THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : Bondra Combines Size, Speed for Goal-Scoring Success

For the third consecutive season, a European won the NHL goal-scoring title. But before Ukrainian-born, Czech-raised Peter Bondra joined that list, the Washington Capital right wing had to acquire traits that are more commonly associated with North American players.

Like 1994 winner Pavel Bure, a Russian who plays for the Vancouver Canucks, and 1993 co-winners Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres, also a Russian, and Finnish-born Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets, Bondra is a swift skater and clever puckhandler. But at 6 feet 1 and 200 pounds, he is bigger and more muscular than they are, and he learned to use his size to advantage.

Bondra, who had averaged 27 goals over his previous five seasons, became more forceful this season. His ability to dish out--and take--a hit paid off in 34 goals in 47 games, which projects to 60 goals over a full schedule. His previous high was 37.

“Peter recognized that the team we wanted on the ice was a team that played an aggressive and abrasive brand of hockey, so he made a commitment last summer to become bigger and stronger,” Capital Coach Jim Schoenfeld said. “He started to become a more physical player and better defensively. His commitment turned his career around, I think.”

Bondra, the first Capital to lead the NHL in goals, plays on an all-European line with Czech-born center Michal Pivonka and left wing Dmitri Khristich, a Ukrainian. He also kills penalties and scored a league-leading six short-handed goals. He scored Washington’s second goal Monday night in a 5-3 playoff loss at Pittsburgh.

“The net is looking very wide to me,” Bondra said. “Sometimes, it looks small, but lately the puck has found a way to get in anyway.”

Bondra and Pittsburgh’s Jaromir Jagr, a Czech, pulled off a unique double when Jagr became the first European-trained player to win the scoring title. Stan Mikita, who won four scoring championships with the Chicago Blackhawks, was born in the former Czechoslovakia but moved to Canada as a child.

PARK’S PLACE

Two weeks ago, Richard Park was playing junior hockey in Belleville, Canada. On Saturday, he was centering for Luc Robitaille and Tomas Sandstrom on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ second line in the Stanley Cup playoffs. “It was really something, especially for an L.A. kid, because I grew up watching those two guys,” said Park, who was born in South Korea and grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes. “When I was rooting for them, little did I know someday I’d be playing with them.”

Park had an assist in his regular-season debut Wednesday and was impressive enough for Coach Eddie Johnston to play him and bench veteran John Cullen in the playoff opener against the Capitals. Park didn’t score in his first two playoff games but he hit the post with a shot Monday night.

“It might be a little premature for me to say this, but we complement each other pretty well,” he said. “I don’t have much experience, but they’re two great players and I just have to read off what they’re doing.”

THE CANDIDATE

Former NHL goalie John Davidson, an analyst on American and Canadian network hockey telecasts, is often consulted by general managers before they make trades and has been considered for some GM jobs. Davidson, a friend of King co-owner Joe Cohen since Cohen was an executive at Madison Square Garden, said he would be “more than happy to listen” if the Kings inquired about his availability.

“If he ever wanted to talk to me, I’d be happy to talk on a formal or informal basis because of my (liking) for him,” Davidson said. “Regarding a commitment such as that, it would have to be an absolutely ideal situation because I’m already in one. But being in the trenches is pretty interesting to me. Once you’re an athlete and have to retire prematurely, like I did (because of back problems), you miss it.”

Does he miss it enough to come to the Kings? He once said, “I don’t think they know where they’re headed.” Probably not. But he’d be a good pick.

SLAP SHOTS

Sources in Minnesota say the Winnipeg Jets will end up in Minneapolis’ Target Center under the ownership of Richard Burke, a former health care executive. If Burke’s group prevails over a group headed by Glen Taylor, owner of the NBA’s Timberwolves, he will share ownership with Tim Leiweke, formerly an executive with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. Burke and Taylor are willing to pay only $45 million of the expected $65-million purchase price and are asking the state of Minnesota to pay the rest.

Two heralded rookie goalies, Boston’s Blaine Lacher and Washington’s Jim Carey, were yanked in their playoff debuts. Carey gave up three goals on 11 shots by the Penguins Saturday and Lacher yielded four goals to New Jersey on 17 shots Sunday. Both started and lost Monday night. . . . Memo to Fox: Forget the head-bashing robots. To promote hockey, replay the Quebec Nordiques’ 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers Saturday at Le Colisee. The passing was spectacular and the pace in the third period was breathtaking. . . . Jeremy Roenick practiced with the Blackhawks Monday for the first time since suffering a knee injury on April 2.