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Brodeur on bubble Team Canada's goalie situation still unsettledPosted: Wednesday November 28, 2001 11:36 AMUpdated: Wednesday November 28, 2001 6:37 PM
Even before he withdrew from Olympic team consideration, Patrick Roy was no lock to be the starter for Canada. Two Team Canada officials told me that despite his dominance in the 2001 playoffs and his strong start this season, there was a division between Roy advocates and Roy detractors within team management. Now Roy's opponent in the Stanley Cup final, Martin Brodeur, is on the bubble, but not because the New Jersey goalie overhandles the puck. Indeed, Canada would like a goalie whose puck movement helps start an attack, but puck moving is not as important as puck stopping, and Brodeur entered the week with a save percentage below .900. The favorites are Toronto's Curtis Joseph backed by Phoenix's Sean Burke. Do-over in DallasThe Dallas Stars have called a do-over. When their offseason plan of signing Jeremy Roenick jumped the track after he signed with Philadelphia, the Stars signed four offensive players, none in the obvious mold constructed by general manager Bob Gainey and coach Ken Hitchcock. Now only Pierre Turgeon, out with an ankle injury, and Valeri Kamensky remain. One-way winger Donald Audette was in trouble when he was scratched in the Stars' third game, while Jyrki Lumme, a puck-moving but soft defenseman, was playing scant minutes before he took a short leave to be with his family in Finland. The players the Stars received in return last week -- Martin Rucinsky and Benoit Brunet from Montreal for Audette, throwback defenseman Dave Manson from Toronto for Lumme -- have fewer skills but more bite. Life without The Dominator no picnic for SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are still adjusting to life without The Dominator. Martin Biron has been adequate in goal in replacing Dominik Hasek but he has battled the puck at times and given up some juicy rebounds. Nor has Biron had much help in his own end from teammates, who did a better job playing in front of Hasek. Buffalo should get a boost when Rhett Warrener, out with a groin injury, returns next week. Warrener plays with Jay McKee on the first defense pair, which should stiffen the Sabres' spine and clear the rebounds that have bedeviled Biron in his first year as a starter. 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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