NHL
Slapshots
Bad decision or bad guy?
By Times Staff Writer
Published February 29, 2004
Ottawa's Martin Havlat is not making friends. In fact, he made an enemy of Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock.
The NHL suspended Havlat for two games ($36,585) for a high-sticking incident in Thursday's game with Philadelphia. Havlat received a five-minute major for an attempt to injure after hitting Flyers wing Mark Recchi in the face.
"He two-handed me across the face," Recchi said. "He's known for it."
Havlat was suspended for two games earlier this season for kicking Islanders defenseman Eric Cairns and last season opened a 25-inch cut on the face of Philadelphia's Kim Johnsson.
"He's a reckless player, and someday, somebody is really going to make him eat his lunch," Hitchcock said. "He's going to get it someday, and it's going to be harsh. Somebody is going to get him. I don't know if it will be our team or some other team."
Havlat was apologetic.
"I don't feel good about what I did," he said. "I was getting frustrated with all the hooking going on before that. I wanted to hit him but not in the face. It was a bad decision."
In this corner . . .
Markus Naslund is expected to be in the Canucks lineup Wednesday when they visit the Avalanche. The All-Star left wing suffered a Grade 2 concussion Feb. 16 on a controversial hit by Colorado's Steve Moore.
Vancouver's Brad May has said a "bounty" is on Moore's head. Naslund said he isn't seeking vengeance. He played his first game since the injury Thursday against the Sharks.
"I've been feeling good," Naslund said. "I haven't had any headaches the last couple of days."
Five questions
With Ducks center Sergei Fedorov:
Q : How does it feel to be the first Russian player to get 1,000 points?
A: It seems to me just a lot of points, a lot of hockey played. It's very intriguing to me this milestone. But I'm sure I have a few more miles to go, a few more goals to score.
Q : Do you feel you've been a trailblazer?
A: I was just 20 years old when I broke into the league. It was exciting to play in front of 20,000 people. It's quite an achievement for me, but no, I never really thought about it.
Q : Are you surprised Pavel Datsyuk has more goals than (Red Wings teammate) Brett Hull?
A: Not really surprised. Pavel is a very talented guy. Obviously, he has skill. I saw his potential when he played with Brett and (teammate) Boyd Devereaux.
Q : What do you remember about the Red Wings?
A: We had certain expectations. We were hunting our first Stanley Cup for five or six years, and we had disappointment in a couple of seasons. So it was not easy there.
Q : How is Anaheim treating you?
A: After my 10th or 12th goal, I started feeling a little more comfortable. I finally started feeling a rhythm. This is exciting, especially with the success we've had the past five or six games (3-1-1-1).
Around the league
The Penguins celebrated their first victory in 44 days as if they had won the Stanley Cup. Owner Mario Lemieux and president Ken Sawyer shook hands with every coach and player after a 4-3 overtime victory over the Coyotes ended an 0-17-0-1 streak. "It was like we were going to drink out of the Cup," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. Pittsburgh takes a 14-game home losing streak into Mellon Arena Tuesday against the Islanders. ... Devils captain Scott Stevens, sidelined since Jan. 9 with postconcussion syndrome, has been cleared to exercise on a treadmill. ... The 10 points Steve Sullivan got in his first three games with the Predators tied Wayne Gretzky's mark for points in three games with a new team.
Quotable
"We kind of looked at each other and said, "That was fun.' It was a couple of guys beating on each other. Good times." - Sharks forward Scott Parker after his third fight this season with Blue Jackets enforcer Jody Shelley.
- Compiled by Times staff writer Damian Cristodero from personal interviews and information from other news organizations.
[Last modified February 29, 2004, 07:44:16]
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