When Blues right wing Brett Hull is at the top of his game, he
gets lots of shots and scores regularly. But in St. Louis's
second-round series against the Red Wings, which Detroit led 3-2
at week's end, Hull had only one goal, no assists and just 16
shots on goal, in part because Wings coach Scotty Bowman and his
assistants, Barry Smith and Dave Lewis, came up with a scheme to
frustrate him. Whenever Hull took a shift, savvy Detroit
defensemen Larry Murphy and Nicklas Lidstrom were sent onto the
ice along with an offensively gifted forward. Why? To force Hull
to play defense, instead of concentrating on offense. ... Sabre
Dominik Hasek's flopping style in goal is often described as
unorthodox, but he may do one of the basics—squaring up on the
initial shot—as well as any goalie in recent history. Pucks
frequently hit him in the chest or upper thigh, making rebounds
easier for him to control and giving his defensemen a better
chance to clear the crease. Hasek deserves credit for being more
fundamentally sound than most observers think. ... It looks as if
Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier made the right decision by
not trading defenseman Richard Smehlik or forward Matthew
Barnaby by the March 24 deadline, deals that were expected.
Smehlik is a reliable backliner who of late has teamed with
Alexei Zhitnik to form one of the most dynamic defensive tandems
in the league. Barnaby is tied for the Sabres' postseason
scoring lead, with five goals and 10 points, and during the
playoffs has resumed being a pest extraordinaire, using his
nastiness to get under opponents' skin. ... One name to remember:
Capitals rookie wing Richard Zednik, who's destined to be a
star. A gunner with a terrific shot, Zednik also has deceptive
speed through the neutral zone, which helps him create chances
for himself off the rush. Zednik, a Slovakian who was drafted
249th in 1994, is one of eight homegrown players on Washington's
active playoff roster. Like 50-goal scorer Peter Bondra (a
Ukrainian who was drafted 156th in '90), Zednik is one of those
outstanding low picks unearthed by the late Jack Button, who
scouted Europe as well as anyone.
Pierre McGuire coached the Hartford Whalers in 1993-94.
Issue date: May 25, 1998
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NHL Finals
