Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 3, 1993 TAG: 9310030182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C15 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
\ Winning the regular-season championship in the NHL doesn't guarantee anything in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Just ask the Pittsburgh Penguins, who last season were the fourth consecutive team to win the President's Trophy and fail in the playoffs.
For the 1993-94 season, look for them to do things differently.
"Maybe it was a mistake on our part to put so much importance on the regular season," Penguins captain Mario Lemieux says of last season, when the Penguins were upset by the New York Islanders in the Patrick Division finals despite a great season that included a record 17-game winning streak at the end.
"When we won our first two Stanley Cups, that's not the way we played the season," Lemieux said. "We [paced] ourselves all season long and then down the stretch, prepared ourselves for the playoffs. I think that's the way we have to look at it for this season."
Not that the Penguins can relax altogether. Because of a new playoff format, the regular season is expected to be more meaningful this time in the 26-team NHL, which has expanded with new franchises in Miami and Anaheim, Calif.
The new-look NHL places more emphasis on balanced play in conferences than in divisions.
Eight teams in each conference still will qualify for the playoffs, but it's no longer a matter of finishing in the top four of the division. Instead, division winners automatically will be seeded first and second, and the remaining six teams in the conference will qualify - all on the basis of overall points.
It's all part of a new direction for the NHL, which has streamlined its game with more conventional designations to appeal to a broader base of fans.
Gone are the traditional division names: Patrick, Adams, Norris and Smythe. In their place are the Atlantic, Northeast, Central and Pacific.
The Penguins, for one, have been shifted to the new Northeast Division with the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Nordiques, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Hartford Whalers and Ottawa Senators.
"You'll have more big games during the regular season," Washington Capitals general manager David Poile said. "Our games against the Quebec Nordiques are going to be every bit as important as our games with the Philadelphia Flyers."
The Capitals and Flyers are in the Atlantic Division, along with the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 14 teams in the Northeast and Atlantic are part of the newly designated Eastern Conference, which used to be the Wales. The 12 teams in the Central and Pacific are part of the Western Conference, which used to be the Campbell.
In the Central, it's the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars. Winnipeg has moved from the old Smythe Division, and Dallas has just moved from Minnesota. The former North Stars now are called the Stars, and they give the NHL another Sun Belt team.
The others are in the Pacific - Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and San Jose Sharks - giving the NHL six teams in warm-weather sites. The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks complete the division that used to be known as the Smythe.
The two new teams, newly named divisions and new playoff format aren't the only things that will be new when the NHL launches its season Tuesday night with four games: Boston at the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, Detroit at Dallas and the New York Islanders at Calgary.
There will be a new collective bargaining agreement between the players and owners, eventually, to replace the one that expired on Sept. 15, and a new contract for the NHL's on-ice officials.
There also will be five new rinks in use in the NHL for the 1993-94 season - the Pond of Anaheim for the Mighty Ducks; Miami Arena for Florida; Reunion Arena for Dallas; the San Jose Arena for the Sharks; and the Thunderdome for Tampa Bay.
And there are, of course, the annual changes behind the bench.
Scotty Bowman is among the old coaching faces in new places. He has moved to Detroit after coaching in Pittsburgh, where he led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 1992.
Eddie Johnston, who coached the Penguins when they were poor, is back in Pittsburgh with what is generally considered the NHL's most talented team.
Mike Keenan, who developed strong teams in Philadelphia and Chicago, has taken over the Rangers. The Rangers, looking for their first Stanley Cup since 1940, finished out of the playoffs last season after winning the President's Trophy in 1991-92.
Terry Simpson has resurfaced in Philadelphia; Roger Neilson with Florida; Jacques Lemaire with New Jersey; Kevin Constantine with San Jose; and Ron Wilson with Anaheim.
Many players switched teams during the off-season, in large part because of the expansion draft for the Panthers and Ducks. Goaltenders Ron Hextall, John Vanbiesbrouck, Jon Casey, Andy Moog and Glenn Healy are among those who changed teams. Hextall has gone from Quebec to the Islanders; Vanbiesbrouck from the Rangers to Florida; Jon Casey went to Boston; Moog went to Dallas; and Healy, who keyed the Islanders' great playoff run, wound up with the Rangers during a wild day at the expansion draft.
Just as noteworthy were the players who stayed put, including Wayne Gretzky. The NHL's most prominent player announced he would return for a 15th season, after a year in which he came back from a serious back injury to lead the Kings into the Stanley Cup finals.
Gretzky shouldn't need the three full years of his contract to establish yet another milestone. He begins the season 36 goals shy of Gordie Howe's career record of 801. If he can stay healthy, an average goal-scoring year would put him over the top.
Keywords:
HOCKEY
by CNB