Hockey Newsletter - Feb. 16, 2000
Good golly, are the Flyers ever huge!
Let's just call them the Even Broader Street Bullies. Bob (don't call me Bobby) Clarke doesn't seem to notice that teams with fast little snipers, skilled players and no-name players are the ones making moves up the standings in the NHL these days. So why does he pick up 6-foot-3, 277-pound left-winger Gino Odjick from the fledgling Islanders? Because "if you're going to go to war, you have to have the weapons." Uh-huh. And if you're going to win the Cup, you have to have a goalie, Mr. Clarke. Or maybe you'll just have the Big E, John LeClair, Keith Primeau and Gino stand in front of the net for 60 minutes. Nothing could get past that beast of a wall!
Will he stay or will he go?
So it looks like the Dominator's season-long farewell is on hold... for a while anyway. Sabre management has had a yoyo season because of Dominik Hasek's ever-changing moods:
BooHoo... this is his last year.
Yay! This frees up cash for future players and salaries!
BooHoo... Hasek hurt his little self again.
Yay! This young guy Biron looks like the real thing with his league-leading 5 shutouts!
BooHoo... Hasek's back and healthy, we have to sit the new guy.
Yay! Hasek's back for another year... we can contend again!
BooHoo... it's expansion year, and we have 3 goalies again... how can we keep the Dominator and Biron?
Yay! Remember, Bob (don't call me Bobby) Clarke makes bonehead trades for goalies!
Who's hot...
* The Vancouver Canucks' Mark Messier. There's something about trade rumours that puts ants in players' pants. Messier has had an awful season. Well, awful by his standards. The Canucks started the season strong... they were in first place for several beautiful fall weeks... but started the inevitable slide when expensive team captain Mess went out with a knee injury. But now, whether he's showing off to bring in a good trade offer or two (he IS a team player and wants what's best for Vancouver,) or whether he's just sick of missing the post season (he's not been there for 3 years) the Moose looks like his old self. Several multi-goal games and a positive attitude on a long road trip (tough on a 38 year-old hockey player) has put some jump into his teammates' legs. Maybe they'll get into the post season after all (nah!)
* The New Jersey Devils. Too obvious? Likely. But let's give them their day in the sun. They don't have big superstars... well, besides little Marty Brodeur... the players are usually pissed at the owners... (we'll see how the new owners YankeeNets treat 'em) yet they quietly continue to win. Consistently. And how are they doing it? Are they still using the boring trap? Well, yes and no. While they sport the best plus/minus numbers in the league, their pluses are coming from all the lines. The exciting young Scott Gomez leads the team in scoring with 48 points... yet right behind him is Petr Sykora (46), Patrik Elias (45) and Jason Arnott(41.) None of them are in the top 20 scoring leaders, but collectively, this defensive-minded team is putting on a top quality offensive show. Even that Brodeur guy got a goal Tuesday night against Philly. This might be the year that the Devils take back the Cup... at least they won't be bowing out early in the post season (says we... boldly!)
Who's not...
* The Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes, we're all sick of hearing about the recent woes of the team from the Centre of the Universe. It's like the whole of Canada must share the pain with these rich kids of Bay Street. Enough already! It's a slump! Sure, they're in the CTVSportsnet.com doghouse, but LIFE GOES ON! Right now Curtis Joseph stinks. Well of course he does! He's been carrying these guys all season... and last season too. He'll snap out of it. And probably lead the Leafs to yet another conference final. It's ugly now, but not for long... so everyone just stop yer whinin'!
* The Atlanta Thrashers. Yes yes, they're an expansion team and we shouldn't expect big things from them. But when you haven't won a game since Jan. 14th, when you've lost 10 in a row, even an expansion team deserves a turn in the doghouse. So listen here, you Blue Jackets and you Wild things, don't expect an easy go of it next year... we let NO team get away with stinky hockey, even when you're working out the first-year kinks. We just don't care!
In the corners
Rough and tumble hockey players are sometimes a lot like you and me. Witness some of the "run-of-the-mill" reasons why players are out of the line-up this week:
Derek Morris - Flu
Tim Taylor - Flu
Theoren Fluery - Flu
Brent Gilchrist - Hernia
Mike Richter - Rest (I guess he's tired)
German Titov - Strep Throat
Al MacInnis - Back Spasms
Dmitri Kristich - Dentist appointment
But then there are the injuries that kind of make you say "eeeewwww!" For instance:
Derian Hatcher- Lacerated Calf
Jan Vopat - Skin Condition
Steve Smith - Spinal Cord
Benoit Brunet - Eye
Trent McLeary - Larynx/Lung
Brian Savage - Broken Neck
So we may think we can be just like the big shot hockey players, but do we really want to deal with the icky consequences?