Posted: Fri May 8, 1998

Sports Illustrated hockey writer Kostya Kennedy will answer your NHL questions through the Stanley Cup Finals. Click here to send a question.

A note on Jacques Lemaire, who resigned as Devils coach on Friday: He may have had troubles in the playoffs the past few years but he has one of the finest hockey minds in the game. The problem with Lemaire—and with GM Lou Lamoriello—is that he's just too uptight. Lemaire left Montreal after one year of coaching largely to get away from the rough media. And it must have set his blood roiling to have writers questioning his every move in New Jersey. He couldn't keep an even keel in the playoff glare and after one game against Ottawa refused to talk to the media for fear of saying something he would regret. But he knows how to run a hockey game and how to design a system, and whatever Jacques Lemaire goes on to do over the next few years, he's not finished having a real impact on the NHL.

On to the questions:

Ruff has plenty to smile about as his Sabres enter the second-round against Montreal.    (AP/Bill Sikes)

With the whole Ted Nolan thing hanging over his head and the complete disarray inside Buffalo's locker room at the start of the season, what do you think of the job Lindy Ruff has done with my beloved Sabres?
—David Backlund, Grand Island, N.Y

He's been fantastic. Ruff weathered the Sabres' slow start and all the bring-back-Nolan calls, and made this team his own. He didn't flinch when the franchise was sold to John Rigas, a Nolan supporter. Ruff has gotten his team to like itself, and like each another. One of the best things the coach did this year was to allow all of his players and his assistants to bring their fathers on a road trip. Assistant Mike Ramsey, who played 18 years in the league, said the trip was perhaps his most memorable experience.

Ruff is compassionate, straightforward and relatively low-key (for a hockey coach). He deserves all the praise he gets.

As an avid fan of the Ottawa Senators since Day One of their expansion franchise, I am obviously excited about this great playoff run. In your opinion, how far away are they from being considered in the top tier of Cup contenders, given that next year they will have the top prospect in junior hockey, Marian Hossa.
—Jim Hennessy, Ottawa

This is a good team, and while the Senators certainly pulled a big surprise in upsetting the Devils, many people recognized the talent there at the start of the season—Ottawa was picked by SI, for instance, to win the Northeast Division.

The big factor here is goaltender Damian Rhodes. He played well against the Devils but not outstandingly (he didn't have to), and showed signs of coming apart against the Capitals when he gave up four goals on 16 shots in the series opener. The Sens need him to be a consistent and confident goalie if they're going to step their game up, so his performance in this round is a key to how highly the team will be regarded come next year's postseason.

Ottawa could use a real marquee defenseman (Al MacInnis?) to give it immediate stability and also to help in the nurturing of young Chris Phillips, who can be a part of an excellent nucleus for years to come. The Eastern Conference is full of older, non-dominant teams, and with a couple of moves and Rhodes' development the Senators could move quickly into that upper tier you're talking about.

I think that the length of time between playoff games is stupid. How can a team stay on a roll when it has too many days between games? Why doesn't commissioner Gary Bettman put his foot down with Fox and ESPN?
—Joe Johnston, Detroit

The long break between series is certainly a bore—it slows teams' momentum and allows giddy fans too much time to sober up. Basically, the break puts a drag on what should be steadily building playoff excitement. The breaks also push the Stanley Cup Finals far too deep into June. But don't expect the NHL to argue with the desires of TV.

Last week the league actually made a last-minute switch and moved a game in the Detroit-Phoenix series from a Saturday night to Sunday to accommodate Fox. Never mind the fans who bought tickets for Saturday night in Phoenix. The NHL is desperate to improve its television ratings and will continue to do whatever it can to appease the TV powers—including staggering its games.

After watching young captains such as Keith Tkachuk (Coyotes) and Eric Lindros (Flyers) wilt in the playoffs, isn't it a better idea to give the captaincy to a veteran so that the young gun won't feel the burden of leadership? After all, Theo Fleury of the Flames rediscovered his scoring touch after he gave up the C.
—Fiona Chen, Ann Arbor, Mich.

You're right. It's nearly always a mistake to give a young player that responsibility. Both Tkachuk and Lindros have shown that they were too immature, and in many cases too selfish, to wear the C and be a strong team leader.

Another instance came on the Islanders, who before this past season gave 22-year-old Bryan McCabe the captaincy. McCabe was valiant in trying to live up to the position and was a stand-up figure in the face of media criticism. But as the Islanders struggled, McCabe's game fell apart. The burden of the captaincy weighed heavily upon him, and his play stopped developing. After one midseason loss he sat sobbing in the locker room. Eventually, McCabe was traded to the Canucks.

Overall, it's much better to give the captaincy to a steeled veteran, preferably one who has won a Cup or at least been through some long playoff wars.

Do you think the Canucks will definitely unload Alexander Mogilny or Pavel Bure (or both)? And what chance would the Florida Panthers have of getting one of these players to pair with future superstar Viktor Kozlov?
—Eugene Berkovich, Boca Raton, Fla.

It really seems like Bure's gone, but I wouldn't say "unload" is what the Canucks are going to do. Bure's a premier, premier talent, and not even Mike Keenan would toss him aside without getting some serious value in return. Keenan would probably love to get ahold of defenseman Ed Jovanovski and try to wring the potential out of him—and that could be the starting point of a deal. But overall, I don't think the Panthers have the right personnel to pry Pavel.

I keep thinking about that Bure-for-Eric Lindros rumor with the Flyers which is so sexy and, if Mr. Messier approves, would make good sense for both teams. As for the Panthers, I know they're interested in New Jersey's Doug Gilmour, and they have a good chance to land him.

With the expansion drafts coming up again, which goalies do you think will get picked up? Will the new teams go for instant credibility (i.e., John Vanbiesbrouck, Florida), a stopgap approach (Chris Terreri, Chicago), or take a chance on a young kid (Steve Shields, Buffalo, or Mike Dunham, New Jersey)?

I don't know if you'd want to take a promising kid and stick him behind a team that is going to give up 35 shots a night. Maybe now the NHL will stop expanding.
—Joseph Caso, Buffalo

You make a good point about an expansion team not wanting to immediately expose a young goalie to a nightly onslaught. Still, I think some good young keepers, and certainly the Devils' Dunham, will get taken. Then an expansion team can always pick up a veteran to share the load. There are usually several capable, backup-quality goalies available. So the best thing for an expansion team is to take a chance on a potentially outstanding young goalie and then ease that goalie in along with a veteran who can be a short-term solution.

Send a question to Kostya Kennedy, and check back Tuesday to read more of his responses.

Previous NHL Playoff Mailbags
April 16: Setting the stage for the scramble
April 21: Reasons to get upset
April 24: No Sabres insurance needed
April 27: Let's not go to the videotape
May 1: Them's fightin' words
May 5: Calling Mr. Crawford