentage, .924. Amazingly,
Carolina goalie Trevor Kidd had the nerve to suggest in the
Greensboro News and Record that the home statisticians inflated
the shots on goal to help his save percentage. For the record,
the average shots on goal allowed by the Sabres at home and on
the road is the same, 31, nice try Trevor. Unlike a certain rival
publication, we at LCS freely acknowledge use of other's
material. The preceding material on Trevor Kidd was provided
courtesy of 3vezina's Dominik Hasek web
site.
The Sabres also picked up the option on Hasek's contract for
1998-99, ensuring he'll be a Sabre for another season.
Although the Sabres are now in playoff position, it's premature
to get excited by victories over Toronto, Vancouver, Carolina and
Tampa Bay. These are hardly powerhouses and it's likely that none
of these teams will make the playoffs. Bill Clinton still scores
more than the Sabres, but it's encouraging that the scoring is
picking up a bit. The line of Matt Barnaby, Michal Grosek, and
center Curtis Brown has been especially effective lately. A key
to the Sabre's success will be getting Brian Holzinger back on
track.
The most entertaining game in this recent stretch had to be the
6-2 victory over the Canucks. It was "Old Time" hockey at it's
best with even the goalies getting involved. Sabre's fans took a
deep breath when the 'Nucks Gino Odjick took a run at the
Dominator. Fortunately for Odjick, Richard Smehlik was the first
man on him and saved Gino from a severe pummeling by Dom. All in
all it was a fine game and a good time was had by all.
The Olympics are rapidly approaching and several Sabres will be
in Nagano. Dominik Hasek and Richard Smehlik will represent the
Czech Republic, and Alexei Zhitnik is playing for Russia.
Miroslav Satan will join the Slovak team if they are fortunate
enough to make it past the preliminary rounds. Although the
Czech's do not have the talent or depth of the Canadian, US,
Swedish, or Finnish teams, they will be a threat to ruin
someone's medal hopes with Hasek between the pipes.
Last issue, I left you with a series of questions that were to be
posed to Sabre's GM Darcy Regier at a booster club meeting. It is
with deep regret that I must inform the readers that the person
entrusted to ask these hard-hitting questions turned out to be a
double agent secretly working for the Sabres.
Needless to say, none of the important questions were asked. But,
rest assured that the quest for the truth will continue.
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CAROLINA HURRICANES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Roster: C - Keith Primeau, Jeff O'Neill, Kent Manderville, Bates
Battaglia. RW - Sami Kapanen, Nelson Emerson, Kevin Dineen,
Steven Rice, Stephen Leach. LW - Robert Kron, Martin Gelinas,
Paul Ranheim, Stu Grimson, Gary Roberts. D - Steve Chaisson, Glen
Wesley, Curtis Leschyshyn, Kevin Haller, Adam Burt, Sean Hill
G - Trevor Kidd, Kirk McLean.
Injuries: Gary Roberts, lw (pulled rib muscle, indefinite).
Transactions: 1/15 - sent Bates Battaglia, c, and Mike Fountain,
g, to New Haven (AHL); 1/19 - recalled Battaglia from New Haven.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144
Game Results
1/12 Pittsburgh L 4-1
1/14 Chicago L 4-1
1/21 at Buffalo L 2-1
1/22 at Ottawa W 4-2
1/24 at Montreal W 4-3
TEAM NEWS by Brad Kane
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
54 days.
Two home games.
12 road games.
Did someone say "fore"?
Due to the three-week Olympic break and a first half of the
season loaded with home games, the Carolina Hurricanes recently
began a 54-day run where they will see the inside of the
Greensboro Coliseum just twice. Beginning with a six-game road
trip that started last Wednesday in Buffalo, the 'Canes will play
only Montreal and Tampa Bay, February 1st and 4th respectively,
at home between now and March 12. That's 54 days of playing
mostly road games, where Carolina's record stood at 4-14-1 before
starting this madness. Hate to be a pessimist, but get the clubs
ready boys, you may need to use them pretty soon...like, say,
mid-April.
Of course, it needs to be pointed out that since starting this
six-game road swing against Eastern Conference opponents,
Carolina has actually won their last two games. A win Saturday
night at Montreal was most impressive as Paul Ranheim scored with
one minute to go to cap a comeback from a three-goal deficit to
edge the Canadiens. Longtime followers of the franchise should
be most impressed that the 'Canes even won at all in Montreal.
In their existence as the Hartford Whalers, the team had only won
about 12 times or so at the Forum or Le Centre Molson -- ever.
(I don't have the numbers in front of me, but trust me, it was
pretty bad.) That followed a victory Thursday over a slumping
Ottawa Senator club that's in hot water themselves these days.
Interestingly, the two wins brought Carolina's record against
Canadian-based clubs this year to a rather gaudy 10-3-1.
The Hurricane now head south for the second half of the trip,
visiting Florida and Tampa Bay, before heading north to call on
the Islanders. There's still 30 or so games left this year, but
this week will be extremely important for the 'Canes. All three
opponents are below Carolina in the standings, and if the 'Canes
are playoff-bound, three wins, or at least two, will be necessary
to avoid the golf course until at least May. Stay tuned...
WHATNOT
Well, to be honest, aside from the exodus from Carolina, there's
not too much going on in Greensboro lately. Trade rumors are
basically non-existent as the team continues to find a new
chemistry from the deals made earlier this month. And, with the
team on the road so much, there's not much wacky stuff that can
happen, anyway. Or at least that gets reported. Too much time
sitting in hotels, watching TV. At the very least, here's the
highlights of the last two weeks:
-- The All-Star game came and went with nary a notice in
Carolina. No Hurricanes were invited to the game. That could be
good news, though. Only two Hurricanes (Sami Kapanen and Keith
Primeau) are set to play in the Olympics, and none played in
Vancouver last Sunday, so the team should be well-rested for the
final stretch run.
-- Kevin Dineen played in his 900th NHL game Saturday. Now
recovered from a series of injuries that has curtailed his
playing time this year, here's to hoping that Kevin 11 can stay
healthy to play at least 100 more. If all goes well, he'll hit
the 1,000 mark sometime in March next year.
-- While Dineen has returned from injury, the plight of Gary
Roberts continues to get worse. The current injury? A pulled
rib muscle that will keep Roberts out until the Olympic break.
The injury was caused by the broken left foot Roberts had earlier
this season. Roberts played through that injury, but tended to
favor his right side while the foot was broken. Roberts believes
that the tightened muscles that resulted on his right caused the
rib muscles injury. What this means is that the 'Canes will be
without one of their top players during the most important
stretch of the season -- between now and the Olympic break.
-- Head coach Paul Maurice reports that he was mistaken for
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur in the 'Canes hotel in Montreal
Saturday. To Maurice's credit, at 31, he is the youngest head
coach in the NHL. But I'm not totally sure that there's that
much of a resemblance there. Just another day in the life of
hockey's least respected franchise...
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MONTREAL CANADIENS
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Head Coach: Alain Vigneault
ROSTER: C - Saku Koivu, Marc Bureau, Vincent Damphousse, Scott
Thornton. LW - Shayne Corson, Martin Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet,
Terry Ryan, Brian Savage, Patrick Poulin. RW - Mark Recchi, Mick
Vukota, Turner Stevenson, Valeri Bure. D - Vladimir Malakhov,
Stephane Quintal, Patrice Brisebois, Brett Clark, Peter Popovic,
Craig Rivet, Igor Ulanov, Eric Houde. G - Jocelyn Thibault, Andy
Moog.
Injuries: Valeri Bure, lw (concussion, day-to-day); Igor Ulanov,
d (knee injury, out for season); Saku Koivu, c (strained rib
cartilage, day-to-day); Shayne Corson, lw (strained groin,
day-to-day); Sebastien Bordeleau, c (bruised testicles,
day-to-day).
Transactions: 01/15 : Stephane Richer, rw, David Wilkie, d, and
Darcy Tucker, c, were traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for Mick
Vukota, lw, Igor Ulanov, d, and forward Patrick Poulin, lw.
01/21 : Jassen Cullimore joined Richer, Wilkie and Tucker in
Tampa Bay after being selected by Tampa off waivers. 01/23: Eric
Houde and Brett Clark recalled from Fredericton (AHL). 01/24 :
Terry Ryan recalled from Fredericton in the absence of Benoit
Brunet who suffered back spasms after the loss to the
Carolina Hurricanes.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144
Game Results
01/12 at Tampa W 6-3
01/14 at Philadelphia T 3-3
01/21 Boston W 4-2
01/24 Florida L 4-3
01/25 New Jersey L 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert
NEW HABS, POULIN AND VUKOTA, ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE
The Montreal Canadiens ought to look into purchasing an....
airline company! Vigneault's boys don't let trades and injuries
- which involve a great deal of travels between Montreal,
Fredericton and Carolina - get the better of them: they keep
winning important games against big shots (Philadelphia, Boston).
However, one problem remains: again this season, injuries that
affect key offensive Canadiens players (Corson, Koivu) caused
two bad defeats. And, add to that a lack of discipline (versus
Carolina) and an obvious inability to control the puck in the
neutral zone (against New Jersey).
However, a great system is definitely being played by
Damphousse's teammates. It made it easy for new addition Patrick
Poulin, 24, to adjust to the Habs as he scored his first goal in
the Canadiens jersey against Boston and the second, the next day,
in matinee, when entertaining Carolina. He! Not bad for this
Quebec native forward who only had two goals and seven assists in
44 games this season! That success can be attributed to the fact
that Les Canadiens show a great deal of team spirit. Thanks to
that, Ulanov, Vukota and Poulin have an easy time adjusting to
Vigneault's system as the season is in full swing.
GM Reggie Houle Made a Great Deal
All that said, let's talk about the trades that sent Richer,
Tucker and Wilkie in Carolina. Undoubtedly, Les Canadiens got the
upper hand in this trade. Even though Ulanov joined the team
clinic earlier than expected, Poulin's performances are very
encouraging for the future. As for Ulanov and Vukota - who won
his first fight against Carolina's Stu Grimson - no doubt they
will bring along the toughness that Wilkie and Tucker failed to
deliver.
As a matter of fact, Poulin's short-handed goal against Boston
turned out to be the winner. The down side of this game: Ulanov
was severely injured after colliding with teammate Popovic at
center ice.
To make things look even worse, Boston opened the score on that
play... Well, it was written in the sky that Montreal would have
to pay the price if it wanted to get away with the victory:
Bordeleau, Corson and Bure left the game in the second period.
But, what matters most is that Montreal outshot Boston (33-19), a
tough Eastern conference squad and, above all, they won at home
which is a rare event this season.
Too Many Injured, Undisciplined Players Caused Defeats
Prior to entertaining the Carolina Hurricanes, Alain Vigneault,
whose team was running a four-game unbeaten string at that time,
scratched his head wondering if he could find 21 healthy players
for the next two games scheduled in matinees (Valeri Bure, Igor
Ulanov, Saku Koivu, Shayne Corson, Sebastien Bordeleau were out).
As a result, Damphousse's teammates lost at the hands of Carolina
after leading by two goals (3-1). Furthermore, key Canadien
players (Malakhov, Rucinsky, Damphousse, Manson, Quintal) spent
too much time in the penalty box. And three dumb penalties
allowed the opponents to score two power-play goals. What a mess!
It was the first time this season Montreal lost at home with a
two-goal lead going into the third period...
Recchi: 100th goal in Montreal
For Alain Vigneault, playing New Jersey was a good opportunity to
prove that Sunday's defeat was just accidental. But Recchi -
still left without Corson and Koivu on the first line - could not
turn things around even though he scored his 100th goal for Les
Canadiens. Now, New Jersey holds a 3-0-0 edge against Montreal.
Needless to say that without Koivu, Corson and Bure, Montreal
cannot compete against the favorites like the Devils who took
advantage of turnovers.
As far as players' performances are concerned, Damphousse is on a
good momentum since he has the longest point-scoring streak this
season with four goals and eleven assists over seven games. In
some ways, along with Rucinsky (4 goals, 5 assists) and Brian
Savage (6 goals, 5 assists) Captain Vinnie makes up for the first
line inefficiency: before entertaining Carolina, Koivu and Corson
produced only two goals in five games.
Good news: Koivu, Bure and Corson are set to come back this
week... before heading to Nagano for the Olympics... No rest for
the Stars, he!
ON MY NOTE PAD
Habs Are... American Free
With David Wilkie gone, the Montreal Canadiens roster no longer
includes an American born player. Only European and Canadian
players make up the 97-98 roster.
Pat Burns: a Man with a Big Heart
Pat Burns is definitely a true Montrealer! In a gesture of
generosity, he showed his affection for Montrealers - those who
are still out of power after the ice storm - by bringing two
generators from the Boston area. Nice gesture Pat, after one of
the worst natural disaster ever suffered by the province of
Quebec!
Patrick Poulin...a Nordiques Fan
Surprisingly, as a young boy living in Quebec city, Poulin was
not a Montreal fan dreaming of being "un Glorieux" someday.
Ironically, if Poulin continues to play like he did over his
first three games in The Canadiens uniform, he might become the
attraction of the "keg" in the near future.
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OTTAWA SENATORS
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Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Roster: C - Alexei Yashin, Radek Bonk, Sergei Zholtok, Shaun Van
Allen, Derek Armstrong, Vaclav Prospal. LW - Randy Cunneyworth,
Shawn McEachern, Magnus Arvedson, Denny Lambert. RW - Daniel
Alfredsson, Pat Falloon, Andreas Dackell, Bruce Gardiner, Chris
Murray. D - Lance Pitlick, Chris Phillips, Wade Redden, Stan
Neckar, Jason York, Janne Laukkanen, Igor Kravchuk, Radim
Bicanek. G - Damian Rhodes, Ron Tugnutt.
Injuries: Bruce Gardiner, rw (knee, day-to-day); Magnus Arvedson,
lw (shoulder, day-to-day); Stan Neckar, d (knee, day-to-day);
Vaclav Prospal, c (fibula, expected to return in March); Jason
York, d (returned to action against Washington from concussion
suffered Jan 3rd).
Transactions: Returned Radim Bicanek, d, to Manitoba (IHL),
January 14. Waived Dennis Vial, rw, January 10. Traded Alexandre
Daigle, rw, to Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Pat Falloon,
rw, Vaclav Prospal, c, and a 2nd-round pick in the 1998 entry
draft, January 17.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144
Game Results
1/13 at Washington L 4-0
1/20 at Pittsburgh T 0-0
1/22 Carolina L 4-2
1/24 New York Islanders W 3-2
TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders
By far the biggest news this period was the trade of Alexandre
Daigle to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators sent Daigle to
the Flyers in exchange for Pat Falloon, Vaclav Prospal and a
second-round entry draft choice. The trade allows for a fresh
start for both Daigle and Falloon, both of whom were not
achieving with their current teams.
Weight of the Franchise Lifted
Daigle, 22, was the first overall pick of the 1993 NHL draft and
at 18 entered the NHL for the 93-94 season. The 1992-1993 season
was a battle for what was referred to as the "Daigle Cup", a last
place race between the Ottawa Senators and the San Jose Sharks
for the first overall pick. Daigle was touted as being a
franchise player and the second coming of both Guy Lafleur and
Jean Beliveau. His junior career highlights included breaking
Mario Lemieux's junior points record for a 16 year old. Even
before being drafted, trade rumors had both Quebec and Montreal
falling all over themselves and begging then Sens GM Randy Sexton
for a trade. Rumors included Quebec sending six players to
Ottawa (including Joe Sakic and the rights to Peter Forsberg).
Sexton didn't move on a trade and the result was Daigle signing a
five-year, $12.25 million dollar contract. Daigle netted 20
goals his first season but his play did not impress many. His
contract and the way in which he was obtained can be linked to
the following significant events:
* Quebec Nordiques fail to get funding for new arena and move to
Colorado.
* Colorado on the strength of Joe Sakic and others win the
Stanley Cup.
* NBA style lottery introduced for first overall entry draft
pick. This meant that the Daigle Cup would be the last of its
kind.
* The pace of salary escalations was increased significantly.
Daigle's salary caused many a jitter amongst many veteran NHLers
who were not paid a fraction of what he was to make.
* The NHL rookie salary cap was introduced.
Falloon was a rookie sensation in the (WHL) Western Hockey League
and taken second overall by the San Jose sharks behind Eric
Lindros in the 1991 entry draft. After a solid rookie year,
Falloon's numbers gradually declined. His defense and work ethic
were questioned and during his fifth season with San Jose he was
traded to the Flyers, spending the majority of his time on the
Flyers third or fourth line. Falloon is more of a sniper than
Daigle and may be just the third player that the Yashin-McEachern
line is looking for.
Prospal, a young prospect, was injured January 3rd against the
Sens battling Lance Pitlick for the puck and is not expected to
return before March. Before his injury he was expected to make
the trip to compete in the Olympic games.
Leaving Las Vegas
Daigle found out about the deal during his return from an
All-Star Break vacation in Las Vegas. Calling from the plane for
a ride home from the airport, he was informed he would have to
find his own ride - Philly is too far.
Remember Me?
Speaking of first picks overall...What's the difference between
Daigle and Lindros? That question was asked of Daigle just after
he was drafted first overall. It was a time when headlines had
Lindros involved in an Ontario bar confrontation where he
allegedly spit beer on a woman. Daigle's response to the
difference question was, "I drink my beer." Daigle may drink his
beer but doesn't like the rough stuff. Lucky for him, Lindros
has promised that there will be ample protection.
On the Flyers, Daigle joins the third overall 1993 pick Chris
Gratton. Gratton and second overall 1993 pick Chris Pronger
surely recall Daigle's comments after being picked first, "Nobody
remembers number 2." After Daigle's first practice with the
Flyers, Gratton was asked if he had reminded Daigle of the
comments. "Not yet, but I'm sure I'll bring it up once or twice,
maybe when I get him in the corner during the practice."
Details of the trade, with NHL statistics for each player
involved:
Age GP PTS G A +/- PM S PCT
To Philly: Alexandre Daigle 22 38 16 7 9 -7 8 68 10.3
To Ottawa: Pat Falloon 25 30 12 5 7 +3 8 63 7.9
Vaclav Prospal 22 41 18 5 13 -10 17 60 8.3
1998 2nd-round pick
Total 71 30 10 20 -7 25 123 8.1
Good Luck, Alex
After four and a half seasons Daigle leaves the Sens spotlight.
His 74 goals netted represent a $165,000 per goal value.
Daigle's attitude during his years with the team was outstanding
and his ability and commitment to conversing with media and fans
in both French and English will be missed. Despite his on ice
problems he never blamed anyone other than himself, and for this
he deserves a lot of credit. Despite widespread expectations of
less pressure in Philadelphia, the Nosebleeders feel that Daigle
will still put himself under pressure and try to live up to
expectations involving a three-for-one player swap. Joining the
Flyers may just be the best thing that happens to Daigle as he
(re)starts his NHL career.
Note: In order to write the last paragraph, Steve deliberately
had Dave shackled down to the floor with duct tape over his
mouth.
Up Again, Down Again
Radim Bicanek was returned to the Manitoba Moose this period
after joining the team as a healthy scratch from January 5th to
January 14th. Bicanek was sent down for the second time this
season and sixth in two seasons.
Free Bacon-Cheese All Around?
The 11,109 fans in attendance at the Sens-Capitals game went home
happy when the home team Capitals netted four goals in the game;
triggering a free bacon-cheese hamburger giveaway. The three
main problems for the Sens on this night were, in no particular
order:
- they failed to score (obvious we know)
- the power play continued to misfire
- they were not considered to be in the crowd and were therefore
ineligible for the free giveaway.
Sens fired a total of 24 shots at Olaf Kolzig, including just one
during a two-man, 55-second advantage. The Sens went 0-3 on the
power play. Washington got a lucky break to open the scoring 80
seconds in, when Sergei Gonchar's shot from the point went off
Igor Kravchuk's stick. Andrew Brunette got credit for the goal.
It's Trivia Time!!!
Who holds the record for most shots by a Senator in a game?
Answer at the end of this column.
Third Straight All-Star Game...
Daniel Alfredsson, playing in his third straight All-Star Game,
didn't know how to answer the question of what would mean more to
him - an Olympic Gold Medal or Stanley Cup. "To play for your
country and to win a gold medal would mean so much to me, but
being part of a team that won the Stanley Cup would also mean a
lot. It's tough for me to say. I'm not sure if one is better
than the other. I think the best thing would be to have both."
Another ZZZZZZ
The Sens played the mighty Penguins to a 0-0 draw. This game was
not only the second scoreless draw for the Sens this season, but
also the second time this season that they have played a very
boring game against the Penguins.
Hurricane Visits Ottawa
No, folks, we are not talking about Ice Storm 98, the famed
Eastern Ontario, Quebec Ice Storm that has knocked out power to
100s of thousands of homes for over two weeks. We are talking
about the Kirk McLean-led Carolina Hurricanes. McLean, recently
dealt from the Vancouver Canucks, blew the Senators away with his
play, in particular during the last minutes of play, leading the
Hurricanes to a 4-2 victory. McLean stopped Shawn Van Allen with
four minutes to go on what would normally be a sure goal.
Pat Falloon scored his first for the Sens. His power-play goal
was the Sens' first in 11 games and broke an 0-for-36 streak.
Early Justification
Pat Falloon was charged early in the game with a goaltender
interference call as he headed for the net looking for rebounds.
That - my fellow Senator friends - is all it took to justify the
Daigle trade. In his years here, Daigle drove to the net about as
often as Claude Lemieux won the Lady Byng Trophy.
Note: Can you tell this was Dave's notes?
Bowness on the Brink
The Sens' victory against the Islanders was only their third in
13 games. The Sens must have had mixed feelings after their 3-2
victory as Islander coach Rick Bowness, with one win over the
last 15 games, was put on "alert" by GM Mike Milbury. Ottawa
fired 35 shots at Tommy Salo while the game's first star, Ron
Tugnutt, faced 25. The Sens got the first goal of the game but
entered the second period down 1-0. Sens defensemen Chris
Phillips deflected Mike Hough's pass from the corner past
Tugnutt. The Senators overcame both 1-0 and 2-1 Islander leads.
Random Notes
* 11 months have passed since Rod Bryden's attendance ultimatum.
The NHL released the lasted attendance figures this period and
the Sens lead the pack up by 4.4% for an average of 16,500 per
game...overall league averages have attendance down 4.1%. For
the record, the Nosebleeders do not believe Rod's ultimatum has
anything to do with the Sens' attendance increase.
* Alexei Yashin may be named the Russian Olympic captain. Yashin
is having a solid season leading the team by example.
* Janne Laukkanen hasn't scored a goal in 31 games.
* The usually productive Daniel Alfredsson is due to break out.
Since coming back from a broken bone in his ankle six games ago,
he has no goals and only two assists. His last goal came
December 4th against the Kings and he's fallen off his
point-a-game pace.
* With 32 games to go, the Senators find themselves in the thick
of a playoff race with Buffalo and Carolina two points back and
the New York Rangers just one point back.
Power Play Wows and Not-So-Wows
The Senators end the period having allowed just two power-play
goals in 17 attempts over their last five games. Contrast this
to having scored one goal in their last 41 power-play attempts.
Drumroll Please
Alexei Yashin's eight shots against the Colorado Avalanche is the
team high.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Kevin Constantine
Roster: C - Ron Francis, Martin Straka, Stu Barnes, C. Ferraro,
Tyler Wright, Robert Lang. LW - Andreas Johansson, Alex Hicks,
Garry Valk. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Morozov, Ed Olczyk, Robby
Brown. D - Darius Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher, Chris Tamer,
Fredrik Olausson, Neil Wilkinson, Ian Moran, Brad Werenka, Jiri
Slegr. G - Tom Barrasso, Ken Wregget.
Injuries: None.
Transactions: Jan. 14, Peter Ferraro, lw, was claimed off waivers
by the New York Rangers. Jan. 15, assigned Peter Skudra, g, to
Kansas City of the IHL.
Standings:
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144
Game Results
1/24 Boston W 4-2
1/22 at New Jersey W 3-2
1/20 Ottawa T 0-0
1/14 at Boston L 5-2
1/12 at Carolina W 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Brett Taylor
Penalty Killing Flying High: The Penguins killed off four
Boston power plays Saturday, extending their penalty killing
domination to 34 straight kills through the past nine games.
Stellar play up front from guys like Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr,
Ed Olczyk, Stu Barnes and Ian Moran has helped make the Pens
penalty killing a force. This is not a new development though,
the Pens have killed 47 of 48 penalties over the past 13 games,
and 87 of 94 in the past 23 games.
They are number one on the road at 91.4%, but not so good at
home, where they're at 82.6%. They are tied for seventh overall.
What do all these numbers mean? Well, two things needed in the
playoffs are hot goaltending and good penalty killing. These are
not the only ingredients needed to be successful in the playoffs,
but they are the most important. Right now the Pens have both.
Although the playoffs are still a few months away, it's good to
get the penalty killing clicking early. Good penalty killing is
not something that can just be turned on, it takes time to work
out. The Pens have it now, they just have to keep working hard.
Speaking of goaltending, Tom Barrasso is at the top of is game.
Most folks didn't expect to ever see Mr. Barrasso back in black
in gold again, after missing last year and the whole incident
with the team taking his picture down from the wall in the main
office, but Tommy is back and he just keeps getting better.
Saturday afternoon, the Pens were dominating Boston for most of
the game, but got lazy in the third period giving Boston a 14-0
run of shots on goal. Barrasso stopped everything thrown at him
on his way to victory and was named the number one star.
Penguin fans cringed last week when Barrasso was injured for a
game, visions of old-school Barrasso came back quickly. Visions
of an indifferent Barrasso who didn't care to play until the
playoffs, a Barrasso who would amass large numbers of injuries at
one time and miss large portions of the season. But, that isn't
Barrasso this year. He missed only one game and came back to pick
up where he left off.
Speaking of left off, Barrasso is clearly one of the best
goaltenders in the league this season. But he was not an All-Star
and will not represent team Canada. Maybe a strong playoff run
could wake everyone up and get Tommy some due recognition.
Gritty Barnes a Throwback to Cup Years: The Penguins are
getting some of the best play at forward in years from Stu
Barnes. Barnes is having a career goal-scoring year playing on
the Pens top unit with Jagr and Francis. He has eight goals and
two assists in the past 10 games for the Pens and has 18 goals on
the season, in addition, his plus-12 leads the team.
Barnes has done more than expected on the power play, where he is
tied for sixth in the league with nine power-play goals. This is
very good considering he wasn't even on the top unit at the
beginning of the season.
Numbers aside, Barnes has been the best player on the team,
excluding of course, Jagr, Francis and Barrasso, the superstars
who are expected to play that way. He and Jagr have began to gel
resulting in numerous goals where Jagr wheels out of the corner
with two or three players clinging to him and finds Barnes open
in the slot for a one-timer.
Barnes' play on the penalty-kill has been a major contributor in
the 34 penalty streak, and he is one of the toughest players on
the team as well as one of the smallest. He's sort of reminiscent
of Bob Errey, but better on face-offs.
Pens Send Eight Players to the Olympics: As hockey fans
world wide gear up for the Olympics, members of the Pens prepare
as well, because eight of them will make the trip to Nagano,
Japan. Only Colorado, with nine players, will be better
represented than the Pens.
The teams are as follows:
Czech Republic: Jagr, Jiri Slegr and Martin Straka.
Team Finland: Tuomas Gronman.
Team Russia: Darius Kasparaitis and Alexei Morozov.
Team Sweden: Andreas Johansson
Team USA: Kevin Hatcher
Conspicuously absent from this list is Ron Francis, who was not
selected for team Canada. Francis is one of, if not the best
two-way center in the NHL, but apparently not as good as Trevor
Linden or Rob Zamuner who made the squad over him.
Anyway, the NHL will be on hiatus from February 8th to the 25th
while the Olympics roll.
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TEAM REPORTS
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
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Head Coach: Craig Hartsburg
Roster: C - Alexei Zhamnov, Jeff Shantz, Steve Dubinsky, Brent
Sutter, Greg Johnson, Todd White, Jarrod Skalde, Dmitri Nabakov. LW
- Bob Probert, Ethan Moreau, Eric Daze, James Black, Jean-Yves
Leroux, Reid Simpson, Ryan Huska. RW - Tony Amonte, Sergei
Krivokrasov, Jim Cummins, Martin Gendron. D - Chris Chelios, Gary
Suter, Eric Weinrich, Keith Carney, Trent Yawney, Cam Russell. G -
Jeff Hackett, Chris Terreri Kirk Daubenspeck, Andrei Trefilov.
Injuries: Sergei Krivokrasov, rw (strained knee Dec. 17, day-to-day);
Ethan Moreau, lw (broken right ankle Dec. 12, day-to-day); Chris
Tererri, g (fractured left ring finger Nov. 11, 1-2 weeks (placed on injured
reserve Nov. 11)); Bob Probert, lw (rotator cuff surgery Dec. 4, April
(placed on injured reserve Nov. 19)).
Transactions: Signed Bob Probert, lw, to a three-year contract extension.
Standings:
Western Conference - Central Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138
Game Results:
1/14 at Carolina W 4-1
1/15 at Washington L 3-2
1/20 NY Islanders W 5-2
1/22 Toronto L 3-0
1/24 St. Louis W 5-4
TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino
Probert signs three-year extension
Despite playing in only seven games this season, Bob Probert signed
a three-year contract extension with the club. Terms of the deal
were not disclosed. Probert, who has missed most of this season
with a knee injury and a torn rotator cuff, has scored two goals
and added an assist during his limited time on the ice. Had the
Hawks not signed Probert, he would have become an unrestricted free
agent after the season.
It kind of makes you wonder what the team is thinking sometimes.
They won't spend a lot of money to keep players like Jeremy Roenick
and Ed Belfour, and they won't go out and sign stars through the
free agent route, but they shell out some presumably big bucks for
a 32-year-old enforcer who has quite frankly seen better days.
Today's Bob Probert has had trouble dropping the gloves and has
been injured twice this season.
Probert did play extremely well last season, racking up 326 penalty
minutes in 82 games. But how much longer can a body take the kind
of punishment Probert's is used to? I guess the Hawks are hoping
he lasts for three more seasons...
Hawks like Wendy's
Three Blackhawks were recently spotted in a commerical for the
fast-food chain Wendy's - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter and Tony
Amonte. The commericals are part of a promotion the restaurant is
using for the Winter Olympics. You see, Dave, the owner of
Wendy's, is this big goof who embarrasses himself on skates, and
pretty much all the hockey players do is stand around and laugh at
him.
Other news:
There's really nothing new to report on the Blackhawks. They've
been stuck in a pattern of win one game, lose one game, win one
game lately. But the offense has picked up the scoring thanks in
part to Alexei Zhamnov, who finally woke up out of hibernation and
realized the season started in October, not January. Don't worry,
it will only be a matter of time before he loses interest in the
game again and takes another nap.
What else can we talk about...how `bout that new Blues Brothers
movie? Has anyone seen it yet? I don't know about you, but it
looks pretty lame. First of all, John Belushi's dead. There's no
getting around that. Second of all, Dan Akroyd is fat, so he
really can't do much. And don't even get me started on John
Goodman. What does he have to do with the Blues Brothers? And
what the hell's with that kid? Give me a break.
Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips...
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DALLAS STARS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head coach: Ken Hitchcock
Roster: C-Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Bob
Bassen. LW-Dave Reid, Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Juha Lind, Bob
Errey, Patrick Cote. RW-Todd Harvey, Pat Verbeek, Jamie
Langenbrunner, Jere Lehtinen, Grant Marshall. D-Derian Hatcher,
Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Shawn Chambers, Richard Matvichuck,
Sergei Zubov, Sergey Gusev, Dan Keczmer, Craig Muni.
G-Ed Belfour, Roman Turek.
Injuries: Richard Matvichuk, d (knee, 4 weeks); Bob Bassen, c (hand,
day-to-day); Todd Harvey, rw (knee, day-to-day); Greg Adams, lw
(sprained left knee, 4-6 weeks); Patrick Cote, lw (shoulder,
indefinite).
Transactions: Assigned Juha Lind, lw, and Jamie Wright, f, to
Michigan (IHL); placed Richard Matvichuk, d, on injured reserve due
to a torn ACL; activated Todd Harvey, rw, from injured reserve;
recalled Juha Lind from Michigan.
Standings:
Western Conference - Central Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138
Game Results:
1/12 at San Jose W 3-1
1/14 at St. Louis W 2-1
1/21 Colorado W 3-2
1/24 at Colorado W 3-2
Team News by Jim Iovino
After going winless in their past three games, the Stars bounced
back in a big way with four straight wins, including a sweep of a
home-and-home series with the Colorado Avalanche.
Coming out of the All Star break, all eyes were on Dallas as two of
the top teams in the league went at it. In the far corner, wearing
the black and green sweaters, the Dallas Stars. In the near
corner, wearing red and blue, the Colorado Avalanche. Let's get
ready to rrrrrrrrrruuuuummmmmbble!!!
Dallas won Round One on home ice thanks to two goals by Joe
Nieuwendyk. Nieuwendyk hit Patrick Roy with a good right jab to
give the Stars a 1-0 lead in the first period. Darryl Sydor added
to the lead early in the second. But that's when the Avalanche
started fighting back. About three minutes after the Sydor goal,
Adam Deadmarsh scored a rebound goal on the power play to breathe
some life into the Avalanche offense.
But Nieuwendyk answered the Deadmarsh tally with his second goal of
the game, this time on a Stars power play. After that it was all
Dallas, as the Stars switched the motor into defensive mode and shut
down the Avalanche for the rest of the game. Sure, Eric Lacroix
scored just over the midway point of the third, but it didn't matter.
Stars win, 3-2.
Ed Belfour only had to face five shots in the third thanks to the
Stars stifling defense. Belfour had a relaxing night overall. He
made 18 saves in the win. Patrick Roy had to face 31 Dallas shots.
Round Two of the heavyweight battle took place just three days
later. In that time, the Avalanche had already been knocked out by
the Ducks in embarrassing fashion and their egos were really
hurting. This was a must-win situation...no doubt about it.
The Stars, on the other hand, were well rested. They didn't have to
play another game before the rematch. All they had to worry about
was getting ready for the Avs once again.
Despite needing a big win, Colorado found itself being outshot in
the first period, 16-7. The good news was that they had the lead.
Claude Lemieux, who would later drop the gloves with Derian
Hatcher, scored shorthanded to give the Avs the lead. The play
started when Sydor broke his stick while taking a slapshot from the
point during a two-man advantage. The puck trickled away and
Alexei Gusarov picked it up and fired a pass up to Lemieux, who had
just stepped out of the penalty box. Lemieux busted in all alone
on Belfour and beat him to give the Avs the 1-0 lead.
Lacroix scored 1 minute, 6 seconds into the second to give the Avs a
big lead on home ice, but after that it was all Stars for the second
straight game, as they scored three unanswered goals.
Mike Modano scored on the power play at 6:12 to quiet the crowd and
give the Stars some Mo'mentum. Hatcher scored at 7:46 of the third
to tie things up. That set the stage for Guy Carbonneau. Yes, Guy
Carbonneau. Guy had scored just once going into the game. After the
game Guy had two goals. Can you figure out what happened?
Carbonneau and Juha Lind broke in on Roy with less than eight
minutes to go in the game. Carbonneau looked off the pass and
fired a shot high over Roy's right shoulder to give the Stars the
win, 3-2.
Once again, Belfour faced just 18 shots. The Stars, on the other
hand, peppered Roy with 40.
The back-to-back wins gave the Stars the season series. They went
undefeated (3-0-1) against the Avs this season and might have set
up quite an interesting playoff matchup, if the two teams get to
play each other.
The two wins also extended the team's lead over the rest of the
league. Detroit is closest to the Stars, followed by the Avs, who
are eight points back.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT RED WINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Roster: C - Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper. LW - Brendan
Shanahan, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Doug Brown, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk
Maltby, Brent Gilchrist. RW - Darren McCarty, Joey Kocur, Martin
Lapointe. D - Nicklas Lidstrom, Bob Rouse, Slava Fetisov, Larry
Murphy, Jamie Pushor, Aaron Ward, Anders Eriksson, Mathieu
Dandenault. G - Chris Osgood, Kevin Hodson.
INJURIES: Kris Draper, rw (broken thumb, 2-3 weeks).
TRANSACTIONS: None.
Standings:
Western Conference - Central Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138
GAME RESULTS:
1/12 at NY Islanders T 1-1
1/14 Vancouver W 4-0
1/20 at New Jersey L 3-1
1/21 Toronto L 3-0
1/24 Philadelphia W 1-0
TEAM NEWS by Dino Cacciola
DETROIT 1, NY ISLANDERS 1 (OT)
The Professor Igor Larionov's goal with about 15 minutes remaining
lifted the Red Wings into a 1-1 tie with the New York Islanders.
Larionov took a pass from Slava Kozlov at the top of the right
faceoff circle and snapped a shot through goaltender Wade
Flaherty's pads. It was Larionov's sixth goal of the season, second
in as many games and helped the Wings extend their unbeaten streak
to four (2-0-2). Timely goals for the master passer, where goals
are few and far between.
Kevin Hodson, making a rare appearance in goal, turned aside 28
shots and is 4-1-2 in his last seven starts. The game was evenly
played with both teams getting some great offensive chances but the
defenses prevailed as well as the goaltending.
DETROIT 4, VANCOUVER 0
Goalie Chris Osgood made 26 saves and captain Steve Yzerman had
three assists as the Red Wings posted their third straight home
shutout, 4-0 over the Vancouver Canucks. Kirk Maltby, Larry Murphy,
Brendan Shanahan and Brent Gilchrist all scored. The Wings are
3-0-2 in their last five games. They still trail Dallas by two
points in the Central Division.
Ozzie, who improved to 5-1-1 in his last seven home games, was
rarely tested. The shutout was his fourth of the season and 18th
of his career. The Red Wings took the lead for good at 10:44 of
the first period. Kirk Maltby took a nice pass from Brent Gilchrist
and fired a wrist shot from the right circle past Sean Burke for
his 10th goal of the season and third against Vancouver. Larry
Murphy beat Sean Burke with a wrist shot also from the slot
doubling the lead. The Wings had 28 shots to 26 by the struggling
Canucks.
NEW JERSEY 3, DETROIT 1
The New Jersey Devils scored three times in the third period to
defeat the Red Wings, 3-1. Slava Kozlov had the lone tally for the
Wings.
The Wings had killed off 26 straight shorthanded situations over the
last eight games before Jason Arnott's goal. The Wings have allowed
just two power-play goals in 50 chances since Dec. 22, including
stopping six of seven Devil power plays. The Devils limited the Red
Wings to just one shot in the second period. It was not a pretty
sight. Trap, trap, trap.
Chris Osgood made 33 saves but fell to 22-10-8. The loss snapped
Detroit's five-game unbeaten streak and dropped them to just 0-2-2
in their last four road contests.
TORONTO 3, DETROIT 0
Felix Potvin made 28 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Red
Wings 3-0 at the Joe Louis Arena. Igor Korolev gave Potvin all the
support he needed nine minutes into the first period. Former Maple
Leaf defenseman Larry Murphy tripped at the blue line and lost
control of the puck, allowing Korolev to skate in alone and beat
Chris Osgood with a backhander between the pads. Five-hole city.
The Red Wings, who had recorded shutouts in their last three home
games, had not allowed a goal at Joe Louis Arena since San Jose's
Mike Ricci scored with less than a minute to play on Jan. 2. A
very impressive streak came to an end.
"Goals are hard to come by, the goalies are so big. They have to
make the goalies smaller or the nets bigger," Detroit coach Scotty
Bowman said. "We had some good chances, we had a good third
period." The Red Wings suffered consecutive losses for only the
second time this season.
The game featured a bout between Tie Domi and Jamie Pushor. Pushor
held his own, but for the most part Domi was the winner rather
easily.
DETROIT 1, PHILADELPHIA 0
Chris Osgood recorded his third shutout in two weeks and winger
Brendan Shanahan scored the game's only goal with about three
minutes left as the Detroit Red Wings blanked the Philadelphia
Flyers, 1-0, in the first rematch of last year's Stanley Cup
Finals. Osgood turned aside 20 shots for his fifth shutout of the
season and 19th of his career, moving him within one of Roger
Crozier for third on the Red Wings' all time list.
Shanny deflected SWEDISH defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom's shot
from the left point between the pads of Ron Hextall for his 21st
goal of the season and just his second in eight games.
Detroit avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season and
improved to 4-2-2 in its last eight games. The Flyers were shut out
for the fourth time this season and fell to 0-7-2 in their last nine
trips to Detroit. The game had all of the makings of a playoff type
game. However the Flyers seemed tentative for the most part.
Nonetheless a very good game.
Notes:
No news on the Fedorov front. Both teams seem miles apart. The
Wings will trade him for the right price but are prepared to lose
him for the entire season. Also, Kris Draper has resumed skating
and should be returning immediately after the Olympic break. He is
recovering from a broken thumb.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX COYOTES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld
Roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Craig Janney, Cliff Ronning, Bob Corkum,
Mike Stapleton, Juha Ylonen. LW - Keith Tkachuk, Darrin Shannon, Jim
McKenzie. RW - Rick Tocchet, Dallas Drake, Mike Gartner, Brad
Isbister, Jocelyn Lemieux. D - Teppo Numminen, Oleg Tverdovsky, John
Slaney, Norm Maciver, Jim Johnson, Murray Baron, Deron Quint, Jason
Doig, Jay More, Michel Petit, Sean Gagnon. G - Nikolai Khabibulin,
Jimmy Waite, Scott Langkow.
Injuries: John Slaney, d (fractured thumb, maybe a week);
Jimmy Waite, g (thumb, day-to-day); Murray Baron,
d (torn triceps muscle Nov. 17, indefinite); Jim Johnson, d
(concussion Nov. 11, day-to-day); Darcy Wakaluk, g
(knee surgery Sept. 17, 2-3 months -- placed on injured
reserve Sept. 30).
Transactions: Rick Tocchet, rw, was suspended two games
by the NHL. Recalled Sean Gagnon, d, from Springfield (AHL).
Standings:
Western Conference - Central Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138
Game Results:
1/20 at Edmonton L 6-2
1/21 at Vancouver W 6-1
1/24 Edmonton L 5-2
1/26 Vancouver W 4-2
TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell
The Phoenix Coyotes had a wacky schedule right after the All-Star
Break. They opened with two games on the road; first in Edmonton
and then in Vancouver. Then it was back home for two games
against, you guessed it, Edmonton and Vancouver. Whenever you
play a team twice in such a short span of time, there's always
the chance that things could get ugly. And, oh, did they get
ugly...
It all started in Edmonton on January 20. At 12:21 of the first
period, Rick Tocchet tried to rub out Ryan Smyth as the Edmonton
winger was peeling off the boards with the puck. Smyth side-
stepped the initial check, but Tocchet stuck out his knee and
sent the Oil youngster crumpling to the ice in pain. That
brought Oiler captain Kelly Buchberger over and he started up
with Tocchet. When things were calmed down, Buchberger got four
minutes for roughing, Tocchet received two for roughing and five
for kneeing, and Smyth got a torn ligament in his left knee. He
was later evaluated and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Yeah, that'll suck.
Just 20 seconds after the hit of Smyth, the Coyotes took the lead
when Keith Tkachuk potted his 30th of the season. The Oilers
bounced back, tho', with goals from Dean McAmmond and Boris
Mironov to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The Oil
came out in the second and once again outscored Tkachuk 2-1,
getting goals from Roman Hamrlik and Dougie Weight. Edmonton
would add two more goals in the third to make the final 6-2. But
the hit on Smyth was clearly the major story in this one.
At 14:22 of the third, with the game decided, Edmonton's Greg
DeVries and Tocchet squared off. A message had to be sent.
That's just hockey.
After the game, Tocchet said that his hit on Smyth was entirely
unintentional and he in no way meant to injure the young star.
And you gotta believe the guy. Tocchet is as real as it gets.
If he wanted to take Smyth out, he would have done it old school
with his fists. Tocchet isn't a cheap player. While the hit was
definitely questionable, there is no way that there was intent
behind it. Sometimes things like that just happen. But that
didn't stop the Oil, in particular Bill Huard, from promising
some revenge somewhere down the road. Aw, that's just hockey.
Tocchet was suspended indefinitely following the contest, meaning
he was unavailable for Phoenix's game the very next night in
Vancouver. The boys could have used him. This one was mean.
The Coyotes opened up an early 2-0 lead on goals by Dallas Drake
(7) and Mike Gartner (9) before the real festivities began. At
8:19 of the first period, a pier six brawl started with everybody
pairing off. Except for Michel Petit, who elected to take some
swings at Vancouver's Scott Walker while the scrappy center had
his arms held by Norm Maciver. Unable to get free and defend
himself, Walker absorbed three Petit punches right in the kisser.
Walker eventually shook free and tried to get at Petit, but by
that time his Canuck teammates were piling in to get at the
Coyote defender themselves. While Petit earned a fighting major,
an instigator, and a misconduct, Walker got saddled with five for
fighting. Maciver and Vancouver tough guy Donald Brashear were
hit with game misconducts. Just about everyone else on the ice
got plain misconducts. The fight took its toll on Walker. He
had to leave the game to get 24 stitches in his face.
When the rough stuff settled down, Alexander Mogilny and Gartner
(10) traded goals to make the score 3-1 Phoenix heading to the
second. The middle frame saw the Coyotes increase their lead on
goals from Cliff Ronning (6) and Tkachuk (32). It also witnessed
two more fights, with Jocelyn Lemieux and Jim McKenzie throwin'
with Dave Scatchard and Chris McAllister.
Knowing that they'd already lost the game, the Canucks turned
their attention to trying to settle the score with Petit. At
8:42 of the third, Phoenix's John Slaney got a kneeing penalty
and opened the door to more fisticuffs. Trevor Linden, Dave
Babych, and Petit would all get fighting majors and game
misconducts. Less than two minutes later, Gerald Diduck (4)
closed out the scoring to make the final 6-1. The penalty minute
total for the contest? A rather large 205 minutes.
Afterwards the Canucks were quick to point to the teams' next
meeting as the day of judgement for Petit. Brashear was
especially vocal in his threats. Oh, the horror...
But before the Coyotes could worry about the Canucks, they still
had that vendetta thing goin' with the Oilers because of
Tocchet's hit on Smyth. The situation was calmed a bit by the
NHL suspending Tocchet for one more game, meaning he'd miss the
battle with the Oil.
Tocchet may not have been around, but the kneeing incident was
still very much on everyone's minds. Just over three minutes
into the game, Mironov took out Drake with a blatant knee.
Diduck was quick to answer the call to duty, tackling Mironov to
the ice and beating the Russian blueliner senseless. Diduck
would receive a fighting major and a game misconduct, while
Mironov got off with just two minutes for tripping. Drake would
have to be helped off the ice, but did return for the start of
the second period.
The Coyotes opened that second period leading 1-0 on the strength
of a first-period goal by Jeremy Roenick (14). But the Oil soon
took control of the game, rattling off four unanswered goals from
Weight, Valeri Zelepukin, Billy Guerin, and Mike Grier. The
Coyotes had a chance to cut into the 4-1 deficit, but Tkachuk
missed on a penalty shot against Bob Essensa at 16:22. Lemieux
would make the score 4-2 before the end of the period, but Guerin
salted it away with his second of the game at 14:29 of the third
to make the final 5-2.
Having Tocchet sit out the rematch with Edmonton took most of the
mean-spirited fun out of it. But the second go with Vancouver on
January 26 had all the necessary ingredients in place. Sensing
that the game would get chippy, the Coyotes recalled Sean Gagnon
from Springfield. The 6'1", 215-pound blueliner led the IHL in
penalty minutes last season (457 pim) while playing for Ft.
Wayne. It was no coincidence that Gagnon was paired with Petit.
Even with the new muscle on board, the Canucks wasted little time
in trying to extract revenge. At 11:33 of the first, on Petit's
third shift of the game, Brashear tied up with Petit in front of
the Phoenix cage and punched him in the nose. The blow was made
worse by the fact that Petit had his stick up in front of his
face at the time. So Brashear's punch drove the shaft of Petit's
stick into his own face, ripping up his nose something fierce.
While no penalty was going to be called on Brashear, the punch
started another all-out brawl between the two clubs. Gagnon did
his part, grabbing hold of Steve Staios and swingin' wild and
free. While all this was going on, Tocchet, fresh from his
suspension, had his hands on Scott Walker in the corner. The two
were just standing there all peaceful like and then Petit roamed
over and asked Walker, "Remember me?" That caused Walker to flip
out, and he drilled Petit with a punch right on the button.
Petit was staggered and fell to the ice. As he laid there face
down on the frozen water, Walker belted him a couple more times.
The officials eventually got things under control, but not before
a linesman had to tackle Petit and restrain him from going after
Walker as the Canuck sparkplug was being led of the ice.
Amazingly, Brashear, who started the whole mess, never was
penalized on the play. Staios, Gagnon, Petit, and Walker were
all given fighting majors, but Walker's berserker rage against
Petit earned him an extra two-minute unsportsmanlike, an
instigator, a 10-minute misconduct, and a double game misconduct.
All added up, Walker hit the showers with 39 minutes in
penalties.
It's hard to believe, but things were actually somewhat calm
after that and a game was actually played. It wasn't decided
until Tocchet broke a 2-2 deadlock at 15:08 of the third,
wristing a shot past Sean Burke as he was being hooked to the
ice. Tocchet then sealed the 4-2 win with an empty-netter,
giving him 18 goals on the season.
Tocchet also added another victim to his hit list. The big right
winger pounded Trevor Linden in the second period with a heavy
check. While it was a clean bang, Linden fell awkwardly to the
ice and messed up his knee. Stay away from Tocchet.
Talk after the game was still centered on the Petit-Walker
rivalry.
"I'm a little disappointed with those guys," said Petit. "If
they wanted to come and get at me, they should have come and got
me and fight me. They shouldn't have tag-teamed me like they
did."
On the subject of his screwed up nose courtesy of Brashear's
punch, Petit offered, "It's only my nose. I still look better
them him." That's funny stuff.
The two teams won't play again this season unless they meet in
the playoffs. Oh wait... Vancouver sucks. The two teams will
not play again this year.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS BLUES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Joel Quenneville
Roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Darren Turcotte, Harry York, Craig
Conroy, Pascal Rheaume. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Tony Twist, Pavol
Demitra. RW - Brett Hull, Jim Campbell, Joe Murphy, Scott Pellerin,
Rudy Poeschek, Blair Atcheynum, Kelly Chase, Terry Yake. D - Al
MacInnis, Chris Pronger, Steve Duchesne, Marc Bergevin, Chris
McAlpine, Jamie Rivers, Rory Fitzpatrick. G - Grant Fuhr, Jamie
McLennan.
Injuries: Brett Hull, rw (broken left hand Dec. 27, day-to-day); Joe
Murphy, rw (surgery to repair torn ligaments in left wrist Nov. 6,
indefinite (placed on injured reserve Nov. 6)).
Transactions: Recalled Rory Fitzpatrick, d, from Worcester (AHL).
Standings:
Western Conference - Central Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138
Game Results:
1/12 at Edmonton L 2-1
1/14 Dallas L 2-1
1/20 at NY Rangers L 3-1
1/22 NY Islanders T 3-3
1/24 at Chicago L 5-4
1/26 at Pittsburgh L 4-2
TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino
Mom, can you give me $75?
Banking on the big profits of merchandising, the St. Louis Blues are
going to sport a third jersey soon. On Saturday, the Blues will play
the Dallas Stars in a new uniform...and new socks and new gloves and
new pants.
I haven't seen `em yet, but supposedly the slanted lines at the
bottom of the current jerseys will become straight. The red at the
bottom will be gone, as well. The Blues say it is a "classic Blues
jersey". Whatever that means...
Hull to return, can't be soon enough
Brett Hull had two pins taken out of his hand and could be back in
the lineup by Thursday when the Blues play the Leafs or maybe by
Saturday's game against the Stars. But no matter how you look at
it, his return can't come soon enough.
The last time we met, the Blues had easily defeated the worst teams
in the Pacific Division, giving them a four-game win streak. Since
then the Blues have gone 0-5-1. That's not good. The offense is
struggling. The defense is under a lot of pressure, as is
goaltender Grant Fuhr.
St. Louis went three straight games without scoring more than one
goal. They lost to Edmonton, 2-1, Dallas, 2-1, and the Rangers,
3-1. They managed to tie the Islanders, who are struggling just as
much, but then lost two more to Chicago and Pittsburgh.
By the time the Pittsburgh game was over, everything had collapsed.
After Grant Fuhr let in two goals on two straight shots in the first
period to Darius Kasparaitis and Eddie Olczyk, he was replaced by
Jamie McLennan. McLennan proceeded to give up another goal on the
first shot that he faced to Alexei Morozov. Ouch.
Since Hull has been out of the lineup, the Blues have gone 4-7-1.
Brett is desperately needed. Hell, the Blues would be happy to have
Hull's younger brother Skippy at this point.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mike Murphy
Roster: C - Darby Hendrickson, Steve Sullivan, Alyn McCauley. LW -
Fredrik Modin, Wendel Clark, Todd Warriner, Derek King, Kris King,
Igor Korolev. RW - Mats Sundin, Sergei Berezin, Tie Domi, Mike
Johnson, Martin Prochazka, Daniel Markov. D - Jeff Brown, Jamie
Macoun, Dimitri Yushkevich, Mathieu Schneider, Jason Smith, Rob
Zettler, Yannick Tremblay. G - Felix Potvin, Glenn Healy.
Injuries: Nick Kypreos, lw (post-concussion syndrome Sept. 15,
indefinite); Craig Wolanin, d (knee sprain Nov. 1, out for season);
Jeff Brown, d (foot infection, indefinite); Wendel Clark, lw (knee,
day-to-day).
Transactions: 1/23/ - Per Gustafsson, d, sent to St. John's (AHL);
1/21 - Todd Warriner, lw, no longer on IR 1/14 - Daniel Markov, f,
called up from minors.
Standings:
Western Conference - Central Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138
Game Results:
1/14 Buffalo L 4-1
1/21 at Detroit W 3-0
1/22 at Chicago W 3-0
1/24 Tampa Bay W 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Jonah A. Sigel
On A Roll
Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, the results listed above
are true. The beloved blue and white have put together three wins
for the first time in a long time -- a real long time.
It seems, that for the present anyway, the Leafs have rediscovered
that they truly are not a talented team and that in order for them
to succeed they must clutch and grab and play as sound a defensive
game as possible. Apparently coach Mike Murphy rediscovered this
over the all-star break, because going into the break the team was
dismal and coming out of it the team is borderline respectable.
Once again however, the team is faced with questions as per
direction. Management has been content watching this team proceed
through the schedule this season and for the first time they appear
to be firing on all cylinders. The question then is what should
management do? If this winning streak is nothing but an aberration
or a fluke then the answer is simple: Stay the course and at the
deadline deal whatever you can with the obvious exception of the
young talent they have amassed. If the team does, however, put
together a respectable second half, then perhaps some tinkering
should be done.
It is widely known that Trevor Linden is available and the Leafs
appear to be one of a few teams that may be willing to deal with
crazy Mike Keenan. Keenan is going to want a mobile defenceman in
return for Linden. The big guns that he is going to want simply
aren't going to be available to him, so he may have to lower his
sights on the likes of Mathieu Schneider, who has been rumored to be
involved in several deals with the Leafs, including one for GM Bob
Gainey. The question is how much more than Schneider would it take.
If the answer is a first-round draft pick, ya hang up the phone. You
do the same if Mike asks for any of McCauley, Johnson, Smith, Sundin
or Markov (all the young talent). However, if the Leafs can put
together a package with Schneider that does not mortgage any future
then the Leafs have to make the deal. Time will tell.
Notes:
History buffs may want to check this out. In last night's playoff
tilt between the Leafs and the Bolts, it was the first time in
league history that two clubs met face-to-face with each team
having a Swede as a captain... The Leafs are starting to push Mike
Johnson for the Calder Trophy. Keep an eye on him and Yannick
Tremblay as the season winds down.
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=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC DIVISION
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ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
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Head Coach: Pierre Page
ROSTER: C: Matt Cullen, Mark Janssens, Sean Pronger, Steve Rucchin;
LW: Shawn Antoski, Ted Drury, Paul Kariya, Tomas Sandstrom, Brent
Severyn, Jeremy Stevenson; RW: Jeff Nielsen, Warren Rychel, Joe
Sacco, Teemu Selanne, Scott Young; D: D: Drew Bannister, J.J.
Daigneault, David Karpa, Jason Marshall, Dmitri Mironov, Ruslan
Salei, Brent Severyn, Dan Trebil, Pavel Trnka; G: Guy Hebert,
Mikhail Shtalenkov.
INJURIES: Brent Severyn, lw/d, (sore neck, day-to-day); Shawn
Antoski, lw (depressed skull fracture, indefinite).
TRANSACTIONS: 1/20, recalled Matt Cullen, c, from Cincinnati (AHL);
1/15, assigned Bob Wren, c, to Cincinnati; 1/12, recalled Bob Wren
from Cincinnati; assigned Kevin Todd to Long Beach (IHL).
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
GAME RESULTS:
1/12 at Los Angeles L 3-2 OT
1/14 Colorado L 2-0
1/21 Florida W 8-3
1/22 at Colorado W 4-3
1/24 Los Angeles T 3-3
TEAM NEWS by Alex Carswell
THE WORLD'S BEST
Teemu Selanne was definitely the "World's Best" player on January
18. Selanne became the first European player to score a hat trick
in All-Star competition by notching three of the first four goals
for the World squad in Vancouver. He opened the scoring just 53
seconds into the game, added another some three minutes later and
completed the trick in the middle of the second period. And while
his efforts were good enough to establish another first -- he
became the first European to be named All-Star MVP -- they weren't
enough to lead his team to victory.
Nonetheless, in snagging the Dodge Durango, Selanne became just the
second All-Star MVP to have played on the losing side. Grant Fuhr
took home top honors for the Campbell Conference in a 4-3 overtime
defeat back in 1986.
The game honors were seemingly just more of the same for Selanne,
who was named the NHL's Player of the Week for the period leading
up to the All-Star break. He also clinched a World victory in the
SuperSkills competition with his goal in the second tie-breaking
round of the Breakaway event.
THE TEAM'S BEST
While Selanne was showcasing his talent for the World squad,
Vancouver native Paul Kariya -- snubbed by North American coach
Jacques Lemaire -- was looking inward. Though he traveled to
Vancouver to meet with his soon-to-be Olympic teammates, his
immediate focus was on his role as Ducks captain.
Kariya felt that he needed to raise his game if the Ducks were going
to snap out of their funk. It's not that he hadn't already been the
first or second-best player on the ice every night. It's just that he
was holding himself to an even higher standard. So after scoring five
goals and 10 points in the first three games after the break, Ducks
fans should be delighted that Kariya has raised his personal bar.
He popped a hat trick and added two assists in the 8-3 victory over
Florida, earning an NHL single-game season-high +5 along the way.
He then tallied the decisive goals against both Colorado (4-3) and
the Kings (3-3). With Kariya and Selanne finally hitting on all
cylinders, it's scary to think what might happen if the team could
just put together a moderately threatening second unit.
TODD MAN OUT
Kevin Todd, who came to the Ducks as a waiver claim off the
Pittsburgh roster prior to last season, has likely played his last
game for the team. He cleared waivers for the second time this
season (earlier, he was exposed and left unselected in the Waiver
Draft) and was demoted to the IHL Long Beach Ice Dogs.
Todd added spark when he was in the lineup, and was -- by this
team's standards -- fairly productive, scoring four goals and 10
points in 24 games. But his lack of size hurt him, although more in
the eyes of management than on the ice: for most of his 24 games,
Todd played bigger than the majority of his teammates. Nonetheless,
Todd (who was rumored on his way to Tampa in exchange for a
prospect before Lightning ownership quashed the deal) has been
exiled in favor of bigger, younger and often less effective legs.
OLYMPIC NEWS
Since this is the LCS Olympic Special, a run-down of Anaheim's
Olympic presence seems in order. The team has seven players heading
to Nagano, and while only Tomas Sandstrom will represent LCS-
sponsored Team Sweden, the others have not given up hope of
defeating the Nordic juggernaut.
Also competing for gold: Guy Hebert (USA), Paul Kariya (Canada),
Ruslan Salei (Belarus), Teemu Selanne (Finland), Dmitri Mironov and
Mikhail Shtalenkov (Russia).
Asked about the intensity of competition between former-and-future
Anaheim teammates -- not to mention linemates -- during the Olympic
tournament, Selanne was firm. "I'll do whatever I have to," he
said, to try and win the gold.
As for the impact this season-stopping professional Olympics will
have around the league, Selanne said it could cut both ways.
"I think it'll be important for the guys left here to get rested,"
he said of his teammates, adding that the rest vs. exhilaration
factor is "tricky" to figure out. "Especially for teams with a lot
of players going. We really don't know what to expect."
Well, if you buy what the pundits at LCS tell you, you can expect a
gold medal for Team Sweden. But while that outcome may be far from
certain, you probably can expect some great hockey along the way.
Not to mention controversy in the wake of injuries, slumps and
streaks that will inevitably follow these historic games.
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CALGARY FLAMES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Brian Sutter
roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Aaron Gavey, Eric Landry, Michael
Nylander, Cory Stillman. RW - Eric Andersson, Theoren Fleury,
Jarome Iginla, Sandy McCarthy, Ron Stern. LW - Chris Dingman, Hnat
Domenichelli, Todd Hlushko, Jonas Hoglund, Marty McInnis, German
Titov, Ed Ward. D - Tommy Albelin, Jamie Allison, Joel Bouchard,
Cale Hulse, Derek Morris, James Patrick, Todd Simpson, Zarley
Zalapski. G - Dwayne Roloson, Rick Tabaracci.
injuries: Joel Bouchard, d (concussion, d, day-to-day); Jarome
Iginla, rw (broken hand, indefinite); Jamie Allison, d (broken
hand, indefinite); Aaron Gavey, c (abdominal strain, day-to-day);
Ron Stern, rw (knee injury, indefinite).
transactions: sent Eric Andersson, rw, to Saint John (AHL) January
15; sent Eric Landry, c, to Saint John January 15; sent Todd
Hlushko, lw, to Saint John January 15; sent Tyler Moss, g, to Saint
John January 15; recalled Eric Andersson, rw, from Saint
John January 19; recalled Eric Landry, c, from Saint John January
29; recalled Tyler Moss, g, from Saint John January 19; recalled
Hnat Domenichelli, lw, from Saint John January 22; recalled Todd
Hlushko, lw, from Saint John January 22; sent Tyler Moss, g, to
Saint John January 24.
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
game results:
1/14 at Edmonton L 5-2
1/20 at Los Angeles L 4-3
1/21 at San Jose L 7-1
1/24 Vancouver W 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Tony Wong
Two Weeks at a Glance:
Still within spitting distance of a playoff spot, the Flames
headed toward the All Star break with a good chance to make up
ground. With all four games wrapped around the break against
Pacific Division opponents not named "Colorado", Calgary had a
realistic chance at grabbing all eight points and a playoff spot.
So, what happened?
Let's just say that they didn't get eight points.
The last game before the break, the Flames simply played fantastic.
Hard forechecking, tough defense and great enthusiasm all around.
However, as the story has been too many times this year, the final
score didn't do the Flames justice. Outshot 16-6 in the third period
and 42-28 overall by the Flames, the Oilers simply leaned on Curtis
Joseph. With a mere mortal in net for Calgary, what should have been
a close game or a win for Calgary became a blowout for Edmonton.
'Nuff said.
With only Fleury making the All Star team, everyone else was off for
a five-day holiday. Most of the (ahem) "bachelor based" team took
the opportunity to hit Las Vegas before returning to work against the
Kings in LA. And for two periods, the boys worked up a 2-0 lead.
But in the third, they let up. And in less than two minutes
(actually for 118 seconds), the win had been turned into a loss.
Held off the score sheet all game, the Kings opened the period with
two goals in 37 seconds. Bang, bang - tie game. Undaunted, the
Flames forged ahead on Eric Andersson's first goal. With less than
two minutes left, the game looked safe. But then "How do you
spell, much less pronounce my name" Tsyplakov struck. Bang, bang.
Two goals and a minute and twenty-one seconds later, the Flames
were behind 4-3 with 16 seconds left. Needless to say, the Flames
didn't come back. Ugh. Mr. Sutter, could you pass the Pepto?
The next night, the Flames drove up the road to San Jose. The
Sharks are always an easy team to play, right? Old guys who can't
cut it anymore, right? An easy two points, right?
Well will someone tell Mike Vernon please? With Vernon playing like
a Stanley Cup goalie (oh, he is isn't he?), the Sharks figured they
should start scoring like the Red Wings. Up 3-0 after the first
period mainly on the strength of several spectacular saves by Vernon
and two goals by Granato, the Sharks went on to paste the Flames,
7-1. While the Sharks weren't really THAT dominant, the Flames truly
DID suck that much.
And to cap it off? How about a game against Mike Keenan's
mega-million Canucks? Bure. Mogilny. Messier. Another beautiful
loss? Not on your life. Masters of providing a sliver of hope for
the hometown fans, the Flames came out and pasted the Canucks, with
a little help from Sean Burke. Marty McInnis: scoreless for 28
games. Against the Canucks? A hat trick. The power play: 25th
in a 26-team league, operating at a sterling 10.9%. Against the
Canucks? 3-for-5. You name it, it was working. Three periods
later and the Flames look like a Stanley Cup contender with a 5-2
win.
So what did the four games mean overall? Not a lot in terms of
points. But in terms of quality, only one conclusion could be
made. In two words: we suck.
Okay, the "we" part of that statement is stretching it a little, but
to put it bluntly, the Flames DO suck.
Other than a freak, astrologically related win against the Canucks,
the Flames failed to answer the bell yet again. With a chance to
move up in the standings against wholly beatable teams, Calgary
choked. Where can we start? How about with the goaltending?
Presented with more than ample opportunities as the second
goaltender in Calgary for the past year and a half, Dwayne Roloson
has blown his chance. When Kidd struggled last year and Tabaracci
early this year, a consistent effort from Roloson would have handed
him the number one job. However, more often than not, Roloson has
wilted under the heat of the spotlight. Right now, Roloson cannot
be considered anything more than a marginal NHL backup goalie. On
many teams, he would be in the minors.
As for Tyler Moss, it's too early to pass a long-term judgment. But
right now, he simply still needs work. Brilliant at times, Moss
seems to fall apart after he lets one in. When he lets one by,
another two or three are sure to follow. It's a disturbing habit
to say the least. If Moss can start to show the consistency that
he has this year in the minors, he will quickly displace Roloson as
the number two guy in Calgary. Today though, Moss is little more
than an average prospect.
To be fair, the best goalie in the world can't do a thing without
some help from the rest of the team. But in each of the three
losses, the Flames netminders were outplayed. Curtis Joseph stole
a game for Edmonton. LA scored at will in the third and Moss
couldn't come up with a key save. With a few spectacular stops,
Vernon gave San Jose confidence and an undeserved first period
lead. And in their only win, Burke was so bad that he made the pop
gun offense of the Flames look good. While we all can't have
Patrick Roy in net, solid play and a few key stops is all we're
asking for.
All Star Fleury
On a brighter note was the play of Theoren Fleury in the All Star
game. The little one truly does belong. While all the noise was
about the "Finnish connection" of Selanne-Koivu-Lehtinen racking up
nine points, the line of Fleury-Modano-Tkachuk picked up eight
itself. With a goal and two assists Fleury tied the three Finns
and Tkachuk for the most points in the game. Not too shabby.
Lucky for Canada that Theo isn't an American, or Team USA would
have one hell of a scary line.
Broken Hand for Iginla
In addition to getting embarrassed by San Jose 7-1, the Flames lost
Jarome Iginla with broken hand in the first period. Checked
awkwardly into the boards, Iginla will be lost for at least four
weeks. For a team that is already short on firepower, Iginla's
will be sorely missed. Luckily, with the NHL shut down for the
Olympics in Nagano, Iginla will only miss eight or nine games
instead of the usual twenty-odd games that such an injury would
bring. Ironically, Iginla's injury finally resulted in the call-up
of his junior linemate Hnat Domenichelli. While his junior
linemate status and chemistry with Iginla was one of the main
reasons that Calgary traded for Hnat, it was an injury to Iginla
that finally convinced the Flames to call him up. Leading the AHL
in goal scoring, Domenichelli definitely deserves the chance.
Let's hope he's ready for the big leagues.
Zalapski Part Deux
As we had guessed here, Zalapski's moaning and groaning has finally
run its course. A negative effect on the young Flames, Coates
finally sent Zalapski home, instructing Zalapski to stay away from
the team until further notice. With his trade value now at
virtually nil, Coates needs to get whatever he can and ship
Zalapski off. Obviously, Zalapski's tenure as a Flame is over for
good, so Coates needs to trade him or release him. For 1.6 million
a year, the Flames can't afford to pay Zarley to stay at home.
Where to? How about Montreal? I can't believe that Dave King
couldn't convince the braintrust in Montreal to part with a third
rounder for one of his favorites. Sure Zalapski is better than
that, but it's time to cut our losses and move on. Face it Mr.
Coates, life ain't fair.
Upcoming Games:
1/28 at Anaheim
1/29 at Los Angeles
1/31 New Jersey
2/3 Los Angeles
2/5 San Jose
2/7 Edmonton
** Olympic Break **
Last Chance - Part 23. Okay, we've said that it was the "last
chance" for the Flames to get back in it about a million times
here. And they've batted 1.000 and disappointed us each time. But
this time, we believe it. While you're actually never really out of
it in the pathetic Western Conference, a bunch of losses here would
make it extremely difficult to make it. So, with five of the six
games against Pacific Division rivals who are not named Colorado,
this is at least a REALLY GOOD CHANCE to make it up. While we'll
no longer say it's the last chance, it is a definite missed
opportunity at the very least.
So ignoring the reality of the Devils, we're gonna believe one more
time. Like Charlie Brown, Lucy and her football, we're gonna kick
that ball to the moon and say that the Flames win four of their six
games. While eight points won't get them into the playoffs, it will
get them a heck of a lot closer. From there, it's onto the Olympic
break. Playing the way that they are right now, eight points is
definitely optimistic and we really can't see that glass being any
fuller. If it is, we're ecstatic.
Here's hoping that glass ain't half empty.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
COLORADO AVALANCHE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Marc Crawford
Roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Stephane Yelle, Jari Kurri.
LW - Valeri Kamensky, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW - Claude
Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Keith Jones, Jeff Odgers, Shean Donovan. D
- Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Adam Foote, Alexei
Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron Miller, Eric Messier, Francois Leroux. G
- Patrick Roy, Craig Billington.
Injuries: Keith Jones, rw (knee, February); Wade Belak, d (shoulder,
early February).
Transactions: Recalled Christian Matte, rw, from Hershey (AHL).
Assigned Matte to Hershey.
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
GAME RESULTS:
1/12 Florida W 3-1
1/14 at Anaheim W 2-0
1/15 San Jose T 2-2
1/21 at Dallas L 3-2
1/22 Anaheim L 4-3
1/24 Dallas L 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Greg D'Avis
Luckily for the Avalanche, there's other things in Denver taking the
spotlight away right now - with the Broncos winning the Super Bowl
and the Denver Nuggets tying a NBA record with a 23-game losing
streak, the Avs' recent performance is a distant third on the sports
pages.
Good thing. If the results of late are any indication, the Avalanche
aren't remotely ready for the playoffs. Since the All Star break,
they've looked sad in their first three-game losing streak in over
two years, and haven't been able to compete against the Stars, who
are looking more and more as if they're as dangerous as Detroit in
the West.
The excuses are hollow - yes, the Avalanche are suffering from a
compressed schedule, but so is everybody else; and yes, there's lots
of hooking and holding, but why does that shut down Joe Sakic and
Peter Forsberg but not, say, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne? Though
the Avalanche are long on talent, of late it's looked like the
formula is simple: keep Sakic, Forsberg, and Valeri Kamensky off the
score sheet and the wins will follow. Last year, when those players
were out with injuries, the Avalanche could turn to Adam Deadmarsh or
Eric Lacroix or whoever to step it up and win games; this year, the
second tier players are still scoring, just not enough.
Against Florida, the Avalanche looked like a team that had lost just
once in the past 13 games: they did everything right, even getting a
rare shorthanded goal from Sakic, and beat the Panthers in an
exciting, tough game. The foot soldiers sparkled; the red-hot Rene
Corbet got a goal, Jari Kurri popped one in, and Deadmarsh - playing
despite a 100-degree temperature and a bad case of the flu - got an
assist.
Then came the Mighty Ducks for the first match between the two this
season. With Sakic and Forsberg against Kariya and Selanne, it
looked to be an open, all-out offensive battle; instead, fights
were plentiful and the score stayed 0-0 until Corbet (again!)
scored with six minutes to go in the game.
Afterwards, the Avalanche had to hurry back to Denver for the next
night's game, the last before the All Star break. In a listless,
tired performance, the team had to count on a third-period goal
from Sakic to tie it up in a game most notable for the return of
former Avalanche sex symbol Mike Ricci, who was warmly welcomed
back by the fans.
Then came the All Star Game, and while there were plenty of Avs
there, they didn't make much of a contribution. Patrick Roy played
like, well, an otherwise top-notch goalie usually does in the
All-Star Game; the rest of the reps didn't have much to write home
about either.
If the Avalanche had their druthers, they'd likely ask that the
season ended with the All Star break; with two games in a week
against the Stars, they faced their biggest test of the year, and
failed. The first game, in Dallas, looked close on paper but the
Avalanche were dominated; Dallas caught defenders out of position
and then held Colorado off on power plays. The game bolstered an
already-chippy rivalry; even-strength play was rare, with
extracurricular activity aplenty.
The dreaded Ducks provided the filling in the Star sandwich, winning
a game that Colorado should have taken if they'd bothered to show up
for the first 30 minutes. The only highlight was defenseman Aaron
Miller picking up his first goal of the year.
Then came Dallas again, and all we heard about was how angry the
Avalanche was; how they had something to prove; etc. Well, they were
angry - it was another feisty game - and they did prove something;
unfortunately, what they proved was that they can blow a lead as well
as anybody. The Stars scored twice in the third period, getting goals
from noted scorers Derian Hatcher and Guy Carbonneau, to send the
Avalanche to their second 3-2 defeat in four days, and ending the
regular season series with a 3-0-1 advantage over Colorado.
After the game, Roy ripped the team for their efforts, but a
lackadaisical attempt wasn't really to blame; the Avalanche were
simply outplayed in all areas. It's not a good sign.
Finally, Some Good News
After months of questions and delays, gritty winger Keith Jones will
be back soon; he's been skating regularly, and should begin playing
again after the Olympics. He'll provide a much-needed spark; Corbet
and Claude Lemieux can't do that themselves, and Jones was a very
valuable player last year when the stars went down, and will come in
handy in the games against the Red Wings and Stars.
Kamensky: Maybe, Maybe Not
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation offered Avalanche winger Valeri
Kamensky the captaincy of the Olympic team. Kamensky, who's
previously captained national teams but never an Olympic team,
initially turned it down; however, he says that if no other
suitable candidate accepts, he will take it. The decision will be
made when the team gathers for the Olympics. Avalanche defenseman
Alexei Gusarov may be the next one asked.
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EDMONTON OILERS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Low
Roster: C - Doug Weight, Todd Marchant, Boyd Devereaux, Tony Hrkac.
LW - Dean McAmmond, Rem Murray, Valeri Zelepukin, Ryan Smyth, Mats
Lindgren, Bill Huard, Mike Watt. RW - Bill Guerin, Mike Grier,
Andrei Kovalenko, Kelly Buchberger, Georges Laraque. D - Bobby
Dollas, Sean Brown, Greg deVries, Kevin Lowe, Roman Hamrlik, Boris
Mironov, Craig Millar, Drake Berehowsky. G - Curtis Joseph, Bob
Essensa.
Injuries: Ryan Smyth, lw (knee, six-eight weeks);
Kevin Lowe, d (inner ear infection, placed on IR Oct 23, indefinite).
Transactions: Terran Sandwith, d, from Hamilton (AHL).
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
Game Results:
1/20 Phoenix W 6-2
1/23 at San Jose L 3-2
1/24 at Phoenix W 5-2
1/26 at Colorado L 2-1 OT
TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell
The Edmonton Oilers have looked like a different team since the
big trade with New Jersey that sent Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir
to El Diablo for Billy Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin. More
specifically, they've looked like a winning team.
When the Oilers beat the Coyotes 6-2 at home on January 20, it
gave them a season-high six-game winning streak. Boris Mironov
was the star of the night, collecting a goal and three assists.
Dean McAmmond, Roman Hamrlik, Doug Weight, Todd Marchant, and
Boyd Devereaux added the other goals, with Devereaux's being his
first in the NHL.
But the win was not without its price. At 12:21 of the first
period, Ryan Smyth was kneed by Rick Tocchet in a somewhat
questionable manor. Tocchet was given a major for kneeing.
Smyth had to leave the game and was later diagnosed with a torn
ligament in his left knee. He'll be out of action for the next
six to eight weeks. Yeah, that'll suck.
While Tocchet is in no way a cheap player, the hit was pretty
weak. He definitely stuck his knee out as Smyth was side-
stepping his attempted check. Captain Kelly Buchberger was the
first on the scene and roughed up Tocchet a bit, drawing the
Phoenix winger an extra two for roughing and earning four minutes
of his own. Late in the third period, when the game was already
decided, Greg DeVries dropped the gloves with Tocchet. Hey, a
message had to be sent.
Tocchet was suspended by the league immediately after the game.
However, after reviewing the incident, Brian Burke only saw fit
to suspend Tocchet for a total of two games. Meanwhile, Smyth is
done for two months. Who says life ain't fair?
Next the Oil hit the road and traveled to the Shark Tank. It
looked like it would be another win for the Oilers, as McAmmond
scored 2:31 into the game and Guerin followed up with one of his
own at the 10:41 mark. But Edmonton just couldn't hold the lead.
Patrick Marleau drew the fish within one with a second-period
goal, setting the stage for Stephane Matteau and Murray Craven to
rally the Sharks to win in the final stanza. Craven's goal at
12:44 proved to be the winner in the 3-2 Shark victory.
The Oil was in Phoenix the very next night for a rematch with the
Coyotes. Tocchet's suspension kept him out of action, and
spoiled any acts of vengeance as a result of his hit on Smyth.
Bill Huard in particular was ready to rumble had Tocchet played.
Hardly discouraged, Huard has promised to make his mark somewhere
down the line with the Phoenix right winger.
The game started off on the wrong foot when Mironov kneed Dallas
Drake just over three minutes into the contest. Gerald Diduck
was quick to stand up for his fallen teammate, tackling Mironov
to the ice and throwin' blows. Mironov would receive just a two-
minute minor for tripping, while Diduck got five for fighting and
a game misconduct. Drake had to be helped off the ice, but later
returned for the start of the second period.
The game calmed down after that, and the Oil went about once
again pounding the Dessert Dogs, this time by a 5-2 score. The
difference was the middle frame, where Edmonton rang up four
unanswered goals by Weight, Zelepukin, Guerin, and Grier to take
charge. Guerin would later add his second of the game in the
third period to seal the deal. Bob Essensa, who got a rare start
in net, stopped 27 shots including a Keith Tkachuk penalty shot
near the end of the second.
The road trip continued two nights later in Colorado. The
Avalanche just always seem to find a way to beat the Oil.
Whatever they need, they somehow get. This game was no
different, as the Avalanche won their fifth straight game over
Edmonton with a 2-1 OT decision. Tony Hrkac gave the Oilers an
early 1-0 lead at 8:52 of the first period with his eighth of the
season. Colorado drew even on the power play in the second when
Claude Lemieux swatted home the rebound of a Sandis Ozolinsh
point shot. The game remained deadlocked until referee Kerry
Fraser whistled Drake Berehowsky for hooking Valeri Kamensky at
1:44 of overtime, opening the door once again for Colorado's
potent power play. It didn't take long. Joe Sakic controlled
the faceoff to Rene Corbet and the puck got worked to Ozolinsh at
the point. The Latvian's blast deflected off Eric Lacroix, who
was camped directly in front of Curtis Joseph at the edge of the
crease, and skipped into the net for the game-winner at 1:49.
Sakic didn't receive an assist on either of Colorado's goals, but
he set them both up with faceoff wins. He was 20-8 on faceoffs
for the night. That's trouble.
While the losses to San Jose and Colorado have stifled the
enthusiasm a bit, the Oilers are playing their best hockey of the
season. One of the main reasons why is the improved play of
Boris Mironov. Coach Ron Low deserves a lot of the credit. When
Arnott was traded, Low gave his assistant's A to Mironov. That's
kind of a bold move, considering the Russian blueliner's rather
inconsistent past. But Boris has responded to the challenge with
some of his best hockey, piling up a goal and six assists over
the recent four games. It's always nice to see a guy come
through when the team is looking for leadership.
Another factor in the Mironov renaissance as been the arrival of
Roman Hamrlik. Much like Mironov, Hamrlik always had the talent
to be a major force but too often failed to show up on a nightly
basis. The last thing expected was that Hamrlik would actually
be paired with Mironov at even-strength, but that's exactly what
Low did. And Mironov and Hamrlik are making the coach look like
a genius. They just seem to share a unique rapport on the ice,
with both preferring to play what they call a "European" style.
Mironov's recent success has been mirrored by his Czech partner.
In his first 10 games as an Oiler, Hamrlik had a goal and six
assists and was a +10. That's good stuff.
Um, that's about all I got. Simon Lewis will be back next issue
to handle the reportin' chores. So that's it. Show's over. You
don't have to go home, but you can't stay here...
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LOS ANGELES KINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Larry Robinson
C - Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere, Yanic Perreault, Jozef Stumpel,
Nathan Lafayette. LW - Craig Johnson, Matt Johnson, Luc
Robitaille, Vladimir Tsyplakov, Steve McKenna, Dan Bylsma. RW -
Sandy Moger, Glenn Murray, Russ Courtnall. D - Aki Berg, Rob
Blake, Phillipe Boucher, Garry Galley, Mattias Norstrom, Sean
O'Donnell, Doug Zmolek, Jan Vopat. G - Jamie Storr, Stephane
Fiset.
Injuries: Ray Ferraro, c (back, any day now). Phillipe Boucher, d
(thyroid, when he gets bulked up again).
Transactions: Recalled Jan Vopat, d, from minors.
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
Game Results:
1/14 at San Jose W 4-2
1/20 Calgary W 4-3
1/22 Florida W 3-1
1/24 at Anaheim T 3-3
TEAM NEWS by Matt Moore
Woo-hoo...a winning streak, or at least a non-losing streak. The
Kings have gone back to the style that allowed them to win a few
games at the start of the season. Led by strong goaltending by
both Fiset and Storr and backed by some timely goals and spunk, the
Kings have been able to go undefeated in five games and put
together a nice little four- game winning streak. This has allowed
them to put a little bit of breathing room between them and their
Pacific division chasers, led by the surging Edmonton Oilers, and
placed them in a position to possibly get as high as the fourth or
fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The new line featuring Glenn Murray, Jozef Stumpel, and Vladimir
Tsyplakov has led this streak -- offensively at least. Yanic
Perreault was moved off that line following an extended slump, and
was actually playing more of a defensive role until Ray Ferraro
tweaked his back and was sidelined for two games. Tsyplakov has
continued to show that he is a pretty darn good player. He has a
six-game point-scoring streak and has also shown the ability to
score the big goal. His two goals in the last minute and a half
against Calgary highlighted the week and pulled out a game that
looked like a bad loss.
Jan Vopat, who was sent down to the minors at the start of the
season, was called up to replace Phillipe Boucher. Boucher was
sidelined first by the flu, which caused him to lose a whole hell
of a lot of weight, and is now benched by a thyroid condition which
has kept him from regaining that weight. Since being a pretty
skinny guy has been one of Boucher's problems in past seasons, the
Kings are holding him out until he bulks back up and is able to
play with a bit more strength.
When he comes back, there will be a good type of problem. Vopat has
been playing very well, more along the style that he showed last
season, and has been taking regular shifts with Garry Galley. That
pairing might not be the most physical line around, but they play
well together and provide a bit of a spark offensively.
The other main defensive pairing has been Rob Blake and Mattias
Norstrom. Blake is showing the punishing defensive and pretty good
offensive style that made him one of the better defensemen before
all of the injuries dragged him into the hellish pit of
inconsistency. Norstrom is probably the best defensive blueliner
on the Kings, a guy who can totally shut down other teams offensive
stars by his great combo of size and superior skating ability. He
has shown sparks of being a pretty good puck rusher, what with his
awesome skating, but has been pretty much a stay at home
defenseman.
In the upcoming Olympics, Blake will be representing Canada and
Norstrom Sweden, and just in comparing the two, I would have to say
that Sweden has the better of the two for the Olympic style of
play. Sure, Blake can throw around people and smash them into
little pieces along the boards, but Norstrom can do the same plus
skate with the best of them. So Sweden will at least have one
pretty good defenseman.
Now for the part I have been dreading. I bet LCS editor-in-chief
Michael Dell (no relation to the computer billionare, or so I've
heard) and computer god Zippy that the Kings would end up with more
points at the end of the season than the Pittsburgh Penguins. An
additional bet with Delly of the Kings finishing with more points
that the Sharks was also placed, much to my delight. So far the
Pens have pulled away from the Kings in the point totals, although
my hopes were raised when I saw Jaromir Jagr bleeding like a stuck
pig after getting whacked by a stick, but I doubt that the Kings
will be able to pull this one out. But the Sharks are another
story. Just as sure as Al Iafrate's knees pop like bubble wrap,
the resurgence of the punks of Northern California has started to
dim. Thank God, I was afraid for a little while. Following are
the most recent standings:
W L T PTS
Pens 27 15 9 63
Kings 21 19 9 51
Sharks 18 24 7 43
Just hope Zippy likes Pez...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SAN JOSE SHARKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Darryl Sutter
roster: C - Bernie Nicholls, Ron Sutter, Patrick Marleau, Marco
Sturm, Mike Ricci, Jeff Friesen, Alex Korolyuk. LW - Shawn Burr,
Murray Craven, Stephane Matteau, Steve Goulla, Dave Lowry. RW -
Tony Granato, Owen Nolan, Todd Ewen, John MacLean, Andrei Nazarov,
Barry Potomski. D - Ken Sutton, Todd Gill, Bill Houlder, Al
Iafrate, Marty McSorley, Marcus Ragnarsson, Mike Rathje, Andrei
Zyuzin. G - Mike Vernon, Kelly Hrudey.
injuries: Todd Ewen, rw (knee, out for season), Al Iafrate, d (knee
surgery on 12/29, out at least six weeks).
transactions: None.
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
game results:
1/14 Los Angeles L 4 - 2
1/15 at Colorado T 2 - 2
1/21 Calgary W 7 - 2
1/23 Edmonton W 3 - 2
1/24 Florida T 1 - 1
team news: Al Swanson, San Jose Correspondent
After a pre-All Star slump and another loss at the hands of the
Kings, the Sharks rallied to a four- game unbeaten streak (2-0-2).
Ironic as it seems, the Sharks show up against the best teams in
the league (two wins over Detroit, blanking the Flyers, tying the
Avs and shutting out the Stars), but choke when it comes to the
basement teams (losses to Calgary, Vancouver and Tampa Bay). It may
be that the best teams don't show up against the Sharks, or it may
be that San Jose is better than the record suggests.
Are the Sharks a better team than the record suggests? If one
watches the games against Detroit this year, the answer is a
resounding "YES"! Against Detroit, Darryl Sutter's system of D
first, goals when you can, was played to the hilt. The trap at
center ice was quick and brutal, the hits were frequent and the
dumb penalties (read Nazarov and McSorley) were few. That Shark
team is a playoff contender and even something to be feared.
(Against the Wings this season, the Sharks are 2-1, outscoring
Detroit 12-5.)
If one watches inter-conference games though, the Sharks are
bottom-basement dwellers. Witness the losses to Vancouver and
Calgary earlier this year if you need a reminder of what the Sharks
can do when they don't show up.
Still, San Jose is certainly in the hunt this year. Not because the
record is better than years past -- it isn't. In fact, it's darn
close to being the same record. But the whole division - with the Avs
exception - is worse this year.
San Jose still needs a sniper. They have a couple in Jeff Friesen
and Owen Nolan, but Owen still hasn't shown up in the scoring
contest this year. Keep in mind that last year Keith Tkachuk had
only four goals by early December and finished up the year with 50.
If Nolan can pull something like that off, whew...watch out Western
Conference. Jeff Friesen meanwhile, continues to hone his game and
is fixating on that million dollar payday for 80 points. For those
of you who don't know, Friesen's contract gives him a one million
dollar bonus at 80 points and 50k for each point thereafter. Sweet!
Jeff certainly has his eyes on that prize. Even so, the team is
short that one guy who can put the biscuit in the basket regularly.
Look for Deano to pull a rabbit out of the hat if the Sharks make
it to the playoffs.
San Jose can also use a big time D man. Iafrate looks to return
following the Olympic break, but folks, don't count on him. Not to
fault The Planet. No indeed. But he's only played less than half a
season in the last two years and was out for two years prior to
that. With him on the ice, the Sharks are a playoff team. No doubt.
Without him, it's less than a sure thing. Sutter's system of D
first nearly makes up for his absence at times, but his presence is
missed. Houlder, McSorley, Gill and most definitely Marcus
Ragnarsson are stepping up to the plate and Zyuzin is becoming the
man to watch. But, SJ could have used the likes of Roman Hamrlik
when he was dealt last month. Again, look to Lombardi and Co. to
knock down all barriers to get a big defenseman when the playoffs
loom.
Today, the Sharks are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in
the West. But there are three more months of grinding games against
conference and division rivals - teams that SJ has had trouble with
this year and must beat - before the playoffs begin. So nothing is
certain except this: The Sharks are putting on the ice the best
team to have a chance for post-season play that they've had in
three years. Now if they could just score for Hrudey...
In The News...
Patrick Marleau recorded his ninth goal in the come-from-behind win
against the Oilers this week, keeping him in contention for Rookie of
the Year. Marleau's game has steadily improved and he appears to have
more confidence. Owen Nolan calls him "scary talented". Sharks
management hope he's one of the 'new breed' that will be taking the
team into the next century.
Marcus Ragnarsson is one of two Sharks headed to the Olympics, the
other is Marco Sturm. Rags' game has been picking up all year. He
has two goals in the past month and has used his size and speed to
let opponents know he's there. Look for him to be a force on the
ice in Nagano. Speaking of Sturm, since he won the Rookie of the
Week honors, he's been a bit quiet. He doesn't have a goal in
January and his ice time shows it. Was December a fluke? Don't
think so! Sturm is young and with the playoffs a-comin', it's a
safe bet his game will pick up.
Jarrod Skalde was claimed off waivers by Chicago this month and
after a goal and four assists for the Blackhawks, looks to be
headed back to SJ on the 27th if no lower place team claims him.
That's right, he's back on waivers and Deano looks to take him back
into the fold.
Game Recaps:
King me! - LA in SJ
In the month of January, the Sharks play 11 home games -- games that
are supposed to be for the hometown fans. They haven't produced much
for the Tank, though. And the game against LA was no different. Rob
Blake improved his stats against the Sharks, recording his first
two-goal game in four years. The one bright spot was Friesen, who
scored both Fish goals. A disappointing SJ loss, 4-2.
Avalanche! No wait, just some snow - Sharks in Av
territory
What is it about backup goalies and the Sharks? Storr was in for the
loss to LA and Billington made 40 saves against the Sharks in
Colorado. While the Sharks absolutely dominated the game, shooting
42 times, Billington dominated the net, saving all but two.
McSorley scored his first since opening night and Ragnarsson scored
his second, bringing SJ's defensemen into the scoring role again.
Too bad they only managed a tie, 2-2.
If you play with fire... Flames in the Tank
The Flames came to town with their backup goalie in place, too.
Maybe that was a mistake. The Sharks came alive in this one,
scoring seven times. Granato had two goals in the first, and two
assists in the second. Friesen, MacLean, Ricci, and Rags all scored
also. Marco Sturm had an assist. It was Sharks the whole game
through. Unfortunately, Calgary managed one in the third, spoiling
Vernon's shutout bid against his former team. A stomping out of the
Flames, 7-1.
Oiled up and ready to rock - Oilers visit the Sharks
>From the outset, it looked like another Shark home game, another
loss in the Tank. The Oilers were winning 2-1 as the third period
opened. The Sharks had only one win when trailing after two periods
so far this season. Had. Cujo stopped 25 shots but let in enough -
three - to insure a Sharks come from behind win. Friesen tallied
and Andrei Zyuzin recorded his first multi-point game in the NHL.
Patrick Marleau also scored and chalked up an assist in the first
defeat against Edmonton this year, 3-2.
Cats in the Tank - Florida in San Jose
In a situation reminiscent of so many Sharks games, Ed Jovanovski
took a late penalty in the third, setting up a six-on-four with
Hrudey outta the net and allowing John MacLean's goal with less
than 16 seconds left. The Sharks did not follow through in the OT,
though. Hrudey has only received 1.54 goals per game support from
the Sharks and this game was no different. Hrudey made some
spectacular saves to keep SJ in the game and the Sharks manage a
tie, 1-1.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mike Keenan
Roster: C - Mark Messier, Trevor Linden, Mike Sillinger, Dave
Scatchard; LW - Geoff Sanderson, Markus Naslund, Gino Odjick,
Donald Brashear, Larry Courville; RW - Alex Mogilny, Pavel Bure,
Brian Noonan, Scott Walker, Lonny Bohonos D - Jyrki Lumme, Dana
Murzyn, Matthias Ohlund, Grant Ledyard, Bret Hedican, Dave Babych,
Steve Staios, Chris McAllister, Enrico Ciccone, Bert Robertsson; G
- Sean Burke, Arturs Irbe.
Injuries: Gino Odjick, lw (knee January 24, day-to-day); Geoff
Sanderson, lw (shoulder January 21, indefinite); Bret Hedican, d
(missed one game with back spasms, returned January 24); Larry
Courville, lw (wrist January 14, indefinite); Enrico Ciccone, d
(fractured tibia January 8, day-to-day); Dana Murzyn, d (knee
December 27, out for season.
Transactions: Larry Courville, lw, recalled from Syracuse (AHL)
January 12; Lonny Bohonos, rw, recalled from Syracuse (AHL)
January 20; Bert Robertsson, d, recalled from Syracuse (AHL)
January 20.
Standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team GP W L T PTS GF GA
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180
GAME RESULTS
1/12 at Chicago L 3-2
1/14 at Detroit L 4-0
1/15 at Buffalo L 6-2
1/21 Phoenix L 6-1
1/24 at Calgary L 5-2
TEAM NEWS by Carol Schram
Q: What do the Vancouver Canucks and the Titanic have in common?
A: Thirty minutes after they hit the ice, they sunk.
Two more weeks, 10 more possible points squandered, and another new
bunch of controversy and confusion. Those who remember the sometimes
hellish 28-year history of this franchise are beginning to believe
that this is the worst it has ever been. They may not be wrong.
Let's not even talk about hockey: let's talk about the
unadulterated confusion that seems to be surrounding the Orca Bay
organization.where no one even seems to know who's in charge. The
team that has been without a general manager since Pat Quinn was
fired in November has turned into a hodge-podge of contradictions.
Orca Bay upper management has continually said that the search for
a new GM is "ongoing", although it's clear that Mike Keenan has a
very vested interest in any hiring that might be made. Any new GM
who doesn't see eye to eye with the coach will likely make very
short work of him. So that could explain the shroud of secrecy
that surrounded John Muckler's visit to Vancouver over All Star
weekend. Despite the fact that he is older than Pat Quinn and
possibly in poorer health, Muckler could be coveted by Orca Bay
since he cut his teeth in the vaunted Edmonton Oilers organization,
won a Stanley Cup, and is most like an AOM (Ally Of Messier's).
Muckler, of course, was unceremoniously dumped after his
confrontation with Ted Nolan last season in Buffalo.
But what's the deal? What really happened last weekend? Muckler's
people admitted that a meeting took place, and there was a rumor
that a decision had to be made within five days - which would have
taken us to about last Friday. Mike Keenan said he knew nothing of
any talks - as far as he knew, everything was status quo. And the
Orca Bay brass, of course, was mute on the whole subject.
Nevertheless, Friday comes and goes.no announcement.then on
Saturday, Hockey Night in Canada breaks the story that Keenan has
been granted new powers and is now the official "Go-to" guy in
trading matters. They begin by implying that he has assumed all
General Manager duties, but in a live interview, Keenan himself
corrects this perception and says that he is not G.M., but rather
will have control over any deals that need to be made, and that the
Orcans have asked him to use his expertise from his previous player
personnel roles, in a similar role to the one Scotty Bowman plays
in Detroit. Keenan managed to squeeze in a bit of horn-tooting,
about the success he had in Chicago and the nice little team he
left behind in St. Louis. He also admitted that he wasn't looking
to make a deal purely for the sake of making a deal, but rather was
just being called upon to add his expertise and "see what's out
there."
The strange part is that Keenan's proclamation hasn't been
accompanied by any sort of formal announcement. Canucks' Director
of Media Relations Devin Smith, with the team in Calgary, told the
Associated Press that Keenan had been asked to use his contacts to
"work the phones", that Steve Tambellini was still in the loop, and
that any deal struck by Keenan would still require the approval of
his superiors at Orca Bay. Back in Vancouver, CEO Steven
Bellringer and Steve Tambellini were both out of town, so Vice
President Steve Gass was left to answer queries as best he could,
and essentially said that nothing has changed and the story is a
non-issue.
So what does this all mean? My guess is that the Muckler talks have
stalled, but the prospect of having to answer to somebody with some
knowledge of hockey scared Keenan enough that, when asked to perform
a couple of simple extra tasks, like making some calls, Keenan took
the request at something a little greater than face value, and may
have put his foot in his mouth in the process.
The bottom line, though - as if we didn't know this already.
Systems are not in place. The Canucks can't seem to maintain their
web page; they can't seem to maintain their arena's ice surface;
their injury reports are consistently vague and even incomplete;
now, they're not issuing press releases or making statements about
personnel moves. Orca Bay is a large corporation which employs a
significant staff - from arena security and food service workers to
front office and sales types to their actual product - the players,
on both the Canucks and the Vancouver Grizzlies. While the
"coach-killers" have shown that they're going to play with the
exact same lack of brains or effort no matter who is behind their
bench, perhaps it is time to start thinking about the fact that
internal problems at the top of corporations often tend to filter
down to front-line workers. It's possible that these players feel
a lack of loyalty to this organization, and so are just collecting
their paycheques, in the same way that Orca Bay ushers feel that
they are, say, somehow mistreated or underappreciated, but they
still appreciate the perks of seeing the games and events while
they're at work.
That's this week's theory on how one of the highest-payroll teams in
the league has become a true cellar-dweller: a team that other
losers like Florida and Calgary can look upon and think "Well, at
least we've got two sure points coming there." Even the Vancouver
Grizzlies recently snapped their long losing streak when they took
on the even-worse-than-them Denver Nuggets last week, and managed
to parlay their added confidence into the team's first-ever
three-game winning streak. For the Canucks, that leaves just one
way of thinking: bring on the Tampa Bay Lightning!!!
In addition to the fact that Vancouver's defense is just hideous, in
the last two weeks their offense has also dried up. The only
statistic they seem to be able to put on the board with any
consistency, lately, is penalty minutes.
Things didn't start off so badly on the three-game road trip before
the All Star Break. With games against Chicago, Detroit, and
Buffalo, it looked like at least one or two of the contests were
winnable. And even though they got down 2-0 in the first two
periods against the Hawks, they battled back to tie the game,
outshooting the Hawks 11-4 in the third period, only to have Tony
Amonte put a fork in `em with just over two minutes to go. See ya.
Next up - Detroit, and while the Stanley Cup Champs are no
pushovers, the Canucks have played them well a couple of times this
year and have better luck at the Joe than, perhaps, they deserve.
Nonetheless, the Red Wings haven't lost a game this year after
building a two-goal lead, and Mike Keenan seemed to be well aware
of this statistic. After Detroit made it 2-0 with just less than
four minutes to go in the second period, Mike Keenan pulled out
Sean Burke in favor of Arturs Irbe, and pretty much sat his core
players for the third period. His explanation? The game was
already lost, so he figured he had better rest the guys that he
would need the following night in Buffalo.
Keenan's point is backed up by Detroit's statistics, but is it
really right to throw in the towel, or should the team have kept on
battling, based on the philosophy that they need every point they
can get, and to even salvage a tie would be a great moral victory.
Is it really right for a coach to send a message that he has given
up - for the day, or for the season?
In this case, Keenan didn't do himself any favors by `saving' his
best players. Another incredibly mediocre team, Buffalo, beat the
Canucks 6-2 in a cheap-shot-filled brawl-fest. I don't know what
Gino was thinking when he took on Dominik Hasek in the corner - he
claimed it was retaliation for an earlier cheap hit from Jay McKee
on Pavel Bure. But that led to Matthew Barnaby - who doesn't even
particularly like Hasek - taking a shot at Sean Burke. Then, a big
melee, which led to coach Lindy Ruff pulling Hasek in order to
protect him, which led to a center-ice battle-of-the-goalies
between Sean Burke and Steve Shield - neither of whom would shy
away from a little physical contact. My only question there - how
exactly do two goalies brawl at center ice, when neither of them
gets a penalty for leaving the crease?
The other significant fight of note during that skirmish was Trevor
Linden's "incident" with Rob Ray. While Linden has often been
criticized over the years for his lack of physical play, Ray is one
of the baddest men in the league. Not many punches were thrown
during the tilt, but Linden stood in there and showed the physical
strength and the emotional intensity not to get treated as Ray's
latest punching bag. He may even have landed a shot or two.
For better or for worse, we got to see more of this side of Linden a
week later, after the All-Star break, when the Canucks got hammered
again - this time 6-1, by Phoenix, and a whole bunch more fights
ensued. The ugly incident in that game occurred in the first period.
The Canucks were down 2-0 when yet another skirmish ensued. Somehow,
with Norm Maciver holding Scott Walker's arms, Michel Petit got four
good shots on the pit bull's face, turning him into a bloody punching
bag. Walker eventually got free and got his revenge on Petit, but
for the second time this year, his face was beaten to such a pulp
that it was tough to tell if you were looking at Scott Walker or at
Frankenstein's monster.
The rest of the first period and all of the second continued fairly
uneventfully, but the Canucks' mood appeared to change when they came
out for the third. First off, Keenan was in the medical room as the
period was about to start. When informed that it was time to go back
behind the bench, he once again brushed off the importance of the
rest of the game. I'm not sure how long it was before he went back
to rejoin his team. But it also appeared that the Canuck players had
been apprised, in the second intermission, of exactly what had
happened to Walker, because it became open season on Michel Petit.
Cheap shots were popping up from even the most unlikely sources, and
it was finally Dave Babych, of all people, who squared off against
Petit midway through the third, earning them both game misconducts.
Interestingly, that incident erupted after small defenseman John
Slaney made contact with Mark Messier. Trevor Linden saw it as a
knee-to-knee hit and, in a pretty uncharacteristic move for him, dove
on Slaney, threw off the gloves, and started to pound on him as
Slaney turtled. The officials gave Slaney a minor for kneeing and
tossed Linden for fighting, but the act was interesting, again, in
terms of Linden's newfound physicality and also the fact that it was
Messier, of all people, that he was sticking up for.
The Canucks play Phoenix again this Monday down in the desert, and
much revenge has been planned. The Coyotes aren't buying it,
however, as Petit himself points out that tough-man Donald Brashear
was suspended last year for sucker-punching LA's Ian Laperriere, so
he isn't really one to talk about fair play.
The only good news from that night was that, while the Canucks were
getting pummeled by Phoenix, their next opponent, the Calgary
Flames, were also getting thrashed, losing 7-1 to San Jose. Both
teams were riding four game losing streaks when they faced off on
Saturday night, so something had to give.
In a rare glimmer-of-hope moment, the Canucks actually seemed to
come out pretty well, taking an early 1-0 lead on Pavel Bure's 29th
of the year, then getting ahead 2-1 when Bert Robertsson scored his
first-ever NHL goal on a tap-in while perfectly positioned in front
of the net. But Marty McInnis, who hadn't scored in 29 games
before this contest, was David to the Canucks' Goliath. He got the
Flames' first goal early in the second, then banged a
harmless-looking slap shot through Sean Burke's pads on the power
play just before the end of the second period. That was the
backbreaker for Vancouver: once they lost the lead, they lost it
for good. Burke was pulled after James Patrick scored what would be
the winning goal five minutes into the third and German Titov added
a power play marker before McInnis finished off his hat trick with
an empty-netter to finish the game at 5-2. That put the
second-to-last place Flames four points up on the Canucks for the
bottom of the Western Conference, and leaves the Canucks 18 games
below .500 and 13 points out of the last playoff spot.
Na na na na.hey hey hey.goodbye.
Looking forward to two weeks without the Canucks when the Olympic
Break comes, and hoping to get this over with as quickly and
painlessly as possible. Keep those front-office soap operas coming
in order to hold our interest, but please don't do anything to
destroy the team even more. It's time to stop the bleeding and
start looking towards a real, sane rebuilding of the entire
organization.
OTHER NEWS:
Sean Burke spent the All Star Break back in Carolina, pleading
guilty to the charge of assaulting his wife - pulling her hair and
pushing her down. Burke was fined just $200 and ordered to take
aggression-management training -- ask Steve Shields about that.
Somewhat strangely, it wasn't until after he entered his plea that
Burke learned that there were options available to him where he
wouldn't have been slapped with a criminal record, and he says that
he is now looking towards re-opening the case with one of these
possible solutions in mind.
Poor Larry Courville got called up before the Chicago game, and
given the not-so-pleasant task of getting in Chris Chelios' face
all night. While not the stockiest player in the NHL, Courville
has a bit of a mean streak and acquitted himself well, so he was
granted the same type of duties the following night in Detroit.
That was all fine until the third period. The game may have
already been over, according to Keenan, but Courville slammed
awkwardly into the boards, injuring his wrist severely and likely
leaving him on the disabled list for the rest of the season. The
only bright side is that, since he was hurt during his Canuck
tour-of-duty and he's on a two-way contract, he will continue to
draw his big-league salary until he is ready to play again.
Courville's misfortune was Lonny Bohonos' gain. After spending many
a night in the press box and eventually getting shipped back down to
Syracuse, ostensibly for a two-week conditioning stint, Bohonos was
named AHL Player of the Week after amassing four goals and eight
assists over five games in his first week back with the Crunch.
Despite his lack of impact on the scoresheet so far, Bohonos' added
jump was palpable when he returned for the Phoenix game, and goes to
show that, all other things aside, hockey can still be very much a
mental game.
================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL STANDINGS Thru January 25, 1997
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference
Northeast Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 11-7-5 15-8-4 3-1-9
Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 11-10-5 15-8-2 2-3-7
Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 9-8-5 12-11-4 2-0-9
Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 11-12-1 9-10-7 1-0-8
Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 12-8-3 7-13-5 3-0-8
Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 13-11-5 6-15-1 1-2-6
Atlantic Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 20-7-0 11-8-4 1-3-4
Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 14-6-4 13-6-5 1-0-9
Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 13-7-4 12-10-4 3-0-8
NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 10-11-7 6-10-6 0-2-13
Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 5-13-5 10-12-6 2-2-11
NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 8-13-2 8-14-5 0-1-7
Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 7-12-6 2-20-2 0-1-8
Western Conference
Central Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 14-5-5 18-6-3 4-1-8
Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 17-7-4 12-6-6 0-0-10
St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 15-8-5 11-11-2 2-2-7
Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 12-7-5 10-13-3 0-1-8
Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 10-12-6 10-9-3 1-1-9
Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 8-12-4 9-12-3 0-0-7
Pacific Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 12-5-10 12-7-6 1-2-16
Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 13-8-2 8-11-7 2-2-9
Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 9-11-4 9-12-5 1-1-9
San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 8-13-4 10-11-3 0-2-7
Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 8-14-4 9-11-5 2-3-9
Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 9-13-3 4-15-7 4-3-10
Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 6-14-4 6-16-4 0-3-8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL LEAGUE LEADERS Thru January 26, 1997
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(+) - ROOKIE
--- INDIVIDUAL SCORING LEADERS ---
PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
------------------ -------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ----
JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 22 38 60 9 32 4 0 7 1 154 14.3
PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 18 41 59 5 64 5 1 3 1 153 11.8
ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 48 23 35 58 11 86 7 0 3 0 159 14.5
JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 34 23 57 23 20 10 0 6 1 185 18.4
TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 36 20 56 10 22 7 0 6 3 189 19.0
PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 30 25 55 1- 28 8 3 4 0 201 14.9
JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 23 31 54 6 36 11 1 2 1 201 11.4
KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 32 21 53 13 119 8 0 7 1 165 19.4
PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 20 32 52 12- 26 10 0 2 3 131 15.3
RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 51 16 36 52 6 8 4 0 5 1 113 14.2
WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS 51 13 38 51 3- 12 1 0 3 1 141 9.2
PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 32 18 50 4 32 7 1 7 2 161 19.9
MARK RECCHI MONTREAL 51 24 26 50 17 23 6 0 4 0 133 18.0
JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES 49 14 36 50 12 36 3 0 2 1 107 13.1
ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 11 39 50 8 14 1 1 3 0 79 13.9
MATS SUNDIN TORONTO 49 23 25 48 2- 26 6 0 4 0 145 15.9
ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS 51 19 28 47 2- 20 4 0 0 1 143 13.3
THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 16 31 47 8 109 1 2 2 1 166 9.6
DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 51 18 28 46 2 42 7 0 3 0 128 14.1
MIKE MODANO DALLAS 39 17 29 46 20 20 7 3 2 0 149 11.4
JASON ALLISON BOSTON 49 17 29 46 17 29 2 0 6 1 81 21.0
TONY AMONTE CHICAGO 50 17 29 46 13 38 3 2 4 0 174 9.8
SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 16 30 46 6 70 12 0 1 0 99 16.2
DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 12 34 46 11 48 3 0 4 0 77 15.6
--- DEFENSEMEN SCORING LEADERS ---
PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S PCTG
------------------ -------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- -- ----
SCOTT NIEDERMAYER NEW JERSEY 50 8 31 39 12 16 6 0 1 0 110 7.3
SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 7 32 39 18 4 3 1 2 1 104 6.7
NICKLAS LIDSTROM DETROIT 51 14 24 38 12 16 5 1 1 1 129 10.9
STEVE DUCHESNE ST LOUIS 53 8 27 35 7 22 2 0 0 0 104 7.7
LARRY MURPHY DETROIT 52 6 29 35 24 23 1 0 2 0 72 8.3
DARRYL SYDOR DALLAS 49 10 24 34 23 30 4 1 1 0 106 9.4
BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 50 12 20 32 23- 18 7 0 2 1 156 7.7
DMITRI MIRONOV ANAHEIM 48 6 24 30 7- 56 2 0 1 0 110 5.5
KEVIN HATCHER PITTSBURGH 45 10 19 29 8- 46 7 1 2 1 92 10.9
AL MACINNIS ST LOUIS 44 13 15 28 3 40 5 1 2 0 144 9.0
TEPPO NUMMINEN PHOENIX 51 5 23 28 26 18 0 0 2 0 65 7.7
ROBERT SVEHLA FLORIDA 51 5 23 28 3 71 2 0 0 0 80 6.3
CHRIS CHELIOS CHICAGO 50 2 26 28 5 62 1 0 0 0 117 1.7
--- INDIVIDUAL LEADERS ---
-- GOAL SCORING -- -- ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP G NAME TEAM GP A
------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ------------ -- ---
TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 36 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 41
JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 34 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 39
PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 32 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 38
KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 32 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS 51 38
PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 30 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES 49 36
MARK RECCHI MONTREAL 51 24 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 51 36
ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 48 23 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 48 35
ROD BRIND'AMOUR PHILADELPHIA 49 23 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 34
MATS SUNDIN TORONTO 49 23 CRAIG JANNEY PHOENIX 51 34
ZIGMUND PALFFY NY ISLANDERS 51 23 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 47 32
JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 23 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 32
JOE NIEUWENDYK DALLAS 43 22 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 32
JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 22 SCOTT NIEDERMAYER NEW JERSEY 50 31
BOBBY HOLIK NEW JERSEY 50 22 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 31
ALEXEI YASHIN OTTAWA 51 22 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 31
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DETROIT 47 21 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 30
-- POWER PLAY GOALS -- -- SHORT HAND GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP PP NAME TEAM GP SH
----------------- ------------ -- -- ----------------- ------------ -- --
SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 12 MICHAEL PECA BUFFALO 34 3
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DETROIT 47 11 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 34 3
JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 11 MIKE MODANO DALLAS 39 3
JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 10 PAVOL DEMITRA ST LOUIS 43 3
PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 10 MARTIN STRAKA PITTSBURGH 44 3
STU BARNES PITTSBURGH 48 9 BOB CORKUM PHOENIX 50 3
BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 38 8 ROB ZAMUNER TAMPA BAY 50 3
BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 45 8 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 3
DMITRI KHRISTICH BOSTON 49 8
KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 8
PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 8
-- POWER PLAY ASSISTS -- -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP PPA NAME TEAM GP SHA
------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ------------ -- ---
JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 19 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER 46 5
DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 18 ANDREW CASSELS CALGARY 50 3
PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 17 CHRIS WELLS FLORIDA 50 3
ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS 51 17 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 3
SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 17 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 3
-- POWER PLAY POINTS -- -- SHORT HAND POINTS --
NAME TEAM GP PPP NAME TEAM GP SHP
------------ ------------ -- --- ----------------- ------------ -- ---
JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 23 MICHAEL PECA BUFFALO 34 5
PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 23 MIKE MODANO DALLAS 39 5
JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 23 MARTIN STRAKA PITTSBURGH 44 5
PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 22 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER 46 5
SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 21 ROB ZAMUNER TAMPA BAY 50 5
DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 21 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 5
ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS 51 21 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 5
DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 51 21 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 34 4
DARRYL SYDOR DALLAS 49 20 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 42 4
BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 50 20 TONY AMONTE CHICAGO 50 4
SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 20 CHRIS WELLS FLORIDA 50 4
ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 4
-- GAME WINNING GOALS -- -- GAME TYING GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP GW NAME TEAM GP GT
------------------ ------------ -- -- ------------------ ------------ -- --
PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 7 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 3
JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 7 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 3
LUC ROBITAILLE LOS ANGELES 49 7 ADAM DEADMARSH COLORADO 51 3
BOBBY HOLIK NEW JERSEY 50 7 RENE CORBET COLORADO 46 2
KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 7 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 2
JOE NIEUWENDYK DALLAS 43 6 CALLE JOHANSSON WASHINGTON 47 2
BRENDAN SHANAHAN DETROIT 47 6 RYAN SMYTH EDMONTON 48 2
ROD BRIND'AMOUR PHILADELPHIA 49 6 BRIAN NOONAN VANCOUVER 51 2
JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 6
JASON ALLISON BOSTON 49 6
TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 6
-- SHOTS --
NAME TEAM GP S
------------------ ------------ -- ---
PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 201
JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 201
TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 189
JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 185
ALEXEI YASHIN OTTAWA 51 177
CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO 52 177
TONY AMONTE CHICAGO 50 174
-- PLUS/MINUS --
NAME TEAM GP +/-
------------------ ------------ -- ---
CHRIS PRONGER ST LOUIS 53 27
TEPPO NUMMINEN PHOENIX 51 26
LARRY MURPHY DETROIT 52 24
DAINIUS ZUBRUS PHILADELPHIA 38 23
JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 23
DARRYL SYDOR DALLAS 49 23
RANDY MCKAY NEW JERSEY 50 23
--- GOALTENDING LEADERS ---
(MIN. 13 GPI)
-- GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE --
GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS GA AVG
------------------ -------------------- --- ---- --- -----
ED BELFOUR DALLAS 42 2486 76 1.83
MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 77 1.85
RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 25 1492 46 1.85
CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 86 2.03
TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 76 2.05
JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 31 1861 66 2.13
RON TUGNUTT OTTAWA 27 1461 52 2.14
-- WINS --
GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS W L T
------------------ -------------------- --- ---- -- -- --
MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 29 10 3
ED BELFOUR DALLAS 42 2486 26 7 8
CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 23 11 8
OLAF KOLZIG WASHINGTON 41 2454 22 10 7
TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 21 9 7
GRANT FUHR ST LOUIS 43 2485 20 16 6
PATRICK ROY COLORADO 42 2530 20 9 12
N. KHABIBULIN PHOENIX 46 2641 20 18 7
DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 43 2489 18 17 6
-- SAVE PERCENTAGE --
GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS GA SA SPCTG W L T
------------------ -------------------- --- ---- --- ---- ----- -- -- --
DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 43 2489 99 1296 .924 18 17 6
PATRICK ROY COLORADO 42 2530 96 1244 .923 20 9 12
RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 25 1492 46 597 .923 15 5 5
MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 77 989 .922 29 10 3
CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 86 1082 .921 23 11 8
TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 76 961 .921 21 9 7
JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 31 1861 66 821 .920 12 10 9
-- SHUTOUTS --
GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS SO W L T
------------------ -------------------- --- ---- -- -- -- --
ED BELFOUR DALLAS 42 2486 7 26 7 8
DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 43 2489 7 18 17 6
TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 6 21 9 7
BYRON DAFOE BOSTON 39 2177 5 16 16 6
CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 5 23 11 8
RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 25 1492 4 15 5 5
DAMIAN RHODES OTTAWA 29 1630 4 9 13 4
JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 31 1861 4 12 10 9
MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 4 29 10 3
N. KHABIBULIN PHOENIX 46 2641 4 20 18 7
--- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE SCORING LEADERS ---
PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
------------------ ------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ----
MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 11 22 33 0 12 5 0 0 1 86 12.8
PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 14 10 24 14 16 3 0 5 1 74 18.9
MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 7 16 23 1 22 1 0 3 0 79 8.9
SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 9 13 22 2- 6 3 0 0 0 89 10.1
RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 13 7 20 1- 26 2 0 2 0 115 11.3
MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 3 16 19 3- 46 0 0 0 0 115 2.6
PATRICK MARLEAU SAN JOSE 46 9 9 18 3- 12 1 0 0 0 58 15.5
VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 5 13 18 10- 17 4 0 0 0 60 8.3
DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 5 13 18 3- 41 3 1 0 1 76 6.6
STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 9 7 16 1- 22 3 0 2 0 44 20.5
--- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE LEADERS ---
-- GOAL SCORING -- -- ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP G NAME TEAM GP A
------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ------------ -- --
PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 14 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 22
RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 13 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 16
MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 11 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 16
STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 9 VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 13
PATRICK MARLEAU SAN JOSE 46 9 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 13
SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 9 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 13
ALEXEI MOROZOV PITTSBURGH 47 8 MAGNUS ARVEDSON OTTAWA 33 10
DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 7 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 10
DAVE SCATCHARD VANCOUVER 45 7 PER AXELSSON BOSTON 49 10
MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 7
-- POWER PLAY GOALS -- -- SHORT HAND GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP PP NAME TEAM GP SH
----------------- ------------ -- -- ------------------ ------------ -- --
MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 5 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 1
VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 4
DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 3
STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 3
PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 3
SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 3
DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 3
DONALD MACLEAN LOS ANGELES 22 2
RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 2
-- POWER PLAY ASSISTS -- -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS --
NAME TEAM GP PPA NAME TEAM GP SHA
------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ---------- -- ---
VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 5 JAMIE ALLISON CALGARY 28 2
MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 5 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 2
MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 5 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 2
CHRIS PHILLIPS OTTAWA 46 4 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 1
ERIC MESSIER COLORADO 48 4 JUHA YLONEN PHOENIX 43 1
MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 4
SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 4
-- POWER PLAY POINTS -- -- SHORT HAND POINTS --
NAME TEAM GP PPP NAME TEAM GP SHP
------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ----------- -- ---
MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 10 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 3
VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 9 JAMIE ALLISON CALGARY 28 2
SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 7 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 2
DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 6 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 1
DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 5 JUHA YLONEN PHOENIX 43 1
STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 5
PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 5
MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 5
MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 5
-- GAME WINNING GOALS -- -- GAME TYING GOALS --
NAME TEAM GP GW NAME TEAM GP GT
------------------ ------------ -- -- ------------------ ----------- -- --
PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 5 ESPEN KNUTSEN ANAHEIM 19 1
MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 3 STEVE MCKENNA LOS ANGELES 34 1
DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 2 JAN BULIS WASHINGTON 43 1
ANDERS ERIKSSON DETROIT 37 2 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 1
STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 2 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 1
RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 2 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 1
-- SHOTS --
NAME TEAM GP S
------------------ ------------ -- ---
RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 115
MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 115
PER AXELSSON BOSTON 49 99
SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 89
MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 86
-- PLUS/MINUS --
NAME TEAM GP +/-
------------------ ------------ -- ---
PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 14
ANDERS ERIKSSON DETROIT 37 13
BRAD BOMBARDIR NEW JERSEY 29 10
SHELDON SOURAY NEW JERSEY 31 10
CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME CHICAGO 43 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
RANDOM NHL STATS Thru January 26, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hat Tricks
1. Dave Gagner, FLA at PIT, Oct 4th, 1st season, 1st career.
2. Mark Recchi, MON at BOS, Oct 4th, 1st season, 3rd career.
3. Adam Oates, WAS at NYI, Oct 8th, 1st season, 7th career.
4. Brett Hull, STL vs LOS, Oct 9th, 1st season, 28th career.
5. Mike Modano, DAL vs CHI, Oct 10th, 1st season, 4th career.
6. John Leclair, PHI at MON, Oct 11th, 1st season, 7th career.
7. Wayne Gretzky, NYR at VAN, Oct 11th, 1st season, 50th career.
8. Cory Stillman, CGY at DET, Oct 12th, 1st season, 1st career.
9. Zigmund Palffy, NYI at SAN, Oct 16th, 1st season, 4th career.
10. Pavel Bure, VAN at DAL, Oct 21st, 1st season, 7th career.
11. Shawn Mceachern, OTT at TOR, Oct 22nd, 1st season, 2nd career.
12. Teemu Selanne, ANA at NYR, Oct 26th, 1st season, 12th career.
13. Yanic Perreault, LOS at DET, Oct 31st, 1st season, 1st career.
14. Joe Nieuwendyk, DAL at PIT, Nov 5th, 1st season, 11th career.
15. Vincent Damphousse, MON at LOS, Nov 8th, 1st season, 10th career.
16. Jason Dawe, BUF vs EDM, Nov 10th, 1st season, 2nd career.
17. Teemu Selanne, ANA vs SAN, Nov 10th, 2nd season, 13th career.
18. Yanic Perreault, LOS vs VAN, Nov 11th, 2nd season, 2nd career.
19. Sami Kapanen, CAR at EDM, Nov 12th, 1st season, 1st career.
20. Claude Lemieux, COL at WAS, Nov 18th, 1st season, 7th career.
21. Rob Zamuner, TAM vs NYR, Nov 19th, 1st season, 1st career.
22. Ray Sheppard, FLA vs BOS, Nov 26th, 1st season, 12th career.
23. Robert Reichel, NYI vs NYR, Nov 26th, 1st season, 1st career.
24. Keith Tkachuk, PHO at FLA, Dec 1st, 1st season, 5th career.
25. Derek King, TOR at STL, Dec 4th, 1st season, 7th career.
26. Pavel Bure, VAN at COL, Dec 6th, 2nd season, 8th career.
27. Steve Heinze, BOS vs CAR, Dec 6th, 1st season, 3rd career.
28. Eric Lindros, PHI vs NYI, Dec 11th, 1st season, 10th career.
29. Pavel Bure, VAN vs LOS, Dec 15th, 3rd season, 9th career.
30. Doug Brown, DET vs NJD, Dec 19th, 1st season, 1st career.
31. Keith Tkachuk, PHO at SAN, Dec 26th, 2nd season, 6th career.
32. Kirk Maltby, DET at TOR, Dec 27th, 1st season, 1st career.
33. Ron Francis, PIT vs NYI, Dec 29th, 1st season, 11th career.
34. Darryl Sydor, DAL at CAR, Jan 3rd, 1st season, 1st career.
35. Valeri Kamensky, COL at PIT, Jan 3rd, 1st season, 4th career.
36. x-Brian Savage, MON at NYI, Jan 8th, 1st season, 3rd career.
37. Jason Allison, BOS vs PHO, Jan 8th, 1st season, 1st career.
38. Peter Bondra, WAS at NYR, Jan 8th, 1st season, 10th career.
39. Alexei Yashin, OTT at COL, Jan 10th, 1st season, 2nd career.
40. Stu Barnes, PIT vs NJD, Jan 10th, 1st season, 1st career.
41. Paul Kariya, ANA vs FLA, Jan 21st, 1st season, 3rd career.
42. Marty Mcinnis, CGY vs VAN, Jan 24th, 1st season, 1st career.
Shutouts
1. Tommy Salo, NYI vs TOR, 3-0, Oct 4th, 28 saves, 1st season, 6th career.
2. Patrick Roy, COL at EDM, 3-0, Oct 5th, 34 saves, 1st season, 38th career.
3. Damian Rhodes, OTT at SAN, 1-0, Oct 7th, 23 saves, 1st season, 4th career.
4. Andy Moog, MON at PIT, 3-0, Oct 8th, 26 saves, 1st season, 26th career.
5. Chris Osgood, DET vs TAM, 3-0, Oct 10th, 29 saves, 1st season, 15th career.
6. Ed Belfour, DAL vs CHI, 7-0, Oct 10th, 14 saves, 1st season, 31st career.
7. Jim Carey, BOS at ANA, 3-0, Oct 13th, 27 saves, 1st season, 15th career.
8. Kirk Mclean, VAN vs EDM, 3-0, Oct 13th, 33 saves, 1st season, 20th career.
9. Tom Barrasso, PIT at NYR, 1-0, Oct 14th, 36 saves, 1st season, 25th career.
10. Olaf Kolzig, WAS at CHI, 2-0, Oct 15th, 30 saves, 1st season, 3rd career.
11. Ed Belfour, DAL vs FLA, 4-0, Oct 16th, 12 saves, 2nd season, 32nd career.
12. Grant Fuhr, STL at CHI, 2-0, Oct 17th, 28 saves, 1st season, 21st career.
13. Jim Carey, BOS at VAN, 2-0, Oct 17th, 32 saves, 2nd season, 16th career.
14. Byron Dafoe, BOS at CGY, 3-0, Oct 18th, 30 saves, 1st season, 2nd career.
15. Mike Dunham, NJD vs TAM, 5-0, Oct 18th, 27 saves, 1st season, 3rd career.
16. Chris Terreri, CHI at NYR, 1-0, Oct 22nd, 31 saves, 1st season, 8th career.
17. Jocelyn Thibault, MON vs FLA, 3-0, Oct 22nd, 26 saves, 1st season, 6th career.
18. Ed Belfour, DAL at CHI, 2-0, Oct 24th, 22 saves, 3rd season, 34th career.
19. Martin Brodeur, NJD at PHI, 5-0, Oct 27th, 20 saves, 1st season, 23rd career.
20. Chris Terreri, CHI vs VAN, 3-0, Oct 29th, 19 saves, 2nd season, 9th career.
21. Guy Hebert, ANA at BOS, 3-0, Oct 30th, 25 saves, 1st season, 14th career.
22. Grant Fuhr, STL vs SAN, 2-0, Nov 1st, 24 saves, 2nd season, 22nd career.
23. Mike Vernon, SAN vs TOR, 0-0, Nov 4th, 19 saves, 1st season, 14th career.
24. Stephane Fiset, LOS at NJD, 3-0, Nov 4th, 36 saves, 1st season, 11th career.
25. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs WAS, 2-0, Nov 6th, 21 saves, 2nd season, 3rd career.
26. Martin Brodeur, NJD vs BOS, 2-0, Nov 8th, 17 saves, 2nd season, 24th career.
27. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO at TOR, 3-0, Nov 8th, 25 saves, 1st season, 10th career.
28. Craig Billington, COL at DET, 2-0, Nov 11th, 32 saves, 1st season, 7th career.
29. Ron Hextall, PHI vs OTT, 1-0, Nov 11th, 16 saves, 1st season, 20th career.
30. Mark Fitzpatrick, FLA at NYI, 1-0, Nov 15th, 23 saves, 1st season, 7th career.
31. Tom Barrasso, PIT at TOR, 5-0, Nov 15th, 20 saves, 2nd season, 26th career.
32. Ed Belfour, DAL at ANA, 4-0, Nov 16th, 31 saves, 4th season, 35th career.
33. Jeff Hackett, CHI at ANA, 4-0, Nov 19th, 27 saves, 1st season, 7th career.
34. Curtis Joseph, EDM at STL, 3-0, Nov 20th, 22 saves, 1st season, 12th career.
35. Dominik Hasek, BUF at BOS, 5-0, Nov 20th, 29 saves, 1st season, 21st career.
36. Mike Vernon, SAN at PHI, 3-0, Nov 20th, 28 saves, 2nd season, 15th career.
37. Tom Barrasso, PIT at OTT, 2-0, Nov 20th, 27 saves, 3rd season, 27th career.
38. Curtis Joseph, EDM at OTT, 1-0, Nov 22nd, 26 saves, 2nd season, 13th career.
39. Ed Belfour, DAL at BOS, 2-0, Nov 22nd, 22 saves, 5th season, 36th career.
40. Guy Hebert, ANA at STL, 2-0, Nov 22nd, 23 saves, 2nd season, 15th career.
41. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO vs TOR, 2-0, Nov 22nd, 28 saves, 2nd season, 11th career.
42. Ed Belfour, DAL vs ANA, 5-0, Nov 24th, 13 saves, 6th season, 37th career.
43. Guy Hebert, ANA vs NJD, 2-0, Nov 26th, 29 saves, 3rd season, 16th career.
44. Chris Osgood, DET vs MON, 2-0, Nov 28th, 21 saves, 2nd season, 16th career.
45. Tom Barrasso, PIT at MON, 1-0, Dec 1st, 25 saves, 4th season, 28th career.
46. Byron Dafoe, BOS at PHI, 3-0, Dec 3rd, 20 saves, 3rd season, 8th career.
47. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs ANA, 4-0, Dec 3rd, 29 saves, 2nd season, 22nd career.
48. Jocelyn Thibault, MON vs LOS, 2-0, Dec 3rd, 36 saves, 2nd season,
7th career.
49. Martin Brodeur, NJD at PIT, 4-0, Dec 4th, 28 saves, 3rd season,
25th career.
50. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs TAM, 4-0, Dec 5th, 38 saves, 3rd season, 23rd career.
51. Ron Tugnutt, OTT vs BUF, 3-0, Dec 6th, 25 saves, 1st season, 6th career.
52. Tommy Salo, NYI vs PHO, 4-0, Dec 6th, 22 saves, 2nd season, 7th career.
53. Felix Potvin, TOR vs DAL, 3-0, Dec 8th, 19 saves, 1st season, 9th career.
54. Ed Belfour, DAL vs TAM, 3-0, Dec 10th, 12 saves, 7th season, 38th career.
55. Tom Barrasso, PIT at ANA, 3-0, Dec 10th, 28 saves, 5th season, 29th career.
56. Kelly Hrudey, SAN at DAL, 1-0, Dec 12th, 24 saves, 1st season, 17th career.
57. Martin Brodeur, NJD at TOR, 3-0, Dec 13th, 25 saves, 4th season,
26th career.
58. Ron Hextall, PHI vs TAM, 3-0, Dec 14th, 20 saves, 2nd season, 21st career.
59. Arturs Irbe, VAN vs LOS, 7-0, Dec 15th, 23 saves, 1st season, 12th career.
60. Corey Schwab, TAM vs BOS, 2-0, Dec 17th, 31 saves, 1st season, 4th career.
61. Curtis Joseph, EDM vs CHI, 0-0, Dec 17th, 28 saves, 3rd season,
14th career.
62. Jeff Hackett, CHI at EDM, 0-0, Dec 17th, 30 saves, 2nd season, 8th career.
63. Tommy Salo, NYI vs BUF, 4-0, Dec 17th, 28 saves, 3rd season, 8th career.
64. Arturs Irbe, VAN at SAN, 0-0, Dec 18th, 38 saves, 2nd season, 13th career.
65. John Vanbiesbrouck, FLA at WAS, 4-0, Dec 18th, 26 saves, 1st season,
26th career.
66. Mike Vernon, SAN vs VAN, 0-0, Dec 18th, 21 saves, 3rd season, 16th career.
67. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs MON, 1-0, Dec 19th, 42 saves, 4th season,
24th career.
68. Garth Snow, PHI vs FLA, 2-0, Dec 20th, 14 saves, 1st season, 3rd career.
69. Jeff Hackett, CHI at VAN, 5-0, Dec 20th, 20 saves, 3rd season, 9th career.
70. Dominik Hasek, BUF at NYR, 2-0, Dec 21st, 33 saves, 5th season,
25th career.
71. Jamie Storr, LOS at CHI, 1-0, Dec 22nd, 32 saves, 1st season, 1st career.
72. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs NYR, 3-0, Dec 26th, 28 saves, 6th season,
26th career.
73. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO at SAN, 4-0, Dec 26th, 30 saves, 3rd season,
12th career.
74. Andy Moog, MON at PIT, 1-0, Dec 27th, 19 saves, 2nd season, 27th career.
75. Ron Tugnutt, OTT at WAS, 3-0, Dec 27th, 31 saves, 2nd season, 7th career.
76. Jeff Hackett, CHI vs ANA, 2-0, Dec 28th, 27 saves, 4th season, 10th career.
77. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs OTT, 3-0, Dec 31st, 36 saves, 7th season,
27th career.
78. Ron Hextall, PHI at VAN, 8-0, Dec 31st, 27 saves, 3rd season, 22nd career.
79. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs OTT, 0-0, Jan 1st, 27 saves, 4th season, 9th career.
80. Damian Rhodes, OTT at BOS, 0-0, Jan 1st, 24 saves, 2nd season, 5th career.
81. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO vs LOS, 4-0, Jan 1st, 23 saves, 4th season,
13th career.
82. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs SAN, 3-0, Jan 3rd, 23 saves, 5th season, 10th career.
83. Kevin Hodson, DET vs PHO, 2-0, Jan 6th, 28 saves, 1st season, 3rd career.
84. Damian Rhodes, OTT at DAL, 2-0, Jan 7th, 34 saves, 3rd season, 6th career.
85. Chris Osgood, DET vs WAS, 2-0, Jan 11th, 15 saves, 3rd season, 17th career.
86. Olaf Kolzig, WAS vs OTT, 4-0, Jan 13th, 24 saves, 2nd season, 4th career.
87. Chris Osgood, DET vs VAN, 4-0, Jan 14th, 26 saves, 4th season, 18th career.
88. Patrick Roy, COL at ANA, 2-0, Jan 14th, 33 saves, 2nd season, 39th career.
89. Damian Rhodes, OTT at PIT, 0-0, Jan 20th, 23 saves, 4th season, 7th career.
90. Ron Hextall, PHI vs BUF, 3-0, Jan 20th, 29 saves, 4th season, 23rd career.
91. Tom Barrasso, PIT vs OTT, 0-0, Jan 20th, 35 saves, 6th season, 29th career.
92. Felix Potvin, TOR at DET, 3-0, Jan 21st, 28 saves, 2nd season, 10th career.
93. Felix Potvin, TOR at CHI, 3-0, Jan 22nd, 23 saves, 3rd season, 11th career.
94. Chris Osgood, DET vs PHI, 1-0, Jan 24th, 20 saves, 5th season, 19th career.
Penalty Shots
--- PENALTY SHOT SUMMARY ---
1. TRENT KLATT (PHI) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST J. VANBIESBROUCK (FLA)
GAME NO. 3, Oct 1. FINAL SCORE: FLA 1 AT PHI 3
2. ROB DIMAIO (BOS) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST ANDY MOOG (MTL)
GAME NO. 21, Oct 4. FINAL SCORE: MTL 4 AT BOS 1
3. JERE LEHTINEN (DAL) SCORED AGAINST DOMINIK HASEK (BUF)
GAME NO. 34, Oct 7. FINAL SCORE: DAL 4 AT BUF 2
4. DOUG WEIGHT (EDM) SCORED AGAINST MIKE RICHTER (NYR)
GAME NO. 43, Oct 8. FINAL SCORE: NYR 3 AT EDM 3
5. ROB ZAMUNER (T.B) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST CHRIS TERRERI (CHI)
GAME NO. 46, Oct 9. FINAL SCORE: T.B 4 AT CHI 1
6. MIKE KEANE (NYR) SCORED AGAINST COREY SCHWAB (T.B)
GAME NO. 129, Oct 24. FINAL SCORE: T.B 3 AT NYR 4
7. JOE SAKIC (COL) SCORED AGAINST TYLER MOSS (CGY)
GAME NO. 178, Nov 1. FINAL SCORE: CGY 3 AT COL 3
8. BRENDAN SHANAHAN (DET) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST TREVOR KIDD (CAR)
GAME NO. 191, Nov 5. FINAL SCORE: DET 1 AT CAR 3
9. PAVEL BURE (VAN) SCORED AGAINST MIKE VERNON (S.J)
GAME NO. 238, Nov 12. FINAL SCORE: VAN 5 AT S.J 2
10. JOE SACCO (ANA) SCORED AGAINST JOCELYN THIBAULT (MTL)
GAME NO. 239, Nov 12. FINAL SCORE: MTL 4 AT ANA 3
11. ALEXANDER MOGILNY (VAN) SCORED AGAINST CHRIS OSGOOD (DET)
GAME NO. 352, Dec 1. FINAL SCORE: DET 3 AT VAN 3
12. DINO CICCARELLI (T.B) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST N. KHABIBULIN (PHO)
GAME NO. 362, Dec 3. FINAL SCORE: PHO 1 AT T.B 2
13. STEVE HEINZE (BOS) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST COREY SCHWAB (T.B)
GAME NO. 438, Dec 17. FINAL SCORE: BOS 0 AT T.B 2
14. MATS SUNDIN (TOR) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST ANDREI TREFILOV (CHI)
GAME NO. 579, Jan 10. FINAL SCORE: CHI 4 AT TOR 3
15. ROBERT REICHEL (NYI) SCORED AGAINST ZAC BIERK (T.B)
GAME NO. 604, Jan 14. FINAL SCORE: NYI 7 AT T.B 1
16. PAUL KARIYA (ANA) SCORED AGAINST KEVIN WEEKES (FLA)
GAME NO. 629, Jan 21. FINAL SCORE: FLA 3 AT ANA 8
17. KEITH TKACHUK (PHO) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST BOB ESSENSA (EDM)
GAME NO. 647, Jan 24. FINAL SCORE: EDM 5 AT PHO 2
18. PAVEL BURE (VAN) SCORED AGAINST N. KHABIBULIN (PHO)
GAME NO. 659, Jan 26. FINAL SCORE: VAN 2 AT PHO 4
TOTAL SHOTS: 18
TOTAL GOALS: 10
(#) - CURRENT STREAK
--- CONSECUTIVE SCORING STREAKS ---
-- GOALS SCORED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --
GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO G
-- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- ---
11 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM Oct 21 Nov 10 17
7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Oct 07 Oct 22 7
6 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA Oct 11 Oct 23 8
6 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA Oct 29 Nov 08 7
6 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO Dec 13 Dec 27 7
6 ED OLCZYK PITTSBURGH Oct 19 Nov 01 6
6 KEITH PRIMEAU CAROLINA Dec 30 Jan 08 6
6 ANDREW BRUNETTE WASHINGTON Dec 29 Jan 09 6
5 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON Nov 09 Nov 18 7
5 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA Dec 27 Jan 08 7
5 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER Nov 22 Dec 01 7
5 RANDY MCKAY NEW JERSEY Dec 18 Dec 29 6
5 KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX Jan 09 Jan 21 6
5 DEREK KING TORONTO Jan 01 Jan 10 5
5 ALEXEI ZHAMNOV CHICAGO Dec 28 Jan 05 5
-- ASSISTS AWARDED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --
GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO A
-- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- ---
8 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON Nov 08 Nov 23 10
7 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL Oct 25 Nov 07 9
7 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS Oct 03 Oct 19 8
7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Oct 09 Oct 24 8
7 MIKE MODANO DALLAS Oct 25 Nov 07 7
6 ANSON CARTER BOSTON Oct 13 Oct 23 8
6 CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO Dec 15 Dec 29 6
6 DALLAS DRAKE PHOENIX Jan 09 Jan 24 6
5 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL Jan 07 Jan 21 11
5 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON Dec 29 Jan 08 8
5 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH Oct 17 Oct 25 7
5 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS Oct 26 Nov 05 7
5 PIERRE TURGEON ST LOUIS Dec 04 Dec 11 7
5 PAT VERBEEK DALLAS Oct 28 Nov 05 7
5 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER Nov 11 Nov 20 7
5 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER Nov 20 Nov 29 7
5 SERGEI NEMCHINOV NY ISLANDERS Nov 05 Nov 12 7
5 CRAIG JANNEY PHOENIX Dec 23 Jan 01 6
5 BRYAN SMOLINSKI NY ISLANDERS Dec 02 Dec 11 6
5 DEAN MCAMMOND EDMONTON Nov 05 Nov 12 6
5 RAY WHITNEY EDM-FLA Dec 01 Dec 12 6
5 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Nov 11 Nov 23 6
5 CRAIG JANNEY PHOENIX Oct 01 Oct 11 5
5 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON Jan 02 Jan 10 5
5 CHRIS GRATTON PHILADELPHIA Dec 05 Dec 15 5
5 NIKLAS SUNDSTROM NY RANGERS Oct 24 Nov 03 5
5 JASON ALLISON BOSTON Nov 12 Nov 19 5
-- POINTS GAINED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --
GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO G A PTS
-- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- --- ---
11 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM Oct 21 Nov 10 17 2 19
11 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON Nov 08 Nov 29 12 6 18
10 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER Nov 11 Dec 01 8 8 16
10 MARK MESSIER VANCOUVER Oct 30 Nov 20 5 9 14
9 ZIGMUND PALFFY NY ISLANDERS Oct 29 Nov 14 6 7 13
9 CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO Dec 15 Jan 03 4 7 11
9 GERMAN TITOV CALGARY Dec 01 Dec 18 6 3 9
8 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH Dec 06 Dec 26 7 8 15
8 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Oct 07 Oct 24 7 8 15
8 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL Oct 23 Nov 07 5 9 14
8 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON Nov 08 Nov 23 3 10 13
8 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Oct 01 Oct 17 5 8 13
8 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS Oct 24 Nov 12 3 8 11
7 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO Nov 18 Dec 02 5 11 16
7 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL Jan 02 Jan 21 4 11 15
7 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY Oct 11 Oct 30 2 10 12
7 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS Oct 03 Oct 19 4 8 12
7 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS Jan 06 Jan 24 5 6 11
7 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO Dec 12 Dec 27 7 4 11
7 BOBBY HOLIK NEW JERSEY Dec 06 Dec 19 4 6 10
7 JOE NIEUWENDYK DALLAS Oct 24 Nov 05 7 3 10
7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Nov 26 Dec 08 4 6 10
7 PAT VERBEEK DALLAS Oct 24 Nov 05 3 7 10
7 GEOFF COURTNALL ST LOUIS Dec 15 Dec 27 3 6 9
7 KEITH PRIMEAU CAROLINA Dec 27 Jan 08 6 3 9
7 BRYAN SMOLINSKI NY ISLANDERS Dec 02 Dec 16 2 7 9
7 ANSON CARTER BOSTON Oct 13 Oct 25 1 8 9
7 MIKE MODANO DALLAS Oct 25 Nov 07 1 7 8
7 PAT VERBEEK DALLAS Dec 15 Dec 31 2 6 8
7 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Nov 06 Nov 23 1 7 8
7 RAY WHITNEY EDM-FLA Nov 06 Nov 20 4 3 7
--- CURRENT SCORING STREAKS ---
-- POINTS GAINED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --
GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO G A PTS
-- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- --- ---
6 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Jan 10 Jan 24 2 7 9
6 +SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON Jan 08 Jan 25 4 4 8
6 VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV LOS ANGELES Jan 10 Jan 24 3 4 7
5 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON Jan 13 Jan 26 5 3 8
5 ANDREW BRUNETTE WASHINGTON Jan 13 Jan 26 4 4 8
-- ASSISTS AWARDED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --
GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO A
-- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- ---
NONE
--- TEAM STREAKS ---
CONSECUTIVE WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
8 NEW JERSEY NOV. 5 NOV. 20
7 ST LOUIS OCT. 3 OCT. 18
7 MONTREAL NOV. 1 NOV. 13
7 DALLAS NOV. 22 DEC. 5
6 PITTSBURGH NOV. 20 DEC. 1
6 NEW JERSEY DEC. 4 DEC. 16
6 EDMONTON JAN. 7 JAN. 20
5 BOSTON OCT. 13 OCT. 21
5 CHICAGO OCT. 29 NOV. 8
5 COLORADO NOV. 28 DEC. 6
5 BOSTON DEC. 3 DEC. 15
5 DETROIT DEC. 19 DEC. 27
5 PHOENIX DEC. 26 JAN. 3
5 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 26 #
CONSECUTIVE UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES
GM TEAM W T FROM TO
-- -------------------- -- -- ------- -------
10 COLORADO 6 4 DEC. 13 JAN. 3
10 DALLAS 7 3 DEC. 15 JAN. 5
8 ST LOUIS 7 1 OCT. 3 OCT. 20
8 NEW JERSEY 8 0 NOV. 5 NOV. 20
8 PITTSBURGH 7 1 NOV. 15 DEC. 1
8 PHILADELPHIA 6 2 DEC. 5 DEC. 23
8 DETROIT 6 2 DEC. 17 DEC. 31
7 COLORADO 5 2 OCT. 1 OCT. 15
7 MONTREAL 7 0 NOV. 1 NOV. 13
7 DALLAS 7 0 NOV. 22 DEC. 5
7 NEW JERSEY 6 1 DEC. 4 DEC. 18
7 SAN JOSE 5 2 DEC. 4 DEC. 21
7 BOSTON 4 3 DEC. 31 JAN. 14
6 DETROIT 5 1 OCT. 1 OCT. 14
6 PITTSBURGH 5 1 OCT. 11 OCT. 22
6 BOSTON 5 1 OCT. 13 OCT. 23
6 DETROIT 5 1 OCT. 18 OCT. 29
6 CHICAGO 5 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 10
6 PHILADELPHIA 4 2 OCT. 31 NOV. 11
6 DETROIT 5 1 NOV. 21 DEC. 3
6 COLORADO 5 1 NOV. 26 DEC. 6
6 PITTSBURGH 3 3 DEC. 6 DEC. 19
6 PHOENIX 5 1 DEC. 23 JAN. 3
6 CHICAGO 4 2 DEC. 26 JAN. 5
6 FLORIDA 3 3 DEC. 26 JAN. 4
6 EDMONTON 6 0 JAN. 7 JAN. 20
5 NY RANGERS 1 4 OCT. 3 OCT. 11
5 OTTAWA 4 1 OCT. 15 OCT. 23
5 ST LOUIS 4 1 OCT. 23 NOV. 1
5 DALLAS 4 1 OCT. 24 NOV. 2
5 NY ISLANDERS 4 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 7
5 BOSTON 5 0 DEC. 3 DEC. 15
5 MONTREAL 4 1 DEC. 27 JAN. 3
5 DETROIT 3 2 JAN. 6 JAN. 14
5 COLORADO 2 3 JAN. 8 JAN. 15
5 DALLAS 5 0 JAN. 12 JAN. 26 #
5 LOS ANGELES 4 1 JAN. 12 JAN. 24 #
5 WASHINGTON 4 1 JAN. 13 JAN. 26 #
CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
7 ST LOUIS OCT. 3 OCT. 25
7 DALLAS NOV. 19 DEC. 10
5 NEW JERSEY DEC. 6 DEC. 26
5 WASHINGTON JAN. 6 JAN. 25 #
4 OTTAWA OCT. 4 OCT. 19
4 NEW JERSEY OCT. 8 OCT. 23
4 CHICAGO OCT. 29 NOV. 6
4 NEW JERSEY NOV. 8 NOV. 20
4 DETROIT NOV. 21 DEC. 9
4 PITTSBURGH NOV. 22 NOV. 29
4 BUFFALO DEC. 3 DEC. 19
4 EDMONTON JAN. 7 JAN. 20 #
4 NEW JERSEY JAN. 7 JAN. 20
3 WASHINGTON OCT. 3 OCT. 11
3 PHILADELPHIA OCT. 9 OCT. 23
3 DALLAS OCT. 10 OCT. 16
3 PHOENIX OCT. 26 NOV. 11
3 MONTREAL NOV. 1 NOV. 5
3 PHOENIX NOV. 17 NOV. 25
3 COLORADO DEC. 2 DEC. 15
3 ST LOUIS DEC. 4 DEC. 8
3 BOSTON DEC. 6 DEC. 13
3 NY RANGERS DEC. 23 JAN. 6
3 DETROIT JAN. 6 JAN. 14
3 LOS ANGELES JAN. 12 JAN. 22 #
3 BUFFALO JAN. 15 JAN. 23 #
CONSECUTIVE HOME TIES - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
NONE
CONSECUTIVE HOME UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES
GM TEAM W T FROM TO
-- -------------------- -- -- ------- -------
9 ST LOUIS 8 1 OCT. 3 NOV. 1
8 COLORADO 4 4 OCT. 1 NOV. 1
8 DALLAS 7 1 NOV. 12 DEC. 10
8 TAMPA BAY 4 4 NOV. 19 DEC. 22
8 COLORADO 5 3 DEC. 2 DEC. 31
8 PHILADELPHIA 6 2 DEC. 11 JAN. 26 #
5 OTTAWA 4 1 OCT. 4 OCT. 23
5 CHICAGO 4 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 10
5 PITTSBURGH 4 1 NOV. 19 NOV. 29
5 BUFFALO 4 1 NOV. 28 DEC. 19
5 NEW JERSEY 5 0 DEC. 6 DEC. 26
5 PHOENIX 3 2 DEC. 23 JAN. 14
5 BUFFALO 4 1 DEC. 31 JAN. 23 #
5 BOSTON 3 2 JAN. 1 JAN. 14 #
5 WASHINGTON 5 0 JAN. 6 JAN. 25 #
CONSECUTIVE ROAD WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
6 DETROIT OCT. 1 OCT. 26
6 BOSTON OCT. 13 NOV. 2
5 MONTREAL OCT. 25 NOV. 13
5 NEW JERSEY OCT. 27 NOV. 15
5 PITTSBURGH NOV. 15 DEC. 10
5 CHICAGO DEC. 20 JAN. 14
5 MONTREAL DEC. 31 JAN. 12
4 FLORIDA OCT. 25 NOV. 22
4 WASHINGTON NOV. 12 NOV. 23
4 SAN JOSE DEC. 4 DEC. 21
4 PHOENIX DEC. 19 DEC. 29
3 COLORADO OCT. 3 OCT. 15
3 MONTREAL OCT. 4 OCT. 17
3 PITTSBURGH OCT. 17 OCT. 22
3 OTTAWA OCT. 22 OCT. 30
3 DALLAS OCT. 24 OCT. 29
3 CAROLINA OCT. 26 NOV. 13
3 PHILADELPHIA NOV. 3 NOV. 14
3 DALLAS NOV. 5 NOV. 16
3 VANCOUVER NOV. 25 NOV. 29
3 COLORADO NOV. 28 DEC. 4
3 DALLAS DEC. 18 DEC. 23
3 DETROIT DEC. 22 DEC. 27
3 PHILADELPHIA DEC. 30 JAN. 3
3 ST LOUIS JAN. 6 JAN. 10
3 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 24 #
CONSECUTIVE ROAD UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES
GM TEAM W T FROM TO
-- -------------------- -- -- ------- -------
8 MONTREAL 6 2 DEC. 27 JAN. 14 #
7 PITTSBURGH 5 2 NOV. 15 DEC. 19
6 DETROIT 6 0 OCT. 1 OCT. 26
6 BOSTON 6 0 OCT. 13 NOV. 2
6 FLORIDA 4 2 OCT. 23 NOV. 30
6 CHICAGO 5 1 DEC. 17 JAN. 14
6 DALLAS 5 1 DEC. 18 JAN. 5
5 PITTSBURGH 4 1 OCT. 14 OCT. 22
5 ANAHEIM 3 2 OCT. 21 OCT. 30
5 MONTREAL 5 0 OCT. 25 NOV. 13
5 NEW JERSEY 5 0 OCT. 27 NOV. 15
5 NY ISLANDERS 4 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 19
5 VANCOUVER 4 1 NOV. 12 NOV. 29
5 COLORADO 3 2 NOV. 18 DEC. 4
5 PHILADELPHIA 3 2 NOV. 26 DEC. 15
5 PHOENIX 4 1 DEC. 10 DEC. 29
5 COLORADO 4 1 DEC. 13 JAN. 14
--- CURRENT TEAM STREAKS ---
CONSECUTIVE WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
5 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 26
3 PITTSBURGH JAN. 22 JAN. 26
CONSECUTIVE UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES
GM TEAM W T FROM TO
-- -------------------- -- -- ------- -------
5 DALLAS 5 0 JAN. 12 JAN. 26
5 LOS ANGELES 4 1 JAN. 12 JAN. 24
5 WASHINGTON 4 1 JAN. 13 JAN. 26
CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
5 WASHINGTON JAN. 6 JAN. 25
4 EDMONTON JAN. 7 JAN. 20
3 LOS ANGELES JAN. 12 JAN. 22
3 BUFFALO JAN. 15 JAN. 23
CONSECUTIVE HOME UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES
GM TEAM W T FROM TO
-- -------------------- -- -- ------- -------
8 PHILADELPHIA 6 2 DEC. 11 JAN. 26
5 BUFFALO 4 1 DEC. 31 JAN. 23
5 BOSTON 3 2 JAN. 1 JAN. 14
5 WASHINGTON 5 0 JAN. 6 JAN. 25
CONSECUTIVE ROAD WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES
GM TEAM FROM TO
-- -------------------- ------- -------
3 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 24
CONSECUTIVE ROAD UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES
GM TEAM W T FROM TO
-- -------------------- -- -- ------- -------
8 MONTREAL 6 2 DEC. 27 JAN. 14
--- DURACELL POWER PLAY REPORT ---
(ADV) TOTAL ADVANTAGES (PPGF) POWER-PLAY GOALS FOR
(PCTG) ARRIVED BY DIVIDING NUMBER OF POWER-PLAY GOALS
BY TOTAL ADVANTAGES
-------- HOME --------- -------- ROAD --------- ------- OVER ALL -------
TEAM GP ADV PPGF PCTG TEAM GP ADV PPGF PCTG TEAM GP ADV PPGF PCTG
1 N.J 27 102 24 23.5 MTL 25 113 26 23.0 DAL 52 237 49 20.7
2 DAL 25 112 23 20.5 DAL 27 125 26 20.8 N.J 50 196 38 19.4
3 PIT 24 116 23 19.8 PHI 24 105 21 20.0 MTL 51 220 42 19.1
4 NYR 29 127 25 19.7 COL 25 115 23 20.0 NYR 51 218 40 18.3
5 BUF 23 104 18 17.3 DET 24 98 18 18.4 PHI 49 232 41 17.7
6 STL 28 133 23 17.3 CHI 22 89 16 18.0 COL 53 248 44 17.7
7 WSH 24 89 15 16.9 CAR 22 96 17 17.7 PIT 51 236 39 16.5
8 NYI 23 110 18 16.4 S.J 24 94 16 17.0 WSH 51 196 32 16.3
9 COL 28 133 21 15.8 BOS 27 102 17 16.7 DET 52 217 35 16.1
10 PHI 25 127 20 15.7 NYR 22 91 15 16.5 CAR 51 223 35 15.7
11 TOR 24 98 15 15.3 VAN 27 111 18 16.2 BOS 49 197 30 15.2
12 MTL 26 107 16 15.0 L.A 26 87 14 16.1 NYI 51 227 34 15.0
13 OTT 25 108 16 14.8 EDM 27 137 22 16.1 EDM 51 271 39 14.4
14 FLA 23 112 16 14.3 WSH 27 107 17 15.9 STL 53 217 31 14.3
15 DET 28 119 17 14.3 PHO 26 110 17 15.5 BUF 48 218 31 14.2
16 CAR 29 127 18 14.2 N.J 23 94 14 14.9 L.A 49 199 28 14.1
17 BOS 22 95 13 13.7 NYI 28 117 16 13.7 FLA 51 241 33 13.7
18 EDM 24 134 17 12.7 PIT 27 120 16 13.3 PHO 51 225 29 12.9
19 L.A 23 112 14 12.5 FLA 28 129 17 13.2 OTT 51 212 27 12.7
20 CGY 25 106 13 12.3 ANA 25 110 14 12.7 S.J 49 223 28 12.6
21 T.B 25 114 13 11.4 CGY 26 101 12 11.9 CHI 50 212 26 12.3
22 PHO 25 115 12 10.4 BUF 25 114 13 11.4 VAN 51 220 27 12.3
23 ANA 26 119 12 10.1 OTT 26 104 11 10.6 CGY 51 207 25 12.1
24 S.J 25 129 12 9.3 STL 25 84 8 9.5 TOR 49 208 25 12.0
25 VAN 24 109 9 8.3 TOR 25 110 10 9.1 ANA 51 229 26 11.4
26 CHI 28 123 10 8.1 T.B 25 102 8 7.8 T.B 50 216 21 9.7
658 2980 433 14.5 658 2765 422 15.3 658 5745 855 14.9
--- TEAMS' PENALTY KILLING RECORD ---
(TSH) TOTAL TIMES SHORT-HANDED (PPGA) POWER-PLAY GOALS AGAINST
(PCTG) ARRIVED BY DIVIDING -TIMES SHORT MINUS POWER-PLAY GOALS AGAINST-
BY TIMES SHORT
-------- HOME --------- -------- ROAD --------- ------- OVER ALL ------
TEAM GP TSH PPGA PCTG TEAM GP TSH PPGA PCTG TEAM GP TSH PPGA PCTG
1 PHI 25 102 7 93.1 PIT 27 105 9 91.4 DET 52 226 23 89.8
2 BUF 23 104 9 91.3 CHI 22 92 8 91.3 WSH 51 211 24 88.6
3 DET 28 122 11 91.0 DAL 27 109 10 90.8 DAL 52 210 24 88.6
4 WSH 24 87 10 88.5 TOR 25 109 12 89.0 PHI 49 217 26 88.0
5 NYR 29 115 15 87.0 ANA 25 117 13 88.9 TOR 49 205 25 87.8
6 PHO 25 120 16 86.7 WSH 27 124 14 88.7 CHI 50 206 26 87.4
7 TOR 24 96 13 86.5 BOS 27 88 10 88.6 COL 53 239 30 87.4
8 COL 28 117 16 86.3 DET 24 104 12 88.5 BOS 49 157 20 87.3
9 N.J 27 87 12 86.2 COL 25 122 14 88.5 PIT 51 200 26 87.0
10 DAL 25 101 14 86.1 S.J 24 121 14 88.4 STL 53 221 30 86.4
11 NYI 23 100 14 86.0 STL 25 94 11 88.3 NYI 51 231 33 85.7
12 MTL 26 107 15 86.0 OTT 26 97 14 85.6 PHO 51 246 36 85.4
13 BOS 22 69 10 85.5 NYI 28 131 19 85.5 NYR 51 226 33 85.4
14 CAR 29 129 19 85.3 L.A 26 118 18 84.7 N.J 50 180 27 85.0
15 STL 28 127 19 85.0 CGY 26 131 20 84.7 OTT 51 176 27 84.7
16 CGY 25 109 17 84.4 FLA 28 137 21 84.7 CGY 51 240 37 84.6
17 CHI 28 114 18 84.2 T.B 25 115 18 84.3 ANA 51 227 35 84.6
18 OTT 25 79 13 83.5 PHO 26 126 20 84.1 CAR 51 243 39 84.0
19 PIT 24 95 17 82.1 N.J 23 93 15 83.9 S.J 49 240 39 83.8
20 L.A 23 116 21 81.9 NYR 22 111 18 83.8 MTL 51 230 38 83.5
21 EDM 24 109 20 81.7 PHI 24 115 19 83.5 L.A 49 234 39 83.3
22 VAN 24 116 22 81.0 EDM 27 126 21 83.3 EDM 51 235 41 82.6
23 ANA 26 110 22 80.0 CAR 22 114 20 82.5 T.B 50 235 43 81.7
24 T.B 25 120 25 79.2 MTL 25 123 23 81.3 BUF 48 234 43 81.6
25 S.J 25 119 25 79.0 VAN 27 128 26 79.7 FLA 51 232 43 81.5
26 FLA 23 95 22 76.8 BUF 25 130 34 73.8 VAN 51 244 48 80.3
658 2765 422 84.7 658 2980 433 85.5 658 5745 855 85.1
--- SHORT HAND GOALS FOR ---
--- HOME --- --- ROAD --- - OVER ALL -
TEAM GP SHGF TEAM GP SHGF TEAM GP SHGF
1 CGY 25 8 FLA 28 8 CGY 51 11
2 MTL 26 6 CHI 22 6 CHI 50 9
3 T.B 25 5 DAL 27 6 FLA 51 9
4 STL 28 5 VAN 27 5 VAN 51 9
5 BUF 23 4 ANA 25 4 STL 53 9
6 PIT 24 4 STL 25 4 PIT 51 8
7 WSH 24 4 WSH 27 4 WSH 51 8
8 VAN 24 4 PIT 27 4 DAL 52 8
9 COL 28 4 OTT 26 3 MTL 51 7
10 NYI 23 3 CGY 26 3 BUF 48 6
11 PHO 25 3 CAR 22 2 T.B 50 6
12 CHI 28 3 DET 24 2 ANA 51 6
13 CAR 29 3 S.J 24 2 CAR 51 5
14 EDM 24 2 BUF 25 2 PHO 51 5
15 PHI 25 2 PHO 26 2 NYI 51 5
16 S.J 25 2 NYI 28 2 S.J 49 4
17 DAL 25 2 N.J 23 1 OTT 51 4
18 ANA 26 2 PHI 24 1 DET 52 4
19 DET 28 2 MTL 25 1 COL 53 4
20 BOS 22 1 TOR 25 1 PHI 49 3
21 L.A 23 1 T.B 25 1 TOR 49 2
22 FLA 23 1 NYR 22 0 N.J 50 2
23 TOR 24 1 COL 25 0 EDM 51 2
24 OTT 25 1 L.A 26 0 L.A 49 1
25 N.J 27 1 EDM 27 0 BOS 49 1
26 NYR 29 0 BOS 27 0 NYR 51 0
658 74 658 64 658 138
--- SHORT HAND GOALS AGAINST ---
--- HOME --- --- ROAD --- - OVER ALL -
TEAM GP SHGA TEAM GP SHGA TEAM GP SHGA
1 CHI 28 0 L.A 26 0 PHO 51 1
2 PHI 25 0 S.J 24 0 S.J 49 1
3 PHO 25 0 WSH 27 1 BOS 49 1
4 BOS 22 0 BOS 27 1 STL 53 2
5 STL 28 1 PHO 26 1 WSH 51 2
6 COL 28 1 STL 25 1 PHI 49 2
7 S.J 25 1 EDM 27 2 EDM 51 3
8 WSH 24 1 PIT 27 2 CHI 50 3
9 EDM 24 1 CGY 26 2 MTL 51 4
10 DET 28 2 MTL 25 2 COL 53 5
11 MTL 26 2 PHI 24 2 DET 52 5
12 OTT 25 2 N.J 23 2 CAR 51 5
13 DAL 25 2 CAR 22 2 DAL 52 6
14 FLA 23 2 ANA 25 3 CGY 51 6
15 CAR 29 3 DET 24 3 N.J 50 6
16 T.B 25 3 CHI 22 3 L.A 49 6
17 TOR 24 3 NYI 28 4 OTT 51 7
18 VAN 24 3 DAL 27 4 ANA 51 7
19 BUF 23 3 COL 25 4 T.B 50 7
20 NYR 29 4 T.B 25 4 PIT 51 8
21 N.J 27 4 VAN 27 5 FLA 51 8
22 ANA 26 4 OTT 26 5 VAN 51 8
23 CGY 25 4 BUF 25 5 TOR 49 8
24 PIT 24 6 TOR 25 5 BUF 48 8
25 NYI 23 6 NYR 22 5 NYR 51 9
26 L.A 23 6 FLA 28 6 NYI 51 10
658 64 658 74 658 138
--- TEAMS' OVERTIME RECORDS ---
-------- HOME --------- -------- ROAD --------- ------- OVERALL -------
GP W L T PTS PCTG GP W L T PTS PCTG GP W L T PTS PCTG
--- -- -- --- --- ----- --- -- -- --- --- ----- --- -- -- --- --- -----
BUF 4 1 0 3 5 .625 7 2 0 5 9 .643 11 3 0 8 14 .636
WSH 5 1 0 4 6 .600 7 2 0 5 9 .643 12 3 0 9 15 .625
DAL 6 1 0 5 7 .583 7 3 1 3 9 .643 13 4 1 8 16 .615
BOS 5 0 0 5 5 .500 6 2 0 4 8 .667 11 2 0 9 13 .591
PIT 8 2 1 5 9 .563 5 1 0 4 6 .600 13 3 1 9 15 .577
OTT 2 1 0 1 3 .750 7 0 0 7 7 .500 9 1 0 8 10 .556
PHI 4 0 0 4 4 .500 6 1 0 5 7 .583 10 1 0 9 11 .550
CGY 8 4 1 3 11 .688 9 0 2 7 7 .389 17 4 3 10 18 .529
COL 12 1 1 10 12 .500 8 1 1 6 8 .500 20 2 2 16 20 .500
FLA 7 1 1 5 7 .500 8 1 1 6 8 .500 15 2 2 11 15 .500
L.A 4 1 1 2 4 .500 9 1 1 7 9 .500 13 2 2 9 13 .500
STL 8 2 1 5 9 .563 3 0 1 2 2 .333 11 2 2 7 11 .500
CHI 6 0 0 6 6 .500 5 1 1 3 5 .500 11 1 1 9 11 .500
DET 4 0 0 4 4 .500 6 0 0 6 6 .500 10 0 0 10 10 .500
TOR 4 0 0 4 4 .500 3 0 0 3 3 .500 7 0 0 7 7 .500
ANA 6 1 1 4 6 .500 8 1 2 5 7 .438 14 2 3 9 13 .464
MTL 7 1 1 5 7 .500 5 1 2 2 4 .400 12 2 3 7 11 .458
EDM 5 0 1 4 4 .400 7 1 1 5 7 .500 12 1 2 9 11 .458
CAR 6 0 1 5 5 .417 3 1 1 1 3 .500 9 1 2 6 8 .444
T.B 7 0 1 6 6 .429 2 0 0 2 2 .500 9 0 1 8 8 .444
PHO 6 0 1 5 5 .417 3 0 0 3 3 .500 9 0 1 8 8 .444
NYR 9 0 1 8 8 .444 7 0 1 6 6 .429 16 0 2 14 14 .438
NYI 3 0 1 2 2 .333 5 0 0 5 5 .500 8 0 1 7 7 .438
S.J 5 0 1 4 4 .400 4 0 1 3 3 .375 9 0 2 7 7 .389
N.J 3 1 2 0 2 .333 5 0 1 4 4 .400 8 1 3 4 6 .375
VAN 6 0 2 4 4 .333 5 0 1 4 4 .400 11 0 3 8 8 .364
TOT 150 18 19 113 149 .497 150 19 18 113 151 .503 150 37 37 113 300 1.000
LGM DATE SCORED BY TEAM TIME FINAL SCORE
---- ------- -------------------- -------------------- ---- ----------------
42 Oct 8 TED DONATO BOSTON 2:09 BOS 3 AT PHO 2
47 Oct 9 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 3:16 L.A 2 AT STL 3
70 Oct 13 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 1:49 PHI 3 AT S.J 2
74 Oct 14 DAVE REID DALLAS 1:17 CGY 4 AT DAL 5
90 Oct 17 MICHAEL NYLANDER CALGARY 4:40 COL 5 AT CGY 6
105 Oct 19 TODD MARCHANT EDMONTON 3:05 EDM 3 AT L.A 2
124 Oct 23 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 4:43 MTL 1 AT N.J 2
140 Oct 25 KEVIN HATCHER PITTSBURGH 0:41 PIT 3 AT VAN 2
167 Oct 31 JASON DAWE BUFFALO 3:21 BUF 3 AT CAR 2
172 Nov 1 ROB BROWN PITTSBURGH 3:52 VAN 6 AT PIT 7
176 Nov 1 DIXON WARD BUFFALO 1:14 BUF 4 AT FLA 3
208 Nov 7 SCOTT YOUNG ANAHEIM 3:34 ANA 4 AT CGY 3
239 Nov 12 VALERI BURE MONTREAL 4:07 MTL 4 AT ANA 3
294 Nov 22 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 0:25 NYR 3 AT PIT 4
298 Nov 22 ED JOVANOVSKI FLORIDA 4:08 FLA 2 AT N.J 1
303 Nov 22 GREG JOHNSON CHICAGO 1:22 CHI 5 AT VAN 4
309 Nov 23 LUC ROBITAILLE LOS ANGELES 2:43 L.A 2 AT COL 1
343 Nov 29 SANDY MCCARTHY CALGARY 1:36 ANA 2 AT CGY 3
351 Dec 1 GERMAN TITOV CALGARY 1:22 S.J 2 AT CGY 3
354 Dec 2 JOE JUNEAU WASHINGTON 3:45 WSH 3 AT NYR 2
373 Dec 5 JEFF TOMS WASHINGTON 3:32 FLA 2 AT WSH 3
383 Dec 6 GEOFF COURTNALL ST LOUIS 4:38 CGY 3 AT STL 4
395 Dec 10 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL 0:55 STL 3 AT MTL 4
406 Dec 12 MATTHEW BARNABY BUFFALO 4:45 CAR 2 AT BUF 3
435 Dec 16 MICHAEL NYLANDER CALGARY 3:42 CHI 3 AT CGY 4
463 Dec 20 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 1:07 DAL 2 AT EDM 1
474 Dec 23 +CHRIS PHILLIPS OTTAWA 3:51 MTL 3 AT OTT 4
526 Jan 1 ROB NIEDERMAYER FLORIDA 1:53 N.J 1 AT FLA 2
536 Jan 3 VALERI KAMENSKY COLORADO 3:04 COL 5 AT PIT 4
548 Jan 5 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 0:34 DAL 4 AT N.J 3
557 Jan 7 STEVE HEINZE BOSTON 3:13 BOS 2 AT MTL 1
578 Jan 10 +JON BATTAGLIA CAROLINA 1:59 CAR 2 AT NYI 1
588 Jan 11 JOE SACCO ANAHEIM 3:38 DAL 1 AT ANA 2
598 Jan 12 RAY FERRARO LOS ANGELES 2:04 ANA 2 AT L.A 3
607 Jan 14 GRANT MARSHALL DALLAS 0:57 DAL 2 AT STL 1
624 Jan 21 KELLY MILLER WASHINGTON 3:32 WSH 3 AT T.B 2
658 Jan 26 ERIC LACROIX COLORADO 1:49 EDM 1 AT COL 2
SUSPENSIONS:
Date Player/Team/Length Opponent Reason
Oct 15 Kevin Lowe Vancouver High-sticking
Edmonton Gino Odjick
3 games
Nov 4 Doug MacLean Buffalo Verbally abusing
Florida coach officials
2 games
Nov 9 Chris Simon Edmonton Uttering racial
Washington slur at
3 games Mike Grier
Nov 25 Craig Berube Florida Uttering racial
Washington slur at
1 game Peter Worrell
Dec 1 Kirk Muller NY Rangers High-sticking
Florida Niklas Sundstrom
2 games
Dec 5 Bryan Marchment Dallas Kneeing
Edmonton Mike Modano
3 games
Dec 22 Ted Donato NY Islanders High-sticking
Boston Rich Pilon
3 games
Jan 11 Mattias Norstrom Edmonton Boarding
Los Kings Tony Hrkac
1 game
Jan 21 Rick Toccet Edmonton Kneeing
Phoenix Ryan Smyth
2 games
Jan 24 Tony Granato Edmonton High Sticking/tripping
San Jose Drew Bannister
2 games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997-98 NHL Statistics Through January 25, 1998
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEAM P NO PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
ANA R 8 TEEMU SELANNE 51 36 20 56 10 22 7 0 6 3 189 19.0
ANA D 15 DMITRI MIRONOV 48 6 24 30 -7 56 2 0 1 0 110 5.5
ANA L 9 PAUL KARIYA 19 14 14 28 12 6 3 0 2 1 92 15.2
ANA C 20 STEVE RUCCHIN 43 8 20 28 11 6 2 1 0 0 67 11.9
ANA R 48 SCOTT YOUNG 44 6 12 18 -15 18 2 1 1 0 102 5.9
ANA R 14 JOE SACCO 51 8 9 17 -2 22 0 2 2 0 81 9.9
ANA D 36 J.J. DAIGNEAULT 49 2 14 16 -7 26 1 0 1 0 67 3.0
ANA R 17 TOMAS SANDSTROM 51 6 7 13 -19 42 2 1 0 1 96 6.3
ANA C 10 SEAN PRONGER 45 2 9 11 -8 20 1 0 1 0 46 4.3
ANA L 16 WARREN RYCHEL 46 5 5 10 -5 150 1 0 0 0 45 11.1
ANA C 13 TED DRURY 47 5 5 10 -8 46 0 1 0 0 77 6.5
ANA C 12 KEVIN TODD 24 4 6 10 -2 10 3 0 1 0 26 15.4
ANA C 45 *MATT CULLEN 30 1 9 10 3 6 0 0 0 0 20 5.0
ANA D 24 RUSLAN SALEI 38 4 5 9 7 38 1 0 0 1 59 6.8
ANA C 18 MARK JANSSENS 51 4 5 9 -21 105 0 0 1 0 41 9.8
ANA R 19 *JEFF NIELSEN 22 3 3 6 -3 10 0 0 0 0 24 12.5
ANA D 5 DREW BANNISTER 41 0 6 6 -3 65 0 0 0 0 35 .0
ANA D 33 DAVE KARPA 49 0 6 6 -1 118 0 0 0 0 39 .0
ANA L 40 *JEREMY STEVENSON 19 3 1 4 -3 44 0 0 1 0 14 21.4
ANA D 7 *PAVEL TRNKA 22 1 3 4 0 10 0 0 0 0 16 6.3
ANA C 21 *ESPEN KNUTSEN 19 3 0 3 -10 6 1 0 0 1 21 14.3
ANA D 23 JASON MARSHALL 41 1 2 3 -11 109 0 0 0 0 36 2.8
ANA C 32 RICHARD PARK 11 0 2 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 8 .0
ANA L 11 SHAWN ANTOSKI 9 1 0 1 1 18 0 0 0 0 6 16.7
ANA L 22 BRENT SEVERYN 14 0 1 1 -3 57 0 0 0 0 8 .0
ANA D 34 DANIEL TREBIL 17 0 1 1 -4 2 0 0 0 0 10 .0
ANA G 31 GUY HEBERT 38 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
ANA R 46 JEAN-FRANCOIS JOMPHE 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
ANA L 50 *BOB WREN 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
ANA D 38 *MIKE CROWLEY 4 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
ANA G 35 M. SHTALENKOV 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BOS R 41 JASON ALLISON 49 17 29 46 17 29 2 0 6 1 81 21.0
BOS C 12 DMITRI KHRISTICH 49 16 17 33 12 18 8 0 0 0 82 19.5
BOS L 21 TED DONATO 46 15 16 31 14 28 3 0 5 1 90 16.7
BOS D 77 RAY BOURQUE 49 8 18 26 -3 26 5 0 1 1 157 5.1
BOS C 33 ANSON CARTER 45 7 17 24 3 4 2 0 1 0 97 7.2
BOS L 14 *SERGEI SAMSONOV 48 9 13 22 -2 6 3 0 0 0 89 10.1
BOS R 19 ROB DIMAIO 48 7 13 20 -9 53 0 0 3 1 70 10.0
BOS C 26 TIM TAYLOR 49 12 7 19 -16 33 0 1 0 1 76 15.8
BOS R 23 STEVE HEINZE 28 11 6 17 5 14 3 0 3 0 76 14.5
BOS D 18 KYLE MCLAREN 43 4 12 16 6 35 1 0 0 0 68 5.9
BOS D 44 DAVE ELLETT 49 3 12 15 -5 38 2 0 1 0 87 3.4
BOS D 32 DON SWEENEY 49 1 14 15 12 20 0 0 0 0 46 2.2
BOS R 11 *PER AXELSSON 49 4 10 14 -15 10 1 0 0 0 99 4.0
BOS L 42 MIKE SULLIVAN 46 2 5 7 -6 10 0 0 1 0 52 3.8
BOS D 20 DARREN VAN IMPE 41 1 6 7 -13 13 0 0 0 0 39 2.6
BOS D 25 *HAL GILL 35 1 2 3 -3 23 0 0 0 0 22 4.5
BOS D 37 MATTIAS TIMANDER 23 1 1 2 -9 6 0 0 0 0 17 5.9
BOS C 6 *JOE THORNTON 32 1 1 2 -10 15 0 0 0 0 19 5.3
BOS D 29 DEAN MALKOC 31 1 0 1 -10 62 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
BOS R 10 *CAMERON MANN 8 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 6 .0
BOS G 34 BYRON DAFOE 39 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BOS G 35 ROBBIE TALLAS 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BOS R 27 LANDON WILSON 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .0
BOS L 22 KEN BAUMGARTNER 49 0 0 0 -14 119 0 0 0 0 22 .0
BUF R 17 JASON DAWE 48 17 12 29 8 28 3 1 3 1 84 20.2
BUF L 81 MIROSLAV SATAN 47 16 12 28 -6 18 7 0 2 0 84 19.0
BUF C 26 DEREK PLANTE 45 9 15 24 3 14 3 0 1 0 94 9.6
BUF R 28 DONALD AUDETTE 41 10 12 22 3 37 4 0 2 1 118 8.5
BUF L 18 MICHAL GROSEK 41 7 14 21 4 35 2 0 0 0 66 10.6
BUF C 27 MICHAEL PECA 34 10 9 19 5 34 5 3 0 0 77 13.0
BUF D 5 JASON WOOLLEY 37 3 16 19 5 14 0 0 1 0 57 5.3
BUF C 19 BRIAN HOLZINGER 42 7 11 18 -11 14 4 0 0 1 69 10.1
BUF D 44 ALEXEI ZHITNIK 44 5 12 17 -1 48 1 0 2 1 108 4.6
BUF R 36 MATTHEW BARNABY 41 3 11 14 4 192 0 0 2 0 48 6.3
BUF D 8 DARRYL SHANNON 44 2 12 14 13 34 1 0 1 0 59 3.4
BUF L 37 CURTIS BROWN 33 6 7 13 2 20 0 0 1 0 48 12.5
BUF D 42 RICHARD SMEHLIK 48 1 11 12 -1 34 0 0 0 0 67 1.5
BUF L 12 RANDY BURRIDGE 29 4 6 10 0 0 1 0 1 0 39 10.3
BUF D 74 JAY MCKEE 31 1 9 10 -4 22 0 0 0 0 38 2.6
BUF R 15 DIXON WARD 41 6 3 9 2 32 0 2 1 1 51 11.8
BUF L 10 BRAD MAY 32 2 7 9 1 109 0 0 0 0 32 6.3
BUF D 4 MIKE WILSON 39 2 4 6 4 34 0 0 1 0 35 5.7
BUF C 22 WAYNE PRIMEAU 39 2 1 3 -1 58 0 0 0 0 22 9.1
BUF D 6 BOB BOUGHNER 42 1 2 3 5 107 0 0 0 0 17 5.9
BUF R 32 ROB RAY 29 1 0 1 -2 158 0 0 1 0 4 25.0
BUF R 25 *VACLAV VARADA 12 0 1 1 -1 6 0 0 0 0 9 .0
BUF D 21 MIKE HURLBUT 3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 3 .0
BUF G 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 10 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BUF G 39 DOMINIK HASEK 43 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CGY R 14 THEOREN FLEURY 51 16 31 47 8 109 1 2 2 1 166 9.6
CGY C 16 CORY STILLMAN 43 17 15 32 -4 22 5 2 0 1 113 15.0
CGY L 13 GERMAN TITOV 47 14 13 27 3 16 5 1 2 0 91 15.4
CGY L 18 MARTY MCINNIS 44 10 15 25 -11 20 4 2 0 0 76 13.2
CGY R 12 JAROME IGINLA 50 12 12 24 -7 18 0 2 1 0 116 10.3
CGY C 21 ANDREW CASSELS 50 8 15 23 -10 18 3 0 1 1 75 10.7
CGY C 92 MICHAEL NYLANDER 45 10 11 21 0 12 0 0 2 0 87 11.5
CGY D 32 CALE HULSE 48 5 15 20 -2 85 1 1 0 0 89 5.6
CGY D 53 *DEREK MORRIS 51 5 13 18 -3 41 3 1 0 1 76 6.6
CGY L 44 JONAS HOGLUND 47 5 8 13 -10 14 0 0 0 0 113 4.4
CGY D 5 TOMMY ALBELIN 41 1 10 11 7 10 0 0 1 0 49 2.0
CGY D 33 ZARLEY ZALAPSKI 35 2 7 9 -12 41 2 0 1 0 46 4.3
CGY R 15 SANDY MCCARTHY 39 5 3 8 -15 109 0 0 1 0 49 10.2
CGY C 34 JIM DOWD 30 3 4 7 1 4 0 0 0 0 36 8.3
CGY D 2 *JAMIE ALLISON 28 2 5 7 1 40 0 0 0 0 22 9.1
CGY L 7 *CHRIS DINGMAN 48 3 3 6 -10 57 1 0 0 0 37 8.1
CGY D 3 JAMES PATRICK 29 2 4 6 -1 8 0 0 1 0 27 7.4
CGY D 6 JOEL BOUCHARD 28 3 1 4 -12 31 0 0 0 0 30 10.0
CGY L 42 ED WARD 33 2 2 4 -7 43 0 0 0 1 23 8.7
CGY D 27 TODD SIMPSON 37 0 4 4 -8 80 0 0 0 0 38 .0
CGY C 23 AARON GAVEY 10 1 2 3 -1 2 0 0 1 0 14 7.1
CGY G 30 DWAYNE ROLOSON 16 0 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CGY R 29 ERIK ANDERSSON 6 1 1 2 -3 2 0 0 0 0 7 14.3
CGY C 11 *ERIC LANDRY 11 1 0 1 -2 4 0 0 0 0 7 14.3
CGY R 26 *LADISLAV KOHN 4 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
CGY G 31 RICK TABARACCI 31 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CGY L 17 *HNAT DOMENICHELLI 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .0
CGY C 57 *STEVE BEGIN 5 0 0 0 0 23 0 0 0 0 2 .0
CGY G 1 *TYLER MOSS 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CGY L 20 TODD HLUSHKO 7 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 1 .0
CGY D 24 *DENIS GAUTHIER 8 0 0 0 -5 16 0 0 0 0 3 .0
CAR R 24 SAMI KAPANEN 51 18 24 42 2 4 2 0 5 0 109 16.5
CAR C 55 KEITH PRIMEAU 50 15 20 35 10 57 5 2 1 0 113 13.3
CAR R 19 NELSON EMERSON 51 15 16 31 -12 34 4 0 3 1 120 12.5
CAR L 12 GARY ROBERTS 40 9 21 30 -3 69 4 0 0 1 64 14.1
CAR R 18 ROBERT KRON 50 12 13 25 -3 4 3 0 2 0 89 13.5
CAR D 3 STEVE CHIASSON 47 7 16 23 -4 45 6 0 0 0 131 5.3
CAR C 92 JEFF O'NEILL 46 10 12 22 -9 36 4 1 2 0 66 15.2
CAR D 2 GLEN WESLEY 51 4 14 18 4 24 0 0 1 0 73 5.5
CAR R 11 KEVIN DINEEN 29 5 11 16 -1 53 0 0 0 0 54 9.3
CAR L 23 MARTIN GELINAS 33 6 8 14 -9 14 1 1 1 0 70 8.6
CAR R 27 STEPHEN LEACH 45 4 5 9 -19 42 1 1 2 0 60 6.7
CAR L 28 PAUL RANHEIM 42 4 4 8 -3 4 0 1 1 0 40 10.0
CAR D 7 CURTIS LESCHYSHYN 43 2 6 8 -7 29 1 0 1 0 28 7.1
CAR C 44 KENT MANDERVILLE 50 3 4 7 -2 16 0 0 0 0 53 5.7
CAR D 5 KEVIN HALLER 46 2 5 7 -2 73 0 0 0 0 47 4.3
CAR D 6 ADAM BURT 45 0 7 7 -6 79 0 0 0 0 23 .0
CAR R 12 STEVEN RICE 35 2 4 6 -9 36 0 0 0 0 31 6.5
CAR L 32 STU GRIMSON 51 2 3 5 3 139 0 0 0 0 10 20.0
CAR D 22 SEAN HILL 37 1 2 3 -7 38 0 0 0 0 34 2.9
CAR R 33 *JON BATTAGLIA 9 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 1 0 5 20.0
CAR D 32 *STEVEN HALKO 6 0 1 1 -4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
CAR R 33 KEVIN BROWN 1 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CAR L 3 JEFF DANIELS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
CAR D 92 *NOLAN PRATT 2 0 0 0 -1 4 0 0 0 0 2 .0
CAR G 22 PAT JABLONSKI 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CAR G 37 TREVOR KIDD 21 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CAR G 1 KIRK MCLEAN 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CHI R 10 TONY AMONTE 50 17 29 46 13 38 3 2 4 0 174 9.8
CHI C 36 ALEXEI ZHAMNOV 45 13 16 29 9 43 3 1 2 1 135 9.6
CHI D 7 CHRIS CHELIOS 50 2 26 28 5 62 1 0 0 0 117 1.7
CHI L 55 ERIC DAZE 50 19 8 27 9 14 4 0 4 1 131 14.5
CHI D 20 GARY SUTER 45 9 17 26 5 36 1 2 0 0 122 7.4
CHI C 22 GREG JOHNSON 43 9 10 19 -3 26 3 0 2 0 53 17.0
CHI C 11 JEFF SHANTZ 43 7 12 19 -2 26 1 0 1 0 44 15.9
CHI R 22 SERGEI KRIVOKRASOV 34 8 9 17 -2 12 1 0 2 0 83 9.6
CHI C 14 STEVE DUBINSKY 50 4 11 15 2 22 0 1 0 0 73 5.5
CHI D 4 KEITH CARNEY 50 2 12 14 -1 48 0 1 0 0 43 4.7
CHI L 38 JAMES BLACK 36 8 5 13 -7 2 2 1 3 1 74 10.8
CHI D 2 ERIC WEINRICH 50 1 11 12 1 54 0 0 0 0 43 2.3
CHI C 16 JARROD SKALDE 26 4 7 11 -2 16 0 0 0 0 34 11.8
CHI L 39 ETHAN MOREAU 24 4 6 10 -2 37 2 0 0 0 37 10.8
CHI C 46 *DIMITRI NABOKOV 14 7 2 9 0 4 3 0 2 0 18 38.9
CHI R 17 KEVIN MILLER 22 2 6 8 1 4 0 0 0 0 19 10.5
CHI C 12 BRENT SUTTER 30 2 6 8 -2 18 0 1 0 0 30 6.7
CHI D 3 *CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME 43 0 7 7 8 25 0 0 0 0 41 .0
CHI L 23 *JEAN-YVES LEROUX 45 4 2 6 -3 51 0 0 0 0 43 9.3
CHI L 14 *BRIAN FELSNER 12 1 3 4 0 12 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
CHI L 46 BOB PROBERT 7 2 1 3 -4 27 2 0 0 0 11 18.2
CHI R 39 *CRAIG MILLS 20 0 3 3 1 34 0 0 0 0 5 .0
CHI D 6 MICHAL SYKORA 21 0 3 3 -8 12 0 0 0 0 25 .0
CHI C 2 *TODD WHITE 6 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 50.0
CHI D 8 CAM RUSSELL 24 0 1 1 -2 37 0 0 0 0 10 .0
CHI R 15 JIM CUMMINS 45 0 1 1 -8 150 0 0 0 0 27 .0
CHI L 31 *RYAN HUSKA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CHI L 29 *PERI VARIS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CHI R 14 MARTIN GENDRON 2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0
CHI G 29 ANDREI TREFILOV 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CHI L 7 *DANIEL CLEARY 6 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 4 .0
CHI L 33 REID SIMPSON 14 0 0 0 -3 40 0 0 0 0 7 .0
CHI G 6 CHRIS TERRERI 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CHI D 5 TRENT YAWNEY 24 0 0 0 -2 37 0 0 0 0 8 .0
CHI G 31 JEFF HACKETT 31 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
COL C 21 PETER FORSBERG 49 18 41 59 6 64 5 1 3 1 150 12.0
COL C 19 JOE SAKIC 52 23 31 54 6 36 11 1 2 1 197 11.7
COL L 13 VALERI KAMENSKY 47 16 21 37 4 38 5 0 2 0 104 15.4
COL R 22 CLAUDE LEMIEUX 51 15 21 36 -2 89 4 1 1 1 169 8.9
COL R 18 ADAM DEADMARSH 50 15 14 29 4 100 5 0 5 3 130 11.5
COL L 28 ERIC LACROIX 52 10 14 24 6 46 0 0 3 0 68 14.7
COL D 8 SANDIS OZOLINSH 36 6 17 23 -2 45 4 0 1 1 81 7.4
COL D 4 UWE KRUPP 52 5 17 22 22 22 3 0 1 0 95 5.3
COL L 20 RENE CORBET 45 12 9 21 5 73 3 0 4 2 84 14.3
COL C 17 JARI KURRI 50 5 13 18 8 8 2 0 0 0 46 10.9
COL C 26 STEPHANE YELLE 52 6 9 15 -4 26 0 0 0 0 59 10.2
COL D 24 JON KLEMM 39 5 7 12 0 14 0 0 0 1 40 12.5
COL D 29 *ERIC MESSIER 47 4 8 12 5 14 0 0 0 0 54 7.4
COL D 5 ALEXEI GUSAROV 48 3 9 12 9 26 0 1 1 0 34 8.8
COL R 12 SHEAN DONOVAN 44 4 7 11 2 50 0 0 0 0 53 7.5
COL R 16 JEFF ODGERS 41 3 7 10 8 104 0 0 0 0 26 11.5
COL D 52 ADAM FOOTE 48 1 9 10 -5 84 0 0 0 0 42 2.4
COL D 2 SYLVAIN LEFEBVRE 51 0 6 6 7 18 0 0 0 0 36 .0
COL D 27 FRANCOIS LEROUX 39 1 2 3 -3 120 0 0 0 0 11 9.1
COL G 33 PATRICK ROY 41 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 .0
COL D 3 AARON MILLER 29 1 0 1 -4 16 0 0 0 0 10 10.0
COL D 7 *PASCAL TREPANIER 15 0 1 1 -2 18 0 0 0 0 9 .0
COL R 14 *CHRISTIAN MATTE 3 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 3 .0
COL G 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DAL C 9 MIKE MODANO 38 17 28 45 18 20 7 3 2 0 144 11.8
DAL C 25 JOE NIEUWENDYK 42 22 16 38 9 18 7 0 6 0 108 20.4
DAL L 15 JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER 50 17 21 38 8 33 6 0 4 1 97 17.5
DAL D 56 SERGEI ZUBOV 51 6 31 37 16 4 2 1 2 1 99 6.1
DAL R 16 PAT VERBEEK 51 15 21 36 11 113 3 0 4 0 119 12.6
DAL R 26 JERE LEHTINEN 41 17 13 30 18 8 5 2 4 1 119 14.3
DAL D 5 DARRYL SYDOR 48 9 21 30 21 30 4 1 1 0 102 8.8
DAL D 2 DERIAN HATCHER 46 6 17 23 1 86 3 0 2 0 54 11.1
DAL L 23 GREG ADAMS 26 7 11 18 10 8 2 0 0 0 40 17.5
DAL L 14 DAVE REID 51 6 11 17 -11 6 3 0 1 0 81 7.4
DAL L 33 BENOIT HOGUE 36 4 12 16 10 24 2 0 1 0 45 8.9
DAL D 27 SHAWN CHAMBERS 34 1 13 14 8 22 0 1 0 0 44 2.3
DAL R 10 TODD HARVEY 44 7 5 12 1 61 0 0 1 0 68 10.3
DAL D 24 RICHARD MATVICHUK 49 3 8 11 -1 51 0 0 0 0 51 5.9
DAL C 21 GUY CARBONNEAU 46 2 9 11 -1 32 0 0 1 0 43 4.7
DAL L 12 BOB ERREY 42 2 5 7 4 36 0 0 0 0 23 8.7
DAL R 29 GRANT MARSHALL 43 4 2 6 -6 66 0 0 1 0 41 9.8
DAL C 28 BOB BASSEN 45 3 3 6 -1 39 0 0 1 0 35 8.6
DAL D 3 CRAIG LUDWIG 51 0 3 3 14 64 0 0 0 0 26 .0
DAL D 22 CRAIG MUNI 25 1 1 2 3 12 0 0 1 0 8 12.5
DAL L 46 *JAMIE WRIGHT 4 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 100.0
DAL L 17 *PATRICK COTE 3 0 0 0 -1 15 0 0 0 0 3 .0
DAL C 36 *JEFFREY MITCHELL 6 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3 .0
DAL G 1 *ROMAN TUREK 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DAL L 11 *JUHA LIND 19 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 8 .0
DAL G 20 ED BELFOUR 41 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DET L 14 BRENDAN SHANAHAN 47 21 19 40 7 103 11 1 6 1 169 12.4
DET C 19 STEVE YZERMAN 52 12 28 40 -1 32 1 1 0 1 115 10.4
DET D 5 NICKLAS LIDSTROM 51 14 24 38 12 16 5 1 1 1 129 10.9
DET D 55 LARRY MURPHY 52 6 29 35 24 23 1 0 2 0 72 8.3
DET L 13 VYACHESLAV KOZLOV 51 15 18 33 12 22 3 0 1 0 142 10.6
DET C 8 IGOR LARIONOV 48 6 25 31 14 28 2 0 1 1 65 9.2
DET R 25 DARREN MCCARTY 47 10 17 27 0 85 5 1 1 0 115 8.7
DET R 17 DOUG BROWN 51 12 11 23 8 8 3 0 3 0 84 14.3
DET C 41 BRENT GILCHRIST 51 9 14 23 6 30 3 0 2 0 99 9.1
DET R 20 MARTIN LAPOINTE 52 8 10 18 0 46 0 0 2 1 100 8.0
DET L 18 KIRK MALTBY 36 10 5 15 15 25 1 0 3 0 58 17.2
DET C 33 KRIS DRAPER 35 7 8 15 5 27 0 0 1 0 44 15.9
DET R 11 MATHIEU DANDENAULT 46 5 10 15 8 37 0 0 0 0 56 8.9
DET D 44 *ANDERS ERIKSSON 37 5 8 13 14 20 0 0 2 0 46 10.9
DET L 15 TOMAS HOLMSTROM 37 4 7 11 4 28 0 0 1 0 23 17.4
DET D 3 BOB ROUSE 49 1 10 11 -2 24 0 0 0 0 36 2.8
DET D 2 VIACHESLAV FETISOV 39 2 8 10 13 38 0 0 1 0 42 4.8
DET R 26 JOEY KOCUR 41 6 3 9 7 44 0 0 2 0 37 16.2
DET R 22 *MICHAEL KNUBLE 32 4 4 8 1 14 0 0 0 0 25 16.0
DET D 27 AARON WARD 29 2 5 7 1 18 0 0 0 0 29 6.9
DET D 4 JAMIE PUSHOR 40 1 5 6 0 52 0 0 0 0 31 3.2
DET D 28 *YAN GOLUBOVSKY 12 0 2 2 1 6 0 0 0 0 9 .0
DET C 21 *DARRYL LAPLANTE 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
DET G 31 *KEVIN HODSON 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DET G 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 42 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0
EDM C 39 DOUG WEIGHT 50 18 28 46 2 32 7 0 3 0 128 14.1
EDM D 2 BORIS MIRONOV 50 10 16 26 3 62 5 0 0 1 120 8.3
EDM L 94 RYAN SMYTH 48 14 10 24 -21 36 7 0 0 2 160 8.8
EDM L 37 DEAN MCAMMOND 45 7 16 23 11 12 2 0 0 0 48 14.6
EDM C 26 TODD MARCHANT 46 7 15 22 5 34 0 0 2 0 126 5.6
EDM D 22 ROMAN HAMRLIK 47 5 17 22 -8 28 2 0 1 0 104 4.8
EDM C 14 MATS LINDGREN 50 11 10 21 3 30 1 2 2 0 87 12.6
EDM R 9 BILL GUERIN 27 10 9 19 8 21 2 0 3 0 72 13.9
EDM D 33 DANIEL MCGILLIS 47 8 10 18 -12 48 4 0 3 1 93 8.6
EDM R 16 KELLY BUCHBERGER 50 4 14 18 -3 55 1 0 1 0 57 7.0
EDM L 51 ANDREI KOVALENKO 43 3 14 17 -12 20 1 0 1 1 71 4.2
EDM L 21 VALERI ZELEPUKIN 43 4 12 16 3 36 0 0 0 0 72 5.6
EDM R 25 MIKE GRIER 35 8 6 14 1 35 1 0 1 0 49 16.3
EDM L 17 REM MURRAY 37 6 8 14 -10 10 2 0 0 0 42 14.3
EDM C 20 TONY HRKAC 17 7 6 13 5 0 4 0 0 0 19 36.8
EDM D 5 GREG DE VRIES 47 5 1 6 -13 59 1 0 0 0 40 12.5
EDM C 19 *BOYD DEVEREAUX 33 1 4 5 -3 4 0 0 0 0 24 4.2
EDM L 12 *JOE HULBIG 17 2 2 4 -1 2 0 0 1 0 8 25.0
EDM D 15 DRAKE BEREHOWSKY 36 1 3 4 -2 94 1 0 1 0 37 2.7
EDM C 9 *MIKE WATT 14 1 2 3 -4 4 0 0 1 0 14 7.1
EDM C 18 *SCOTT FRASER 4 2 0 2 -2 0 1 0 0 0 8 25.0
EDM D 6 BOBBY DOLLAS 29 0 2 2 -10 31 0 0 0 0 19 .0
EDM D 23 *SEAN BROWN 18 0 1 1 -1 43 0 0 0 0 9 .0
EDM G 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 43 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
EDM D 4 KEVIN LOWE 5 0 0 0 -5 20 0 0 0 0 2 .0
EDM R 27 *GEORGES LARAQUE 8 0 0 0 -3 45 0 0 0 0 4 .0
EDM G 30 BOB ESSENSA 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
EDM L 28 BILL HUARD 15 0 0 0 -2 23 0 0 0 0 5 .0
EDM L 8 DOUG FRIEDMAN 16 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 8 .0
FLA L 14 RAY WHITNEY 46 19 21 40 9 10 6 0 2 0 101 18.8
FLA C 15 DAVE GAGNER 47 14 15 29 -11 39 2 1 1 0 97 14.4
FLA D 24 ROBERT SVEHLA 51 5 23 28 3 71 2 0 0 0 80 6.3
FLA R 27 SCOTT MELLANBY 48 8 19 27 -6 73 4 0 1 0 120 6.7
FLA R 26 RAY SHEPPARD 48 11 13 24 -12 2 4 0 0 0 110 10.0
FLA R 22 DINO CICCARELLI 37 12 6 18 -16 44 3 0 3 1 109 11.0
FLA R 19 RADEK DVORAK 34 7 10 17 -3 6 1 3 0 1 44 15.9
FLA C 9 KIRK MULLER 41 4 13 17 -13 24 0 0 0 1 61 6.6
FLA C 17 *STEVE WASHBURN 38 9 7 16 -1 22 3 0 2 0 44 20.5
FLA L 11 BILL LINDSAY 51 7 9 16 1 47 0 2 2 0 96 7.3
FLA C 44 ROB NIEDERMAYER 23 8 5 13 -1 33 5 0 2 0 45 17.8
FLA R 51 DAVID NEMIROVSKY 32 7 6 13 -4 6 2 0 1 0 48 14.6
FLA R 21 TOM FITZGERALD 51 7 5 12 2 41 0 0 1 0 75 9.3
FLA D 55 ED JOVANOVSKI 51 6 6 12 -14 73 1 1 2 0 78 7.7
FLA D 6 JEFF NORTON 40 4 8 12 -26 26 4 0 0 1 44 9.1
FLA C 23 CHRIS WELLS 50 4 8 12 8 32 0 1 0 0 49 8.2
FLA L 25 VIKTOR KOZLOV 36 6 5 11 -9 2 3 0 0 0 86 7.0
FLA D 3 PAUL LAUS 51 0 11 11 -3 189 0 0 0 0 39 .0
FLA D 5 GORD MURPHY 51 3 6 9 -2 26 2 0 0 0 73 4.1
FLA L 10 ESA TIKKANEN 20 1 6 7 -8 12 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
FLA D 2 TERRY CARKNER 47 1 4 5 3 40 0 0 1 0 22 4.5
FLA D 7 RHETT WARRENER 50 0 4 4 -8 61 0 0 0 0 47 .0
FLA L 29 JOHAN GARPENLOV 26 1 2 3 -3 4 0 0 0 0 33 3.0
FLA C 16 *RYAN JOHNSON 6 0 2 2 -2 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0
FLA D 8 DALLAS EAKINS 10 0 1 1 -1 23 0 0 0 0 7 .0
FLA G 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 39 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
FLA L 28 *PETER WORRELL 3 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 3 .0
FLA G 1 *KEVIN WEEKES 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
LAK C 15 JOZEF STUMPEL 49 14 36 50 12 36 3 0 2 1 107 13.1
LAK L 20 LUC ROBITAILLE 49 16 20 36 5 57 5 0 7 0 122 13.1
LAK R 27 GLEN MURRAY 48 14 20 34 6 32 3 0 4 0 106 13.2
LAK C 44 YANIC PERREAULT 49 20 12 32 7 20 1 0 1 0 138 14.5
LAK L 9 VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV 41 13 19 32 16 10 1 0 1 0 66 19.7
LAK L 23 CRAIG JOHNSON 44 11 15 26 8 14 3 0 0 0 70 15.7
LAK D 4 ROB BLAKE 49 11 15 26 3 53 5 0 1 0 148 7.4
LAK D 3 GARRY GALLEY 48 5 20 25 -5 43 4 0 0 0 76 6.6
LAK R 45 SANDY MOGER 43 6 9 15 1 56 1 0 1 0 63 9.5
LAK C 22 IAN LAPERRIERE 45 4 10 14 -4 65 0 1 0 0 41 9.8
LAK D 28 PHILIPPE BOUCHER 29 4 6 10 4 37 0 0 0 0 55 7.3
LAK D 14 MATTIAS NORSTROM 42 1 8 9 15 49 0 0 0 0 34 2.9
LAK D 6 SEAN O'DONNELL 48 0 9 9 7 90 0 0 0 0 44 .0
LAK C 26 RAY FERRARO 17 4 4 8 -2 24 0 0 2 0 24 16.7
LAK L 42 DAN BYLSMA 34 2 6 8 8 7 0 0 0 1 34 5.9
LAK C 10 *DONALD MACLEAN 22 5 2 7 -1 4 2 0 0 0 25 20.0
LAK D 5 AKI BERG 44 0 7 7 6 43 0 0 0 0 39 .0
LAK D 2 DOUG ZMOLEK 28 0 6 6 -2 69 0 0 0 0 15 .0
LAK R 19 RUSS COURTNALL 28 3 1 4 2 10 0 0 2 0 42 7.1
LAK C 24 NATHAN LAFAYETTE 19 2 2 4 1 6 0 0 0 0 27 7.4
LAK L 7 *STEVE MCKENNA 34 2 2 4 -5 65 0 0 0 1 20 10.0
LAK R 11 BRAD SMYTH 9 1 3 4 -1 4 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
LAK L 17 MATT JOHNSON 36 1 1 2 -6 126 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
LAK D 33 JAN VOPAT 5 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
LAK G 1 *JAMIE STORR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
LAK G 31 FREDERIC CHABOT 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
LAK G 35 STEPHANE FISET 39 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
MTL R 8 MARK RECCHI 51 24 26 50 17 23 6 0 4 0 133 18.0
MTL L 27 SHAYNE CORSON 48 16 30 46 6 70 12 0 1 0 99 16.2
MTL C 11 SAKU KOIVU 47 10 32 42 14 30 2 0 3 0 104 9.6
MTL C 25 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE 51 14 26 40 13 34 2 1 4 0 125 11.2
MTL L 26 MARTIN RUCINSKY 50 16 22 38 8 72 4 2 3 0 134 11.9
MTL R 20 VALERI BURE 48 7 22 29 -3 33 2 0 1 0 131 5.3
MTL L 49 BRIAN SAVAGE 43 16 12 28 12 22 4 0 5 1 91 17.6
MTL D 38 VLADIMIR MALAKHOV 46 7 18 25 18 38 4 0 1 0 112 6.3
MTL D 43 PATRICE BRISEBOIS 51 3 19 22 13 37 1 0 0 0 79 3.8
MTL D 22 DAVE MANSON 51 3 19 22 15 62 2 0 0 0 98 3.1
MTL L 17 BENOIT BRUNET 39 5 8 13 6 31 0 2 1 0 41 12.2
MTL L 37 PATRICK POULIN 47 4 8 12 -1 21 0 1 1 0 56 7.1
MTL D 5 STEPHANE QUINTAL 50 5 6 11 12 81 0 0 0 0 63 7.9
MTL C 71 SEBASTIEN BORDELEAU 31 3 6 9 4 20 0 1 0 0 21 14.3
MTL D 55 IGOR ULANOV 46 2 7 9 -6 85 1 0 0 0 32 6.3
MTL C 28 MARC BUREAU 44 7 1 8 -3 6 0 0 0 0 37 18.9
MTL C 24 SCOTT THORNTON 48 3 5 8 0 110 0 0 1 1 39 7.7
MTL R 23 TURNER STEVENSON 35 3 2 5 -2 72 1 0 0 0 17 17.6
MTL D 34 PETER POPOVIC 39 1 3 4 -3 18 0 0 0 0 25 4.0
MTL D 52 CRAIG RIVET 35 0 2 2 3 79 0 0 0 0 11 .0
MTL D 29 *BRETT CLARK 37 1 0 1 -3 20 0 0 0 0 25 4.0
MTL R 21 MICK VUKOTA 44 1 0 1 0 128 0 0 0 0 16 6.3
MTL R 51 *DAVID LING 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
MTL C 46 *MATT HIGGINS 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
MTL C 15 *ERIC HOUDE 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
MTL G 35 ANDY MOOG 27 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
MTL G 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD C 93 DOUG GILMOUR 50 12 34 46 11 48 3 0 4 0 77 15.6
NJD C 16 BOBBY HOLIK 50 22 22 44 21 60 6 0 7 1 134 16.4
NJD D 27 SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 50 8 31 39 12 16 6 0 1 0 110 7.3
NJD R 21 RANDY MCKAY 50 17 19 36 23 73 4 0 4 0 96 17.7
NJD L 23 DAVE ANDREYCHUK 44 9 19 28 19 12 3 0 1 0 100 9.0
NJD R 26 *PATRIK ELIAS 45 14 10 24 14 16 3 0 5 1 74 18.9
NJD C 25 JASON ARNOTT 44 7 16 23 -15 85 2 0 1 0 124 5.6
NJD C 17 PETR SYKORA 28 10 10 20 2 14 2 0 2 0 67 14.9
NJD L 14 BRIAN ROLSTON 46 10 9 19 5 10 0 1 0 0 115 8.7
NJD D 24 LYLE ODELEIN 49 2 16 18 11 122 1 0 0 0 44 4.5
NJD D 4 SCOTT STEVENS 50 2 15 17 16 42 0 0 0 0 68 2.9
NJD C 10 DENIS PEDERSON 49 10 5 15 -2 51 4 0 0 1 77 13.0
NJD C 19 BOB CARPENTER 43 7 6 13 4 14 0 1 1 0 60 11.7
NJD D 5 DOUG BODGER 48 5 8 13 1 47 0 0 1 0 60 8.3
NJD R 32 STEVE THOMAS 26 7 4 11 4 22 2 0 1 0 54 13.0
NJD D 28 KEVIN DEAN 45 1 7 8 11 12 1 0 0 0 24 4.2
NJD D 2 *SHELDON SOURAY 31 2 4 6 10 53 0 0 1 0 42 4.8
NJD D 6 *BRAD BOMBARDIR 29 0 4 4 10 6 0 0 0 0 10 .0
NJD L 20 JAY PANDOLFO 12 1 2 3 -2 2 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
NJD C 9 *BRENDAN MORRISON 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 33.3
NJD C 18 PETER ZEZEL 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD D 5 VLASTIMIL KROUPA 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
NJD G 1 MIKE DUNHAM 9 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD D 3 KEN DANEYKO 11 0 1 1 2 24 0 0 0 0 5 .0
NJD L 22 SCOTT DANIELS 13 0 1 1 1 67 0 0 0 0 8 .0
NJD L 29 *KRZYSZTOF OLIWA 41 0 1 1 1 206 0 0 0 0 28 .0
NJD G 31 PETER SIDORKIEWICZ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD G 35 RICH SHULMISTRA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD C 18 SERGEI BRYLIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD L 8 SASHA LAKOVIC 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 .0
NJD G 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 42 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI C 21 ROBERT REICHEL 50 19 28 47 -2 20 4 0 0 1 141 13.5
NYI R 16 ZIGMUND PALFFY 50 23 22 45 -7 18 6 2 1 1 152 15.1
NYI C 15 BRYAN SMOLINSKI 50 9 21 30 -12 26 2 0 2 0 123 7.3
NYI D 34 BRYAN BERARD 44 12 14 26 -24 41 8 0 1 1 110 10.9
NYI D 29 KENNY JONSSON 50 9 15 24 -4 40 4 0 2 0 59 15.3
NYI C 17 SERGEI NEMCHINOV 47 7 17 24 8 14 0 1 1 0 60 11.7
NYI C 39 TRAVIS GREEN 48 12 11 23 -19 60 7 0 2 1 88 13.6
NYI L 14 TOM CHORSKE 50 7 13 20 7 18 1 2 2 0 76 9.2
NYI R 44 TODD BERTUZZI 48 7 10 17 -18 48 1 0 1 0 59 11.9
NYI C 13 CLAUDE LAPOINTE 49 7 4 11 -15 23 0 0 2 0 54 13.0
NYI R 25 MARIUSZ CZERKAWSKI 41 3 8 11 5 2 0 0 0 0 78 3.8
NYI D 7 SCOTT LACHANCE 47 2 7 9 -12 35 1 0 0 0 44 4.5
NYI L 18 MIKE HOUGH 49 2 6 8 -5 16 0 0 0 0 23 8.7
NYI D 4 BRYAN MCCABE 50 2 3 5 4 136 0 0 0 0 72 2.8
NYI D 2 RICHARD PILON 45 0 4 4 4 181 0 0 0 0 25 .0
NYI L 33 KEN BELANGER 32 2 1 3 -1 97 0 0 1 0 6 33.3
NYI L 24 PAUL KRUSE 47 2 1 3 -11 98 0 0 0 0 29 6.9
NYI D 6 DOUG HOUDA 30 1 2 3 -6 47 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
NYI C 54 KIP MILLER 7 0 3 3 -3 0 0 0 0 0 8 .0
NYI D 28 DENNIS VASKE 19 0 3 3 2 12 0 0 0 0 16 .0
NYI R 36 DANE JACKSON 8 1 1 2 1 4 0 0 1 0 5 20.0
NYI D 43 *JASON STRUDWICK 5 0 1 1 -1 12 0 0 0 0 1 .0
NYI R 49 *VLADIMIR ORSAGH 10 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 0 0 9 .0
NYI G 35 TOMMY SALO 37 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI L 11 *SEAN HAGGERTY 3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI G 30 WADE FLAHERTY 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI D 46 *JASON HOLLAND 4 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
NYI D 53 *ZDENO CHARA 6 0 0 0 2 17 0 0 0 0 1 .0
NYI G 1 ERIC FICHAUD 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYR C 16 PAT LAFONTAINE 50 20 32 52 -12 26 10 0 2 3 130 15.4
NYR C 99 WAYNE GRETZKY 50 13 37 50 -5 12 1 0 3 1 138 9.4
NYR D 2 BRIAN LEETCH 50 12 20 32 -23 18 7 0 2 1 156 7.7
NYR L 17 KEVIN STEVENS 49 10 19 29 1 90 4 0 2 1 77 13.0
NYR R 24 NIKLAS SUNDSTROM 38 11 15 26 3 14 2 0 0 0 63 17.5
NYR R 27 ALEXEI KOVALEV 48 9 16 25 -19 24 4 0 3 1 111 8.1
NYR L 9 ADAM GRAVES 40 13 9 22 -19 27 7 0 1 1 135 9.6
NYR L 37 TIM SWEENEY 35 10 12 22 5 14 1 0 1 1 54 18.5
NYR R 12 MIKE KEANE 50 8 7 15 -4 33 2 0 0 0 90 8.9
NYR D 33 BRUCE DRIVER 45 5 7 12 5 30 1 0 0 0 55 9.1
NYR C 20 BRIAN SKRUDLAND 39 5 5 10 0 35 0 0 1 0 34 14.7
NYR D 25 ALEXANDER KARPOVTSEV43 3 7 10 0 36 1 0 1 0 44 6.8
NYR L 18 BILL BERG 37 1 6 7 -5 32 0 0 0 0 41 2.4
NYR D 5 ULF SAMUELSSON 44 1 6 7 4 73 0 0 0 0 44 2.3
NYR C 32 MIKE EASTWOOD 35 2 3 5 -2 10 0 0 0 0 19 10.5
NYR D 26 JEFF FINLEY 34 1 4 5 5 23 0 0 0 0 19 5.3
NYR L 21 JOHAN LINDBOM 25 1 3 4 6 16 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
NYR L 39 *VLADIMIR VOROBIEV 8 1 2 3 -6 0 0 0 0 0 16 6.3
NYR D 6 DOUG LIDSTER 15 0 3 3 2 14 0 0 0 0 12 .0
NYR D 23 JEFF BEUKEBOOM 38 0 3 3 -18 107 0 0 0 0 15 .0
NYR L 15 DARREN LANGDON 44 0 3 3 -1 133 0 0 0 0 9 .0
NYR C 10 *MARC SAVARD 14 0 2 2 -2 2 0 0 0 0 11 .0
NYR R 8 *RYAN VANDENBUSSCHE 16 1 0 1 -2 38 0 0 0 0 2 50.0
NYR C 28 *P.J. STOCK 17 0 1 1 2 66 0 0 0 0 3 .0
NYR D 29 ERIC CAIRNS 31 0 1 1 -2 72 0 0 0 0 11 .0
NYR G 35 MIKE RICHTER 44 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYR D 30 *SYLVAIN BLOUIN 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYR D 38 RONNIE SUNDIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYR G 34 *DAN CLOUTIER 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYR G 31 JASON MUZZATTI 6 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0
OTW C 19 ALEXEI YASHIN 50 22 20 42 1 12 2 0 3 0 175 12.6
OTW L 15 SHAWN MCEACHERN 50 13 18 31 0 24 3 1 3 1 139 9.4
OTW D 29 IGOR KRAVCHUK 50 5 15 20 -5 4 2 1 0 1 114 4.4
OTW R 11 DANIEL ALFREDSSON 23 10 9 19 7 4 4 0 4 0 57 17.5
OTW R 10 ANDREAS DACKELL 50 7 11 18 -7 12 2 2 0 0 87 8.0
OTW C 16 SERGEI ZHOLTOK 49 5 12 17 -4 10 3 0 1 0 75 6.7
OTW D 27 JANNE LAUKKANEN 43 3 14 17 -10 42 2 0 1 0 44 6.8
OTW C 14 RADEK BONK 49 7 8 15 -9 12 1 0 0 0 72 9.7
OTW R 12 PAT FALLOON 33 6 8 14 2 10 2 0 0 0 70 8.6
OTW L 20 *MAGNUS ARVEDSON 32 4 9 13 0 16 0 0 0 0 35 11.4
OTW C 22 SHAUN VAN ALLEN 50 4 8 12 4 28 0 0 0 0 66 6.1
OTW L 28 DENNY LAMBERT 43 6 5 11 1 143 0 0 0 1 58 10.3
OTW D 6 WADE REDDEN 49 2 9 11 4 17 1 0 2 0 58 3.4
OTW C 25 BRUCE GARDINER 28 3 7 10 0 28 0 0 0 0 31 9.7
OTW L 7 RANDY CUNNEYWORTH 48 2 8 10 -7 51 1 0 0 0 47 4.3
OTW D 4 *CHRIS PHILLIPS 45 3 6 9 8 26 0 0 1 0 72 4.2
OTW D 33 JASON YORK 46 1 7 8 3 34 0 0 0 0 65 1.5
OTW R 17 CHRIS MURRAY 21 2 2 4 1 41 0 0 1 0 12 16.7
OTW D 2 LANCE PITLICK 40 2 2 4 6 39 0 0 0 0 38 5.3
OTW C 42 DEREK ARMSTRONG 9 2 0 2 1 9 0 0 1 0 8 25.0
OTW D 24 STANISLAV NECKAR 38 1 1 2 -10 25 0 0 0 0 22 4.5
OTW L 18 *MARIAN HOSSA 7 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 10 .0
OTW G 1 DAMIAN RHODES 29 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
OTW L 21 DENNIS VIAL 19 0 0 0 0 45 0 0 0 0 9 .0
OTW G 31 RON TUGNUTT 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI L 10 JOHN LECLAIR 48 34 22 56 24 20 10 0 6 1 183 18.6
PHI C 88 ERIC LINDROS 47 21 34 55 9 84 6 0 3 0 157 13.4
PHI L 17 ROD BRIND'AMOUR 48 22 20 42 -2 38 5 2 5 0 118 18.6
PHI C 55 CHRIS GRATTON 48 12 27 39 17 62 2 0 1 0 105 11.4
PHI R 9 DAINIUS ZUBRUS 37 6 19 25 24 14 1 0 4 0 59 10.2
PHI R 20 TRENT KLATT 48 9 14 23 4 6 3 0 3 0 80 11.3
PHI D 44 JANNE NIINIMAA 47 3 18 21 2 40 2 0 1 0 82 3.7
PHI D 77 PAUL COFFEY 42 2 19 21 4 22 1 0 1 0 85 2.4
PHI C 45 *VACLAV PROSPAL 41 5 13 18 -10 17 4 0 0 0 60 8.3
PHI D 37 ERIC DESJARDINS 43 5 13 18 15 20 2 1 0 0 73 6.8
PHI R 19 ALEXANDRE DAIGLE 41 7 10 17 -6 8 4 0 2 0 73 9.6
PHI D 6 CHRIS THERIEN 47 1 11 12 11 35 0 0 0 0 53 1.9
PHI L 25 SHJON PODEIN 48 6 5 11 4 41 0 0 1 0 75 8.0
PHI L 12 *COLIN FORBES 29 5 4 9 3 25 1 0 1 0 47 10.6
PHI D 23 PETR SVOBODA 33 2 7 9 6 35 1 0 0 0 28 7.1
PHI C 32 DANIEL LACROIX 37 1 3 4 2 65 0 0 0 0 18 5.6
PHI C 29 JOEL OTTO 38 1 3 4 -2 30 0 0 0 1 32 3.1
PHI D 22 LUKE RICHARDSON 47 1 2 3 3 81 1 0 0 0 32 3.1
PHI L 21 DAN KORDIC 35 1 1 2 1 100 0 0 0 0 9 11.1
PHI D 28 KJELL SAMUELSSON 28 0 2 2 9 16 0 0 0 0 16 .0
PHI D 2 CHRIS JOSEPH 6 1 0 1 2 6 0 0 1 0 4 25.0
PHI R 26 JOHN DRUCE 13 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 4 25.0
PHI R 38 *PAUL HEALEY 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI R 18 BRANTT MYHRES 19 0 0 0 -1 121 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI G 27 RON HEXTALL 24 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI G 30 GARTH SNOW 26 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO L 7 KEITH TKACHUK 49 32 20 52 11 113 8 0 7 1 161 19.9
PHO C 15 CRAIG JANNEY 50 7 33 40 11 8 2 0 0 0 56 12.5
PHO C 97 JEREMY ROENICK 49 14 24 38 7 62 4 0 1 1 117 12.0
PHO R 11 DALLAS DRAKE 37 7 23 30 21 52 0 0 2 0 70 10.0
PHO D 27 TEPPO NUMMINEN 50 5 23 28 24 18 0 0 2 0 63 7.9
PHO R 92 RICK TOCCHET 44 16 11 27 -3 94 6 0 2 0 105 15.2
PHO C 77 CLIFF RONNING 49 6 21 27 2 18 0 0 0 1 100 6.0
PHO R 22 MIKE GARTNER 35 10 13 23 -3 10 3 0 2 1 86 11.6
PHO D 26 JOHN SLANEY 40 2 13 15 0 18 1 0 1 0 56 3.6
PHO C 21 BOB CORKUM 49 8 5 13 -3 8 0 3 0 0 62 12.9
PHO D 4 GERALD DIDUCK 48 4 8 12 17 81 1 0 1 0 70 5.7
PHO R 16 *BRAD ISBISTER 41 6 3 9 3 63 1 0 1 0 72 8.3
PHO D 5 DERON QUINT 23 3 6 9 -3 8 1 0 1 0 42 7.1
PHO C 36 *JUHA YLONEN 43 0 9 9 -3 8 0 0 0 0 44 .0
PHO D 6 JAY MORE 33 4 3 7 -2 43 0 1 0 0 31 12.9
PHO L 34 DARRIN SHANNON 28 1 6 7 2 22 0 0 0 0 33 3.0
PHO D 24 MICHEL PETIT 25 4 2 6 0 65 1 0 0 0 31 12.9
PHO R 32 JOCELYN LEMIEUX 22 2 3 5 0 27 1 0 0 0 25 8.0
PHO L 33 JIM MCKENZIE 39 2 3 5 -9 105 0 0 0 0 27 7.4
PHO D 44 NORM MACIVER 24 1 4 5 -6 26 0 0 0 0 26 3.8
PHO C 14 MIKE STAPLETON 42 2 2 4 -5 16 0 1 0 0 39 5.1
PHO D 8 JIM JOHNSON 16 2 1 3 0 18 0 0 0 0 17 11.8
PHO D 10 OLEG TVERDOVSKY 14 1 1 2 -3 2 0 0 1 0 29 3.4
PHO D 2 MURRAY BARON 20 0 2 2 -3 43 0 0 0 0 13 .0
PHO G 35 N. KHABIBULIN 45 0 2 2 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO D 48 *SEAN GAGNON 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
PHO C 18 CHAD KILGER 6 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 0 0 5 .0
PHO L 72 JEFF CHRISTIAN 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO G 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO D 55 *JASON DOIG 3 0 0 0 -4 8 0 0 0 0 1 .0
PHO G 28 JIM WAITE 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PIT R 68 JAROMIR JAGR 46 22 38 60 10 32 4 0 7 1 153 14.4
PIT C 10 RON FRANCIS 50 16 36 52 7 8 4 0 5 1 111 14.4
PIT C 14 STU BARNES 47 18 18 36 12 18 9 0 4 0 117 15.4
PIT D 4 KEVIN HATCHER 44 10 19 29 -7 44 7 1 2 1 92 10.9
PIT R 44 ROB BROWN 50 6 19 25 -1 39 1 0 2 0 106 5.7
PIT C 82 MARTIN STRAKA 43 8 13 21 -7 8 2 3 1 0 76 10.5
PIT D 23 FREDRIK OLAUSSON 45 3 14 17 7 32 0 0 0 0 56 5.4
PIT R 95 *ALEXEI MOROZOV 46 7 7 14 -2 4 1 0 0 0 48 14.6
PIT C 38 ANDREAS JOHANSSON 38 4 10 14 4 16 0 1 0 0 43 9.3
PIT L 16 ED OLCZYK 26 9 4 13 -3 17 4 1 1 0 67 13.4
PIT L 33 ALEX HICKS 36 4 9 13 2 44 0 0 1 0 42 9.5
PIT C 20 ROBERT LANG 31 7 4 11 2 8 1 1 2 0 32 21.9
PIT D 71 JIRI SLEGR 43 4 7 11 10 70 1 0 0 0 76 5.3
PIT D 11 DARIUS KASPARAITIS 50 2 8 10 0 69 0 1 0 0 47 4.3
PIT D 5 BRAD WERENKA 39 2 6 8 11 24 1 0 0 0 36 5.6
PIT C 17 *PETER FERRARO 29 3 4 7 -2 12 0 0 0 0 34 8.8
PIT C 29 TYLER WRIGHT 50 3 3 6 -3 61 1 0 0 0 30 10.0
PIT R 57 *CHRIS FERRARO 35 2 4 6 -1 37 0 0 0 0 34 5.9
PIT D 6 NEIL WILKINSON 26 2 3 5 -1 17 1 0 0 0 15 13.3
PIT D 24 IAN MORP 16 0 4 4 -1 8 0 0 0 0 12 .0
PIT C 15 *ROBERT DOME 15 2 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 22.2
PIT L 18 GARRY VALK 30 2 1 3 -4 29 0 0 0 1 27 7.4
PIT D 2 CHRIS TAMER 47 0 3 3 -2 123 0 0 0 0 31 .0
PIT G 1 *PETER SKUDRA 12 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PIT G 35 TOM BARRASSO 39 0 1 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PIT G 31 KEN WREGGET 7 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
SJS C 39 JEFF FRIESEN 46 19 14 33 4 28 2 1 5 0 108 17.6
SJS R 11 OWEN NOLAN 48 6 21 27 -4 126 1 1 1 0 129 4.7
SJS R 15 JOHN MACLEAN 45 10 13 23 -5 26 4 0 3 1 138 7.2
SJS C 19 *MARCO STURM 48 7 16 23 1 22 1 0 3 0 79 8.9
SJS C 22 MURRAY CRAVEN 41 9 11 20 1 10 2 2 3 0 60 15.0
SJS D 2 BILL HOULDER 49 4 16 20 2 32 2 0 0 0 64 6.3
SJS C 14 *PATRICK MARLEAU 46 9 9 18 -3 12 1 0 0 0 58 15.5
SJS D 23 TODD GILL 48 7 10 17 -5 27 4 0 0 0 80 8.8
SJS C 18 MIKE RICCI 32 4 11 15 1 14 2 0 0 0 39 10.3
SJS D 10 MARCUS RAGNARSSON 46 3 12 15 -3 31 2 0 1 0 46 6.5
SJS C 9 BERNIE NICHOLLS 29 2 13 15 1 18 1 0 0 0 40 5.0
SJS L 21 TONY GRANATO 29 7 6 13 6 22 1 0 0 0 62 11.3
SJS L 37 STEPHANE MATTEAU 44 5 8 13 2 39 0 0 1 1 45 11.1
SJS D 40 MIKE RATHJE 49 2 7 9 -3 36 1 0 0 0 45 4.4
SJS D 33 MARTY MCSORLEY 35 2 6 8 9 104 0 0 0 0 34 5.9
SJS C 27 *ALEXANDER KOROLYUK 19 2 3 5 -5 6 1 0 0 0 23 8.7
SJS D 20 *ANDREI ZYUZIN 26 2 3 5 1 26 0 0 1 0 37 5.4
SJS L 26 DAVE LOWRY 32 1 3 4 0 26 0 0 0 0 22 4.5
SJS L 28 SHAWN BURR 9 2 1 3 3 10 0 0 0 0 13 15.4
SJS D 43 AL IAFRATE 8 1 2 3 3 10 1 0 0 0 18 5.6
SJS C 12 RON SUTTER 32 0 3 3 -2 12 0 0 0 0 36 .0
SJS R 62 ANDREI NAZAROV 32 1 1 2 -4 95 0 0 0 0 22 4.5
SJS L 24 BARRY POTOMSKI 9 0 1 1 1 30 0 0 0 0 4 .0
SJS G 29 MIKE VERNON 36 0 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 .0
SJS D 5 KEN SUTTON 14 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
SJS G 32 KELLY HRUDEY 18 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
STL L 14 GEOFF COURTNALL 50 20 18 38 12 60 1 0 2 0 120 16.7
STL R 16 BRETT HULL 38 19 17 36 -5 20 8 0 5 0 126 15.1
STL D 28 STEVE DUCHESNE 52 7 27 34 8 22 1 0 0 0 101 6.9
STL R 38 PAVOL DEMITRA 42 14 18 32 5 16 1 2 4 1 95 14.7
STL C 77 PIERRE TURGEON 30 8 24 32 3 6 2 0 0 0 72 11.1
STL D 2 AL MACINNIS 43 13 15 28 5 36 5 1 2 0 139 9.4
STL R 10 JIM CAMPBELL 50 14 12 26 0 28 3 0 2 1 96 14.6
STL C 22 CRAIG CONROY 52 5 19 24 8 12 0 2 1 0 83 6.0
STL R 23 BLAIR ATCHEYNUM 48 10 10 20 -1 8 0 1 3 0 82 12.2
STL R 33 SCOTT PELLERIN 52 6 14 20 6 24 0 1 0 0 63 9.5
STL D 44 CHRIS PRONGER 52 6 14 20 27 108 1 0 2 0 99 6.1
STL R 27 TERRY YAKE 42 7 9 16 1 26 3 1 3 0 45 15.6
STL C 9 DARREN TURCOTTE 35 6 4 10 2 20 2 0 0 0 28 21.4
STL C 37 HARRY YORK 42 4 6 10 3 19 0 0 0 0 32 12.5
STL D 20 RUDY POESCHEK 46 1 7 8 -3 47 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
STL R 17 JOE MURPHY 17 3 4 7 5 12 2 0 0 0 38 7.9
STL C 25 *PASCAL RHEAUME 31 2 5 7 3 19 0 0 0 0 30 6.7
STL D 4 MARC BERGEVIN 51 2 4 6 -5 60 0 0 0 0 26 7.7
STL D 6 *JAMIE RIVERS 37 2 2 4 4 22 1 0 1 0 35 5.7
STL R 39 KELLY CHASE 43 2 2 4 7 138 0 0 1 0 18 11.1
STL L 34 MICHEL PICARD 8 0 4 4 2 6 0 0 0 0 10 .0
STL D 19 CHRIS MCALPINE 26 0 3 3 5 14 0 0 0 0 18 .0
STL R 12 *CHRISTOPHER KENADY 4 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0
STL G 31 GRANT FUHR 42 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
STL D 43 LIBOR ZABRANSKY 6 0 1 1 -3 6 0 0 0 0 2 .0
STL L 18 TONY TWIST 39 0 1 1 -1 84 0 0 0 0 11 .0
STL G 30 *RICH PARENT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
STL G 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL R 29 ALEXANDER SELIVANOV 47 10 13 23 -28 75 3 0 0 1 138 7.2
TBL L 15 PAUL YSEBAERT 49 6 16 22 -33 14 0 1 0 0 88 6.8
TBL R 20 MIKAEL RENBERG 35 7 13 20 -25 22 2 0 0 0 94 7.4
TBL L 7 ROB ZAMUNER 49 13 5 18 -17 29 0 3 4 1 85 15.3
TBL C 18 DAYMOND LANGKOW 45 6 12 18 -6 31 2 0 1 0 108 5.6
TBL L 24 JASON WIEMER 48 7 4 11 -6 91 2 0 0 0 83 8.4
TBL D 14 KARL DYKHUIS 46 4 6 10 -8 72 0 1 0 0 55 7.3
TBL R 44 STEPHANE RICHER 17 5 4 9 0 5 2 0 0 0 30 16.7
TBL C 16 DARCY TUCKER 42 1 8 9 -3 57 0 0 0 0 21 4.8
TBL R 34 MIKAEL ANDERSSON 45 3 5 8 -2 12 0 1 0 0 60 5.0
TBL C 19 BRIAN BRADLEY 14 2 5 7 -9 6 2 0 0 0 24 8.3
TBL C 79 VLADIMIR VUJTEK 30 2 4 6 -2 16 0 0 1 0 44 4.5
TBL D 23 BRYAN MARCHMENT 38 1 5 6 -5 72 0 0 0 0 38 2.6
TBL C 11 *STEVE KELLY 28 1 3 4 -7 12 1 0 0 0 12 8.3
TBL L 36 LOUIE DEBRUSK 29 1 2 3 -2 97 0 0 0 0 9 11.1
TBL D 8 JAMIE HUSCROFT 36 0 3 3 -3 97 0 0 0 0 18 .0
TBL R 21 JODY HULL 22 2 0 2 1 4 0 1 0 0 24 8.3
TBL R 10 PAUL BROUSSEAU 10 0 2 2 0 27 0 0 0 0 6 .0
TBL C 64 *JASON BONSIGNORE 10 0 2 2 -6 8 0 0 0 0 13 .0
TBL D 27 DAVID SHAW 14 0 2 2 -2 12 0 0 0 0 12 .0
TBL D 33 YVES RACINE 31 0 2 2 -11 19 0 0 0 0 37 .0
TBL D 4 CORY CROSS 42 0 2 2 -17 31 0 0 0 0 31 .0
TBL D 6 DAVID WILKIE 8 1 0 1 -7 4 0 0 1 0 9 11.1
TBL D 5 JASSEN CULLIMORE 5 0 1 1 -2 4 0 0 0 0 6 .0
TBL L 16 TROY MALLETTE 3 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL D 2 *MIKE MCBAIN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
TBL G 1 *ZAC BIERK 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL G 35 *DEREK WILKINSON 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL C 25 ALAN EGELAND 8 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 4 .0
TBL G 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 15 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL G 32 COREY SCHWAB 16 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL G 93 DAREN PUPPA 26 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TOR C 13 MATS SUNDIN 48 23 25 48 -2 24 6 0 4 0 141 16.3
TOR R 20 *MIKE JOHNSON 48 11 22 33 1 12 5 0 0 1 85 12.9
TOR R 22 IGOR KOROLEV 46 14 14 28 -10 16 5 2 4 0 62 22.6
TOR L 7 DEREK KING 43 10 17 27 -2 20 2 0 1 0 91 11.0
TOR D 72 MATHIEU SCHNEIDER 44 5 20 25 -4 22 1 0 0 0 119 4.2
TOR R 94 SERGEI BEREZIN 38 11 10 21 -6 10 2 0 2 1 98 11.2
TOR C 11 STEVE SULLIVAN 41 7 13 20 -6 12 0 0 0 0 70 10.0
TOR L 17 WENDEL CLARK 42 9 7 16 -18 78 2 0 3 0 123 7.3
TOR D 33 JEFF BROWN 35 4 11 15 1 16 4 0 0 0 63 6.3
TOR L 19 FREDRIK MODIN 40 5 6 11 -6 12 0 0 0 0 63 7.9
TOR C 18 *ALYN MCCAULEY 38 3 8 11 -8 4 0 0 1 0 43 7.0
TOR D 25 JASON SMITH 48 3 7 10 -8 73 0 0 0 0 63 4.8
TOR C 14 DARBY HENDRICKSON 46 5 2 7 -7 39 0 0 0 0 55 9.1
TOR D 34 JAMIE MACOUN 48 0 7 7 -10 41 0 0 0 0 48 .0
TOR L 8 TODD WARRINER 18 2 4 6 2 4 0 0 1 0 29 6.9
TOR L 21 *MARTIN PROCHAZKA 21 2 4 6 1 4 0 0 0 0 33 6.1
TOR D 38 *YANNICK TREMBLAY 33 2 4 6 -3 4 1 0 0 0 40 5.0
TOR D 24 PER GUSTAFSSON 22 1 4 5 -5 10 0 0 0 0 24 4.2
TOR D 36 DIMITRI YUSHKEVICH 40 0 5 5 2 40 0 0 0 0 56 .0
TOR R 28 TIE DOMI 46 2 2 4 -4 208 0 0 0 1 48 4.2
TOR C 16 JAMIE BAKER 9 0 4 4 1 10 0 0 0 0 11 .0
TOR D 2 ROB ZETTLER 34 0 4 4 -7 38 0 0 0 0 15 .0
TOR L 12 KRIS KING 48 1 1 2 -10 120 0 0 1 0 31 3.2
TOR G 31 *MARCEL COUSINEAU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TOR D 26 CRAIG WOLANIN 10 0 0 0 -9 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
TOR G 30 GLENN HEALY 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TOR G 29 FELIX POTVIN 39 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 .0
VAN R 10 PAVEL BURE 50 29 25 54 -1 28 8 3 4 0 195 14.9
VAN C 11 MARK MESSIER 50 15 25 40 -7 24 5 1 1 0 91 16.5
VAN L 19 MARKUS NASLUND 47 9 12 21 0 30 1 1 0 0 70 12.9
VAN C 16 TREVOR LINDEN 41 7 14 21 -13 49 2 0 1 0 72 9.7
VAN L 18 GEOFF SANDERSON 49 7 13 20 -5 18 2 0 0 1 125 5.6
VAN D 3 BRET HEDICAN 45 1 19 20 8 61 0 0 0 0 54 1.9
VAN R 89 ALEXANDER MOGILNY 23 8 11 19 -8 20 3 1 0 0 53 15.1
VAN D 21 JYRKI LUMME 43 5 14 19 -30 24 3 0 0 0 70 7.1
VAN D 2 *MATTIAS OHLUND 49 3 16 19 -1 46 0 0 0 0 114 2.6
VAN R 26 MIKE SILLINGER 44 9 8 17 -14 34 1 1 1 0 53 17.0
VAN R 28 BRIAN NOONAN 50 7 9 16 -18 48 1 0 0 2 56 12.5
VAN D 4 GRANT LEDYARD 45 2 11 13 -4 14 1 0 0 0 56 3.6
VAN C 20 *DAVE SCATCHARD 44 7 4 11 -3 92 0 0 0 0 46 15.2
VAN L 8 DONALD BRASHEAR 49 3 7 10 -9 236 0 0 0 1 39 7.7
VAN R 24 SCOTT WALKER 39 2 7 9 -5 60 0 1 0 0 30 6.7
VAN D 5 DANA MURZYN 31 5 2 7 -3 42 0 0 2 0 29 17.2
VAN D 44 DAVE BABYCH 26 0 6 6 -15 23 0 0 0 0 22 .0
VAN L 29 GINO ODJICK 31 3 2 5 -2 176 0 0 1 0 33 9.1
VAN D 39 ENRICO CICCONE 18 0 4 4 2 95 0 0 0 0 12 .0
VAN D 25 STEVE STAIOS 45 3 0 3 -3 94 0 0 1 0 28 10.7
VAN R 17 LONNY BOHONOS 31 2 1 3 -9 4 0 0 0 0 37 5.4
VAN D 36 *CHRIS MCALLISTER 27 1 2 3 -9 97 0 0 0 0 11 9.1
VAN C 9 *LUBOMIR VAIC 5 1 1 2 -2 2 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
VAN D 6 ADRIAN AUCOIN 10 1 1 2 -2 0 0 0 0 0 9 11.1
VAN L 7 DAVID ROBERTS 13 1 1 2 -1 4 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
VAN D 48 *BERT ROBERTSSON 6 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 33.3
VAN G 1 SEAN BURKE 35 0 1 1 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 .0
VAN G 31 COREY HIRSCH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
VAN D 27 MARK WOTTON 5 0 0 0 -2 6 0 0 0 0 3 .0
VAN L 22 *LARRY COURVILLE 11 0 0 0 -7 5 0 0 0 0 3 .0
VAN G 32 ARTURS IRBE 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH C 77 ADAM OATES 50 11 39 50 7 14 1 1 3 0 78 14.1
WSH R 12 PETER BONDRA 46 31 18 49 3 32 7 1 7 2 155 20.0
WSH D 6 CALLE JOHANSSON 47 12 13 25 0 14 7 1 0 2 110 10.9
WSH D 96 PHIL HOUSLEY 44 4 20 24 -7 14 3 1 0 0 80 5.0
WSH L 44 *RICHARD ZEDNIK 48 13 7 20 -1 26 2 0 2 0 113 11.5
WSH C 32 DALE HUNTER 50 5 14 19 2 65 0 0 1 0 50 10.0
WSH C 90 JOE JUNEAU 26 6 12 18 0 12 1 1 1 0 50 12.0
WSH L 22 STEVE KONOWALCHUK 50 4 14 18 5 32 0 0 1 0 84 4.8
WSH D 24 MARK TINORDI 45 8 9 17 10 37 0 1 0 0 55 14.5
WSH L 17 CHRIS SIMON 28 7 10 17 -1 38 4 0 1 0 71 9.9
WSH L 18 ANDREW BRUNETTE 14 9 4 13 2 6 3 0 2 0 22 40.9
WSH C 8 *JAN BULIS 43 4 9 13 -2 16 0 0 0 1 31 12.9
WSH L 27 CRAIG BERUBE 42 5 7 12 2 96 0 0 0 0 37 13.5
WSH D 55 SERGEI GONCHAR 41 3 9 12 8 22 2 0 0 0 68 4.4
WSH D 3 SYLVAIN COTE 43 1 10 11 0 20 0 0 0 0 62 1.6
WSH L 10 KELLY MILLER 44 5 5 10 1 15 0 2 2 1 36 13.9
WSH L 21 JEFF TOMS 29 4 6 10 -8 11 0 0 1 0 47 8.5
WSH L 9 TODD KRYGIER 24 1 8 9 -2 10 0 0 1 0 41 2.4
WSH C 20 MICHAL PIVONKA 25 1 6 7 6 14 0 0 0 0 32 3.1
WSH D 19 BRENDAN WITT 39 1 6 7 -12 69 0 0 0 0 39 2.6
WSH D 29 JOE REEKIE 41 2 3 5 14 36 0 0 1 0 33 6.1
WSH L 34 *JAROSLAV SVEJKOVSKY 11 3 1 4 -1 8 1 0 1 0 21 14.3
WSH C 13 ANDREI NIKOLISHIN 8 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 11.1
WSH L 36 MIKE EAGLES 19 1 1 2 -2 10 0 0 0 0 13 7.7
WSH D 2 KEN KLEE 33 1 0 1 -4 26 0 0 1 0 28 3.6
WSH C 48 *BENOIT GRATTON 6 0 1 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
WSH G 30 BILL RANFORD 12 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH G 37 OLAF KOLZIG 40 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH C 14 PAT PEAKE 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH L 25 *BRAD CHURCH 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .0
WSH L 42 *DWAYNE HAY 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 .0
WSH C 26 *RYAN MULHERN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
Goaltender Stats
Thru Sunday, January 25, 19988
TM NO GOALTENDER GPI MINS AVG W L T EN SO GA SA SPCT G A PIM
ANA 31 GUY HEBERT 38 2239 2.81 11 19 6 3 3 105 1104 .905 0 1 4
ANA 35 M. SHTALENKOV 18 869 2.97 6 6 3 0 0 43 430 .900 0 0 0
BOS 35 ROBBIE TALLAS 5 306 1.76 2 1 2 0 0 9 126 .929 0 0 0
BOS 34 BYRON DAFOE 39 2177 2.26 16 16 6 6 5 82 917 .911 0 1 0
BOS 30 JIM CAREY 10 496 2.90 3 2 1 0 2 24 225 .893 0 0 0
BUF 39 DOMINIK HASEK 43 2489 2.39 18 17 6 2 7 99 1296 .924 0 0 12
BUF 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 10 431 2.92 1 4 2 0 0 21 208 .899 0 0 7
CGY 31 RICK TABARACCI 31 1842 2.90 8 17 6 1 0 89 814 .891 0 1 10
CGY 30 DWAYNE ROLOSON 16 903 3.06 3 8 3 4 0 46 383 .880 0 3 2
CGY 1 *TYLER MOSS 6 367 3.27 2 3 1 0 0 20 186 .892 0 0 0
CAR 37 TREVOR KIDD 21 1208 2.43 8 11 1 4 0 49 559 .912 0 0 2
CAR 1 KIRK MCLEAN 4 238 2.52 3 1 0 0 0 10 97 .897 0 0 0
CAR 1 SEAN BURKE 25 1415 2.80 7 11 5 3 1 66 655 .899 0 1 6
CAR 22 PAT JABLONSKI 4 219 3.29 1 3 0 0 0 12 89 .865 0 0 0
CHI 31 JEFF HACKETT 31 1861 2.13 12 10 9 1 4 66 821 .920 0 0 6
CHI 6 CHRIS TERRERI 17 972 2.22 7 9 0 4 2 36 386 .907 0 0 0
CHI 29 ANDREI TREFILOV 4 193 3.11 1 2 0 0 0 10 94 .894 0 0 0
COL 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 12 732 2.21 5 3 4 1 1 27 373 .928 0 0 0
COL 33 PATRICK ROY 41 2469 2.31 19 9 12 3 2 95 1224 .922 0 2 4
DAL 30 *EMMANUEL FERNANDE 2 69 1.74 1 0 0 0 0 2 35 .943 0 0 0
DAL 20 ED BELFOUR 41 2426 1.85 25 7 8 1 7 75 846 .911 0 0 16
DAL 1 *ROMAN TUREK 11 607 2.27 6 4 0 2 0 23 213 .892 0 0 0
DET 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 42 2541 2.03 23 11 8 4 5 86 1082 .921 0 0 12
DET 31 *KEVIN HODSON 12 615 2.54 6 2 2 1 1 26 278 .906 0 0 2
EDM 30 BOB ESSENSA 9 491 2.69 3 3 1 0 0 22 230 .904 0 0 0
EDM 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 43 2543 2.76 15 20 8 4 3 117 1193 .902 0 1 0
FLA 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 39 2308 2.81 13 18 8 1 1 108 1069 .899 0 1 4
FLA 1 *KEVIN WEEKES 5 163 2.94 0 0 1 0 0 8 78 .897 0 0 0
FLA 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 12 640 3.00 2 7 2 0 1 32 265 .879 0 0 2
LAK 1 *JAMIE STORR 5 300 2.20 3 2 0 0 1 11 156 .929 0 0 0
LAK 35 STEPHANE FISET 39 2254 2.69 17 14 7 2 1 101 1131 .911 0 0 4
LAK 31 FREDERIC CHABOT 9 430 3.07 1 3 2 0 0 22 219 .900 0 0 0
MTL 35 ANDY MOOG 27 1495 2.33 14 10 2 1 2 58 674 .914 0 0 4
MTL 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 29 1608 2.43 12 8 5 0 2 65 714 .909 0 0 0
NJD 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 42 2495 1.85 29 10 3 2 4 77 989 .922 0 0 6
NJD 35 RICH SHULMISTRA 1 62 1.94 0 1 0 0 0 2 30 .933 0 0 0
NJD 1 MIKE DUNHAM 9 448 2.68 2 4 1 0 1 20 207 .903 0 1 0
NJD 31 PETER SIDORKIEWIC 1 20 3.00 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 .875 0 0 0
NYI 30 WADE FLAHERTY 4 200 2.10 1 2 1 0 0 7 81 .914 0 0 0
NYI 35 TOMMY SALO 37 2016 2.68 12 17 3 7 3 90 928 .903 0 1 2
NYI 1 ERIC FICHAUD 17 807 2.97 3 8 3 1 0 40 422 .905 0 0 0
NYR 34 *DAN CLOUTIER 4 195 2.15 3 1 0 0 0 7 83 .916 0 0 0
NYR 35 MIKE RICHTER 44 2547 2.54 13 17 11 4 0 108 1142 .905 0 1 2
NYR 31 JASON MUZZATTI 6 313 3.26 0 3 2 1 0 17 156 .891 0 0 10
OTW 31 RON TUGNUTT 26 1401 2.18 11 9 4 3 2 51 547 .907 0 0 0
OTW 1 DAMIAN RHODES 29 1630 2.36 9 13 4 3 4 64 687 .907 0 1 0
PHI 27 RON HEXTALL 24 1432 1.89 14 5 5 1 4 45 586 .923 0 0 6
PHI 30 GARTH SNOW 26 1491 2.33 13 7 4 0 1 58 623 .907 0 0 16
PHO 28 JIM WAITE 9 433 2.49 3 2 1 1 0 18 181 .901 0 0 2
PHO 35 N. KHABIBULIN 45 2581 2.67 19 18 7 2 4 115 1143 .899 0 2 18
PHO 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 1 12 5.00 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 .857 0 0 0
PIT 1 *PETER SKUDRA 12 603 1.79 5 3 1 2 0 18 237 .924 0 1 2
PIT 35 TOM BARRASSO 39 2167 2.05 20 9 7 6 6 74 932 .921 0 1 6
PIT 31 KEN WREGGET 7 274 2.85 1 3 1 1 0 13 127 .898 0 0 2
SJS 32 KELLY HRUDEY 18 894 2.35 3 10 2 4 1 35 399 .912 0 0 2
SJS 29 MIKE VERNON 36 2070 2.67 15 14 5 1 3 92 826 .889 0 1 14
STL 30 *RICH PARENT 1 12 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.000 0 0 0
STL 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 12 660 2.36 6 3 1 1 0 26 257 .899 0 0 2
STL 31 GRANT FUHR 42 2479 2.42 20 16 6 3 2 100 1016 .902 0 2 4
TBL 93 DAREN PUPPA 26 1456 2.72 5 14 6 6 0 66 660 .900 0 0 6
TBL 32 COREY SCHWAB 16 821 2.92 2 9 1 2 1 40 370 .892 0 0 2
TBL 35 *DEREK WILKINSON 8 311 3.28 2 4 1 1 0 17 148 .885 0 0 0
TBL 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 3 183 3.61 0 3 0 1 0 11 97 .887 0 0 0
TBL 1 *ZAC BIERK 5 200 4.80 0 2 0 0 0 16 107 .850 0 0 0
TOR 31 *MARCEL COUSINEAU 2 17 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1.000 0 0 0
TOR 29 FELIX POTVIN 39 2214 2.76 16 17 5 1 3 102 1052 .903 0 0 8
TOR 30 GLENN HEALY 13 674 2.94 1 7 2 2 0 33 288 .885 0 0 0
VAN 32 ARTURS IRBE 18 827 2.83 5 6 2 2 2 39 409 .905 0 0 0
VAN 1 KIRK MCLEAN 29 1583 3.68 6 17 4 1 1 97 801 .879 0 0 0
VAN 1 SEAN BURKE 10 569 3.69 1 7 2 1 0 35 260 .865 0 0 12
VAN 31 COREY HIRSCH 1 50 6.00 0 0 0 0 0 5 34 .853 0 0 0
WSH 37 OLAF KOLZIG 40 2389 2.29 22 10 6 4 2 91 1118 .919 0 1 10
WSH 30 BILL RANFORD 12 648 2.96 3 7 2 0 0 32 302 .894 0 1 0
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