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Issue 91 April 7-21, 1998 409,000 bytes
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IS PAUL KARIYA A DORK?
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, with assistance form Meredith Martini
Paul Kariya. He's supposed to be the NHL's golden boy. A
decent, clean-cut young man that champions a wholesome image
honed to perfection by the suits at Walt Disney. Over the past
year Kariya has graced the cover of just about every hockey
publication in the world, with nothing but praise being thrown
his way. His explosive skating and laser shot have many labeling
him as the game's brightest star. Yet through it all one
question remains... is Paul Kariya a dork?
This query has nothing to do with his game on the ice. Sure, he
might be a bit of a dandy, but there's no denying Kariya's sheer
offensive brilliance. He's a marvel on skates and brings
excitement to even the dullest of contests. The question isn't
what he gives the fans on the ice, but how he treats them away
from it.
For me this started near the end of the 1995-96 season. Kariya
was ringing up highlight-reel goals at a breakneck pace, giving
the citizens of Anaheim hope for the future and catching my eye
in the process. During this time I happened across a road Ducks
jersey that happened to be on sale. It was marked down 40%. I
never really liked the Duck sweaters, but the bargain-basement
price combined with the visions of Kariya storming his way
through opposing defenses brought several thoughts to mind. I
remember thinking to myself, "Hmm, hard to beat %40 off. I
wonder how much it would cost to get 'Kariya' on it? I wonder
what establishment would provide such a service? I wonder where
I left my pants?"
After finding my pants in a nearby fountain, I quickly purchased
the jersey and soon had it on its way to be lettered. A few
weeks later I had a swell Kariya jersey all to my own. Aw, that
was great, that was fun.
But the euphoria didn't last long. I had only worn the jersey
once or twice before I started to hear rumors of Kariya being,
keeping in mind that this is a family publication, a dork. At
the time I wasn't sure if they were true or not, but I definitely
heard things. Things like he was abusive to fans, ignorant to
children, and arrogant around the media. This bothered me.
Well, except for that thing about the media. I mean, who cares
about the media? Filthy parasites...
Here at LCS, we normally embrace any form of antisocial behavior.
But the idea of Kariya being rude to fans just somehow seemed
wrong. He's a Lady Byng winner for cryin' out loud! Here's a
guy that is getting hyped as an all-around great person and a
model for sportsmanship, but he can't show fans respect off the
ice. I put my Kariya jersey in the closet.
As the months went by I heard more tales of Kariya being a jerk.
It seemed anyone who had ever had any contact with the speedy
winger had a less than favorable opinion of him. The same words
were used repeatedly to describe him: rude, ignorant, arrogant.
Yet he was still being idolized by the folks at ESPN. He was
still finding his way to the covers of magazines. He was still
regarded as one of the game's ambassadors. My jersey remained in
the closet.
I was perfectly willing to quietly give up on Kariya and forget
all about him. Who needs him as a hockey playin' hero when guys
like Joe Sakic and Gary Roberts are in the league? If he wants
to be a di, er, dork, let him. It's not my business. Things
changed on February 1.
That was the night Gary Suter cracked Kariya but good upside the
head with a cross-check, knocking the young Duckling all loopy.
Kariya was forced to leave the game with a concussion. He has
not played since and will sit out the rest of the season with a
nasty case of post-concussion syndrome.
It wasn't long after the Suter hit that another wave of Kariya
propaganda began to hit the airwaves. It seemed everyone with a
microphone and camera was quick to step on their soapbox of
choice and canonize Kariya. They sang his virtues in the effort
to vilify Suter and his dastardly deed. Sure, the hit was
borderline, but what was Kariya doing crashing the net with his
head down? How could someone with such renowned hockey sense
not know Suter was coming right at him? But that's a story for
another time. The point is that the pro-Kariya movement was in
overdrive. And it was making me sick.
With no other news outlet taking up the charge, I decided LCS
Hockey would be the first to alert the public about Kariya's off-
ice persona. We're not scared to stand up and be counted when
the rest of the world is cowering in silence. For the emperor is
naked... buck naked! I don't even know what that means...
Anyway, I began gathering information to illustrate the point.
All the sources I contacted within the hockey reportin' business
confirmed the rumors, but chose to remain nameless in fear that
the almighty Disney corporation would have them rubbed out. I've
seen it happen. They confirm the hit by sending a set of mouse
ears wrapped in newspaper. It's not a pretty sight.
There were, however, a few brave souls that were willing to talk
on the record. The first of which was our very own Meredith
Martini. An LCS correspondent and photographer for the past few
years, Meredith was eager to recount her infamous run in with Mr.
Kariya. Here, in her own words, is Meredith's story:
"I have a (good? bad?) habit of creating sizable, colored
pencil portraits of star NHL players and getting them
autographed. I'm pretty good at it, good enough for Becketts to
purchase a portrait from me. Several players have asked for them
as well, most notably Pat LaFontaine. Art supplies aren't cheap,
so each portrait runs $40-$60 in costs and takes anywhere from 12
hours (headshot) to 30 hours (goalie) to do.
I spent over 15 hours and nearly $60 on a portrait of Paul
Kariya. (Those plum and aquamarine colors are hard to find!) The
result was one of the best pieces I've ever done, attracting a
lot of attention from the Mighty Ducks' media contingent. They
thought I'd have no problem getting Kariya to sign it. Neither
did I, as players who otherwise have no intention of signing
invariably stop and sign their portraits, usually with a much
better signature than their norm; besides, Teemu Selanne was
happy to sign his and gave me a terrific signature.
I waited by the team bus after practice at the USAir Arena. When
I saw Kariya, I held up the portrait where he could see it and
called him. "Mr. Kariya, would you please sign this?" Kariya
yanked it and the $5 silver paint pen out of my hands, jammed the
pen onto the portrait (which broke the pen, of course) and
dragged it jaggedly across the whole picture. Then he shoved the
portrait back at me and threw the pen in my face. I said thank
you anyway. He never said a word - to me. He cursed several other
people present.
The portrait was pretty much destroyed. Ducks' TV man Brian
Hayward asked if I had gotten it signed, I showed him the result.
He apologized profusely 'on behalf of the team' and said he
didn't understand 'what gets into Paul for him to do these
things.'"
Enlightening, isn't it? But stay tuned. This story is about to
get as ugly as homemade shoes.
While treating someone associated with LCS Hockey in a
disrespectful manner is shameful, we're kind of used to it. So I
needed another story on which to build this feature. A story so
shocking it would make people sit up and take notice. A story
that was provided by a Mr. Jeff Smith.
It happened about two years ago. The Ducks were on the road
visiting the Washington Capitals. Jeff and two of his buddies
were hanging around the Annapolis Mariott hoping to score some
autographs. They got a tip from a hotel employee that a few
players would be returning shortly from dinner, so they decided
to wait around a bit. Not long after, a car pulled up carrying
Guy Hebert, Steve Rucchin, and Kariya.
"I was the first one to ask Kariya for an autograph," remembers
Smith. "He took my 8x10 photo and scratched a PKY9 on it. As he
was writing he looked at all of us and said, 'You f****** guys,
you tell all your friends that I'm not going to sign s*** the
rest of the time I'm here. You tell the rest of your f******
friends to leave me the f*** alone. I'm not signing s***.'"
Okay, that's a little abusive, but it's not that big a thing. I
mean, I know how tiresome it is when people are always asking for
autographs. C'mon, people, there's only so much I can give.
That's why I had to cut back my public appearances so drastically.
Like I'm only doing one autograph session at the boat show this
year and when the clock hits three I'm solid gone. It's over.
Splitsville. But I digress...
Getting back to the story, Jeff and his pals pretty much laughed
off their first encounter with Kariya. The next day Jeff took
his daughter Jessica, who was five at the time, and a young
friend of the family, eight-year-old Zachary, down to see the
players in person as they were on their way to the game. Both
kids were big fans of the Mighty Ducks, in large part to the
Disney movies bearing the same name, and idolized Kariya. Having
the chance to see the team and Kariya in person made for quite
the exciting adventure. At least in theory.
"When the players came out to get on the bus to go to the game we
got some autographs from some other guys," recalls Jeff. "Kariya
came out the door and we were standing by the bus. Zac asked him
for an autograph. He (Kariya) had a very mean look on his face
and seemed very upset that he had to sign another auto. Zac had
on a brand new Caps jersey that he had just got for his birthday.
Kariya scribbled somewhat of a PKY on his puck and threw the pen
back to him and some ink got on his jersey."
Jeff's daughter didn't fare much better.
"My daughter Jessica asked him for one and she held the puck up
for him to sign. When he went to sign it her arms were kind of
unsteady and he said in a very harsh voice, 'Hold the damned
thing.' After he signed for her he threw the pen on the ground."
"As we were driving to the game Zac was really upset that his
hero could have done something like that," continued Jeff. "From
that point on he hated Kariya. When we went to the game, every
time Kariya would touch the puck they yelled out 'Butthead.'"
Ouch. Being called "Butthead" hurts. That's like the A-bomb for
an eight-year-old. When all else fails, they know they always
have something left in the arsenal. Hell hath no fury like an
eight-year-old scorned.
"After we went home Zac told his mom about the experience and to
this day he hates Kariya," relays Jeff. "Whenever he refers to
him he refers to him as Butthead. He won't even wear his Ducks
shirt anymore. My daughter still likes the Ducks because Selanne
took a picture with her, but she doesn't like Kariya."
It's always brutal when kids learn that their heroes aren't truly
heroic in real life. I still remember the day I learned that Don
Knotts couldn't fly. I was shaken. But this is even worse.
Because so what if he couldn't fly? He was still Don Knotts.
But these kids here lost their hero completely. Instead of being
a moment they'd fondly recall for the rest of their lives, that
incident with Kariya will now be remembered for all the wrong
reasons. The dream was shattered.
Jeff wasn't too happy about how the kids were treated and took
matters into his own hands.
"A couple days later I called the Ducks in Anaheim and talked to
the vice president of the team and told him of our experiences,"
said Jeff. "He apologized greatly for Kariya. He did offer us
tickets to a game but I wasn't going to fly out there to see
them. He also told me that if I wanted to send some pictures that
he would make sure that Kariya would sign us all nice autographs.
We told him thanks but no thanks. We didn't even want anything
to do with him anymore."
Kariya's behavior is the exception, not the norm. Most NHLers
are extremely friendly and will do their best to accommodate
fans. Among the major sports, hockey players are considered to
be the most cooperative. For every Kariya, there are dozens of
guys like Sakic, Roberts, and Selanne that treat the fans with
respect. And that's really what it's all about. If a guy
doesn't want to sign an autograph, that's his choice. But
there's no need to treat the fans like garbage for asking. It's
just a matter of common courtesy. I always make it a point to
thank people when they ask for my autograph. I consider it an
honor that someone would cherish my name so. Plus, I keep the
pen. It's sweet. I haven't had to buy a pen since like 1995.
But once again, I digress...
The problems with Kariya aside, Jeff and the kids still like to
go see the players when they're in town. A recent highlight was
when the aforementioned Gary Roberts not only gladly signed his
name, but also got down on his knees to have a chat with Jessica.
Roberts is cool like that. The only change in their routine at
all is when the Ducks are visiting. They tend to look the other
way when a certain guy shows his face.
"This year when we went to get the Ducks in DC, we didn't even
acknowledge Kariya," explained Jeff. "And I'm glad because he
blew everybody off. He went out the door in a very fast pace,
didn't say anything, and went right to the cab. Of course there
were some people that asked him and were upset that they didn't
get him, but I just sat back and laughed."
As more stories like Jeff's begin to leak into the press, there
will likely be a pretty significant anti-Kariya backlash. The
first few waves of which have already been felt here at the
offices of LCS Hockey. That great patriot Zippy the Wonder Chimp
has fired the first salvo against Kariya, trading the injured
scoring phenom away in our inter-office hockey pool. Kariya was
the Wonder Chimp's first selection at this summer's draft, but he
now has a new home. It seems Zippy could no longer stomach
having such a person on his squad.
"The honor of the Wonder Chimp organization has been restored,"
announced Zippy in a press release following the trade. "No
longer will a hatemongering overpriced prima donna skate for the
fabled Wonder Chimp franchise."
Zippy's resolve should be applauded. How much longer before
others follow his lead? We're not asking that you, our valued
readers, march on Kariya's house carrying torches. We just want
to get the word out on the street. Our goal was to dispel the
myth that Kariya is a wonderful role model for today's youth.
We're not saying you should hate him. Hate is such a strong
word. We just want both sides of the story to be told. To this
point in his career, all we've been hearing are the good things
about Kariya. It's time someone illuminated the whole picture
and admitted what others ignore. Consider the facts and come to
your own conclusion. But do we hate him? Oh, sure... no doubt.
And what about my Kariya jersey? Well, let's just say it's no
longer in my closet. You know, those jerseys are quite
absorbent. My car has never looked shinier.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Kariya a Cold Duck?
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Alex Carswell
Based on some oft-heard rumors, the brain trust at LCS -- such as
it is -- recently posed the following query: Is Paul Kariya
really a jerk? With that on the table, and as your humble Anaheim
correspondent, it became incumbent upon me to take a position on
the issue.
First, some background which may help explain the source of the
rumors that Kariya is as icy as the surface he so effortlessly
dominates.
Among the baggage the diminutive sniper carried when he arrived
at The Pond in 1994 was the speculation, due in part to his
one-year holdout after being drafted in 1993, that he was a "me
first" type of player. Whether or not that was true, he didn't
help himself much off the ice that first season. His encounters
with the press were, clearly, excruciating for both sides.
Kariya met with the media reluctantly, often made them wait long
after game's end (seriously annoying the daily beat writers), and
even then offered only one or two-word answers spoken so softly,
with his head down, that if you weren't at the very front of the
crush of reporters, you stood no chance of hearing what he had to
say.
Naturally, that led -- as the layers of press peeled away -- to
media members asking the same lame questions over and over, to
which Kariya did not hide his impatience.
Soon there was open talk that Paul was uncooperative with the
media; talk which Disney did its level best to spin out of. But
the fact was that Kariya did not like to meet the press, creating
a difficult situation for all concerned. He had arrived, after
all, tagged not just as the team's shining new star, but as a
beacon for the future of the NHL. And so far, he was a PR
disaster.
On the ice, of course, he met and exceeded all expectations. And
that put him in even greater demand with the media, magnifying
the problems his personality -- alternately described as "shy,"
"intense" or "private" -- caused his image.
But the kid was still brutally soft-spoken and no volunteer to go
wave the team flag at non-hockey functions. Bill Robertson and
his staff of spinmeisters constantly battled the buzz that Kariya
was cold and disinterested in anything but his own role within
the team.
HEY, LIGHTEN UP!
On the way to a 50-goal, 108-point season in 1995/96, Kariya did
lighten up a bit. And it started the day Teemu Selanne came to
town. Paul and Teemu had the common bond of ungodly talent, which
forced them into their own superstar clique. Indeed, they were so
often joined, "Paul and Teemu" might as well have been one name.
They became best friends even though they are, personality-wise,
polar opposites.
Like Paul, Teemu gives everything. But unlike Paul, he leaves it
on the ice, or at least in the room. When a game is over, Teemu
can relax, win or lose, and talk about it without griping too
much. Kariya, on the other hand, carries his game with him
everywhere. He's always intense, and never really seems relaxed.
But if that's the way he is now, he was far worse before Teemu
got there.
Teemu took the pressure off Kariya, not just on the ice, but --
more importantly -- off it. By just being himself -- always
willing to talk to reporters, meet with people, kids, sign
autographs until the last outstretched hand was gone, answer the
same moronic media questions over and over again; always happy
and smiling, striving to leave the pressures of the game at the
rink -- Teemu showed Paul that he, too, could lighten up. And he
did.
A NEW PAUL?
Today (at least when he's in good health), Kariya is more
forthright with the media. He doesn't have to be dragged kicking
and screaming into the media crush and he can approach his
obligations with a sense of humor that was not clearly evident
during those first two seasons. He's still no Brett Hull, but
then who is?
It's ironic that the Selanne quality which (rumor has it, anyway)
annoyed Winnipeg management, that being his perceived "European"
nonchalance, is the best thing Anaheim could have introduced into
their all-too-serious star. Because Kariya knows that Teemu wants
to win as badly as anyone. And that just because he doesn't toss
fire extinguishers out the window after a tough loss, doesn't
mean he isn't dedicated to doing what it takes to win the Stanley
Cup.
All things considered, I wasn't prepared to endorse the theory
that Kariya is a jerk. But just in case I was getting it wrong, I
asked around. I looked under local rocks for stories of Kariya
flipping fans the bird, spitting beer on the heads of barflies or
destroying public property. I found none.
I did find plenty of media members who griped that he wasn't
"easy" to deal with, but so what? That doesn't make him a bad
guy, just a tough interview.
As for the 1997 holdout, which pro-management types still seek to
lay the feet of Kariya and agent Don Baizley, it could probably
have been handled better. But it was also in large part a
function of Disney's inability to cede the negotiating hammer to
their star. Remember, these were uncharted waters for Eisner &
Co.: no one had ever stared Disney down before and had the ammo
-- in this case, raw gate-attracting talent -- to win.
Paul Kariya is a perfectionist. He is a 24-hour player. He is
extremely introspective. And he definitely isn't as laid back, or
as interested in talking about himself, as are a lot of other
athletes.
Who's to say that's all bad?
----------------------------------------------------
C R E D I T S
Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief
Zippy the Wonder Chimp..........Webmaster, Producer
Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter
Matthew Secosky..............Scourge of Switzerland
Marc Boucher..............................Publisher
Dan Hurwitz.............Force for Cultural Hegemony
John Kreiser.....................Featured Columnist
David A. Feete......................Featured Writer
Steve Wilson..........International Sales Executive
Nicole Agostino...........................Stat Girl
Alex Carswell.................Anaheim Correspondent
Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent
Joe Brunner...................Buffalo Correspondent
Tony Wong.....................Calgary Correspondent
Brad Kane....................Carolina Correspondent
Thomas Crawford...............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
Matthew Secsosky..............Phoenix Correspondent
Joe Ashkar..................St. Louis Correspondent
Tom Cooper..................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
James Clippinger.......College Hockey Correspondent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LCS Hockey - Issue 91; April 7, 1998. E-mail address: info@lcshockey.com
Good ol' postal address: 406 Sheffield Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.
Web Site: www.lcshockey.com
"LCS Hockey... when someone gives us lemons, we make yellow journalism."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
SELANNE SIGNS ON
------------------------------------------------------------------
by Alex Carswell
To paraphrase Woody Allen, this Anaheim Mighty Ducks season could
well be described as a travesty of a sham of a mockery. But at least
the team avoided Allen's dreaded travesty of two shams of a
mockery.
Ducks fans take note: There will be no Teemu Selanne holdout. There
will be no posturing, no acrimonious negotiations and no ill will
harbored between management and star. Disney uber-boss Michael
Eisner will make no "take-it-or-leave-it" offers, and team president
Tony Tavares won't face months of media queries as to why contract
talks are at a standstill.
By signing Selanne to a two-year extension, GM Jack Ferreira avoided
all the headaches that got the 1997-98 Anaheim campaign off to a
disastrous start. All right, so the signing does little to take
the sting out of missing the playoffs. But, if nothing else, it will
go a long way toward convincing the fans that this year was an
aberration; that the team really does intend to move forward rather
than rest on its one-playoff-season laurels and box office success.
And who knows? It might even convince a significant free agent or
two that Anaheim could be an attractive place to play. Did somebody
say Ron Francis?
STILL A BARGAIN
The beauty of the Selanne deal is that it underlines exactly what
type of player, and person, this guy really is. Start with the fact
that as Selanne -- the league's leading goal scorer -- watched
players like Jagr, Kariya, Lindros and Sakic sign ever-richer
contracts, he never blinked an eye. He didn't pout, he didn't
complain and he didn't ask to have his contract renegotiated, a la
John LeClair.
In fact, when pressed on the issue, he simply declared that he had a
contract and intended to honor it. End of discussion.
So the man who sometimes goes by "Teddy Flash" -- but who might
better be described as "Teddy Steady" -- was happy and appreciative
when Anaheim management came to him with an offer to extend his
current deal. Forget the fact that his last two existing years
(with base salary of around $3.5 million and bonuses of up to
$600,000) are unimproved. And forget that by the time he reaches the
new $8 million and $8.5 million years he will again be compensated at
well under market value (even with his $3 million signing bonus).
Why? Because Selanne doesn't care. As he says, "This is a lot of
money."
It's $19.5 million, to be exact, far less than Sergei Fedorov stands
to make this year alone if his Red Wings make the Western
Conference final. But Selanne doesn't care.
What Selanne does care about is security for his family -- and
winning a Stanley Cup. Word around the team is that before inking
the deal he asked for, and got, assurances that the Ducks would be
aggressive in terms of improving the team in the immediate future.
That, of course, is great news for Anaheim fans who suffered a
serious letdown after the optimism born of last spring's impressive
playoff appearance.
But the best news of all for Anaheim fans is that this player, this
special person who cares more about the game than the money, who
doesn't grip if someone on another team -- or even in the next
locker stall -- is making more than he is, that this incomparable
sniper will be a Mighty Duck for four more years.
THE SECRET CORE
"Holy smokes," said coach Pierre Page, when the deal was announced.
"Any time you can tie up a guy like this, it's great. He's our
core."
And while Pag, might not be around the core for long, his assessment
of Selanne's value to the team is bang on. Selanne has missed just
eight games due to injury over the last two seasons despite being
pounded game in and game out. He has produced with remarkable
consistency, with or without Kariya on his wing, with or without a
creditable center. He has simply been a force, on and off the ice,
since the moment he arrived in Anaheim on Feb. 7, 1996.
Selanne may be the best-kept secret in hockey. If the eastern media
saw him more, his name would be routinely be linked with Lindros,
Jagr and Gretzky. But as it is, he blows in and out of towns like
California's El Nino, faster than you can be ready for him and
leaving a lot of damage in his wake.
Yet people who recognize him solely for his scoring, like his hat
trick in the 3-3 tie at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 26, are only
seeing half the picture. And those who think of him solely as a
talented European are barely seeing at all.
Yes, he is fast. And yes, he is as pure a finisher as there is in
the game. But Selanne is also a locker-room leader. And he's tough
as nails.
He is incredibly strong. Selanne may not go out of his way to
initiate contact, but he won't shy away from it either. If you're
between him and the puck, and he can't go around you, he will go
through you. And if he's in control, you're more likely to bounce
off him than knock him off the puck.
This deadly combination of speed, skill, strength and mental
toughness makes Teemu Selanne as good, and as important to his team,
as any player in the league. Which, of course, begs the question:
who's more important to the Mighty Ducks, Selanne or Kariya?
That's one for the ages. On the ice, the stats are pretty much a
wash, as are the intangibles. But off the ice, Selanne's locker-room
presence and friendly personality makes him indispensable to
Disney's sports operation, more so than even Kariya.
It's no wonder that when asked for a Selanne snapshot, Ferreira
recalled a game last year in Calgary. "We lost. It must have been
minus-20, and there was a group of maybe 20 kids waiting outside.
Teemu had just a sport coat on. But he stood in the freezing cold,
making sure every kid got an autograph."
That's the kind of picture Disney wants and only Teemu Selanne can
provide. As for Selanne's own snapshot, he wants one of him and his
teammates taken in, say, late June or early July.
"Wouldn't it be unbelievable to bring a Stanley Cup (to Anaheim)?"
asked Selanne. "That's why I'm here."
Selanne Stuff:
* Selanne leads the NHL in goals (51) and is tied for third in
scoring (85 points).
* He is also tied (Peter Bondra) for the league lead in
game-breaking goals with 13 (10 GWG, 3 GTG).
* Has scored 27.2% of Anaheim's goals, and is threatening to become
the fourth player in modern NHL history to score at least 25% of his
team's goals in one season (highest percentage is 27.7% by Brett Hull
in 90/91).
* 34 of his 51 goals have either given the Ducks the lead (24) or
tied the score (10).
* Selanne became the first European to score a hat trick in All-Star
competition and to be named All-Star MVP (1998).
* Led Finland to Bronze Medal at 1998 Nagano Olympics, tying
teammate Saku Koivu for leading scorer in the tournament (4-6-10).
* Through their first 400 games, only four players in NHL history
have scored more goals than Selanne (258). They are: Gretzky (366),
Lemieux (320), Bossy (319), Brett Hull (312).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Avs, Red Wings Play The Feud
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Greg D'Avis
For two full games this season, the heated Avalanche-Red Wings
rivalry seemed to have settled down to normalcy. After Claude
Lemieux and Darren McCarty worked out their differences in the
famous three-seconds-in fight last November 11, it looked like the
teams had returned to having hockey on their minds.
Yeah, right.
Detroit/Colorado was mostly normal for about 150 minutes of hockey
this season. But on April Fools Day, in the aptly named Joe Louis
Arena, Patrick Roy decided to reclaim his heavyweight crown.
Make no mistake, the game was chippy before Roy and Chris Osgood
(filling in for the departed Mike Vernon) relived last year's
hijinks. Although many of the frequent players in previous
Avs-Wings brawls were little or no factor in last week's craziness
-- Claude Lemieux, Rene Corbet and Adam Foote for the Avalanche,
Darren McCarty, Aaron Ward and Kris Draper for the Wings -- the two
teams, as always, found plenty of willing combatants.
The first signs of warfare came in the first five minutes, when the
Avalanche's Aaron Miller -- destined to be a recurring character
throughout the night -- and Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom got into a
minor scuffle after Roy (already looking a bit cranky, perhaps
because of his team's recent lackluster play) threw an elbow and drew
an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. A few minutes later, McCarty and
Colorado's Jeff Odgers had a minor, uneventful fight.
Still, the teams looked to be concentrating on scoring and defense,
not rights and lefts, but Detroit's stifling defense started to get
to the Avs. As things heated up in the second period, Colorado's
Valeri Kamensky retaliated to a Kirk Maltby crosscheck by bouncing
Slava Kozlov's head off the glass with a well-placed elbow.
A few minutes later, the precursor began. Miller and Martin Lapointe
started pushing and shoving, exchanging clever repartee in the
process, and Holmstrom and Colorado's Keith Jones joined in. Referee
Terry Gregson and his linesmen broke it up hurriedly, but this was
just the opening match before Tyson-Holyfield.
In the third period, Sergei Fedorov broke the scoreless tie with two
goals in the first 12 minutes. Since the Avalanche could barely
manage a shot on Chris Osgood -- they got only 14 in the full game,
including a miserable three in the first period -- frustrations
started to boil over.
Then, at 12:49 of the final period, all hell broke loose.
Miller and Lapointe resumed hostilities (Note how we cleverly
foreshadowed that a few paragraphs ago...) and all their pals
showed up for the party. Tom Fitzgerald, Warren Rychel, Sylvain
Lefebvre and Jeff Odgers jumped in for the Avalanche; Bob Rouse,
Slava Kozlov, Aaron Ward and Kirk Maltby joined in for the Red
Wings. It wasn't so much a fight as a grappling match -- at least
until Patrick Roy flashed back to last season.
Some background: Late last year Darren McCarty pummeled Claude
Lemieux in the first period. Similarly, all the players on both
sides joined in, and Roy left the crease with the idea of helping
the bloodied Lemieux. After running into Brendan Shanahan, Roy saw
his Detroit counterpart, Mike Vernon, leaving the crease, and
skated up ice for a brawl. The much-smaller Vernon beat Roy
soundly, in a bout which has been relived far too often for the
likes of Colorado fans.
So this time around, Roy left the crease again, neatly setting his
gloves and mask on top of the net -- ostensibly with the idea of
helping out Miller, as he later claimed, although since Miller was
just lying there with Lapointe on top of him, he wasn't exactly in
mortal danger. Roy made a half-hearted attempt to remove Lapointe,
keeping one eye cocked down-ice at his real interest -- Chris
Osgood.
As soon as Osgood, noting the six-on-five disparity, nervously edged
a couple inches out of the crease, Roy realized that the Detroit
goalie - who's slightly more threatening than Emmanuel Lewis -- posed
a threat to himself, his teammates, and possibly their women as well.
Roy forgot about Miller and skated toward center ice, signaling for
Osgood to join the fun.
To his credit, Osgood did. The two joined ranks at the big Red Wing
in the middle of the ice and threw down. Roy obviously had been in
training -- he scored several solid rights before Osgood fell on
top of him, and this time didn't leave covered with his own blood.
The fight ended with both goalies exhausted as Scotty Bowman had a
fit, getting held back by his assistant coaches as he leaned over
the boards and screamed at Roy.
To listen to Colorado and Detroit fans post-fight, one would've
thought that each opposing goalie had been carried from the rink in
a body bag. In truth, it was pretty much a draw -- Roy landed more
punches, but the much smaller Osgood held his own (and did score a
Mick Vukota body slam at the end, although he later claimed it was
an accident).
As the two left the ice -- they were thrown out, along with every
other player on the ice at the time -- Detroit fans chanted
"Oz-zie" and Roy pumped his fist to the crowd as he received
congratulations from teammates.
Too bad he didn't emulate Tie Domi and fasten the imaginary
championship belt -- it would've been the most fitting end to a
ridiculous night.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Concussion Study Big News in NHL
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino
Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya, Pat LaFontaine, Rob Niedermayer - the
list of players who have suffered from concussions this season
could go on and on.
It seems the National Hockey League has seen a growth in the number
of concussions the past two seasons. With NHL players getting
bigger, stronger and faster and the collisions on ice becoming more
dangerous, it's no wonder the amount of head injuries in the league
seem to be on the rise.
But are concussions occurring more often in the NHL, or are players
just being more cautious with a potential career-ending head
injury?
Dr. Ruben Echemendia, member of the NHL advisory board on
concussions, said the players are more aware of the seriousness of
concussions than they used to be.
"What I've witnessed, very much at the NHL level, is a heightened
awareness of concussions among the players and the severity of a
concussion," Echemendia said.
"As a result, they're becoming more cautious. That doesn't mean
they're playing the game with any less intensity, or that they're
less physical in the game. That just means now they're more willing
to report to their trainers that `maybe I don't feel so hot,' or `I
didn't remember that last play or that last shift, and I need to
sit out'."
Players, coaches, trainers and physicians started taking more notice
of the seriousness of concussions after situations that players like
former New York Islander Brett Lindros have faced. Lindros, the
younger brother of the Flyers superstar, was forced to retire from
the NHL after suffering a series of concussions that severely
impacted his health.
Eric Lindros, usually the one dishing out big hits on the ice,
received a concussion when Pittsburgh's Darius Karparaitis hit him
with a clean check on March 7. Lindros, who had his head down on
the play, had to be helped off of the ice after the collision with
Kasparaitis's shoulder. He isn't expected to return to the lineup
until mid-April.
It is situations like this that lead Echemendia and a concerned
group of his peers to submit a proposal to the NHL before this
season to conduct neuropsychological tests on all NHL players
before and during the 1997-98 season. The NHL mandated the program
in cooperation with the NHLPA, which is the only one of its type
that is league-wide in nature and tests every player in the league.
So when Eric Lindros or Pat LaFontaine talk of having to get their
"numbers" up to the level they were at before they suffered a
concussion, they're speaking of the results of these neurological
tests.
Before the season, over 900 hockey players were baseline tested
during NHL training camps. Echemendia, who is the clinical
coordinator and supervisor for the entire Northeast Division and
the participating consultant for the Pittsburgh Penguins, said 58
players were tested during the Pens' training camp alone.
Virtually any player who had a chance of playing in the NHL this
season was given a 30-minute test to see how their brain normally
functioned without the influence of a concussion.
Then if a player received a concussion during the season, they would
be tested again at certain times to see the difference in brain
functions pre- and post- concussions. Players are tested between 24
to 48 hours after suffering a concussion, then one week later, and
then on a weekly basis until they return to play.
Echemendia said he was surprised at the reception of his study by
the players and the teams.
"These guys were inquisitive, asked a lot of questions, wanted to
know how the tests measured certain things," Echmendia said. "I
think it was both a positive experience for them and for the people
doing the testing. Even though it was frustrating for (the
players)."
The tests given to players include the monitoring of the following
skills: information processing speed, problem solving ability,
memory, new learning and visual-spatial skills. But for those
players in the league who aren't fluid in English, a separate test
had to be created to monitor foreign-born participants in the
study.
"Because one of the key issues in the NHL is the multiple languages
that are spoken, we had to develop tests that are less susceptible
to language differences," Eschmendia said. "We have a variant of
our battery that is given to those individuals where English isn't
their native language."
While the tests are not by any means going to prevent concussions,
they will be able to help doctors determine several things. First
of all, the doctors want to know what deficits a player has after
suffering a concussion, including what symptoms they have and what
problems they are experiencing. Second, they want to determine when
the effects of the concussion are over and when the player can
return to play safely.
"We can't prevent the first concussion with these tests," Echemendia
said. "What we can prevent is a secondary injury that occurs real
close to the first one when the effects from the first one are still
lingering."
Those secondary brain injuries are called second impact syndrome
(SIS). It occurs when a second concussion is received within hours,
days or weeks of a prior concussion. Depending on how close a
second concussion is to a first means a lot as far as the long-term
effects are concerned. SIS results in rapid brain swelling that
could lead to a coma or even death.
That's why it is so important to chart out when concussions occur
and how long the effects linger in an individual. SIS has been a
major concern for LaFontaine over the past couple years. Since he
has had so many concussions, it is more susceptible for another
one. And if that next concussion occurs before all of the effects
from the prior one have subsided, LaFontaine could be in a lot of
trouble with SIS.
The concussion study in the NHL has been able to provide vital
information for doctors to make better decisions for players.
"We haven't analyzed the data at a group level yet, but what we can
say is that the program has been highly successful," Echemendia
said. "(We are) documenting symptoms and following those symptoms
to their resolution. So that we, for the first time, have more
objective evidence of when a player can return to play safely and
when the signs of the concussion have stopped."
Concussions are hard to diagnose and treat because they can't be
seen through any medical techniques available. There is also so
much individual difference in people's symptoms and length of
recovery that group data that could be gathered would not be
helpful in diagnosis and treatment. That's why gathering baseline
tests for individual players has been so important in the NHL
program. The baselines give doctors a starting point that they can
compare to a player's neurological state after suffering a
concussion.
For the most part, Echemendia said the vast majority of concussions
will resolve and a person will be symptom-free within a week to 10
days. But, he said, not all individuals heal at the same rate due
to a number of factors.
"I think the difference between this type of injury and a knee
injury is that you can see the effects of a knee injury,"
Echemendia said. "You can do an X- ray. You can do range of
motion tests. You can do a number of different things. And it
hurts. You know, when you try to skate and you've got a bum knee,
it really hurts.
"That's not the case with a concussion. You can still have
lingering symptoms, but not be fully aware of them. And it only
comes out on this type of testing. It's at that point that the
players start to become frustrated. They can't see it. And they
can't feel it."
And then, more often than not, they decide to come back to action.
Over the years hockey players have been known as tough athletes,
able to shake off almost any kind of injury. They want to return
to action as soon as possible because they love the sport. And
they don't want to lose their jobs. The teams have also been known
to rush players back from the injured list before they should have
been. Hockey has turned into a business, and teams want to get the
most out of their players, who are sometimes referred to as
investments.
But Echemendia said that when it has come to concussions this year,
both players and teams have been nothing but cooperative with the
medical staffs.
"I can tell you from my vantage point," Echemendia said, "we have
not been pressured in any way to return a player to play, or to say
a player should return to play, when we feel they shouldn't."
Craig Patrick, general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, played
eight seasons in the NHL and remembers very well that the thinking
of players, coaches and doctors during that time was much different
than it is today.
"It has really become a science," Patrick said. "Back when I played
(if a player received a concussion) they told you to take some
aspirin and you were ready to play."
But as more research has been done on head injuries and the dangers
associated with them have been discovered, the NHL seems to have
changed its ways. Patrick likes the NHL's new concussion study,
saying that he's all for protecting players careers and taking
major precautions.
"If we're going to make mistakes," Patrick said, "I'd rather do it
on the side of safety."
While it might seem like keeping star players like Paul Kariya out
of the lineup for an extended amount of time is excessive, setting
those players up for a career-ending head injury is reason enough
for many to be overcautious.
"Very often players think `Oh, these are the guys who keep us from
playing,' but that's not our goal at all," Echemendia said. "Our
goal is to prevent them from having a career-terminating injury.
Our goal is to prevent them from having a catastrophic injury. And
that actually by managing these concussions appropriately, they'll
spend more time in sports than less time in sports.
"Some people believe there's much ado about nothing, but I think
that that's a significant minority. That's what everyone was
exposed to. They didn't know. The research wasn't out there and
people weren't aware of the facts. I mean look at the media now
with the Snickers commercial: `I'm Batman'. It's still a joke.
Concussions are a joke."
But as research into concussions grows, Echemendia hopes brain
injuries are taken more seriously by athletes in all sports, not
just ice hockey.
"I would like to see that athletes in sports where there is a
significant risk of concussion have a program in place that allows
them to manage their concussion in the best way possible,"
Echemendia said. "I would also like to see (concussion awareness)
move into the high schools. That's a critical issue."
But until then, professional athletes like those in the NHL will
have to serve as an example to kids and adults as to what they
should and should not do when they suffer a brain injury.
"It's kind of on the forefront," Patrick said. "Athletes are
bigger, stronger and faster. It's something that people have to
pay more attention to."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
College Hockey Player Epitomizes Concussion Struggle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino
With the Penn State University Icers on the penalty kill, C.J.
Patrick raced into the corner to the left of his own goal, gathered
the puck and fired it down ice. As soon as the Icer forward let the
shot go, two University of Findlay forecheckers converged on
Patrick, hitting him up high and knocking him backward.
As the hit reached full impact, Patrick's head was squeezed in
between the two players on one side and the edge of the boards on
the other. Patrick's head absorbed the blow -- he never fell to
the ice -- but as he made his way back to the bench he knew
something was wrong.
"After I got hit down in the corner, I looked up ice, and all I saw
was a big white thing," Patrick, a junior center and team
co-captain, said. "I looked at the bench and I saw three of them
moving, so I just started to skate. I couldn't keep my balance,
so I had to put my stick down and just push myself over. And then
I was trying to figure out how to step up into the door and I
couldn't figure it out. I made it to the door, rammed my stick
into the boards and just flopped onto the bench."
A disoriented Patrick knew he had just suffered his second
concussion - in two days.
Concussions have become a major concern in the sports world
recently. After many years of ignorance, more and more athletes,
trainers, coaches and doctors are learning the dangers of
concussions. Lots of athletes are starting to sit out days or even
weeks due to concussions. Some have even had to end their careers.
Concussions aren't new injuries in sports. The blunt forces to the
head have always been there, but it wasn't until the past few years
that concussions have been taken seriously. And it wasn't until
the past few years that Patrick started taking his own concussions
seriously, either.
Patrick, son of Pittsburgh Penguin general manager Craig Patrick,
has suffered nine concussions since fourth grade. His first one,
and his self-described worst, happened while he was skiing. While
he was skiing down some moguls, another kid jumped off a mogul
behind him and landed on Patrick's head with his skis. Patrick was
unconscious for 10 minutes and ended up spending several days in
the hospital "puking (his) guts out and the whole thing."
Today Patrick speaks very casually about his head injuries. After
suffering from nine concussions, he could be considered a veteran.
Not all of his concussions have required spending time in the
hospital, but the more concussions a person has, their
susceptibility to getting them in the future increases. The danger
associated with future concussions increases, as well.
Patrick's concussion on Nov. 9 against Findlay came a day after he
received a smaller concussion, what Patrick calls a "bell ringer",
against Kent State.
It happened when he was fighting for a puck in the corner with a
Kent State defender. As the two players went at it, Patrick's
helmet was knocked off. The Kent State player took advantage of
the situation and cross-checked Patrick in the back of the head,
causing Patrick's forehead to smack off of the ice. Patrick
immediately got up and headed for the bench.
"You could see on the tape that guys were just pushing me in the
right direction," Patrick said. "I was a little bit woozy. But
then I got back to the bench, sat down and felt pretty good so I
just kept playing."
After the game Patrick said he felt fine and wanted to play the next
game against Findlay. Joe Battista, head coach of the Penn State
club hockey team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, said
at the time Patrick wasn't diagnosed as having suffered a
concussion against Kent State.
"He said he was fine," Battista said. "There was no medical
diagnosis for a concussion. If it was missed, it was missed. No
one came to me and said he (definitely) had a concussion."
With no official word of a concussion, the coaching staff allowed
Patrick to play the next day. That's when Patrick's medical
problems compounded.
The second concussion in two days nearly ended Patrick's ice hockey
career. For a while it looked like the Icer co-captain would at
least have to sit out the rest of this season due to complications
from the two blows to the head.
For the first five minutes after the concussion against Findlay
Patrick experienced a splitting headache. But that's nothing too
unusual, he said. For the rest of that night, Patrick's eyes were
really sensitive to lights - to the point where he could barely
open his eyes. Dull headaches continued the rest of the night, as
well. Once again, nothing unusual.
Everything seemed to get back to normal for a while, but then the
headaches started again. And this time they lasted for months.
"The first week wasn't so bad but it started to build up after a
while," Patrick said.
The lingering headaches never lasted very long - 15 seconds at the
most. But Patrick would have three or four of these headaches an
hour all day long. These painful and annoying headaches lasted
until January.
For a while Patrick's entire life was almost completely taken over
by the concussions. He couldn't practice or play for the Icers. He
couldn't ride an exercise bike. He couldn't do anything that would
raise his blood pressure. If he did, the headaches would soon
follow.
"Even walking to class gave me headaches," Patrick, a Management,
Science and Information Systems (MSIS) major, said. "Anything that
raises your blood pressure, you're not allowed to do. The only
treatment I had was anti-inflammatory pills, which didn't even
work."
Patrick, who stands 5-feet-11 and weighs 200 pounds, said
concussions could be the most frustrating of all injuries. First of
all, there are no outward signs of an injury. A person suffering
from a concussion looks and acts normal, except for the headaches
and occasional dizziness.
Patrick said that made it hard for others to understand what he was
going through. He would be walking through the stands at a home
game and people would ask why he wasn't playing. Patrick would
tell them he had a concussion and they were shocked that the
effects from a concussion could last so long. Some of his
teammates were also amazed that he was out of the lineup for months
because of concussions.
Personally, Patrick was frustrated by the entire ordeal.
"I hurt my knee twice my freshman year, and it kept me out five
weeks each time, but it was something I could rehab," Patrick said.
"It was something I could fight to get back from. But with this, all
I could do was just sit there and take Advil.
"I was convinced that they were going to go away over Christmas
break, and they just weren't going away. I tried skating a couple
times, but I felt like I was going to die the next day. It was
killer. And it wasn't like I could feel them going away, either.
They were there, and they always were. If they were going away
they were going away so gradually that I couldn't tell."
When Patrick realized the headaches weren't going to go away, he
started to get concerned. He desperately wanted to return to
hockey, but he was under the impression that if the headaches
didn't stop he would have to cut his season short, and perhaps his
career, as well.
Patrick was receiving good treatment for his concussions from the
Icers' team psychologist, Dr. Ruben Echemendia. Echemendia had been
observing Patrick since the beginning of the season as part of a
study on concussions he developed at Penn State. The study is used
by varsity athletes at Penn State and has recently been adopted by
the National Hockey League.
Echemendia advised Patrick to wait until the headaches went away and
then try another comeback.
"One of the things that I encouraged C.J. to do was to think about a
risk- benefit analysis about whether he should return to play at
all," Echemendia said. "We know that people who have concussions
in the past are at higher risk for a concussion in the future.
C.J.'s the kind of kid who has been wanting to return to play since
day one. But he's also the kind of kid that I can trust because
he'll tell me the truth. He's not going to underestimate the
severity of his symptoms because he knows what the possible
ramifications are.
"So our game plan was to wait until C.J. was completely symptom free
before we allowed him to return to play."
Patrick and his dad wanted to make sure he did the right thing, so
they sought other opinions. Besides Echemendia, C.J. talked with
four other doctors at Penn State and near his home in Pittsburgh.
Overall, one doctor told him to quit hockey for good, one gave no
opinion and three said to come back. The doctor who told Patrick to
hang up the skates was the Penguins' team physician, Dr. Chip Burke.
By the time January rolled around, most hope was lost of Patrick
making a comeback this season. Even Battista talked as if Patrick
was done for the season. It wasn't until Echemendia suggested
something to Patrick that everyone became optimistic again.
It turned out that Patrick was having three different types of
headaches all along, and that two of the types had nothing to do
with concussions at all. They were sinus and stress related. From
then on, Patrick pushed those other headaches aside and concentrated
on the post-concussive ones in his temple.
"The last two weeks I could tell that things were starting to die
off," Patrick said. "I was having three kinds of headaches, and I'm
still having two of them, but they have nothing to do with
concussions. I kind of pushed those out of my head and didn't think
about them. And I just started paying attention to the ones in my
temple. I could tell they were dying off, but they might have been
dying off the whole time...I don't know."
With permission from Echemendia and his father, Patrick returned to
the Icer lineup on Feb. 7 against Delaware, almost exactly three
months after suffering the back-to-back concussions that sent him
to the injured list in the first place.
"With the medical care that he's getting," Craig Patrick said, "I
have complete confidence in their abilities."
Battista said it was a blessing to get one of his top penalty
killers and leaders back on the ice.
"We were ultra-conservative," Battista said. "He probably could
have been playing a lot earlier."
It seems like everything is back to normal inside C.J. Patrick's
head. At practice Patrick and his teammates paw and smack each
other in the head with their gloves while they wait in line to do
drills. During games Patrick skates hard into corners and shows no
signs of backing away from physical contact. Patrick even centered
Penn State's top checking line as the team won the 1998 ACHA National
Championship. While matching up against the opponents' top scoring
lines, Patrick's line did not allow an even-strength goal against.
But Patrick knows that all it takes is one sudden blow to the head
and the problems will come right back again. And this time they
could be even worse.
"I'm just relying on luck now, I guess," Patrick said. "I told
myself that if I get more than a little bell-ringer, I'll hang it
up.
"The tenth one's a charm."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Hockey Challenge Helps a Great Cause
--------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jonah Sigel
Circle April 21st on your calendars, hockey fans.
On that night, the fourth annual Hockey Challenge for the Children's
Wish Foundation will be held at Joe Biadali's restaurant in Toronto.
Former NHL star Rick Dudley and current New Jersey Devil Doug
Gilmour are this year's honorary chairmen of the Hockey Challenge,
which consists of two events that hockey fans can be involved in to
have some fun and help a great cause. The first is an auction,
both live and silent, consisting of mainly sports memorabilia,
restaurant vouchers and trips. The second is a playoff pool for
cash prizes.
The 1998 edition of the Hockey Challenge will be hosted by The Fan
590's morning co-host John Derringer. Derringer will be auctioning
off a huge collection of sports memorabilia including autographed
jerseys from, Gilmour, Dominik Hasek, Peter Forsberg, the Phoenix
Coyotes, the Dallas Stars and many others. Almost every NHL team
has submitted at least one autographed item to be auctioned off.
The rules for the playoff pool are easy. For $100 Canadian, you
submit a roster of players who you think will earn the greatest
point total in the playoffs. Each player has a dollar value and
you can only spend your $100 toward your players. For example,
Peter Forsberg costs $22, so if you want him you would deduct his
$22 from your $100 before selecting another player. The
grand-prize winner will receive $2,500 while other top finishers
receive prizes, as well.
Dudley, currently the general manager of the Detroit Vipers (IHL),
Gilmour and Event Chairman Ira Grossman are hoping to raise more
than last year's total of $14,500 for the Children's Wish
Foundation.
There are a couple of ways people can get involved and help out this
great cause. First and foremost, you can attend the event. But if
you're not in the Toronto area, don't worry. You can still
participate and contribute. There will be a web site set up for
the Hockey Challege. The address for the site is http://www.iondrafts.ca. You
can also contact Ira Grossman by phone at (416) 783-3694, by fax at
(416) 486-7965 and e-mail at igrossman@mtsinai.on.ca. Credit cards
are accepted and it is for a good cause.
So if your team has been knocked out of the playoffs or you want an
incentive to watch other teams, please donate generously to the
Children's Wish Foundation on April 21.
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MORE STUFF...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell
BRIAN BURKE'S A STOOGE
It's been a few months since I made fun of Brian Burke, so I'm
thankful that he recently took time out of his busy schedule to
once again display his stupidity.
One of Burke's "duties" with the NHL, aside from sitting on
suitcases that won't close and washing Gary Bettman's car, is to
hand out suspensions. He is the man in charge of league
discipline. Yeah, he's a regular Roy Bean... that's like an
obscure reference to the Old West... I think.
Anyway, there have been a rash of suspensions lately. But no
matter what a guy does, Burke just pretty much gives him two
games. Someone could hijack a school bus full of toddlers and
toss the tykes out the door while careening through the streets
of Toronto, and Burke would give 'im two games. A guy could try
to assassinate the president, Burke would give 'im two games. A
guy could speak ill of Don Knotts, Burke would just give 'im two.
It just ain't right, lemme tell ya.
Last week Dainius Zubrus intentionally sticked Chris Chelios in
the face and only got two games. And this just wasn't the usual
smack in the chops. Zubrus was looking right at Chelios, then
dug the point of his blade in the all-world blueliner's face in a
stabbing motion. Zubrus was given a five-minute major and a
match penalty for intent to injure. Luckily, Chelios wasn't hurt
on the play.
And that seems to be the rub. If a guy isn't hurt too severely,
than Burke simply refuses to hand out more than two games.
Forget that if Zubrus' blade was about an inch to the right
Chelios might have lost an eye, that's still not good enough for
Burke. Burke's motto seems to be "no harm, no foul."
In another incident of illegal stickwork, San Jose's Joe Murphy
chopped Dallas' Richard Matvichuk over the wrist and received the
ol' deuce from Burke. The thing is that the slash was totally
removed from the play. Murphy and Matvichuk were the only two
players still left in the Dallas zone and both were casually
making their way up ice when Murphy came up from behind Matvichuk
and lowered the boom. It's hard to imagine a more blatant
attempt to injure. But what else would you expect from Murphy?
Under Hobbies in this year's media guide, Murphy listed "thievin'
chickens..." Hey, I'm just saying he's a weasel, that's all.
Then you have Sergei Fedorov riding Anaheim's Jason Marshall from
behind into the boards, rendering the defender motionless on the
ice for several moments. But apparently he didn't stay under
long enough to earn Fedorov anything more than two games.
There have been 24 suspensions this season in the NHL, with 12
being only two games in length. And what's two games? That's
nothin', that's what that is. It's an absolute joke. Here's a
breakdown of the punishments so far this season:
Length Number
1 game 3
2 games 12
3 games 6
4 games 1
5 games 1
8 games 1
----------------------
Total 24
The two longest suspensions were all given to two-time offenders.
Rick Tocchet got saddled with his nickel after kneeing both Ryan
Smyth and Steve Yzerman in a span of 10 days. Bryan Marchment is
the proud owner of the eight-game suspension, getting collared
for kneeing Mike Modano and Kevin Dineen. His past history with
such incidents earned him the extra few games.
So I guess the message in all this is that if you want to two-
hand somebody or run 'im from behind, feel free. Just don't do
it twice, or you might actually have to pay the consequences.
You hear announcers and commentators state all the time that
players just don't respect one another like they did in the old
days. Some think that's why there have been so many injuries the
past few years. Well, if the players won't respect each other
voluntarily, then it's up to the league to see that they do. And
that means stiffer penalties to scofflaws, and an end to Brian
Burke. But good news, there are rumors circulating that Burke
won't be back next season. Yeah, apparently a job just opened up
for a village idiot...
ROY WON
How cool was it to see Patrick Roy calmly remove his gloves and
mask and then skate out to center to challenge Chris Osgood?
That was amazing. And enough of this garbage about Osgood
winning the fight. Give the kid credit for answering the call,
he in no way embarrassed himself, but Roy was the man. St.
Patrick was dealing. Just because Osgood tackled him at the end
doesn't mean he won. The tackle is the last ditch effort of
anyone getting worked. Roy won. End of conversation.
There's also been talk that Roy made a mistake in fighting, that
it will just be something else to galvanize the Wings. Um, well,
no. Roy did what had to be done. It's all part of the game.
The boys on the bench knew what the gesture meant, and that's all
that matters.
USA HOCKEY TEAM STAYING HOME
Team USA received some painful news this week when it was
announced they will not be invited to the White House with the
other US Olympians. This is apparently some form of punishment
for no one coming forward to accept blame for trashing the
Japanese hotel rooms. Maybe the Olympic committee should get
together with Brian Burke, because exactly how is this a
punishment? Is it really an honor to go to the White House
anymore? If they wanted to punish the guys, they should force
them to go to the White House and be interns. Now that's a
punishment.
LCS HOCKEY CHAT ON AOL
Matt Moore, our Los Angeles Correspondent, will be hosting a chat
session on America Online Wednesday night, April 15, at 8:30 PM
EST. It's scheduled to be a discussion on the impending
playoffs, but I'm sure Matt will also have some last-minute tax
tips available. Be sure to swing by and check it out. That's
keyword "LCS".
GERMANS LOVE LCS
It has recently come to my attention that Germans love LCS. So
I'd like to take this time to say hello to all our friends in
Germany... ahem... "Hey, Germans... how's it goin'?" And a
special thanks to Marc Hoppenz for letting me know that Germans
love LCS. The way I hear it, we're like right behind David
Hasselhoff... so that's pretty good.
Now that Germany is on board, there aren't many countries
standing between us and world domination. Everyone knows that
the Swedes love us. And in the past we've received letters from
such places as Finland, Russia, England, France, the Czech
Republic, Australia, South Africa, China, Japan, and Mexico.
However, we would like to hear from people in either Norway or
Switzerland. So if you live in Norway or Switzerland and read
the LCS, please drop us a line and let us know. Thank you.
NORWAY WINS AGAIN...
The LCS hockey wars on the Sega Saturn continue to wage. And
guess what? Norway continues to win. Go figure?
Norway won its fifth straight series over Switzerland, this time
by a four-games-to-two margin. Norway has never lost a seven-
game series to the Swiss.
Swiss captain Zippy the Wonder Chimp was unavailable for comment,
so I'll just make up a quote.
"We suck," said a disenchanted Zippy. "Norway is just too great.
They make us look like little school girls. We should really
stick to making chocolate clocks and leave hockey to the
Norwegians."
Well said, Zippy... well said.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Pimp Hockey
------------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell
The Ice Pimps are alive and well. Yes, there are indeed real
life Ice Pimps walking among us. Minnesota is their home. And
anyone with a hockey stick is their enemy.
I originally coined the term Ice Pimp about three years ago,
using it as the name of my team in the hotly contested LCS
inter-office hockey pool known to insiders as the RHL. I felt
the name Ice Pimp embodied everything a hockey team should be;
suave, sophisticated, and smooth. But the name also had a harder
edge. Ice Pimp gave the sense that the boys could handle
themselves and would cut you if you mess with 'em. It was
creative bliss.
It was obvious that such a stylish name could not be restrained
to just a hockey pool. It was only a matter of time before it
made its way to the ice. In February of 1996, myself and the
other founding fathers of LCS became owners of a local pee wee
hockey team and christened them the Ice Pimps. Despite being
between the ages of seven and nine, the youngsters showed some
spunk and did the Ice Pimp name proud, even swaggering to a
championship in our second season of ownership. Unfortunately,
the good times didn't last forever and we lost the deed for the
team in a poker game. But c'mon, three kings! That's golden...
I swear that nun was hiding cards in her habit.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: To read more about the pee wee Ice Pimps, be
sure to read the "From the Chief..." columns of Feb. 21,
1996, and Feb. 28,
1996, or visit your local library.)
The minute Sister Mary Nicholas raked in the pot, the pee wee Ice
Pimps were no more. The next season the church took control of
the team and renamed them the Holy Terrors. It was a sad day
indeed. All seemed bleak for the future of the Ice Pimps. But
little did we know that forces beyond our control were already
lifting the proud Ice Pimp name from the ashes.
Several months ago we were informed that there was a new breed of
Ice Pimp carrying on the tradition. These brave pioneers are
championing the cause at the University of Minnesota. Enrolled
in the school's intermural hockey league (UMIHL), the Ice Pimps
have quickly gained the reputation of being the baddest men this
side of Shaft. When the Ice Pimps come to play, the opposition
better have not some, not half, but all their cash.
"To be a Pimp, you can go one of two routes," explains Mitz Del
Caro, one of the original Pimps. "Be a goon, or be an excellent
player who condones gooning. If you don't like it you can't
play."
Del Caro founded the Ice Pimps along with his good pal Kraig
"Ogie" Haenke in the fall of '96. Del Caro and Haenke are both
from the Iron Range of Northeastern Minnesota, the same area of
the country that spawned the Hanson Brothers of "Slap Shot" fame.
In fact, the 1977 Paul Newman classic is considered sacred to all
Pimps. It has shaped their very perspective of the sport. When
the duo felt that the hockey being played in their area was a bit
too clean and needed to be gooned up, they decided to build their
own squad and lead by example.
The Ice Pimps made their debut in the UMIHL on January 13, 1997,
winning their first game 6-4. After pounding a hapless bunch of
losers 13-1 in their second contest, the Pimps went out and made
history on the evening on January 27.
The game itself wasn't exactly going as planned, and the Pimps
found themselves down 5-0. That's when Haenke improvised. The
man known as Ogie to his friends went buckwild and racked up 15
minutes in penalties, including minors for elbowing and
cross-checking and a major for fighting. Ogie's performance
earned him the first game misconduct in Ice Pimp history. It
also sent the league's commissioner into action. The Ice Pimp
brutality was so heinous that the league suspended the club for
the remainder of the season and banned Ogie for life. Aw, that's
Ice Pimp hockey.
"Our style is aggressive. Try to get it in their zone and never
let it out," explains Del Caro. "If they get near our net, kill
them. If someone throws a good check against us, injure the guy
so he won't do it again. Basically, our approach is you don't
come to a hockey game expecting to dance. If you show up, you
better be prepared to lose teeth."
The Ice Pimps were reinstated over the summer thanks to the
appointment of a new commissioner and were eager to lace 'em up
again for the 1998 season.
"Last year the UMIHL sucked," states Del Caro. "You gooned a
guy, you were done for the season. Say one thing to the ref, you
got a penalty. This year there was a new commish and new refs.
They let a ton of stuff go. You could wind up on a guy, slam him
with your stick, no penalty. You really had to screw up this year
to get booted."
With the league adopting a more friendly view of barbarism, the
Ice Pimps actually made it through the entire 1998 schedule.
Unfortunately, while they continued to commit atrocities, the
wins didn't come easy. The Pimps finished the regular season
with a record of 5-6-1. They triumphed in their first playoff
game, but got bumped 5-1 in the quarterfinals.
"The 98 season had its ups and downs," recalls Del Caro. "It went
a full 12 games, which was good, but our aggression just wasn't
there. Sure, there were more highlights to remember after it
ended, but we didn't sell out like we wanted to. We truly
felt ashamed of ourselves afterwards. Also, we had too many guys,
the lines were always switching, and we had no consistency until
the last two games of the season. But we did get to see some real
nice performances by our skaters. It was a good season, but not
what we had hoped for. In the playoffs we were just beaten by a
better team. They were faster, in better shape... just better.
Also we tried to skate with them instead of goon them. But I
don't know if we even could have, they were just in too good of
shape, we couldn't even catch them. The coolest thing was seeing
Haenke cross-checking and smashing people with his stick
and not get called for barely any of it."
Haenke's physical play earned him his second straight Ogie
Ogilthorpe Award. Named in honor of the infamous goon in "Slap
Shot", the Ogilthorpe Award is given annually to the player that
best exemplifies the virtues of a true Ice Pimp. It only seems
fair that Haenke win the award, since it was his on-ice
similarities to the classic character that earned him the Ogie
nickname in the first place. The importance of the award is not
lost on its humble recipient.
"It's a huge honor to be a two-time winner of the Ogie Ogilthorpe
Award," beams Haenke. "The Ogie award reminds me to push the
envelope of safety on the ice and see how many game misconducts I
can rack up before I get thrown out forever."
While Ogie is proud of his game, he has no delusions about his
overall ability.
"As a player I would describe myself as cheap," admits Ogie. "I
was proud of Claude Lemieux when he checked monkey boy Draper
into the boards from behind. He is my favorite player because of
his cheapness. Hockey isn't about finesse. I'm not so skilled,
but I make up for it in penalties. I think my opponents think I'm
a joke, but I think the refs take me seriously. As soon as I
step out of the locker room they are reminding me to play it
straight. Screw that. Oh well, they wish they could be like
Ogie, too, I guess."
"My hockey skills are much like that of a drunk bear in a garbage
bin," continues Ogie. "They are few and far between. I have no
acceleration, no speed or agility, and no slap shot. On the
other hand, I check like an animal. I have no qualms about
nailing guys to the boards from behind or up in the face. My
hockey intelligence is lacking desperately. Do you remember the
intelligence of the hockey players on Super Nintendo skating in
little circles all day long? I have less intelligence than they
do."
Ogie goes through a strict regiment in order to get ready for
contests. If just one thing is wrong, his precision game could
get thrown out of whack.
"The day of a game I am irate all day. I eat salad and drink
unsweetened ice tea. This pisses me off," explains Ogie. "I
usually get to the locker room two hours early to look for a guy
I really don't like so I can goon him. In the locker room I get
dressed before anyone else so I can get through the red tape of
the officials, checking me for illegal equipment and such. You
know, nails in the stick, etc. No, I've never done that, but I
always, I mean always, put on the foil before every game nice and
tight. Ya never know who's got a hard head. Then I hit the ice
to take about three wrist shots, practice cross-checking and
slashing, then I'm ready to go."
Ogie's intensity has spilled off the rink on more than one
occasion. Just a few weeks back he got kicked out of a hockey
game for brawling. The wacky thing is that he wasn't playing.
He was merely a spectator. The incident took place at a WCHA
playoff game between Minnesota and the University of
Minnesota-Duluth. Ogie was making sure the UMD student section
knew how he felt about their club by unleashing a verbal assault
that staggered those in attendance. His taunts eventually drew
the ire of some foolhardy UMD fans and a fight ensued. Although
he was outnumbered four to one, Ogie held his ground and threw.
What else would you expect from an Ice Pimp?
It's been said that being an Ice Pimp isn't just a feeling, it's
a way of life. Pimps are expected to live within certain
guidelines. For example, Barry White is the official music of
the Ice Pimps. Players are also asked to drive large pimp cars,
like a Cutlass, Regal, or Monte Carlo from the years 1981-88.
And when it comes to style, these Pimps know how to carry
themselves. Whether in knee-length vinyl jackets, flowing fur
coats, or powder blue tuxedos, these guys are swanky dressers.
They'll even throw in the occasional white leisure suit for good
measure. Afros are the hairstyle of choice. Hey, it's all about
being a Pimp.
"Being an Ice Pimp is the greatest thing in the world to me.
Being around a bunch on Neanderthals on ice is so cool," says
Ogie.
Sadly, not just anyone can be an Ice Pimp. Aside from wearing
real wizard threads and being willing to mix it up, prospective
Pimps need to know that the team comes first.
"We go through a stringent screening process for recruiting.
However, even the finest GM makes a few errors," Ogie regretfully
admits. "We have banned four players from the Ice Pimps. One was
forcefully booted after he wouldn't fight. And three players
were kicked off after violating the Ice Pimp doctrine by
complaining they weren't getting enough playing time. We all
have a common goal: to be goons. And we always back up our
fellow Pimps."
The Ice Pimps are already preparing for next year. There's even
talk of Ice Pimp merchandise, with fans of the club eager to
support their heroes.
"The Pimps will be back next season, leaner and back to the
basics," warns Del Caro. "We're thinking of getting jerseys
together for marketing. We've been getting email from fans who
want some, but we don't have any yet. But it's a definite
possibility."
While a championship season would be nice, it's hardly the Ice
Pimp ideal. They set their sights a little higher.
"The perfect game would be every Pimp on the ice brawling, and
then maybe a dash into the stands," says Del Caro. "What I would
like to see is a few Pimps waving their arms like the Hansons
after getting their first ejection in 'Slap Shot.' Just basking
in their glory."
"The best words of advise are who cares if the ref is looking,"
summarizes Ogie. "You can hit him, too. Screw goals, anyone can
score. It takes real guts to fight anyone and everyone."
And it takes real guts to be an Ice Pimp.
(ANOTHER EDITOR'S NOTE: If you'd like to read more about the
Ice Pimps, the team has its own web site that includes stats,
boxscores, and player profiles. Feel free to visit and get your
learn on. It can be found at http://www.
angelfire.com/mn/westbank/main.html).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
AHL NEWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Tricia McMillan
Player of the Week (Mar. 22) Net-mate Jean-Sebastien
Giguere went for the dramatics, but Tyler Moss got the award.
Moss was 3-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .944 save percentage as the
Flames won three road games during the week. Moss has a personal
unbeaten streak of ten games in progress and ranks fourth in the
league in GAA and second in save percentage - behind Giguere. Not
bad for a guy dumped by the Lightning because they thought he
couldn't play.
Player of the Week (Mar. 29): The Philadelphia Phantoms
were setting records last week but it was Mike Maneluk who took
the honors. Maneluk had six goals and an assist in the Phantoms'
four games, to include a game-tying goal in the final seconds
against Hamilton and a hat trick against Rochester. He also had a
three-point night against Cincinnati, a team he's familiar with -
Maneluk played for the Baltimore Bandits and the Worcester
IceCats prior to joining the Phantoms at the start of the season.
Insurance Player for March: A familiar sounding name -
Mike Maneluk. The Phantom picked up extra hardware to go with his
Player of the Week award, sharing the Insurance Player Award with
Hartford's Christian Dube. Both players were +11 in 13 games
during the month of March. The overall race is going down to the
wire, as Saint John defenseman Ryan Bast leads with a +34 rating
and River Rat John Madden is just behind him with a +33, although
Madden has played three fewer games. The overall award will be
given at the season's conclusion.
Follow Throughs: When last we saw the Flames'
Jean-Sebastien Giguere, he was being carted to the emergency room
in Albany following the Flames' 3-1 loss. Turns out Giguere lost
19 pounds during the game - and he doesn't have any weight
he can afford to lose. Giguere remained sufficiently ill that he
was placed on the injured list and hasn't played since, but
the Flames replaced him with their ninth goaltender of the
season, assigning 1997 draft pick Evan Lindsay to Saint John.
Then there was the brawl of the century between Rochester and
Hamilton. The suspensions and penalties came thick and furious
after league review of the tapes. The Amerks' Scott Metcalfe
received an automatic one-game suspension for picking up his
third instigating penalty of the year. The Amerks' Rumun Ndur
(who was recalled to Buffalo after the game) was suspended six
games and Dan Frawley three for leaving the bench to join the
altercation at 19:57 of the third period. Other players earning
suspensions include Alex Vasilevskii, Terran Sandwith, and Dennis
Bonvie. Vaclav Varada, who was also recalled by Buffalo after the
game, was NOT suspended for his slash that severed the end of
Sean Brown's left pinky - the slash was one-handed and the
officials agreed there was no intent to injure behind it. Brown
will be out a minimum of two weeks.
Capital Infusion: Despite bankruptcy, lawsuits and the
ever-dependable poor attendance, the River Rats may yet stay in
Albany - if the U.S. Bankruptcy Court will allow.
GE executive Walter L. Robb announced his intent to buy a 20-
percent stake in the Rats for $300,000, with the purpose of
keeping the team sufficiently financially grounded to stay in
town. More specifically, majority owner Albert W. Lawrence is
under Chapter 11 - Reorganization bankruptcy protection and
Capital District Sports (the corporation which encompasses the
River Rats) are one of his few assets. The Rats are in default of
payments owed to the New Jersey Devils and Lawrence's
court-forced sale of stock in the team was intended to bring in
the cash necessary to pay off the Devils and keep the Rats out of
the bankruptcy claim.
But then Joseph J. O'Hara, who used to own minor league
basketball and football teams in Albany, offered to pay more than
the 300K Robb was offering provided O'Hara could also purchase,
at a minimum, 74 of Lawrence's 85 shares of the team. If O'Hara
was able to buy at least that many of Lawrence's shares (and
possibly the remaining Lawrence shares and the 15 owned by Ned
Harkness) O'Hara would become the 'super-majority' owner of the
team and the Rats would be excluded from Lawrence's bankruptcy
filing and at the same time owned by someone committed to keeping
the team in Albany.
O'Hara's offer would be over $1 million, but he has stated
unequivocably he won't do the deal unless he becomes majority
owner. The Bankruptcy Court was expected to review the whole
thing on April 6 and make a judgment shortly thereafter, a
decision which should determine the Rats' fate for at least the
balance of the century.
And oh yeah - the team still faces a lawsuit from their previous
stop in Troy, New York, regarding the recoupment of defaulted
loans made to the team by the city's administration.
Top of the List: That other hockey publication put out
their list of the top 50 prospects (with some really questionable
definitions of 'prospect') and 17 of the players appearing on the
list are also appearing or have appeared on an AHL team near you.
Eight of them also appeared in the AHL All-Star Game. They are as
follows:
RANK PLAYER, TEAM
5 Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Saint John
6 Brendan Morrison, Albany
8 Marc Denis, Hershey
10 Zdeno Chara, Kentucky
12 Erik Rasmussen, Rochester
13 Robert Dome, Syracuse
19 Jose Theodore, Fredericton
28 Cameron Mann, Providence
31 Daniel Briere, Springfield
33 Jason Doig, Springfield
35 Oleg Kvasha, New Haven
38 Brian Boucher, Philadelphia
41 Donald MacLean, Fredericton
42 Marc Savard, Hartford
43 Nolan Baumgartner, Portland
44 Alexandre Volchkov, Portland
50 Josef Marha, Hershey (since traded to Anaheim)
Pack the House: It took them one game longer than
anticipated, but the Rochester Americans topped the eight-million
mark in attendance on March 25 against Philadelphia. The Amerks
needed 42 seasons to reach the mark, not bad considering the
arena isn't a big one. Worcester, St. John's and Albany all
reached the one-million mark this season, with Worcester
needing just four seasons to pull it off. The league continues on
a pace to top four million for the first time.
March 28 saw the Kentucky Thoroughblades become only the third
AHL team to top the 300,000-attendance mark in their first two
seasons of existence. Philadelphia did it, as did Providence
several years back. Only nine teams have ever gone over the
300,000 and only two have ever been over 400,000. Speaking of
Philadelphia, the Phantoms became only the second AHL team to top
400,000 in total attendance for a season and set a new single
season attendance record on April 1 as 9,641 attended the matchup
with Hamilton, bringing Philadelphia's attendance up to 433,720
and over the 71-72 Boston Braves record of 425,900. Advance
ticket sales indicate the Phantoms will easily break the Braves'
average attendance record as well; the Phantoms average to date
11,722, more than 500 a game over the Braves' average of 11,208.
Getting Set: Which brings us to everyone's favorite, Clear
Day. For those unclear, AHL teams must submit a list of players
(twenty skaters, two goaltender) currently on their roster to
the league as their playoff rosters. The players don't actually
have to physically be with the team, just be assigned there,
hence many of the 'assignments' made by NHL teams were on paper
only and lasted 24 hours. The teams are allowed 'injury
alternates' after the playoffs begin and may add free agents from
college and juniors as well as juniors on reserve to NHL teams
more or less at will once the player becomes available. Many NHL
teams made moves to give their AHL affiliates some help in the
playoffs. NHL teams not expecting to make the playoffs made the
majority of moves, with Daniil Markov, Marc Savard, Vladimir
Vorobiev, Dan Cloutier, Nolan Pratt, Bates Battaglia, Peter
Worrell and Steve Washburn as some of the more notable assignees.
Most significant may be the moves made by a team that is going to
the playoffs - Washington. The Capitals assigned Jaroslav
Svejkovsky and Andrew Brunette to the Pirates, instantly
elevating the Pirates' playoff aspirations. A complete list of
playoff rosters follows at the end of this article,
courtesy of the Saint John Times Globe.
All the Right Moves?: Even the AHL got into the action at
the NHL trading deadline, as the Calgary Flames obliged Saint
John and made a trade with the IHL. Saint John had wanted to
trade veteran players Sami Helenius, Paxton Schulte and Keith
McCambridge to the IHL for some time (and Helenius had requested
a trade), but Calgary had to make the move and they did at the
deadline, acquiring defensemen Steve Bancroft and Justin Kurtz
from the Las Vegas Thunder to bolster the young Flames' lineup
for the playoffs. Calgary also sent Todd Hlushko, Hnat
Domenichelli and Jim Dowd back to Saint John to make them
eligible for the AHL playoffs, although only Hlushko was sent to
Saint John physically.
Easy Does It: Plenty of other moves were made as well: the
simplest one in outright form was Hershey swapping Bobby House
for Syracuse's Serge Aubin, a move cleared by both the NHL teams
involved. It does mean House is now on his fourth team of the
season, having started with Albany and playing for IHL Quebec as
well.
A Little More Complicated: Not so simple were the stunts
involving Adirondack and Rochester. The Detroit Red Wings pulled
off a trade with IHL Detroit Vipers, sending veterans Duane Joyce
and Sylvain Cloutier to the Vipers in exchange for former River
Rat Rob Pattison and defenseman Tim Murray. Yes, the same Tim
Murray that the Vipers had already traded to Rochester. One thing
Jody Gage hadn't been able to do in the trade was obtain Murray's
overall rights, which remained with the Vipers and made it
possible for them to trade him regardless of the Amerks' feelings
on the matter. Thus the Amerks traded Patrice Tardif and got
squat. Squat is also what Duane Joyce thought of this move, as he
thought he had a verbal agreement with Adirondack management that
he would not be traded during the season and had moved his family
to Glens Falls. Joyce initially didn't report to Detroit and
planned to retire, but opted to report when it became evident a
suspension would end his health insurance.
Paper Trail: The departure of Murray along with callups
and suspensions left the Amerks short of players. They obtained
overage junior Shane Kenny from UHL Port Huron (that would
be the same Shane Kenny that Philadelphia drafted in the second
round, 1995, and couldn't sign; also the same Shane Kenny who was
booted off two different OHL teams for his attitude problem) and
then pulled off a remarkably complicated chain of events which
eventually brought them Mike Harder, who had been playing for the
Springfield Falcons. Harder was property of the IHL Milwaukee
Admirals, who had loaned him to Springfield. Milwaukee recalled
Harder and traded him to the IHL Grand Rapids Griffins, who then
traded Harder to Rochester in exchange for playoff rights to the
Amerks' Mike Casselman, who had been obtained in an earlier swap
with IHL Cincinnati. Follow that? By the way, Casselman stays
with Rochester until their season is over, then moves to Grand
Rapids.
Musical Blades: But no AHL team was as hard hit by the
trading deadline as the Kentucky Thoroughblades, who were
devasted from the goal net to the blue line. San Jose traded
defenseman Rich Brennan to New York for Jason Muzzatti, which
gave the T-Blades three goaltenders. Not good. So San Jose agreed
to 'loan' John Nabokov to New York to play in Hartford.
But Jamie Ram wasn't happy about sharing the net with Muzzatti
and asked to be moved, and the Sharks obliged him by loaning him
to the IHL's Utah Grizzlies for the balance of the season and
cancelling Nabokov's loan.
The Islanders had already recalled Jason Strudwick, Jason
Holland, Zdeno Chara, Steve Webb and Sean Haggerty from Kentucky,
and after the deadline they also recalled defenseman Vladimir
Chebaturkin and enforcer Ray Schultz, as Strudwick and Holland
were traded. Along with Brennan's departure, that left the
T-Blades with four defensemen (Peter Allen, Alex Boikov, Jason
Widmer and Andy Sutton) and Sutton has less than a half dozen
games' professional experience, so they recalled Marko Makinen,
Terry Lindgren and Yuri Krivohija from the ECHL and switched
Fredrik Oduya from wing to defense.
Then the Islanders loaned Sean Haggerty back to Kentucky - and
recalled him again before he had a chance to report. The Isles
finally relented and sent Haggerty, Chebaturkin, Steve Webb and
Jeff Libby back to Kentucky. The T-Blades were already reeling
from their 2-13-1 record in March and probably won't get their
bearings back this season.
Snack Size: The Philadelphia Phantoms became the second
AHL team to win a division title in their first two years of
existence as they clinched the Mid-Atlantic Division again. The
Maine Mariners are the only other team to do it...
The Phantoms' Mike Maneluk gained them a point Mar. 24 when he
scored the tying goal against Hamilton with 46 seconds remaining
in the game...
Red Wings defenseman Duane Joyce had 18 points in his first 61
games, then nine points in four games...
Adirondack's defense is shot at present, with their top four
defensemen injured or recalled and rookies in goal. The offense
has made up for it, topping the four-goal marker in four straight
games when they'd only managed it four times all season...
Albany's nine goals against Adirondack Mar. 21 tied a franchise
high, as did the 14 combined goals in the game...
The Hamilton Bulldogs were assessed 368 penalty minutes and 30
penalty kills in two games...
The new longest point streak belongs to the Syracuse Crunch's
Brandon Convery, who has a 12-game, 23-point streak going. The
streak started when Convery played for St. John's...
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks center Bob Wren has 30 multi-point games
on the season...
The Hershey Bears clinched a playoff spot for the 51st time in 60
years...
Philadelphia Phantoms defenseman Jamie Heward leads the AHL's
blueliners in just about everything - points (58), assists (42),
second in goals (16) and second in plus/minus (+23)...
One of the league's hot teams is Beast of New Haven, who have
gotten at least one point in 16 of their last 20 games...
Providence's Joel Prpic has set the franchise record for single
season short-handed goals, with five. The career mark in
Providence is six...
The Worcester IceCats lost in Providence Mar. 21, their first
loss there in two and half years after 11 straight wins...
Smoking hot is Portland Pirates goaltender Martin Brochu, who has
a .74 GAA and .974 save percentage in his last five games, all
wins. He also has four shutouts...
The Saint John Flames have yet to lose when Eric Landry gets a
point - heck, they've had only two ties when he scores, along
with 21 wins...
Saint John's Ladislav Kohn took over the top spot on the Flames'
career assists list...
The St. John's Maple Leafs have now played in 22 overtime games
and have 16 ties on their records. The AHL records for a season
are 24 and 17, set last season by Portland and Albany,
respectively...
The Hershey Bears took advantage of a dismantled Kentucky team
Mar. 25, stomping the T-Blades 6-0 and earning Marc Denis his
first professional shutout...
Hockey may be catching on in Lexington, Kentucky, but basketball
still rules. The Mar. 28 Hershey/Kentucky game had its time
changed from 7:30 to 2:00 so everybody could watch the
Kentucky/Stanford Final Four game. The basketball game was shown
for free at the Rupp Arena for remaining hockey fans...
Christian Dube has had a lot of trouble scoring goals, as nearly
all of his points have been assists. He took a step to rectifying
that Mar. 27, notching his first professional hat trick and
another assist as well against Providence...
Syracuse served some notice to probable first-round opponents
Hamilton Mar. 27, scoring four goals in the third period to stomp
the Bulldogs 7-1...
How about two goals in the last 15 seconds of a game? Hershey
held a 1-0 lead on Kentucky with 15 seconds remaining, but Alex
Korolyuk tied the game. Then newcomer Serge Aubin scored the
game-winner for Hershey with one second remaining in
regulation...
In another nail-biting finish, Steven King scored the tying goal
with 15 seconds left and scored the game-winner halfway through
overtime against Albany...
Doug Bonner has spent the season in the ECHL but showed up in St.
John's just in time for his first AHL shutout, stopping 39
Portland shots Mar. 27...
New Haven's Craig Ferguson and Springfield's Scott Levins each
scored in the first 24 seconds of the third period Mar. 27, for a
rocking start...
Hershey picked up at least a point in ten of 11 games, going
8-1-1-1...
Kentucky lost 11 straight games, a franchise record...
Hershey and Syracuse finally played the delayed Dec. 30 game on
March 24. Syracuse wishes they didn't have to play it at all, as
Rob Shearer had a hat trick and Christian Matte had a five-point
night on the way to a 7-3 win...
Dave Roche had two goals and Brian Bonin had four points as
Syracuse knocked off Providence 5-2 Mar. 28...
The Portland Pirates took down Springfield, 2-1, on Mar. 29 on a
47 save performance from Mike O'Neill. It was Springfield's first
loss since Mar. 5...
Albany scored five unanswered goals, including two just seconds
apart, on their way to dropping the Phantoms Mar. 29...
Syacuse won their third straight game over probable playoff
opponent Hamilton, this time getting the game-winner from Brian
Bonin with 31 seconds left in regulation to win 2-1 on Mar. 29...
The Crunch have set franchise records for points in a season (75)
and wins (33)...
The Battle of New Brunswick resumed March 30 and Fredricton took
this one from Saint John emphatically, with a 50-save shutout
from Jose Theodore...
The Wolfpack allowed the baby Leafs a measly 15 shots on goal en
route to a 6-2 romp on Mar. 31...
Albany's Sasha Lakovic and Hershey's Mike McHugh were suspended
two and one game each, respectively, for attempt-to-injure match
penalties received in games on Mar. 29. Albany's Eric Bertrand
was also suspended one game for continuing a fight after linesmen
had broken it up and St. John's Shawn Thornton was suspended one
game for accumulation of game misconducts...
Guy Lehoux has returned to the St. John's Maple Leafs after
playing this season in the German Elite League...
Brendan Morrison became the AHL's first five-goals-in-one-game
scorer of the season when he scored all five of Albany's goals
against Hartford April 1. He is now two goals short of Bobby
House's franchise record for goals and eight shy of House's
points record, but was recalled to New Jersey...
Corey Hirsch became the tenth goaltender in the modern AHL to
post 100 wins on April 1, taking down Cincinnati 4-2 with a
little help from Jan Hrdina's two goals in 43 seconds...
Some control problems - referee Mike Leggo called 182 penalty
minutes between Worcester and St. John's, to include 12 majors;
and ref Bernie DeGrace called 115 minutes between Portland and
Saint John to include several game misconducts and 20 power
plays, both games occurring on April 1...
Providence's Aaron Downey set a new franchise record for penalty
minutes, with his totals up to 374 after a tilt with New Haven.
Kevin Sawyer held the old record of 367...
The Worcester IceCats have a .585 winning percentage if there's a
fight in the game, .326 without the rough stuff. The IceCats are
6-2-1 if four or more majors are called in the game. Hmmm...
Kentucky's Jason Muzzatti gave Rochester's Mike Harder a
Christmas present way early - an errant clearing attempt in front
of the net with 90 seconds left in the game. Harder didn't miss
the open net and the teams tied...
Portland's Trevor Halvorson notched his first AHL hat trick and
all three goals were set up by Andrew Brunette as the Pirates
thumped Fredricton 5-1 on April 2...
Brunette did it again two nights later, setting up three goals as
the Pirates took down Providence 4-2 on April 4...
Stacey Roest had two goals for Adirondack in their 4-2 win over
Hershey April 1. Roest's goals were the only ones in the game not
on the power play...
Jason Holland hasn't lost any time impressing the Rochester
Americans with four points in his first three games following a
trade with the Islanders...
Cincinnati's Bob 'Disco Duck' Wren is a two-way forward - but not
the way you might think. Wren is in the league's top five in
scoring, but is also up there on the penalty minute chart with
145...
The Hershey Bears allowed more than two goals in only one of
their 13 games in March, going 9-2-1-1 for the month...
The Kentucky Thoroughblades are the only team in the AHL with
three 30-goal men and probably won't get company in the category.
Steve Guolla, Alexei Yegorov and Sean Haggerty have all
reached that mark...
Hartford is the only AHL team with three goalies to have double
digits in the win column. Robb Stauber, Dan Cloutier and the
just-departed Jason Muzzatti all had at least 11 wins...
Hartford and Springfield are the only AHL teams to have won at
least 20 games on the road...
There are several AHL players way up there in penalty minutes,
but New Haven's Peter Worrell is the only one with offense as
well - 309 PiMs and 27 points as of April 1...
The Springfield Falcons put together a nine game winning streak
and have tied the club record of 42 wins for a season...
New guy Martin Gendron has done the job for the Fredericton
Canadiens, with four points in his first three games...
Former road kill Portland has turned things around on the road,
winning four straight and going unbeaten in seven straight road
games...
The Saint John Flames will set a new record for fewest goals
allowed by a team in a season barring a total disaster in April.
Through March the Flames had allowed 183 goals; the record is
215...
Another new guy making his point(s) is St. John's Lonny Bohonos,
with 15 points and seven goals in his first nine games...
When the baby Leafs shut out Portland Mar. 28, it was the first
time in franchise history St. John's had won a game in the
Cumberland County Civic Center...
Almost, but not quite. Things got so antsy during overtime of
Hamilton and Kentucky's 2-2 draw April 3 that goaltenders Steve
Passmore and Jason Muzzatti tried to have at it before the ref
intervened. This was the game where the goals were closer to each
other than usual...
How bad was Providence this year? One more loss and it's the
worst season they've ever had in Providence, tying the record for
losses set in 1976-77 by the Reds. The Bruins have four more
games to set the new record. If the Bruins don't win either of
their remaining home games, they will dip below the 43-44 Reds
for the worst home record in city history...
The AHL has created the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award to be given
at the end of the season. The award will be equivalent to the
NHL's King Clancy Trophy and given to players for
community service...
The AHL also ordered all teams to raise ticket prices for the
playoffs at least one dollar. The majority of teams only raised
it one dollar...
Hershey's Brad Larson scored twice in the first three minutes of
the Bears' April 4 tilt with Rochester...
David Roberts assisted on all of the Crunch's goals in their 3-2
win over Adirondack April 4...
The Portland Pirates added several players from ECHL Louisville
and Columbus, bringing the total number of players used by
Portland this season to a franchise record 48...
New Haven's Kevin Brown has a nine-game point streak and five-
game assist streak going...
Cincinnati goaltender Chris Mason stopped 46 of 47 Hartford shots
to earn a 1-1 tie April 5. Phillippe DeRouville got the tie for
Hartford in his first start for them...
Think concussions have overtaken the NHL? The AHL too. Four
Kentucky Thoroughblades missed their April 5 game with Hamilton
due to concussions: Warren Luhning, Andy Sutton, Steve Webb and
Terry Lindren...
Fans of the Beast's Peter Worrell can check out 'Worrell's
Haven', a Web Page dedicated entirely to Worrell.
Http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Loge/4318...
Saint John's Marty Murray returned from a serious hand injury to
score two goals in the first period of his first game back
against Fredricton...
Syracuse's Dave Roche received a one-game suspension for too many
game misconducts, sat out the game, and got another game
misconduct in his first game back. This time he'll be suspended
at least two games...
Worcester's Michal Handzus had a four-point night against
Providence April 5, with two goals and two assists in the 6-4
win. Providence's Jean-Yves Roy not only had three points, he had
ten shots on goal in the same game...
CLEAR DAY ROSTERS
Adirondack Red Wings - Goaltenders: Norm Maracle, David
Arsenault. Skaters: Mike McBain, Tim Murray, Maxim Kuznetsov,
Sean Gillam, Joe Coleman, Brandon Smith, Pavel Kubina, Yan
Golubovsky, Xavier Delisle, Stacy Roest, BJ Young, Allan Egeland,
David Matsos, Per Eklund, Phil Audet, Martin Laitre, Darryl
LaPlante, Rob Pattison, Corey Spring, Paul Brosseau.
Albany River Rats - Goaltenders: Peter Sidorkiewicz, Rich
Shulmistra. Skaters: Dan Ratushny, Sergei Vyshedevich, Geordie
Kinnear, Colin White, Vlastimil Kroupa, Bryan Helmer, Bryan Muir,
Sasha Lakovic, Brendan Morrison, Richard Rochefort, John Madden,
Jiri Bicek, Jeff Williams, Jay Pandolfo, Vadim Sharifijanov,
Steve Brule, Eric Bertrand, Rob Skrlac, Zdenek Skorepa, Dody
Wood.
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks - Goaltenders: Chris Mason, Blaine
Russell. Skaters: Jeff Winter, Byron Briske, Marc Moro, Mike
Crowley, Nikolai Tsulygin, Lloyd Shaw, Chris Tok, Dan Trebil, Bob
Wren, Clint Collins, Craig Reichert, Igor Nikulin, Peter
Leboutillier, Eric Lecompte, Espen Knutsen, Mike Pomichter,
Richard Park, Barry Nieckar, Josef Marha.
Fredericton Canadiens - Goaltenders: Jose Theodore, Tomas
Vokoun. Skaters: Eric Belanger, Brad Brown, Brett Clark, Dion
Darling, Jonathan Delisle, Gerry Fleming, Martin Gendron, Josh
Green, Francois Groleau, Miroslav Guren, Eric Houde,
Matt Higgins, Alexei Lojkin, Donald MacLean, Jan Nemecek,
Stephane Robidas, Boyd Olson, Terry Ryan, Chris Schmidt, Roman
Vopat.
Hamilton Bulldogs - Goaltenders: J.F. Labbe, Steve
Passmore. Skaters: Ladislav Benysek, Sean Brown, Mathieu
Descoteaux, Scott Ferguson, Craig Millar, Terran Sandwith,
Alexander Zhurik, Dennis Bonvie, Jason Bowen, Jeff Daw,
Boyd Devereaux, Doug Friedman, Joe Hulbig, Mark Kolesar, Dan
LaCouture, Georges Laraque, Barrie Moore, Steve Potvin, Mike
Watt.
Hartford Wolf Pack: - Goaltenders: Dan Cloutier, Robb
Stauber. Skaters: Brent Thompson, Lee Sorochan, Adam Smith, Ron
Sundin, Maxin Galanov, Rich Brennan, Ed Campbell, Marc Savard,
Peter Ferraro, Vladimir Vorobiev, Daniel Goneau, Christian Dube,
Pierre Sevigny, Ken Gernander, Derek Armstrong, Brad Smyth, PJ
Stock, Johan Lindbom, Sylvain Blouin, Todd Hall.
Hershey Bears - Goaltenders: Petr Franek, Marc Denis.
Skaters: Brian Corcoran, Dan Smith, Patrick Traverse, Pascal
Trepanier, Serge Aubin, Peter Ambroziak, Yves Sarault, Rob
Shearer, Mitch Lamoureaux, Cory Banika, Steve Lingren,
Mike Gaul, Hugues Gervais, Ville Niemenen, Christian Matte, Wade
Belak, Jeff Sirkka, Mike McHugh, Brad Larsen, Eric Veilleux.
Kentucky Thoroughblades - Goaltenders: John Nabokov, Jason
Muzzatti. Skaters: Jason Widmer, Ray Schultz, Peter Allen, Zdeno
Chara, Alexander Boikov, Vladimir Chebaturkin, Jeff Libby, Alexei
Yegorov, Steve Guolla, Chad Penney, Sean Haggerty, Fred
Knipscheer, Alexander Korolyuk, Fredrik Oduya, Peter Roed,
Brendan Yarema, Warren Luhning, Steve Webb, Jarrod Skalde, Andy
Sutton.
New Haven - Goaltenders: Mike Fountain, Todd MacDonald.
Skaters: Nolan Pratt, John Jakopin, Ashlin Halfnight, Mike
Rucinski, Steve Halko, Filip Kuba, Peter Worrell, Ryan Johnson,
Craig Ferguson, Ian MacNeil, Byron Ritchie, Bates Battaglia, Oleg
Kvasha, Ashley Buckberger, Steve Washburn, Herbert Vasilijevs,
Jeff Daniels, Dwayne Hay, Kevin Brown, David Nemirovsky.
Philadelphia Phantoms - Goaltenders: Neil Little, Brian
Boucher. Skaters: Andy Delmore, Jamie Heward, Jeff Lank, Dave
MacIssac, Jeff Staples, John Stevens, Travis Van Tighem, Frank
Bialowas, Garrett Burnett, Martin Cerven, Bruce Coles, Craig
Darby, Paul Healey, Mike Maneluk, Shawn McCosh, Jim Montgomery,
Sean O'Brien, Andre Payette, Brian Wesenberg, Peter White.
Portland Pirates - Goaltenders: Martin Brochu, Mike
O'Neill. Skaters: Steve Poapst, Stu Malgunas, Nolan Baumgartner,
Rick Mrozik, Patrick Boileau, David Harlock, Alexandre Volchkov,
Kent Hulst, Jan Benda, Trevor Halverson, Ryan Mulhern, Brad
Church, Benoit Gratton, Rick Kowalsky, Kevin Kaminski, Mark
Major, Andrew Brunette, Jaroslav Svejkovsky.
Providence Bruins - Goaltenders: John Grahame, Olie
Sundstrom. Skaters: Elias Abrahamsson, Bill Armstrong, Anders
Myrvold, Barry Richter, Jon Rohloff, Yevgeny Shaldybin, Mattias
Timander, Shawn Bates, Kimbi Daniels, Aaron Downey, Jay
Henderson, Cameron Mann, Kirk Nielson, Tyler Prosopsky, Joel
Prpic, Randy Robitaille, Ed Ronan, Jean-Yves Roy, John Varga.
Rochester Americans - Goaltenders: Mike Bales, Martin
Biron. Skaters: J-L Grand-Pierre, Jason Holland, Mike Hurlbut,
Dean Melanson, Rumun Ndur, Shayne Wright, Craig Charron, Mike
Harder, Erik Rasmussen, Derek Wood, Matt Davidson, Dan
Frawley, Dane Jackson, Steve King, Mike Casselman, Randy
Burridge, Denis Hamel, Scott Metcalfe, Peter Vandermeer, Vaclav
Varada.
Springfield Falcons - Goaltenders: Scott Langkow, Sylvain
Daigle. Skaters: Jason Doig, Sean Gagnon, Richard Lintner,
Radoslav Suchy, Dan Focht, Brad Tiley, Ted Crowley, Deron Quint,
Daniel Briere, Brad Isbister, Scott Levins, Jason Morgan, Jeff
Shevalier, Mike Maurice, Tavis Hansen, Rhett Gordon, Trevor
Letowski, Rob Murray, Jocelyn Lemieux, Brian Sullivan.
St. John's Maple Leafs - Goaltenders: Marcel Cousineau,
Francis Larivee. Skaters: DJ Smith, Nathan Dempsey, Jeff Ware,
Yannick Tremblay, Greg Smyth, Daniil Markov, David Cooper,
Clayton Norris, Aaron Brand, Zdenek Nedved, Warren Norris,
Kevyn Adams, Lonny Bohonos, Shawn Carter, Ryan Pepperall, Shawn
Thornton, Todd Gillingham, Mark Deyell, Jason Podollan, Jason
Sessa.
Syracuse Crunch - Goaltenders: Corey Hirsch, Tim Keyes.
Skaters: Dennis Pinfold, Mark Wotton, Sven Butenschon, Brent
Sopel, Chad Allan, Chris McAllister, Jason Strudwick, Brian
Bonin, Darren Sinclair, Lubomir Vaic, Bobby House, Dave Roche,
Tyson Nash, Peter Schaefer, Dave Roberts, Alex Stojanov,
Domenic Pittis, Jan Hrdina, Brandon Convery, Bert Robertsson.
Worcester IceCats - Goaltenders: Frederic Cassivi, Brent
Johnson. Skaters: Jason Zent, Lubos Bartecko, Ivan Ciernik, Reed
Low, Michal Handzus, Robert Petrovicky, Stephane Roy, Bob
Lachance, Mike Prokopec, Chris Kenady, Jamal Mayers, Shayne
Toporowski, Ricard Persson, Libor Zabransky, Bryce Salvador,
Derek Diener, Rory Fitzpatrick, Nick Naumenko, Terry Virtue,
Justin Hocking.
----------------------------------------------------------------
LCS AHL AWARDS
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Tricia McMillan
Lessee. Flowers are blooming, trees are acquiring leaves,
baseball is back and the playoffs are imminent. It must be time
to hand out the hardware.
OK, so there's a week left before the end of the season and the
actual awards aren't announced for a couple days after that, but
it's no fun announcing the winners if you haven't made an idiot
of yourself guessing at the winners in advance. And I'm only
dealing here with those awards that required voting/thinking. Any
award which automatically goes to the guy with the best numbers,
goes to the guy with the best numbers and doesn't require
discussion. That said, here goes.
All-Rookie Team: Yikes. Tough one. Not only were there
five absolute standout rookies in the forward ranks, they're all
centers. Nuts. I'm just naming three forwards, actual position be
damned.
Forward - Daniel Briere, Springfield
Forward - Brendan Morrison, Albany
Forward - Michal Handzus, Worcester
Defense - Brent Sopel, Syracuse
Defense - Mike Gaul, Hershey
Goaltender - John Grahame, Providence
Leaving Marc Savard and John Madden out of this was pretty tough,
and leaving out Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Marc Denis wasn't easy
either. But Denis started the season rockier than Colorado,
Giguere missed half the season with illness and injury, and
Grahame had to spend a whole year as a backstop to one sorry
bunch of leadfoots. But Grahame survived a full season, played
solidly all year and played extremely well despite his
teammates towards the end of the year, so we'll give the nod to
the guy who had the biggest headache.
Zdeno Chara proved the hype wasn't for height, demonstrating more
than a little ability behind the blue line and a willingness to
take a beating in the process; but Sopel turned out to be
more than solid on both offense and defense. He was just the
right amount of chippy for a blueliner and improved as the season
went on, unheralded.
Here's the herald. Gaul surprised the heck out of everyone except
Germany - they watched him post 85 points in 39 games last
season. Gaul missed training camp and the first several weeks of
the season due to an appendectomy, but still ruled rookie
defensemen offensively and was near the top in rookie scoring
period. Did the job in his own end too, as the only Bears regular
with a plus rating.
Briere, jeez. What is left to say about him? The scooter ran the
whole league upside the head this season and proved only the
boneheadedness of NHL GMs who can't see past a yardstick.
Morrison is only two inches taller than Briere but didn't have to
put up with the size griping; turns out he could handle the
heavier pro schedule just fine, coming on incredibly strong at
the end of the year and picking up a pair of Rookie of the Month
awards.
And Handzus is just plain amazing. I shudder to think what'll
happen when he learns English and can actually talk to his
teammates - he must've had ESP with some of the passes he's made
this year.
Clearly Savard and Madden (and Syracuse's Peter Schaefer, for
that matter) belong in this company as well, but someone had to
be left out. Numbers, you know.
Rookie of the Year (Dudley 'Red' Garrett Award): Oh yeah.
Have to pick one guy for the overall award. No contest, it's
Briere all the way. Too bad he didn't finish the season in the
AHL to give White and Guolla a run for the scoring title.
All-Star Teams: Goaltenders were tough to pick. Reasoning
later.
First Team Second Team
Forward Steve Guolla, Kentucky Alexei Yegorov, Kentucky
Forward Daniel Briere, Spring. Scott Fraser, Hamilton
Forward Peter White, Phil. Craig Darby, Philadelphia
Defense Jamie Heward, Phil. Geordie Kinnear, Albany
Defense Mike Gaul, Hershey Stuart Malgunas, Portland
Goalie Robb Stauber, Hartford Richard Shulmistra, Albany
MVP (Les Cunningham Award): Oooh, ouch. Another tough
category. The natural place to look is at top scorers, so we'll
start there. Peter White and Craig Darby were both top scorers,
but cancel each other out. Likewise for Steve Guolla and Alexei
Yegorov. It's tough to be the MVP when your linemate has the same
numbers, making him just as valuable to the team. Andrew
Brunette might have been the man had he stayed in the AHL all
season, but he didn't. He's darn close to it anyway. No
goaltender has stood out like JF Labbe did last year - Labbe had
a good season, as did Norm Maracle, but they didn't take their
teams anywhere they weren't likely to have gone without them. The
Saint John, Albany and Philadelphia goaltending tandems
were all standouts, but they were also tandems.
So we wind up with the usual suspect, Daniel Briere. Or do we?
Scott Fraser certainly did the job well enough in Hamilton; and
how about the defensemen? Without Mike Gaul and Zdeno Chara,
Hershey and Kentucky might have finished in the ECHL. How about
defensemen period? Can't play the game without 'em, especially
the defensemen who actually play defense. So we're going to try
something new and different here and nominate Philadelphia's
Jamie Heward.
Heward had far more to do with the Phantoms' success than the
goaltending or the scoring - he managed to do a lot by way of
both as well as playing terrific defense. Briere gets the
honorable mention.
Best Goaltender (Aldege 'Baz' Bastien Award): None of
these are going to be easy are they? While many goaltenders
played well, none of the true number one goalies were standouts
and the standouts weren't number one guys.
Petr Franek made a run at this the first half of the season but
then Marc Denis got the hang of it and Franek found the bench.
Likewise with Peter Sidorkiewicz and Richard Shulmistra.
Shulmistra posted the best numbers of any goaltender in the
league, but he didn't start the season in the AHL, wasn't deemed
Albany's number one man until February and then spent March
with a variety of aches and pains.
Tyler Moss split chores with Jean-Sebastien Giguere and a cast of
thousands (OK, six); and Scott Langkow spent half the season in
the NHL. Tom Askey spent half of the season injured. Martin
Brochu did both the first half of the season, losing time
both to the Capitals and a knee injury. Robb Stauber played more
than anyone else in Hartford and did it well, but was officially
the second fiddle until Jason Muzzatti was traded at the
deadline.
So while it's really not allowed, I'm going to give this award to
some seven guys - the entire goaltending corps posted by the
Saint John Flames this season. Moss and Giguere were both
outstanding when available, and most of the emergency guys -
especially Igor Karpenko - were more than capable. And the Flames
allowed the fewest goals of any team in league history. Make it a
group shot.
Best Defenseman (Eddie Shore Award): Needed at least one
easy one. If Heward's the MVP, then he kinda has to be the best
defenseman. Certainly Gaul, Sopel and Chara merit mention, and
both Geordie Kinnear and Stuart Malgunas were superb in holding
their teams' respective forts. Possibly the best runner-up is a
guy you may never have heard of - Saint John's Ryan Bast. Bast
was about the only blueliner in Saint John to survive the entire
season with body parts intact and still in New Brunswick. He also
posted the top plus/minus rating in the AHL even though he never
scored (11 points through 69 games) and was quite familiar with
the penalty box.
Best Coach (Louis A.R. Pieri Award): Some people may find
this one hard, but I don't. Take a bow, Bill Stewart. Based on
their original roster, Saint John should have been a good team;
they had no business being a great one, particularly when they
spent nearly the whole year missing half their lineup to injury
and callups and rarely were able to meet the standard 16 skaters.
Stewart himself nearly had to suit up on one occasion to get the
team to the minimum 14 skaters. They used nearly a dozen
goaltenders and a wide assortment of borrowed UHL and ECHL
players, but didn't have the services of Marty Murray, JS
Giguere, Chris O'Sullivan, etc. for the majority of the season.
Every time it appeared they might have a full roster, Calgary
raided the roost. And after all that they allowed the fewest
goals in AHL history while dominating their division. This is all
Stewart's.
Comeback/Dedication to the Game (Fred T. Hunt Award): Back
to the toughies. There were no clear comeback stories this
season, certainly not like Steve Passmore's tale of woe last
year. Mike Gaul survived his training camp appendectomy and
that's about it for dramatic injuries. Scott Nichol and Sergei
Klimentiev both played for the Amerks long after they should've
quit due to injury, and Nichol immediately returned to the team
after surgery as an assistant coach, largely due to guilt over
not being able to play. Peter Sidorkiewicz played the good
soldier all season long, with no real intention of doing anything
other than his job and taking all assignments in stride.
So maybe this season the comeback will be due to, say, a
readjustment of attitude? Hamilton's Scott Fraser had run-ins
with two coaches on two different teams, was traded by his NHL
club, was exiled to IHL San Antonio and then to Greensboro. Hard
to want to stick around the sport after a season like that, but
Fraser opted to address the perceived defensive deficiencies in
his game and then talked Edmonton into giving him a shot. The
result was one of the league's best plus/minus ratings, the
Bulldogs' top scorer distinction, and a few callups to the big
leagues. We'll give it to Fraser, with a nod to Nichol.
Executive of the Year (Hendry Award): Easy. Look up the
word 'proactive' in the dictionary and they've put a picture of
Rochester Americans GM Jody Gage in there. The Amerks flat out
stank the first half; so Gage got busy and overhauled the whole
team. He wheeled and dealed with the IHL to get what he wanted
and when it didn't work out he managed to get something else he
wanted anyway. Gage found more gems in the ECHL than anyone else
this season and figured out how to jump start Martin Biron. A
job well done.
Well, that's that. Check back over the next few weeks to find out
which players actually received the awards and then yell and
scream and argue and all that other stuff that comes with trying
to pick winners.
------------------------------------------------------------------
COLLEGE HOCKEY REPORT
------------------------------------------------------------------
by James Clippinger
The Michigan Wolverines were supposed to win the NCAA
championship last year. Led by the one of the most storied
senior classes in the history of the game, they were expected to
thrash all comers on their way to their second consecutive
championship, which they did...until Boston University knocked
them out in the semifinals. Thus, the storied Michigan hockey
tradition was carried on this year by ten freshman.
The kids didn't do too badly.
The Wolverines took home their record ninth NCAA championship
with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston College
Eagles at Boston's FleetCenter. Freshman winger and Ottawa
Senators draft pick Josh Langfeld put away the game-winner at
17:51 of the first OT on a soft goal-liner from deep in the
corner that eluded BC goalie Scott Clemmensen on the short side.
Frosh Mark Kosick had the other two goals for Michigan, while
Kevin Caulfield and Mike Lephart came up aces for the Eagles in
front of the hometown crowd.
While the Wolverines outshot BC 10-3 in the overtime, the Eagles
had the better chances, with one shot hitting the post and
another the crossbar. Both goalies had strong games, with
Clemmensen making 32 saves and Michigan's Marty Turco cementing
his Most Outstanding Player in the Tournament award with a
28-stop effort. Turco was the key for Michigan in the tourny, as
injuries forced them to skate only four defensemen. Defensive
fatigue lead to numerous odd-man breaks in several tournament
contests, but Turco kept the Wolverines in the game with many a
showstopper.
All-Tourny defenseman Bubba Berenzweig carried much of the
defensive weight for the undermanned Wolverines, and picked up
two goals in the 4-0 semifinal victory over local favorite New
Hampshire as well as an assist on Kosick's first goal. His
performance almost made up for the indignity of ESPN's Steve Levy
repeatedly referring to him as "Bubbenzueig" during the finals.
BC got into the final by defeating first-time Frozen Four
participant Ohio State 5-2. For those counting, yes, this means
that both the WCHA and ECAC were shut out of the semifinals, with
the ECAC sides only managing two goals total in three tourny
games. At least Princeton kept it close in a 2-1 first-rounder
with Michigan...
IN OTHER NEWS
* On the day before the NCAA finals, the Hobey Baker Memorial
Trophy was awarded to Chris Drury of Boston University. Drury,
who pitched Trumbull, Connecticut, to the Little League World
Series title in 1989 before wising up and concentrating on
hockey, had been the favorite to win this year since roughly
1995. Michigan State netminder Chad Alban was the first
runner-up. Drury's draft rights are held by Vancouver, but
good ol' Mike Keenan hasn't been in touch with Drury yet. Maybe
Drury'll be traded before he is broken...
* Wisconsin senior Erik Raygor won the Hockey Humanitarian Award
for his combination of on-ice excellence, including two years as
captain of the Badgers, combined with his staggering array of
off-ice volunteer activities. Raygor has worked with the local
DARE, YMCA and Special Olympics chapters as well as "emergency
response training," in which he plays a Miami Vice-style bad guy
in order to help train local police folk. No word on what
experiences qualify him to serve as a criminal...seriously,
Raygor is a credit to the game, and well deserves the honor.
North Dakota's 1996-97 team was also honored at the Hockey
Humanitarian Award presentation for their extensive work helping
the local Grand Forks community recover from the devastating
floods of early 1997.
* Boston was a superb host for the Frozen Four festivities. Of
course, having Boston College in the mix didn't hurt, but the
FleetCenter was sold out long before the teams were set, and the
atmosphere in the building was electric. It will be interesting
to see if next year's Mickey Four in Anaheim can live up to the
high standard, not to mention bringing the game further west.
Methinks it's just a matter of time before Division I hockey
makes the jump to California.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHIMP BYTES: GENERAL NHL NEWS AND NOTES
-------------------------------------------------------------------
by Zippy the Wonder Chimp
Nedved Plays for Thunder
The International Hockey League originally ruled center Petr Nedved
ineligible for the rest of the season and playoffs, just hours after he
signed with the Las Vegas Thunder. But the Thunder filed a temporary
injuction with District Judge Myron Leavitt that allowed Nedved to play in
Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Long Beach. Nedved recorded a goal and two assists
in defeat. The Thunder will be looking to gain a permanent injunction
later this week that will keep Nedved in the lineup.
According to a statement issued by the league, IHL rules prohibit
anyone who has played for a non-North American team from joining a
roster after February 2nd. Nedved appeared in playoff games with
Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraleague. The rule was adopted to
discourage teams from padding their rosters with players at the end of
their European seasons.
Nedved is an NHL Group II free agent who held out from re-signing
with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, missing the deadline to do
so. He is the only NHL player to sit out the entire campaign, watching
as Bill Guerin, Paul Kariya, Oleg Tverdovsky and Sergei Fedorov
ended their respective holdouts.
Eagleson Resigns From Hockey Hall Of Fame
Facing likely banishment from the Hockey Hall of Fame, imprisoned
National Hockey League Players Association founder Alan Eagleson
resigned his membership from the shrine today.
Eagleson is serving an 18-month sentence 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 was facing a Tuesday hearing regarding his
removal from the Hall of Fame by its board of directors. He opted
instead to step aside, sending a resignation letter to Hall of Fame
chairman Scotty Morrison today.
"As far as I am concerned, this brings these difficult circumstances to
a conclusion," Morrison said. "Mr. Eagleson's plaque will be removed
today from the Honoured Members' wall."
The plaque was slated to be taken down tonight after the museum
closed.
"He definitely is the first person ever to resign from the Hall of Fame,"
Morrison confirmed. "Anytime you have to take an honored member
out of the Hockey Hall of Fame or any hall of fame, it is not a happy
day.
"I was pleased to see the letter. The matter is now closed."
Eagleson pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud in Boston and the
United States allowed extradition to Canada via a plea agreement. He
is serving his sentence in a minimun security facility.
The guilty plea stemmed from improper payments regarding the
acquisition and sale of rink board advertising rights for the 1984, 1987
and 1991 Canada Cup tournaments. Eagleson was originally charged
with 34 counts of fraud, racketeering and embezzlement.
Eagleson's middle-finger salute to the Soviet hockey officials who tried
to have him removed from the rink at the 1972 Summit Series has
become part of hockey lore. But it did not forever endear him to many
of the former NHL players he deceived.
Many of those former players were Hall of Famers, including the
legendary Bobby Orr, who helped Eagleson start the players union.
But outside of the Boston courts, Brad Park, the former Bruin and
Ranger, said he would request that he be removed from the Hall of
Fame if Eagleson is allowed to remain honored in the shrine.
Last week, Park was joined by 18 members of the Hall, including Orr,
Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, who threatened to leave the shrine if
Eagleson was not removed.
The revolt was stemmed by Eagleson's decision. All living members
of the Hockey Hall of Fame will receive a copy of Eagleson's letter of
resignation, along with an explanation of the circumstances, Morrison
said. Morrison also said he received about a half-dozen letters from
various members and responded in kind.
"The letter (of resignation) came in here around 11:30," said Morrison.
"It took quite a bit of courage for Alan to do. It's a sincere letter."
The Hockey Hall of Fame's board of directors will not vote specifically
on Eagleson's case, since the resignation letter was accepted by
Morrison on behalf of the board. Morrison also explained that the board
will put a mechanism in place in case a similar circumstance arises in
the future.
"This matter is unprecedented," Morrison said. "We immediately faxed
that letter to the rest of the Board of Directors."
Eagleson was inducted into the Hall of Fame Builders' Category in
1989. According to Morrison, there is little or no chance that Eagleson
would be re-instated following the expiration of his time behind bars.
"I don't think (reinstatement) will be a possibility," Morrison said. "Just
the plaque will be gone. We are not going around the Hall and airbrush
any of Al's pictures out.
NHL SCHEDULE
April 19 -- End of regular season
April 22 -- Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
May 1 -- World Championships, Switzerland
(through May 17th)
May TBA -- Entry Draft Drawing
June 23 -- Last possible date for completion of Stanley Cup
June 25 -- NHL Awards Television Special, Toronto
June 26 -- Expansion Draft, Buffalo
Top Prospect Preview, Buffalo
June 27 -- NHL Entry Draft, Buffalo
July 1 -- Eligible players transferred to free agent list
INJURIES
(The following is provided by the Public Relations Directors of
the 26 NHL clubs)
MIGHTY DUCKS OF ANAHEIM
: #31 GUY HEBERT (G) suffered a mild shoulder strain March 8,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 9).
: #9 PAUL KARIYA (LW) suffered a concussion Feb. 1,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Feb. 1).
: #19 JEFF NIELSEN (RW) suffered fractured left fibula Jan. 27,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Jan. 27).
: #11 SHAWN ANTOSKI (LW) suffered a depressed skull fracture from a car
accident Nov. 24,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 24).
BOSTON BRUINS
: #32 DON SWEENEY (D) suffered a broken shoulder blade March 1,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR March 1).
BUFFALO SABRES
: #6 BOB BOUGHNER (D) returned March 19 after missing three games with
a wrist injury.
: #19 BRIAN HOLZINGER (C) returned March 17 after missing seven games
with a sprained ankle.
: #42 RICHARD SMEHLIK (D) returned March 14 after missing seven games
with an eye contusion.
CALGARY FLAMES
: #8 VALERI BURE (RW) returned March 14 after missing five games with a
mild concussion.
: #13 GERMAN TITOV (RW) suffered bruised hand March 11,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #29 ERIK ANDERSSON (C) suffered back injury Feb. 2,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Feb. 7).
: #22 RON STERN (RW) suffered knee injury Sept. 14,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Sept. 14).
CAROLINA HURRICANES
: #3 STEVE CHIASSON (D) returned March 12 after missing three games
with a shoulder bruise.
: #44 KENT MANDERVILLE (C) suffered an abdominal strain March 12,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #27 STEVE LEACH (RW) suffered sore neck Jan. 24,
sidelined indefinitely.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
: #40 CHRIS TERRERI (G) returned March 15 after missing 46 games with a
broken finger.
: #36 ALEXEI ZHAMNOV (C) returned March 15 after missing four games
with a concussion.
: #6 MICHAL SYKORA (D) suffered a collapsed lung March 14,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR March 14).
: #11 JEFF SHANTZ (C) suffered a torn ACL March 19,
sidelined indefinitely.
: #25 SERGEI KRIVOKRASOV suffered lacerated elbow March 9,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 9).
: #24 BOB PROBERT (LW) suffered torn rotator cuff Nov. 19,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 16).
COLORADO AVALANCHE
: #4 UWE KRUPP returned March 14 after missing one game with a strained back.
: #20 RENE CORBET (LW) suffered a shoulder injury March 14,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #6 WADE BELAK (D) suffered abdominal muscle pull March 5,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR March 5).
: #19 JOE SAKIC (C) suffered a knee injury,
sidelined two weeks (placed on IR Feb. 18).
: #27 FRANCOIS LEROUX (D) suffered a shoulder injury Feb. 26,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Feb. 26).
DALLAS STARS
: #12 BOB ERREY (LW) returned March 17 after missing one game with a
mild concussion.
: #18 CHRIS TANCILL (RW) suffered a mild concussion March 18,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #33 BENOIT HOGUE (LW) suffered facial fracture March 7,
sidelined three weeks.
: #27 SHAWN CHAMBERS (D) suffered bruised hand March 8,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #9 MIKE MODANO (C) suffered shoulder separation March 12,
sidelined six weeks (placed on IR March 12).
: #2 DERIAN HATCHER (D) suffered knee injury March 1,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 1).
: #14 DAVE REID (LW) suffered a back injury Feb. 26,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #28 BOB BASSEN (C) suffered knee injury Feb. 4,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Feb. 14).
: #17 PATRICK COTE (LW) suffered shoulder strain Nov. 10,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 10).
DETROIT RED WINGS
: #30 CHRIS OSGOOD (G) suffered a strained groin March 17,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #8 IGOR LARIONOV (C) suffered a strained groin March 18,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #31 KEVIN HODSON (G) suffered a hip flexor March 10,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 10).
: #41 BRENT GILCHRIST (LW) suffered a sore groin March 4,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 2).
EDMONTON OILERS
: #51 ANDREI KOVALENKO (RW) returned March 17 after missing three games
with a strained back.
: #17 REM MURRAY (LW) suffered a neck strain March 18,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #6 BOBBY DOLLAS (D) suffered a subluxed shoulder March 9,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 9).
: #39 DOUG WEIGHT (C) suffered a sprained left shoulder March 9,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #4 KEVIN LOWE (D) suffered inner ear infection,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Oct. 20).
FLORIDA PANTHERS
: #24 ROBERT SVEHLA (D) returned March 13 after missing three games
with back spasms.
: #23 CHRIS WELLS (C) suffered groin strain March 17,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #44 ROB NIEDERMAYER (C) suffering from the flu March 17,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #3 PAUL LAUS (D) suffered back spasms March 11,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 11).
LOS ANGELES KINGS
: #5 AKI BERG (D) returned March 16 after missing two games with a
sprained right wrist.
: #15 JOZEF STUMPEL (C) returned March 14 after missing four games with
a bruised kidney.
: #31 FREDERIC CHABOT (G) suffered a sprained right knee March 10,
sidelined week-to-week (placed on IR March 10).
: #24 NATHAN LAFAYETTE (C) suffering from post-concussion syndrome March 5,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR March 5).
: #2 DOUG ZMOLEK (D) suffered a shoulder sprain March 7,
sidelined week-to-week (placed on IR March 7).
: #20 LUC ROBITAILLE (LW) underwent surgery for a groin strain March 2,
sidelined four weeks (placed on IR Feb. 7).
MONTREAL CANADIENS
: #24 SCOTT THORNTON (C) suffered a broken rib March 16,
sidelined two weeks.
: #26 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE (C) suffered a subluxation of the left shoulder March 9
sidelined two weeks (placed on IR March 9).
: #27 SHAYNE CORSON (LW) suffered an abdominal and groin strain,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Feb. 20).
: #55 IGOR ULANOV (D) suffered torn ligaments in left knee Jan. 21,
sidelined for the remainder of the season (placed on IR Jan. 21).
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
: #19 BOB CARPENTER (C) returned March 14 after missing two games with
a stiff neck.
: # 93 DOUG GILMOUR (C) suffered right knee injury March 5,
sidelined 7-10 days (placed on IR March 5).
: #22 SCOTT DANIELS (LW) suffered a charley horse,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Feb. 26).
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
: #7 SCOTT LACAHNCE (D) suffered an abdominal strain March 18,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #10 JOE SACCO (RW) suffered a hip flexor March 18,
sidelined day-today.
: #36 JJ DAIGNEAULT (D) suffered grade 2 separation of right shoulder March 12,
sidelined 2-4 weeks.
: #33 KEN BELANGER (LW) underwent surgery for torn left ulnar
collateral ligament Jan. 12, sidelined 10 weeks (placed on IR Jan. 8).
: #28 DENNIS VASKE (D) suffered mild concussion Nov. 14,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 15).
NEW YORK RANGERS
: #15 DARREN LANGDON (LW) returned March 12 after missing three games
with a bruised sternum.
: #23 JEFF BEUKEBOOM (D) suffered stress fracture in left leg March 16,
sidelined 10-14 days (placed on IR March 16).
: #16 PAT LaFONTAINE (C) suffered a head injury March 16,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR March 16).
: #25 ALEXANDER KARPOVTSEV (D) underwent surgery for wrist March 12,
sidelined for remainder of the season (placed on IR Feb. 10).
: #22 SHANE CHURLA (RW) underwent knee surgery Sept. 4,
sidelined indefinitely.
OTTAWA SENATORS
: #4 CHRIS PHILLIPS (D) returned March 14 after missing five games with
a bruised eye.
: #27 JANNE LAUKKANEN (D) suffered a pulled groin March 12,
sidelined 1-2 weeks (placed on IR March 12).
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
: #28 KJELL SAMUELSSON (D) returned March 16 after missing one game
with a lower rib strain.
: #29 JOEL OTTO (C) suffered back spasms,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #33 SEAN BURKE (G) suffered back spasms March 7,
sidelined indefinitely.
: #88 ERIC LINDROS (C) suffered concussion March 7,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR March 7).
PHOENIX COYOTES
: #7 KEITH TKACHUK (LW) returned March 12 after missing two games
with a groin injury.
: #36 JUHA YLONEN (C) returned March 16 after missing two games
with a bruised foot.
: #15 CRAIG JANNEY (C) suffered a mild MCL sprain March 14,
sidelined four weeks (placed on IR March 14).
: #7 KEITH TKACHUK (LW) suffered a hairline fracture of rib March 12,
sidelined two weeks.
: #21 BOB CORKUM (C) suffered a mild concussion March 16,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #11 DALLAS DRAKE (RW) suffered a wrist injury March 18,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #5 DERON QUINT (D) underwent hernia surgery March 8,
sidelined four weeks (placed on IR March 12).
: #24 MICHEL PETIT (D) suffered a MCL tear Feb. 28,
sidelined 3-5 weeks (placed on IR Feb. 28)
: #44 NORM MACIVER (D) suffered a hand injury Feb. 7,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Feb. 7).
: #8 JIM JOHNSON (D) suffering from post-concussion syndrome Nov. 11,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 12).
: #43 DARCY WAKALUK (G) underwent knee surgery Sept. 17,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Sept. 30).
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
: #35 TOM BARRASSO (G) returned March 14 after missing three games with
a hyperextended elbow.
: #16 ED OLCZYK (C) returned March 14 after missing two games with back spasms.
: #31 KEN WREGGET (G) suffered back spasms March 14,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #18 GARRY VALK (LW) suffered abdominal strain March 5,
sidelined one week (placed on IR March 5).
: #38 ANDREAS JOHANSSON suffered Grade 2 MCL sprain March 8,
sidelined four weeks (placed on IR March 8).
: #33 ALEX HICKS (LW) suffered a separated shoulder March 2,
sidelined one week (placed on IR March 2).
ST. LOUIS BLUES
: #38 PAVOL DEMITRA (LW) suffered a broken jaw March 7,
sidelined remainder of season (placed on IR March 7).
: #23 BLAIR ATCHEYNUM (RW) suffered a broken finger March 1,
sidelined 3-5 weeks (placed on IR March 1).
: #31 GRANT FUHR (G) suffered strain ligament and torn cartilage in
right knee Feb. 26, sidelined one week (placed on IR Feb. 26).
: #20 RUDY POESCHEK (D) suffered a sore back Jan. 22,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Jan. 22).
SAN JOSE SHARKS
: #43 AL IAFRATE (D) underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Dec. 28,
sidelined 2-3 weeks (placed in IR Dec. 21).
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
: #39 VLADIMIR VUJTEK (LW) suffering from a virus,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Jan. 30).
: #32 COREY SCHWAB (G) suffered an injury to right ankle Dec. 31,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Dec. 31).
: #93 DAREN PUPPA (G) suffered back spasms Dec. 27,
sidelined day-to-day (placed on IR Jan. 4).
: #16 TROY MALLETTE (RW) suffered bruised right shoulder Oct. 23,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Oct. 27).
: #19 BRIAN BRADLEY (C) suffered a re-occurring wrist injury Nov. 6,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 11).
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
: #34 JAMIE MACOUN (D) suffered a rib injury March 18,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #17 WENDEL CLARK (LW) suffered groin strain Jan. 10,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #32 NICK KYPREOS (LW) suffered post-concussion syndrome Sept. 15,
out for the season (placed on IR Sept. 15).
: #26 CRAIG WOLANIN (D) suffered knee sprain Nov. 1,
out for the season (placed on IR Nov. 1).
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
: #35 GARTH SNOW (G) suffered a hip flexor strain March 18,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR March 18).
: #22 LARRY COURVILLE (LW) suffered a wrist injury Jan. 14,
out for the season (placed on IR Jan 14).
: #5 DANA MURZYN (D) suffered knee injury Dec. 27,
out for the season (placed on IR Dec. 27).
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
: #19 BRENDAN WITT (D) suffered a bruised ankle March 16,
sidelined day-to-day.
: #96 PHIL HOUSLEY (D) suffered a broken finger March 7,
sidelined three weeks (placed on IR March 7).
: #36 MIKE EAGLES (LW) suffered a broken foot March 7,
sidelined two weeks (placed on IR March 7).
: #20 MICHAL PIVONKA (C) suffered a groin strain,
sidelined one week (placed on IR Feb. 27).
: #24 MARK TINORDI (D) suffered abdominal strain Jan. 16,
sidelined one week (placed on IR Jan. 15).
: #17 CHRIS SIMON (LW) suffered bruised shoulder Dec. 20,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Dec. 22).
: #14 PAT PEAKE (RW) suffered ankle tendon tear Nov. 8,
sidelined indefinitely (placed on IR Nov. 8).
TRANSACTIONS:
TUESDAY, APRIL 7
Chicago Blackhawks: Signed center Steve Dubinsky to a
two-year contract and defenseman Remi Royer to a three-year
contract.
Edmonton Oilers: Recalled right wing Georges Laraque and
defenseman Craig Millar from Hamilton of the American Hockey
League.
Montreal Canadiens: Recalled center Eric Houde from
Fredericton of the American Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Recalled defenseman Pavel Kubina from
Adirondack of the American Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Recalled defenseman David Cooper
from St. John's of the American Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Recalled defensemen David Harlock,
Steve Poapst and Nolan Baumgartner from Portland of the
American Hockey League.
MONDAY, APRIL 6
Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled defenseman Mike Rucinski from
New Haven of the American Hockey League.
Chicago Blackhawks: Recalled center Todd White from
Indianapolis of the International Hockey League.
Los Angeles Kings: Recalled defenseman Jan Vopat from loan
to Utah of the International Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Agreed to terms with defenseman Rob
Zettler on a new contract.
Washington Capitals: Recalled defenseman Stewart Malgunas
from Portland of the American Hockey League.
SUNDAY, APRIL 5
Phoenix Coyotes: Activated center Mike Stapleton and
defenseman Michel Petit from injured reserve.
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
New York Rangers: Recalled defenseman Maxim Galanov from
Hartford of the American Hockey League.
FRIDAY, APRIL 3
Philadelphia Flyers: Sent goaltender Neil Little and right wing
Paul Healey to Philadelphia of the American Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Recalled right wing Corey Spring from
Adirondack of the American Hockey League and left wing Brent
Peterson from Milwaukee of International Hockey League. Loaned
center Steve Kelly to Cleveland of the International Hockey
League.
THURSDAY, APRIL 2
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Signed right wing Teemu Selanne to
a two-year contract extension through the 2001-02 season.
Carolina Hurricanes: Sent defenseman Mike Rucinski to New
Haven of the American Hockey League.
Buffalo Sabres: Agreed to terms on a multi-year contract with
defenseman Richard Smehlik.
Montreal Canadiens: Sent center Eric Houde to Fredericton of
the American Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Recalled center Brendan Morrison from
Albany of the American Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Recalled goaltender Neil Little from
Philadelphia of the American Hockey League.
Phoenix Coyotes: Sent right wing Jocelyn Lemieux to
Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Recalled right wing Lonny Bohonos from
St. John's of the American Hockey League.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
Boston Bruins: Recalled center Joel Prpic from Providence of
the American Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Sent goaltender Neil Little to Philadelphia of
the American Hockey League.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Loaned goaltender Peter Skudra to
Kansas City of the International Hockey League.
TUESDAY, MARCH 31
Chicago Blackhawks: Sent center Dmitri Nabokov to
Indianapolis of the International Hockey League.
Los Angeles Kings: Loaned right wing Vitali Yachmenev to
Long Beach of the International Hockey League.
New York Rangers: Recalled right wing Johan Lindbom from
Hartford of the American Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Recalled goaltender Neil Little from
Philadelphia of the American Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks: Sent goaltender Jason Muzzatti to Kentucky
of the American Hockey League.
MONDAY, MARCH 30
Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Kevin Dahl from
Chicago of the International Hockey League.
Carolina Hurricanes: Signed center Craig McDonald from the
Canadian National Team, right wing Shane Willis, following the
completion of his junior career with WHL Lethbridge and free
agent forward Greg Koehler, following the completion of his
college career at Massachusetts-Lowell. Sent Willis to New Haven
of the American Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks: Recalled goaltender Jason Muzzatti from
Kentucky of the American Hockey League.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Reinstated center Daymond Langkow
from the suspended list.
SUNDAY, MARCH 29
Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled defenseman Mike Rucinski from
New Haven of the American Hockey League.
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Buffalo Sabres: Sent defenseman Rumun Ndur to Rochester of
the American Hockey League.
Florida Panthers: Recalled right wing Dave Nemirovsky from
New Haven of the American Hockey League.
Los Angeles Kings: Re-assigned right wing Pavel Rosa from
Fredericton of the American Hockey League to Long Beach of the
International Hockey League.
New York Islanders: Sent right wing Steve Webb to Kentucky of
the American Hockey League.
New York Rangers: Recalled center P.J. Stock from Hartford of
the American Hockey League.
St. Louis Blues: Recalled right wing Chris Kenady from
Worcester of the American Hockey League.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
Los Angeles Kings: Recalled left wing Roman Vopat from
Fredericton of the American Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Recalled left wing Jay Pandolfo from Albany
of the American Hockey League.
New York Islanders: Sent left wing Sean Haggerty and
defenseman Vladimir Chebaturkin to Kentucky of the American
Hockey League. Re-assigned defenseman Jeff Libby from Utah
of the International Hockey League to Kentucky of the American
Hockey League.
New York Rangers: Sent right wing Vladimir Vorobiev to
Hartford of the American Hockey League.
St. Louis Blues: Recalled left wing Michel Picard from Grand
Rapids of the International Hockey League. Loaned goaltender
Rich Parent to Detroit of the International Hockey League.
THURSDAY, MARCH 26
Dallas Stars: Activated left wing Dave Reid and defenseman
Sergei Zubov from injured reserve.
Detroit Red Wings: Loaned center Sylvain Cloutier to Detroit of
the International Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Loaned right wing Bobby House to
Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Recalled right wing John Druce from
Philadelphia of the American Hockey League.
Phoenix Coyotes: Sent left wing Jocelyn Lemieux to Springfield
of the American Hockey League.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Loaned center Serge Aubin to Hershey of
the American Hockey League.
St. Louis Blues: Signed free agent defenseman Matt Smith
following the completion of his college career at
Massachusetts-Amherst and sent him to Worcester of the
American Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks: Loaned goaltender Jamie Ram to Utah of the
International Hockey League.
Vancouver Canucks: Sent goaltender Corey Hirsch to Syracuse
of the American Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Signed free agent left wing Brian Bellows.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Rocky Thompson from
Saint John of the American Hockey League.
Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled left wing Bates Battaglia,
defenseman Nolan Pratt and goaltender Mike Fountain from
New Haven of the American Hockey League.
Edmonton Oilers: Sent C Boyd Devereaux to Hamilton of the
American Hockey League.
Florida Panthers: Recalled defenseman Dallas Eakins from
New Haven of the American Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils: Sent goaltender Richard Shulmistra to
Albany of the American Hockey League.
New York Rangers: Recalled goaltender Dan Cloutier, center
Marc Savard, right wing Vladimir Vorobiev and left wing Daniel
Goneau from Hartford of the American Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Recalled right wing John Druce from
Philadephia of the American Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks: Sent goaltender Jason Muzzatti to Kentucky
of the American Hockey League.
Washington Capitals: Sent right wing Andrew Brunette, left
wing Jaroslav Svejkovsky and defenseman David Harlock to
Portland of the American Hockey League.
TUESDAY, MARCH 24
Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Acquired defenseman Jamie Pushor
and a fourth-round pick in the 1998 draft from Detroit for
defenseman Dmitri Mironov. Acquired goaltender Patrick Lalime
from the Pittsburgh Penguins for center Sean Pronger. Acquired
center Josef Marha from the Colorado Avalanche for left wing
Warren Rychel and a conditional 1999 draft pick. Recalled left
wing Mike Leclerc from Cincinnati of the American Hockey
League.
Calgary Flames: Sent left wing Todd Hlushko and centers Jim
Dowd and Hnat Domenichelli to Saint John of the American
Hockey League.
Chicago Blackhawks: Acquired right wing Ryan
VandenBussche from the New York Rangers for defenseman
Ryan Risidore.
Colorado Avalanche: Acquired right wing Tom Fitzgerald from
the Florida Panthers for left wing Mark Parrish and a third-round
pick in the 1998 draft.
Detroit Red Wings: Acquired defenseman Jamie Macoun from
the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth-round pick in the 1998 draft.
Sent goaltender Norm Maracle to Adirondack of the American
Hockey League. Activated goaltender Chris Osgood and center
Brent Glichrist from the injured reserve list.
Florida Panthers: Acquired goaltender Kirk McLean from the
Carolina Hurricanes for right wing Ray Sheppard.
Los Angeles Kings: Recalled center Jason Morgan from
Springfield of the American Hockey League. Recalled right wing
Vitali Yachmenev from Long Beach of the International Hockey
League. Signed goaltender Mike Buzak to a contract for the
remainder of the season and loaned him to Long Beach.
New York Islanders: Acquired right wing Jason Dawe from the
Buffalo Sabres for left wing Paul Kruse and defenseman Jason
Holland. Re-signed defenseman Rich Pilon to a multi-year
contract. Recalled defensemen Ray Schultz and Vladimir
Chebaturkin from Kentucky of the American Hockey League.
New York Rangers: Acquired center Todd Harvey, left wing
Bob Errey and a 1998 fourth-round draft pick from the Dallas
Stars for right wing Mike Keane, center Brian Skrudland and a
conditional draft pick in 1998 or 1999. Acquired defenseman
Richard Brennan from the San Jose Sharks for goaltender
Jason Muzzatti. Sent Brennan, center Marc Savard, right wing
Vladimir Vorobiev and goaltender Dan Cloutier to Hartford of the
American Hockey League.
Philadelphia Flyers: Acquired defenseman Dan McGillis and a
second-round draft pick in 1998 from the Edmonton Oilers for
defenseman Janne Niinimaa.
Phoenix Coyotes: Acquired center Mark Janssens from the
New York Islanders for a ninth-round draft pick in 1998.
St. Louis Blues: Acquired defenseman Todd Gill from the San
Jose Sharks for right wing Joe Murphy. Acquired center Mike
Eastwood from the New York Rangers for center Harry York.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Acquired right wing Andrei Nazarov and
a conditional exchange of 1998 draft picks from the San Jose
Sharks for defensemen Bryan Marchment and David Shaw.
Acquired right wing Sandy McCarthy and third-and fifth-round
draft picks in 1998 from the Calgary Flames for left wing Jason
Wiemer. Recalled defenseman Mike McBain from Adirondack of
the American Hockey League.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Acquired defenseman Sylvain Cote from
the Washington Capitals for defenseman Jeff Brown. an
Acquired an eighth-round pick in the 1998 draft from the Dallas
Stars for right wing Mike Kennedy. Recalled defenseman Jeff
Ware from St. John's of the American Hockey League. Signed
right wing Jason Sessa following the completion of his college
career at Lake Superior State and sent him to St. John's.
Vancouver Canucks: Acquired a third-round pick in the 1998 draft
from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Dave Babych and a
sixth-round pick in the 1998 draft.
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
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FLORIDA PANTHERS
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Head Coach: Bryan Murray
Roster: C - Kirk Muller, Rob Niedermayer, Radek Dvorak, Dave
Gagner, Chris Wells, Steve Washburn. LW - Ray Whitney, Johan
Garpenlov, Viktor Kozlov, Bill Lindsay, Peter Worrell. RW - Scott
Mellanby, Dino Ciccarelli, David Nemirovsky. D - Robert Svehla,
Gord Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Paul Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett
Warrener, Jeff Norton, Dallas Eakins. G - John Vanbiesbrouck,
Kirk McLean, Kevin Weekes.
Injuries: Rob Niedermayer, c (post-concussion syndrome, out for
season); Kevin Weekes, g (sprained MCL, out for season); Chris
Wells, c (groin pull, day-to-day); Jeff Norton, d (cracked
sternum, out for season); Viktor Kozlov, lw (back spasms, day-to-
day).
Transactions: Traded Tommy Fitzgerald, c, to Colorado for Mark
Parrish, lw, and a third round draft pick. Traded Ray Sheppard,
rw, to Carolina for goaltender Kirk McLean, g. Recalled David
Nemirovsky, rw; Dallas Eakins, d; and Johan Garpenlov, lw; from
Beast of New Haven (AHL). Returned Todd MacDonald, g, and Ryan
Johnson, c, to Beast of New Haven (AHL). The Panthers also signed
college prospects Nick Smith, f, and Dan Boyle, d, a finalist for
the Hobey Baker Award -- neither will play this season.
Game Results:
03/23 Carolina L 5-3
03/26 Montreal W 5-4
03/28 at Boston W 3-2 OT
03/29 at Chicago W 4-0
04/01 Montreal L 4-3
04/04 at Philadelphia W 4-1
04/05 Pittsburgh W 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Eric Seiden
"It's a hockey night in South Florida, and here come your
Panthers," screamed the announcer, with far more enthusiasm than
the sparse (but sell-out) crowd felt. His tune would change at
the end of the week as the Panthers turned it around. The fans
screamed too, but at Bryan Murray who has become one of the
least favorite people to ever be in Miami.
While the fans weren't happy to see Sheppard go, it wasn't
unexpected. But the trade of beloved Tommy Fitzgerald to the
Colorado Avalanche nearly brought the house down with thunderous
booing and a blanket of animosity that could have smothered the
universe. John Vanbiesbrouck said, "I thought Tommy was a lifer
here. His character and the way he carried himself on and off the
ice was a big factor to us. He's a guy you can build an
organization on."
Tommy himself said through choking words and teary eyes, "I
thought I would be a Panther forever...." Also stunned was the
guy he refers to as the other half of his professional life: fan
favorite Billy Lindsay. "We've been lifemates, roommates,
friends. I loved him like a brother. I have a bond with my
teammates here over the last four-and-a-half years that I'll
probably never have again," Fitzgerald continued.
General Manager and Head Coach Bryan Murray (Mr. Hanky's evil
twin brother) seems hell bent on destroying this team often
saying hubris such as "whatever it takes to fix this team"
failing to realize the two biggest problems are him and defensive
coach Joe Cirella. All Murray does is destroy the team more. As
all Panther fans know, the heart of the team was cut out when
Skrudland was sent to the Rangers. The Miami Herald says
Fitzgerald was our soul. I'd like to correct them and say he was
only half of it. The other half was our also much loved Billy
Lindsay. There are only five original Panthers remaining.
Joining Vanbiesbrouck and Nemirovsky in asking for a trade, Dino
Ciccarelli explained his wanting out, "I don't see any commitment
from this club." How could he when they trade away Tom
Fitzgerald, one of the few guys put out everything he had for the
team?
The big news in the injury area was that Rob Niedermayer is out
for the season and possibly may be out of a career with post-
concussion syndrome. Ironically, this was caused 10-1-97 as the
result of a hit from Eric Lindros, whose brother Brett also had
his career ended as the result of a concussion. Astute readers
will have noticed Niedermayer has missed numerous games with the
flu. Doctors repeatedly thought the symptoms were initially
those of a flu he could not shake. Once again Lindros and his
cheap Hanson Brothers playing earns him no friends. It would
satisfy many to see Lindros' career ended with a cheap shot since
he's built his career on them.
After another well played game, but still a loss, the Panthers
finally broke the terrible streak and beat Montreal in a great
game. Billy Lindsay once again proved his worth with a stupendous
night, and came through the following game in Boston too. Once
again Lindsay came through with a mind-numbing, impossible goal.
Not even the goalie believed it went in, but there it was. The
space between Tallas' arm and the post would not have allowed a
toothpick in, but in a shot that defied the laws of physics, it
became the game-winner in overtime. Two games in a row for
Lindsay, our hero in waiting.
Against Chicago, Beezer returned to goal after a two-game run by
McLean. Beezer used the opportunity to tie Billy Smith's record
at 13th for all-time wins. Ironic since Smith is now
Vanbiesbrouck's coach. The game was also a shutout, despite a
six-on-three power play by the Blackhawks. With two men in the
box, Chicago had a five-on-three, and then pulled their goalie
making it six-on-three. In a remarkable feat, Viktor Kozlov
scored a short-handed goal and the only three-on-six goal the
Panthers have ever scored. That was the final goal of the game.
The loss against Montreal was actually a significant boost for
the Panthers. The final Panther goal of the game, scored by
Lindsay, was the team's 1000th regular season goal. While it was
late in coming, it finally arrived at the end of the fifth
season. There was some satisfaction as it was scored in the
original arena and not the new arena into which the Panthers will
move next season.
It was fitting that the Montreal game fell on April Fool's Day as
The Florida Panthers, wallowing near the bottom of the National
Hockey League less than two years after reaching the Stanley Cup
Finals, announced during the game that general manager Bryan
Murray will return for the 1998-99 season. Team president Bill
Torrey issued a statement during the 4-3 loss to the Montreal
Canadiens, acknowledging the Panthers' struggles this season. But
Torrey declared that Murray would return as General Manager while
the team searches for a new head coach. It is probably
significant the Panthers won games before and after this
announcement, but not the game in which the announcement was
made.
Many people began speculating on the Panthers new enforcing line
of Laus, Washburn, and Worrell. Except for Washburn this line is
known for fisticuffs and not finesse. Remove Washburn and the
line has not scored one goal all season, though not for lack of
effort.
The Penguin game was won by a Kirk Muller goal making it 2-1 late
in the third, then Svehla scored an empty-netter to make it 3-1
as the seconds ticked away. I have to say this to settle a bet: I
spent the whole game lambasting Muller for just standing there
and not doing anything. When the Penguins finally tied it up I
said to my friend, Erin, that I'd apologize if Muller scored the
next goal. I hereby apologize, making good on my promise to
Erin. And to top it all off, the goal was assisted by another
famous Panther underachiever, Eddie Jovanovski.
The first two periods the Panthers came out and busted their
collective asses. Worrell, while he still can't skate, played
some decent hockey with one specific exception. With a clear
breakaway for the goal just inside the blue line, he opted for
the shoving match with a Penguin and the puck sat there for quite
some time until someone came over and took it. Paul Stewart made
no call.
Kirk McLean looked decent in goal though he leaves LOTS AND LOTS
of open space in the net which makes many people nervous. And
like former Panther goalie Mark Fitzpatrick, he'll skate WAY, WAY
out leaving the whole back ice unprotected. The luck of the day
play was the first shot of the game; the puck hit McLean's glove
at the top of the crease and bounced out BEHIND him right towards
the empty goal. Fortunately it hit the top of the goal post
and bounced over the net to a collective sigh.
The Cats got lucky again with a melee in front of the net. When
Pittsburgh scored, the goal was nullified on video review
(special thanks to Scott Mellanby for protesting loudly for a
review). The puck was put in with a player' hand and not a stick,
which is grounds for a recall. Paul Stewart still reffed a
horrendous game. Enough said.
What fans really want to know is who the team was that played the
Penguins this night? The team out there in the Panthers uniforms
would have marched all the way to the Cup with nary a stop. Who
were those impostors?
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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, Sergei Brylin, Brendan
Morrison. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Brian Rolston, Patrik Elias, Jay
Pandolfo. 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: 2/26 - LW Scott Daniels, charley horse, on IR.
3/7 - C Doug Gilmour underwent successful arthroscopic surgery
on right knee, out ten days to two weeks. 3/26 - RW Randy McKay,
sprained left knee, day-to-day.
Transactions: 3/23 - Assigned G Richard Shulmistra to Albany
(AHL). 3/27 Recalled LW Jay Pandolfo from Albany (AHL). 4/02 -
Recalled C Brendan Morrison from Albany (AHL).
Game Results:
3/24 Philadelphia W 3-2
3/26 at Colorado W 2-0
3/28 at Phoenix W 3-0
3/29 at Dallas L 3-1
4/01 Carolina L 4-0
4/03 Ottawa L 3-2
4/05 Phoenix W 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Phil Aromando
That huge sigh of relief you heard coming from New Jersey wasn't
because Doug Gilmour's knee had miraculously healed, that they
managed to avoid a four-game losing streak for the first time in
two seasons, or even that they finally managed to crack the 100-
point mark for the third time in five years. It had to do with
the fact that their cross-river playoff tormentors were
mathematically eliminated from having the opportunity to insure,
once again, that the Devils would not have a chance at winning
another Cup before they do.
The one team that the Devils play against with a distinct,
irrational, self-induced disadvantage will not be there to
torment, frustrate or otherwise dash their dreams of glory. They
may very well get bounced from the first round by Ottawa or
Carolina, but at least there is no possibility it will be at the
hands of the Rangers. Vanquishing the ghost of Messier can wait
for some other year.
But as these playoffs begin there are other concerns. In the
past week, two potential first-round foes handed the Devils ugly
losses. For a team that's so "dominant", small weaknesses in
single games could become psychological blocks in series play;
especially against teams they have yet to consider serious
threats. And that's part of the problem.
One of the elements that made the revamped Devils so interesting
and exciting in the early Lemaire years was a sense of having to
prove something. It seemed as though this team could play with
and beat anyone on any given night. They had a huge level of
confidence borne out by their heart, not necessarily their
all-around talent. As they have quietly assumed a role as one of
the league's "elite" teams, that aspect of the team's character
has slowly evaporated. They are no longer considered underdogs,
they're favorites. And it seems to be something they haven't
quite come to grip with. As great as this team plays, they still
cast about for an identity if they're not leading after the first
period. They may be one of the most one-dimensional powers this
league has seen in a while.
Of course, Doug Gilmour was brought in to inject a dose of much
needed offensive certainty. But he hasn't seen the ice in over a
month. And now, Randy McKay, fresh off one of his best games
ever as a Devil (a hat trick against Philadelphia, the only
Jersey goals) is sidelined with a knee injury of his own. Steve
Thomas is hurting and Brian Rolston was benched over the weekend.
The offense is becoming a sticking point. Not even Dave
Andreychuk, who has been playing well defensively, has been
scoring. It looks like he's assured of his lowest single-season
goal output ever. Is this team as much of a lock on being
Eastern Conference finalists as they looked right after Winter
Break?
Gilmour's injury, which supposedly wasn't serious, obviously is.
Lemaire was hoping he'd get back for at least a few games to get
his timing back, but that looks less and less likely; he hasn't
even skated yet. Apparently, the ligament in his right knee was
stretched more than initially realized. This may very well be
season ending. And Devil-career ending. If he doesn't make a
showing in the playoffs it's guaranteed he will not re-sign with
this team.
The Devils may have managed well without Gilmour but now that
Randy McKay is down, a significant portion of their offensive
talent is missing (McKay sprained his knee but it's also true
that his ligaments were stretched; no word on his return yet).
Bobby Holik will obviously continue playing like the leader he
has evolved into, but without McKay on his line, they lose some
grit. Not that Patrik Elias can't step into the role. He had
two big goals against Phoenix on Sunday and has generally seemed
to be over the scoring drought that he was mired in. It's just
that with McKay you have a proven playoff performer - he could
play a Claude Lemieux-like role; he played especially well
against Philly this season. Elias has only eight NHL playoff
games under his belt. Of course, Scott Niedermayer and Petr
Sykora will be counted on, but when you begin to match them up
against top lines of the other potential opponents deep into
playoffs - can you see them single-handedly carrying this team?
Obviously the Devils will rely on their defense and opportunistic
goals from anyone capable of getting the puck on net. Martin
Brodeur, Scott Stevens and the rest of the interchangeable flock
of defensemen will carry this team. That's why it was so ominous
to see the Senators score three unanswered goals in the span of
four minutes last Friday night. Will a sequence like that turn
an entire series around?
The good news is that Brendan Morrison is going to be a bona fide
NHL'er. There is no doubt that he will have an important role on
this team next season. He scored five goals last Wednesday night
for the River Rats and when he plays with the big boys, he
demonstrates a creativity and awareness not seen in many
home-grown Devil centers. His play against Ottawa was
impressive. If not for him, they could easily have been shut
out. Just don't expect him to score two goals a game throughout
the playoffs. He's not Gilmour, yet.
Although there are six games left, the playoffs seem to be what
everyone is focused on. To that end, Lemaire held a team meeting
on Sunday and told the players that the President's Trophy was
important; that the Jennings Trophy was attainable and that it
was possible, if they played well enough, to secure the goalie
season wins record for Brodeur. It seemed to him that the team
was drifting, only concentrating on the Round of Sixteen, but not
necessarily preparing for it. He wanted to bring some focus to
players that may not be able to jump start themselves or return
to the form they exhibited all season. After all, a first round
series isn't the time to realize the games really begin to count.
PLAYOFF TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 7 at 9:00 AM
Tickets To Be Sold In 8-Game Strips Covering Rounds 1 & 2
Tickets for all possible home games in rounds one and two, in
eight-game strips, limited to four strips per person, are priced
as follows:
Ticket Price No. Home Games Eight-Game Strip
$80.00 8 Not Available
$70.00 8 Not Available
$55.00 8 $440.00
$45.00 8 $360.00
$40.00 8 $320.00
The Continental Airlines Arena box office is open:
Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday Noon - 5:00 PM
To charge tickets by phone, please call:
New Jersey (201) 507-8900
(609) 520-8383
New York (212) 307-7171
(914) 454-3388
(516) 888-9000
Dates and times of Stanley Cup Playoff games will be announced by
the National Hockey League upon completion of the 1997-98
regular-season schedule. For further information, contact the
Devils' ticket office at (201) 935-6050.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mike Milbury
Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Trevor Linden, Bryan Smolinski,
Claude Lapointe, Sergei Nemchinov. LW - Mike Hough, Ken Belanger,
Tom Chorske, Gino Odjick. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Jason Dawe, Joe
Sacco,
Mariusz Czerkawski, Dan Plante, Steve Webb, Vladimir Orszagh. D -
Scott Lachance, Bryan Berard, Richard Pilon, Kenny Jonsson, J.J.
Daigneault, Zdeno Chara, Dennis Vaske. G - Tommy Salo, Wade
Flaherty.
Injuries: Dennis Vaske, d (post-concussion syndrome, indefinite).
Transactions: Traded Paul Kruse, lw, and Jason Holland, d, to
Buffalo for Jason Dawe, rw.
Game Results
3/24 at Vancouver L 4-3
3/26 Pittsburgh W 4-3
3/28 at Toronto L 4-3 (OT)
3/31 at Washington L 5-2
4/01 Tampa Bay W 4-0
4/04 NY Rangers W 3-0
4/06 at Tampa Bay W 3-0
TEAM NEWS by David Strauss
So, what's new this week in the soap opera that is As the
Islanders Turn? Not much, except for a couple fun details:
1. 1996 first round pick JP Dumont, who GM Mike Milbury strongly
criticized in midseason for his contract demands, is making
Milbury eat his words, although Mike probably is quite happy
about it. Dumont, who was 165 pounds when he was first drafted,
has bulked up to 6'2", 205, and has torn up the QMJHL since he
returned from the World Juniors Championships. Dumont had 52
points in the final 23 games of the season to finish with 57
goals and 42 assists in 55 games, +39. And he has 15 goals and
25 points in nine playoff games to lead the league. Milbury, who
had said earlier he was definitely going to let Dumont reenter
the draft, left the Island to scout Dumont the other night.
Dumont responded with another four-point game. Looks like the
boy wants to be in Uniondale next year, where the Isles surely
could use his scoring.
2. New Islanders tough guy Gino Odjick is standing by the
comments he made this past week about current Canucks captain
Mark Messier, despite the firestorm they created in the Canadian
press. Odjick said that Messier "didn't break a sweat for the
first 10 games" of the season and essentially waited for the axe
to fall on coach Tom Renney and GM Pat Quinn. Messier suggested
the words may have come out of Odjick's mouth, but were really
the words of someone else, say, former Canucks captain Trevor
Linden, who has so far refused to get into the fight directly.
"I think it's pretty obvious what's going on," Messier said.
Linden has denied his involvement.
3. Now that Rich Pilon has signed for a three-year deal worth
about $5 million, it's time for Kenny Jonsson to start screaming
a certain line from "Jerry McGuire" too. Jonsson, 23, becomes a
restricted free agent at season's end. He has not just been the
Isles' best defenseman, but their best player almost
consistently, and shown that being left off the Swedish Olympic
team was a serious error on the Swedes' part. We at LCS have no
explanation for this error. I mean, the Swedes consider us Gods,
so we love 'em, but I don't get it. Anyway, Jonsson has been a
workhorse in his own end, recently logging at least 30 minutes a
game. His improved strength has been the key to a season in which
he had 14 goals -- 11 more than last season -- and 37 points.
Hmmm...what else happened this week? Lets see...played the
Bolts twice, shut them out twice, check. Fan forum night, check.
Played an afternoon game against the Rangers which ended in a
huge brawl and a major shouting match back and forth through the
papers with the New York dailies showing an almost phenominal
bias and displaying a lack of journalistic integrity not seen
since the 19th century? Check.
Okay, for those that didn't see it, this is what happened.
With the Islanders up 2-0 in the third, but playing sloppy, Joe
Sacco scored a lucky goal to put the team up 3-0 with about seven
minutes left. Mike Milbury, who has been known to call timeouts
at strange times (on opening night a couple years ago, about four
minutes in), called a timeout to remind his team to play smart
and protect the shutout. Not a big surprise, since the Isles had
blown a 4-0 lead to the Senators with less than 10 minutes to go
in the third period about two weeks ago, and not a dumb move.
The Rangers, led by brain donee John Muckler and all-around
Sportsman of the Year Ulf "The entire league cheered when Tie
Domi beat my brains in" Samuelsson, decided the move was designed
to show them up. Muckler called it "bush league." Apparently it
is now against NHL rules to get a three-goal lead on the Rangers.
So, in order to show Milbury that Muckler was above such games,
he sent out his top skill players to counter the Islanders' top
line of Zigmund Palffy, Trevor Linden, and Mariusz Cherzkawski.
That is, if you consider being able to brush your teeth a skill.
Twenty-four seconds after play resumed, the ice exploded in five
one-on-one rumbles. The pairings were Czerkawski-P.J. Stock, J.J.
Daigneault-Jeff Beukeboom, Linden-Bill Berg and Zdeno
Chara-Darren Langdon, the bout that triggered the mess. Now,
Mariusz ain't exactly the Polish Power, Ivan Putski, and Stock
was long past beating him up into creating another incarnation
for the European winger when Tommy Salo had had enough. Salo,
who never took off his gloves, raced over to help Chow get the
meathead Stock off his back. Dan Cloutier, the Ranger goalie who
has obviously lost his thinking abilities because of all those
red lights he keeps seeing, then raced down the ice, and gloves
and jersey off, pounded Salo through the ice. Cloutier then
challenged the whole Islander bench, being the big man that he
is, knowing that the first guy on the ice gets a 10-game
suspension.
The incident was remarkably similar to the one Al Arbour pulled
in the 1990 Playoffs, where, reacting to an unpenalized
questionable hit that knocked their star Pat LaFontaine out of
the series, the Islanders sent out Ken Baumgartner, Mick Vukota,
and other tough guys to make the Rangers regret their ways. It
was a morally objectionable action then, an act totally out of
character with the rest of Arbour's Hall of Fame, dignified
career -- and it was morally objectionable now.
So, it was assumed, the NY papers would take Muckler to task for
gooning it up.
Bad assumption. In a series of wonderful displays of
journalistic integrity (that's sarcasm, folks), the NY hockey
writers all came out attacking Milbury for daring to call a
timeout and get his team settled. I wonder if they'd had the
same reaction if the situation had been reversed and Ken
Belanger, Gino Odjick, and Rich Pilon had been beating on Brian
Leetch and Wayne Gretzky. One thinks not.
There's one more meeting this season, April 15th. With both NY
teams out of the playoffs in the same year for the first time
ever, don't expect that game to feature any Lady Byng play. The
rivalry, which had been faltering in recent years, is back.
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NEW YORK RANGERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: John Muckler
Rosters: C - Wayne Gretzky, Pat LaFontaine, Harry York, Marc
Savard, P.J. Stock. LW - Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Bill Berg,
Darren Langdon, Bob Errey, Tim Sweeney, Daniel Goneau. RW -
Niklas Sundstrom, Alexei Kovalev, Todd Harvey, Johan Lindbom,
Shane Churla. D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom,
Bruce Driver, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns,
Jeff Finley, Geoff Smith, Maxim Galanov. G - Mike Richter, Dan
Cloutier.
Injuries: Shane Churla, rw (knee surgery, out 'till Armageddon);
Ryan VandenBususche, rw (arthroscopic knee surgery, three weeks);
Alexander Karpovtsev, d (torn wrist ligament, out for the
season); Pat LaFontaine, c (concussion symptoms, out for the
season); Tim Sweeney, lw (chipped collarbone, out for the
season); Todd Harvey, rw (arthroscopic knee surgery, most likely
out for the season); Harry York, c (sprained shoulder, most
likely out for the season).
Transactions: Traded Brian Skrudland, c, Mike Keane, rw, and
conditional draft pick to Dallas for Todd Harvey, rw, and Bob
Errey, lw. Traded Mike Eastwood, c, to St. Louis for Harry York,
c. Traded Jason Muzzatti, g, to San Jose for Rich Brennan, d.
Traded Ryan VandenBussche, rw, to Chicago for Ryan Risidore, d.
Recalled Johan Lindbom, rw, from Hartford(AHL). Recalled Daniel
Goneau, lw, from Hartford. Recalled Marc Savard, c, from
Hartford. Sent Vladimir Vorobiev, rw, back to Hartford.
Game Results:
3/25 Ottawa L 3-2
3/26 at Carolina L 4-1
3/28 at Pittsburgh T 2-2
3/30 Tampa Bay L 3-1
4/01 Boston L 4-2
4/04 at Islanders L 3-0
4/05 at Chicago W 2-1 OT
TEAM NEWS: Alex Frias, NY Rangers Team Correspondent
La-La-La-Out: Results of a number of tests conducted by
Chicago neurologist Jim Kelley revealed that Pat LaFontaine
sustained a Grade 2 concussion when he collided with then
teammate Mike Keane during a game against Ottawa on March 16.
Kelly said in a statement LaFontaine "is not cleared to play
until he's reevaluated, in approximately one month's time."
"I had the passion and drive to want to come back, but when you
do go through something like this, it definitely sets you back,"
LaFontaine said. "It's a decision that takes patience and time,
and something you don't rush. I would have thought I wasn't
going to play at this point last year. It's something you take
seriously. You listen to the doctors and want to do the right
thing. Right now, I guess I'm trying not to look too far ahead,
I'm just trying to deal with what's happening."
While LaFontaine's headaches have subsided, LaFontaine is
fatigued and has not been able to exercise since the incident.
The doctors have told him to rest and gradually to work his way
up to a mild program of physical activity gauged by how he feels.
The Rangers' second leading scorer, LaFontaine had 23 goals and
39 assists in 67 games after sitting out most the previous season
after suffering the fifth and most severe concussion that
threatened his career.
Trading Post: Heading into the March 24 trading deadline,
GM Neil Smith's objective was to get rid of some dead weight and
start the restoration project. And I got to give it to him, he
did a pretty good job. He trimmed 5.6 years and $3.2 million
(based on this year's salaries). The savings next season will be
about $2 million, depending on what they pay Group II free agent
Todd Harvey.
Here's a rundown of Trader Neil's deadline deals:
Rangers sent to Dallas Stars: C Brian Skrudland - age 34; RW
Mike Keane - age 31; conditional draft pick.
Rangers got from Dallas Stars: RW Todd Harvey - age 23, LW - Bob
Errey - age 33.
Analysis: Potential to be a steal. Skrudland and Keane weren't
doing much good and weren't part of the restoration plans in the
Garden. Harvey is a versatile, gritty winger who knows how to
open that can of whoop ass, and who has the potential to be an
Adam Graves-type player, but has yet to show that same offensive
prowess. Rangers hope that with more ice time (he was getting
8-9 minutes in Dallas), he'll develop his offensive game.
Rangers sent to St. Louis Blues: C Mike Eastwood - age 30.
Rangers got from Dallas Stars: C Harry York - age 23.
Analysis: Signed by then-St. Louis GM/coach Mike Keenan in 1996,
the former roller hockey player thrives on hard-nosed work. And
at 23, York is a much better third/fourth-line option than
Eastwood.
In other minor deals:
Rangers goaltending bust Jason Muzzatti was sent to San Jose for
6-2, 200-pound defensemen Rich Brennan. And tough guy Ryan
VandenBussche was given a ticket to Chicago for 21-year-old 6-4,
195-pound defensemen Ryan Risidore.
"We're all ready to see some changes. I think that was very
clear from the results this year," Rangers president and general
manger Neil Smith said. "We made changes that didn't touch the
core of the team, the favorites of the team, meaning the
Kovalevs, the Wayne Gretzkys and obviously Brian Leetch and Mike
Richter and Adam Graves and [Niklas] Sundstrom."
'I said get out a da' way dea boy!': With the season all
but done, the Rangers have opened the floodgates to their
Hartford club with Daniel Goneau, Marc Savard, and Johan Lindbom
all getting called up and receiving major ice time. John Muckler
has been pleased with the effort of his rookies, but it appears
that feisty P.J. Stock has been the only Ranger youngster to
consistently play with the needed enthusiasm.
"The guys from Hartford; we're all friends. We're looking at
this as mathematically we're fighting for a playoff spot, but
it's also a golden opportunity for us to fight for a position for
next year," Stock said. "We're not only competing against each
other, we're competing against everybody in the room. You always
want to be the best player on the ice. You want to be better
than your peers and better than your opponent."
With all the recent injuries, the latest lines have been: Niklas
Sundstrom-Wayne Gretzky-Alexei Kovalev; Kevin Stevens-Marc
Savard-Daniel Goneau; Johan Lindbom-Adam Graves-Bill Berg;
Darren Langdon-P.J. Stock-Bob Errey.
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PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
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Head Coach: Roger Neilson
ROSTER: C - Eric Lindros, Chris Gratton, Dan Lacroix, Joel Otto,
Mike Sillinger, Peter White. LW - John LeClair, Rod Brind'Amour,
Colin Forbes, Dan Kordic, Shjon Podein. RW - Alexandre Daigle,
Trent Klatt, Dainius Zubrus. D - Paul Coffey, Eric Desjardins,
Chris Joseph, Dan McGillis, Luke Richardson, Kjell Samuelsson,
Petr Svoboda, Chris Therien, Dave Babych. G - Ron Hextall, Sean
Burke.
Injuries: Eric Lindros, c (concussion - will return April 13 vs.
Buffalo); Petr Svoboda, d (thumb, day-to-day); Joel Otto, c (flu,
day-to-day); Daniel Lacroix, c (knee, indefinite).
Transactions: April 3 - Paul Healey, rw, and Neil Little, g,
returned to Philadelphia (AHL); April 2 - Neil Little, g,
recalled from Philadelphia (AHL)...The National Hockey League
suspended Dainius Zubrus, rw, two games and fined him $1,000 for
a slashing incident against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday;
April 1 - Neil Little, g, returned to Philadelphia (AHL); March
31 - Neil Little, g, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL); March 29 -
Paul Healey, rw, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL); March 26 -
John Druce, rw, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL); March 24 -
Acquired defenseman Dan McGillis and a second-round draft pick in
1998 from the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Janne Niinimaa.
Acquired defenseman Dave Babych and a sixth-round pick in the
1998 draft from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in
the 1998 draft.
Game Results
3/24 at New Jersey L 3-2
3/26 at Boston L 4-2
3/28 Carolina L 4-2
3/29 at Carolina W 3-1
3/31 Chicago W 3-2
4/02 Los Angeles W 3-0
4/04 Florida L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Eric Meyer
THE BIG NEWS
Just one more week and...he's baaaaaaack. That's right. Having
sustained a grade two concussion back on March 7 when he was
leveled by Pittsburgh defenseman Darius Kasparaitis, Eric Lindros
has been declared fit to play by Flyers doctors and will make his
much awaited return on April 13 against the Buffalo Sabres.
Lindros' return against the Sabres will give him four games to
tune up his game before the playoffs and the real drive for the
Stanley Cup begins. If past performance and floating rumors hold
true, despite playing under a new system and a new head coach,
Eric Lindros will be reunited with left wing John LeClair and
right wing Trent Klatt on the team's top line. That means
that right winger Chris Gratton will probably return to his spot
on the second line along side center Rod Brind'Amour and left
winger Shjon Podein. The third line will be the surprising force
of Colin Forbes, Mike Sillinger and Alexandre Daigle. The fourth
line? Well? It's anyone's guess. How about Joel Otto centering
Dainius Zubrus and Dan Kordic?
News of Lindros' return came a day after New York Rangers center
Pat LaFontaine said he would skip the rest of the season with a
concussion he suffered March 16. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim lost
Paul Kariya for the season after he suffered a concussion Feb. 1
at the hands of Gary Suter.
Combine all of these cases with the fact that Eric's brother
Brett was forced to call it quits with the New York Islanders
after suffering a series of concussions. Eric's father Carl, as
well as Flyers GM Bobby Clarke, exercised great caution in
allowing their star centerman to return to the ice. With
Lindros out of the lineup, the Flyers have gone 8-5-2.
SETTLEMENT REACHED
Does the name Craig Carton ring a bell? On Feb. 28, 1997, Mr.
Carton, a former sportstalk host at 610 WIP radio, a station
owned by Infinity Broadcasting, dropped a bomb that resonated in
Philadelphia for the remainder of the Flyers season. He claimed
that a reliable source had informed him that Eric Lindros had
missed a Feb. 15 game against Pittsburgh because he was hung over
after drinking too much the night before.
Carton then went on to insinuate that the Flyers were making
efforts to cover for Lindros by scratching him from the lineup
with a sore back he suffered two nights earlier in a game against
Ottawa.
Lindros was outraged, but GM Bobby Clarke and Flyers President Ed
Snider nearly lost it. Within days, the Flyers filed a libel
suit against the broadcaster, which coincidentally carries its
games, on March 5, 1997.
Lindros and Infinity Broadcasting, Corp. of Philadelphia agreed
to a settlement of Lindros' libel suit against the station, the
team announced last Thursday. In exchange for the settlement and
a formal apology from WIP, the lawsuit brought by Lindros would
be dropped.
The apology reads as follows: "In a broadcast on
February 28, 1997, a former WIP personality stated that
Philadelphia Flyers captain Eric Lindros was unable to play in a
February 15, 1997 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although
Eric suffered from an injured back sustained against Ottawa on
February 13, 1997, it was stated that he did not play because he
was 'hung over' from an excess of alcohol consumption the prior
evening. WIP's personality also stated that the Flyers
organization reported that Eric was injured to cover up his
inability to play.
"After an investigation of the facts underlying its February 28
broadcast, WIP executive management has concluded that the sole
reason Eric did not play on February 15 was because of his
injured back and not for any other reason. The entire management
of WIP regrets this unfortunate incident and wishes to apologize
to Eric Lindros, the Flyers and their fans for the broadcast."
Carl Lindros, refused to reveal how much money is included in the
settlement. Nonetheless, it has been reported that any money
paid to Lindros will be forwarded along to the Children's Miracle
Network, a charity with which Eric donates a lot of time and
energy.
Lindros will make his return to the Flyers lineup on Tuesday,
April 13 against the Buffalo Sabres.
I CAN PRESCRIBE THE REMEDY
In the past few months I've done trips to New Orleans for Mardi
Gras, skied the slopes of Aspen, laid on the beaches of the
Bahamas, partied in Virginia, and gone to an occasional class.
Well, while I'm sure the Flyers don't have quite that much free
time on their hands, after their 4-1 loss to the Panthers on
Saturday, which ended a stretch of 19 games in 34 days, they sure
could use a rest.
How about three days off until back-to-back games on Wednesday
and Thursday against Tampa and Florida down in the Sunshine
State? Maybe a little golf, maybe a little sun, maybe a little
clubbing? Oh well, at least coach Neilsen is giving the team
Sunday and Monday off before returning to practice on Tuesday.
OH YEAH! THE TRADE
In possibly the biggest "trade deadline day" trade of the day,
amidst a sea of Dave Babych and a sixth-round pick in the 1998
draft for a third-round pick in the 1998 draft trades, Bobby
Clarke pulled of a "questionable" move sending the once
"untouchable" defenseman Janne Niinimaa to Edmonton in
exchange for defenseman Dan McGillis and second-round pick in the
1998 draft.
Niinimaa, who looked like an immense find last season, displaying
solid defensive skills and a nice offensive spark under the
tutelage of defenseman Paul Coffey, appeared to trail off a bit
this season. Offensive numbers were not where people expected
them to be, while Niinimaa's defensive play appears to be not as
physical as last season, often getting manhandled along the
boards and driven towards the net by opposing forwards. He was
the man who Bobby Clarke constantly referred to as untouchable,
but, finally pulled the trigger on.
Enter Dan McGillis, a bruising young defenseman who appears to be
a better fit into Roger Neilsen and Bobby Clarke's "Broad Street
Bullies II" format. Not only does the youngster have physical
ability, not only does he have experience playing with defenseman
Luke Richardson, but McGillis also brings some talent to the
power play.
With Niinimaa gone, look not only for McGillis to see time at the
point on the power play but also Eric Lindros to get some time
there as well. Speculation points to Roger Neilsen possibly
double shifting Lindros on the power play, or even playing him
solely at the point on the man-advantage.
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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
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Head Coach: Jacques Demers
Roster: C - Jason Bonsignore, Paul Ysebaert, Brian
Bradley, Darcy Tucker. RW - Mikael Renberg, Stephane Richer, Jody
Hull, Alexander Selivanov, Mikael Andersson, Sandy McCarthy,
Andrei Nazarov. LW - Rob Zamuner, Troy Mallette, Vladimir Vujtek,
Louie Debrusk, Corey Spring. D - Cory Cross, Karl Dykhuis, Yves
Racine, David Wilkie, Mike McBain, Jassen Cullimore, Enrico
Ciccone, Pavel Kubina. 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); Vladimir vujtek, c (virus, indefinite); Rob
Zamuner, lw (back, day-to-day); Alexander Selivanov, rw
(fractured cheekbone, day-to-day); Stephane Richer, rw (ankle,
indefinite); Jody Hull, rw (sprained ankle, indefinite); Jassen
Cullimore, d (knee sprain, indefinite).
Transactions: Traded Jason Weimer, lw, to the Calgary Flames for
Sandy McCarthy, rw, and third- and fifth-round draft picks in
1998; traded Bryan Marchment, d, and David Shaw, d, to the San
Jose Sharks for Andrei Nazarov, rw, furue considerations, and a
non-conditional swapt of first round picks in 1998; recalled Mike
McBain, d, from Adirondack (AHL); assigned Steve Kelly, c, to
Milwaukee (IHL).
Game Results
03/25 Montreal L 2-1
03/26 St. Louis L 3-2
03/28 Montreal L 8-2
04/01 Rangers W 3-1
04/02 Islanders L 4-1
04/04 Pittsburgh L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Seth Lerman
Throughout the majority of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning
have been a team without an identity. They did not (still don't)
score; they did not hit; they did not stop the opposition from
scoring; and they did not win many hockey games.
Some of that has changed in recent weeks as general manager Phil
Esposito made several trades at the trading deadline, which have
made the Lightning a bit stronger, if not younger.
Coming to the last place Bolts were youngsters Sandy McCarthy, a
big hulking right winger, from the Calgary Flames, and rookie
Andrei Nazarov, another big winger who has a penchant for on-ice
lunacy, from the San Jose Sharks. Add these players to Enrico
Ciccone and you have three players who can hurt you - with their
fists.
Recent games have proven that if the Lightning do not beat you on
the score sheet, they will beat you in the alley. Soon you may
see headlines which read, "Lightning Win Fights Lose Game."
If you don't believe me, check out the statistics of the recent
additions. In 58 games, McCarthy has eight goals, seven assists
and 187 penalty minutes; Nazarov, in 46 games, has two goals, one
assist, and 127 penalty minutes. Four other players top the 100
penalty minute plateau, including Ciccone (139 minutes), Darcy
Tucker (103 minutes), Karl Dykhuis (104 minutes), and Louis
Debrusk (142 minutes).
The acquisition fans are most happy about is Ciccone, who was
easily the most popular player before a trade sent him from the
Lightning to the Blackhawks two years ago.
"Oh Man, I'm pumped up, man," said Ciccone when informed he was
dealt back to the Lightning from the Vancouver Canucks after a
falling out with coach Mike Keenan.
"My wife is jumping up and down. Tampa Bay has been the best
place of my life. It was the worst day of my life when I left.
Today is the best day."
During his first tour of duty with the Lightning, Ciccone had a
morning radio show, a TV commercial, and made numerous public
relation appearances on behalf of the organization.
"Our fans have gone through so much this year," said Demers.
"Why not bring back a very popular player?"
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Wilson
Roster: C - Adam Oates, Dale Hunter, Andrei Nikolishin, Mike
Eagles. LW - Steve Konowalchuk, Esa Tikkanen, Jeff Toms, Joe
Juneau, Todd Krygier. RW - Peter Bondra, Brian Bellows, Craig
Berube, Kelly Miller. D - Calle Johansson, Phil Housley, Jeff
Brown, Sergei Gonchar, Joe Reekie, Stewart Malgunas. G - Olaf
Kolzig, Bill Ranford.
Injuries: Pat Peake, rw (torn ankle tendon, out for season);
Chris Simon, lw (shoulder surgery, out for regular season and
first round of playoffs); Mark Tinordi, d (stomach/groin,
indefinite); Michal Pivonka, c (groin strain, indefinite); Ken
Klee, d (fractured cheek, day-to-day); Joe Reekie, d (hip strain,
day-to-day); Brendan Witt, d (sprained wrist, indefinite);
Richard Zednik, rw (abdomen, 1 week).
Transactions: Claimed Brian Bellows, rw, off waivers. Traded
Sylvain Cote, d, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Jeff Brown, d.
Recalled Stewart Malgunas, d, from Portland (AHL). Assigned
Andrew Brunette, lw, Yogi Svejkovsky, lw, and David Harlock, d,
to Portland.
Game Results:
3/25 at Edmonton L 4-2
3/26 at Calgary L 3-2
3/28 at Vancouver W 3-2
3/31 NY Islanders W 5-2
4/02 Tampa Bay W 4-1
4/04 Los Angeles W 3-2
4/06 Montreal T 2-2
Team News by Jason Sheehan, Washington Correspondent
Caps Stake Claim to Home-Ice for Now
Home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs gains more
importance for the Washington Capitals as each sun rises and sets
over the MCI Center. Why? Because the Capitals have been
unstoppable of late at home, going unbeaten in nine games and
winning eight in a row - the longest streak in the NHL this
season - before tying Montreal on April 6.
The playoffs are near. Oh baby, the playoffs are near. The team
that missed the playoffs for the first time in 15-years, and
blamed 361-man games lost to injury for falling short, have
rebounded in a season where they have lost over 400-man games.
Take a peak at the injury list up top. It isn't pretty.
More amazingly, the Capitals aren't just fighting for the eighth
and final playoff spot like they have in so many years gone by.
They're in the thick of things fighting for fourth place and
home-ice advantage, with a not-so-mediocre record of 36-28-12 -
one point ahead of Montreal and Boston and three points ahead of
Dominik Hasek's Buffalo Sabres. It's a fight and the Capitals are
coming on strong in the late rounds.
Coach Ron Wilson and general manager George McPhee have done what
former general manager David Poile couldn't do last season;
they've tinkered with the same players and have created a winning
formula.
Even when the Capitals haven't played particularly well, they've
found a way to steal a point, which was the case when the
Montreal Canadiens came to town April 6. The Capitals were so
bad, in fact, that they were out-shot 36-18, and were riddled by
injuries on the blue line that left them with only two defenseman
in overtime.
Brendan Witt, who sprained his wrist in the first period, and
newly acquired defenseman Jeff Brown, who came at the trading
deadline from Toronto in a deal involving Sylvain Cote, both left
the game with injuries, and Sergei Gonchar and Calle Johansson
were called for coincidental penalties early in the overtime
period.
That left only recent call-up Stewart Malgunas and Phil Housley
to defend goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Both defenders did an admirable
job, limiting the Canadiens to only one shot in overtime.
"We were down to two defensemen at the end, so I was kind of
thrown into the fire," said Malgunas. "It got the blood pumping.
"It takes a couple of nights to adjust. You do the best you can,
suck it up and keep going. At first you have to be careful to not
over-exert yourself, but I'm used to playing 35-40 minutes a game
in Portland, so it's not too bad."
Enforcer Craig Berube, meanwhile, is looking forward to playing
the NHL's elite teams, which will happen sooner rather than later
when the Capitals travel to face Dallas April 8 and Philadelphia
April 11.
"We have to forecheck hard and play tough 'D,'" said Berube, who
is nicknamed "Chief" for his gutsy play and Native American
heritage. "We're looking forward to playing some of the better
teams in the NHL, but we have to wear the teams down. We want to
get our playoff game down pat."
McPhee Makes Huge Impact After Trading Deadline
Wilson, who was miked by CBC Sports at Vancouver on March 28,
wasn't far off when he said, "That McPhee's a genius." He
continued to voice his approval by saying that McPhee could have
gone to Harvard but instead opted for Bowling Green, which also
is the university Wilson attended.
McPhee became a clone of Albert Einstein in Wilson's eyes when he
acquired right wing Brian Bellows off waivers after the trading
deadline.
Bellows, who played under Wilson last season in Anaheim and
skated with Berlin of the German league this season, responded
immediately in his first game at Vancouver, giving life to a
sputtering Washington power play by scoring two goals with the
man-advantage. The Capitals won the game, 3-2, and snapped a bad
streak of eight consecutive games without scoring more than two
goals.
Not only has Bellows helped the Capitals immensely on the power
play, he was also the subject of a great April Fool's joke
orchestrated by McPhee. The Capitals general manager placed a
telephone call to Wilson on the famous holiday of wacky high
jinks and told him that the NHL had declared Bellows ineligible
to play because of his ties to the German league.
Wilson was steaming mad. He asked McPhee what they could do to
save the player who had scored three power-play goals in two
games. Then, as Wilson's anger hit the boiling point, McPhee
asked Wilson if he knew what day it was. The incoherent coach was
at a loss for words for probably the first time in his life and
responded with "Wednesday."
McPhee knew he had to be clearer, so he asked Wilson for the day
of the month. Wilson, seemingly hit over the head with an anvil,
then knew he was the subject of a great yarn and realized it was
April Fool's Day. At the very least, he got to keep Bellows.
Bondra Wins Player of the Week
Right wing Peter Bondra became the second Capital to win player
of the week honors in three weeks when he was rewarded for his
stellar play, recording five goals and three assists in three
games, for the week of March 30 to April 5.
Bondra, who has 48 goals this season and trails Anaheim's Teemu
Selanne by only three goals in the race for goal-scoring
champion, joins Kolzig as the only Capital to win the award this
season. Kolzig won his for the period ending March 22.
The speedy winger has become the first Capital to ever record
three consecutive 40-goal seasons. He also leads the league with
11 game-winning goals and has a franchise-record 18 career short-
handed goals. More impressive, he has outscored every player in
the league since 1994-95, registering 180 goals over that span.
Yet, not many fans know his name outside the beltway.
"I guess they gave it to me because they couldn't give it to all
three of us," said Bondra, who plays on a line with center Andrei
Nikolishin and resurgent left wing Steve Konowalchuk. The
threesome totaled 19 points in the three games.
"This is a good time of year for me and for the whole team to be
playing well," he continued. "You have to treat each game like
you are already in the playoffs."
And the playoffs are coming soon, real soon. Catch playoff fever
in the next issue of LCS: Guide To Hockey when we wrap up the
season in style and give a preview of the Capitals' first-round
opponent.
At this point, one needs a crystal ball to project whom
Washington will play. There's only one thing for sure: playoff
fever will hit the Nations Capitol for the first time in the
club's 24-year existence. It's definitely a new era in Washington
Capitals hockey.
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TEAM REPORTS
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
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BOSTON BRUINS
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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, Grant Ledyard.
G - Byron Dafoe, Rob Tallas.
Injuries: Don Sweeney, d (broken shoulder blade, out for
season).
Transactions: None.
Game Results
3/26 Philadelphia W 4-2
3/28 Florida L 3-2 OT
3/30 Colorado W 4-1
4/01 at Rangers W 4-2
4/03 at Buffalo L 5-4
4/06 Carolina L 3-0
TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown
It seems like old times again. Just not old enough. Rather than
playing like the gritty Boston teams of yesteryear, the Bruins
played their last two games like they were nearing the end of the
96-97 season, mired in last, rather than contending for home ice
in this year's playoffs.
The Bruins entered the home stretch by daring their fans to dream
of third place by having their way with the Flyers on Fox.
Granted, most of the work for the Bruins was done by a shaky
Flyer defense and a rather unsettled Sean Burke, who was donning
his third different sweater since last he played for the Whalers.
Pit stops in Carolina and Vancouver, and back spasms practically
the minute he got off the plane in Philly, have not made him seem
quite the goaltending savior Bobby Clarke might have intended. He
certainly didn't look that way against the Bruins, coughing up a
couple that even the oft-maligned Ron Hextall might have stopped.
The checking line of Rob DiMaio, P.J. Axelsson, and stand-in Mike
Sullivan (for the banged up Tim Taylor) scored three goals in the
first 10 minutes of the game. DiMaio's dekes had Burke flopping
after 33 seconds when he scored on the game's first shot.
At this point, the Bruins were a scant few points behind the
Flyers, and had moved two points up on both Washington and
Montreal. They were hot. However, they are also young and
inconsistent. So when they faced their second ex-Canuck
goaltender in a row, with Kirk McLean leading the Panthers into
the FleetCenter, it was letdown time.
It didn't matter that the Panthers had gone 14 of the last 14
games without a win. The Bruins took a 2-1 lead with eight
minutes to go in the third period on Jason Allison's 30th goal.
Allison was the first Bruin to score 30 since Eddie Shore. (Doh!
That was Cam Neely who had 50 in 1993-94, but it seems so long
ago. Then again, even Adam Oates had 32 that year.)
The Bruins held on to that lead until there were only 18 seconds
left, but Scott Mellanby poked one in with the Florida net empty,
and the teams were bound for overtime, where the Bruins hadn't
lost all year.
Well guess what. No more stress worrying about that streak. Bill
Lindsay saw to that by flipping a shot over goalie Rob Tallas'
shoulder three minutes into the overtime to ruin Tallas' day and
the Bruins unblemished record in the extra frames.
After losing to a loser, the Bruins rebounded with a very strong
game against a winner. Once more they were helped by goaltender
fumble-itis, as Patrick Roy had one of his worst days as a pro,
with his defenseman Uwe Krupp whistling a clearing pass off the
post and into the net on what should have been a routine play.
Then Tim Taylor, skating short-handed, scaled a puck in at
Patrick and skated to the bench. The puck took a wacky bounce,
deflected off St. Patrick's glove, and into the net as Taylor
turned around and sat down on the bench, not seeing his goal, and
scarcely believing it when told. All in all, Patrick had a tough
time handling the biscuit, losing it behind the net a couple of
times, muffing passes to his defensemen, and otherwise not
looking very spiffy. It was most amusing to hear the FleetCenter
fans doing an impersonation of a Boston Garden crowd chanting
"Paaaatrrriiiicckk. Paaaatrrricccckkkk." But in truth it was a
pale imitation, since Patrick no longer plays for the hated Habs,
and this was not a playoff game.
Next came the Rangers, and the Bruins avoided a letdown rerun
against the Broadway boobs, who really played without a shred of
inspiration, looking for the world like a bus full of death row
inmates being transferred to Florida. The meanest thing you
could say about this team is that the Rangers and Kevin Stevens
deserve each other. The Rangers were in particularly tough shape
for this game, without Ulf Samuelsson and Jeff Beukeboom,
forwards Tim Sweeney, Harry York, and Pat LaFontaine, all of whom
are injured. Goaltender Mike Richter truly is living his personal
season from hell, after leading the USA team to the World Cup
victory just a year ago. The Bruins' Dimitri Khristich took
advantage, scoring his 28th goal of the season, while dishing out
two assists. Byron Dafoe earned vacation pay, facing only 19
shots.
The Bruins next faced the Dominator in Buffalo. Now, when you
score four goals against Dominik Hasek, you are probably having a
very good might. You are probably going to get at least a tie,
right? Guess again, especially if you let in four goals in the
second period, in a most uncharacteristic display of defensive
bungling that showed eerie similarity to last year's worst
defense. Buffalo scored three goals in 68 seconds, including a
deflection off Dave Ellett's stick, and a bouncing puck batted
down lacrosse style by Buffalo's Vaclav Varada (too bad Buffalo
can't find a couple of other Czechs with funny names to put
together a "Day the Earth Stood Still" line - Klaatu - Varada -
Nikto. Yeah, yeah, it was "barada". But that line is too funny to
pass up.)
As if this game wasn't bad enough, next the Bruins ran into a hot
goaltender - Carolina's Trevor Kidd, of all people. Yes, the guy
the Carolina Hurricanes kept was ridding a two-game shutout
streak, and his teammates were out to ensure that he set the team
record with a third consecutive shutout. The Bruins seemed all
too eager to accommodate, by sleepwalking to a 3-0 loss to their
former rivals. The Bruins were 0-for-4 on the power play, and
Jason Allison and his linemates were stymied by Carolina's
defense and Kidd's poise.
The Bruins get no rest, though. They have seven games remaining,
starting Tuesday night in Ottawa against a Senators team fighting
to make the playoffs for the second straight year, and doing a
pretty enviable job of it. They are unbeaten in their last four
games, including a tie with the Penguins, a win over the Devils
and Buffalo, and a tie with the Sharks.
So at a time when the Bruins should be peaking for the playoffs,
they are showing their inexperience. The truth is that not many
of these guys know what the road to the playoffs is all about. Of
the current roster, only Ray Bourque, Rob DiMaio, Ted Donato,
Steve Heinze, and Kyle McLaren have been with a Bruins playoff
team before. To the rest of the guys, this is all new stuff. Wait
until the real pressure starts.
The only bright spot of the Carolina game was the return of Kyle
McLaren. Boy, those young bones heal quickly. McLaren was zinged
in the skate by a wicked slap shot against the Blackhawks, and
initial reports voiced concern that he would be out until the
playoffs. But Kyle was lucky in that while he had a broken bone
in his foot, it wasn't quite as serious as initially thought, and
he was able to play, with some rust, against the Hurricanes.
Sergei Samsonov is now tied with Toronto's Mike Johnson in the
rookie scoring race, but he has several statistical advantages
over his rival. Samsonov has 18 goals to Johnson's 13, tying him
for the rookie lead in that category with New Jersey's Patrik
Elias. Sergei also has a +6 +/- rating, better than Johnson's
-2, but not as good as Elias' +15. But Elias plays for a top
contender in the Devils, while Samsonov is one of the major
reasons that Boston has rebounded from last year's depths. New
Jersey would have been a league leader without Elias, though his
six game-winning goals is an impressive stat for a rookie, but
Boston would not have been the same without Sergei. You can't
possibly hold it against Mike Johnson that the Leafs suck even
with him, but being on a non-playoff team doesn't help win the
Calder.
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BUFFALO SABRES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff
Roster: C - Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Brian Holzinger, Wayne
Primeau. LW - Geoff Sanderson, Miroslav Satan, Michal Grosek,
Paul Kruse. RW - Donald Audette, Matthew Barnaby, Dixon Ward, Rob
Ray, Vaclav Varada. D - Alexei Zhitnik, Darryl Shannon, Jay
McKee, Mike Wilson, Bob Boughner, Richard Smehlik, Jason Woolley.
G - Dominik Hasek, Steve Shields.
INJURIES: None.
TRANSACTIONS: Traded Jason Dawe, rw, to Islanders in exchange for
Paul Kruse, lw, and Jason Holland, d; assigned Rumun Ndur, d, and
Jason Holland, d, to Rochester (AHL); signed Richard Smehlik, d,
to a multi-year contract.
GAME RESULTS:
03/24 at Calgary W 3-0
03/26 at Vancouver W 5-2
03/27 at Edmonton W 1-0
03/29 Detroit L 4-2
04/01 Los Angeles W 1-0
04/03 Boston W 5-4
04/05 Ottawa L 1-0
TEAM NEWS by Joe Brunner
The trade deadline has come and gone with unexpected results.
After the much ballyhooed trade request by Matt Barnaby, the
Sabres surprisingly kept the troubled winger and shipped Jason
Dawe to the Isles. Although Dawe is a sure 20-25 goal scorer, he
only notched six goals in his last 51 games after getting off to
a fast start. This lack of consistency and the need for some
toughness made him expendable. It's also been reported that Dawe
was unhappy with his recent lack of playing time and requested a
trade or an improvement in that situation. The acquisition of
Paul Kruse certainly fills the bill for toughness, and Jason
Holland is regarded as a promising prospect.
Most fans were quite disappointed by the Sabres' lack of activity
on trade day, but realistically they weren't going to be able to
dramatically improve the team with a series of short term moves.
Coincidentally, or maybe not, a series of news articles came out
right after the trade deadline detailing how new owner John Rigas
had purchased a team that is $80 million in debt, and currently
losing $1 million per month. One would have to think that
finances played a role in the trade decisions. By unloading Dawe,
the Sabres ridded themselves of a player slated to become a group
two free agent, and acquired two low salaried guys in return.
Since the deadline, Matt Barnaby has retracted his trade request,
and says he wants to remain a Sabre. Barnaby remains a fan
favorite and has been welcomed back by most, but it's hard to
predict what he'll do from minute to minute; on or off the ice.
The other significant transaction was the re-signing of
defenseman Richard Smehlik. Smelly, as he's fondly known, will
receive $3.9 million over three years, with the club holding an
option for a fourth year. Seems like a pile of dough, but
unfortunately it only reflects what the average NHL salary will
be when the
contract goes into effect.
The Sabres opened this segment with an impressive road trip
through Western Canada, where they swept the Flames, Canucks, and
Oilers. For the fourth time this season, the remarkable Dominik
Hasek recorded shutouts in consecutive starts. Hasek now has 13
shutouts, leaving him just two shy of Tony Esposito's modern day
record.
Steve Shields made a rare start against Vancouver and
performed admirably in a fight filled game. The highlights, or
lowlights, of the game featured a crushing open ice hit by Mike
Peca on Matthias Ohlund, and a sucker punch to the nose of Derek
Plante by ex-sabre Brad May. Unfortunately, Peca left his feet to
deliver the hit and was rewarded with a three-game suspension for
his efforts. It's reasonable to suspend a player three games for
a dangerous hit, but it defies logic that Dainius Zubrus only
received a two-game suspension for what was an obvious attempt to
carve Chris Chelios' eye out. That's Brian Burke for you.
The Sabres returned home from their western trip to score
impressive victories over LA and Boston. The Boston victory was
particularly satisfying as the teams are fighting for playoff
positioning. It was also the first time that the Sabres have
given up more than three goals in a game this season and won.
Unfortunately, they failed to show up for the loss to Ottawa. The
Sens are in danger of not making the playoffs and it was obvious
they wanted the game more. It's easy to jump on the Sabres for
being outworked in an important game, but looking at the overall
picture, they've done very well these last two weeks.
Wayne Primeau is finally starting to show why the Sabres made him
a number one pick. At times he has looked like big brother Keith.
He had been scoring with regularity until Lindy Ruff put him
between Ray and Kruse on the fourth line. By the frequency with
which Ruff juggles his lines, don't expect that to last long.
Donald Audette has turned up the offense and now has four goals
in his last six games. That gives him 22 goals for the season,
tying him for the club lead with Miroslav Satan.
Alexei Zhitnik has quietly moved into the Norris Trophy hunt with
his strong play over the last four months. Zhitnik now has 14
goals, 28 assists and is a plus-17. It's probably good enough to
overcome the lead by Nicklas Lidstrom or Rob Blake; but the Z man
should get some consideration.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CAROLINA HURRICANES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Paul Maurice
Roster: C -- Keith Primeau, Jeff O'Neill, Kent Manderville, Bates
Battaglia. RW -- Ray Sheppard, Sami Kapanen, Nelson Emerson,
Kevin Dineen, Paul Ranheim, Steven Rice. LW -- Martin Gelinas,
Gary Roberts, Robert Kron, Stu Grimson, Stephen Leach. D -- Steve
Chiasson, Glen Wesley, Adam Burt, Curtis Leschyshyn, Nolan
Pratt, Steve Halko, Kevin Haller, Sean Hill. G -- Trevor Kidd,
Mike Fountain.
INJURIES: Sean Hill, d, (broken fibula, one to two weeks); Kevin
Haller, d, (pulled groin, day-to-day); Stephen Leach. lw,
(herniated disk in neck, out for season).
TRANSACTIONS: 3/24 -- traded Kirk McLean, g, to Florida for Ray
Sheppard, rw; 3/25 -- recalled Nolan Pratt, d, and Mike Fountain,
g, from New Haven (AHL); 3/29 -- recalled Steve Halko, d, and
Mike Rucinski, d, from New Haven; 3/30 -- signed Craig McDonald,
c, (Canadian National Team), and Shane Willis, rw, (Lethbridge,
WHL); 4/2 -- returned Rucinski to New Haven.
GAME RESULTS
3/23 at Florida W 5-3
3/26 NY Rangers W 4-1
3/28 at Philadelphia W 4-2
3/29 Philadelphia L 3-1
3/31 Montreal T 3-3
4/01 at New Jersey W 4-0
4/04 at Montreal W 1-0
TEAM NEWS by Brad Kane
After everything that's happened this year, the Carolina
Hurricanes just may make the playoffs after all. Imagine, from
spastic pigs to this. Incredible. Just four points behind 8th
place Ottawa as of April 5 with eight games to go. And it's all
due to one roly-poly, Pillsbury Dough Boy-lookalike -- Trevor
Kidd.
Kidd's back-to-back shutouts at New Jersey and Montreal last week
may land him his second NHL player-of-the-week award in the last
month -- the last coming the week ending March 8. The New Jersey
victory was particularly impressive, with the 'Canes having
played the night before in Greensboro. Combined with the win at
Philadelphia, they are the Hurricanes best two wins of the year,
perhaps their best victories in quite some time; both on
the road against quality teams with both offense and defense
clicking.
Even more impressive is how Carolina has adapted to injuries.
Kevin Haller, Sean Hill, and Steve Chiasson have missed time
recently due to various ailments. Rookies Nolan Pratt, Steve
Halko, and Mike Rucinski stepped into the void and played
admirably. I mean, come on, Mike Rucinski? He was in the ECHL
not long ago...
So, this is how it shapes up down the stretch. Eight games to go
-- four home, four away. Highlights include visits to Boston and
Buffalo this week and a season-ending home-and-home set with
Washington next weekend. The Senators have been playing well as
of late, too, but they still can't score goals, and neither
Damian Rhodes or Ron Tugnutt can hold a candle to the Kidder
right now. The verdict? Five wins, or 10 points, in the last
eight games, and Carolina meets the Devils in the 1st round.
WHATNOT
Speaking of player-of-the-week awards, Keith Primeau received the
honor for the week ending March 29. In four games, Primeau
scored four goals and added four assists. That's two in less
than a month for the Hurricanes.
The trade deadline came and went with one move made by the
'Canes. Carolina dispatched backup goalie Kirk McLean to the
NHL's latest version of hockey limbo, the Florida Panthers, for
the soft hands of winger Ray Sheppard. Sheppard promptly joined
the team's first line with former Detroit linemate Primeau and
looked very good. A certain American sports-oriented cable
television network deemed the deal a win for Florida. Um, return
you hockey reporting credentials to the front desk, please.
McLean wasn't playing in Carolina, the deal saves $800,000 a year
for the Hurricanes, and Sheppard's not done yet. Score this one
a win for Carolina GM Jim Rutherford, thank you very much.
The 'Canes recently announced that ticket prices will be reduced
for next season. Most single game seats will be cut by $10,
while season tickets will be discounted by 10%. The move was
made as one of forgiveness toward Hurricane fans. Owner Peter
Karmanos admitted that tickets had been priced too high. The
purpose of the plan is to get more people into the Greensboro
Coliseum and to shift most of the fans to the lower level of the
arena, cutting down on the nasty sight of those empty seats.
Fans will be able to get a lower level seat for as little as $20.
Carolina signed two of their best prospects recently. Former
Harvard center Craig McDonald and junior league right wing Shane
Willis came to terms with the Hurricanes after months of
negotiating. Now, neither of these guys is the second coming of
Wayne Gretzky, but they can only help a farm system that is one
of the worst in the NHL right now. (Wonder if the signings had
anything to do The Hockey News's recent assertion that
Carolina's prospects ranked dead last in the NHL.) McDonald is,
by all accounts, a good checking center with some offensive
upside while Willis is, simple and plain, a gunner. McDonald is
currently with the Canadian National Team, while Willis was
assigned to Carolina's AHL affiliate in New Haven.
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MONTREAL CANADIENS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Jonas Hoglund. D - Vladimir Malakhov,
Stephane Quintal, Patrice Brisebois, Peter Popovic, Craig Rivet,
Igor Ulanov, Zarley Zalapski. G - Jocelyn Thibault, Andy Moog.
INJURIES: Martin Rucinsky, lw (sprained ankle, a week); Stephane
Quintal, d (sprained ankle, 10 days); Brian Savage, lw (broken
thumb, day-to-day); Igor Ulanov, d (knee injury, day-to-day).
TRANSACTIONS: Eric Houde assigned to Fredericton (AHL).
GAME RESULTS:
3/25 at Tampa Bay W 2-1 OT
3/26 at Florida L 5-4
3/28 Tampa Bay W 8-2
3/31 at Carolina T 3-3
4/01 at Florida W 4-3
4/04 Carolina L 1-0
TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert
Thibault Likely to be Starter in Playoffs
This year, Montreal is not concerned about making it to the
playoffs. Les Boys are trying to get into good position to start
the first round. This year it is of great importance to get to
the second round for the Habs... So rumors are circulating in the
press box: Who is going to be the #1 goalie, Moog or Tbo? Tbo
or Moog? Suspense. Will injured players be ready for the final
season stretch (Ulanov, Quintal)? Mystery.
Anyway, stakes are high since the Habs want to be sure to finish
fourth in the Eastern Conference so not to play big shots like
Philadelphia or New Jersey too soon. At this stage of the regular
season, nothing is cast in stones.
As a matter of fact, Boston, Washington and Buffalo set aside
from forth place would also give Montreal the home ice for at
least the first round of the playoffs even though, as Mark Recchi
has said lately: "Our record isn't that great at home, but you
still want to start here."
Giving Montreal's latest result at home, how come players still
want to play there?
Defensemen Contribute Offensively
For now, things look quite good since the entire team takes over
as top offensive players (except Damphousse) are getting some
rest. Actually, both forwards and defensemen are contributing to
the score and setting the shoulder to the wheels. For instance, a
guy like Patrice Brisebois had a goal in each of the Canadiens'
last four games before entertaining Tampa Bay at the Molson
Center. As for Benoit Brunet (one goal, one assist) and Marc
Bureau (two goals), they assured the victory against the
Panthers (4-3) and Zarley Zalapski gave the Canadiens the lead in
the third in the same game. Another big surprise? Jonas
Hoglund... he scored six goals in his last seven games prior to
entertaining Tampa Bay at home.
Thibault #1: Four Consecutive Starts!
Furthermore, discussions are going on about naming Jocelyn
Thibault the #1 goalie for the playoffs. Even though Alain
Vigneault refuses to make a choice between Tbo and Moog as the
best Montreal goalie, it's clear that Tbo is favored in
Vigneault's mind. Jocelyn has been the starting goalie in
the last three consecutive games... and Moog's back isn't in good
condition, not to mention that he is concerned with the health of
his daughter who still lives in Dallas.
Ulanov Returns in 15 Days
Another concern: The Canadiens' injury list keeps growing as
defenseman Stephane Quintal suffered a sprained ankle in the
third period against Carolina. The team is also missing Igor
Ulanov who resumed skating in Tampa and said that he would be
ready to play in the first round of the playoffs. Let's pray!
For the moment, The Habs cannot win against teams on winning
streaks like the Florida Panthers, against whom they lost one out
of two games in six days. More than that, with the loss against
The Hurricanes (0-1), Montreal slipped one game below .500 at
home with a 15-16-7 record.
ON MY NOTE-PAD
Corson's New Milestone
Shayne Corson played his 800th game in the NHL against Tampa at
the Molson Center.
Superstitious... Damphousse
Vinnie Damphousse is a tad superstitious and rightfully so... He
kissed singer Celine Dion before entertaining Tampa, then he
scored three goals.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Darcy Tucker (a former Hab now playing for Tampa): "He (Alain
Vigneault) told me I was a joke, I was crying and humiliated
all the time."
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OTTAWA SENATORS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Jacques Martin
Roster: C - Alexei Yashin, Vaclav Prospal, Radek Bonk, Sergei
Zholtok, Shaun Van Allen. 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. G - Damian
Rhodes, Ron Tugnutt.
Injuries: Vaclav Prospal, c (sore hand, day-to-day); Janne
Laukkanen, d (groin/hip, day-to-day); Stan Neckar, d (knee,
day-to-day).
Transactions: Igor Kravchuk, d, returned from hip injury, missed
one game.
Game Results
3/25 at NY Rangers W 3-2 OT
3/27 at Chicago L 2-1
3/30 at Pittsburgh T 1-1
4/02 San Jose T 3-3
4/03 at New Jersey W 3-2
4/05 at Buffalo W 1-0
TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders
Let's Get Ready to RRRRUUUMMMMMBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!
So this is it...seven games left in the 1997-98 edition, and it's
come down to a battle for the eighth and final playoff spot with
the Carolina Hurricanes.
Right from Day 1 - back when Radek Bonk shared the team lead in
scoring - everybody knew that the improved Senators would
nevertheless be battling it out with somebody for one of the
final playoff spots. The fact that 'somebody' turned out to be
Carolina, we must admit, turned out to be quite the surprise.
Granted, this isn't an expansion team, rather the reincarnation
of perennial first-round drop-outs the Hartford Whalers. But
after a slow start - and gawd awful fan support - we half
expected the team to shrivel up and die long ago.
Yet here they are today, outlasting the New York Rangers and the
same Florida Panthers who made the finals a mere two years ago.
Glancing quickly at the Hurricanes' roster, we see a team that
has nevertheless improved dramatically of late. Trevor Kidd is
currently riding a three-game shutout streak. And the likes of
Keith Primeau, Gary Roberts, Ray Sheppard, Martin Gelinas, Steve
Chiasson, Kevin Dineen and tough guy Stu Grimson will not go down
without a fight.
One look at these two teams' final schedules, and you would have
to favor Carolina's chances, albeit very slightly. Hurricane
veterans from last season (and there are not too many of them)
remember the days as Whalers and in particular the fact that
Ottawa's late season rush pushed them out of the playoffs. And
with little pressure from the fans and media (apparently they get
more excited over Ernie Irvan's exhaust manifold than playoff
hockey), the 'Canes probably have the emotional edge as well.
But our beloved Senators are hanging on to their slim two-point
lead, fully aware that losing a playoff berth would be considered
a disaster in these parts.
Can You Spell O-V-E-R-K-I-L-L?
Yes, Steve Duchesne's playoff clinching goal in the final game
last year against Buffalo was very exciting and emotional. And,
yes the Sens' seven-game battle with Buffalo was as thrilling as
they come. But three games against the Sabres in the final 10
games of the year? Look, we appreciate the gesture, but last time
we checked, Mr. Schedulemaker, there were 11 other teams in our
conference.
For those keeping score at home, Ottawa's seven remaining games
are as follows:
Boston
Pittsburgh
Buffalo
at Tampa Bay
at Florida
Montreal
at Buffalo
Humble in Defeat
Speaking of last year's playoff rendezvous with Buffalo, if you
recall, Kanata mayor Merle Nicholds challenged Buffalo's mayor to
a bet that would see Nicholds personally deliver homemade
BeaverTails (the pastry, not the rodent) to Buffalo fans if
Ottawa lost, while Buffalo's mayor would deliver Buffalo wings to
Nicholds if the opposite happened. Well...you know what happened
(I still see Derek Plante before my eyes. Make it stop...) and -
true to her word - Nicholds delivered prior to the Sens April 5th
meeting in Buffalo. Steve Banko of the Buffalo mayor's office was
on hand to savor the tasty treat in the parking lot outside of
the Marine Midland Arena.
But Nicholds' got the last laugh - watching Ottawa blank Buffalo
1-0.
Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmmm
Just an observation, but have you noticed how Sens GM Pierre
Gauthier has kept a relatively low profile since word got out
that he may be taking the GM job in Anaheim next year? If
history means anything, that usually means he's a goner. Further
proof - he was spotted in Toronto 'scouting' the Leafs-Sharks
game last Saturday. Uh, let's see...the fate of both teams mean
absolutely nothing to Ottawa's playoff chances. But hold on a
sec, isn't San Jose a division rival of Anaheim's? Hmmmmm.....
As for that persistent rumor that Bryan Murray - an Ottawa Valley
native - would leave the Panthers to assume the Sens GM job
should Gauthier leave? Consider it a strong possibility. After
all, Murray received a vote of confidence from Panther brass that
he will return next year. And in hockey circles, that kind of
promise is as valuable as North Korean stocks.
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
The Senators' huge overtime victory over the Rangers in MSG not
only meant a rare victory in the Big Apple, but it could also be
looked upon as the win that knocked Gretzky and the Rangers out
of the playoffs.
So to whom shall we sing the praises? Should it be Alexei Yashin,
who rifled home the game-winner? Or perhaps Daniel Alfredsson,
who stole the puck from Brian 'Diggin' A Hole' Leetch and set up
Yashin on a pretty 2-on-1? Or maybe Damian Rhodes for his fine
work between the pipes?
Nope. If you ask Jacques Martin, it was all because of Jerry
Casale. Casale, a New York restaurateur and former Bosox pitcher
in the late 1950s, owns a restaurant in New York called Pino's.
He guaranteed Martin a win when the Sens dined there prior to the
matchup. "That's two straight," said Martin. "We ate there last
year and we won. We didn't eat there last week and we lost."
Message to Sens' management - put Casale on your payroll. Now.
Better still, open a Pino's franchise in Kanata Centrum and allow
only Senators to dine there.
It's a Bad Year to be Canadian
Nothing to do with the Sens, but we had to offer up this opinion.
Now that Wayne Gretzky's Rangers are officially out of the
playoffs, this means that we will now have to witness a
postseason without the likes of Gretz, Mark Messier (where are
his Canucks going?), Mario Lemieux (retirement) and Paul Kariya
(out with a concussion). Couple that with the fact that Ottawa
and Montreal are the only two Canadian teams with legitimate
playoffs plans, and it certainly looks bleak to be Canadian.
Oh well, on the bright side, maybe we'll see Gretzky and Messier
hook up once again for Team Canada in the world championships?
Who knows...
Trivia Time
The Sens' overtime win over the Rangers was their first on the
road since 1993. Who did the Sens beat, and who popped home the
winner? Answer at the end of this column.
Devil of a Comeback
Virtually every hockey beat writer likes to throw his or her two
cents worth as to which game was the 'turning point' for their
team's season. Well, here's our two cents Canadian
(0.0000000000000067 cents U.S.) - April 3, 1998: Ottawa 3, New
Jersey 2.
Down two goals heading into the third period against the league's
top team - the same team they will most likely face in Round 1 -
in a building that has proven tough to win in, against one of the
best goaltenders in the league, and against the Devils' stifling
defense, the Sens somehow digged deep down (way, way down) and
pulled a minor miracle with three unanswered goals to beat the
Devils 3-2.
If anything, it proved to the Sens and their fans that they can
compete with the best of them on any given night, so long as
everybody is giving it their 100% (gawd, we sound like Knute
Rockne).
Even sweeter was the fact that Denny Lambert scored the game
winner. Ya gotta love it when so-called 'thugs' come out smelling
like roses.
Problem? What Problem?
During the frenzy that led up to the trade deadline, insiders
were claiming that Sens GM Gauthier was on the lookout for a
solid veteran goaltender to help propel the Sens into the
playoffs. Apparently, the likes of Damian Rhodes and Ron Tugnutt
between the pipes didn't win Gauts much sleep over the past few
months.
But their play of late has done much to quell that ulcerous
feeling in poor Pierre's gut. Nine goals against in the last six
games - including a huge shutout against Hasek and his mates -
ain't too shabby, if we must say so ourselves. In total, eight
shutouts on the season, a combined GAA of 2.35 and save
percentage of 91%.
Perhaps Gauthier should concentrate on more pressing concerns,
like team scoring, both on and off the power play.
This, That and the Other Thing
Random notes from the Senators camp in the two weeks that were:
Ottawa 3 New York 2 (OT)
* Yashin's overtime winner versus New York was his 30th of the
campaign. He currently holds the Sens modern day record for most
goals in a season with 35, which he set last year.
* After coughing up the puck that led to the OT winner, Rangers'
defenseman Brian Leetch skated off the ice to a shower of curses
and insults. One vocal fan yelled out: "Hey Leetch! What's that
make now, -80?"
Ottawa 1 Pittsburgh 1
* Despite squeaking out a critical point in Pittsburgh, the Sens
still have yet to register a win at the Igloo (0-12-3 overall).
* Magnus Arvedson's third period game-tying goal against the Pens
marked only the fifth time this year that Ottawa has been able to
salvage at least a point when trailing after two periods
(1-29-4).
Ottawa 3 San Jose 3
* Yes, folks, that indeed was Stan Neckar scoring a goal in the
Sens snoozefest against San Jose. Neckar, doing his best
impression of Bobby Orr, managed to deke his way in from the blue
line and slip a backhander past a sprawling Mike Vernon. And
that, our fine friends, is where the Orr comparisons abruptly
end. With the goal, Neckar now has four points on the season,
something Orr sometimes managed to do on one shift while skating
backwards.
* Ottawa is famous around the league for its long and painful
commutes between the downtown hotels and the Corel Centre. But
nobody summed it up better than Sharks' forward Shawn Burr when
he was heard mumbling: "Holy (bleepin') traffic jam, Batman!"
upon arriving at the Corel Centre visitors' dressing room. Yup,
we agree...
* Pity the poor Sharks. It's bad enough they had to face a
traffic jam to the rink, but they also didn't get into Ottawa
from Pittsburgh until 3 a.m. Apparently, the pilots never
bothered to show up for takeoff, so replacements had to be found.
Ottawa 3 New Jersey 2
* Lambert's goal against New Jersey gives him a +6 plus/minus
rating so far on the season. For reference purposes, please
compare to Mr. Leetch's ratio in the tidbits above.
* The Devils loss marked the first time since 1995-96 that
they've lost three games in a row.
* Before Jason York's goal early in the third, Devils goalie
Martin Brodeur had blanked the Senators for eight consecutive
periods, dating back to two straight shutouts in early February.
Ottawa 1 Buffalo 0
* Rhodes shutout against the Sabres was especially sweet for
Damian since it was his first ever win against the Sabres in
seven tries.
* Worst sign ever spotted at a hockey game: "Barnaby drives Radek
Bonk-ers." Serenity now!
* Kanata mayor Merle Nicholds' Kanata Karavan (see story above)
had many Buffaloers (ites? ians? Butts??) scratching their heads.
Many thought that it was Canada spelled wrong. For those who
failed Grade Nine Geography, Kanata is the suburb of Ottawa which
houses the Corel Centre.
Drumroll Please
Dave McLlwain (another nightmarish Senator name to spell) scored
in overtime to propel the Sens to a 3-2 win over Montreal in the
old Montreal Forum on November 13, 1993.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
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Head Coach: Kevin Constantine
Roster: C - Ron Francis, Martin Straka, C. Ferraro, Tyler
Wright, Robert Lang, Sean Pronger. LW - Stu Barnes, Andreas
Johansson, Alex Hicks, Garry Valk. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Alexei
Morozov, Ed Olczyk, Robby Brown, Robert Dome. D - Darius
Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher, Chris Tamer, Fredrik Olausson, Neil
Wilkinson, Ian Moran, Brad Werenka, Jiri Slegr, Tuomas Gronman. G
- Tom Barrasso, Ken Wregget.
Injuries: Robert Lang, c (broken thumb, one to two weeks);
Sean Pronger, c (broken foot, two weeks); Garry Valk, lw
(abdominal surgery, indefinite).
Transactions: Traded the rights to Patrick Lalime, g, to Anaheim
for Sean Pronger, c. Assigned Peter Skudra, g, to Kansas City
(IHL).
Game Results:
3/26 at NY Islanders L 4-3
3/28 at NY Rangers T 2-2
3/29 Ottawa T 1-1
4/01 San Jose L 3-2
4/04 at Tampa W 4-1
4/05 at Florida L 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Brett Taylor
Pens Struggle: Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis and Stu Barnes
combined for seven points to lead the struggling Pens over the
Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. But the Lightning are the only
team the Pens have been able to beat lately.
The game broke a 0-2-3 streak and a 0-4-1 road streak, but it
didn't last long, because the Pens promptly went out the next
night and lost to the Panthers in Miami, 3-1.
Although there have been some bright spots, for example rookie
forward Robert Dome has three goals in the past five games and
Barrasso is back in the lineup.
Aside from that, things haven't been going so well for the boys.
Jagr has been struggling to get the puck in the net. He scored
his first in a while against Tampa, now he's got 299 career and
the 300th may be hard to come by because he may put a lot of
pressure on himself.
The Pens need to pick up the play in the last month of the
season. It will be hard for one major reason. The teams they
play are not very good. In fact, the schedule has been rather
rigorous all season and now that they have played all the good
games they only have weak ones left. The problem with that is
that the playoffs are only two weeks away. When the postseason
starts, teams need to come out with all pistons firing. If they
are weak in one area, it could cost them dearly.
Pens coach Kevin Constantine has to get them playing every game
like they are playing New Jersey. In fact the closest thing to
New Jersey the Pens play the rest of the way is Boston, who
trails the Pens by 10 points. The Pens lead both second place
Boston and Buffalo by 10 points with six games remaining. Their
magic number is seven, so they're all but mathematically going to
win the division.
What is at stake is the first round opponent. Right now the Pens
have 91 points and are set to play Montreal in the first round.
Francis Keeps on Rolling: Ron Francis moved past former
Penguin Bryan Trottier into ninth place on the NHL's all-time
scoring list with an assist on Stu Barnes' second-period goal in
the March 29 game against Ottawa.
The assist gave Francis 1,426 points in his illustrious career.
The whole season has become one milestone after another for
Francis. It seems he passes a new one every game.
Ronnie isn't done moving up the scoring list, either. It's a
real close race in the next few spots. He'll likely end up fifth
all-time by the middle of next year.
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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 - Steve Dubinsky, Greg Johnson, Chad Kilger, Dmitri
Nabokov, Jeff Shantz, Brent Sutter, Alexei Zhamnov. LW - James
Black, Eric Daze, Jean-Yves Leroux, Kevin Miller, Ethan Moreau, Bob
Probert, Reid Simpson. RW - Tony Amonte, Sergei Krivokrasov, Ryan
VandenBussche. D - Chris Chelios, Christian LaFlamme, Jayson More,
Cam Russell, Gary Suter, Michal Sykora, Eric Weinrich, Trent
Yawney. G - Jeff Hackett, Chris Terreri, Andrei Trefilov.
injuries: Jean-Yves Leroux, lw (concussion, day-to-day); Jeff
Shantz, c (torn ACL in left knee, out for season); Michal Sykora, d
(collapsed lung, indefinite); Alexei Zhamnov, c (back, day-to-day).
transactions: Recalled Todd White, c, from Indianapolis (IHL) April
5; activated Bob Probert, lw, from injured reserve April 4; traded
Ryan Risidore, d, to NY Rangers for Ryan VandenBussche, rw, March
24.
game results:
3/25 Anaheim L 3-2
3/27 Ottawa W 2-1
3/29 Florida L 4-0
3/31 at Philadelphia L 3-2
4/02 Colorado W 2-1
4/04 Detroit L 3-2
4/05 NY Rangers L 2-1 OT
TEAM NEWS by Tom Crawford
Hawks Eye Spring Tee Times
The Blackhawks appear to have found their motivation for the stretch
drive of this NHL season: golf. What other explanation could there
be for the recent run of futility including home losses to three
non-playoff teams?
The only bright spots in the past two weeks were victories against a
ridiculously depleted Colorado squad (no Forsberg, Sakic, Lemieux, or
Deadmarsh, and Craig Billington in goal) and Ottawa.
Granted, the Hawks didn't lose every game the same awful way. They
stank up the joint against the Panthers and were shut out by the
same John Vanbiesbrouck who allowed six goals to them in a period
on March 15. They donated two goals to the Flyers in a 3-2 loss
with inexplicable defensive-zone turnovers by Tony Amonte and Chad
Kilger. And they battled gamely for 59 minutes and 57.2 seconds
against the defending champion Red Wings, only to give up the
winner with 2.8 seconds to go.
The bottom line is, this team does not appear to have what it takes
to succeed in crunch time. Killer Instinct, Eye of the Tiger, call
it what you will -- the Hawks don't have it. Teams that have it
protect their home ice. Teams that have it take two points when
the schedule maker offers them up. Teams that have it don't break
down in their own end in the last minute of tight games.
It's not easy to understand why the Blackhawks lack this
unidentified quality. There is no shortage of "character guys" on
this club--from wily veteran Brent Sutter and his proteges Steve
Dubinsky and Jeff Shantz to recently reactivated Bob Probert. And
if you believe the majority of TV hockey analysts, the presence of
Chris Chelios on one's team is worth 10 wins a year in grit alone.
The default action in this situation is usually to blame the coach,
and some reports had Craig Hartsburg being fired if a recent losing
streak had not ended promptly. Throughout his tenure Hartsburg has
made attempts to instill a more competitive attitude in his club,
from removing the TV in the dressing room (after certain players were
found giggling at "South Park" instead of punching their lockers
after a loss) to sequestering the team in a local hotel during this
past week's home stand. Nevertheless, he must bear a portion of the
blame for his team's chronic tendency to lose focus.
And, much as it pains me to admit, so must captain Chris Chelios.
His recent trouble with various officials (leading to three game
misconducts) is worrisome, but much more so have been his defensive
lapses. He was man enough to admit to being responsible for the
third Detroit goal in the April 4th loss -- he failed to cover
Brendan Shanahan who scored the rebound winner -- but no mention
was made of his part in the second Detroit goal which was scored on
an odd-man rush with Kilger as one of the defenders. Kilger had
been covering the point while Cheli went into the corner to
forecheck.
Chelios's willingness to go deep in the offensive zone is nothing
new (remember his two overtime game-winners which put the Hawks
into the 1995 Western Conference finals), but it has backfired much
more often this year. It may be that a certain pair of 36 year-old
legs has finally begun to slow down, and Cheli can't simply outrun
his bad decisions anymore.
Whatever the cause, the Blackhawks' latest slide has put them in a
four-team fight for three playoff spots. And their upcoming
schedule includes road dates in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and St.
Louis, while their pursuers, Edmonton and San Jose, play the bulk
of their remaining games against the Little Sisters of the Poor,
otherwise known as Vancouver, Anaheim, and Calgary.
Better hit the driving range now, boys.
Zhamnov Hurt Again
Does Alexei Zhamnov plan trips to Florida during hurricane season?
Does he ask "How's the wife?" to men who've just come from divorce
court? 'Cause man, does this guy ever have bad timing.
For the second year in a row, Zhamnov has incurred a seemingly minor
but nagging injury right around playoff time. Last year he hurt an
ankle in a meaningless game after playoff positions had been decided
and missed the entire first round loss to Colorado. Now he has a
back injury, which we all know can be over in a week or last a year.
Zhamnov was injured when he became tangled with Detroit defenseman
Dmitri Mironov and slid into the boards. The play looked harmless
enough -- in fact it appeared that Zhamnov didn't even try to brace
himself for the collision because he was sliding so slowly. But it
took a while for him to get up, and he didn't return to the Detroit
game or dress for the next day's matchup with the Rangers.
Compounded with the loss of Jeff Shantz to a torn ACL, Zhamnov's
injury is another cloud on the Blackhawks' darkling playoff
horizon.
News and Notes
Bob Probert returned from a rotator cuff injury in the April
4 loss to Detroit. He hit with abandon and said he felt no pain
and was surprised at his energy level after the long hiatus.
However, don't expect Probie to be dropping the gloves too often in
the near future, as he could re-injure the shoulder by throwing
punches or falling on it . . . Brent Sutter appears ready to
retire after this season, his 17th in the NHL. "I know what I'm
going to do," Sutter told the Chicago Sun-Times, "but I'm not going
to say anything until the season's over." Brent's retirement would
leave Ron as the only Sutter brother still playing in the
NHL . . . When it became apparent that Alexei Zhamnov would
not play against the Rangers, the Blackhawks activated Todd
White, the IHL's leading goal scorer, from Indianapolis . . .
Philadelphia's Dainius Zubrus was suspended for two games
without pay and fined $1,000 by the NHL for his slash to Chris
Chelios's face March 31. Zubrus appeared to deliberately swing
his stick at Chelios's head and was assessed a match penalty on the
play.
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DALLAS STARS
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Head coach: Ken Hitchcock
roster: C-Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Bob Bassen,
Brian Skrudland. LW- Dave Reid, Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Juha
Lind, Patrick Cote. RW- Mike Keane, Mike Kennedy, Pat Verbeek,
Jamie Langenbrunner, Jere Lehtinen, Grant Marshall. D-Derian
Hatcher, Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Shawn Chambers, Richard
Matvichuk, Sergei Zubov, Craig Muni. G-Ed Belfour, Roman Turek.
injuries: Mike Modano, c (separated shoulder, 4-6 weeks). Patrick
Cote, d (shoulder separation, indefinite). Juha Lind, lw (thigh
bruise, day-to day). Craig Muni, d (pulled groin, day-to-day). Greg
Adams, lw (neck, indefinite).
transactions: Bob Bassen, c, taken off injured reserve April 3.
Benoit Hogue, lw, taken off injured reserve April 3. Sergei Zubov,
d, taken off injured reserve March 26. Dave Reid, lw, taken off
injured reserve March 26. Recalled Dan Keczmer, d, from the
Michigan K-Wings (IHL). Reassigned Jeff Mitchell, rw, to the
Michigan K-Wings. Acquired Mike Keane, rw, and Brian Skrudland, c,
from the New York Rangers in exchange for Todd Harvey and Bob
Errey. Acquired Mike Kennedy, rw, from the Toronto Maple Leafs in
exchange for an eighth-round pick.
game results:
3/26 Toronto L 1-0
3/28 San Jose L 4-1
3/29 New Jersey W 3-1
4/01 at Calgary L 3-1
4/03 at Edmonton L 4-1
4/04 at Vancouver L 5-3
4/06 Toronto W 4-2
Team News by Jim Panenka
Funk's A-Brewin
What's up with the Stars? The injuries have finally caught up to the
previously hottest team in the NHL. Although many of the bigger
names on the injured list have since come off of it, the team seems
to be suffering lately from a collective case of brain cramps.
Dallas stumbled to a miserable 2-5-0 record in the last seven games.
And besides the one win against New Jersey, the Stars lost to teams
they have previously handled with relative ease. At first it seemed
to be due to a natural adjustment period to the change in chemistry -
the trades for Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland definitely changed the
look of the team.
But, quickly it became apparent that it was just a case of the
players squeezing the stick, and pressing up a bit too far looking
for that lost offensive punch. The Stars let far too many
out-manned rushes back their way. It was as if they lost the focus
and patience necessary to carry on the "Stars' game," a term which
became synonymous with hard work and a gritty effort.
As a consequence, Dallas was beat repeatedly by hungrier, quicker,
and faster teams. The Stars forwards never built off of each
other's efforts - it was like they were starting the game fresh
after each and every shift, ignoring any of the momentum gained or
lost in the meantime.
Nobody could blame the newcomers Keane and Skrudland. They both
commented on how hard the Stars work after getting a first look at
their new team in practice. Both have lived up to that work ethic.
Skrudland seems to be a clutch player, somewhat similar to a Brent
Gilchrist in the terms that they both come up with key plays at the
right time, and both know what it takes to win. Keane has already
impressed many Dallas fans, and sweetened the deal by scoring his
first goal as a Star at home against Toronto on April 6.
Hitch blows a fuse
Coach Hitchcock kept his game face on early in the skid, remaining
stoic and non-specific about it all. But after a particularly
frustrating loss (Edmonton, I believe) Hitchcock shut down the
locker room either after the game or during the next day's practice
and let the team have it. And rightfully so. The team was quickly
squandering away one of the most impressive winning seasons in
recent memory - a season that has already been better than last
season's worst-to- first miracle.
The Stars' practices are now closed off to the public, and after a
game during the recent Canadian road trip, the Canadian press was
barred from the locker room. Only Hitchcock spoke to a few American
journalists covering the game.
It was clear the funk was legitimate, and feeding off of itself. On
paper (meaning the effort the team showed on the ice), it appeared
as if everything was alright because the players appeared to be
working plenty hard. But a closer look revealed that while they
were working hard, they were not being smart. The Stars were
beating themselves at every turn by not finishing when it counted.
Core players like Guy Carbonneau were still showing up to win, and
played like it. But players like Nieuwendyk and Verbeek, who were
red hot in the previous 10 games, quickly cooled off and were lost
back into the crowd temporarily. You can't expect a few guys to
strap the team on their shoulders and carry it the whole way,
whether it can be done or not. Something will eventually give.
Eagle's nagging backbone
Another thorn in the side was the fact that Ed Belfour's sore back
has finally become an issue for the team. Eddie had missed the
previous 3-4 games prior to the game against Toronto. Turek looked
very capable in his consecutive starts, but his teammates didn't
play well in front of him.
As a result, the team felt they weren't getting the key saves in
clutch situations that they needed to keep them in the game. Tell
me that's not going to be an important point come playoff time! The
only good thing about this has been the very hard work of Belfour
in his efforts to not only rehab, but come back stronger than
before.
Make no mistake about it - the team's shortcomings are all in their
heads right now. All they have to do is snap out of it, and begin
reacting on auto-pilot during the games again instead of thinking
about what to do next. Even though they have hit the skids somewhat,
most of their Western Conference peers pick the Stars as one of the
teams to beat.
Bob Gainey reacted to his team's nominations by stating: "We're
definitely the flavor of the month this month," Gainey said.
"Everybody wants to select us as the team."
Yeah, Dallas had tanked the last few games, but so had a few other
teams. The most notable exception being the Detroit Red Wings, who
had caught up to Dallas with a tying 97 points until the 4-2 win
over Toronto. And, Dallas also has a game in hand and gets to play
out the majority of the last seven games at home.
Trade winds a-blowin
Gainey pulled the trigger on a mega-deal (for him) that involved
letting go fan-favorite Todd Harvey and Bob Errey to the Rangers in
exchange for forecheck-specialist Brian Skrudland and the gritty
Mike Keane, formerly of the Cup- winning Avalanche team.
While Dallas definitely hated to lose Harvey, Gainey was quoted as
saying that the Rangers were committed to making Harv a part of any
deal with the team - that was the price that had to be paid. It is
a symbol of the respect that Harvey now commands in the league,
considering he just underwent surgery to repair a knee, and was
still gambled on by New York.
We all wish Todd well in his first taste of the Eastern Conference.
But, Keane and Skrudland are both players that know what it takes to
win it all. Both have considerable playoff experience, and both have
played in a Stanley Cup finals series. Also, both are very valuable
additions to the overall team philosophy of forecheck pressure and
team- tough play.
And, Gainey dealt an eighth-round pick to the Maple Leafs in
exchange for former-Star Mike Kennedy. Kennedy is a quick player,
and adds to the Stars' depth - with the obvious bonus that he is
already familiar with most of the team, and should assimilate
relatively quickly into the new system.
With both deals, Dallas sent out an unmistakable message that they
intend to contend for Lord Stanley. Now if they can just manage to
concentrate long enough to get to the finals.
And, beat or avoid Edmonton. D' oh!
Other Notes
* Joe Nieuwendyk scored twice against Toronto to further his lead as
the Stars' top goal-scorer. With his recent total of 35 goals,
Nieuwendyk has taken sole possession as the top-scoring Canadian
player in the league. Congratulations are in order!
* Jere Lehtinen and Greg Adams have both struggled without Modano.
The good side of this is Modano has been skating well recently, and
reports that he is "on schedule," meaning he should still be
available to return during the first round of the playoffs.
* Greg Adams has gone down once again with a neck injury. Whatever
black cloud is following this poor guy around needs to get lost
already. The only possible positive in that was the fact that
Sergei Zubov, Dave Reid, Benoit Hogue, and Bob Bassen are now all
healthy enough to have been put back into the lineup.
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DETROIT RED WINGS
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Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Roster C - Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper, Sergei
Fedorov. 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, Dmitri Mironov, Jamie Macoun, Aaron Ward,
Anders Eriksson, Mathieu Dandenault. G - Chris Osgood, Kevin
Hodson.
INJURIES: None.
TRANSACTIONS: Traded Jamie Pushor and a fourth-round pick to the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for defenseman Dmitri Mironov. Traded a
third-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Jamie
Macoun.
GAME RESULTS:
3/23 Chicago T 5-5
3/26 Anaheim T 3-3
3/28 at St. Louis L 3-2
3/29 Buffalo W 4-2
4/01 Colorado W 2-0
4/04 at Chicago W 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Dino Cacciola
CHICAGO
Captain Steve Yzerman scored two of the three third-period goals and
assisted on the other as the Red Wings rallied from a 4-1 deficit for
a 5-5 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks. Yzerman has seven goals and
nine assists in the 12 games since the return of Sergei Fedorov, a
season-long holdout. Opponents can't concentrate on just one line or
player since Fedorov's return. Fedorov added a goal and an assist.
He has two goals and six assists since his return.
Yzerman's four-point night left him just one shy of becoming only
the 13th player in NHL history with 1,400 points.
Nicklas Lidstrom and Jamie Pushor also scored for Detroit, while
Eric Daze, Sergei Krivakrasov and Tony Amonte had Chicago's other
goals.
ANAHEIM
Center Sergei Fedorov scored a goal but also delivered a dangerous
hit that sent Anaheim defenseman Jason Marshall headfirst into the
boards as Red Wings and the Mighty Ducks skated to a 3-3 tie.
Fedorov, playing his 13th game since ending a long holdout, was
given a five-minute major penalty and could be subject to NHL
discipline, as well. Marshall wasn't upset about the hit and he was
not injured.
The Red Wings had to settle for their 15th tie in as many overtime
games this season. The teams alternated goals, with both scoring
once in each period. Fedorov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Brendan
Shanahan scored for Detroit, with each goal giving the Red Wings
the lead. But the Ducks tied the game after every Detroit score.
In the game Jamie Pushor played for the Ducks and Dmitri Mironov
played for the Wings. Both were traded for each other just two
days earlier.
ST. LOUIS
Grant Fuhr playing in his 800th NHL game, made 33 saves to lead the
Blues to a 3-2 win. The Wings made Fuhr earn it. After being held to
10 shots during the first 30 minutes, the Red Wings had 25 in the
last half of the game. The rally fell short.
Red Wing goals were by Martin Lapointe, who also had an assist, and
Doug Brown whose goal came on the power play. The Red Wings were
2-for-7 with the man advantage. Nicklas Lidstrom assisted on
Lapointe's goal to extend his scoring streak to five games.
Lidstrom, who has two goals and seven assists in those five games,
leads all defensemen in scoring with 57 points. He, along with the
Kings' Rob Blake, is a candidate for the Norris Trophy.
BUFFALO
Steve Yzerman scored two goals to top 1,400 career points and also
moved into 12th place on the NHL career goal list as the Red Wings
beat Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 Sunday night.
Yzerman became the 13th player in NHL history to reach 1,400 points
when his long shot deflected off a defenseman and past Hasek in the
third. It gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. Then Kris Draper scored at
5:11 to give the Wings a two- goal lead. Yzerman added another goal
on a shorthanded breakaway at 11:03. Yzerman's 561st goal moved him
past the great Guy Lafleur on the all-time NHL list.
Veteran defenseman Larry Murphy also reached a milestone. He
assisted on Yzerman's second goal to become the 36th player with
1,100 career points. Tomas Holmstrom also scored on Hasek. Chris
Osgood made 24 saves in the win. He was making his second straight
start after missing five games with a groin pull.
COLORADO
This game turned into everything Detroit fans were hoping for: Mass
mayhem and another bloody Red Wings victory over the hated rival
Colorado Avalanche. Sergei Fedorov scored two third-period goals for
a 2-0 victory and Chris Osgood won the battle of the goalies by
duking it out Patrick Roy.
It was reminiscent of "The Brawl", the March 26, 1997 game at Joe
Louis Arena in which Darren McCarty bloodied Claude Lemieux and
Mike Vernon duked it out with Roy. Roy lost that fight, too. The
Red Wings gathered momentum from that game, ousting Colorado from
the playoffs a few weeks later during their drive to the Stanley
Cup championship.
"I'm not there to fight," Roy said. "My job is to win hockey games.
Sometimes when things happen, you have to stick together. Look at
what Detroit did last year, and they won the playoffs."
Things broke down after that as the struggling Avalanche apparently
decided fighting was their best chance of slowing things. The
hockey loss dropped Roy's career record to 379-221-86. His career
fighting record against Red Wings goalies is now 0 for 2. He is
two inches taller than Osgood and is 32 pounds heavier. The fight
was very even with perhaps Roy getting the definite advantage early
on. But Osgood answered the call and did very well taking Roy
down.
This was a crowning moment for this team once again. Sergei Fedorov
is loved by Wings fans once again. Scoring the two goals seemed to
earn the respect of the fans. Just as Ozzie, who has struggled of
late, won the fans' hearts as well. Very reminiscent of last year
when Vernon went from goat to hero. The Wings play the `Lanche in
Colorado in a rematch in a few weeks. Bring on the playoffs!
CHICAGO
Brendan Shanahan's scored his ninth game-winning goal of the season,
converting a rebound with 2.8 seconds left, to give the Red Wings a
3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. It was his 28th goal of the
season.
Martin Lapointe had a first-period power-play goal for Detroit,
which extended its winning streak to three games and is 6-1-2 in
its last nine. The Red Wings (41-20-15) began the day two points
behind Dallas for the top record in the Western Conference. The
Stars have a game in hand.
The Blackhawks finished their 1997-98 season series with the Red
Wings at 1-2-2. In three of those games, Detroit scored in the
final minute of regulation to earn a tie or win.
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PHOENIX COYOTES
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Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld
Roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Craig Janney, Cliff Ronning, Bob Corkum,
Mike Stapleton, Juha Ylonen, Daniel Briere, Mark Janssens. LW - Keith
Tkachuk, Darrin Shannon, Jim McKenzie. RW - Rick Tocchet, Dallas Drake,
Mike Gartner, Brad Isbister, Jocelyn Lemieux, Shane Doan, Jim Cummins.
D - Teppo Numminen, Oleg Tverdovsky, John Slaney, Norm Maciver, Murray
Baron, Deron Quint, Gerald Diduck, Keith Carney. G - Nikolai Khabibulin,
Jimmy Waite, Scott Langkow.
Injuries: Keith Tkachuk, LW, Dallas Drake, RW, Bob Corkum, C, and
Daniel Briere, C, have all returned to the lineup over
the past few games. Also, Mike Stapleton, C, and Michel
Petit, D, have been cleared to play. Craig Janney, C,
suffered a mild MCL sprain March 14, sidelined four weeks;
Deron Quint, D, underwent hernia surgery March 8, sidelined
four weeks; Norm Maciver, D, suffered a hand injury Feb. 7,
sidelined day-to-day; Jim Johnson, D, suffering from post-concussion
syndrome Nov. 11, sidelined indefinitely; Darcy Wakaluk, G, underwent
knee surgery Sept. 17, sidelined indefinitely.
Transactions: April 2 - Assigned Jocelyn Lemieux, RW, to Springfield of
the AHL. April 5 - Activated Mike Stapleton, C, and Michel
Petit, D, from injured reserve. April 6 - Mike Gartner, RW,
talks a 7-11 clerk into giving him four quarters for a dollar
bill so that he may use the pay phone.
Game Results
3/24 Toronto W 4-2
3/28 New Jersey L 3-0
4/01 at Anaheim W 5-1
4/03 Anaheim W 6-3
4/05 at New Jersey L 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Matthew Secosky
All Signs Point to Yes
Phoenix (72 PTS, 7 GMS), Chicago (72 PTS, 5 GMS),
Edmonton (72 PTS, 6 GMS) and San Jose (70 PTS, 6 GMS)
are battling for the final three playoff spots out West.
Phoenix has the advantage of having the most games remaining
of all those teams, but their schedule is anything but easy
with games against Pittsburgh, Detroit (2), St. Louis (2),
Dallas, and Chicago. Actually they won tonight in
the 'Burgh, so the Coyotes have 74 points with six games
to go. The modern world is too fast and I can't keep up.
More good news for the Coyotes... they're finally getting healthy as Thachuk,
Drake, Corkum, Briere, Petit, and Stapleton have returned
or are cleared to return to the team. With the crew in position,
look for the ship to sail round the world in 13 days. The
playoff race is still tight, but I just checked my Magic 8 Ball
and All Signs Point to Yes.
Stomp Them Snakes Buddy
Back when the Coyotes were suffering from a string of five
straight one-goal losses over an eight-game span, veteran RW
Rick Tocchet made a unique analogy of the situation.
"When you got a snake down, you've got to stomp the life
out of him," Tocchet said. "If you don't, a snake will
always jump up and bite you in the leg. We've got to start
killing some snakes around here."
Oddly enough, I think I heard that same phrase used during
an Indiana Jones flick.
Yellow Apples Taste Best When Dyed Red
What upsets people is not things themselves but their judgements
about the things. For example, death is nothing dreadful, but
instead the judgement about death that it is dreadful - that is
what is dreadful. So when we are thwarted or upset or distressed,
let us never blame someone else but rather ourselves, that is,
our own judgements. An uneducated person accuses others when
they are doing badly; a partly educated person accuses themselves, an
educated person accuses neither someone else nor himself.
Maybe Too Extremely Brief Extremely Brief Game Recaps
03/24/98 vs Toronto, Won 4-2 - Nikolai Khabibulin
made 23 saves to post consecutive victories for the first
time since January 3rd. Oleg Tverdovsky had two assists for
Phoenix. The referee did not swallow his whistle.
03/28/98 vs New Jersey, Lost 3-0 - Phoenix no score,
Phoenix no win. Martin Brodeur stops 26 shots for the shutout.
04/01/98 at Anaheim, Won 5-1 - Phoenix wins 5-1. Keith
Tkachuk has a goal and an assist in his return from the Blue
Lagoon.
04/03/98 vs Anaheim, Won 6-3 - The Coyotes win 6-3.
Keith Tkachuk made it fun with five points (3G, 2A), including
his 40th goal of the year. Teppo Numminen had a goal and three
assists.
04/05/98 at New Jersey, Lost 3-2 - The Coyotes lost.
Deal with it, people.
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ST. LOUIS BLUES
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Head Coach: Joel Quenneville
Roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Darren Turcotte, Craig Conroy, Pascal
Rheaume, Mike Eastwood; LW - Geoff Courtnall, Tony Twist, Pavol
Demitra, Scott Pellerin, Michel Picard; RW - Brett Hull, Jim
Campbell, Kelly Chase, Terry Yake, Blair Atcheynum, Chris Kenady;
D - Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger, Steve Duchesne, Marc Bergevin,
Chris McAlpine, Jamie Rivers, Ricard Persson, Todd Gill; G - Grant
Fuhr, Jamie McLennan.
Injuries: Pavol Demitra, lw (broken jaw March 7, out indefinitely
(placed on injured reserve March 7) ); Blair Atcheynum, rw (broken
finger March 1, day-to-day (placed on injured reserve on March 3)
); Tony Twist, lw (rib muscle March 28, day to day); Jamie
McLennan, g (groin March 21, day-to-day).
Transactions: March 24 - traded Joe Murphy, rw, to the San Jose
Sharks for Todd Gill, d; acquired Mike Eastwood, c, from the New
York Rangers for Harry York, c; March 27- recalled Michel Picard,
lw, from Grand Rapids (IHL), returned Rich Parent, g, to Detroit
(IHL); March 28- recalled Chris Kenady, f, from Worcester (AHL).
Game Results:
3/26 Tampa Bay W 3-2
3/28 Detroit W 3-2
3/30 San Jose W 6-2
4/01 at Toronto W 6-4
4/04 Colorado W 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Tom Cooper
The Complete 180
When we last met, our beloved St. Louis Blues (or at least my
beloved) were stuck in the midst of a four-game slump, a slump in
which the offensive firepower that shocked "the experts" early in
the season was non-existent.
But, boy have things turned around.
The Blues are currently riding the tide of a five-game winning
streak, a streak that includes victories over Colorado and Detroit.
In the first game after the trading deadline, a deadline which
nothing major happened for the Blues, St. Louis hosted Tampa Bay,
the perfect team to play when looking to end a four-game losing
streak. Brett Hull put the puck in the net twice in the first
period and fellow free- agent-to-be Al MacInnis scored with the man
advantage in the same frame to give the Blues a 3-0 lead after 20
minutes of hockey time.
Then came the traditional letdown, a norm for this year's Blues when
they have a big lead.
Mikael Andersson put the 'Ning on the board a little over five
minutes into the second and Mikael Renberg scored with just under a
minute left in the game, but it was too little too late as St.
Louis escaped with a 3-2 win and the start of a newer, more
positive streak.
The Blues then had a night of before they hosted divisional
arch-rival Detroit at the Kiel Center. St. Louis once again jumped
out to a 3-0 lead. Al MacInnis picked up his second goal in as many
games in the first period and both Pierre Turgeon and newly
acquired Todd Gill tallied scores in the first six minutes of the
second to give the Blues their advantage.
Then came that damn letdown, something that you might be able to get
away with against Tampa Bay, but I wouldn't try it against the
defending champions.
In the final two periods, Detroit sent 30 shots in the direction of
Blues netminder Grant Fuhr. But only power-play shots by Martin
LaPointe at 17:09 of the second and Doug Brown 6:37 into the third
got past Fuhr as he helped his team hold on for dear life and
another 3-2 win.
The win gave the Blues their 800th victory in 31 seasons. For Fuhr
personally, he doesn't mind having to defend a lead. "It's always
easier playing with a lead," Fuhr said. "I'm not bad at protecting
leads. I mean, I've had a lot of practice at it. It's a lot of fun
to play that way."
But the Blues decided to make things a little easier for "der Fuhr"
in their next game against San Jose. Sharks defenseman Andrei
Zyuzin scored over eight minutes into the first to give his club a
1-0 lead. But then the floodgates opened. And boy did they open.
St. Louis put the puck in the net four times in the second and two
more times in the third to give St. Louis' its third straight
victory by a count of 6-2.
Brett Hull contributed to the effort with three helpers and Al
MacInnis added another two. (Note to Blues GM Larry Pleau: Look at
those offensive numbers. Now, are you 110% sure you are willing to
let Brett and Al test the free agent waters?)
The scoring was spread around as six different Blues scored the six
goals, something that is a great help for the team's confidence
going into the playoffs.
"It obviously helps," forward Terry Yake said. "We can't depend on
Hullie, Turg and Courts to get all the goals for us. Everybody has
to chip in, and if we all can, it's going to make us a strong team
in the playoffs."
The Blues then traveled to historic Maple Leaf Gardens for an April
Fool's Day battle with Toronto. St. Louis gained a sizeable lead and
it wasn't threatened. (April Fools!!!)
It was the Leafs who illuminated the scoreboard first when Derek
King scored only 14 seconds into the contest. The Blues fought
back and scored three goals to take a 3-1 into the first
intermission.
Sylvain Cote came out of the Maple Leaf dressing room and tallied
over two minutes into the second to narrow the margin to 3-2. Then,
Jim Campbell pushed the Blues' lead back to two goals with a
power-play goal, but Wendel Clark scored to make it 4-3 after 40
minutes of play.
But the Blues shut the door on the Leafs as Terry Yake scored with
three minutes left in the game and Todd Gill netted his second with
the Blues to give his team a 6-4 win and clinch a playoff spot for
St. Louis, its 18th post-season appearance in as many years.
For St. Louis, luck was on its side, as Toronto had two goals
disallowed, one after the puck was hit by a high-stick, the other
when Mats Sundin was in the crease.
"That crease rule helped us tonight, that's for sure," Blues captain
Chris Pronger said.
The Blues also got the assistance of a power play that was
previously non-existent. The Blues scored on their first three
chances of the night.
"It (the power play) certainly needed to get going. It's been a
little lackluster the last couple of games," Pronger said. "We just
got the puck towards the net and made sure we got bodies in front."
And that power play continued to click as the Blues hosted Pacific
Division-leading Colorado Avalanche in a Saturday afternoon matchup.
The Blues scored their first two goals on the power play and Grant
Fuhr stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced as the Blues destroyed a
Colorado team that appeared to leave all of its fight back at Joe
Louis Arena by a final score of 4-1.
Center Pascal Rheaume started the scoring with 17 seconds left in
the first to give the Blues the 1-0 going into the locker room.
Colorado center Joe Sakic, in his first game back since being
injured at the Olympics, tied the score a little over halfway into
the second, but Geoff Courtnall scored six minutes after Sakic and
both Craig Conroy and Darren Turcotte scored in the third en route
to the win.
Grant Fuhr stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced giving him his 27th
win of the season and 380th of his storied career, moving him to
fifth place on the all-time list ahead of Patrick "Psycho" Roy.
Pierre Turgeon and Scott Pellerin helped the winning cause with two
assists each.
This winning streak couldn't have come at a better time for the
Blues. Six of their last eight games are against teams that are in
playoff positions, including games at both Detroit and Dallas,
teams that St. Louis has winning records against in both season
series. And with the playoffs only two weeks away, every team in
the 16-team field has to consider the Blues a serious threat to go
all the way.
All The Right Moves
Two weeks have come and gone since the March 24 trading deadline,
and the Blues couldn't be any happier with the results.
"I feel strongly that we're a better hockey team today than we were
yesterday (Monday)," GM Larry Pleau said.
St. Louis made two deals on deadline day, none of which included
stars Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, Geoff Courtnall or Steve Duchesne,
all of whom have contracts that end after this season. The Blues
did send veteran Joe Murphy to the retirement community that is the
San Jose Sharks for defenseman Todd Gill. Pleau also green-lighted
a deal that brought center Mike Eastwood from the New York Rangers
to help out on the fourth line. In order to acquire Eastwood, Pleau
had to let go of up- and-coming center Harry York.
"We felt strongly about helping ourselves," Pleau said. "On defense,
Todd Gill really makes us stronger as a group. With this type of
strength and depth, and with the young kids and their enthusiasm, I
really like our defense. Eastwood gives us more experience on
our fourth line and gives us somebody who can play the type of game
defensively that Joel (Quenneville) wants. He fits into the type of
team we have here now."
With Eastwood and Gill coming from a team that is completely out of
the playoff picture and a team that is still fighting to make it
into the second season, respectively, it's nice to play for a team
that doesn't need to worry about making an early tee-time in late
April if they don't play in the hockey post-season.
"I'm excited," Gill said. "It's not often you get a chance to get on
a team that has a chance to go all the way and has some really great
players. I'm happy it happened, especially to a town like St. Louis.
It's a great hockey town."
And, so far, St. Louis is happy with Gill, who has scored two goals
in his five games with the team. Joe Murphy, whom he was traded
for, has yet to pick up a point for his new club, but did score a
two-game suspension for slashing Dallas Star Richard Matvichuk.
With these great personnel moves, Pleau looks like he has made the
right moves for a strong Cup run. But, it will be the moves he
makes in the off-season that will ultimately determine the future of
this franchise.
And Now...A Golden Oldie
Let's flashback to the year 1995.
The Proclaimers were still telling us they would be glad to walk 500
miles. An embattled Bill Clinton was threatening the mighty military
nation of Haiti. And a team formerly from French Canada won a
Stanley Cup under the flag of the great state of Colorado.
But do you remember this "masterpiece" from that year?
Back when Satan-in-a-two-piece-suit Mike Keenan, was in charge of
the Blues, he made a little personnel move that sent some forward
by the name of Brendan Shanahan to the once mighty, and once
existent for that matter, Hartford Whalers for some little known
but large in stature defenseman by the name of Chris Pronger.
Remember that?
Well, do you still think that was a bad deal?
If you do, you still have plenty of company. I mean, come on, did
you see Shanny on those Canadian TV commercials for Esso and
Wheaties? How could someone not want an actor of his caliber?
But, many people in the hockey community are looking at that deal as
an excellent one for the Blues.
"I don't know too many general managers who would trade Chris
Pronger for Brendan Shanahan right now," Florida general manager
Bryan Murray told the Toronto Sun. "(Pronger) is the best
defenseman in the league right now, bar none."
Right now, the 6 foot-5, 210-pound defenseman from Dryden, Ontario
is one of the leading canadates for the Norris Trophy, given to the
NHL's top defenseman. Coach Joel Quenneville, in a surprising move,
made Pronger his team's captain at the start of the season to help
the 23- year-old grow up. Although he is still committing some
stupid penalties, his play has become something that the Blues
could not live without, and something that he hopes to earn some
respect for.
"I have displayed my consistency," Pronger said. "To me, how you
perform during the entire season is how the award winner should be
determined."
OK, I'm going to do this. And for all of you Blues fans out there,
yes, I still hate Keenan more than I hate Hanson. In fact, I have a
picture of him being harassed by the Kiel Center crowd in his first
game back in that building on my hard drive. So, I'm not being a
turncoat, OK?
But, I have to say it.
OK...whew...I'm gonna do this...just breathe, Tom...OK, here it
is...
Good job, Mike!
Ewwww! I feel dirty!
I better go take a shower.
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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
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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, Lonny Bohonos. D - Sylvain Cote, Dimitri
Yushkevich, Mathieu Schneider, Jason Smith, Rob Zettler. G - Felix
Potvin, Glenn Healy.
Injuries: Mathieu Schneider, d (sore groin, day-to-day); Craig
Wolanin, d(knee sprain Nov. 1, out for the season (placed on
injured reserve Nov. 1)); Nick Kypreos, lw (post-concussion
syndrome Sept. 15, indefinite (placed on injured reserve Sept.
15)).
Transactions: Recalled Lonny Bohonos, rw, from St. John's (AHL);
recalled Jeff Ware, d, from St. John's; returned Jeff Ware, d, to
St. John's; sent Daniil Markov, d, to St. John's.
Game Results:
3/24 at Phoenix L 4-2
3/26 at Dallas W 1-0
3/28 NY Islanders W 4-3 OT
3/30 Los Angeles L 3-2
4/01 St. Louis L 6-4
4/04 San Jose L 5-3
TEAM NEWS by Jonah A. Sigel
Failure Across The Board(s)
Big changes. That was what occurred following the 1996-97 season in
Toronto. Very big changes.
The GM and President was effectively fired, veterans were let go,
new ones were brought in and, of course, an entirely new management
team was put in place. The coach remained, as did the scouting
staff. Actually the only real casualty of the Fletcher regime was
his secretary. Two other staff members quit during this season,
but let's put them aside for now. Recall that after a long summer
spent searching for the right general manager, Ken Dryden found
himself looking at the man in the mirror. At that time the entire
summer had been wasted and no real changes could be made, training
camp was set to open.
At the time camp broke, head coach Murphy set three goals for his
club:
1. Achieve a .500 record
2. Make the playoffs
3. Cut goals against by 50
As we head into the home stretch, the Leafs have played 75 games and
it appears that the coach has failed miserably. To be honest, the
coach is a whopping 0-3. As of Monday morning, prior to a tilt with
Dallas (good luck boys) the Leafs have the following record to call
home to Mom about: 26 wins, 40 losses, 9 ties for a total of 61
points. They have scored 174 goals (second worst to only Tampa Bay)
and given up 219 (sixth worst in the league).
With the aide of a calculator and some rough math it can be
estimated that the Leafs will likely finish with the following
record as compared to last seasons:
Season W L T Pts. GF GA
97-98 28 44 10 66 190 239
96-97 30 44 8 68 230 273
As is evident, barring a serious miracle, the coach has failed on
all three goals. The club is far from .500, nine points back of a
playoff record and is on pace to finish with 34 fewer goals against
as opposed to his goal of 50.
Lately the coach appears to be lashing out at the media suggesting
he is going to be benching those who are no performing. It is so
nice to see such action when so much is on the line. Where was
this attitude months ago when a gain could be realized? Murph's
boys have folded up the tent and gone home. The last few games are
nothing but formalities and that is a sign of a team that is not
well prepared and lacks character. It is obvious that a message
has not been delivered that if you can't make it on this team you
will be gone and, well, if you couldn't make this team how do you
figure that you'll make any other NHL team?
Enough blaming the coach for what has gone wrong this season, there
is plenty of blame to go around. Of the players who were on the
roster at the beginning of the year only three have shown an
improvement statistically: Tie Domi, Dimitri Yushkevich and Jason
Smith. All other players have shown next to no improvement or have
actually declined in their production this year (rookies, of
course, are exceptions).
Last, of course, is the management team. Through all the bad that
can be mentioned there is one thing that has been established with
this group, and that is patience.
In prior years, whether right or wrong, players were shipped in out
and all the time. This included veterans as well as kids and draft
picks. For the first time in years the Leafs are entering a draft
with a full arsenal of picks. The issue of how well they are able to
make those picks will be addressed in a latter issue.
One of the costs of being so patient and thus instilling stability
is that a perception of ineptitude and abandonment has grown. Those
familiar with the team questioned from day one of camp where the team
would get their goals from. Goal scoring has been an issue all
season, yet management did nothing all year to help the team. When
certain players were available management was either too late or not
interested. A classic example is Ray Whitney who was waived by
Edmonton as well as Russ Courtnall, who signed late in the season
with LA. Both were players that can put the puck in the net and Leaf
scouts simply were not able to either recognize the talent or
convince their bosses to act.
It has been another trying season for the Blue and White. Next
season they move conferences and will face much stiffer competition.
It appears that all the change that occurred last season was for
not. Let's hope that their will once again be a big turnover this
year and it will bear fruit.
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TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC DIVISION
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NOTE: The Calgary and San Jose reports didn't make the deadline.
You'll have to visit the web site to read 'em.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
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Head Coach: Pierre Page
ROSTER: C - Matt Cullen, Travis Green, J.F. Jomphe, Josef Marha,
Steve Rucchin; LW - Shawn Antoski, Ted Drury, Paul Kariya, Tomas
Sandstrom, Brent Severyn, Jeremy Stevenson, Mike Leclerc; RW - Frank
Banham, Jeff Nielsen, Teemu Selanne, Scott Young; D - Drew
Bannister, Doug Houda, David Karpa, Jason Marshall, Jamie Pushor,
Ruslan Salei, Pavel Trnka; G - Guy Hebert, Mikhail Shtalenkov, Tom
Askey.
INJURIES: Guy Hebert, g (strained right shoulder, on Injured Reserve
retroactive to 3/09); Paul Kariya, lw (post-concussion syndrome,
indefinite); Shawn Antoski, lw (depressed skull fracture, has resumed
skating but is out indefinitely).
TRANSACTIONS: 3/24 - acquired Jamie Pushor, d, and 1998 fourth-round
draft pick from Detroit in exchange for Dmitri Mironov; acquired the
rights to Patrick Lalime, g, from Pittsburgh in exchange for Sean
Pronger; acquired Josef Marha, c, from Colorado in exchange for
Warren Rychel and conditional pick in 1999; recalled Mike Leclerc,
lw, from Cincinnati (AHL).
GAME RESULTS:
3/25 at Chicago W 3-2
3/26 at Detroit T 3-3
3/28 at Colorado L 5-3
4/01 Phoenix L 5-1
4/03 at Phoenix L 6-3
4/05 Calgary T 3-3
TEAM NEWS by Alex Carswell
NOT OUT...YET
The Ducks returned from their best-ever roadie, a 3-2-2 tour spoiled
only by bookend losses at New Jersey and Colorado, with a shot --
albeit slim -- at staying in the playoff hunt. But then they quickly
dropped both halves of a "must win" home-and-home against Phoenix,
and looked brutal doing it.
That pretty much summed up this season for the Ducks, one in which
hopes and expectations have been constantly dashed by untimely
collapses. As we go to press, the Ducks are still mathematically
alive, but barely. Any combination of results earning the San Jose
Sharks two points more than Anaheim puts the Ducks on the golf
course, and that shouldn't take long.
Put aside all the "reasonable" explanations for Anaheim's futile
campaign -- Paul Kariya's holdout, significant injuries to Kariya,
Rucchin and Scott Young, Tomas Sandstrom's MIA season -- and you're
still left with one major mystery: the team's dismal performance at
home.
In the allegedly friendly confines of The Pond, in front of the
league's least-critical fans, the Ducks have thus far rung up a
lame record of 10-22-5. That's the worst in the NHL, with a winning
percentage of just .351, far behind Toronto's next-worst .423
ratio. It seems unthinkable that a playoff team the prior year
could turn around and go a dozen games under .500 at home. And yet
that's where this team sits, er, wallows.
DEADLINE DEALS
With an eye toward the future, GM Jack Ferreira swung a couple of
deals at the trading deadline. As expected, Dmitri Mironov (an
unrestricted free agent at season's end) was dished, going to
Detroit in exchange for Jamie Pushor and a fourth-rounder. Is
Pushor the big, stay-at-home defenseman the Ducks need for next
year and beyond? Maybe. But let's hope his presence doesn't keep
Anaheim out of the summer free agent market for blueliners.
One deal that did significantly upgrade the team's talent level was
the acquisition of Czech native Josef Marha from Colorado. The Avs,
brimming with offensive talent at all levels of their organization,
felt they were lacking the heart they lost when Mike Keane and
Warren Rychel signed elsewhere as free agents. So they sent Marha
to Anaheim in order to get Rychel back.
Marha is a promising offensive talent who has looked good in his
first few games with the Ducks, at least when allowed to play his
natural center position. Rychel, popular in Anaheim's room as well
as Colorado's, had often found himself a target of referees and a
scapegoat of the Ducks staff.
The deadline also brought an end to the Sean Pronger experiment. The
inconsistent center was dished to Pittsburgh for the rights to
minor-league goaltender, and 1997 rookie sensation, Patrick Lalime.
After last year's 21-12-2 run (including a record 14-game unbeaten
start), Lalime was unable to come to terms with the Pens and has
been playing with Grand Rapids of the IHL. Ferreira insists the
deal is more than just a way to get Anaheim a goalie they can
expose in the expansion draft, and that Lalime has a future in the
Ducks organization.
SELANNE SIGNS
Perhaps the best move Ferreira made toward securing the team's
future was to extend the contract of star winger Teemu Selanne.
Without altering the final two years of his existing deal (which
pays Selanne in the $3.75 million range), the Ducks locked up
Selanne through the 2001/02 season with a rich extension. The final
two years are worth $8 million and $8.5 million, respectively, with
a $3 million signing bonus. That brings the total value of
Selanne's package to $19.5 million.
If it is only through pain that wisdom comes, then the Ducks should
be happy they had Kariya's painful negotiations to go through
earlier this season. And Anaheim fans can be thankful that Ferreira
had the initiative and wisdom to lock up Selanne sooner rather than
later.
THE STRING
All that's left for Anaheim now is to play out the string. The team
can be a spoiler for several teams still in the playoff hunt; they
have games remaining against Edmonton (2) and San Jose, both of who
are on the edge of inclusion or elimination.
Beyond that, youngsters are playing for jobs next year, and several
veterans -- notably Travis Green, Steve Rucchin and Scott Young --
are busy showing how much they could have contributed had each not
been injured for significant stretches of the season.
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COLORADO AVALANCHE
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Head Coach: Marc Crawford
Roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Stephane Yelle, Jari Kurri,
Tom Fitzgerald. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW
- Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Keith Jones, Jeff Odgers, Shean
Donovan, Brad Larsen, Warren Rychel. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain
Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron
Miller, Eric Messier, Francois Leroux, Wade Belak. G - Patrick Roy,
Craig Billington.
Injuries: Peter Forsberg, c (groin, day-to-day); Alexei Gusarov, d
(knuckle, day-to-day); Adam Deadmarsh, lw (shoulder, day-to-day);
Francois Leroux, lw (shoulder, day-to-day); Wade Belak, d (achy all
over, day-to-day).
Transactions: Traded rights to Mark Parrish, lw, and a 1998
third-round draft pick to Florida for Tom Fitzgerald, c; traded
Josef Marha, c, to Anaheim for Warren Rychel, rw, and a conditional
1999 draft pick.
GAME RESULTS:
3/26 New Jersey L 2-0
3/28 Anaheim W 5-3
3/30 at Boston L 4-1
4/01 at Detroit L 2-0
4/02 at Chicago L 2-1
4/04 at St. Louis L 4-1
TEAM NEWS by Greg D'Avis
Last time in these pages I advised fans not to worry about the
Avalanche's play of late.
Go ahead, worry.
Since the trading deadline, the Avalanche has faced three teams --
New Jersey, Detroit, St. Louis -- that are significant roadblocks
in the path to the Stanley Cup. They've been beaten soundly each
time. Their defensemen are scoring on the wrong net. Their goalies,
subsequently, are going insane. There's dissension in the dressing
room and Claude Lemieux is angry. Everyone who fights -- except, of
course, Patrick Roy -- injures themselves.
Yes, definitely, with the playoffs three weeks away and the
Avalanche looking like the Canucks, worrying is now perfectly
acceptable.
The Avalanche waited until the last moments to get involved on trade
deadline day, but did well in picking up Tom Fitzgerald from the
Florida Panthers. They gave up junior prospect Mark Parrish of the
Seattle Thunderbirds, who may become a star, but probably wasn't
going to do it in Denver -- he had yet to sign and looked to be
re-entering the draft this summer. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, has given
the Avalanche grit and a solid face-off man, which they've needed all
year.
They also reacquired Warren Rychel from the Ducks in a deal that's a
bit more problematic. They gave up center prospect Josef Marha,
who's been great in his very limited duty behind Joe Sakic and
Peter Forsberg this year, and promptly scored three points in his
first two games for Anaheim. I've never made a secret of the fact
that I'm pretty high on Marha (getting high on Marha's still legal
`round these parts) and while Rychel may give the Avs dressing room
character, the only thing he adds on the ice is a punching bag for
whoever on the opposing team is a little bit mad that day and a
legion of dumb penalties. The Avalanche also got a conditional
draft pick from the Ducks, but I've never understood conditional
draft picks so I'm ignoring it.
Fitzgerald looked sharp in his first game with the Avalanche, the
loss to the Devils, winning faceoffs left and right, going to the
net, finishing his checks and so forth. It was a pretty wildly
entertaining game (except for the result) -- good action, high
tempo, lots of spark. Craig Billington played in goal for the
Avalanche and looked solid until he came up against the foe no
player can beat -- referee Paul Stewart.
The fun began when Jersey's Petr Sykora scored a goal as he was
being checked into Billington by defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre.
Sykora bowled over Billington, who lost his stick and wound up with
Sykora's in the process. Billington stood up and began shouting at
Stewart that he'd been interfered with, and in the process realized
he had the wrong stick -- which he promptly threw behind the net.
Bizarrely, Stewart -- who was in the corner, 90 degrees from the
direction the stick had traveled -- concluded that Billington was
tossing the lumber at him. A worthy target, maybe, but not true.
Biller got ejected and promptly went apoplectic as he was led off
the ice. Coach Marc Crawford went a bit crazy as well, screaming at
Stewart for an explanation -- which he didn't receive, because
Stewart stood on the other side of the ice, pretending that he
didn't see Crawford.
As a footnote, general manager Pierre Lacroix stopped Stewart in the
halls after the game and advised him to stick to doing beer
commercials (a reference to Stewart's award-winning work for Bud
Ice). And, a few days later, Billington received an apology from
the league.
The Avs had a brief moment of glory in the game against Anaheim two
nights later. Their new guy outshone the old guy -- Fitzgerald had
two goals, including one shorthanded, while Marha had one -- and
Patrick Roy looked sharp, but suffered a weird incident of his own.
In the third period, with the Avalanche leading 5-2, Roy went off
the ice on a delayed penalty. Sandis Ozolinsh turned around and
passed the puck back to Roy -- or, rather, where he thought Roy
was. The puck went into the net, Ozolinsh felt stupid and Roy saw
his save percentage drop a bit. First time you've seen that since
the old Rockies' Rob Ramage shot it into his own net, right? Aw,
I'm lying here, I don't remember that -- I was about seven. But
I've heard it happened.
After that, things went downhill. The Avalanche looked pathetic
against Boston, as former Avalanche prospect Anson Carter racked up
two goals. Then things got a little crazy again. While killing a
penalty, Avs defenseman Uwe Krupp fired a perfect shot into the
corner of the net -- right over ROY'S shoulder. Two games,
the Avalanche's top two defensemen scored on their own goalie.
Frightening. Significantly shaken, in the third period Roy let a
shot in that traveled about from Providence. The rest of the
Avalanche looked crappy as well.
Of course, Detroit was next, and that's really what matters. It was
almost a year after the famed brawl in Motown last season, and the
media in the days leading up was filled with speculation -- would
there be a repeat?
Yep.
Things stayed pretty peaceful early on, with only a Jeff
Odgers-Darren McCarty skirmish in the first period. But Detroit's
Sergei Fedorov scored two goals, the Avalanche could barely manage
a shot on Chris Osgood, and Detroit looked significantly superior.
Then, in the third period, things finally went crazy. Colorado's
Aaron Miller and Detroit's Martin Lapointe had been exchanging
words all game, and it finally came to a head midway through the
final period. The other players on the ice -- among them Keith
Jones, Tom Fitzgerald, Sylvain Lefebvre and Warren Rychel -- all
chose sparring partners and away they went.
Roy, meanwhile, left the crease to "help out" Fitzgerald, who had a
Wing lying on him. Roy, remembering his pounding at Mike Vernon's
hands last year, tried for a second to pull the Red Wing off the
pile, then signaled for Osgood to come out and play. The two fought
(described in a feature in this issue), Roy left the ice signaling
(a debatable) victory to the hometown crowd, both were ejected
(along with everyone else on the ice), and the insanity stopped.
(For a few seconds. Then Francois Leroux attempted to goad Darren
McCarty into a fight, then Adam Deadmarsh fought Brendan Shanahan.)
But aside from the sideshow, the game was maybe the low point of the
Avalanche season. Dallas aside, everyone -- whether they admit it or
not -- is still looking for a Colorado-Detroit playoff series. And
the closeness of the score wasn't an indication -- the Avalanche got
worked over.
The next night, in Chicago, they played without four of their top
six scorers -- Forsberg, Sakic and Deadmarsh, who had injured
himself against Detroit, and Claude Lemieux. Displeased with
Lemieux's play of late, and especially his non-factor performance
against the hated Red Wings, Crawford sat Lemieux. The undermanned
Avs looked it and got edged by the Blackhawks.
Lemieux, needless to say, wasn't happy -- he said little but
communicated his displeasure. Hopefully it'll spark him and he'll
go into the playoffs with something to prove; equally hopefully,
the always-tempestuous alternate captain won't become a cancer in
the locker room.
Joe Sakic returned from injury against St. Louis, and promptly
scored a goal. That's about the only good thing to say as Blues
coach Joel Quenneville beat his old team for the first time. Oh,
the Avalanche didn't score on themselves, that's a good thing.
Injury Roundup
Peter Forsberg was also expected to return against the Blues, but
wasn't a hundred percent and decided to rest his aching groin
another couple days. Fighting was also proving hazardous -- Adam
Deadmarsh injured his shoulder fighting Brendan Shanahan in the
Detroit game, then Francois Leroux, two games back from a torn
rotator cuff, re-injured his shoulder fighting St. Louis' Kelly
Chase.
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EDMONTON OILERS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Low
Roster: C - Doug Weight, Todd Marchant, 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, Dennis Bonvie. D -
Bobby Dollas, Sean Brown, Greg deVries, Kevin Lowe, Roman Hamrlik,
Boris Mironov, Drake Berehowsky, Frank Musil, Janne Niinimaa. G -
Curtis Joseph, Bob Essensa.
Injuries: Janne Niinimaa, d (rib injury, indefinite); Kevin Lowe, d
(inner ear infection, placed on IR Oct 23, indefinite).
Transactions: Traded Dan McGillis, d, and a second-round pick in
this year's draft to the Philadelphia Flyers for Janne Niinimaa, d;
sent Boyd Devereaux, c, to Hamilton (AHL).
Game Results:
3/25 Washington W 4-2
3/27 Buffalo L 1-0
3/30 Calgary W 3-1
4/01 at Vancouver L 4-2
4/03 Dallas W 4-1
4/06 Vancouver W 3-2
TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino
If the Edmonton Oilers don't make the playoffs, it won't be for a
lack of effort. With a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on
Monday, the Mighty Oil have won four of their last six games,
including a surprising victory over the struggling Dallas Stars.
Monday's win at home against the Canucks was big for several
reasons. First of all, before the game the standings showed that
if the playoffs were to start then, the Oilers would have been out
of the postseason picture. Edmonton was tied with San Jose in
points, but because the Sharks had one more win, they would be in
and the Oilers would be out. That's just not cool.
The other reason the game was a big one was because of what happened
five days before. The Canucks pulled the best of all April Fools
jokes when they defeated the Oilers, who were in the midst of a
playoff race. The Canucks, you see, must have taken a break from all
their internal rifts to play some hockey. Their 4-2 win stunned
Oiler fans, who thought their team's playoff hopes might have gone
out the window with that loss.
But the next game was redemption as the Oilers blew away the Stars,
4-1. That set up the rematch against the Canucks, and this time
Edmonton wouldn't be denied those crucial two points.
Pavel Bure opened the scoring with an incredible shorthanded goal
late in the first period, but Boris Mironov answered back with a
shorthander of his own about nine minutes into the second against
LCS whipping boy Garth Snow. But less than a minute later Brad May
(of all people) put the Canucks back into the lead with a
power-play goal assisted by Peter Zezel.
Did the Oilers fold the tent? Not a chance. A little over a minute
after May's goal, Ryan Smyth knotted the score again. It was Smyth's
18th on the season. That set the stage for Scott Fraser to score the
game winner later in the period. Dougie Weight slipped Fraser the
puck in the slot and Fraser snapped it past a screened Snow for the
goal.
CuJo kept Bure and Co. off the scoreboard in the third to seal the
victory.
After Monday's game against Vancouver, the standings in the West
look like this:
6. EDMONTON 77 31 36 10 72
PHOENIX 75 30 33 12 72
CHICAGO 77 30 35 12 72
9. SAN JOSE 76 31 37 8 70
---------------------------
10.CALGARY 75 25 36 14 64
With the win, Edmonton joined Phoenix and Chicago in a tied for the
sixth spot, while San Jose dropped to ninth and Calgary is a lowly
tenth.
Problem for the Oilers: Phoenix and Calgary have two games in hand
and San Jose has one.
Good news for the Oilers: Of the team's five remaining games, two
are against Anaheim, one is against Calgary, and the final game of
the season is a home tilt with Toronto. The schedule makers
couldn't have given the Oil anything better.
Niinimaa adds to impressive defense
The Oilers acquired another impressive young defenseman to their
roster before the trading deadline with the acquisition of Janne
Niinimaa from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Niinimaa, who was acquired for defenseman Dan McGillis and a
second-round pick, joins Boris Mironov and Roman Hamrlik on the
Oiler blue line to make a tremendous trio of young talent.
Niinimaa, 22, was impressive in his rookie season with the Flyers
last season, but seemed to fall out of favor with the club this
year. After scoring 44 points (four goals) in 77 games last
season, Niinimaa fell off the pace a tad this season with three
goals and 30 assists in 66 games. But, more importantly, Niinimaa
wasn't as aggressive as the Flyers wanted, either in the checking
department or on the point on the power play.
But Niinimaa's still young and has tremendous potential. Since he's
a Finn, his skating is bound to be great. And he's shown good
instincts in spite of his youth.
Niinimaa adds more youth and potential to a group of defensemen that
includes the 26-year-old Mironov and the soon-to-be 24-year-old
Hamrlik. Hamrlik was acquired earlier in the season from the Tampa
Bay Lightning. The offensive- minded defenseman has scored 24 points
(six goals) in 36 games with the Oil. Hamrlik, who has been known to
slack off in his own end, has already showed an improvement
defensively. He's a plus 6 during his time in Edmonton, which is
great in comparison to the minus 17 he posted in 37 games with Tampa
Bay.
Mironov has a cannon of a shot from the point and has been a steady
performer all year for the Oil. He's scored 15 goals on the season,
including 10 on the power play, and has amassed 42 points in 75
games. The trio of Mironov, Hamrlik and Niinimaa should keep fans
interested in their team for years to come. Or, you know, until one
of them wants a really big contract and they're traded away for more
guys with "potential".
Gary Thorne Drinking Game
The best part of the trade, however, could be the fact that since
the Oilers are hardly ever seen on ESPN, Niinimaa won't have his
name butchered by announcer Gary Thorne any more. Thorne has had
trouble pronouncing Niinimaa's name ever since the defenseman
entered the league. Thorne insists his name in "NiiMiNaa" instead
of "NiiNiMaa". I know I'm getting picky, but if you had to listen
to that all the time you'd get tired of it, too.
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LOS ANGELES KINGS
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Head Coach: Larry Robinson
Roster: C - Jason Morgan, Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere, Yanic
Perreault, Jozef Stumpel, Nathan Lafayette, Roman Vopat. 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: Luc Robitaille, lw (groin/abdominal surgery, end of
regular season); Frederic Chabot, g (tweaked knee, 2-4 weeks);
Nathan Lafayette, c (concussion, whenever).
Transactions: Sent Vitali Yachmenev, rw, back down to Long Beach
(IHL). Brought Jan Vopat, d, and Roman Vopat, c, up from the
minors.
Game Results:
3/24 at San Jose W 4-3
3/26 San Jose L 5-2
3/28 at Calgary L 5-2
3/30 at Toronto W 3-2
4/01 at Buffalo L 4-0
4/02 at Philadelphia L 3-0
4/04 at Washington L 3-2
4/06 at Colorado W 3-1
TEAM NEWS by Matt Moore
I don't know any other way to put it, but the Kings got into a rut
where they played like total and complete crap. How else can you
describe a team that got shutout on two consecutive games, with the
one to the Sabres being somewhat understandable since they do have
Dominik Hasek, who does that to a lot of teams.
But the shutout by the Flyers? Jeez, the Flyers shouldn't (and
usually don't) shut out anyone.
So it was a lousy two weeks for the Kings. Entering it they were in
position to make a run at the Blues and the fourth spot in the West.
Now they have to put the brakes on a skid that has pretty much
assured that they will finish in the fifth spot. Thank God the other
teams behind them have sucked it up so much worse or else I would be
worried that the Kings would fall even lower in the West.
The main problem of the Kings right now is that only one line and
one defenseman are consistently showing up every night. The line
of Stumpel, Tsyplakov and Murray have continued to shine, although
not as brightly recently. With the disappearance of the other
players from the scoring picture this line has struggled, with them
being lucky to knock in a goal a game.
Rob Blake though, has continued on his great play. He leads the
league's defensemen with 22 goals, and is still dominating people
in the defensive zone. If he doesn't win the Norris it will be a
crime...
The Kings surprised everybody by not pulling any trades at the
deadline. They were expected to go after another scoring winger
and a playmaking defenseman for the power play. Of course who the
hell isn't looking for that? Every team needs more scoring and
more talent on defense, and very few teams have that to trade. And
the ones who have that are teams like Colorado or Detroit, who are
not going to trade away anything good. So the Kings weren't too
surprising in not doing anything, since they are dark horses for
the Cup this year anyway. Why take a chance and ruin the future of
the team by making a trade now?
One person in particular who has been sucking it up has been Yanic
Perreault. Sure, he has 25 goals. Sure, he's fifth in team
scoring. But where has he been since those two weeks where he
scored almost all his goals? And he isn't a player who can make up
for his offensive shortfalls by playing great defense. Look for
the Kings to try and shop him around in the off season, since he
sure isn't going to lead them to the Stanley Cup.
Bet update:
I bet Michael Dell and Zippy that the Kings would beat the Pens in
points at the end of the season. Dammit, it looks like I'm
screwed. I am only going to be saved by the fact that the Kings
will finish ahead of the Sharks. Losing to Dell is a lot like
being kicked in the sunshine. But I'll be a man. I'm
already buying the rice and potatoes for Delly to pay him off
with. And I hope Zip like Pez. It'll be PEZ PEZ PEZ for him...but
here are the standings anyway:
Team W L T PTS
Pens 37 22 17 91
Kings 35 30 11 81
Sharks 31 37 8 70
So, to sum it all up: Dammit, I'm going to lose. But I think the
Kings might have convinced Dell that they don't suck as badly as he
thought they did.
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VANCOUVER CANUCKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Mike Keenan
Roster: C - Mark Messier, Peter Zezel, Dave Scatchard, Brandon
Convery; LW - Markus Naslund, Brad May, Donald Brashear, Larry
Courville; RW - Alex Mogilny, Pavel Bure, Brian Noonan, Scott
Walker, Todd Bertuzzi; D - Jyrki Lumme, Dana Murzyn, Matthias
Ohlund, Bret Hedican, Bryan McCabe, Adrian Aucoin, Steve Staios,
Jamie Huscroft, Chris McAllister, Bert Robertsson, Jason
Strudwick; G - Garth Snow, Arturs Irbe.
Injuries: Todd Bertuzzi, rw (returned from thigh contusion March
28, missed 5 games); Garth Snow, g (returned from hip flexor March
26, missed 4 games); Matthias Ohlund, d (concussion March 26, two
weeks); Jyrki Lumme, d (bruised knee March 26, missed one game);
Larry Courville, lw (wrist January 14, out for season); Dana
Murzyn, d (knee December 27, out for season).
Transactions: Gino Odjick, rw, traded to New York Islanders for
Jason Strudwick, d, March 23; Dave Babych, d, and a sixth-round
draft choice traded to Philadelphia for a third-round draft choice,
March 24; Brandon Convery, c, recalled from Syracuse (AHL) March
24; Chris McAllister, d, recalled from Syracuse March 24; Bert
Robertsson, d/lw, recalled from Syracuse March 24; Corey Hirsch,
g, re-assigned to Syracuse March 26.
GAME RESULTS
3/24 NY Islanders W 4-3
3/26 Buffalo L 5-2
3/28 Washington L 3-2
4/01 Edmonton W 4-2
4/03 Dallas W 5-3
TEAM NEWS by Carol Schram
There are just two more weeks to go in this edition of the daily
soap opera surrounding this year's Vancouver Canucks. With just six
games left on their regular season schedule, the Canucks remain nine
points back of Edmonton and San Jose, who are tied for the last
playoff spot. All six games are within the conference, but even if
Vancouver picked up 12 points, the interlocking end-of-season
schedule probably means that their rivals also play enough games
against each other that someone is going to get more points than we
are.
Hockey fans in this town can start planning their summer. Mike
Keenan can get back to the trading he loves so dearly. And
hopefully management at Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment can get
down to some serious housecleaning and figure out how they're going
to fix the organizational mess that their hockey team has become.
Amazingly, the trade deadline didn't bring too many fireworks here
on the West Coast. Keenan promised deals, and said the nature of
the deals would depend on his team's playoff chances. Yet, even
though they were pretty much out of it at the time, future
unrestricted free agent Jyrki Lumme didn't get moved to a playoff
contender like Detroit. He will finish out the year here, and
there is still talk that the team might try to re-sign him this
summer. The final decision will likely depend on whether or not
they are able to land a good free-agent offensive defenseman, in
the mold of Al MacInnis or Steve Duchesne.
It was a bit of surprise to hear that Dave Babych had been moved.
After all, "Gramps" had endured seven seasons here, and had just
re-signed his own two-year deal as a free agent last summer. Even
more intriguing, when Keenan sent Babych to the Flyers, he also
sent back the conditional sixth-round pick that the Canucks
received for Mike Sillinger, in exchange for one third-round
choice. He also got a third-rounder in the Brad May deal, so if I
wasn't so certain that every personnel decision in Vancouver this
year was being made for the moment, I'd be convinced that there's
some sweet prospect Keenan's looking for, scheduled to go around
80th in this year's draft. Hmmm...what a strategy.
Although Babych has been around just as long, the deal that really
shook up Canuck watchers was Keenan's trade the day before the
deadline, sending Gino Odjick to the New York Islanders for big
young defense prospect Jason Strudwick. There was a time in
Vancouver, not so long go, when flowers bloomed, children sang, and
Gino rivaled Pavel Bure for the title of "Most Popular Canuck".
One year he rode shotgun on the wing beside Bure and picked up 16
goals for his efforts. He wasn't blessed with skill, and he didn't
always pick his moments too wisely, but Gino played from the heart,
and the fans loved him for it. Gino was a symbol of overcoming
adversity, of following your dream. He was larger than life.
Then, suddenly, he was gone - traded to a low-profile East Coast
team for, as he put it, "someone (he'd) never heard of". Plus, the
Canucks were scheduled to play the Islanders the very next night.
Gino didn't have to travel to join his new team, he just had to
move his stuff from the home dressing room to the visitors.
The Islander game was already shaping up to be emotional. It was
Trevor Linden's first time ever playing in Vancouver for another
team - now Gino's team, too. And while Todd Bertuzzi remained
sadly sidelined with his thigh contusion, Bryan McCabe was
approaching the task of playing his old mates with obvious relish.
Just before the puck was dropped, they played a moving tribute to
Trevor Linden on the Jumbotron above center ice. It captured every
moment, from the day in 1988 when the fresh-faced 18-year-old
slipped on that ugly yellow jersey as the second-overall draft
choice, to that warm June day in 1994, when the spent leader
crumpled next to the boards -- eye blackened, playoff beard
wilting, after he had come within a goal of keeping his team alive
in the hunt for hockey's biggest prize. Linden got a warm standing
ovation from the crowd, which he acknowledged from the bench - Mike
Milbury did him the courtesy of not slipping him onto the ice until
the third or fourth shift.
Truth be told, even with all the buildup, it wasn't a very good
game. The Islanders' so-called defensive prospects looked worse
than the Canucks', and played listlessly. Linden looked tentative
and wasn't a force on the ice. But of course Gino had a statement
to make, so he picked his replacement, Jason Strudwick, as his
partner in a scrap. It gave the fans one last chance to really
enjoy watching Gino take it to somebody, and Strudwick made a
pretty good punching bag. Surprisingly, for a guy with just 18 NHL
games to his credit, the former Kamloops Blazer (and third-round
pick) also made a pretty good defenseman. He played a decent game
that first night, and has drawn consistently into the revolving
defensive lineup since his arrival.
As a one-for-one player deal, it probably wasn't a bad trade. But
the repercussions have been pretty ugly. First, there was the
emotional outpouring from fans when Keenan heartlessly made the
deal. Second, there was concern about Pavel Bure's future and
happiness. After the trade deadline passed, the media were lacking
for things to speculate about, so suddenly Bure was back on the
front pages, with more stories about his standing trade demands.
Pavel and his agent still won't confirm or deny, but Bure did say
he'd talk about the situation when the season was over - which
isn't long now. And somehow, his 'no comment' comments when asked
about his position have gotten gruffer and even less vague than
before. Truth be told, it does look like he wants to go, and he's
determined to get the 50 goals to send him into the salary
stratosphere before he does.
Pavel did have commments on Gino's deal, too - about how Gino was
his best friend, about how Gino helped him to learn English and
adjust when he first arrived in Vancouver, about how Gino had
signed a long-term deal with Pat Quinn so he could finish his
career here. Clearly, Pavel was not too impressed, and he didn't
bother to make any remarks about "the good of the team" or the
positive impact of change.
Then, as the story of Pavel's imminent departure loomed larger and
larger, the voice of Gino piped back in from the East Coast by
blaming Mark Messier for everything that is wrong with the team
this year.
According to Gino, Mess is in too tight with management -- Mess has
input into personnel decisions, Mess doesn't stand up for his
team-mates. Gino says that he was prepared to back Messier when he
first came to town, but he became uncomfortable with the role that
Messier played within the organization and he believes Messier is
the reason for this season's disaster. Gino also pointed out just
how valuable Pavel Bure has been to the Vancouver Canucks since he
first arrived in 1990. He reminds fans that the team was drawing
9,000 to 10,000 fans a game before Bure got here. The excitement
that Pavel brought to the rink, along with the team's improved
record, is what generated the enthusiasm and the revenue to build
the new arena, and really even to bring the Grizzlies to town. On
this point, Gino is right. Whether he stays or goes, Pavel Bure
has already changed the face of sports in Vancouver.
As far as his accusations towards Messier go, I believe that Gino is
speaking from the heart, but I also believe that his perception
might be just a little biased. After all, Gino was sort of left
out of the loop this summer when Messier made it his personal
responsibility to take the disgruntled Bure under his wing and try
to make him happy. Then Mark and Pavel play together all season
long, and when Mark's favorite coach comes to town, Gino starts
spending more time in the press box than the penalty box. Mark's
presence was the catalyst for Trevor Linden's exit from town, and
Gino himself is now playing in empty arenas with a team full of
'guys he's never heard of'. Yep, Messier absolutely upset Gino's
apple cart. But is he bad for the team?
As one pundit put it, Messier didn't turn into a dummy overnight.
The guy knows what it takes to win, and Gino's comments seem to
imply that, while winning can be nice, his personal relationships,
lifestyle, and overall comfort zone were all important to him,
too. That would make him...well...human. But all those cliches
about making sacrifices to grab the big prize are not without
merit. Vancouver fans will always love Gino, but his comments
definitely underline the differences in philosophy between the old,
so-called country club, and the new team that they are trying to
create.
Speaking of the team, not all the action was off the ice over the
past two weeks. The team did go 3-2 over its five-game home stand,
and there seemed to be a steady theme of Canucks-past-and-present
through most of the games. Bryan McCabe played a hard-nosed game
against his old teammates on the Islanders, and seemed to be having
the time of his life lining them up for hits and taking the man.
Brad May was in much the same mood two nights later, when his old
pals from the Sabres came to town. May teamed up with Pavel Bure
and Mark Messier with an early assist, then a goal. The Canucks
owned a 2-0 lead against a team without much offense at the end of
the second period. But early in the third, the wheels started to
fall off the wagon. The Sabres ended up scoring five goals on five
straight shots on Archie Irbe, but the worst damage of all came
with the score 4-2. Matthias Ohlund was carrying the puck across
the Buffalo blue line when ex-Canuck Mike Peca blindsided him with
an elbow to the face. Given that Ohlund is probably six inches
taller than Peca, obviously the feisty forward had to leave his
feet in order to make contact.
Ohlund's freefall was a little like a physics exercise on momentum
and speed. He had just crossed the blue line when he got hit, and
he stayed vertical for awhile before eventually landing, flat on
his back, inside the left faceoff circle. Ohlund was out cold for
about three minutes. That was plenty long enough to contemplate
all the head injuries that have happened in the NHL this season,
and to think about a game back in 1993 when a brash young Canuck
rookie named Mike Peca leveled the Winnipeg Jets' Teemu Selanne
with a similar open-ice hit. All very fine and well, when the guy
with the sharp elbows plays on your team....
Don Cherry would be devastated to hear that Ohlund took the hit
pretty well, for a Swede. He eventually got up and off the ice,
with assistance, and it was later confirmed that he did suffer a
concussion. But 10 days later, Ohlund says he is headache free and
has resumed skating. He is accompanying the team on their last
road trip of the year, but says the final decision on his playing
status remains in the hands of team doctors.
Mike Peca wasn't penalized for the hit, and while he claims all
three officials told him they believed it was clean, he was later
suspended three games for the flagrant elbow. More importantly,
the hit set off another round of frontier justice that made the
game reminiscent of the WWF-style brawl between the two teams in
Buffalo just before the Olympic Break. Alex Mogilny went after
Peca right after the hit, then Bryan McCabe gamely squared off with
tough guy Matthew Barnaby a couple of minutes later. Barnaby
figured McCabe to be in over his head, and throughout the brawl, he
would pull back and yell at McCabe "Have you had enough?" Bryan's
answer every time, a resounding "NO!!!" and off they'd go again.
Both players were ejected for the scrap, but when they were
separated, McCabe skated to the bench with his hands over his head,
applauding himself for a job well done.
While the Canucks may have lost the game, and they may have lost
their best defenseman for awhile, they didn't lose the physical
battle, and there was still more evidence of the team coming
together and standing up for one another. That game may have been
the final blow to the Canucks' playoff chances, but it was probably
valuable for team-building - for whatever parts of this team will
return next year.
Next game up - the Washington Capitals. Normally, not much
rivalry, but now former Canuck assistant GM George McPhee runs the
show in the capital city, and ex-Canuck assistant coach Ron Wilson
runs the bench. The game also marked Esa Tikkanan's first game
back in Vancouver since his trade last season. It was bittersweet
to see him, but the guy who really won the game for the Caps was a
guy who started his year in Vancouver: the immortal Brian Bellows.
If you recall, Bellows was a free agent at the beginning of the
season, and was offered a training camp tryout by Pat Quinn. All
along, Bellows implied that the deal between him and the team was
virtually assured - although one couldn't help but wonder what
Vancouver was going to do with another offensive- minded
right-winger. Sure enough, when all was said and done, Bellows
wasn't offered a contract, and he spent the season playing in
Germany. After the trade deadline, when rosters are allowed to
expand, Ron Wilson re-signed the guy he had coached in Anaheim, and
Bellows played his first game in a Capitals uniform against the
Canucks.
Something to prove? Maybe. Bellows got two goals and was easily
the best player on the ice as Washington defeated Vancouver by a
3-2 margin and he was named first star in his return to the NHL.
Bryan McCabe fought Steve Konowalchuk after taking offense to some
stickwork on Bure. The first line was defensively brutal. And
that was about it for that game.
With four days off at home before playing Edmonton, that was when
the rumors about Pavel's future started to fly. It was a long dry
spell, but a lot of ex-Albertans live on the west coast, and a game
against the Oilers is always kind of fun. They're also the only
team in the league that the Canucks are perfect against this year,
and they pulled it off again on Wednesday.
It was kind of a bittersweet game; since the Canucks are all but
done in terms of the postseason, a lot of locals still want to
cheer for a Canadian team and/or a team from the West. Edmonton is
the only team that even stands a chance of meeting both those
criteria, and they're still battling it out for eighth position.
The win was nice, the game was entertaining, and Arturs Irbe was on
fire, but Canuck fans were honestly feeling a little guilt, when
all was said and done, that they still might be hampering their
chances at an enjoyable postseason with Vancouver's win that night.
No guilt in the Dallas game on Saturday, though. The game was
evenly played until early in the third period, by which time the
slumping Stars had accumulated a 3-1 lead. Even with Roman Turek
in net, that should have been more than enough to win the game.
But Brad May took matters into his own hands and went out to pop
his second of the night on a hard-nosed effort, bringing the score
to 3-2.
Although May had been moved off his usual line with Messier and
Bure, his two goals seemed to inspire Pavel, who scored a beauty to
notch number 46 and tie the game midway through the third. Then
Alex Mogilny stripped the puck from Darryl Sydor and just kept
pounding it till he got it past Turek, for the winner. Bure picked
up one more for good measure - another beauty - to drop the Stars
to 0-5-1 in their last six games and to put on another great show
of teamwork and camaraderie with their gutsy come-from-behind
performance. Everyone knows where the team stands in terms of
postseason, but Saturday saw a downright happy crowd filing out of
GM Place for one of the few times this season.
Suddenly, the Martin Gelinas for Geoff Sanderson for Brad May part
of that trade ain't lookin' so bad. Gelinas seems to have come into
his own in Carolina since Kirk McLean was dealt - he's now playing
on the top line and has been getting nearly a goal a game lately.
Sanderson also looks to be doing all right in Buffalo - and of
course, he too managed to score a goal for the Sabres when they
were here - something he didn't accomplish once during his tenure
as a Canuck.
But May's character is starting to shine through. As a member of
the team since February, he's practically an old-timer! Turns out
that it was May who stood up for Enrico Ciccone during the
dressing-room standoff in Montreal. It was May who went before the
Hockey Night in Canada cameras and defended Mark Messier's
leadership role with the team. And on Saturday, it was May who set
the early tone, and who gave the Canucks the sniff of victory they
needed to get back in it. His bubbly jubilation through the end of
the game was heartfelt and contagious, and that kind of vibe is
what creates hope for the future of the Canucks. I never thought
I'd say it, but I'm really startin' to like the guy.
Ditto Bryan McCabe. Playing with the top unit, McCabe has been
scrambling a bit defensively of late, but his attitude on the ice
is enthusiastic and feisty, and he's a pleasure to watch. Todd
Bertuzzi is back in the lineup now and still hasn't shown any of
that shyness with his body that Mike Milbury warned us about. Jason
Strudwick looks good, and as well as being a dead ringer for Dave
Babych, Jamie Huscroft is mean. He played a solid game against
Edmonton and was named a star, and against Dallas he made a big hit
that took a Star player to the ice.
Again - seemed kinda cool at first, but then you realize he used his
stick across the guy's face...and then you realize that the guy he
hit is another local fan favorite, Greg Adams, playing his only game
in town all year. Luckily, Adams was okay and was able to play the
rest of the game, score a goal, and enjoy a little local nightlife
afterwards. Huscroft was hit with only a minor penalty for his
troubles.
When Gino Odjick was traded, it felt like the Canucks as we knew
them were about to vanish entirely. There was a terrible rumor
that Alex Mogilny was going to be sent to Phoenix for the
broken-down Jeremy Roenick, and after the deadline, it was
whispered that Keenan had nearly sent Bure to the Islanders for a
package that would have included Bryan Berard. But a few games, a
little teamwork, and a couple of glimmers of hope later, it still
feels like there's a chance that the franchise can be salvaged from
the brink of disaster.
Tune in tomorrow...
================================================================
----------------------------------------------------------------
NHL STATS AND STANDINGS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Standings Thru April 5, 1998
----------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Conference
Northeast Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
x-Pittsburgh 76 37 22 17 91 209 175 19-9-9 18-13-8 3-2-17
Boston 74 34 27 13 81 198 175 17-14-6 17-13-7 3-1-13
Buffalo 75 33 27 15 81 192 170 17-12-8 16-15-7 3-0-15
Montreal 75 35 30 10 80 219 190 15-16-7 19-15-3 3-4-10
Ottawa 75 30 31 14 74 175 184 17-14-6 13-17-8 2-0-14
Carolina 74 31 35 8 70 183 196 15-15-7 16-20-1 2-2-8
Atlantic Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
x-New Jersey 76 46 21 9 101 208 149 28-9-1 18-12-8 1-3-9
x-Philadelphia 75 39 25 11 89 220 177 23-10-6 16-15-5 3-1-11
Washington 75 36 28 11 83 202 189 21-12-5 15-16-6 4-0-11
NY Rangers 77 23 36 18 64 186 217 13-17-9 10-19-9 2-4-18
NY Islanders 74 26 38 10 62 194 209 15-19-4 11-19-6 0-2-10
Florida 75 23 40 12 58 184 231 10-21-6 13-19-6 3-2-12
Tampa Bay 75 17 49 9 43 144 241 11-19-6 6-30-3 0-3-9
Western Conference
Central Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
x-Dallas 75 43 21 11 97 219 155 21-8-7 22-13-4 4-1-11
x-Detroit 76 41 20 15 97 230 181 22-8-8 19-12-7 0-0-15
x-St Louis 75 41 26 8 90 227 179 25-9-5 16-17-3 2-2-8
Phoenix 75 30 33 12 72 206 209 17-15-6 13-18-6 0-2-12
Chicago 77 30 35 12 72 185 187 14-18-7 16-17-5 1-4-12
Toronto 74 26 39 9 61 170 213 14-19-5 12-20-4 1-0-9
Pacific Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT
x-Colorado 77 37 24 16 90 217 192 19-9-10 18-15-6 2-3-16
Los Angeles 75 34 30 11 79 210 204 20-13-3 14-17-8 3-2-11
San Jose 76 31 37 8 70 190 205 14-19-4 17-18-4 0-2-8
Edmonton 76 30 36 10 70 192 208 17-16-5 13-20-5 3-2-10
Calgary 75 25 36 14 64 200 222 18-15-5 7-21-9 4-3-14
Vancouver 76 24 39 13 61 212 258 15-19-4 9-20-9 0-3-13
Anaheim 76 24 40 12 60 187 241 11-22-5 13-18-7 3-4-12
x - Clinched playoff spot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hockey Pool Stats - Players (thru April 5, 1998)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEAM P NO PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
ANA R 8 TEEMU SELANNE 71 51 34 85 11 30 10 0 10 3 267 19.1
ANA C 20 STEVE RUCCHIN 68 16 34 50 5 13 8 1 2 0 127 12.6
ANA C 39 TRAVIS GREEN 70 18 19 37 -29 80 9 0 2 2 127 14.2
ANA R 48 SCOTT YOUNG 67 13 19 32 -15 22 4 2 1 0 166 7.8
ANA L 9 PAUL KARIYA 22 17 14 31 12 23 3 0 2 1 103 16.5
ANA C 45 *MATT CULLEN 55 5 18 23 0 21 2 0 0 0 68 7.4
ANA R 17 TOMAS SANDSTROM 73 8 8 16 -27 58 2 1 0 1 130 6.2
ANA C 13 TED DRURY 67 5 10 15 -13 78 0 1 0 0 98 5.1
ANA C 10 *JOSEF MARHA 17 5 8 13 0 4 2 0 0 0 20 25.0
ANA D 24 RUSLAN SALEI 60 5 8 13 6 66 1 0 0 1 96 5.2
ANA C 12 KEVIN TODD 27 4 7 11 -5 12 3 0 1 0 30 13.3
ANA D 33 DAVE KARPA 73 1 9 10 -6 193 0 0 0 0 62 1.6
ANA R 19 *JEFF NIELSEN 28 3 5 8 -3 12 0 0 0 0 31 9.7
ANA D 23 JASON MARSHALL 66 3 5 8 -6 179 1 0 0 0 63 4.8
ANA L 40 *JEREMY STEVENSON 39 3 4 7 -4 80 0 0 1 0 37 8.1
ANA D 4 JAMIE PUSHOR 60 2 5 7 -2 79 0 0 0 0 47 4.3
ANA R 29 *FRANK BANHAM 15 6 0 6 -2 12 1 0 0 1 32 18.8
ANA D 7 *PAVEL TRNKA 42 2 4 6 -2 32 0 0 0 1 34 5.9
ANA D 5 DREW BANNISTER 56 0 6 6 -8 81 0 0 0 0 42 .0
ANA D 6 DOUG HOUDA 50 2 3 5 -14 87 0 1 0 0 23 8.7
ANA R 46 JEAN-FRANCOIS JOMPHE 8 1 3 4 1 8 0 0 0 0 6 16.7
ANA C 21 *ESPEN KNUTSEN 19 3 0 3 -10 6 1 0 0 1 21 14.3
ANA R 52 *PETER LEBOUTILLIER 12 1 1 2 -1 55 0 0 0 0 6 16.7
ANA C 32 RICHARD PARK 15 0 2 2 -3 8 0 0 0 0 14 .0
ANA L 22 BRENT SEVERYN 31 0 2 2 -6 127 0 0 0 0 18 .0
ANA L 11 SHAWN ANTOSKI 9 1 0 1 1 18 0 0 0 0 6 16.7
ANA D 34 DANIEL TREBIL 21 0 1 1 -8 2 0 0 0 0 11 .0
ANA G 35 M. SHTALENKOV 36 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
ANA G 31 GUY HEBERT 46 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
ANA L 42 BARRY NIECKAR 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
ANA R 36 *TONY TUZZOLINO 1 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
ANA L 50 *BOB WREN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .0
ANA L 27 *MIKE LECLERC 3 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
ANA D 38 *MIKE CROWLEY 4 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
ANA G 67 *TOM ASKEY 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BOS R 41 JASON ALLISON 74 31 47 78 31 58 4 0 8 2 142 21.8
BOS C 12 DMITRI KHRISTICH 74 28 30 58 23 38 13 2 0 0 131 21.4
BOS L 14 *SERGEI SAMSONOV 73 18 25 43 6 8 6 0 2 0 145 12.4
BOS D 77 RAY BOURQUE 74 12 31 43 2 74 8 0 3 1 240 5.0
BOS C 33 ANSON CARTER 70 13 25 38 6 27 4 0 2 0 155 8.4
BOS R 23 STEVE HEINZE 53 18 18 36 6 48 5 0 5 0 133 13.5
BOS L 21 TED DONATO 71 16 20 36 5 46 3 0 5 1 118 13.6
BOS C 26 TIM TAYLOR 71 18 11 29 -14 50 0 2 0 1 113 15.9
BOS L 19 ROB DIMAIO 72 10 16 26 -10 78 0 0 4 1 106 9.4
BOS R 11 *PER AXELSSON 74 7 18 25 -11 34 2 0 1 0 136 5.1
BOS D 18 KYLE MCLAREN 61 5 17 22 12 47 2 0 0 0 93 5.4
BOS D 44 DAVE ELLETT 74 3 18 21 1 50 2 0 1 0 120 2.5
BOS D 36 GRANT LEDYARD 63 4 16 20 -4 18 2 0 0 0 75 5.3
BOS L 42 MIKE SULLIVAN 69 5 11 16 -2 32 0 0 2 0 79 6.3
BOS D 32 DON SWEENEY 59 1 15 16 12 24 0 0 0 0 55 1.8
BOS D 20 DARREN VAN IMPE 61 3 9 12 -7 32 2 0 0 0 65 4.6
BOS C 6 *JOE THORNTON 51 3 4 7 -6 19 0 0 1 0 32 9.4
BOS D 25 *HAL GILL 60 2 4 6 6 39 0 0 0 0 52 3.8
BOS R 27 LANDON WILSON 22 0 4 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 22 .0
BOS G 34 BYRON DAFOE 59 0 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BOS D 37 MATTIAS TIMANDER 23 1 1 2 -9 6 0 0 0 0 17 5.9
BOS D 29 DEAN MALKOC 39 1 0 1 -12 86 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
BOS R 10 *CAMERON MANN 8 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 6 .0
BOS L 22 KEN BAUMGARTNER 74 0 1 1 -14 174 0 0 0 0 26 .0
BOS R 43 JEAN-YVES ROY 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
BOS G 35 ROBBIE TALLAS 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BUF L 81 MIROSLAV SATAN 74 22 22 44 2 32 9 0 4 0 134 16.4
BUF D 44 ALEXEI ZHITNIK 71 14 28 42 17 94 2 3 3 2 180 7.8
BUF R 28 DONALD AUDETTE 68 22 19 41 9 55 10 0 5 1 182 12.1
BUF C 27 MICHAEL PECA 58 18 20 38 13 57 6 5 1 1 130 13.8
BUF C 26 DEREK PLANTE 68 12 21 33 5 26 5 0 1 0 142 8.5
BUF C 19 BRIAN HOLZINGER 62 12 19 31 -4 30 4 1 1 1 106 11.3
BUF D 5 JASON WOOLLEY 64 8 23 31 7 31 2 0 2 1 112 7.1
BUF L 80 GEOFF SANDERSON 69 10 18 28 2 32 2 0 1 1 182 5.5
BUF L 18 MICHAL GROSEK 62 9 18 27 5 54 2 0 0 0 99 9.1
BUF R 36 MATTHEW BARNABY 65 4 19 23 5 255 0 0 2 0 88 4.5
BUF L 37 CURTIS BROWN 56 9 11 20 9 32 1 0 1 0 73 12.3
BUF D 8 DARRYL SHANNON 70 2 18 20 24 56 1 0 1 0 79 2.5
BUF R 15 DIXON WARD 64 9 9 18 7 40 0 2 3 1 88 10.2
BUF D 42 RICHARD SMEHLIK 65 2 15 17 7 62 0 1 0 0 82 2.4
BUF D 74 JAY MCKEE 54 1 13 14 0 40 0 0 0 0 55 1.8
BUF C 22 WAYNE PRIMEAU 62 5 6 11 10 81 2 0 1 0 46 10.9
BUF L 12 RANDY BURRIDGE 30 4 6 10 0 0 1 0 1 0 40 10.0
BUF L 24 PAUL KRUSE 69 7 2 9 -10 183 0 0 2 1 48 14.6
BUF D 4 MIKE WILSON 59 4 4 8 10 46 0 0 1 0 44 9.1
BUF R 25 *VACLAV VARADA 20 3 4 7 -1 11 0 0 1 1 19 15.8
BUF C 9 *ERIK RASMUSSEN 21 2 3 5 2 14 0 0 0 0 28 7.1
BUF R 32 ROB RAY 56 2 3 5 3 229 1 0 1 0 15 13.3
BUF D 6 BOB BOUGHNER 63 1 3 4 8 146 0 0 0 0 23 4.3
BUF G 39 DOMINIK HASEK 67 0 2 2 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BUF D 40 *RUMUN NDUR 1 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
BUF D 21 MIKE HURLBUT 3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 3 .0
BUF G 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 13 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CGY R 14 THEOREN FLEURY 75 26 48 74 8 169 3 2 4 1 261 10.0
CGY C 16 CORY STILLMAN 65 24 20 44 -8 34 8 3 1 1 156 15.4
CGY L 13 GERMAN TITOV 67 18 22 40 0 38 6 1 2 0 131 13.7
CGY C 21 ANDREW CASSELS 74 13 26 39 -6 30 4 0 1 1 122 10.7
CGY L 18 MARTY MCINNIS 68 15 23 38 -2 32 5 3 0 0 112 13.4
CGY R 8 VALERI BURE 66 12 26 38 -5 35 2 0 2 0 179 6.7
CGY C 92 MICHAEL NYLANDER 65 13 23 36 10 24 0 0 2 0 117 11.1
CGY R 12 JAROME IGINLA 63 13 17 30 -6 22 0 2 1 0 144 9.0
CGY D 53 *DEREK MORRIS 75 8 20 28 3 65 4 1 1 1 102 7.8
CGY D 32 CALE HULSE 72 5 20 25 3 143 1 1 0 0 110 4.5
CGY L 24 JASON WIEMER 72 11 9 20 -7 142 3 0 2 0 115 9.6
CGY D 5 TOMMY ALBELIN 62 2 14 16 10 24 1 0 2 0 81 2.5
CGY D 3 JAMES PATRICK 53 5 10 15 -2 24 1 0 1 0 50 10.0
CGY L 17 *HNAT DOMENICHELLI 25 8 6 14 4 2 1 0 1 1 59 13.6
CGY C 34 JIM DOWD 41 6 5 11 6 12 0 1 0 0 49 12.2
CGY D 2 *JAMIE ALLISON 43 3 8 11 3 104 0 0 1 0 27 11.1
CGY L 42 ED WARD 57 4 4 8 -6 110 0 0 0 1 42 9.5
CGY D 6 JOEL BOUCHARD 37 4 3 7 -8 41 0 1 1 0 40 10.0
CGY L 7 *CHRIS DINGMAN 63 3 3 6 -10 95 1 0 0 0 46 6.5
CGY D 27 TODD SIMPSON 53 1 5 6 -10 109 0 0 1 0 51 2.0
CGY C 23 AARON GAVEY 21 2 3 5 -2 9 0 0 1 0 23 8.7
CGY G 30 DWAYNE ROLOSON 32 0 4 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CGY R 29 ERIK ANDERSSON 12 2 1 3 -4 8 0 0 0 0 11 18.2
CGY C 11 *ERIC LANDRY 12 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 D 4 KEVIN DAHL 12 0 1 1 -2 2 0 0 0 0 13 .0
CGY L 20 TODD HLUSHKO 13 0 1 1 0 27 0 0 0 0 7 .0
CGY G 31 RICK TABARACCI 41 0 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 .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 D 55 *ROCKY THOMPSON 6 0 0 0 1 35 0 0 0 0 1 .0
CGY D 24 *DENIS GAUTHIER 10 0 0 0 -5 16 0 0 0 0 3 .0
CAR C 55 KEITH PRIMEAU 73 25 35 60 23 97 6 3 2 0 163 15.3
CAR R 24 SAMI KAPANEN 73 25 33 58 11 14 4 0 5 0 174 14.4
CAR L 10 GARY ROBERTS 56 16 27 43 4 93 4 0 2 1 100 16.0
CAR R 19 NELSON EMERSON 73 19 23 42 -15 50 6 0 3 1 177 10.7
CAR C 92 JEFF O'NEILL 69 19 18 37 -9 63 7 1 4 1 105 18.1
CAR R 26 RAY SHEPPARD 67 16 18 34 -10 23 7 0 2 0 152 10.5
CAR D 3 STEVE CHIASSON 66 7 27 34 -2 65 6 0 0 0 173 4.0
CAR R 18 ROBERT KRON 73 16 17 33 -8 10 4 0 2 1 147 10.9
CAR L 23 MARTIN GELINAS 56 14 14 28 -3 36 3 1 5 0 129 10.9
CAR R 11 KEVIN DINEEN 47 6 16 22 -7 89 0 0 1 0 85 7.1
CAR D 2 GLEN WESLEY 74 4 17 21 6 34 0 0 1 0 111 3.6
CAR L 28 PAUL RANHEIM 65 4 8 12 -12 20 0 1 1 0 70 5.7
CAR D 7 CURTIS LESCHYSHYN 65 2 10 12 -1 43 1 0 1 0 48 4.2
CAR D 6 ADAM BURT 68 1 9 10 -5 98 0 1 0 0 42 2.4
CAR R 27 STEPHEN LEACH 45 4 5 9 -19 42 1 1 2 0 60 6.7
CAR C 44 KENT MANDERVILLE 69 4 4 8 -6 27 0 0 0 0 76 5.3
CAR D 5 KEVIN HALLER 65 3 5 8 -5 94 0 0 0 0 67 4.5
CAR L 32 STU GRIMSON 74 3 4 7 1 185 0 0 1 0 16 18.8
CAR D 22 SEAN HILL 55 1 6 7 -5 54 0 0 0 0 53 1.9
CAR R 12 STEVEN RICE 44 2 4 6 -16 38 0 0 0 0 38 5.3
CAR L 33 *JON BATTAGLIA 28 1 1 2 -2 4 0 0 1 0 15 6.7
CAR D 14 *STEVEN HALKO 10 0 1 1 -4 4 0 0 0 0 2 .0
CAR D 4 *NOLAN PRATT 15 0 1 1 -2 34 0 0 0 0 8 .0
CAR D 46 *MIKE RUCINSKI 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
CAR L 3 JEFF DANIELS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
CAR G 22 PAT JABLONSKI 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CAR R 29 KEVIN BROWN 4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CAR G 37 TREVOR KIDD 42 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
CHI R 10 TONY AMONTE 77 28 42 70 19 66 6 3 5 0 268 10.4
CHI C 36 ALEXEI ZHAMNOV 67 20 27 47 16 61 6 2 3 1 182 11.0
CHI L 55 ERIC DAZE 75 30 10 40 3 22 10 0 7 1 203 14.8
CHI D 20 GARY SUTER 68 13 27 40 -1 66 5 2 0 0 188 6.9
CHI D 7 CHRIS CHELIOS 76 3 37 40 -2 147 1 0 0 0 192 1.6
CHI C 22 GREG JOHNSON 69 12 21 33 -1 36 4 0 3 0 85 14.1
CHI C 11 JEFF SHANTZ 61 11 20 31 0 36 1 2 2 0 69 15.9
CHI R 25 SERGEI KRIVOKRASOV 55 10 13 23 1 29 1 0 2 0 126 7.9
CHI D 2 ERIC WEINRICH 77 2 20 22 10 90 0 0 0 0 82 2.4
CHI C 14 STEVE DUBINSKY 77 5 13 18 -3 55 0 1 0 0 104 4.8
CHI L 19 ETHAN MOREAU 49 9 8 17 -1 67 2 0 0 0 78 11.5
CHI L 38 JAMES BLACK 50 9 5 14 -9 8 2 1 3 1 89 10.1
CHI L 23 *JEAN-YVES LEROUX 65 6 6 12 -2 55 0 0 0 0 57 10.5
CHI D 4 JAY MORE 55 5 7 12 6 59 0 1 0 0 54 9.3
CHI C 46 *DMITRI NABOKOV 25 7 4 11 -1 10 3 0 2 0 34 20.6
CHI C 16 JARROD SKALDE 30 4 7 11 -2 18 0 0 0 0 34 11.8
CHI C 15 CHAD KILGER 27 3 8 11 -2 8 2 0 1 0 25 12.0
CHI R 17 KEVIN MILLER 33 4 6 10 -4 8 0 0 1 0 35 11.4
CHI D 3 *CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME 67 0 10 10 12 55 0 0 0 0 70 .0
CHI C 12 BRENT SUTTER 47 2 6 8 -4 26 0 1 0 0 40 5.0
CHI L 33 REID SIMPSON 39 3 1 4 -1 111 1 0 0 0 23 13.0
CHI L 14 *BRIAN FELSNER 12 1 3 4 0 12 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
CHI D 6 MICHAL SYKORA 28 1 3 4 -10 12 0 0 0 0 35 2.9
CHI L 24 BOB PROBERT 9 2 1 3 -5 29 2 0 0 0 13 15.4
CHI R 39 *CRAIG MILLS 20 0 3 3 1 34 0 0 0 0 5 .0
CHI R 34 *RYAN VANDENBUSSCHE 18 1 1 2 -1 43 0 0 0 0 2 50.0
CHI D 8 CAM RUSSELL 39 1 1 2 3 72 0 0 1 0 17 5.9
CHI C 26 *TODD WHITE 7 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 33.3
CHI D 5 TRENT YAWNEY 40 1 0 1 -1 70 0 0 0 0 18 5.6
CHI G 40 CHRIS TERRERI 19 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .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 6 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 G 31 JEFF HACKETT 55 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 .0
COL C 21 PETER FORSBERG 68 22 63 85 6 92 7 2 5 1 186 11.8
COL L 13 VALERI KAMENSKY 70 25 34 59 -3 58 8 0 4 0 163 15.3
COL C 19 JOE SAKIC 59 25 33 58 4 42 11 1 2 1 227 11.0
COL R 22 CLAUDE LEMIEUX 73 22 25 47 -8 107 9 1 1 1 241 9.1
COL D 8 SANDIS OZOLINSH 61 12 34 46 -10 51 8 0 2 1 123 9.8
COL R 18 ADAM DEADMARSH 72 22 21 43 0 125 10 0 6 3 186 11.8
COL L 28 ERIC LACROIX 77 16 15 31 1 70 5 0 6 0 117 13.7
COL D 4 UWE KRUPP 74 9 22 31 23 36 5 0 2 0 143 6.3
COL L 20 RENE CORBET 63 16 12 28 7 122 4 0 4 2 113 14.2
COL C 26 STEPHANE YELLE 77 7 15 22 -8 42 0 1 0 0 92 7.6
COL C 17 JARI KURRI 67 5 17 22 8 12 2 0 0 0 60 8.3
COL R 12 SHEAN DONOVAN 66 8 10 18 7 70 0 0 0 0 80 10.0
COL R 14 TOM FITZGERALD 75 12 5 17 -6 75 0 2 1 0 112 10.7
COL D 29 *ERIC MESSIER 62 4 12 16 4 20 0 0 0 0 66 6.1
COL D 52 ADAM FOOTE 72 2 14 16 -3 114 0 0 1 0 58 3.4
COL D 24 JON KLEMM 63 6 8 14 -2 28 0 0 0 1 56 10.7
COL R 16 JEFF ODGERS 63 5 8 13 6 187 0 0 0 0 40 12.5
COL D 5 ALEXEI GUSAROV 67 3 10 13 8 36 0 1 1 0 43 7.0
COL L 10 WARREN RYCHEL 68 5 6 11 -10 219 1 0 0 0 65 7.7
COL D 2 SYLVAIN LEFEBVRE 76 0 10 10 3 44 0 0 0 0 57 .0
COL R 11 KEITH JONES 18 2 7 9 -2 16 1 0 2 0 24 8.3
COL D 27 FRANCOIS LEROUX 49 1 2 3 -3 138 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
COL G 33 PATRICK ROY 61 0 3 3 0 37 0 0 0 0 1 .0
COL D 3 AARON MILLER 50 2 0 2 -3 49 0 0 0 0 24 8.3
COL D 6 *WADE BELAK 8 1 1 2 -3 27 0 0 1 0 2 50.0
COL D 7 *PASCAL TREPANIER 15 0 1 1 -2 18 0 0 0 0 9 .0
COL L 40 *BRAD LARSEN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
COL R 14 *CHRISTIAN MATTE 5 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
COL G 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 22 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DAL C 25 JOE NIEUWENDYK 66 33 24 57 13 28 10 0 8 0 188 17.6
DAL C 9 MIKE MODANO 51 21 36 57 26 32 7 5 2 1 190 11.1
DAL R 16 PAT VERBEEK 75 26 24 50 11 160 8 0 7 1 174 14.9
DAL L 15 JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER 74 21 29 50 11 59 7 0 5 1 145 14.5
DAL D 56 SERGEI ZUBOV 66 9 40 49 16 14 4 1 2 1 135 6.7
DAL D 5 DARRYL SYDOR 72 11 29 40 18 45 4 1 1 0 151 7.3
DAL R 26 JERE LEHTINEN 65 22 17 39 21 14 6 2 6 1 177 12.4
DAL D 2 DERIAN HATCHER 63 6 24 30 7 115 3 0 2 0 70 8.6
DAL L 23 GREG ADAMS 44 11 14 25 8 18 4 0 1 0 66 16.7
DAL C 21 GUY CARBONNEAU 70 7 16 23 2 36 0 1 1 0 75 9.3
DAL D 27 SHAWN CHAMBERS 50 2 20 22 11 24 1 1 0 0 65 3.1
DAL R 12 MIKE KEANE 76 8 13 21 -13 47 2 0 0 0 124 6.5
DAL L 33 BENOIT HOGUE 47 6 14 20 10 31 3 0 1 0 55 10.9
DAL R 10 TODD HARVEY 59 9 10 19 5 104 0 0 1 0 88 10.2
DAL R 29 GRANT MARSHALL 67 9 8 17 -4 91 3 0 1 0 84 10.7
DAL L 14 DAVE REID 59 6 11 17 -15 14 3 0 1 0 87 6.9
DAL D 24 RICHARD MATVICHUK 67 3 14 17 5 63 0 0 0 0 67 4.5
DAL C 10 BRIAN SKRUDLAND 65 5 6 11 -6 43 0 0 1 0 50 10.0
DAL D 3 CRAIG LUDWIG 73 0 7 7 20 123 0 0 0 0 42 .0
DAL C 28 BOB BASSEN 52 3 3 6 -4 48 0 0 1 0 38 7.9
DAL L 46 *JAMIE WRIGHT 17 3 2 5 8 0 0 0 2 0 10 30.0
DAL L 11 *JUHA LIND 37 2 3 5 4 4 0 0 0 0 26 7.7
DAL D 6 DAN KECZMER 17 1 2 3 5 26 0 0 0 0 9 11.1
DAL D 22 CRAIG MUNI 40 1 1 2 0 25 0 0 1 0 12 8.3
DAL R 18 CHRIS TANCILL 2 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
DAL D 37 *BRAD LUKOWICH 4 0 1 1 -2 2 0 0 0 0 2 .0
DAL C 39 MIKE KENNEDY 15 0 1 1 -1 16 0 0 0 0 12 .0
DAL R 39 PETER DOURIS 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0
DAL D 34 *PETR BUZEK 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DAL L 17 *PATRICK COTE 3 0 0 0 -1 15 0 0 0 0 3 .0
DAL L 38 *JASON BOTTERILL 4 0 0 0 -1 19 0 0 0 0 2 .0
DAL R 36 *JEFFREY MITCHELL 7 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3 .0
DAL D 4 *SERGEY GUSEV 9 0 0 0 -5 2 0 0 0 0 5 .0
DAL G 1 ROMAN TUREK 22 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DAL G 20 ED BELFOUR 54 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DET C 19 STEVE YZERMAN 72 22 42 64 1 44 6 2 0 2 181 12.2
DET D 5 NICKLAS LIDSTROM 74 17 40 57 20 18 7 1 1 1 197 8.6
DET L 14 BRENDAN SHANAHAN 70 28 28 56 5 148 15 1 9 1 248 11.3
DET D 55 LARRY MURPHY 76 10 40 50 33 37 2 1 2 0 117 8.5
DET L 13 VYACHESLAV KOZLOV 75 23 24 47 9 46 6 0 1 0 211 10.9
DET C 8 IGOR LARIONOV 67 8 38 46 12 40 3 0 2 1 91 8.8
DET D 15 DMITRI MIRONOV 71 7 33 40 -10 117 2 0 1 0 159 4.4
DET R 17 DOUG BROWN 74 15 21 36 15 12 5 0 4 0 127 11.8
DET R 25 DARREN MCCARTY 68 13 21 34 -1 157 5 1 2 0 159 8.2
DET R 20 MARTIN LAPOINTE 73 12 16 28 -5 102 3 0 2 2 135 8.9
DET C 41 BRENT GILCHRIST 61 13 14 27 4 40 5 0 3 1 124 10.5
DET C 33 KRIS DRAPER 58 12 10 22 5 45 1 0 3 0 90 13.3
DET L 18 KIRK MALTBY 59 12 9 21 13 77 1 0 3 0 91 13.2
DET D 44 *ANDERS ERIKSSON 60 7 13 20 19 32 1 0 2 0 79 8.9
DET L 96 TOMAS HOLMSTROM 51 5 11 16 6 44 1 0 1 0 40 12.5
DET R 11 MATHIEU DANDENAULT 63 5 11 16 7 43 0 0 0 0 70 7.1
DET D 2 VIACHESLAV FETISOV 56 2 12 14 5 66 0 0 1 0 54 3.7
DET R 22 *MICHAEL KNUBLE 48 6 5 11 6 16 0 0 0 0 51 11.8
DET R 26 JOEY KOCUR 58 6 5 11 6 90 0 0 2 0 49 12.2
DET C 91 SERGEI FEDOROV 15 5 6 11 6 17 2 0 2 0 51 9.8
DET D 3 BOB ROUSE 69 1 10 11 -9 52 0 0 0 0 52 1.9
DET D 27 AARON WARD 47 5 5 10 -2 38 0 0 1 0 43 11.6
DET D 34 JAMIE MACOUN 68 0 7 7 -17 63 0 0 0 0 68 .0
DET D 28 *YAN GOLUBOVSKY 12 0 2 2 1 6 0 0 0 0 9 .0
DET C 21 *DARRYL LAPLANTE 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
DET G 34 *NORM MARACLE 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DET G 31 *KEVIN HODSON 20 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
DET G 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 59 0 0 0 0 31 0 0 0 0 0 .0
EDM C 39 DOUG WEIGHT 73 26 39 65 2 63 9 0 4 0 185 14.1
EDM L 37 DEAN MCAMMOND 71 18 26 44 7 39 8 0 2 0 113 15.9
EDM D 2 BORIS MIRONOV 75 15 27 42 -5 92 10 0 1 1 188 8.0
EDM D 22 ROMAN HAMRLIK 73 9 30 39 -12 60 5 1 3 0 181 5.0
EDM R 9 BILL GUERIN 53 17 18 35 2 91 8 0 3 0 162 10.5
EDM D 24 JANNE NIINIMAA 71 3 32 35 10 58 2 0 1 0 126 2.4
EDM L 94 RYAN SMYTH 59 17 12 29 -20 40 9 0 1 2 188 9.0
EDM L 26 TODD MARCHANT 70 11 18 29 7 61 0 1 3 0 181 6.1
EDM C 14 MATS LINDGREN 76 12 12 24 -1 40 1 3 3 0 120 10.0
EDM C 20 TONY HRKAC 43 11 12 23 2 6 5 0 1 0 48 22.9
EDM L 51 ANDREI KOVALENKO 59 6 17 23 -14 28 1 0 2 1 89 6.7
EDM R 16 KELLY BUCHBERGER 76 5 17 22 -9 120 1 0 1 0 83 6.0
EDM L 21 VALERI ZELEPUKIN 67 4 18 22 -1 89 0 0 0 0 101 4.0
EDM L 17 REM MURRAY 60 8 9 17 -8 39 2 2 0 0 57 14.0
EDM R 25 MIKE GRIER 60 9 6 15 -3 66 1 0 1 0 79 11.4
EDM C 18 *SCOTT FRASER 23 7 6 13 6 4 2 0 1 0 40 17.5
EDM D 5 GREG DE VRIES 63 6 3 9 -18 80 1 0 0 0 51 11.8
EDM D 6 BOBBY DOLLAS 47 1 6 7 -5 47 0 0 0 0 35 2.9
EDM D 15 DRAKE BEREHOWSKY 61 1 6 7 2 158 1 0 1 0 52 1.9
EDM C 19 *BOYD DEVEREAUX 38 1 4 5 -5 6 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
EDM D 32 *CRAIG MILLAR 11 4 0 4 -3 8 1 0 0 0 10 40.0
EDM L 12 *JOE HULBIG 17 2 2 4 -1 2 0 0 1 0 8 25.0
EDM C 9 *MIKE WATT 14 1 2 3 -4 4 0 0 1 0 14 7.1
EDM D 8 FRANK MUSIL 12 0 2 2 -1 4 0 0 0 0 7 .0
EDM G 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 66 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
EDM D 23 *SEAN BROWN 18 0 1 1 -1 43 0 0 0 0 9 .0
EDM L 28 BILL HUARD 24 0 1 1 -3 58 0 0 0 0 9 .0
EDM D 40 *SCOTT FERGUSON 1 0 0 0 1 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 D 38 *TERRAN SANDWITH 8 0 0 0 -4 6 0 0 0 0 4 .0
EDM R 27 *GEORGES LARAQUE 8 0 0 0 -3 45 0 0 0 0 4 .0
EDM G 30 BOB ESSENSA 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
EDM L 8 DOUG FRIEDMAN 16 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 8 .0
FLA L 14 RAY WHITNEY 70 28 29 57 9 28 10 0 2 0 160 17.5
FLA C 15 DAVE GAGNER 71 19 24 43 -19 47 5 1 1 0 144 13.2
FLA D 24 ROBERT SVEHLA 72 8 33 41 0 97 2 0 0 0 130 6.2
FLA R 27 SCOTT MELLANBY 72 13 23 36 -9 110 6 0 1 0 172 7.6
FLA R 22 DINO CICCARELLI 57 15 14 29 -17 62 5 0 4 2 146 10.3
FLA R 19 RADEK DVORAK 57 10 19 29 -1 31 2 3 0 1 94 10.6
FLA C 9 KIRK MULLER 63 7 19 26 -11 54 0 0 3 1 102 6.9
FLA L 11 BILL LINDSAY 75 11 14 25 2 74 0 2 4 0 136 8.1
FLA L 25 VIKTOR KOZLOV 58 14 10 24 -6 10 4 1 0 0 143 9.8
FLA D 55 ED JOVANOVSKI 74 8 12 20 -12 141 2 1 3 0 129 6.2
FLA C 17 *STEVE WASHBURN 52 11 8 19 -4 32 4 0 2 0 58 19.0
FLA D 6 JEFF NORTON 56 4 13 17 -32 44 4 0 0 1 61 6.6
FLA C 44 ROB NIEDERMAYER 33 8 7 15 -9 41 5 0 2 0 64 12.5
FLA R 51 DAVID NEMIROVSKY 34 8 7 15 -2 6 2 0 1 0 51 15.7
FLA D 5 GORD MURPHY 72 6 9 15 -4 40 3 0 0 0 113 5.3
FLA C 23 CHRIS WELLS 61 5 10 15 4 47 0 1 0 0 57 8.8
FLA D 3 PAUL LAUS 70 0 11 11 -4 265 0 0 0 0 62 .0
FLA D 2 TERRY CARKNER 67 1 6 7 5 59 0 0 1 0 29 3.4
FLA L 29 JOHAN GARPENLOV 35 2 3 5 -6 8 0 0 0 0 38 5.3
FLA D 7 RHETT WARRENER 72 0 4 4 -12 90 0 0 0 0 65 .0
FLA C 16 *RYAN JOHNSON 10 0 2 2 -4 0 0 0 0 0 6 .0
FLA G 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 55 0 2 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
FLA D 8 DALLAS EAKINS 17 0 1 1 2 27 0 0 0 0 12 .0
FLA G 1 KIRK MCLEAN 41 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
FLA D 4 *JOHN JAKOPIN 2 0 0 0 -3 4 0 0 0 0 1 .0
FLA G 1 *KEVIN WEEKES 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
FLA L 28 *PETER WORRELL 12 0 0 0 -3 67 0 0 0 0 9 .0
LAK C 15 JOZEF STUMPEL 70 20 54 74 14 44 4 0 2 1 151 13.2
LAK R 27 GLEN MURRAY 74 25 29 54 5 50 5 1 5 0 178 14.0
LAK L 9 VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV 67 18 30 48 17 18 2 0 1 0 108 16.7
LAK D 4 ROB BLAKE 75 22 24 46 -2 81 11 0 4 0 239 9.2
LAK C 44 YANIC PERREAULT 72 25 18 43 11 28 3 1 3 0 189 13.2
LAK L 20 LUC ROBITAILLE 55 16 23 39 6 61 5 0 7 0 128 12.5
LAK L 23 CRAIG JOHNSON 67 16 18 34 10 32 6 0 1 0 112 14.3
LAK D 3 GARRY GALLEY 69 8 26 34 -7 51 6 0 0 0 117 6.8
LAK R 45 SANDY MOGER 62 11 13 24 4 70 1 0 2 0 89 12.4
LAK C 22 IAN LAPERRIERE 71 6 14 20 -1 112 0 1 1 0 70 8.6
LAK D 6 SEAN O'DONNELL 74 2 15 17 10 169 0 0 1 0 70 2.9
LAK R 19 RUSS COURTNALL 52 10 5 15 -2 23 0 3 4 0 83 12.0
LAK C 26 RAY FERRARO 36 6 9 15 -6 38 0 0 2 0 42 14.3
LAK D 28 PHILIPPE BOUCHER 42 5 10 15 5 47 0 0 0 0 78 6.4
LAK D 14 MATTIAS NORSTROM 68 1 12 13 16 84 0 0 0 0 56 1.8
LAK L 42 DAN BYLSMA 59 3 8 11 9 21 0 0 0 1 53 5.7
LAK D 2 DOUG ZMOLEK 40 0 8 8 1 94 0 0 0 0 18 .0
LAK D 5 AKI BERG 66 0 8 8 8 61 0 0 0 0 55 .0
LAK C 10 *DONALD MACLEAN 22 5 2 7 -1 4 2 0 0 0 25 20.0
LAK C 24 NATHAN LAFAYETTE 30 4 3 7 1 16 1 0 1 0 52 7.7
LAK L 7 *STEVE MCKENNA 55 4 3 7 -7 126 1 0 0 1 35 11.4
LAK L 17 MATT JOHNSON 59 1 4 5 -7 240 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
LAK R 11 BRAD SMYTH 9 1 3 4 -1 4 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
LAK D 33 JAN VOPAT 16 0 4 4 5 6 0 0 0 0 9 .0
LAK C 12 ROMAN VOPAT 19 0 2 2 -4 44 0 0 0 0 26 .0
LAK C 52 *JASON MORGAN 9 1 0 1 -7 4 0 0 0 0 5 20.0
LAK R 43 VITALI YACHMENEV 4 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 4 .0
LAK G 35 STEPHANE FISET 55 0 1 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 .0
LAK G 31 FREDERIC CHABOT 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
LAK G 1 *JAMIE STORR 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
MTL R 8 MARK RECCHI 75 31 37 68 12 45 8 1 5 0 198 15.7
MTL C 11 SAKU KOIVU 68 14 43 57 8 48 2 2 3 0 142 9.9
MTL C 25 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE 69 18 38 56 15 52 2 1 5 0 156 11.5
MTL L 26 MARTIN RUCINSKY 73 20 31 51 11 82 5 3 3 0 182 11.0
MTL L 27 SHAYNE CORSON 56 18 33 51 1 98 13 0 1 0 130 13.8
MTL L 49 BRIAN SAVAGE 60 23 15 38 8 36 7 0 6 1 136 16.9
MTL D 38 VLADIMIR MALAKHOV 67 12 26 38 15 62 7 0 2 0 147 8.2
MTL D 43 PATRICE BRISEBOIS 75 8 27 35 17 67 4 0 1 0 116 6.9
MTL D 22 DAVE MANSON 74 4 30 34 24 104 2 0 0 0 138 2.9
MTL L 17 BENOIT BRUNET 61 11 17 28 11 57 1 2 2 1 75 14.7
MTL L 44 JONAS HOGLUND 71 12 13 25 -7 22 4 0 0 0 173 6.9
MTL L 37 PATRICK POULIN 71 6 13 19 -1 25 0 1 1 0 79 7.6
MTL C 28 MARC BUREAU 67 13 4 17 2 8 0 0 2 0 68 19.1
MTL D 5 STEPHANE QUINTAL 71 6 10 16 13 97 0 0 0 0 88 6.8
MTL D 3 ZARLEY ZALAPSKI 56 3 11 14 -14 55 2 1 1 0 69 4.3
MTL C 24 SCOTT THORNTON 63 5 8 13 0 154 0 0 1 2 47 10.6
MTL C 71 SEBASTIEN BORDELEAU 47 4 7 11 4 36 1 1 0 0 44 9.1
MTL R 23 TURNER STEVENSON 59 3 6 9 -5 106 1 0 0 0 34 8.8
MTL D 55 IGOR ULANOV 46 2 7 9 -6 85 1 0 0 0 32 6.3
MTL D 34 PETER POPOVIC 62 2 5 7 -7 36 0 0 0 0 35 5.7
MTL G 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 43 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
MTL D 52 CRAIG RIVET 54 0 2 2 -1 91 0 0 0 0 21 .0
MTL C 15 *ERIC HOUDE 7 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 1 0 4 25.0
MTL D 29 *BRETT CLARK 41 1 0 1 -3 20 0 0 0 0 26 3.8
MTL R 21 MICK VUKOTA 57 1 0 1 -1 169 0 0 0 0 20 5.0
MTL R 51 *DAVID LING 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
MTL L 14 *TERRY RYAN 1 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 .0
MTL C 46 *MATT HIGGINS 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0
MTL G 35 ANDY MOOG 39 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD C 16 BOBBY HOLIK 76 29 32 61 24 96 8 0 8 1 208 13.9
NJD D 27 SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 75 13 41 54 2 27 10 0 1 0 164 7.9
NJD C 93 DOUG GILMOUR 61 13 38 51 12 54 3 0 5 0 92 14.1
NJD R 21 RANDY MCKAY 71 23 24 47 29 86 7 0 5 0 134 17.2
NJD L 23 DAVE ANDREYCHUK 70 12 32 44 17 24 4 0 2 0 162 7.4
NJD C 17 PETR SYKORA 53 15 19 34 2 22 3 1 4 0 118 12.7
NJD R 26 *PATRIK ELIAS 68 18 15 33 15 26 5 0 6 1 128 14.1
NJD C 25 JASON ARNOTT 69 10 23 33 -22 95 4 0 2 0 196 5.1
NJD L 14 BRIAN ROLSTON 71 15 13 28 7 14 0 2 1 0 175 8.6
NJD C 10 DENIS PEDERSON 74 13 11 24 -4 81 6 0 1 1 125 10.4
NJD D 24 LYLE ODELEIN 74 4 19 23 18 160 1 0 0 0 72 5.6
NJD R 32 STEVE THOMAS 51 13 7 20 4 28 3 0 4 1 102 12.7
NJD D 4 SCOTT STEVENS 75 2 18 20 20 76 0 0 0 0 83 2.4
NJD D 5 DOUG BODGER 72 8 11 19 2 55 2 0 1 0 83 9.6
NJD C 19 BOB CARPENTER 61 9 8 17 1 22 0 1 1 0 75 12.0
NJD D 2 *SHELDON SOURAY 55 3 7 10 16 79 0 0 1 0 65 4.6
NJD D 28 KEVIN DEAN 49 1 8 9 11 12 1 0 0 0 27 3.7
NJD C 18 SERGEI BRYLIN 15 1 3 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
NJD L 20 JAY PANDOLFO 19 1 3 4 -1 4 0 0 0 0 18 5.6
NJD D 6 *BRAD BOMBARDIR 40 0 4 4 11 8 0 0 0 0 14 .0
NJD C 9 *BRENDAN MORRISON 6 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 22.2
NJD L 29 *KRZYSZTOF OLIWA 67 2 1 3 1 293 0 0 2 0 43 4.7
NJD G 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 66 0 3 3 0 10 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 12 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NJD L 22 SCOTT DANIELS 20 0 1 1 -1 95 0 0 0 0 10 .0
NJD D 3 KEN DANEYKO 31 0 1 1 0 51 0 0 0 0 17 .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 L 8 SASHA LAKOVIC 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 .0
NYI R 16 ZIGMUND PALFFY 74 38 39 77 -6 32 16 2 3 1 251 15.1
NYI C 21 ROBERT REICHEL 74 23 36 59 -9 32 7 0 1 1 183 12.6
NYI D 34 BRYAN BERARD 67 13 31 44 -36 53 8 0 1 1 177 7.3
NYI C 20 BRYAN SMOLINSKI 74 12 28 40 -13 34 3 0 4 0 185 6.5
NYI R 44 JASON DAWE 74 20 17 37 11 40 4 1 3 1 123 16.3
NYI D 29 KENNY JONSSON 73 14 23 37 -2 54 6 0 2 0 96 14.6
NYI C 32 TREVOR LINDEN 59 15 20 35 -14 82 4 2 2 0 117 12.8
NYI L 14 TOM CHORSKE 74 12 21 33 7 32 1 4 2 0 119 10.1
NYI C 17 SERGEI NEMCHINOV 71 9 19 28 2 22 2 1 1 0 87 10.3
NYI R 10 JOE SACCO 72 11 13 24 2 30 0 2 2 0 115 9.6
NYI D 36 J.J. DAIGNEAULT 64 2 19 21 -10 32 1 0 1 0 83 2.4
NYI R 25 MARIUSZ CZERKAWSKI 60 11 9 20 6 19 2 0 1 0 120 9.2
NYI C 13 CLAUDE LAPOINTE 70 9 8 17 -13 39 0 1 3 0 71 12.7
NYI D 7 SCOTT LACHANCE 63 2 11 13 -11 45 1 0 0 0 62 3.2
NYI L 18 MIKE HOUGH 66 4 7 11 -6 27 0 0 0 0 36 11.1
NYI D 2 RICHARD PILON 68 0 7 7 3 275 0 0 0 0 31 .0
NYI L 24 GINO ODJICK 40 3 2 5 -2 208 0 0 1 0 41 7.3
NYI C 54 KIP MILLER 9 1 3 4 -2 2 0 0 0 0 11 9.1
NYI L 33 KEN BELANGER 33 2 1 3 -1 97 0 0 1 0 6 33.3
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 55 *VLAD CHEBATURKIN 2 0 2 2 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI D 58 YEVGENY NAMESTNIKOV 5 0 1 1 -2 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI D 60 *RAY SCHULTZ 5 0 1 1 1 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI R 42 DAN PLANTE 7 0 1 1 -1 6 0 0 0 0 7 .0
NYI R 49 *VLADIMIR ORSAGH 11 0 1 1 -3 2 0 0 0 0 9 .0
NYI G 30 WADE FLAHERTY 12 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI G 35 TOMMY SALO 58 0 1 1 0 31 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI D 37 *JEFF LIBBY 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI L 11 *SEAN HAGGERTY 5 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
NYI D 46 *JASON HOLLAND 8 0 0 0 -4 4 0 0 0 0 6 .0
NYI G 1 ERIC FICHAUD 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
NYI D 3 *ZDENO CHARA 17 0 0 0 1 48 0 0 0 0 7 .0
NYI R 8 STEVE WEBB 20 0 0 0 -2 35 0 0 0 0 6 .0
NYR C 99 WAYNE GRETZKY 77 21 63 84 -13 28 5 0 4 2 190 11.1
NYR C 16 PAT LAFONTAINE 67 23 39 62 -16 36 11 0 2 3 160 14.4
NYR R 27 ALEXEI KOVALEV 68 20 28 48 -24 38 8 0 3 1 165 12.1
NYR D 2 BRIAN LEETCH 74 17 31 48 -39 32 11 0 2 2 223 7.6
NYR R 24 NIKLAS SUNDSTROM 65 18 27 45 2 20 4 0 1 0 109 16.5
NYR L 17 KEVIN STEVENS 75 14 26 40 -5 128 5 0 3 1 134 10.4
NYR L 9 ADAM GRAVES 67 20 11 31 -32 39 9 0 1 1 213 9.4
NYR R 37 TIM SWEENEY 56 11 18 29 7 26 2 0 1 1 75 14.7
NYR D 33 BRUCE DRIVER 72 5 15 20 -1 46 1 0 0 0 115 4.3
NYR L 12 BOB ERREY 66 2 9 11 4 53 0 0 0 0 41 4.9
NYR C 32 HARRY YORK 60 4 6 10 -1 31 0 0 0 0 44 9.1
NYR D 25 ALEXANDER KARPOVTSEV47 3 7 10 -1 38 1 0 1 0 46 6.5
NYR D 5 ULF SAMUELSSON 68 2 8 10 -1 118 0 0 1 0 55 3.6
NYR L 18 BILL BERG 63 1 9 10 -15 51 0 0 0 0 69 1.4
NYR D 26 JEFF FINLEY 59 1 6 7 -3 47 0 0 0 0 29 3.4
NYR L 15 DARREN LANGDON 65 3 3 6 -1 193 0 0 0 0 13 23.1
NYR R 39 *VLADIMIR VOROBIEV 15 2 2 4 -10 6 0 0 1 0 27 7.4
NYR C 28 *P.J. STOCK 33 2 2 4 4 108 0 0 1 0 7 28.6
NYR C 10 *MARC SAVARD 24 1 3 4 -4 2 0 0 0 0 23 4.3
NYR L 21 JOHAN LINDBOM 33 1 3 4 4 26 0 0 0 0 33 3.0
NYR D 6 DOUG LIDSTER 35 0 4 4 3 24 0 0 0 0 25 .0
NYR D 23 JEFF BEUKEBOOM 59 0 4 4 -26 195 0 0 0 0 21 .0
NYR L 36 DANIEL GONEAU 6 2 0 2 -1 2 0 0 1 0 7 28.6
NYR D 14 GEOFF SMITH 10 0 1 1 -1 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
NYR D 29 ERIC CAIRNS 36 0 1 1 -3 78 0 0 0 0 15 .0
NYR G 35 MIKE RICHTER 69 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 D 4 *MAXIM GALANOV 2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0
NYR G 34 *DAN CLOUTIER 9 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 .0
OTW C 19 ALEXEI YASHIN 75 30 33 63 2 20 4 0 6 0 270 11.1
OTW L 15 SHAWN MCEACHERN 74 22 22 44 2 40 8 2 3 2 202 10.9
OTW R 11 DANIEL ALFREDSSON 48 15 26 41 7 18 7 0 7 0 129 11.6
OTW D 29 IGOR KRAVCHUK 74 7 24 31 -15 6 3 1 0 1 175 4.0
OTW R 10 ANDREAS DACKELL 75 14 16 30 -8 18 3 2 1 1 126 11.1
OTW C 13 *VACLAV PROSPAL 53 6 19 25 -9 21 4 0 0 0 81 7.4
OTW C 16 SERGEI ZHOLTOK 71 9 13 22 -3 14 6 0 1 1 109 8.3
OTW L 20 *MAGNUS ARVEDSON 54 8 13 21 0 32 0 0 0 1 73 11.0
OTW D 27 JANNE LAUKKANEN 56 4 17 21 -13 52 2 0 2 0 64 6.3
OTW D 6 WADE REDDEN 73 8 12 20 13 25 3 0 2 0 98 8.2
OTW L 28 DENNY LAMBERT 65 9 9 18 6 228 0 0 1 1 74 12.2
OTW C 25 BRUCE GARDINER 49 6 11 17 2 38 0 0 0 0 58 10.3
OTW C 22 SHAUN VAN ALLEN 74 4 13 17 0 44 0 0 0 0 99 4.0
OTW R 12 PAT FALLOON 51 7 9 16 -8 16 2 0 0 0 123 5.7
OTW C 14 RADEK BONK 62 7 9 16 -11 16 1 0 0 0 90 7.8
OTW D 4 *CHRIS PHILLIPS 65 4 11 15 5 34 1 0 1 0 94 4.3
OTW D 33 JASON YORK 69 2 12 14 6 52 0 0 0 0 101 2.0
OTW L 7 RANDY CUNNEYWORTH 68 2 11 13 -15 63 1 0 0 0 76 2.6
OTW D 2 LANCE PITLICK 62 2 7 9 7 48 0 0 0 0 58 3.4
OTW R 17 CHRIS MURRAY 46 4 3 7 4 108 0 0 2 0 40 10.0
OTW D 3 PER GUSTAFSSON 25 1 4 5 -4 10 0 0 0 0 29 3.4
OTW D 24 STANISLAV NECKAR 60 2 2 4 -14 31 0 0 0 0 43 4.7
OTW C 42 DEREK ARMSTRONG 9 2 0 2 1 9 0 0 1 0 8 25.0
OTW L 18 *MARIAN HOSSA 7 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 10 .0
OTW G 1 DAMIAN RHODES 45 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
OTW D 23 RADIM BICANEK 1 0 0 0 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 39 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI L 10 JOHN LECLAIR 75 46 30 76 27 28 15 0 8 1 276 16.7
PHI L 17 ROD BRIND'AMOUR 75 32 36 68 -2 50 10 2 7 0 182 17.6
PHI C 88 ERIC LINDROS 59 28 39 67 14 111 8 1 4 0 186 15.1
PHI C 55 CHRIS GRATTON 75 18 37 55 13 136 2 0 2 0 162 11.1
PHI R 19 ALEXANDRE DAIGLE 68 16 24 40 -6 14 8 0 5 1 139 11.5
PHI R 20 TRENT KLATT 75 13 25 38 1 14 4 0 3 0 123 10.6
PHI R 11 MIKE SILLINGER 68 19 18 37 -10 46 2 4 1 0 84 22.6
PHI R 9 DAINIUS ZUBRUS 62 7 24 31 25 40 1 0 5 0 90 7.8
PHI D 3 DANIEL MCGILLIS 73 10 19 29 -19 80 5 0 3 1 126 7.9
PHI D 37 ERIC DESJARDINS 70 6 22 28 10 34 2 1 0 0 138 4.3
PHI D 77 PAUL COFFEY 55 2 25 27 3 30 1 0 1 0 102 2.0
PHI L 25 SHJON PODEIN 75 11 10 21 8 51 1 1 2 0 114 9.6
PHI L 12 *COLIN FORBES 56 11 7 18 2 55 1 0 2 0 85 12.9
PHI D 6 CHRIS THERIEN 74 2 16 18 7 70 1 0 0 0 94 2.1
PHI D 23 PETR SVOBODA 49 3 13 16 15 55 2 0 0 0 39 7.7
PHI D 44 DAVE BABYCH 52 0 9 9 -10 49 0 0 0 0 46 .0
PHI C 29 JOEL OTTO 61 3 4 7 0 41 0 0 0 1 51 5.9
PHI D 22 LUKE RICHARDSON 74 2 3 5 6 107 2 0 0 0 54 3.7
PHI C 32 DANIEL LACROIX 53 1 4 5 0 113 0 0 0 0 26 3.8
PHI D 28 KJELL SAMUELSSON 44 0 3 3 10 26 0 0 0 0 22 .0
PHI R 26 JOHN DRUCE 21 1 1 2 -1 2 0 0 0 0 18 5.6
PHI L 21 DAN KORDIC 56 1 1 2 -2 174 0 0 0 0 12 8.3
PHI G 33 SEAN BURKE 48 0 2 2 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI C 14 CRAIG DARBY 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 33.3
PHI D 24 CHRIS JOSEPH 13 1 0 1 2 8 0 0 1 0 18 5.6
PHI R 38 *PAUL HEALEY 4 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI R 18 BRANTT MYHRES 23 0 0 0 -1 169 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHI G 27 RON HEXTALL 43 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO L 7 KEITH TKACHUK 65 40 26 66 11 141 11 0 8 1 223 17.9
PHO C 97 JEREMY ROENICK 74 23 31 54 5 99 6 1 2 1 176 13.1
PHO C 15 CRAIG JANNEY 66 10 43 53 5 12 4 0 0 0 72 13.9
PHO C 77 CLIFF RONNING 74 9 40 49 3 32 2 0 0 1 178 5.1
PHO D 27 TEPPO NUMMINEN 75 11 37 48 21 24 6 0 2 0 115 9.6
PHO R 92 RICK TOCCHET 64 24 19 43 -1 138 8 0 5 0 154 15.6
PHO R 11 DALLAS DRAKE 56 11 29 40 19 71 3 0 2 0 104 10.6
PHO R 22 MIKE GARTNER 54 12 15 27 -5 22 4 0 2 1 136 8.8
PHO D 3 KEITH CARNEY 74 3 17 20 -1 87 1 1 0 0 67 4.5
PHO C 21 BOB CORKUM 69 10 9 19 -6 22 0 3 0 0 99 10.1
PHO D 26 JOHN SLANEY 53 3 14 17 -6 22 1 0 1 0 71 4.2
PHO D 4 GERALD DIDUCK 71 6 10 16 13 108 1 0 3 0 98 6.1
PHO D 10 OLEG TVERDOVSKY 39 5 10 15 -3 8 3 0 1 1 72 6.9
PHO R 16 *BRAD ISBISTER 59 8 6 14 2 96 1 0 1 0 104 7.7
PHO L 34 DARRIN SHANNON 51 2 10 12 2 24 0 0 0 0 54 3.7
PHO C 36 *JUHA YLONEN 55 1 11 12 -3 10 0 1 0 0 60 1.7
PHO D 5 DERON QUINT 32 4 7 11 -6 16 1 0 1 0 61 6.6
PHO C 18 MARK JANSSENS 71 4 6 10 -24 152 0 0 1 0 50 8.0
PHO R 19 SHANE DOAN 26 4 4 8 -2 30 0 0 2 0 30 13.3
PHO D 44 NORM MACIVER 34 2 6 8 -7 36 0 1 0 0 34 5.9
PHO C 14 MIKE STAPLETON 59 3 4 7 -6 34 0 1 0 0 62 4.8
PHO D 24 MICHEL PETIT 30 4 2 6 -2 70 1 0 0 0 34 11.8
PHO R 32 JOCELYN LEMIEUX 30 3 3 6 0 27 1 0 0 0 32 9.4
PHO L 33 JIM MCKENZIE 58 2 4 6 -9 142 0 0 0 0 34 5.9
PHO D 8 JIM JOHNSON 16 2 1 3 0 18 0 0 0 0 17 11.8
PHO D 2 MURRAY BARON 38 0 3 3 -9 96 0 0 0 0 20 .0
PHO G 35 N. KHABIBULIN 64 0 2 2 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO R 20 JIM CUMMINS 69 0 2 2 -14 223 0 0 0 0 38 .0
PHO C 54 *DANIEL BRIERE 3 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 33.3
PHO D 48 *SEAN GAGNON 5 0 1 1 1 14 0 0 0 0 3 .0
PHO L 72 JEFF CHRISTIAN 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO G 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PHO G 28 JIM WAITE 14 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PIT R 68 JAROMIR JAGR 72 33 63 96 18 60 7 0 8 2 249 13.3
PIT C 10 RON FRANCIS 76 23 59 82 15 20 7 0 5 2 174 13.2
PIT C 14 STU BARNES 73 29 34 63 17 28 15 1 4 0 185 15.7
PIT D 4 KEVIN HATCHER 70 17 28 45 -2 64 11 1 3 1 159 10.7
PIT C 82 MARTIN STRAKA 69 15 22 37 -4 24 4 3 3 1 107 14.0
PIT R 44 ROB BROWN 76 12 24 36 0 53 2 0 3 0 150 8.0
PIT D 23 FREDRIK OLAUSSON 71 6 27 33 15 40 2 0 1 0 87 6.9
PIT C 12 SEAN PRONGER 67 6 15 21 -10 32 1 0 3 0 73 8.2
PIT R 16 ED OLCZYK 50 11 9 20 -7 29 5 1 1 0 117 9.4
PIT R 95 *ALEXEI MOROZOV 70 11 9 20 -7 6 1 0 3 0 69 15.9
PIT L 33 ALEX HICKS 53 6 13 19 3 48 0 0 1 1 67 9.0
PIT D 5 BRAD WERENKA 65 3 13 16 13 40 2 0 0 0 45 6.7
PIT C 20 ROBERT LANG 50 8 7 15 2 16 1 1 2 0 55 14.5
PIT C 38 ANDREAS JOHANSSON 45 5 10 15 3 18 0 1 0 0 48 10.4
PIT D 71 JIRI SLEGR 67 5 10 15 7 101 1 1 0 0 122 4.1
PIT D 11 DARIUS KASPARAITIS 75 3 8 11 0 123 0 1 0 0 67 4.5
PIT C 15 *ROBERT DOME 27 5 2 7 0 2 1 0 0 0 24 20.8
PIT R 57 *CHRIS FERRARO 45 3 4 7 -2 43 0 0 0 0 40 7.5
PIT C 29 TYLER WRIGHT 76 3 4 7 -4 106 1 0 0 0 40 7.5
PIT D 6 NEIL WILKINSON 34 2 4 6 0 24 1 0 0 0 19 10.5
PIT R 24 IAN MORAN 31 1 5 6 -1 19 0 0 1 0 22 4.5
PIT D 2 CHRIS TAMER 73 0 5 5 0 164 0 0 0 0 50 .0
PIT L 18 GARRY VALK 37 2 1 3 -3 31 0 0 0 1 31 6.5
PIT G 35 TOM BARRASSO 59 0 2 2 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PIT D 42 *TUOMAS GRONMAN 18 1 0 1 4 18 1 0 1 0 27 3.7
PIT G 1 *PETER SKUDRA 17 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
PIT G 31 KEN WREGGET 12 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0
SJS C 39 JEFF FRIESEN 73 30 27 57 6 36 7 5 7 0 171 17.5
SJS R 15 JOHN MACLEAN 72 14 25 39 -8 42 5 0 3 1 195 7.2
SJS R 11 OWEN NOLAN 70 13 26 39 -2 140 3 1 1 0 183 7.1
SJS C 14 *PATRICK MARLEAU 71 13 17 30 6 14 1 0 2 0 90 14.4
SJS C 19 *MARCO STURM 72 10 20 30 -2 36 2 0 3 0 114 8.8
SJS L 37 STEPHANE MATTEAU 67 14 12 26 5 56 1 0 2 2 74 18.9
SJS D 2 BILL HOULDER 76 6 20 26 10 44 3 0 1 0 95 6.3
SJS C 22 MURRAY CRAVEN 61 11 14 25 4 23 2 3 3 0 101 10.9
SJS C 18 MIKE RICCI 59 7 18 25 -5 30 3 0 1 0 82 8.5
SJS L 21 TONY GRANATO 55 16 8 24 3 56 3 0 2 0 115 13.9
SJS C 9 BERNIE NICHOLLS 55 4 19 23 -7 22 1 0 0 0 72 5.6
SJS D 10 MARCUS RAGNARSSON 73 5 17 22 -12 59 3 0 2 0 83 6.0
SJS R 17 JOE MURPHY 31 4 11 15 8 32 2 0 0 0 59 6.8
SJS D 40 MIKE RATHJE 76 3 12 15 -3 59 1 0 0 0 56 5.4
SJS D 33 MARTY MCSORLEY 56 2 10 12 10 140 0 0 0 0 46 4.3
SJS D 20 *ANDREI ZYUZIN 50 5 6 11 5 56 1 0 2 0 66 7.6
SJS D 27 BRYAN MARCHMENT 55 2 9 11 -4 109 0 0 0 0 50 4.0
SJS L 28 SHAWN BURR 36 5 5 10 1 46 0 0 0 0 57 8.8
SJS D 43 AL IAFRATE 15 2 6 8 1 18 2 0 0 0 28 7.1
SJS L 26 DAVE LOWRY 51 4 3 7 -1 43 0 0 1 0 45 8.9
SJS C 12 RON SUTTER 51 0 7 7 -2 20 0 0 0 0 49 .0
SJS C 27 *ALEXANDER KOROLYUK 19 2 3 5 -5 6 1 0 0 0 23 8.7
SJS G 29 MIKE VERNON 57 0 2 2 0 22 0 0 0 0 0 .0
SJS L 24 BARRY POTOMSKI 9 0 1 1 1 30 0 0 0 0 4 .0
SJS G 30 JASON MUZZATTI 7 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0
SJS D 5 KEN SUTTON 20 0 0 0 -4 21 0 0 0 0 11 .0
SJS G 32 KELLY HRUDEY 25 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
STL R 16 BRETT HULL 59 26 36 62 -1 22 10 0 6 0 193 13.5
STL L 14 GEOFF COURTNALL 73 30 30 60 14 85 6 0 4 0 173 17.3
STL C 77 PIERRE TURGEON 53 18 40 58 12 20 6 0 4 0 124 14.5
STL D 28 STEVE DUCHESNE 75 13 40 53 10 32 4 1 1 0 144 9.0
STL L 38 PAVOL DEMITRA 55 19 26 45 7 20 4 3 4 1 128 14.8
STL D 2 AL MACINNIS 66 18 26 44 5 76 8 1 2 0 217 8.3
STL R 10 JIM CAMPBELL 69 21 18 39 2 30 7 0 6 1 138 15.2
STL C 22 CRAIG CONROY 75 10 27 37 16 26 0 2 1 0 107 9.3
STL D 44 CHRIS PRONGER 75 7 24 31 39 158 1 0 2 0 136 5.1
STL L 33 SCOTT PELLERIN 74 8 19 27 8 39 1 1 0 0 88 9.1
STL R 23 BLAIR ATCHEYNUM 58 11 13 24 2 10 0 1 3 0 98 11.2
STL R 27 TERRY YAKE 59 10 13 23 2 36 3 1 4 0 57 17.5
STL D 5 TODD GILL 69 10 13 23 -11 37 5 0 2 0 107 9.3
STL C 9 DARREN TURCOTTE 56 10 6 16 5 26 2 0 1 0 61 16.4
STL C 25 *PASCAL RHEAUME 41 5 8 13 4 28 1 0 0 0 38 13.2
STL C 32 MIKE EASTWOOD 53 5 5 10 -3 20 0 0 0 0 36 13.9
STL D 4 MARC BERGEVIN 74 3 6 9 0 79 0 0 0 0 35 8.6
STL D 20 RUDY POESCHEK 46 1 7 8 -3 47 0 0 0 0 27 3.7
STL D 19 CHRIS MCALPINE 48 2 5 7 7 30 0 0 0 0 28 7.1
STL D 6 *JAMIE RIVERS 56 2 4 6 5 36 1 0 1 0 47 4.3
STL L 34 MICHEL PICARD 13 0 6 6 2 12 0 0 0 0 16 .0
STL R 39 KELLY CHASE 61 3 2 5 9 207 0 0 1 0 25 12.0
STL R 12 *CHRISTOPHER KENADY 5 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0
STL G 31 GRANT FUHR 54 0 2 2 0 6 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 57 0 1 1 -4 105 0 0 0 0 12 .0
STL D 7 RICARD PERSSON 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
STL G 30 *RICH PARENT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
STL G 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 26 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL L 15 PAUL YSEBAERT 75 13 27 40 -39 28 2 1 0 0 139 9.4
TBL R 29 ALEXANDER SELIVANOV 70 16 19 35 -38 85 4 0 3 1 206 7.8
TBL R 20 MIKAEL RENBERG 61 14 21 35 -32 32 5 2 0 0 158 8.9
TBL L 44 STEPHANE RICHER 39 14 15 29 -5 41 5 0 2 0 93 15.1
TBL L 7 ROB ZAMUNER 72 14 12 26 -26 39 0 3 4 1 118 11.9
TBL C 18 DAYMOND LANGKOW 61 7 14 21 -5 58 2 0 1 0 135 5.2
TBL C 16 DARCY TUCKER 67 7 12 19 -11 120 1 1 0 0 53 13.2
TBL R 34 MIKAEL ANDERSSON 65 6 10 16 2 29 0 1 1 0 93 6.5
TBL R 10 SANDY MCCARTHY 59 8 7 15 -17 218 1 0 1 0 75 10.7
TBL D 14 KARL DYKHUIS 71 4 8 12 -6 106 0 1 0 0 81 4.9
TBL C 64 *JASON BONSIGNORE 28 2 8 10 -6 18 0 0 0 0 25 8.0
TBL D 4 CORY CROSS 67 3 5 8 -16 71 0 1 0 0 63 4.8
TBL D 33 YVES RACINE 53 0 8 8 -19 39 0 0 0 0 67 .0
TBL R 21 JODY HULL 44 4 3 7 5 8 0 1 2 0 46 8.7
TBL C 19 BRIAN BRADLEY 14 2 5 7 -9 6 2 0 0 0 24 8.3
TBL D 6 DAVID WILKIE 28 2 4 6 -17 21 0 0 1 0 38 5.3
TBL C 79 VLADIMIR VUJTEK 30 2 4 6 -2 16 0 0 1 0 44 4.5
TBL C 11 *STEVE KELLY 43 2 3 5 -13 23 1 0 0 0 22 9.1
TBL D 39 ENRICO CICCONE 35 0 4 4 2 141 0 0 0 0 19 .0
TBL L 17 *BRENT PETERSON 12 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 30.0
TBL R 62 ANDREI NAZAROV 47 2 1 3 -9 149 0 0 0 0 40 5.0
TBL D 5 JASSEN CULLIMORE 28 1 2 3 -4 26 1 0 0 0 18 5.6
TBL L 36 LOUIE DEBRUSK 48 1 2 3 -3 159 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
TBL R 10 PAUL BROUSSEAU 11 0 2 2 0 27 0 0 0 0 6 .0
TBL D 27 DAVID SHAW 14 0 2 2 -2 12 0 0 0 0 12 .0
TBL C 28 COREY SPRING 5 1 0 1 1 5 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
TBL D 3 *PAVEL KUBINA 4 0 1 1 1 8 0 0 0 0 2 .0
TBL D 2 *MIKE MCBAIN 21 0 1 1 -8 8 0 0 0 0 13 .0
TBL G 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 39 0 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TBL L 16 TROY MALLETTE 3 0 0 0 0 7 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 1 *ZAC BIERK 10 0 0 0 0 0 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 75 29 38 67 0 45 7 1 4 1 197 14.7
TOR R 20 *MIKE JOHNSON 75 13 30 43 -2 22 5 0 0 1 130 10.0
TOR L 7 DEREK KING 70 17 21 38 -11 41 4 0 2 0 150 11.3
TOR D 72 MATHIEU SCHNEIDER 70 10 26 36 -11 44 4 0 1 0 167 6.0
TOR C 22 IGOR KOROLEV 71 15 17 32 -21 22 5 3 4 0 91 16.5
TOR L 19 FREDRIK MODIN 67 16 14 30 -3 30 1 0 4 0 121 13.2
TOR R 94 SERGEI BEREZIN 61 15 13 28 -6 10 2 0 3 1 149 10.1
TOR C 11 STEVE SULLIVAN 59 9 18 27 -9 32 1 0 0 0 104 8.7
TOR D 3 SYLVAIN COTE 64 4 17 21 -3 40 1 0 1 0 91 4.4
TOR L 17 WENDEL CLARK 46 12 7 19 -20 78 4 0 3 0 138 8.7
TOR C 18 *ALYN MCCAULEY 53 5 10 15 -7 4 0 0 1 0 65 7.7
TOR D 25 JASON SMITH 74 3 11 14 -12 96 0 0 0 0 91 3.3
TOR R 28 TIE DOMI 73 4 9 13 -5 336 0 0 0 1 65 6.2
TOR C 14 DARBY HENDRICKSON 73 8 4 12 -19 61 0 0 0 0 105 7.6
TOR L 8 TODD WARRINER 41 5 6 11 5 12 0 0 1 0 64 7.8
TOR D 36 DIMITRI YUSHKEVICH 67 0 10 10 -9 70 0 0 0 0 84 .0
TOR L 21 *MARTIN PROCHAZKA 29 2 4 6 -1 8 0 0 0 0 40 5.0
TOR D 38 *YANNICK TREMBLAY 38 2 4 6 -6 6 1 0 0 0 45 4.4
TOR D 2 ROB ZETTLER 52 0 6 6 -9 75 0 0 0 0 24 .0
TOR L 12 KRIS KING 75 2 3 5 -14 176 0 0 2 0 47 4.3
TOR D 55 *DANIIL MARKOV 18 1 4 5 4 22 0 0 0 0 6 16.7
TOR C 16 JAMIE BAKER 13 0 5 5 1 10 0 0 0 0 16 .0
TOR R 16 LONNY BOHONOS 32 3 1 4 -9 4 0 0 0 0 39 7.7
TOR G 31 *MARCEL COUSINEAU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TOR D 23 *JEFF WARE 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TOR C 42 *KEVYN ADAMS 5 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3 .0
TOR D 26 CRAIG WOLANIN 10 0 0 0 -9 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
TOR G 30 GLENN HEALY 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
TOR G 29 FELIX POTVIN 62 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 .0
VAN R 10 PAVEL BURE 76 47 37 84 7 46 11 4 4 1 301 15.6
VAN C 11 MARK MESSIER 76 21 37 58 -9 48 8 2 2 0 132 15.9
VAN R 89 ALEXANDER MOGILNY 45 17 24 41 -4 30 5 3 1 1 110 15.5
VAN L 19 MARKUS NASLUND 70 14 19 33 5 54 2 1 0 0 99 14.1
VAN R 27 TODD BERTUZZI 68 13 18 31 -15 119 2 1 2 0 89 14.6
VAN D 21 JYRKI LUMME 68 9 20 29 -24 32 4 0 1 1 112 8.0
VAN D 2 *MATTIAS OHLUND 72 7 21 28 5 74 1 0 0 0 162 4.3
VAN D 3 BRET HEDICAN 65 2 24 26 5 71 1 0 0 0 74 2.7
VAN R 28 BRIAN NOONAN 76 10 14 24 -18 52 1 0 2 2 83 12.0
VAN C 20 *DAVE SCATCHARD 70 13 10 23 -2 144 0 0 1 1 79 16.5
VAN D 23 BRYAN MCCABE 76 3 19 22 19 207 1 0 0 0 114 2.6
VAN L 9 BRAD MAY 57 11 10 21 4 148 2 0 1 0 86 12.8
VAN C 22 PETER ZEZEL 26 4 14 18 15 2 2 0 1 0 34 11.8
VAN L 8 DONALD BRASHEAR 73 8 9 17 -9 332 0 0 1 1 62 12.9
VAN R 24 SCOTT WALKER 56 3 10 13 -7 162 0 1 1 0 38 7.9
VAN D 5 DANA MURZYN 31 5 2 7 -3 42 0 0 2 0 29 17.2
VAN R 25 STEVE STAIOS 71 3 4 7 -2 134 0 0 1 0 41 7.3
VAN D 6 ADRIAN AUCOIN 30 3 3 6 -3 19 1 0 1 0 38 7.9
VAN D 48 *BERT ROBERTSSON 25 2 4 6 4 24 0 0 0 0 17 11.8
VAN D 7 JAMIE HUSCROFT 47 0 4 4 -2 156 0 0 0 0 24 .0
VAN D 36 *CHRIS MCALLISTER 36 1 2 3 -12 106 0 0 0 0 15 6.7
VAN C 9 *LUBOMIR VAIC 5 1 1 2 -2 2 0 0 0 0 8 12.5
VAN L 7 DAVID ROBERTS 13 1 1 2 -1 4 0 0 0 0 14 7.1
VAN C 26 BRANDON CONVERY 7 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0
VAN D 34 *JASON STRUDWICK 22 0 2 2 -1 43 0 0 0 0 8 .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 30 GARTH SNOW 37 0 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 .0
VAN G 32 ARTURS IRBE 38 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH R 12 PETER BONDRA 71 48 25 73 12 40 10 4 11 2 266 18.0
WSH C 77 ADAM OATES 75 16 55 71 6 34 3 2 3 0 114 14.0
WSH D 6 CALLE JOHANSSON 66 15 19 34 -9 28 10 1 1 2 156 9.6
WSH L 22 STEVE KONOWALCHUK 73 9 20 29 8 70 1 0 2 0 120 7.5
WSH D 96 PHIL HOUSLEY 57 5 24 29 -10 24 4 1 0 0 103 4.9
WSH C 90 JOE JUNEAU 49 8 20 28 -8 26 3 1 1 0 72 11.1
WSH L 44 *RICHARD ZEDNIK 65 17 9 26 -2 28 2 0 2 0 148 11.5
WSH D 28 JEFF BROWN 57 4 22 26 4 30 4 0 0 0 100 4.0
WSH C 32 DALE HUNTER 75 6 18 24 1 99 0 0 1 0 74 8.1
WSH L 18 ANDREW BRUNETTE 28 11 12 23 2 12 4 0 2 2 42 26.2
WSH D 55 SERGEI GONCHAR 66 5 15 20 5 56 2 0 0 0 122 4.1
WSH L 11 ESA TIKKANEN 41 3 15 18 -9 18 1 0 2 0 59 5.1
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 C 8 *JAN BULIS 48 5 11 16 -5 18 0 0 0 1 37 13.5
WSH L 10 KELLY MILLER 69 7 7 14 -3 34 0 3 3 1 62 11.3
WSH L 27 CRAIG BERUBE 67 6 8 14 -3 181 0 0 0 0 61 9.8
WSH L 9 TODD KRYGIER 40 2 11 13 -2 24 0 0 1 0 63 3.2
WSH L 21 JEFF TOMS 44 4 6 10 -17 13 0 0 1 0 64 6.3
WSH C 13 ANDREI NIKOLISHIN 31 3 7 10 1 10 0 0 0 0 25 12.0
WSH D 29 JOE REEKIE 66 2 8 10 13 66 0 0 1 0 57 3.5
WSH C 20 MICHAL PIVONKA 31 3 6 9 6 14 0 0 1 0 37 8.1
WSH D 19 BRENDAN WITT 63 1 7 8 -11 112 0 0 0 0 68 1.5
WSH L 34 *JAROSLAV SVEJKOVSKY 17 4 1 5 -5 10 2 0 1 0 29 13.8
WSH D 2 KEN KLEE 50 4 1 5 -2 42 0 0 1 0 44 9.1
WSH L 23 BRIAN BELLOWS 4 3 1 4 -3 2 3 0 1 0 13 23.1
WSH L 36 MIKE EAGLES 29 1 2 3 -1 12 0 0 0 0 20 5.0
WSH C 48 *BENOIT GRATTON 6 0 1 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0
WSH G 30 BILL RANFORD 22 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH G 37 OLAF KOLZIG 57 0 1 1 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH C 14 PAT PEAKE 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0
WSH D 43 DAVID HARLOCK 2 0 0 0 1 2 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
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Hockey Pool Stats - Goaltenders (thru April 5, 1998)
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TM NO GOALTENDER GPI MINS AVG W L T EN SO GA SA SPCT G A PIM
ANA 67 *TOM ASKEY 4 130 2.31 0 0 1 0 0 5 58 .914 0 0 0
ANA 31 GUY HEBERT 46 2660 2.93 13 24 6 4 3 130 1339 .903 0 1 4
ANA 35 M. SHTALENKOV 36 1829 3.28 11 16 5 2 1 100 913 .890 0 1 0
BOS 35 ROBBIE TALLAS 11 640 1.69 4 3 3 0 1 18 258 .930 0 0 0
BOS 34 BYRON DAFOE 59 3361 2.23 27 22 9 8 6 125 1443 .913 0 3 2
BOS 30 JIM CAREY 10 496 2.90 3 2 1 0 2 24 225 .893 0 0 0
BUF 39 DOMINIK HASEK 67 3955 2.12 30 23 12 3 13 140 2027 .931 0 2 12
BUF 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 13 615 2.63 3 4 3 0 0 27 302 .911 0 0 17
CGY 30 DWAYNE ROLOSON 32 1805 2.76 10 12 7 4 0 83 814 .898 0 4 6
CGY 31 RICK TABARACCI 41 2395 2.83 13 21 6 2 0 113 1073 .895 0 1 14
CGY 1 *TYLER MOSS 6 367 3.27 2 3 1 0 0 20 186 .892 0 0 0
CAR 37 TREVOR KIDD 42 2431 2.17 19 19 3 4 2 88 1114 .921 0 0 2
CAR 33 SEAN BURKE 25 1415 2.80 7 11 5 2 1 66 655 .899 0 1 6
CAR 22 PAT JABLONSKI 4 219 3.29 1 3 0 1 0 12 89 .865 0 0 0
CAR 1 KIRK MCLEAN 8 401 3.29 4 2 0 1 0 22 180 .878 0 1 0
CHI 31 JEFF HACKETT 55 3266 2.17 21 22 11 3 8 118 1443 .918 0 0 8
CHI 40 CHRIS TERRERI 19 1097 2.46 8 9 1 4 2 45 464 .903 0 1 0
CHI 29 ANDREI TREFILOV 6 299 3.41 1 4 0 0 0 17 145 .883 0 0 0
COL 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 22 1102 2.29 7 7 4 2 1 42 550 .924 0 0 2
COL 33 PATRICK ROY 61 3591 2.41 30 17 12 4 4 144 1724 .916 0 3 37
DAL 30 *EMMANUEL FERNANDE 2 69 1.74 1 0 0 0 0 2 35 .943 0 0 0
DAL 20 ED BELFOUR 54 3213 1.92 31 12 10 1 9 103 1178 .913 0 0 16
DAL 1 ROMAN TUREK 22 1269 2.17 11 9 1 3 1 46 485 .905 0 0 2
DET 34 *NORM MARACLE 4 178 2.02 2 0 1 0 0 6 63 .905 0 0 0
DET 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 59 3508 2.21 30 18 11 5 6 129 1503 .914 0 0 31
DET 31 *KEVIN HODSON 20 929 2.58 9 2 3 1 2 40 423 .905 0 0 2
EDM 30 BOB ESSENSA 15 765 2.51 5 6 1 2 0 32 367 .913 0 0 0
EDM 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 66 3833 2.65 25 30 9 5 7 169 1781 .905 0 2 4
FLA 1 KIRK MCLEAN 4 241 2.74 3 1 0 0 0 11 125 .912 0 0 0
FLA 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 55 3184 2.86 18 27 9 3 4 152 1506 .899 0 2 6
FLA 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 12 640 3.00 2 7 2 0 1 32 265 .879 0 0 2
FLA 1 *KEVIN WEEKES 11 485 3.96 0 5 1 1 0 32 247 .870 0 0 0
LAK 1 *JAMIE STORR 14 780 2.38 7 5 1 0 1 31 411 .925 0 0 0
LAK 35 STEPHANE FISET 55 3217 2.61 24 22 8 4 2 140 1569 .911 0 1 8
LAK 31 FREDERIC CHABOT 12 554 3.14 3 3 2 0 0 29 267 .891 0 0 0
MTL 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 43 2402 2.37 18 14 6 1 2 95 1007 .906 0 2 0
MTL 35 ANDY MOOG 39 2154 2.59 17 16 4 1 2 93 956 .903 0 0 4
NJD 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 66 3923 1.79 43 15 7 4 10 117 1489 .921 0 3 10
NJD 35 RICH SHULMISTRA 1 62 1.94 0 1 0 0 0 2 30 .933 0 0 0
NJD 1 MIKE DUNHAM 12 603 2.49 3 5 2 0 1 25 265 .906 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 12 451 2.13 2 3 2 0 1 16 192 .917 0 1 0
NYI 35 TOMMY SALO 58 3221 2.68 21 27 5 8 4 144 1484 .903 0 1 31
NYI 1 ERIC FICHAUD 17 807 2.97 3 8 3 1 0 40 422 .905 0 0 0
NYR 34 *DAN CLOUTIER 9 428 2.52 3 4 1 0 0 18 185 .903 0 0 17
NYR 35 MIKE RICHTER 69 3968 2.65 20 29 15 6 0 175 1806 .903 0 1 2
NYR 30 JASON MUZZATTI 6 313 3.26 0 3 2 1 0 17 156 .891 0 0 10
OTW 31 RON TUGNUTT 39 2087 2.30 14 13 8 5 3 80 827 .903 0 0 0
OTW 1 DAMIAN RHODES 45 2468 2.33 16 18 6 3 5 96 1016 .906 0 1 0
PHI 27 RON HEXTALL 43 2510 2.15 21 14 7 2 4 90 1017 .912 0 0 8
PHI 30 GARTH SNOW 29 1651 2.43 14 9 4 0 1 67 682 .902 0 0 18
PHI 33 SEAN BURKE 7 393 2.75 4 2 0 0 1 18 190 .905 0 0 0
PHO 28 JIM WAITE 14 708 2.20 4 5 1 1 1 26 283 .908 0 0 2
PHO 35 N. KHABIBULIN 64 3693 2.73 26 27 10 4 4 168 1658 .899 0 2 20
PHO 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 3 137 4.38 0 1 1 0 0 10 60 .833 0 0 0
PIT 1 *PETER SKUDRA 17 851 1.83 6 4 3 2 0 26 341 .924 0 1 2
PIT 35 TOM BARRASSO 59 3338 2.07 29 14 12 8 7 115 1473 .922 0 2 14
PIT 31 KEN WREGGET 12 452 3.05 2 4 2 1 0 23 215 .893 0 0 6
SJS 29 MIKE VERNON 57 3294 2.57 27 22 6 2 5 141 1313 .893 0 2 22
SJS 32 KELLY HRUDEY 25 1260 2.67 4 15 2 4 1 56 553 .899 0 0 2
SJS 30 JASON MUZZATTI 1 27 4.44 0 0 0 0 0 2 13 .846 0 0 0
STL 30 *RICH PARENT 1 12 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.000 0 0 0
STL 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 26 1441 2.04 14 6 2 1 2 49 538 .909 0 0 4
STL 31 GRANT FUHR 54 3075 2.44 27 20 6 4 3 125 1271 .902 0 2 6
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 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 27 1587 3.02 7 19 1 5 1 80 816 .902 0 1 12
TBL 35 *DEREK WILKINSON 8 311 3.28 2 4 1 1 0 17 148 .885 0 0 0
TBL 1 *ZAC BIERK 10 360 4.00 1 3 0 0 0 24 181 .867 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 62 3565 2.76 23 31 7 4 5 164 1733 .905 0 0 8
TOR 30 GLENN HEALY 19 950 3.03 3 9 2 3 0 48 415 .884 0 0 0
VAN 32 ARTURS IRBE 38 1843 2.80 13 10 5 3 2 86 901 .905 0 0 2
VAN 30 GARTH SNOW 8 298 3.22 3 3 0 0 0 16 164 .902 0 0 0
VAN 33 SEAN BURKE 16 838 3.51 2 9 4 1 0 49 396 .876 0 1 14
VAN 1 KIRK MCLEAN 29 1583 3.68 6 17 4 1 1 97 800 .879 0 0 0
VAN 31 COREY HIRSCH 1 50 6.00 0 0 0 0 0 5 34 .853 0 0 0
WSH 37 OLAF KOLZIG 57 3362 2.25 29 16 9 5 4 126 1531 .918 0 1 12
WSH 30 BILL RANFORD 22 1183 2.79 7 12 2 3 0 55 555 .901 0 1 0
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* LCS HOCKEY * LCS HOCKEY * LCS HOCKEY * LCS HOCKEY * LCS HOCKEY * LCS HOCKEY *
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