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Allison's slow start hurts Kings
Los Angeles will surely win the trade that sent Glen Murray and Jozef Stumpel to Boston for center Jason Allison. Allison is the best player and a horse that can carry a franchise. But the Kings have suffered through his slow start. Allison, who sat out in a contract dispute with the Bruins, is only now beginning to round into game shape, which is reflected in the Kings having lost five of the six games in which he has played. He has no goals and only three assists. Coach Andy Murray is still trying to figure out the best combination of wingers to play on the top line. With Ziggy Palffy out with back spasms, Murray has settled on minor-league call-up Jaroslav Bednar and Adam Deadmarsh. Road killThe last time a road trip began this badly, Napoleon was moving on Moscow. The Atlanta Thrashers regressed to their expansion ways as they started a two-week, seven-game trip, losing three players and three games while basically waving the white flag of surrender.Tough guy Jeff Odgers' broken leg in the opening minute of a loss in San Jose might account for that thumping. However, a 4-1 defeat to Los Angeles two days later in which the Thrashers had no shots in the first period and a 5-0 pounding the following day against struggling Anaheim were inexcusable. In the Kings game, Patrik Stefan, the cellophane No. 1 overall draft pick in 1999, was injured again -- this time with a hyperextended elbow. Defenseman Yannick Tremblay dislocated his shoulder against the Mighty Ducks and is out for a month. But the insult of the Thrashers mailing it in is even worse than the injury.
Fickle youthSpeaking of the Thrashers, rookie Ilya Kovalchuk has great moves, soft hands, an industrial-strength shot and an almost feral hunger to score goals. He's the future of the NHL. The only glitch right now is the present. Kovalchuk comes with an on-off switch: on when he has an offensive opportunity, off when he has to mind his other responsibilities.The remarkably patient Curt Fraser finally lost it last weekend, benching the 18-year-old after his sloppy point coverage led to Los Angeles two goals. He then scratched Kovalchuk from the lineup against Anaheim the next day. The coach's punishment was harsh on a team that doesn't have much else going for it, but it was a worthy stab at breaking a rookie's bad habit. If Kovalchuk wants to float, let Atlanta buy him a swimming pool.
Equipment managersThe trendy move around the NHL is to the new Synergy model stick. Players like Mats Sundin and Marian Hossa who used it last year, and NHL goal leader Mark Parrish of the New York Islanders this season have credited it for their success.But one player who has dropped the stick in favor of his old one is suddenly on fire. Since going back to his old one, Anaheim's Paul Kariya has scored four goals in three games. Kariya thinks he can shoot the puck more accurately now. 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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