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Power play effective for Sabres

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Posted: Tuesday June 01, 1999 07:09 PM

The most surprising element of Buffalo's march to the Stanley Cup finals has been the effectiveness of the Sabres power play, which scored at least once in 14 of 15 playoff games.

The key to the success was the point men on the first unit, Alexei Zhitnik and Jason Woolley. They don't have the flair of a power-play quarterback like Colorado's Sandis Ozolinsh, but they invariably get their shots past the penalty-killing forwards to the net for deflections or rebounds.

Not only did Toronto's tight four-man box gave Zhitnik and Woolley far too much time to create scoring chances, it also failed to keep Sabres forwards away from goalie Curtis Joseph's crease.

Czech Republic may produce best players

The best hockey-playing nation in the world?

You can make an excellent case for the Czech Republic. The Czechs won the Olympics last year and the world championship last month. They have the best goalie in Dominik Hasek of Buffalo, the probable Hart Trophy winner in Jaromir Jagr of Pittsburgh and are likely to have the first two picks in the NHL entry draft June 26.

Center Patrick Stefan is the most talented player available, but the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have Vincent Lecavalier and Chris Gratton up the middle, are expected to go the cautious route and take a winger, Pavel Brendl, who played junior hockey in Calgary.

The expansion Atlanta Thrashers would then have a crack at Stefan, although the team wouldn't take the plunge without thoroughly checking Stefan's health. Stefan suffered two concussions this season while playing with Long Beach in the IHL.

Canucks want a double dose of talent

The Canucks hope to be seeing double, but they'll need some help from the Blackhawks.

Vancouver currently holds the third pick in the upcoming draft, and would like to get Chicago's fourth choice so it can draft both Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the talented twins who played in the Swedish Elite League.

Chicago has expressed interest in Canucks' defenseman Bryan McCabe, and a package of McCabe, another front-line defenseman and a future No. 1 draft choice could get the deal done.

Canadiens looking for successor to Corey

The Montreal Canadiens have hired a headhunting firm to find a successor for president Ronald Corey, who resigned unexpectedly Monday.

Corey loved his hockey club, but after 17 years the stress of being the ringmaster to the NHL's biggest circus finally took its toll.

Corey's legacy will be two Stanley Cups and a new arena, the three-year-old Molson Centre.

But two Cups by the franchise's lofty and often unrealistic standards wasn't much and Montrealers haven't warmed to a 21,000-seat building that is simply too impersonal.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.

 

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