Slap Shots: Time heals this wound

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
Published November 18, 2007

Eric Staal is not one to make excuses, but the Hurricanes star admitted the team's 2006 Cup run might have contributed to his 30-point scoring drop-off last season.

"Time comes into a factor for a lot of guys," Staal said before last week's game with the Lightning. "Injury-wise, bumps and bruises and getting extra time to heal can make a difference and make you fresher when you come back."

Staal was one of the game's darlings in 2005-06 with 45 goals and 100 points while leading Carolina to the championship. But he dropped off to 70 points last season.

Looking back, he said perhaps a short summer caused problems. Carolina played until June 19 during its Stanley Cup season and was back at training camp three months later.

Carolina did not make the playoffs last season and had five months of rest before camp. Staal is off to a good start: 12 goals and 21 points in his first 19 games.

"Obviously, there was more time to rest and let your body recover before you get back in the weight room," he said. "You get stronger. I feel like I've got more jump in my legs as far as creating offense and getting through the zone with speed."

"Eric is playing at a higher pace. I think the whole team is," Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said. "Everybody is fitter and more motivated. ... Five months worth of working out and healing. You can't compare it to two."

The naked truth

Let this be a lesson to all you photo bugs out there: Try to keep your clothes on.

Maple Leafs rookie Jiri Tlusty was embarrassed last week when a naked picture of himself (his lawyer said Tlusty, a "photo journalist," took it) ended up on a celebrity gossip Web site.

"I used poor judgment in this instance last season, and I have learned a valuable lesson," the 19-year-old said in a news release issued by the Leafs. "It will not happen again."

"He made a naive mistake as a teenager," Leafs general manager John Ferguson told the Toronto Sun. "It's a lesson in how something private can easily become very public in the Internet age."

Public enemy

Whether the Rangers' Sean Avery mocked Jason Blake's leukemia (prompting a pregame incident with Toronto's Darcy Tucker) or not, the agitator has a long list of people looking to knock him down a few pegs.

"He's just a little rat," Flyers enforcer Ben Eager told the Camden Courier Post. "He basically runs around and loves himself out there. He thinks he's better than everyone. You just have to ignore him."

Fellow Flyer Riley Cote said if Avery, whom he said has "a big mouth," continues to disrespect opponents, he will get his due.

"The things he's saying and the things he's doing, a lot of stuff builds up, and people don't forget."

Avery has said he did not mock Blake's illness and was considering suing the radio station that made the allegation, The FAN 590 in Toronto.

Stupid goalie tricks

So Senators goalie Ray Emery, who has started just three games while recovering from wrist surgery, goes out to play a little baseball on a day off and pulls a back muscle throwing popups.

"I guess I'm not in baseball shape," he told Ottawa reporters.

He said it

"Goalies have to get smaller, or the nets have to get bigger. That goalie has to get significantly smaller for the likelihood of an outside shot to go in. If we can't make the goalies smaller, then I don't know what other options we have but to consider making the nets larger." - Sabres GM Darcy Regier in the Buffalo News bemoaning low-scoring games

Fight night?

According to the Montreal Gazette, Canadiens defenseman Francis Bouillon was advised to keep his head up during Saturday night's game with the Bruins. During their last meeting in Boston, Bouillon knocked out Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward with either an accidental collision (Bouillon's version) or a cheap-shot elbow (Ward's version).

Odds and ends

Jeremy Roenick gave the puck with which he scored his 500th goal to Sharks GM Doug Wilson to thank him for getting him back in the league. ... The Bruins entered Saturday with just 41 goals in 17 games but were 9-6-2 thanks to goalie Tim Thomas, who has a 1.68 goals-against average and .950 save percentage. ... The Sabres have been shut out three times, three more than last season.

[Last modified November 17, 2007, 19:38:15]