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Slap shots

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 17, 2000

COUNTERPUNCH: Calgary left wing Bill Lindsay got a two-game suspension for elbowing Montreal's Eric Weinrich during Wednesday's game. But Lindsay was more concerned with the retaliatory hit by Trevor Linden, who dropped both gloves and pounded Lindsay into submission.

"I was going to hit him and I got my hands up," Lindsay said of his shot on Weinrich. "Premeditated? No. Intent to injure? No. A dirty hit? Yeah, maybe. Trevor comes in with his gloves off. Now that's intent to injure."

PRIORITIES: It wasn't easy for Hurricanes goaltender Arturs Irbe, a political junkie, to keep his mind on Wednesday's game against the Wild with Al Gore falling on his sword and George W. Bush accepting the presidency.

Irbe, who is Latvian and can't vote, got off the team plane after the 1-1 tie in Minnesota and sat in front of his television waiting for reruns.

"When I got home, I waited until they showed (the speeches) again," Irbe said.

Irbe is always using politics to make a point. After a Dec. 3 game against Ottawa, he complained about a disallowed goal.

"Goal judge must be democrat," he said. "He wasn't looking for real goal. Just intent."

SECOND OPINIONS: The Avalanche lost replay decisions in consecutive games: Monday against the Lightning and Wednesday against the Flyers. So what does Avalanche coach Bob Hartley think of the replay system?

"Maybe we should put it on the Jumbotron (scoreboard) and have the fans vote," he said. "It'd be like Florida. It'd take a week to recount."

DRY HEAT: Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe had fun with a story out of Vancouver about a couple that has developed a giant washing machine to clean up to eight sets of hockey gear at a time and get rid of the grungy smell.

"That's sacrilegious saying you're going to clean hockey gear," Lowe said. "Hockey is all about the smell of it in the car. (As a kid) I used to come home after every practice or game and I had my own little stall by the furnace. I'd hang up my wet stuff. It was a ritual, like brushing my teeth before bed.

"It may not have been as clean as it could be, but I was always dry. Some kids ... would just leave their equipment bags in the trunk of the car. It wouldn't be wet. It would be frozen the next time they put it on."

LIKE MIKE: Wild left wing Steve McKenna on Michael Jordan becoming part owner of the Capitals: "I think he's going to open up the three-point shot and maybe take away the zone defense. I think it's going to open up the game totally."

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