Another thing I'd like to note:  in light of the recent trend of players
being less than signable, I'd suggest the Isles concentrate on
drafting Europeans.  It seems to be the only logical route to go in
the present system.

     To me the best route is still going with the North American's. After all the
talk of players not signing with their teams who ended up missing the deadline?
The only one's I know are Jarret Stoll for the Flames and that Russian kid who
the Rangers are looking to sign away from the Avalanche. Nathan Smith, Jared
Aulin and Flip Novak all signed and now Calgary is claiming they traded Stoll to
an unnamed team before the deadline and that there fax was there in time. I'm
sure there are a few others but nobody of any substance. Compare that with the
constant pain in the neck players over in Europe. It seems now that the Isles
are a sucessful team players like Weinhandl and Kuhtinov will come over for
training camp but look at Jan Hlavac, Jiri Dipota and Jorgen Jonsson.
    I think it's a good thing that there is a deadline, this way it forces
prospects and teams to negotiate. The Isles almost didn't sign Bertuzzi,
Mapletoft, Nielson, Dumont and didn't sign Rupp. The deadline ended up being a
good thing for Bertuzzi and Mapletoft, Nielson got traded and signed and Rupp
didn't sign but who cares about Rupp and Nielson. The only time it ended up
hurting the Isles was J.P. Dumont. Maybe if they weren't forced to make a
decision so soon they could have figured out he was a good player later and then
signed him. But then again why do you draft a kid #3 overall and then watch him
break Mario Lemieux's all time playoff scoring record(QMJHL) and lead his
team(w/ Luongo) to a Memorial Cup only to decide he isn't NHL calibre?

I figure there are several guys who'll
slip to the late first round and end up being solid NHLers.
I think Dman Koltzov and Forward Evseev are two such players

   That's the way it always ends up and I agree on Koltsov and Evseev. If you
have good scouts there is no such thing as a weak draft. Hopefully the Isles
draft a defenseman. When was the last time the Isles drafted a defenseman who
didn't pan out? Scott Scissions?

   Kevin




-----Original Message-----
From: chapin_landvogt@... [mailto:chapin_landvogt@...]
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 06:37 AM
To: islanders@egroups.com
Cc: Islanders-Soundtigers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Islanders-Soundtigers] Thing about a weak draft...



Often we hear about strong and weak drafts.  Regardless,
every draft produces players sooner or later.  Every year of
players brings about several guys good enough to become
key players in the future.  Despite what many are saying, that'll
be the case this year as well.  If we just look back at the 98 draft,
where we picked Rupp, guys like Tanguay, Skoula, Regehr
and most notably, Gomez, came later.  This group will produce
guys like that as well.
.


Chapin

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SOUND TIGERS PLAY FOR THE CALDER CUP !!!!!!!!!

Sound Tigers have captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as the American Hockey
League's Eastern Conference champions for 2001-02.

SOUNDTIGERS ARE Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy WINNERS with AHL's top record for
2001-02 season.

All Sound Tiger playoff games are on the web at: www.broadcastmonsters.com and
will be archived.

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "dogsname48328" <sherlf@h...>
wrote:

> Any one get a chance to see Kalmikov play the two games against St.
Johns?  Not that anyone would wish an injury on another player, but I
wish he would have had a chance to get into more that two games. Once
Hunter came back, and Higgins got healthy, he was not able to play
except on emergency call up because he added after the clear day
roster was submitted, and no one has gone down with an injury. The
announcers and the press sounded really positive about the way he
preformed.  Any feed back from anyone who saw him?>>>

   Sorry, I did not see him, but I will say at this point it's time to
do something to change the mix. A few folks here go to the games in
Bridgeport so they would have the best idea. I know Michael would
have something to contribute on that one too.

   Bill

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., chapin_landvogt@l... wrote:

> Often we hear about strong and weak drafts.  Regardless,
every draft produces players sooner or later.  Every year of
players brings about several guys good enough to become
key players in the future.  Despite what many are saying, that'll
be the case this year as well.  If we just look back at the 98 draft,
where we picked Rupp, guys like Tanguay, Skoula, Regehr
and most notably, Gomez, came later.  This group will produce
guys like that as well. >>>>

   Chapin,

   That's how I see it too, this one is really a crap-shoot and were
not going to know for a while. Although the Rupp pick was even a
longshot at the time according to the rankings that year, he was not
eighth or ninth if I recall. Rupp was more late first round.

> I figure there are several guys who'll slip to the late first round
and end up being solid NHLers. I think Dman Koltzov and Forward
Evseev are two such players>>>

   Karill Koltsov had my eye before I made my pick last night, when
someone writes he is the most talented defender in a draft that had
my wheels turning. For the Isles I wanted a bigger defender and in
this case I wanted someone who can be followed thru North American, I
just do not know if Mezei is going to bust out or not right now.

> Another thing I'd like to note:  in light of the recent trend of
players being less than signable, I'd suggest the Isles concentrate on
drafting Europeans.  It seems to be the only logical route to go in
the present system.>>>

   If your a small market team it's almost mandatory now to go thru
the European leagues and keep the player rights. The amount of
players who fell back into the draft from Canada were astounding, if
your Buffalo, Ottawa or a team with real financial troubles you
almost have to pick that way if the talent is close.

   Bill

Guys give me a little help on this one. Were talking about the
Isles pick last summer coming here to camp, or someone older ?

   The player I know was drafted last summer and has no option to
become unrestricted if he does not make it with the Isles. Although I
think they need all the young defenders they can get in North
America, whether it be Bridgeport, Trenton or the Isles.

   Bill

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "Hasbrouck, Kevin S, NLNS"
<hasbrouck@e...> wrote:

> Another thing I'd like to note:  in light of the recent trend of
players being less than signable, I'd suggest the Isles concentrate
on drafting Europeans.  It seems to be the only logical route to go
in the present system. >>>

   What I want is the same system for all picks, but these other
countries do not have the same deal with the NHL. And what a
surprise, the big market teams get all the name superstars and the
hype for years for that prospect, regardless how he turns out.

> To me the best route is still going with the North American's.
After all the talk of players not signing with their teams who ended
up missing the deadline? The only one's I know are Jarret Stoll for
the Flames and that Russian kid who the Rangers are looking to sign
away from the Avalanche. Nathan Smith, Jared Aulin and Flip Novak all
signed and now Calgary is claiming they traded Stoll to an unnamed
team before the deadline and that there fax was there in time. I'm
sure there are a few others but nobody of any substance. >>>>

   Well there is one we both were talking about. Could not find one
word about why Calgary did not sign him, it was like he never existed.

<< Compare that with the constant pain in the neck players over in
Europe. It seems now that the Isles are a sucessful team players like
Weinhandl and Kuhtinov will come over for training camp but look at
Jan Hlavac, Jiri Dipota and Jorgen Jonsson. >>>>

    I think in a couple of cases the players never wanted to play in
the NHL or leave home (Jonsson) Hlavac came to an Islanders camp, and
I think Dopita is a human headcase, always has been and will be back
in Europe as soon as the Oilers deal for his rights.

    A lot of players like that are only coming over to win now and be
paid well.

    Bill

Tune in early to tonight's broadcast of Game 5 of the Calder Cup
Finals for an extended pre-game show on www.soundtigers.com. Rich
Bocchini and Andy Hutchison will have interviews with Sound Tigers
and Wolves players and coaches and information you won't want to miss!

Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. CST and 8:00 p.m. EST, with the pre-
game beginning 20 minutes prior to the drop of the puck.

To listen to tonight's game, you need to have Windows Media Player
installed on your computer. To get it, visit
www.broadcastmonsters.com, the Sound Tigers playoff hockey streaming
media partner.

Were talking about the
Isles pick last summer coming here to camp, or someone older ?

    Kuhtinov was drafted last year but he is 26 yrs old


The player I know was drafted last summer and has no option to
become unrestricted if he does not make it with the Isles. Although I
think they need all the young defenders they can get in North
America, whether it be Bridgeport, Trenton or the Isles.

   You are right in that he can not become unrestricted. Unfortunately if he does
not make the Isles out of training camp he will not go to Bridgeport like
Weinhandl would, he will go right back to his Russian team which he has the
right to do and the Isles can't say much. The HockeyNews Future Watch rated
Kuhtinov the Isles 10th best prospect, I think Arto Tukio was rated 9th to give
you an idea.

   Kevin

-----Original Message-----
From: billbarrisles [mailto:billbarr@...]
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 04:49 PM
To: Islanders-Soundtigers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Islanders-Soundtigers] Kuhtinov Question ?


   Guys give me a little help on this one.



   Bill



SOUND TIGERS PLAY FOR THE CALDER CUP !!!!!!!!!

Sound Tigers have captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as the American Hockey
League's Eastern Conference champions for 2001-02.

SOUNDTIGERS ARE Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy WINNERS with AHL's top record for
2001-02 season.

All Sound Tiger playoff games are on the web at: www.broadcastmonsters.com and
will be archived.

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Posted by League Press Release on 06/03/2002
CALDER CUP UPDATE:

The Chicago Wolves are on the verge of winning the 66th Calder Cup
championship as they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in Game 5
tonight (7:00 CT, 8:00 ET). Chicago extended its home-ice winning
streak to eight games with a 4-2 win in Game 4 on Friday, taking a 3-
1 series lead and sending the Sound Tigers, who finished first
overall in the regular season, to the brink of elimination.

Bridgeport is 1-0 when facing elimination this spring; Chicago is 4-2
with a chance to win a series.

Rob Brown, a leading candidate for the Jack Butterfield Trophy as MVP
of the Calder Cup 2002 Playoffs, recorded two power play goals and an
assist on Friday night, bringing his league-leading totals up to 23
assists and 30 points. Brown, who scored 49 goals and 115 points for
the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988-89, has picked up 5+15=20 pts. in the
last 10 gamesÂ… Pasi Nurminen, a 2002 Finnish Olympian, is 9-1 with a
1.10 GAA and a .961 save percentage in 10 home playoff games for the
WolvesÂ… Andreas Karlsson has 16 points in the last 10 contests after
recording three points in his first 12 games this postseasonÂ… Sound
Tigers rookie Justin Mapletoft, a team-leading plus-9 in the
conference final against Hamilton, is minus-6 in the finals...

Bridgeport has not lost three consecutive games since Dec. 28-30Â… The
Sound Tigers have held the opposition to just 239 shots on goal over
the last 11 games, but have allowed 29 goals (.879)Â… Win or lose,
this is the WolvesÂ' last home game of the season; Chicago was 19-17-4
on home ice in the regular season, and 11-2 thus far in the playoffsÂ…
The Wolves have outscored their opponents by a 31-8 margin during
their current eight-game home winning streakÂ… Chicago is playing its
25th playoff game and 105th game overall this season, both AHL
records; Bridgeport is playing its 20th and 100th, respectivelyÂ…
TonightÂ's Allstate Arena crowd will be one of the largest in AHL
playoff historyÂ… All the action of Game 5 can be heard via cybercast
by following the links at caldercup.com.


Calder Cup 2002 Final
Bridgeport vs. Chicago
Game 1 - Chicago 5, BRIDGEPORT 4 (OT)
Game 2 - BRIDGEPORT 2, Chicago 1
Game 3 - CHICAGO 4, Bridgeport 0
Game 4 - CHICAGO 4, Bridgeport 2
Game 5 - Mon 6/3 at Chicago, 7:00
*Game 6 - Thu 6/6 at Bridgeport, 7:05
*Game 7 - Fri 6/7 at Bridgeport, 7:35
       (Chicago leads series, 3-1)

*if necessaryÂ… All times local

BY THE NUMBERS:

53 - Years since a team rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-
seven Calder Cup FinalÂ… The 1949 Providence Reds, 1947 Hershey Bears
and 1946 Buffalo Bisons are the only teams to accomplish the feat in
the AHLÂ's championship series.

9 - Years since a lower-seeded team upset a higher seed in a Calder
Cup Final seriesÂ… The 1993 Cape Breton Oilers (whose GM Dave Andrews
now serves as AHL president) are the last team to win the Calder Cup
without having the home-ice advantage in the championship series,
defeating Rochester in five games.

FROM CALDER TO STANLEY:

The Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes face off in the 2002
Stanley Cup Finals, beginning Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena. Brett
Hull, who leads Detroit with eight playoff goals, won the Dudley
Â"RedÂ" Garrett Award as the AHLÂ's top rookie in 1986-87, the same year
teammate Uwe Krupp won the Calder Cup with Rochester. Wings forward
Kirk Maltby captured an AHL championship in 1993.

ON THE AIR:

*Game 6 - Chicago at Bridgeport - AT&T Broadband (Chicago) - 6:05 CT
*Game 7 - Chicago at Bridgeport - AT&T Broadband (Chicago) - 6:35 CT

*if necessary


AHL RINKSIDE
Sun 6/9
Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, 12:00 pm ET
Empire Sports Network, 6:30 pm ET
Tue 6/11
Empire Sports Network, 4:00 pm ET
Sat 6/15
New England Sports Network, 1:30 pm ET

Desperate Sound Tigers look to avoid playoff extinction
By MICHAEL FORNABAIO

ADDISON, Ill.

Most of the statistics and probabilities stand against the Bridgeport
Sound Tigers now.

Tonight, the Sound Tigers face elimination for the second time this
year when they play the Chicago Wolves in Game 5 of the Calder Cup
Finals at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. The Wolves won Thursday and
Friday to take a 3-1 series lead.

Chicago can wrap up its third league championship in four years it
won the 1998 and 2000 Turner Cups in the defunct IHL tonight.
Bridgeport will fight for survival and to send the series back to
Bridgeport for Game 6 Thursday night.

"I'd like to think it'll get (the Sound Tigers) excited, because
we've had some success at home," Bridgeport coach Steve Stirling
said. "We know it's going to be our biggest challenge to get it back
to Bridgeport."

Since 1943, the first year a best-of-7 series was played in the AHL,
only 11 teams have rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win a series.

All three teams that faced that deficit this year

Hamilton against the Sound Tigers, Houston against the Wolves and
Hartford against Hamilton

lost the series; only Hamilton won Game 5. Last year, three teams
fell behind 3-1, and only one forced Game 6.

The last team to come back from 3-1 was the 2000 Hartford Wolf Pack,
which stunned the Providence Bruins in the Eastern Conference final
on the way to the Calder Cup.

While overall AHL history favors the Wolves, recent history suggests
the Sound Tigers cannot be counted out. Though they've been stellar
in the postseason, the Wolves had five losing streaks of three or
more during the year.

On the other hand, they had six winning streaks of three or more,
plus two more in the playoffs, which is what they're going for
tonight.

Meanwhile, the Sound Tigers had winning streaks of nine and eight
games during the regular season, then tacked on a seven-gamer in the
playoffs. Granted, not all were against a team the caliber of the
Wolves.

Another potential positive for Bridgeport is how close two of their
three losses were. A goal with 2.7 seconds left allowed Chicago to
tie Game 1; the Wolves won in overtime. And Game 4 was essentially
decided by a fluky goal early in the third period.

"If we come out with the same effort, the same enthusiasm, we'll be
all right," defenseman Ken Sutton said.

If Bridgeport does win tonight, it takes the series back to the Arena
at Harbor Yard needing two wins there to escape from the hole they're
in. Therein lies another Sound Tigers positive: Bridgeport led the
AHL in home record in the regular season and has lost just twice in
10 playoff home games.

Chicago, though, will make that difficult. The Wolves are 11-2 at
home in the postseason and have won their last eight at Allstate.

"They're a good-old, veteran team," center Justin Mapletoft
said. "They play hard, and they're patient and relaxed out there.
They know how to play in front of a home crowd."

Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Chicago Wolves

WHAT -- Calder Cup Finals Game 5

WHEN -- Tonight, 8

WHERE -- Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

ON THE AIR -- Webcast at www.soundtigers.com

SERIES -- Chicago leads the best-of-7 series, 3-1.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Chicago Wolves

WHAT
Calder Cup Finals Game 5

WHEN

Tonight, 8

WHERE

Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill.

ON THE AIR

Webcast at www.soundtigers.com

SERIES

Chicago leads the best-of-7 series, 3-1.

LAST MEETING

The Wolves won 4-2 Friday at Rosemont.

ABOUT THE SOUND TIGERS

Bridgeport has not lost three straight games since Dec. 28-30,
2001. ... Ds Chris Armstrong and Ken Sutton are second (3-7-10) and
third (2-8-10), respectively, in scoring by defensemen in the
playoffs. ... The Sound Tigers won their only other game facing
elimination, May 22, beating Hamilton 3-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern
Conference Finals. ... LW Raffi Torres leads league rookies with 8-9-
17. C Justin Mapletoft is a tiebreaker behind at 7-10-17.

ABOUT THE WOLVES

The Wolves have won eight straight on home ice and are 11-2 at home
in the playoffs. ... RW Rob Brown leads the league in playoff scoring
at 7-23-30. In this series, he is 3-6-9. ... D Bob Nardella leads
league defensemen with 5-9-14. ... The Wolves are 4-2 in this
postseason when they have a chance to eliminate their opponent. In
the Western Conference Finals, they defeated Houston 7-0 in Game 5 to
complete a 4-1 series win. ... Chicago won two Turner Cups in the
defunct IHL.

UP NEXT

If necessary, Thursday, Game 6 at Bridgeport, 7:05 p.m.

MICHAEL FORNABAIO

Eakins, Wolves not taking title for granted
By Mike Spellman Daily Herald Sports Writer

Posted on June 03, 2002

Chicago Wolves defenseman Dallas Eakins has heard the talk. His team
has got it made.

They lead the Calder Cup Finals 3-1 over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
with a chance to clinch the series tonight in Game 5, and the
Allstate Arena is expected to host a near-sellout. Should be a slam
dunk, right?

No, not really.

"I've had people come up to me and say, 'Jeez, you're up 3-1,'梠Eakins
said. "I've told them the same thing. All Bridgeport has to do is win
one game, then they go back to home ice and if they win one game
there, we've got a Game 7."

When it comes to the Wolves' championship history, it is a decidedly
mixed bag in terms of clinching on home ice.

On the Wolves' side is the fact that they clinched their two Turner
Cup championships (1998, 2000) on a Monday night in June, just like
today's game (7 p.m.).

The team's first championship was won in Game 7 against the Detroit
Vipers in front of 16,701 at the Allstate Arena in 1998.

Going against them is the memory of the last time they were in a
similar Game 5 scenario with a chance to win a championship. That was
in 2000 when a packed house at the Allstate Arena watched as the
Grand Rapids Griffins spoiled the party by winning and forcing a Game
6 on the road that the Wolves won.

Wolves coach John Anderson has reminded his team about that
disappointing night two years ago, and he doesn't want his players to
be too hyped up and spoil the chance to win at home.

"You have to be sharp and ready to work hard, but at the same time,
don't be so excited about what you have to do that you forget what
you have to do," Anderson said. "You can't over-pursue pucks and run
around trying to do something special.

"We don't want to be so high that we can't function out there. We're
going to play as hard or harder than any game we've ever played."

The team's ability to concentrate on the small picture before
surveying the big picture has been a key all season.

"All year long, and even in the playoffs it's always been, 'Let's win
one game at a time,'梠said Eakins, whose 6 assists in the playoffs are
a personal high. "We've been so focused."

Eakins expects that same focus to be there for tonight's game.

"When you're out there it's almost like you're in your own little
world," he said. "I couldn't even tell you about the crowd the other
night (9,000 on Friday for Game 4). When you're out there, you're
living shift by shift."

Three times this playoffs the Wolves were taken to the final game of
a series, and three times they've won.

"The one thing we did do is every time we needed a win, we clawed and
scratched and got the win," Eakins said.

"Everything we got this year we had to work really hard for, so our
roots are firmly grounded," Anderson said.

Now they are one victory away from experiencing something truly
special.

"I remember the Game 7 against Detroit five years ago (at the
Allstate Arena)," Anderson said. "The place went ballistic. I want
every one of these guys to experience that. They deserve it."

June 3, 2002
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu among finalists named for Masterton
trophy


Canadian Press

Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, who made an emotional return
to Montreal's lineup late in the season after battling cancer, was
one of three finalists named Monday for the William Masterton
Memorial Trophy.

The other finalists are Kevin Dineen of the Columbus Blue Jackets and
Ron Francis of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually by the Professional Hockey
Writers' Association to the player who best exemplifies perseverance,
sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma prior to the start of
training camp last September. After undergoing successful treatment,
he returned to Montreal's lineup in its second-last regular-season
game. The Canadiens won that contest to clinch their first playoff
berth in four years.

Koivu also added 10 points in 12 games during Montreal's surprising
playoff run.

Dineen, 38, is a previous Masterton finalist. The 18-year NHL veteran
has battled Crohn's Disease, an intestinal ailment, for much of his
career. He has supported charities associated with the ailment as
well as other gastro-intestinal diseases.

Francis, 39, finished among the NHL's top-10 scorers this year with
77 points (27 goals, 50 assists) and has played a big role in the
Hurricanes winning the Eastern Conference title this year.

The winner will be announced June 20 at the NHL's awards banquet in
Toronto.

June 3, 2002

Newark, NY (Sports Network)

The New York Rangers will reportedly bring in Colorado Avalanche
assistant Bryan Trottier to interview for their head coaching job.
The Rangers created the opening when they fired Ron Low in April.

According to the report, Rangers general manager Glen Sather has been
granted permission from the Avalanche to interview Trottier, who won
six Stanley Cup titles as a player. He won four with the New York
Islanders and two with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Trottier also won the
Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Avs last season.

Trottier scored 524 goals and had 901 assists during his 18-year
career as a player in the NHL. He spent 15 years with the Islanders
and three with the Penguins.

Ken Hitchcock, who was hired by Philadelphia to be its head coach,
and Dave Tippett, who replaced Hitchcock in Dallas as its new head
coach, also interviewed for the position. As did Herb Brooks, who
took his name off the list, and Ted Nolan, who is still said to be
interested.

I think if Bridgeport wins tonight they will have a great shot of winning
the series. It seems Chicago is a great home team and a poor road team. This
reminds me of the Isles/Toronto series. The way they do the home/road matchups
is not fair. Bridgeport was a much better regular season team and obviously has
the home ice advantage but since they do a 2-3-2 if the Soundtigers lose tonight
it will mean that there were 5 games played in the series and Chicago had 3 of
the games at home. How is that fair?
     It looks like if Bridgeport loses tonight they will be kicking themselves
all summer for blowing Game 1 when they had no right losing that.
     As good a veteran team as Chicago seems right now it's hard to believe that
they are this great of a team. The Wolves went the distance in every series they
played and I think even had to play a qualifying rd to get into the playoffs.

    Kevin



-----Original Message-----

June 2, 2002

Flyers have little choice but to re-sign veteran centre to save face
on deadline deal


By TIM PANACCIO
Faceoff.com correspondent

Here's a bit of a quandary for the Philadelphia Flyers.

General manager Bob Clarke traded away the club's top goalie
prospect, Maxime Ouellet, and three, top-round draft picks at the
deadline for Washington's Adam Oates.

True, Caps GM George McPhee took advantage of the Flyers dire
straits: both Keith Primeau and Jeremy Roenick were injured just days
apart leading up to the deadline and the Flyers didn't have a healthy
No. 1 center and weren't sure what their lineup would look like in
the playoffs.

Now Clarke is faced with another dilemma and it again involves Oates,
who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Bobby Holik will likely be the most coveted, free agent center on the
open market. He's a much better fit for the Flyers than the smallish,
aging Oates. But how can Clarke turn his back and not try to re-sign
Oates after giving up so much?

A top Flyers source says that as much as Holik seems the logical
choice, it's likely his price tag - about $6 million - would keep the
Flyers out of the running if only because club chairman Ed Snider and
Comcast are already unhappy with a $55.9 million payroll.

Despite all their boasting about what they'll spend to win a Stanley
Cup, there are some internal financial restraints on the Flyers.

Comcast won't turn its corporate head to overspending when the club
loses $7 million on top of a $60 million payroll. Technically, that's
a $67 million loss when a team gets bounced in the first round of
post-season although Comcast is very good as grouping all its
entities under the "entertainment" heading to show profits and losses
in more attractive ways.

This entire scenario gives Oates' agent, Larry Kelly, some leverage.
Oates can ask for $2 million to $3 million and easily get it because
the Flyers really have little choice.

"The Flyers are one of the best organizations in hockey to deal
with," Kelly said. "There's no reason to have to posture with them.
We'll sit down and see if it all makes sense for both sides."

Jiri Dopita is all but signed, sealed and delivered to the Edmonton
Oilers, possibly in exchange for Todd Marchant. When that deal goes
down at the NHL entry draft, as most expect, Clarke will again be
left with just two, top-line centers - Primeau and Roenick.

Marty Murray? He's a third line guy, at best, despite his
overachieving skills. When it all shakes out, Oates figures to be
back in a Flyers sweater as a third line center with Murray dropping
down a line.

Kelly has had a few exploratory talks with Clarke and nothing is
settled.

By the way, newly-appointed head coach Ken Hitchcock has been living
in Oates' South Jersey apartment since being hired. Hitch is even
using Oates' phone number.

June 2, 2002

Tim Wharnsby
For The Sporting News

Maple Leafs goaltender Curtis Joseph will be among this summer's most
highly sought free agents. Joseph wants to remain in Toronto but not
unless the Maple Leafs come up with a multiyear contract for $9
million a season. If Toronto fails to sign Joseph before July 1, six
teams are believed to be interested.

One executive who had a chance to sign Joseph four years ago in
Joseph's last go-round with free agency was Flyers GM Bob Clarke, who
instead signed John Vanbiesbrouck. The Flyers have won two playoff
series since then; the Maple Leafs have won six. Think Clarke is
kicking himself? . . .

The NHL has guaranteed there will be hockey in Buffalo next season,
but unless a white knight rides in and purchases the Sabres, it will
be run as a bare-bones operation. Owner John Rigas was forced to turn
over the Sabres to Adelphia, the sixth-largest cable provider in the
U.S., as part of his $1 billion in assets to help cover loans.

  The company has been looking to sell assets since revealing in March
it had failed to report $3.1 billion in loan guarantees to Rigas, who
resigned as Adelphia's CEO last week. Since the March 27 disclosure,
Adelphia's stock has plummeted from $20.39 to $2. The company faces
stockholder lawsuits, a Securities and Exchange Commission probe and
grand jury investigations in New York and Pennsylvania. . . .

Player agent Allan Walsh cost two young clients money when he failed
to register them for the 2002 draft. This is not considered a strong
draft, so Czech Michal Barinka, ranked fifth among European
prospects, and Slovak Richard Stehlik, ranked 24th, would have been
drafted in the first round or early second round. They now have to
wait until 2003, which will be a much stronger draft. . . .

The top two picks in this year's draft will be defenseman Jay
Bouwmeester of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers or left winger Rick Nash
of the OHL's London Knights. But Thrashers GM Don Waddell, whose club
has the second pick, is not excited about adding yet another young
prospect to his roster. He is shopping his team's pick for two impact
players. . . .

Player agent Don Meehan, who along with partner Patrick Morris has
more than 80 NHL clients, has an especially busy summer ahead. He
will be negotiating new deals for Joseph and two restricted free
agents -- goaltender Jose Theodore of the Canadiens and right winger
Jarome Iginla of the Flames. Theodore and Iginla are among the three
nominees for the Hart Trophy as MVP. (Avs goalie Patrick Roy is the
other.) . . .

Thrashers veteran defenseman Adam Burt, who was limited to 27 games
the past two seasons because of a herniated disk, might retire.
Unless he fully recovers, Burt, 33, plans to move his family to
Austin, Texas, to join Champions for Christ, an athletes' ministry.
Burt had disk fusion surgery a year ago, but the nerve damage never
completely healed, leading to a numbness in his foot that made it
difficult to skate.

(Jun 3) tsn.ca - Jarrett Stoll's status as an unsigned draft pick is
expected to be challenged by the Calgary Flames.

Stoll, who was picked by Calgary in the second round of the 2000
draft, had until 3 pm Saturday to come to terms with the team or he
would be made available for this year's entry draft.

According to the Calgary Sun, the Flames gave Stoll's agent Don
Meehan permission to work out a deal with another team when it became
apparent the two sides could not come to terms.

At least one league source tells the newspaper that the Toronto Maple
Leafs struck a deal with the Flames for a second round pick in this
year's draft in exchange for Stoll. However, it appears the paperwork
did not reach the NHL office in time as the league informed Calgary
that Stoll would be going back into the draft pool.

Flames GM Craig Button would not comment on the report while Maple
Leafs assistant Bill Watters admitted they were one of several teams
attempting to sign Stoll but said a deal could not be done in time.

"We had discussions, but we weren't able to do it," Watters told the
Sun. "To my knowledge, there were five or six other teams also
involved."

Meehan said he was unsure if the deal had been completed in time and
that he expected an NHL inquiry to determine Stoll's official status.

This is too funny. Didn't the Leafs also agree to a trade for an unsigned draft
pick that was disallowed by the NHL last year. I think Hoglund was involved for
that prospect from RedDeer that was drafted by Boston. Kyle Wanvig I think.

   Kevin


-----Original Message-----
From: billbarrisles [mailto:billbarr@...]
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 05:23 PM
To: Islanders-Soundtigers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Islanders-Soundtigers] Flames to dispute Stoll's status



(Jun 3) tsn.ca - Jarrett Stoll's status as an unsigned draft pick is
expected to be challenged by the Calgary Flames.

Stoll, who was picked by Calgary in the second round of the 2000
draft, had until 3 pm Saturday to come to terms with the team or he
would be made available for this year's entry draft.

According to the Calgary Sun, the Flames gave Stoll's agent Don
Meehan permission to work out a deal with another team when it became
apparent the two sides could not come to terms.

At least one league source tells the newspaper that the Toronto Maple
Leafs struck a deal with the Flames for a second round pick in this
year's draft in exchange for Stoll. However, it appears the paperwork
did not reach the NHL office in time as the league informed Calgary
that Stoll would be going back into the draft pool.

Flames GM Craig Button would not comment on the report while Maple
Leafs assistant Bill Watters admitted they were one of several teams
attempting to sign Stoll but said a deal could not be done in time.

"We had discussions, but we weren't able to do it," Watters told the
Sun. "To my knowledge, there were five or six other teams also
involved."

Meehan said he was unsure if the deal had been completed in time and
that he expected an NHL inquiry to determine Stoll's official status.







SOUND TIGERS PLAY FOR THE CALDER CUP !!!!!!!!!

Sound Tigers have captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as the American Hockey
League's Eastern Conference champions for 2001-02.

SOUNDTIGERS ARE Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy WINNERS with AHL's top record for
2001-02 season.

All Sound Tiger playoff games are on the web at: www.broadcastmonsters.com and
will be archived.

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "Hasbrouck, Kevin S, NLNS"
<hasbrouck@e...> wrote:

<<  Kuhtinov was drafted last year but he is 26 yrs old >>>

     Gotcha. The name rang a bell I just figured the players from the
2001 draft was in the teens. Milbury is really locked into these late
twenties hit or miss players. Fair to say if he sticks he will take
Tarnstrom's spot on the roster. We already know Kiprusoff is likely
done with the Isles and is listed as unrestricted.

<<Unfortunately if he does not make the Isles out of training camp he
will not go to Bridgeport like Weinhandl would, he will go right back
to his Russian team which he has the right to do and the Isles can't
say much. >>>

   Basically he is going to need a fantastic camp because this defense
does not have many openings. If they play the usual six exhibition
games he almost has to shine in game one and all thru camp to keep it
going.

>>> The HockeyNews Future Watch rated Kuhtinov the Isles 10th best
prospect, I think Arto Tukio was rated 9th to give you an idea.>>>

     Maybe I am getting a little brainwashed reading HF, but to me a
prospect is not someone in their late twenties unless it's within
realistic parameters like a college player. Ottoson, Kuhtinov to me
are veterans. Tukio is the true definition of what I would consider a
prospect.

     Bill

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "Hasbrouck, Kevin S, NLNS"
<hasbrouck@e...> wrote:

>  I think if Bridgeport wins tonight they will have a great shot of
winning the series. It seems Chicago is a great home team and a poor
road team. This reminds me of the Isles/Toronto series. The way they
do the home/road matchups is not fair. Bridgeport was a much better
regular season team and obviously has the home ice advantage but
since they do a 2-3-2 if the Soundtigers lose tonight it will mean
that there were 5 games played in the series and Chicago had 3 of the
games at home. How is that fair? >>>

    It's a minor league schedule for a minor league, there was no set
formula for each series, it was done by the two teams and this one
was not very good for the fans.

>  It looks like if Bridgeport loses tonight they will be kicking
themselves all summer for blowing Game 1 when they had no right
losing that. >>>

    True, but they won game seven vs Hamilton with the late goal,
sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not. One game tonight,
let's see if they can outgun Chicago, as they have been doing and if
DiPietro can keep the Wolves down.

    This is not the NHL, these two teams did not play during the
season, so it's a lot different to play a team with no background,
and the lack of rest going into the early games did not help.

>  As good a veteran team as Chicago seems right now it's hard to
believe that they are this great of a team. The Wolves went the
distance in every series they played and I think even had to play a
qualifying rd to get into the playoffs. >>>

    Veterans usually beat kids, the Wolves have the veterans, but it's
not over yet. Win one, get it home, see what happens. I think they
will get it back to Bridgeport, they are not being dominated.

    DiPietro has to steal one from Nurminen. And the kids have to get
a couple for a nice tight 2-1 win.

    Bill

We spent the first St. Johns game asking who is Kalmikov, but then I
read up on him before the second game so I knew.  He played quite
well, but it's got to be tough to get in and contribute with a team
you haven't had the chance to play with all season.  At this point if
there was any chance that Konstantin could spark some offense I'd
suggest they try playing him tonight.  I could name about 3 or 4
Tigers who've gone silent in the finals and might be worthy of a
scratch.

The other player who was a surprise (since he had played no games
during the season), was Tomi Petinen who came over from Europe and is
property of the Islanders.  He's played more then Kalmikov, but
that's because he's had more chances as a defenseman.  I wouldn't say
that Petinen has been great, but good enough to take a shift or two
in every game and lower the ice time of some of the tired D
(especially Giroux and Hunter who seem to always be on the ice).

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "dogsname48328" <sherlf@h...>
wrote:
> Any one get a chance to see Kalmikov play the two games against St.
> Johns?  Not that anyone would wish an injury on another player, but
I
> wish he would have had a chance to get into more that two games.
Once
> Hunter came back, and Higgins got healthy, he was not able to play
> except on emergency call up because he added after the clear day
> roster was submitted, and no one has gone down with an injury. The
> announcers and the press sounded really positive about the way he
> preformed.  Any feed back from anyone who saw him?

2-0 Wolves just 7 minutes in tonight and worse yet, Eric Furlatt is
the ref yet again!  I can't believe how many times this guy has been
the ref in the postseason.

Of course that's not the problem tonight.  Tonight the problem
appears to be a certain number one overall pick who should be on the
bench.

Andy

So it took them 3 goals to finally decide to get serious and start
playing.  Goals by Hunter (on what sounded like a great play), Krog
(on the power play), and Podollan (from DiPietro) tied the game at
the end of two.

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "aggcards" <aggcards@y...> wrote:
> 2-0 Wolves just 7 minutes in tonight and worse yet, Eric Furlatt is
> the ref yet again!  I can't believe how many times this guy has
been
> the ref in the postseason.
>
> Of course that's not the problem tonight.  Tonight the problem
> appears to be a certain number one overall pick who should be on
the
> bench.
>
> Andy

June 3, 2002

by E.J. Hradek
ESPN The Magazine


In The Magazine, we featured the Seven Beauties of Stanley Cup Finals
throughout history. Now, E.J. Hradek chronicles the Seven Wonders of
this year's Finals.

Will this Stanley Cup Final between the heavily favored Detroit Red
Wings and the upstart Carolina Hurricanes go the full seven games?
Most experts say no. But, the beauty of sports is you can never be
sure what's going to happen until they play the games.

In fact, Detroit coach Scotty Bowman recently said it best: "There's
nothing so uncertain as a sure thing."

So, on the eve of this year's final battle for the Cup, here are
seven good reasons why this Final will be worth keeping an eye on.

MY CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: The Wings and Hurricanes both take their cue
from their quiet, veteran captains. Detroit's Steve Yzerman and
Carolina's Ron Francis, who each own a pair of Stanley Cup rings,
will be first-ballot Hall of Famers when they decide to retire. But,
the way both are going, that might not be for a while yet.


Yzerman, 37, has played this entire playoff campaign on one good leg.
Still, he leads his star-studded cast with 19 points in 18 games. If
the Wings do win, Yzerman gets his second Conn Smythe Trophy.

Francis, meanwhile, is the Carolina Hurricanes. On the ice, the 39-
year-old Francis is still a slick playmaker. On the bench, he's an
extra coach. And, in the dressing room, he provides quiet leadership,
guidance and direction for the entire organization.

EURO GOALIES: A European-born and trained goaltender has never led a
team to a Stanley Cup. That will change this year (unless No. 2s
Kevin Weekes and Manny Legace get into the mix).

The first will be either Czech-born Dominik Hasek or Latvian-native
Arturs Irbe.

Clearly, Hasek has enjoyed the better NHL career, winning multiple
Hart and Vezina trophies. But, little Irbe has stood very tall during
this postseason, posting a playoff-best .947 save percentage.

No doubt, Irbe will face a lot of rubber in this series. And, if he's
up to the task, his team will have a chance. But, he won't be
carrying the same pressure as Hasek, who came to the powerhouse Wings
to complete his career resume with a Cup. Also, Hasek will have the
difficult task of staying sharp while not seeing a ton of shots.

THE LEGEND AND BABY FACE: Detroit's Scotty Bowman coached his first
Stanley Cup Final game on May 5, 1968. At the time, Carolina coach
Paul Maurice was a little more than 15 months old. Still, the two men
are the two longest tenured bench bosses in a league where coaches
are changed like diapers on a ... well, 15-month old.

Bowman, who's completing his ninth season in Detroit, brings nine Cup
rings (eight as a coach) to this year's championship series. The
talented young Maurice, with seven years on the job, brings some
nicely tailored suits and a healthy sense of humor.

Clearly, Bowman gets the edge in this matchup. But, it will be very
interesting to watch Maurice in the biggest spotlight of his career.
In the first three rounds, Maurice has pulled more than one rabbit
out of his hat. He'll need to find a few more against Bowman and his
cast of all-stars.

MONEY MAN: Detroit center Sergei Fedorov is a rich man. And, to some
degree, he can thank Carolina owner Peter Karmanos, who has had a
long-standing feud with Detroit owner Mike Ilitch.

The Hurricanes owner tried to sign Fedorov as a restricted free agent
in February 1998. At the time, Fedorov was sitting out as a result of
stalled contract negotiation between himself and the Red Wings.

Karmanos signed off on a multi-year, multi-million dollar offer sheet
for Fedorov, which was quickly accepted by the star center. The deal
included a $12 million dollar bonus to be paid to Fedorov if his team
won the Stanley Cup in that season. The Hurricanes, a struggling team
at the time, wouldn't have to pay such a bonus. But, the Wings, who
were the defending champs and prohibitive favorite to win again,
would have to pay up if they matched the offer.

Wisely (but not cheaply), Ilitch bit the bullet and matched the
contract. And, not surprisingly, the Wings won another Cup and
Fedorov collected his Lotto-like jackpot.

Now, Ilitch would love to see Fedorov extract a similar price from
Karmanos' team.

DRAWMASTER GENERAL: If you appreciate the art of the draw, then you
have to love Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour.

The hard-nosed Hurricanes pivot stands among the best face-off men in
the game. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, Brind'Amour has
outdueled such quick draw specialists as the Devils' Bobby Holik and
Joe Nieuwendyk, the Canadiens' Yanik Perreault and the Leafs' Travis
Green.

Brind'Amour gets so low on the draw, you would swear his knees are
touching the ice. If he can't win a draw clean, he'll tie up his
opponent or try to kick the puck to a teammate.

Brind'Amour will see a lot of time against Yzerman in this series.
Yzerman will provide a challenge. He has been excellent on the draw
during these playoffs. But, then again, so were Perreault and Green
until they stepped in against Brind'Amour.

GUNFIGHT AT OK CORRAL: In an old Western, Detroit's Brett Hull and
Carolina's Jeff O'Neill would have faced one another from 10 paces
with pistols.

In this script, Hull is the old pro who has survived his share of
gunfights. O'Neill, meanwhile, is the new kid with something to
prove.


Both right-handed snipers can change a game with one quick shot.

The 37-year-old Hull, who stands among the great big-game players in
league history, leads the Wings with eight playoff goals. As usual,
he'll surface in the cracks of the Carolina defense. And, when his
gun is loaded, Irbe will need more than a little luck.

O'Neill, 26, has been getting better as these playoffs go on. He rang
up 11 shots-scoring a goal-in the Hurricanes' Eastern Conference
clinching Game 6 OT win against the Leafs. He also netted the
overtime game-winner in Game 3 in Toronto.

OLD SCHOOL/NEW SCHOOL: The fans in Detroit live and die with the Red
Wings, a charter member of the league's "Original Six."

These Octopus-throwing crazies have been following the red and white
since birth. And, no doubt, smelling another Stanley Cup, they'll be
rocking "The Joe" for the games in Motown.

Down in Raleigh, meanwhile, the Hurricanes have found a home. And
it's a very loud one. The team's sudden playoff surge has made
getting a ticket near impossible on Tobacco Road.

These fans may be new to the game, but they love to scream and yell
and wave their towels. According to Maurice, his team feeds off the
energy. That's good, because the Hurricanes are going to need the
help.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
By E.J. Hradek
ESPN The Magazine


On paper, this Stanley Cup final series between the Detroit Red Wings
and the Carolina Hurricanes is a mismatch. (Of course, you didn't
need me to tell you that).

During the regular season, the Red Wings finished with 16 more
victories and 25 more points than the Hurricanes.

The Presidents' Trophy-winning Wings also completed the 2001-02
season with 34 more goals scored and 30 fewer goals allowed than the
Southeast Division champion Hurricanes.

But, fortunately for the upstart Hurricanes, the series won't be
played on paper. It will be played on ice, where -- as they've
discovered -- anything is possible.

There is no single point that will turn this series toward the
underdog. Rather, the Hurricanes will need to maintain a strong-
willed belief that they can beat the heavily-favored Wings and
they'll have to get stellar performances from their entire team.

Most importantly, goaltender Arturs Irbe must continue his
sensational play. Irbe, who backstopped the Sharks' upset first-round
playoff win over the Wings in 1994, brings a postseason-best .947
save percentage and a stingy 1.41 goals-against average into the
series.

Irbe, who's at his best when he's out of the net challenging the
shooter, will have to match or better those numbers if his team wants
to compete with the high-octane Wings. If he doesn't, Maurice must
not hesitate to throw backup Kevin Weekes back into the fray. Weekes,
who came off the bench to shut down the Devils in round one, also
sports some impressive numbers (1.62 GAA and a .939 save percentage).

Goaltending aside, the Hurricanes must adhere to their strong
defensive system. Clearly, the 'Canes won't benefit from engaging the
Wings in a shootout. Instead, they must own the middle of the ice
surface, forcing the Red Wings to the perimeter.

Versatile Detroit center/wing Sergei Fedorov, who almost became a
Hurricane in 1998 when the club offered him an offer-sheet as a
restricted free agent (which Detroit matched), has been a particular
problem for Carolina in recent regular season games. Fedorov has four
goals and eight points in the last five meetings between the clubs.
To make matters worse, Fedorov has been playing at a high level
during the playoffs.

Carolina coach Paul Maurice would likely try to match center Rod
Brind'Amour against Fedorov. But, he'll have to wait and see how
Detroit coach Scotty Bowman deploys his Russian sniper. For much of
the playoffs, Bowman has used Fedorov on a line with Brendan Shanahan
and Steve Yzerman. If that continues, Maurice may ask his BBC line
(Brind'Amour, LW Bates Battaglia and Erik Cole) to tame this trio of
future Hall of Famers.

It will be interesting to see which of his three defensive pairs
Maurice uses against Fedorov's line. The Hurricanes' top pair has
been Sean Hill and Glen Wesley. That veteran duo would seem to be the
logical choice. However, thier other two pairs -- Bret Hedican/Aaron
Ward and Marek Malik/Niclas Wallin -- have played extremely well and
get significant minutes.

If Maurice wants, he can re-insert young David Tanabe, who lost his
lineup spot to Wallin after suffering a broken wrist in the first
round. Tanabe has been cleared to return to the lineup. But, with
things going so well, Maurice hasn't wanted to shake-up his lineup.

Carolina must continue to focus on little things -- like winning face-
offs, good line changes and smart dump-ins -- if it wants to pull the
upset. In the earlier rounds, the Hurricanes were particularly good
at moving the puck quickly out of their end.

Against the Red Wings' left-wing lock defensive system, the
Hurricanes can't afford any sloppy play in the neutral zone. The
Wings' strong transition game can turn neutral zone blunders into
scoring opportunities faster than you can say Brett Hull.

In the offensive zone, Carolina needs to hit and harass the Detroit
defensemen as much as possible. Those guys are good, but they will
turn the puck over on occasion. When they do, the 'Canes must
capitalize. (That means you, Jeff O'Neill and Sami Kapanen.)

Finally, Carolina must gain at least a split in the first two games
at Joe Louis Arena. In 1998, the underdog Caps squandered an
opportunity to win Game 2 of in Detroit. The Wings won the game and
swept the series. Like those Caps, the 'Canes can't come home down 0-
2 and expect to win the series.

If recent history is any indication, it will be a very difficult
split for Carolina to pick up. The Hurricanes/Whalers are a dismal 0-
10-0-1 in their last 11 Motown appearances dating to Nov. 14, 1989.

Carolina nearly snapped the Detroit jinx on Feb. 14, 2000. The
Hurricanes blew a 3-0 second period lead en route to a 4-3 overtime
loss. Fedorov netted the OT game-winner on the power play -- the
result of a too-many men on the ice penalty against Carolina.

The Hurricanes won't be able to tolerate those types of mistakes now.

Yes, on paper, this series is most definitely a mismatch. But, if
Carolina can keep its winning focus, it has a chance to make this a
series. Maybe, even, a memorable one.

Wings have confidence and karma on their side

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
By Mike Heika
Special to ESPN.com


5. Because ESPN The Magazine has already called this the greatest
team in the history of ever

OK, so maybe that's a little self-serving, but the folks in New York
can't end up with egg on their face over this one. The Red Wings owe
it to posterity to make short work of the Hurricanes, so they darn
well better go out and prove that they are the best team ever
assembled in the NHL or any other league (including the WHA). We're
expecting 7-0 games every night, gosh darn it. C'mon, hop to it,
guys, this is no time to be timid. And, by the way, punch up those
Hall-of-Fame scoring numbers while you're at it and cut down on those
power-play goals against. Sheesh, you think the '77 Canadiens would
have accepted this kind of mediocrity?

4. Because there still is plenty of hunger on this team

  Yeah, yeah, we know all about the Hall of Famers and all of the
rings, but that's overlooking a few key stories. Dominik Hasek has
never won a Stanley Cup. Neither has Luc Robitaille or Steve
Duchesne. Chris Chelios last hoisted the old canister in 1986 with
the Canadiens. In Detroit, fans will accept nothing less. That means
the previous four years have seemed like four decades as the Red
Wings have gone out twice in the second round and twice in the first.
It was easy to see that hunger in Game 7 of the Western Conference
finals, and it's easy to understand why Steve Yzerman, Sergei
Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and crew are fighting so hard for their
third ring. If this 11-year run ends with just two Cups, you could
almost call it a huge disappointment.

3. Because that guy in net really is "money"

Not to dis' Chris Osgood, but this team really does play with a lot
more confidence in front of Hasek. Even coach Scotty Bowman has said
that Hasek has made a huge difference to a team that has lost a lot
of big games over the past four seasons. Look, the guy is as goofy as
they come, his style of play is erratic and his tendency to "explain"
his teammates' deficiencies is downright irritating, but he is one
heck of a backstop. And when a team believes in its goalie -- no
matter how quirky/grating he can be -- that team has something very
special. Bottom line, Hasek did not give up a goal in Games 6 and 7
of the conference finals. If the Hurricanes want to play a waiting
game of "who scores first," Detroit will gladly jump right in.

2. It's not their top six forwards, it's their bottom six


Say all you want about Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan and Yzerman, this
team thrives because of players like Darren McCarty, Tomas Holmstrom,
Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby. Carolina can mix and match and play its
four lines throughout the finals, but it will have a tough time
coming up with a combination that can slow down everything Detroit
can throw its way.

1. Because you have to score to win

Take out the 13 goals the Hurricanes scored in two games to close out
the beleaguered Canadiens and Carolina is averaging 1.68 goals per
game in their 16 other contests. That's simply not enough to win a
Stanley Cup. Detroit's power play is dangerous, its penalty kill can
score (six shorthanded goals), its 5-on-5 play is at least decent.
Sure, the Hurricanes can hold down Montreal and Toronto for a period
or two while protecting a 1-0 lead, but can they hold down Detroit
under the same circumstances? The Red Wings are third in the playoffs
in faceoff winning percentage and also love to control the puck.
While you can coax a mistake out of Detroit every now and then, you
also pay a price if you let them have the puck. Carolina's team
defense is great. Detroit's team offense is better.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a regular contributor to
ESPN.com.

Safe and smart will serve the Hurricanes well

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
By Mike Heika
Special to ESPN.com

5. Because Andy and Opie are on board

OK, we've heard all the Mayberry jokes already. Floyd the Barber and
Barney Fife will probably be wearing Hurricanes sweaters on game
days. The folks from Mount Pilot are busing in, too. That said, the
Raleigh-Durham area is turning into a hockey hotbed (well, sort of).
The simple fact of the matter is the Entertainment and Sports Arena
is one of the loudest buildings in the NHL and the fans really are
excited about getting the chance to watch a championship team. Sure,
a few of the neophytes think their team's recent success gives them
free license to become annoying e-mail experts, but the vast majority
of the fans are just fun-loving people who are getting their first
chance to experience the game at its highest level. Remember, you
can't blame the fans for the awkward move that seemed to alienate two
towns.

4. Because the Hurricanes' defense is really smart

Yeah, we know, the Hurricanes don't have a defenseman who would play
above the No. 4 spot in Colorado or Detroit. Still, you have to love
what the group has accomplished together. Glen Wesley is a great guy,
but he was minus-8 this season. They couldn't get Sean Hill out of
St. Louis fast enough. Aaron Ward was a Red Wings' castaway. Niclas
Wallin is talented, but is still inexperienced. The two most talented
players in the group might be Bret Hedican (198th overall pick in
1988) and Marek Malik. Yet, together, this group has been strong
positionally, physical when they have to be and extremely patient
with the puck. What's more, no defenseman has averaged less than 15
minutes of ice time a game. That's balance.

3. Because Rod Brind'Amour is a lot better than anyone will admit

If you want to get right down to it, you can say that Brind'Amour is
just about the only good thing that Carolina ended up getting from
the original Chris Pronger trade -- and for a while, the end result
of Pronger for Brendan Shanahan for Keith Primeau for Brind'Amour
looked like one of the worst trades in NHL history. But Brind'Amour
has been the glue on the ice in the playoffs this season, holding
this team together. He plays 24:21 a game (almost as much as any
defenseman), is the best face-off man in the NHL, and has chipped in
11 points. While Ron Francis has been spectacular, he wouldn't be
nearly as effective without the BBC line drawing the best checkers in
just about every game.

2. Because Arturs Irbe has spunk

  And, unlike Lou Grant, we love spunk. The little guy from Latvia has
endured. He stood up to the Soviet hockey machine in his youth, stood
up to the Detroit Red Wings as a member of the San Jose Sharks in
1994 and stood up for his dream as a No. 1 goalie while ferrying
through Dallas and Vancouver. Even in Carolina he has had to fight
for everything -- and this season he outbattled Tom Barrasso and
Kevin Weekes for the right to stand in the Hurricances' net. Irbe
works hard, is a great team guy and respects the game. Go ahead and
cheer for Dominik Hasek's first Cup if you like, but the guy at the
other end of the ice deserves a shot at a championship, too.

1. Because smart, safe hockey will take you far

Carolina has skill and speed and a good amount of forward talent, but
you probably won't see much of that during the Cup finals. That's
because the Hurricanes have made it this far using an ancient hockey
secret called the law of averages. It's not a trap, per se, and it's
not what you would call "defensive" hockey, it's called puck
possession and smart placement. Carolina leads the league in faceoff
winning percentage in the playoffs and also is plus-50 in the
turnover department. That means the Hurricanes control the puck. By
doing that, they also get to place the puck. Carolina puts the puck
in the "safe areas" in the offensive zone, meaning they might get one
scoring chance in five possessions, but you're probably not going to
get any. If the Hurricanes get a lead, they're murder to come back
against. Their goals-against average of 1.61 is the lowest of any
team in NHL history after three playoff rounds. And hockey is the
sort of game where if you keep the score low, anything can happen.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a regular contributor to
ESPN.com.

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "aggcards" <aggcards@y...> wrote:
> So it took them 3 goals to finally decide to get serious and start
> playing.  Goals by Hunter (on what sounded like a great play), Krog
> (on the power play), and Podollan (from DiPietro) tied the game at
> the end of two.>>>

   Ok, we got a game. 15,000 + fans screaming for the Wolves and they
rally down 3-0, that takes a ton of heart. They likely have never
played in front of that many fans.

   Like what I am hearing and that's a lot of good saves from
DiPietro, he's fighting it and they are hanging in and getting the
puck out. Now is when he has to work his way out of and carry the
team. Whatever it takes.

   They need to dig in and DiPietro has to match Nurminen, they get in
trouble get the puck out.

   Hunter almost had the 4-3 goal, someone's gotta get one, but they
cannot back in and let Chicago come to them.

   9:48 left.........