Posted: Tue May 26, 1998

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

President Clinton went to Game 2 of the Buffalo-Washington series and put some life into the building. Kudos also to the Capitals for winning a tough game they could have lost and reviving this series before it slipped off to Buffalo. It was beginning to look like the Sabres would never lose.

Anyway, lots of hockey and lots of questions. On to them:

When Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood makes a sprawling save and looks a bit awkward at times, he's "struggling." But when Buffalo's Dominik Hasek makes the same unorthodox, scrambling save, he is applauded as the best goaltender in the NHL. Shouldn't a goalie be judged on results, rather than hype?
—Bob Kukula, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Yes, results are the determining factor, and if Osgood shuts out the Stars a couple more times, he'll start getting more deference. The fact is that Hasek has been the best goaltender in the NHL for years, often carrying an average team. He was league MVP last year and could well repeat. He won the gold medal in Nagano. Those are the results. And they're the reason Hasek could tend goal on one skate with a pitchfork, and we'd all be marveling at his style. Osgood, meantime, has been inconsistent (though he can be very good at times), so observers look for signs that he's not on his game. It may not be entirely fair, but it's entirely logical.

Do you know why Dominik Hasek and former Sabres coach Ted Nolan were at odds? When asked if there were any circumstances under which Hasek could have respect for Nolan, Hasek replied, "No."
—Greg Kosanovich, Buffalo

Hasek is a proud man who has been the backbone of the Sabres for years. He is fiercely competitive and takes criticism deeply to heart. So in last year's playoffs when Nolan openly questioned the severity of Hasek's knee injury, and also implied to the rest of the Sabres that Hasek wasn't courageous enough for the postseason, Hasek was wounded. Those comments, as best I know from talking to Hasek about it, are why he will never be able to respect Nolan. I think he felt there was a lot of bluster there. Nolan, himself a competitive sort, perhaps thought he could light a fire—not fully considering that one burned in Hasek already.

When will Washington's Peter Bondra rise out of obscurity? Bondra is a fun player to watch: He's fast, he has moves aplenty, and he has fantastic shots. He's also one of the league's most consistent players. What's keeping his name out of the spotlight?
—Walter Stevens, Mountain View, Calif.

What he needs is simple: For the Caps to have a long run in the playoffs, and for him to shine during that run. Right now, this is Bondra's chance.

With the trapping teams eliminated from the playoffs, will the NHL be more wide-open next season?
—Doug Sutherland, Babylon, N.Y.

If this obstruction crackdown continues, games will certainly be more wide-open. And your implicit point—as fewer trap-oriented teams (the Caps and Sabres do trap sometimes, by the way) have success, coaches will increasingly stay away from pure trapping—is astute. I do think some of the more talented teams might stray from the trap a bit. But with further expansion coming and with talent watered down throughout the league, there will still be plenty of trapping going on. A good trap can bring in some important (if boring) wins for an less-talented team.

Are you surprised that the Blues were so outplayed by the Red Wings, even though the series lasted six games? How do you think they will handle their free agents?
—Curtis Fischer, Vandalia, Mo.

No, I wasn't surprised. The Blues were outplayed for long stretches but did show some grit. The Wings are just a much better team.

I think St. Louis will try to keep Brett Hull, not least because the fans want him. The Blues will also certainly secure one of their two free-agent defensemen, Al MacInnis or Steve Duchesne. I think they'll keep Duchesne, and should try to keep both. Forward Geoff Courtnall is tough. They'd like to keep him, of course, but he picked a great time to have an outstanding year and could cost too much. Depending on what happens with Hull and Courtnall, I expect the Blues to make at least a preliminary play for Pittsburgh center Ron Francis.

How could you write a report that makes Mark Messier look like a villain? He's proven over time that he is truly one of the best leaders in the sport. Yet, just because Gino Odjick didn't like leaving Vancouver, you have turned Mess into a bad guy. If it weren't for him, the Canucks might have not even be an NHL-class team.
—Jason Chang, Philippines

You're referring to my April 13 Inside the NHL column in SI. Messier is no villain. He is, however, an uncommonly forceful leader whose will to win sometimes causes him to turn against teammates. If you can play and play hard you shouldn't have a problem with Mess. I said in that piece that Messier "is widely regarded as the most inspirational leader in hockey." He needs to be The Man, and therefore can create some disturbances in his wake.

I think, however, that he is a great addition to the Canucks. If somehow, some way, Vancouver could pry Eric Lindros from the Flyers—they'd have to give up Pavel Bure, plus—that would be a wonderful thing for hockey. It could set Lindros straight as a real leader, and would take the pressure off Messier to play against the top opposing centers and/or checkers. Messier is a pressure-absorbing leader, so when things go well he gets plenty of credit and when his team struggles, as the Canucks did, he gets blame. That's the nature of his stature.

I see you picked Buffalo to beat the Capitals. Didn't you also pick the Senators to do the same? The Capitals have been playing solid hockey for the last two months. The only flaw in the Capitals' game right now is the number of shots they are giving up, which is not as bad as it seems, considering a majority of the shots are very easy saves for Kolzig. The Capitals also have a healthy Peter Bondra. Watch out.
—Ronald Korzen, Woodbridge, Va.

No, I didn't pick the Senators to beat them. I've picked the Caps every round until now. They're a good solid team; I just think the rambunctious Sabres, with Hasek and all, are a little bit better.

What are the chances of the Islanders re-signing winger Ziggy Palffy? If he doesn't come back, what other team do you think he will sign with?
—Tony Benick, Plainview, N.Y.

I think he'll re-sign with the Isles. New ownership has made it a priority, Mike Milbury knows how good he is, and Palffy can be an important figure as the Islanders re-establish an identity. The Isles' main threat is the Rangers, who could give him one of those awful front-loaded offer sheets. The Islanders have been careful not to do or say anything lately to jack up their already heated rivalry with the Rangers, for that very reason.

I found it interesting that in last week's Mailbag you mention these two topics: diving and the best-skilled players. First, you say refs haven't been calling dives but that they can't be blamed. Then, you talk about skilled players and you rate Peter Forsberg in the Top 5. Dives and Forsberg in the same column!
—Mark Birch, Victoria, British Columbia

I'm supposing your implication is that Forsberg dives a lot. He has that reputation, but from what I've seen I'm not ready to put him on par with the really heinous divers, like his Avalanche teammates Eric Lacroix and the inimitable Claude Lemieux. Regardless, whether Forsberg dives or not has no bearing on his stature as one of the NHL's elite players. It could, perhaps, be a blemish on his game, but he's still a great player. Period.

Do you think the Rangers stand a chance of re-signing Mike Richter? He is asking for $6 million a season, a no-trade clause, and he wants four years. As a big Richter fan, I believe the Rangers can't let him walk because of what happened last year with Mark Messier. What do you think?
—Sean McInerney, Bridgewater, N.J.

Sadly, the Rangers are dragging their feet on this. They showed remarkable hubris in their disdain for Messier and they could have had this Richter deal done long ago. I think they assume they could just plug in Curtis Joseph, say, and everything will be fine. What the Rangers don't seem to realize is that fans relate to players and want an identity and a personality to hold on to. Instead, the team is being run like a business: The Rangers have Gretzky to lure the casual fan and then they spend money plugging holes. That said, they certainly "stand a chance" to sign Richter. It will probably come down to the number of years he demands (the Rangers don't want to retard indefinitely the growth of young goalie Dan Cloutier). Richter could relent and drop his demands to three years at, say, $6.5 million per, and the Rangers could get this done.

New York knows it took a big P.R. hit when it let Messier go, and it certainly doesn't want Richter to wind up with a good conference foe like the Flyers. Also, Richter likes New York, and for the same money—maybe a little less—would stay there. I think if the Rangers are serious about competing next season they have to keep Richter. If for some reason they decide to completely dismantle and rebuild the team (very unlikely), they'll let him go.

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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
May 8: Lemaire couldn't stand the heat
May 12: The best of the best
May 15: Winging it with Fedorov
May 19: Skills equal thrills
May 22: Eastern champs will be good—but not that good