Slap shots: Padding his success

Roberto Luongo takes a shot, so to speak, from fellow goaltenders.

By Damian Cristodero
Published December 23, 2007

Stars goalies Marty Turco and Mike Smith said they were just sending a message about goaltending equipment, not trying to get under Roberto Luongo's skin.

Still, it couldn't have been a coincidence Turco and Smith skated onto the ice during Thursday's morning skate before a game with the Canucks with huge cardboard extensions on top of their leg pads, each inscribed with a big No.1.

Luongo wears No.1.

The message, the Vancouver Province reported, was that Luongo gains a competitive advantage from his knee flaps.

"We need pads that are realistic and what's safe for the game," Turco said. "My (homemade flaps) were part comical, part serious. I was really serious because I don't like the idea of larger nets."

Said Luongo: "I don't make the equipment. I just wear it. We're friends. I don't think (Turco) was doing it in a malicious way."

Former NHL goaltender Kay Whitmore, who helps the league police goalie equipment, told the Province he checked Luongo's pads last season in the playoffs.

"It's just the way Roberto chooses to wear it," Whitmore said. "If we thought he was getting an unfair advantage having that protective flap sticking out the side, we would definitely do something about it."

Q&A

New Players Association head Paul Kelly sat down recently with the Times:

On playing in Europe: I would like to see in five or six years the prospect of having franchises in major European cities. I know certain coaches will say the travel will be dreadful. But if you're in Tampa and you have to fly to Vancouver, I'm not so sure that's materially different.

On the Olympics: It's important (for) the NHL to participate in the Olympics in Vancouver (2010) and Russia (2014), and to participate in a World Cup that occurs every four years in the off years of the Olympics.

On lack of U.S. TV coverage: As much as I think Versus does a nice job, we need broader coverage. This game should be back on ESPN. It's in ESPN's interest and in the league's interest.

On an proposed 84-game schedule: It would be good for the league and help grow revenues. Our view is an 84-game schedule is not going to extend the season at all. If you cap preseason games at five, then you can start the season a week earlier and end it at the same time.

On the strength of the Canadian franchises: Revenues at the end of the season are projected (leaguewide) to be $2.5-billion. The fact that six Canadian teams bring in 28 percent of the revenues and 24 U.S. teams bring in 72 percent is an equation I'm not too happy with. It means the Canadian teams are doing great, they're banging out their buildings, they have great TV revenues, they have great marketing revenues and a strong Canadian dollar, and God bless them.

He said it

"That was my first fight. It's not something I'm going to make a habit of. I just remember being punched. I don't know if it was after the whistle. I just remember him punching me. His gloves came off." - Penguins' Sidney Crosby on his first NHL bout Thursday against Boston's Andrew Ference

Calling his shot(times five)

Seems Wild sharpshooter Marian Gaborik predicted (kind of) his five-goal outburst Thursday against the Rangers.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported one of Gaborik's friends e-mailed him that day a YouTube video of Pavel Bure's five goals for Russia against Finland in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

"I was joking that I have to score five goals," Gaborik told the paper.

The five-goal game was the first in Wild history and the first since Detroit's Sergei Fedorov did it Dec.26, 1996, against the Capitals.

"It was just like watching Bure back in the day," said Minnesota's Mark Parrish, a teammate of Bure's with the Panthers. "Gabby was banking them out of the air, scoring on breakaways, skating through everybody, making highlight-film goals."

.FAST FACTS

600 club

Calgary's Mike Keenan moved into sixth place last week with his 600th career coaching win.

Coach Wins

Scotty Bowman 1,244

Al Arbour 781

Dick Irvin 692

Pat Quinn 657

Bryan Murray 607

Mike Keenan 600

[Last modified December 23, 2007, 00:04:36]