Lemieux Super As He Begins His Road Back

Seven goals in his last three games, 27 points in eight games - and, guess what? Mario Lemieux says he truly won’t be on his game for another couple of weeks.

What a scary thought for NHL goaltenders. And what a scary start for Lemieux, who sat out last season for health reasons only to return even better than before.

“You never expect to go out one night and get seven or eight points,” Lemieux said after his one-goal, six-assist night Wednesday in the Penguins’ 10-0 victory over Tampa Bay. “I was fortunate enough that the power play’s been working good for us, and that’s where I get most of my points.”

Actually, he’s getting them almost every time he steps on the ice.

“It was almost kind of scary, because he could have had a few more out there,” Penguins coach Eddie Johnston.

Funny, how that word scary always seems to make its way into any conversation about Lemieux.

Lemieux expected to make slow but measurable progress in his first month back, but goals and assists are coming even faster than they did when he led the Penguins to Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.

It’s more than just the one year away from hockey, too. Lemieux didn’t use the time off just to rest his oft-troublesome back and to shake off the anemia and fatigue that dogged him following his 1993 bout with Hodgkin’s disease.

For the first time since he first picked up a hockey stick at age 2 or 3, Lemieux began an extensive off-season conditioning program. Now, he lifts weights, walks on a treadmill, uses a stair-climbing machine and even had a conditioning room built onto his spacious Pittsburgh home.

Even Lemieux’s personal trainer and the Penguins’ medical staff are amazed with the progress he has made. He has never been stronger, and, remarkably, at age 30, his twice-surgically repaired back has never felt better.

“It’s good when you can go to work every day and feel good,” he said. “I feel good now when I go to the rink. I’ve never felt better. I never felt this good at the peak of my career.”

Jets no where to fly

The Winnipeg Jets, once seemingly headed for Minneapolis, must look for another home.

Richard Burke, the businessman intent on relocating the Jets to Minnesota, was told by local officials they are not able to help him.

A group of business and political leaders determined there is too little time to put together the financing package Burke said he needed to bring the Jets to the Target Center.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had given Minnesota until the league’s mid-December board meeting to decide if it could afford to bring back the NHL.

“We definitely want hockey,” Minneapolis City Council president Jackie Cherryhomes said. “The timing is just not something we can respond to in the right time frame. Hopefully, (Bettman) will understand the constraints we’re under.”

Although it seems impossible to meet Bettman’s deadline, neither Burke nor any of the officials he met with would say Minnesota was out of the running.

Several cities want an NHL team, including Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Atlanta and Nashville, Tenn.

Calgary fires general manager

The Calgary Flames, suffering through their worst start in history, fired general manager Doug Risebrough.

Al Coates, the Flames’ executive vice-president who made the decision to dismiss his friend, was more concerned about the future.

“I gave very, very little regard to the current situation,” Coates said about Calgary’s 1-8-3 record, second worst in the league.

Coates will assume the general manager’s role until he can find a new person for the position.

Hull sidelined

Brett Hull has a pulled groin muscle that will sideline the St. Louis Blues star for at least the next two games.

The right wing sat out the last two periods of Wednesday night’s game at Anaheim. Hull has not missed a regular-season game since Oct. 16, 1993.

Hull, 31, was placed on injured reserve, which means he is not eligible to play for at least seven days. He will miss the team’s Nov. 4 game against San Jose and its Nov. 7 game against Los Angeles.

Hull is the Blues’ leading scorer with eight goals and seven assists in 12 games.