The Blackhawks can shut out Toronto, but can`t shut up the Maple Leafs. After beating them 4-0 Thursday night at the Stadium, charges and counter charges were being flung by both sides like mud balls.
Wendel Clark accused Hawks coach Mike Keenan of sending out Bryan Marchment purposely to hurt him. Keenan condemned referee Dan Marouelli for losing control of the game by allowing Clark to scrape his stick on Marchment`s face in the first period without a penalty being called.
Marchment called Clark a crybaby, saying he thinks he shouldn`t have to be checked like everyone else. Toronto`s Bob Halkidis labelled Marchment ”a coward” for hiding behind a protective mask that shields a cheekbone fractured last month.
The Leafs are doing a lot of talking for a club that has been blanked three times in Chicago this season, including another shutout here just last week. Regrettably, Thursday`s final score was overshadowed by an outbreak of violence in the closing minutes that left Hawks defenseman Steve Smith with an eight-stitch gash across his right cheek from being punched by Clark.
”Totally uncalled for, an ugly incident,” Keenan said. ”And shown all across Canada tonight on TSN. It`s bad for the game. I hold (Marouelli) and his linesmen totally responsible. They let Clark get away with murder all night and it was inevitable the thing would blow. I`d like to know how these officials are going to face Steve Smith again after the guy gets his face ripped open because of them.”
The eruption came with Steve Larmer down on his knee on the ice trying to cover a loose puck in the Hawks` zone. Clark stuck a stick into him as he dug for the puck and Marchment ran over Clark. Moments later, Clark turned and smacked Smith.
That ignited a determined free-for-all that dragged on. Stu Grimson raced around the ice looking for a challenger, tackled once by Marouelli and another time breaking away from Keenan after Keenan told him to stay at the bench.
”He dove at my knees early,” Clark said about Marchment. ”Keenan coaches that way. They put him out to run people. If he`s going to put his stick in people`s faces, he should take the mask off.”
Leafs coach Tom Watt let everyone know this battle would resume when the teams meet Feb. 29 in Toronto. ”We have a score to settle with Mr. Marchment,” he said. ”He put Peter Zezel out (with a knee injury) earlier this year by running him.”
Clark may have to explain his actions Thursday for National Hockey League Executive Vice President Brian O`Neill. Marouelli gave Clark a match penalty that calls for an automatic league review.
Grimson, Marchment and Smith were ejected after the scrum, as were Clark and Halkidis. Grimson received a double game misconduct, giving him at least a one-game suspension. His 37 penalty minutes equalled a Hawk record set by Reggie Fleming Oct. 19, 1960.
Anybody care who scored in the game?
Oh, yeah, a guy named Ed Belfour started and won for just the second time in his last seven decisions. He was happy to get back in a winning rhythm before starting Saturday for the Campbell Conference in the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Dominik Hasek elbowed Belfour out of the two earlier victories against the Maple Leafs this month. Hasek had started the last two games and four of the previous six.
”I tried not to get too keyed up,” Belfour said of his eagerness to reclaim his spot. ”If you try too hard sometimes it backfires on you.”
Linemates Jeremy Roenick and Larmer were really a matching pair, each scoring two goals. Roenick now owns 35, just 23 short of Bobby Hull`s team-record 58 with 32 games to play in the regular season.
”Grant Fuhr held them in the game again,” Roenick said.
Fuhr made the Hawks dig for their goals, just as he did in a 2-0 loss at the Stadium last week when he made 42 saves. He compiled 40 saves Thursday.
Roenick delighted the fans with his eye-to-eye duel with Fuhr in the second period. He stayed forehand at the finish of his breakaway, getting Fuhr to budge first and tucked the puck past him easily at 15:59. Defenseman Steve Konroyd was responsible for the play. From along the left boards in the Hawks` zone, he hit Roenick with a pass at mid-ice.
Larmer was in the right spot right of the crease to backhand his first score past Fuhr in the second period. Larmer began the sequence of shots at him before this score, one of his eight shots in the game. Roenick, on the other hand, scored on his only two shots of the night.
”We played with more imagination, criss-crossing and moving the puck,”
Larmer said. ”Too bad Toronto`s frustration had to break out like that with 3 1/2 minutes left. That can`t happen; it`s no good for hockey.”
