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The goalie from another planet

Dominik Hasek is so good that sometimes all he has to do is show up.

The Buffalo Sabres goaltender’s reputation weighs so heavily on his opponents’ minds that his presence alone is enough to make them stop relying on their instincts, players and psychologists said.

Hasek might be the best goalie ever to play in the 81 years of the National Hockey League. He’s won two consecutive Hart Trophies as league most valuable player, which no other goalie has done; took an unheralded Czech Republic team to the Olympic gold medal in February, and leads the NHL in every important goaltending statistic.

Hasek can make even the best scorers stop and think before shooting - and that can doom their chances, said Dr. Cal Botterill, a Canadian sports psychologist who has worked as a consultant for several NHL teams.

“Scoring in hockey is hard to do against a normal human goalie, but when you get a guy that plays out of his mind it clearly does become a psychological issue,” said Botterill, whose son, Jason, plays for the Dallas Stars.

Hey, just because your kid can’t score on him, it doesn’t mean you have to call him inhuman.

Sad times in Seattle

Bill Plaschke in The Sporting News as part of a series of special lyrics to well-known Christmas carols:

Oh little town of Seattle, how still we see thee rise

To read that all your teams again were kicked between the eyes.

The Seahawks walk, the Mariners sink, the Sonics can be doo-doo.

But because you bought them all new homes the biggest fools are you.

New-look Bruins

Perhaps it was subconscious; perhaps it was lingering frustration. But UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin appeared to take a subtle dig at Jelani McCoy, Kris Johnson, Toby Bailey and J.R. Henderson when he said of the current roster: “They’re low-maintenance. They’re all well-adjusted kids. There are no dysfunctional personalities in the group.” At least they never disgraced their university’s greatest tradition by wearing black uniforms.

Big spenders

With Florida State playing in the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl matchup will be Florida and Syracuse. Orange Bowl officials were wary of Florida State, according to ESPN’s Beano Cook:

“Their fans are a little tight. They bring $20 and a shirt and change neither.”

And what best-dressed list did you make, Beano?

The last word …

“The Bears are the only team in the NFL that possibly could shut down hotshot Vikings rookie Randy Moss. Of course they would have had to draft him first.”

- Joe Knowles, Chicago Tribune