HOCKEY NOTES : Penguins Take Nothing for Granted

The way I see it, this time there will be no first-round playoff scare for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The hard part for them will come they get out of the Patrick Division.

The Boston Bruins have a healthy Cam Neely, a healthy Ray Bourque, a checking center in Dave Poulin to shadow Mario Lemieux, and goalie Andy Moog, who has won 17 of his past 18 decisions. Boston will take the Penguins to six or seven games in the Wales Conference finals.

In the Cup finals, I think the Chicago Blackhawks will do the same thing. They made last year’s finals and will not be as awed. They have a great work ethic, Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick to lead them, and an improved offense since trading for Joe Murphy, Christian Ruuttu and Troy Murray. But the Penguins will win their third straight Cup.

Penguins defenseman Larry Murphy, though, is being cautious. “That’s a little too far ahead to consider,” he said. “I think the first round is going to be as tough as it was the last two years. But hopefully we’ve learned from our mistakes and we’re not going to get behind the eight-ball again.”

In 1991, the Penguins fell behind the New Jersey Devils, 3-2. Last year, they came back from a 3-1 deficit in the first round to beat the Washington Capitals and rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the divisional finals to eliminate the New York Rangers.

“I’ve always looked at the first two series as uncertain,” Penguins Coach Scotty Bowman said. “There’s probably been more upsets in the early rounds than in later rounds.”

True, but the Penguins are one of the best teams ever assembled. They won their first Presidents’ Trophy for having the best regular-season record and were 17-0-1 in their last 18 games. A 6-6 tie with the Devils Wednesday ended their NHL-record 17-game winning streak. They have been playing playoff hockey for a month as the streak and individual milestones kept them focused.

“There’s been Mario Lemieux’s attempt to win the scoring title,” Bowman said. “(Plus), Rick Tocchet reaching a career-high in points, Larry Murphy getting 20 goals, Joey Mullen getting 30, Ronnie Francis having a 100-point season. They’ve all helped us do well as a team. We haven’t had to play games with nothing at stake.”

The Penguins’ top eight players have scored 313 of their 367 goals but none appear burned out. “This team gets a lot of days off. That counters (burnout),” Tocchet said.

Murphy said, “They realize with 84 games that’s possible -- guys getting burned out. Once you’re into the season, you do yourself more good resting than practicing.”

The Penguins know a dynasty can be derailed. The Edmonton Oilers won four Cups in a five-year span but in 1986 lost to the Calgary Flames in the second round. “I remember that,” Murphy said. “People are talking about how great the team is, but our concern is trying to win the first round. We have to stay focused on that. If we start thinking about how great the team is, we’ll end up flat on our faces.”

*

Sources say the Ottawa Senators will make a profit of more than $10 million because of a $6-million budget and enormous revenue from merchandise. So why did they recently extort money from two players on the bubble?

Andrew McBain and Darcy Loewen had contract clauses saying once they played a certain number of games, their contracts would become one-ways next year. As each approached his trigger game, he was threatened with demotion to the minors if he did not roll back the clause to next season. In exchange, each was guaranteed a roster spot for the rest of the season.

The problem is, the Senators can send McBain to the minors next year and pay him $75,000 instead of the $225,000 NHL salary he should be guaranteed. And they can send Loewen down and pay him $65,000 instead of $210,000. “Options were given,” General Manager Mel Bridgman said Wednesday before he was fired on Thursday. “We were honest with them.”

Senators defenseman Norm Maciver said, “It’s something that’s been done in the NHL for years. ... Guys got close to games-played bonuses and all of a sudden they were in the minors.”

NHL Players Association Executive Director Bob Goodenow said he has talked to the players’ agents but indicated he can take no action.

*

As I have stated before, the hiring of Ron Smith to replace Roger Neilson was a bad move. Smith is a career assistant and good development coach but too nice a guy for the head job. The Rangers need a disciplinarian, i.e., Mike Keenan, the best unemployed coach out there.

Keenan and Mark Messier have a great relationship stemming from Keenan’s allowing Messier to report late to Team Canada’s 1991 camp. After recovering from an injury, Messier was fresh at the end to lead the team to victory.

“Mike thinks Mark is one of the best hockey players in the world,” a source close to Keenan said. “Mark will play for him. But I know there’s a lot of guys Mike would get rid of.”

If GM Neil Smith is so secure -- remember the vote of confidence he got from MSG chief Bob Gutkowski -- he should hire Keenan and give him input in personnel decisions.

*

Tony Amonte achieved a $25,000 bonus for finishing in the top four (he will be second) on the Rangers in points and got $80,000 for playing at least 80 games. He has earned $785,000 in two seasons. . . . Sunday is the sixth anniversary of the memorable New York Islanders-Capitals playoff game that ended with Pat LaFontaine’s goal at 8:47 of the fourth overtime. The only Islander still with the team is Patrick Flatley. Four Caps remain: Kevin Hatcher, Mike Ridley, Kelly Miller and Michal Pivonka.