Hull-Less Blues Top Keenan’s Canucks
Brett Hull never passed up a chance to rip Mike Keenan. On Monday night, however, he would take no shots, either on the ice or off, against his former boss.
The star right wing was not in the lineup because of a pulled hamstring when the St. Louis Blues beat Keenan and his new team, the Vancouver Canucks, 5-1.
Hull didn’t seem particularly disturbed that he watched the game from the press box high above the Kiel Center ice, preferring to turn the page on the most frustrating 2-1/2 years of his NHL career.
“It’s over,” said Hull, the Blues’ leading scorer with 15 goals and 16 assists. “It’s a different time now. I don’t hold grudges against anybody, and I wouldn’t have one anyway.
“It was just a time that didn’t work out for both of us. We’re probably both happy it’s over.”
It wasn’t over yet. Not with a near-sellout crowd of 19,295 booing its lungs out all eight times Keenan’s mug was shown on the Jumbotron screen. Banner examples: “Welcome Back, Mike. Not!!” and “All I want for Christmas is Keenan’s two front teeth.”
One family of three held up separate signs that read, “Keenan’s a Canuck, That’s Their Tough Luck, Frankly, They Can Keep the Schmuck.”
Wearing a double-breasted suit, Keenan made his first appearance on the bench just before the game to thunderous boos, smiling through the experience. He even waved to the crowd, prompting even more booing.
Hull had expected it, considering his pal Wayne Gretzky got similar treatment last season after signing a free-agent deal with the New York Rangers.
“That’s an unfortunate part of sports,” Hull said. “The greatest player ever comes in here and they boo him. I don’t think you’re probably going to see anything else.”
Gretzky injured in Rangers’ win
The New York Rangers got the early jump at home for a change and held on for a 3-1 victory Monday over the Phoenix Coyotes to break an eight-game winless streak in a game marred by an injury to superstar Wayne Gretzky.
Gretzky suffered an apparent knee injury in action against the mid-ice boards in the final 3 minutes. Gretzky left the game with 2:27 remaining, leaving the Rangers to wrap up their first victory since Nov. 21.
Goals are the goal
The NHL has appointed a committee of general managers to study the decline in scoring. Members are Jack Ferreira of the Mighty Ducks, Harry Sinden of Boston, Glen Sather of Edmonton, Bob Clarke of Philadelphia and Lou Lamoriello of New Jersey.
Interesting choices, since Lamoriello’s Devils popularized the neutral-zone trap that has choked much of the offense out of the game and Ferreira’s Ducks have played variations of the trap since their inception.
The league is also taking a look at goalies’ equipment, figuring goalies are stopping more pucks because their over-sized jerseys and floppy sleeves give shooters less net to shoot at. Regulating their gear is like taping an aspirin to a broken leg. The real problem is, there’s not enough offensive talent to go around. Most teams can’t score more than two goals a game and will sit on a lead if they get it and pray for a 1-0 victory.