Lafontaine Hopeful He Will Play Again

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The Buffalo Sabres have had a gap above center ice since their new scoreboard crashed to the floor Nov. 16, and a gap at center ice since Oct. 17 when captain Pat LaFontaine crashed to the ice following a monstrous collision between his chin and the left shoulder of Pittsburgh defenseman Francois Leroux.

The fifth concussion of his 14-season career will sideline LaFontaine, 31, until at least February. Fixing LaFontaine, one of the top U.S.-born hockey players, is not the same as fixing a scoreboard; you don’t simply send for new circuits.

“You only get one brain, and you only get one chance in life,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said. “And there’s a lot more important things than putting a puck in a net.”

On the ice, LaFontaine battled back from a knee injury to win the 1994-95 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Last week, LaFontaine was named a 1997 recipient of the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S.

You can’t put a splint or a cast or a bandage on a concussion. There is no outward evidence of injury.

“I’ve been injured. I’ve had all kinds of knee surgery, and I’ve had a broken jaw and I’ve had concussions, but this was much different,” LaFontaine said. “It really scares you. I remember reading a book to my daughters and getting so frustrated, because I was skipping words.”

Over time, as his brain heals, that type of frustration will subside. It is far more difficult to rehabilitate a brain injury than a knee or an arm. LaFontaine needs time and rest. The tests are encouraging, the return of hopefulness is encouraging.

“Right now, the nicest thing is to know I’m starting to feel better and come back to the way it used to be. That’s real encouraging,” LaFontaine said. “When I go back to the Mayo Clinic in February, the doctors are going to retest me and reevaluate me. I just have to see how I feel, and I’m just encouraged that I’m feeling a lot better than I have been.”

Palffy to return for Islanders

Zigmund Palffy will be back in the lineup tonight when the Islanders play host to the Dallas Stars at Nassau Coliseum.

Palffy, who leads the club with 20 goals and 37 points, missed Thursday night’s 5-0 loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia with a sprained right shoulder. Palffy will most likely play wearing a harness that the Islanders have ordered for him.

Sabres roll over Kings into first place

Brian Holzinger and Derek Plante had two goals apiece to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.

Donald Audette and Matthew Barnaby also scored for Buffalo (17-14-2), which has won three straight and moved into a tie with the Hartford Whalers for first place in the Northeast Division.

Scott Mellanby scored two power-play goals and set up a late insurance score as the Florida Panthers beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1.

Radek Dvorak also scored as Florida snapped a four-game road losing streak. Meanwhile, Panthers goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick stopped 34 of 35 Chicago shots.

The struggling Washington Capitals finally came up with their first victory of December.

Phil Housley broke a tie with 2:27 remaining in the third period and the Capitals halted a seven-game winless streak with a 3-2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks.