Match game

Avs' Hartley will have to counter Sharks' physical attack

Colorado's Bob Hartley -- blessed with the most talent this side of Detroit -- is not much of a match-up coach, generally preferring to force the other team to make adjustments against the Avalanche. But heading into a second-round series against San Jose, Hartley should pay closer attention.

Even in the home-ice games in the first round, Hartley made no extraordinary effort to free Peter Forsberg from Los Angeles defenseman Mattias Norstrom. The result: The Kings' captain banged around Forsberg, who missed Game 6 with a leg injury.

Now, unless Hartley prevents it at least some of the time, it's Bryan Marchment's turn. Look for San Jose coach Darryl Sutter to play the ultra-physical Marchment against Forsberg's line when he has the chance and use defensemen Marcus Ragnarsson and Mike Rathje against Joe Sakic's line.

Habs' Therrien lucky to avoid suspension

The talk of the first round was how Toronto's Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker avoided suspensions for questionable hits that sidelined the New York Islanders' Kenny Jonsson and Michael Peca in Game 5 of their series.

But Montreal coach Michel Therrien was also lucky to avoid suspension. Therrien, renowned as a hothead when he coached junior hockey, went ballistic late in Game 4 when Boston defenseman Kyle McLaren clotheslined Richard Zednik. The coach pointed at Bruins forwards Joe Thornton and Bill Guerin and made a throat-slashing gesture, telling them they were "going down." He then hinted in his post-match news conference that the Canadiens would seek retribution.

Commissioner Gary Bettman told the teams to cool it and Montreal veteran Doug Gilmour gave his coach a gentle talking-to the next day. On Tuesday the NHL fined Therrien $30,000 -- $5,000 now and another $25,000 if he makes a similar outburst in the next year.

Glass, the gift that keeps on giving

This news might be cold comfort for the Islanders' Jonsson, who sustained another in a string of concussions when his face hit the glass in Game 5 at Toronto's Air Canada Center, but next season every NHL rink will be using glass with more give. NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell told me that in June the league will mandate that every club install a new generation of glass with more flexibility that might reduce the severity of injuries.

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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