Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy can make NHL history Tuesday night in Washington by breaking Terry Sawchuk’s record that has stood for 30 years.
Roy has 447 victories, equaling the record set by Sawchuk during a career that began in 1949 and ended in 1970.
“It was fun to have the chance to tie the record in front of our fans, but the focus is not on the record,” Roy said Monday. “Our team is doing extremely well. We have a really good start. That is where my focus is.
“Our commitment is to win the Stanley Cup. We learned from last year’s playoffs that we have to be more consistent. If last year we had picked up three more wins early, we’d have played Game 7 [of the Western Conference championship series] in Colorado instead of Dallas.”
Dallas had the home-ice advantage because it finished with six more points than Colorado during the regular season, and eliminated the Avalanche with a 3-2 victory in Game 7.
Roy said he went on a diet and “worked a little bit harder than in previous summers.”
The result was a loss of 10 pounds, which he believes is a factor in his 3-0-2 start, 1.36 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. “It makes a huge difference,” said the goalie who turned 35 last Tuesday. “I feel much quicker and more confident and comfortable.”
It took Roy 846 games to equal the record Sawchuk set in 968 games.
“My next objective is to try to go for 1,000 games,” he said. “No goaltender has ever done that.”
Lindros in limbo: Despite injuries to two key forwards–left wing John LeClair and right wing Mark Recchi–Philadelphia General Manager Bob Clarke hasn’t made any overtures to his high-profile holdout center Eric Lindros.
Lindros, who was making $8.5 million per year, is a free agent and the Flyers have the right to match any offer from another team or receive a draft choice in compensation.
But after suffering the third and fourth concussions–Jan. 14 and March 13–since March of 1998, teams are leery of investing heavily in Lindros. His 55 games, 27 goals and 32 assists last season were the lowest numbers in his eight-year NHL career.
Injury update: LeClair may need surgery to repair an inflamed disc in his lower back. Recchi has comparatively minor problems–a concussion and a foot injury–and he may be able to play Tuesday against Ottawa. … Detroit captain Steve Yzerman will have surgery on his right knee, sidelining him six to eight weeks. Yzerman, 35, missed the first two games of the season, played in the 4-3 loss to Edmonton and 4-0 victory over the Hawks and was scratched Sunday night when the Red Wings played San Jose. … Montreal captain Saku Koivu will have surgery Tuesday to repair a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. The knee was damaged last March and reinjured in last Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers. “This isn’t career-threatening,” said Dr. David Mulder. The prognosis is that he will miss at least three months.
Crime and punishment: A British Columbia judge let Marty McSorley get off with 18 months of probation after finding the ex-Boston brawler guilty of assault with a weapon for clubbing Vancouver’s Donald Brashear on the head with his stick in a Feb. 21 game.
But the guilty verdict also has present and possibly future financial ramifications for McSorley. If McSorley had been found innocent, the Bruins were going to pick up the $200,000 tab for his legal fees. Down the road, McSorley faces the possibility that Brashear will go to civil court and ask for damages from his attacker.
Acting against the advice of his attorneys, McSorley gave an interview to three journalists after the verdict was announced. He told them he decided against submitting tapes of other violent episodes that have taken place in the NHL to protect the league’s image.
Consensus is that by granting the interview, McSorley stuck his skate in his mouth and his comments will constitute an additional problem if he goes before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to appeal for reinstatement. Immediately following the attack, McSorley received an indefinite suspension from the league.
Undaunted by McSorley’s assault that produced a Grade 3 concussion and kept him from physical activity for the next month, Brashear is still fighting and publicly gloating when he wins.
Colin Campbell, the NHL’s executive vice president and designated disciplinarian, told Vancouver GM Brian Burke to tell Brashear to knock off the taunting and showboating.
Burke refused, arguing that Brashear isn’t breaking any rules, and Canucks coach Marc Crawford supported his controversial player. “Emotion is a big part of the game,” said Crawford. “You can’t take the emotion out.”
Ex-Hawk dies: Art Coulter, a Hall of Fame defenseman who played for the Blackhawks and Rangers, died Saturday in Mobile, Ala., the Blackhawks said Monday. He was 92.
