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 Expectations crush Senators
Posted: Tuesday April 27, 1999 10:59 PM
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs traditionally produce an upset or two, but rarely does a lower echelon team dominate the process. That's what's going on in the series between the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators, and it's causing some to raise questions regarding the Senators' makeup. Through April 26, Buffalo led the best-of-seven series, three games to none. The Sabres took the first two games in Ottawa in typical playoff fashion, but then dominated the Senators in the first game in Buffalo, winning 3-0 in a game that was not as close as the final score would indicate. That's put some tremendous pressure on the Senators, a team that won the Northeast Division this season with 103 points and nearly finished first in the Eastern Conference. The Senators never lost to the Sabres in five regular-season meetings (although there were four ties) and finished 12 points ahead of Buffalo, a team that had to go to the last period of the last game of the season to secure a win that kept it out of eighth place. So what's the reason for the turnaround? Well, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff credits long walks in the parks around Ottawa, the capital of Canada, but other Sabres see it a bit differently. They're getting excellent goaltending out of two-time league MVP Dominik Hasek, but Sabres captain Michael Peca noted that the Senators might be feeling the pressure of high expectations, especially being in the capital of Canada. "There's a lot of pressure on them because of the expectations that come with finishing first in the division," Peca said. "There's also the expectations that come with being a Canadian team in Canada's capital. Hockey is pretty important up here. People take it very seriously." Peca is another reason the Sabres are winning the series with some ease. A former Selke Trophy winner as the league's best defensive forward, he's emerged as a solid two-way player in the classic Canadian tradition. Peca is not only scoring on a regular basis -- he has at least one goal in each of the three games -- but he's kept Ottawa scoring star Alexei Yashin from scoring a point. Yashin scored 44 goals and 94 points in the regular season and was expected to lead the Senators to a big run in the playoffs. The Peca-Yashin matchup has reinvigorated the debate as to whether or not Europeans have the same desire to win the Stanley Cup as North Americans do. The issue was pretty much put to rest in recent years when Colorado and Detroit won Cups with rosters that were heavy with European players. A better explanation of what's happening in the Buffalo-Ottawa series is that the Senators are a young team feeling the weight of high expectations. It's not uncommon for a young team to take a step backward in development when up against a pressure situation. Whatever the outcome of this series, the Senators would be wise not to overreact. They are a good young team with the emphasis on the word "young."
Star peopleThink emotion and effort don't mean anything in the NHL today? Pittsburgh is staying alive in its series with the New Jersey Devils even without scoring star Jaromir Jagr. The Carolina Hurricanes are battling the Boston Bruins despite the fact star center Ron Francis is hobbled with a sprained ankle. The Philadelphia Flyers are giving the Toronto Maple Leafs a serious fight without scoring star Eric Lindros. The theory is that the East is so evenly balanced that even the loss of a star player can be overcome by teams willing to raise their game a bit.
Another sobering thought on LittletonThis is how accustomed we've become to high school violence. Carolina Defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn has an off-season home in Littleton, Colo., site of the shootings at Columbine High School, which killed 15 and injured at least 20. "It's really scary that that could happen 10 minutes from where I live," he said. "While we were watching the TV coverage, my wife [Laura] had second thoughts about going back. But we realize that it could have happened anywhere." Leschyshyn has lived in Littleton for four years, ever since he played for the Avalanche. "We'll be a little more cautious there now," he said.
Coffey headed for retirement?It would appear the end is at hand for future Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey. Coffey has played for four Stanley Cup champions in his career, but was scratched for Game 1 with what the Hurricanes say is an injured hamstring. The injury came as a surprise to many as Coffey had played the final 16 regular season games for the Hurricanes and practiced with the club all week. Once the fastest skater in the game, Coffey was scratched during the Flyers' playoff run last year. The Hurricanes obtained him in hopes of juicing up their power play, but Coffey, 37, has struggled with injuries and no longer seems to figure in the team's game plan.
Avs' Lacroix: Community mattersAvalanche GM Pierre Lacroix made the call to switch the first two games of the Colorado Avalanche's playoff series with the San Jose Sharks, giving up the hard won home-ice advantage after the shootings in Colorado. Lacroix, a father of two who lives near the school, said for his team to play hockey as scheduled wouldn't have been right. A conversation with Avalanche governor and Ascent Entertainment CEO Charlie Lyons led to the decision to go 2-3-2 rather than the traditional 2-2-1-1-1 format. "Charlie Lyons said, 'We're close to this community. We have to act like all these kids are our kids," Lacroix said. "We've agreed to go and start the series in San Jose in due respect to the situation. It's our way to show our community our respects to the situation."
The Great One remembersWayne Gretzky didn't forget anyone in the days leading up to his retirement, including Gus Badali, his first agent. Badali negotiated the $875,000 contract with Nelson Skalbania in June, 1978, that brought Gretzky to the World Hockey Association. When word of Gretzky's impending retirement started to leak out, Badali called New York Ranger general manager Neil Smith a couple of days before to see if there was any way he could get a couple of tickets. A few days later Gretzky called and said he was leaving two at the box office in Badali's name. "I almost fell off my seat when he called," Badali said. Badali is still a prominent NHL agent, but he was replaced by Mike Barnett after a few years in Edmonton. Barnett is still Gretzky's agent and primary business partner.
Predators' Legwand set for successDavid Legwand is a young man who won at the losing game. Legwand's Plymouth (Mich.) Whalers lost a playoff series in the Ontario Hockey League and then signed with the Nashville Predators just 24 hours later. Legwand --the Predators' top draft pick and the second overall selection in the 1998 Entry Draft-- signed a three-year deal that could be worth as much as $8.925 million. He will get a signing bonus of $975,000, and -- should he make the Predators' roster -- will make $487,500, $487,500 and $975,000 as base salaries. Those are typical rookie numbers, but bonus money could earn Legwand an additional $6 million over the course of those years.
Sundin quiets playoff pressureThat last-minute goal Mats Sundin scored to secure a win for Toronto in Game Two of the playoff series with Philadelphia did wonders to quell the latest round of Sundin bashing in Toronto. Sundin was getting heat for having a $22.1 million contract (U.S. dollars) and a weak second half of the regular season. Most troubling was that Sundin recorded just four points against Philly, Ottawa, Boston and Jersey this year. "I haven't really got far in the playoffs before," Sundin said. ""I feel it's very important [to establish myself]." Jim Kelley covers the NHL -- and the Sabres -- for the Buffalo News. His notebook and Rumor Mill appear weekly on CNN/SI.com.
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