[Devils-list] Time to Give This Devil His Due

[JM2714@aol.com]

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Time to Give
This Devil His Due

Aside from correctly pronouncing the name of Per Svartvadet, the members of=20
the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association have one important task.=
=20
They are entrusted with voting for Coach of the Year.
The microphone men tend to favor the underdogs, coaches who step in and=20
elevate a team from bad to mediocre or mediocre to good. They don't seem to=20
appreciate guys who get their team to the top, and keep them there.=20
How else to explain that the greatest coaches of the last two decades, Scott=
y=20
Bowman and Al Arbour, each won the thing only once?
       =20
This vote for Coach of the Year goes to Larry Robinson.=20
That probably means the Devils' Larry Robinson has no real shot at the honor=
,=20
which is a shame. There isn't another coach in the league who has done more=20
in the past calendar year.
It hasn't been as easy as Robinson has made it look. Since taking over from=20
the fired Robbie Ftorek on March 23, 2000, Robinson has repaired a fractured=
=20
team and taken it to a Stanley Cup. This season, he somehow avoided the Cup=20
hangover that crippled the Devils in their first post-championship season=20=
=E2=80=94=20
if you'll remember, the Devils failed to make the playoffs in 1996 after=20
winning the previous season =E2=80=94 and guided them to a franchise-record=20=
winning=20
streak.
"I know that after we won in '95, it was a very tough year," said defenseman=
=20
Scott Niedermayer. "We were coming into the same situation this year, and he=
=20
gets the credit for keeping this team playing the type of hockey we should b=
e=20
playing. I think that was his biggest challenge this year."
Robinson, as humble a multiple Cup-winning, polo-playing, Hall of Fame=20
defenseman as you'd ever want to meet, gives great credit to GM Lou Lamoriel=
lo
 and typically downplays his own accomplishments. His riskiest move of the=20
season was benching center Bobby Holik =E2=80=94 for all of 25 minutes of on=
e game.=20
Still, it was a gamble.
"When you've got to be hard, you've got to be hard, but the nice thing about=
=20
this group is, not too often do you have to lose your temper or get mad at=20
them," Robinson said. "They're very responsible and very responsive to=20
everything you bring to them. The bottom line is, they want to win as bad as=
=20
I do. I'm very, very lucky."
Robinson made sure to laud his staff, which includes assistants Jacques Caro=
n
, Slava Fetisov, and Kurt Kleinendorst. "I'm like a father that has 20-some=20
kids (who) turned out to be great, all graduated high school and college, an=
d=20
now are all doctors and lawyers."
He's a dad who kept them from becoming a dysfunctional family.
Ice Chips
The lone surprise of the first eight players named to the Canadian Olympic=20
team Friday was San Jose's Owen Nolan, whose bruising style is more suited t=
o=20
the NHL than international play. ... Niedermayer was the only player from th=
e=20
three local teams named to Team Canada. The balance of the team will be=20
announced in December, with goalie Martin Brodeur a lock.
Philadelphia's Simon Gagne, expected back this weekend from a separated=20
shoulder, will play out the season wearing a shoulder harness. ... Boston=20
goalie John Grahame, who missed the first half of the season after breaking=20
his ankle in a bar brawl, didn't help his future when he was suspended for=20
two AHL games for breaking his stick and throwing it into the stands. The=20
stick hit an 8-year-old boy.
Late-season injuries are depleting the league-leading Avs. Rob Blake (knee),=
=20
Patrick Roy (groin), and Peter Forsberg (arm) were all hurt during the week.=
=20
... Los Angeles selected Jared Aulin, a 19-year-old center, from the Colorad=
o=20
system to complete the Blake deal. The Kings, five points out of a playoff=20
spot at the time of the Feb. 21 trade, have overtaken Phoenix for eighth=20
place in the West and could be headed for a first-round meeting with the Avs=
.=20
Nope, no plot lines there.=20
Break Up the Pens
       =20
Mario Lemieux won't be taking a breather against the Devils today. =20
The Devils will have to adjust their strategy this afternoon if Pittsburgh=20
follows through on its plan to play Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr on=20
different lines.
"He's on his own now," cracked Jagr, who is expected to play on a line with=20
Jan Hrdina and Aleksey Morozov. Lemieux will stick with Kevin Stevens on his=
=20
left side, with Wayne Primeau taking Jagr's spot.
Jagr said he was not upset by the change, after discussing it with Lemieux=20
and coach Ivan Hlinka.
"We talked about it, and it makes sense," Jagr said.=20
"We need to have balance, to have three pretty good lines. It should work fo=
r=20
our team, I think."


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D5><B>Time=
 to Give
<BR>This Devil His Due</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D6 FAMILY=3D"SAN=
SSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Ar=
ial" LANG=3D"0">
<BR>Aside from correctly pronouncing the name of Per Svartvadet</B>, the mem=
bers of=20
<BR>the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association have one important t=
ask.=20
<BR>They are entrusted with voting for Coach of the Year.
<BR>The microphone men tend to favor the underdogs, coaches who step in and=20
<BR>elevate a team from bad to mediocre or mediocre to good. They don't seem=
 to=20
<BR>appreciate guys who get their team to the top, and keep them there.=20
<BR>How else to explain that the greatest coaches of the last two decades, <=
B>Scotty=20
<BR>Bowman</B> and <B>Al Arbour,</B> each won the thing only once?
<BR>       =20
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Ar=
ial" LANG=3D"0"><B>This vote for Coach of the Year goes to Larry Robinson.</=
FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" L=
ANG=3D"0"></B>=20
<BR>That probably means the Devils' <B>Larry Robinson</B> has no real shot a=
t the honor,=20
<BR>which is a shame. There isn't another coach in the league who has done m=
ore=20
<BR>in the past calendar year.
<BR>It hasn't been as easy as Robinson has made it look. Since taking over f=
rom=20
<BR>the fired <B>Robbie Ftorek</B> on March 23, 2000, Robinson has repaired=20=
a fractured=20
<BR>team and taken it to a Stanley Cup. This season, he somehow avoided the=20=
Cup=20
<BR>hangover that crippled the Devils in their first post-championship seaso=
n =E2=80=94=20
<BR>if you'll remember, the Devils failed to make the playoffs in 1996 after=
=20
<BR>winning the previous season =E2=80=94 and guided them to a franchise-rec=
ord winning=20
<BR>streak.
<BR>"I know that after we won in '95, it was a very tough year," said defens=
eman <B>
<BR>Scott Niedermayer</B>. "We were coming into the same situation this year=
, and he=20
<BR>gets the credit for keeping this team playing the type of hockey we shou=
ld be=20
<BR>playing. I think that was his biggest challenge this year."
<BR>Robinson, as humble a multiple Cup-winning, polo-playing, Hall of Fame=20
<BR>defenseman as you'd ever want to meet, gives great credit to GM <B>Lou L=
amoriello
<BR></B> and typically downplays his own accomplishments. His riskiest move=20=
of the=20
<BR>season was benching center <B>Bobby Holik</B> =E2=80=94 for all of 25 mi=
nutes of one game.=20
<BR>Still, it was a gamble.
<BR>"When you've got to be hard, you've got to be hard, but the nice thing a=
bout=20
<BR>this group is, not too often do you have to lose your temper or get mad=20=
at=20
<BR>them," Robinson said. "They're very responsible and very responsive to=20
<BR>everything you bring to them. The bottom line is, they want to win as ba=
d as=20
<BR>I do. I'm very, very lucky."
<BR>Robinson made sure to laud his staff, which includes assistants <B>Jacqu=
es Caron</B>
<BR>, <B>Slava Fetisov</B>, and <B>Kurt Kleinendorst</B>. "I'm like a father=
 that has 20-some=20
<BR>kids (who) turned out to be great, all graduated high school and college=
, and=20
<BR>now are all doctors and lawyers."
<BR>He's a dad who kept them from becoming a dysfunctional family.
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Ar=
ial" LANG=3D"0"><BIG><BIG><BIG><B>Ice Chips</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" S=
IZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></BIG></BIG></B>
<BR>The lone surprise of the first eight players named to the Canadian Olymp=
ic=20
<BR>team Friday was San Jose's <B>Owen Nolan</B>, whose bruising style is mo=
re suited to=20
<BR>the NHL than international play. ... <B>Niedermayer </B>was the only pla=
yer from the=20
<BR>three local teams named to Team Canada. The balance of the team will be=20
<BR>announced in December, with goalie <B>Martin Brodeur </B>a lock.
<BR>Philadelphia's <B>Simon Gagne</B>, expected back this weekend from a sep=
arated=20
<BR>shoulder, will play out the season wearing a shoulder harness. ... Bosto=
n=20
<BR>goalie <B>John Grahame</B>, who missed the first half of the season afte=
r breaking=20
<BR>his ankle in a bar brawl, didn't help his future when he was suspended f=
or=20
<BR>two AHL games for breaking his stick and throwing it into the stands. Th=
e=20
<BR>stick hit an 8-year-old boy.
<BR>Late-season injuries are depleting the league-leading Avs. <B>Rob Blake=20=
</B>(knee), <B>
<BR>Patrick Roy</B> (groin), and <B>Peter Forsberg</B> (arm) were all hurt d=
uring the week.=20
<BR>... Los Angeles selected <B>Jared Aulin</B>, a 19-year-old center, from=20=
the Colorado=20
<BR>system to complete the Blake deal. The Kings, five points out of a playo=
ff=20
<BR>spot at the time of the Feb. 21 trade, have overtaken Phoenix for eighth=
=20
<BR>place in the West and could be headed for a first-round meeting with the=
 Avs.=20
<BR>Nope, no plot lines there.=20
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Ar=
ial" LANG=3D"0"><BIG><BIG><BIG><B>Break Up the Pens</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#0=
00080" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></BIG></BIG><=
/B>
<BR>       =20
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Ar=
ial" LANG=3D"0"><B>Mario Lemieux won't be taking a breather against the Devi=
ls today.</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000080" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></B> =20
<BR>The Devils will have to adjust their strategy this afternoon if Pittsbur=
gh=20
<BR>follows through on its plan to play <B>Mario Lemieux</B> and <B>Jaromir=20=
Jagr</B> on=20
<BR>different lines.
<BR>"He's on his own now," cracked Jagr, who is expected to play on a line w=
ith <B>
<BR>Jan Hrdina</B> and <B>Aleksey Morozov</B>. Lemieux will stick with <B>Ke=
vin Stevens </B>on his=20
<BR>left side, with <B>Wayne Primeau</B> taking Jagr's spot.
<BR>Jagr said he was not upset by the change, after discussing it with Lemie=
ux=20
<BR>and coach <B>Ivan Hlinka</B>.<B>
<BR></B>"We talked about it, and it makes sense," Jagr said.=20
<BR>"We need to have balance, to have three pretty good lines. It should wor=
k for=20
<BR>our team, I think."
<BR></BIG></BIG></FONT></HTML>

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