Friday, November 8, 2002
A flyby in Dallas
By E.J. Hradek
ESPN The Magazine
Here are a few quick shifts as we skate into another NHL weekend:
Eddie the Eagle lands in Dallas
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| | Belfour |
On Friday night, you can expect that Leafs stopper Ed Belfour will receive a warm reception when he returns to the American Airlines Center in Dallas for the first time since being cast off by the Stars. The club opted to give Belfour's job to the younger (and cheaper) Marty Turco, who'll likely oppose his former goaltending partner. Unwanted in Big D, Belfour inked a big-money deal with the Leafs to replace the popular Curtis Joseph. Eddie the Eagle, who hasn't found too much love from the crowd in T.O., was a big fan favorite in Dallas. Of course, any time you can backstop a team to a Stanley Cup, you're going to be well liked. So, he should get a nice cheer from the crowd. Then, when the noise subsides, Belfour would like nothing better than to beat his old team. Good luck, Eddie, you're going to need it.
Top cat
Congratulations to Flames assistant coach Brian Skrudland, who'll be the first ex-Panther to be inducted into the club's Den of Honor prior to the Flames-Panthers game at the Office Depot Center on Saturday. The franchise's first captain, Skrudland was key part of the Panthers' surprising run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1996. The hard-working pivot spent four seasons in South Florida. He also played with the Canadiens, Flames, Rangers and Stars during his 15-year career.
Striking at the right time
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| | Vokoun |
On Sunday night, the Predators make a rare national TV appearance (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET) when they faceoff against the Avalanche in Denver. The game will be the sixth stop on a tough seven-game road swing for the hard-luck Predators, who have suffered nine one-goal losses in 13 games. Ouch! The Preds are visiting the Avalanche at the right time, though, as both goalie Patrick Roy (hip) and defenseman Rob Blake (groin) likely will miss the game due to injuries. Despite his record (0-4-1), Nashville backup goalie Tomas Vokoun has been on top of his game, registering an impressive .921 save percentage, and might get the call against Joe Sakic & Co.
E.J. Hradek writes hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.
