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Nine lives Felix the Cat pounces back in Los Angeles
Updated: Tuesday March 20, 2001 4:19 PM
Goalie Felix Potvin's renaissance in Los Angeles has been barely short of miraculous. After being drummed out of Vancouver, the Cat's new life with the Kings includes a 9-2-2 record and a goals-against average below two. Potvin still plays deeper in his crease than any goalie besides Edmonton's Tommy Salo, but he seems more poised playing behind a team that has tightened defensively since Rob Blake was traded. While Blake is superb, his offensive instincts governed his play this season -- a contract year. The Kings' needs have been equally well served by the acquisition of steady defenseman Aaron Miller who came from Colorado in the Blake trade. Miller was particularly brilliant Monday in a key win over Phoenix.
Avs win the big oneColorado is in the middle of a string of tough games against Western Conference rivals, but few wins have been as significant as the one over Detroit last Saturday. After being waxed twice by New Jersey and falling in its first meeting with the Wings, the Avalanche needed a late-season win over a contending club to reconfirm its status as the western powerhouse. Prior to meeting San Jose on Tuesday, Colorado was a mere 7-6-2-4 against nine teams it might bump into on the way to a Stanley Cup. Rob Blake has fit in well while growing accustomed to coach Bob Hartley's more restrictive system, but the playoff key remains Patrick Roy's goaltending.
Ironing things out with MikeBoston has not yet decided whether to pick up a two-year option on coach Mike Keenan. But even if Keenan doesn't return, he has established a legacy in Boston with the development of Joe Thornton. Prodded by Keenan, who sees some Mark Messier potential in the 6-foot-4 center, Thornton has harnessed his talent to become a 30-goal scorer with some sharp edges to his game. Keenan has been relentless, challenging Thornton to be a force on the ice and hectoring him about taking bad penalties. The results are obvious: Keenan is turning Thornton from a goofy kid into one of the men he prefers to coach. Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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