Distractions at Home Are Taking Toll

Another of the NHL’s traditions has become a victim of “progress.”

Certain teams used to be unbeatable at home, gaining advantages from unique features of their rink and their fan support. The Bruins stocked up on grinders who thrived on the short Boston Garden surface. The Blackhawks ruled Chicago Stadium, where visitors were intimidated by roaring crowds, the compressed neutral zone and the wonderful old organ. The Montreal Canadiens, who lost a total of 14 home games while winning four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 through 1979, had the Forum ghosts to inspire them.

No more.

The Blackhawks, who moved into the United Center two years ago, are 8-16-3 at home and headed for their first losing home record since 1957-58. The Bruins, who haven’t had a sub-.500 home record since 1966-67, are 10-16-6 at the FleetCenter. The Canadiens, who moved into the cavernous Molson Centre nearly a year ago, are 14-12-4 at home. Their home record hasn’t been under .500 since 1939-40 and has dipped to .500 only twice since then.

The St. Louis Blues are 8-5-2 under new Coach Joel Quenneville, but only 2-4 at home with him in charge. The Phoenix Coyotes, who were 22-16-3 at home last season as the Winnipeg Jets, are 11-14-4 at America West Arena.

An obvious common thread is the bland, cookie-cutter sameness of many new arenas, which puts teams on equal footing. A speedy team isn’t hampered in Boston or Chicago, where the ice is regulation size. Home teams have no edge knowing how pucks carom off the glass because many arenas use the same type of seamless glass. Coinciding with the opening of so many arenas the last few years, the winning percentage of home teams has fallen from .583 in 1994-95 to .561 last season and to .533 this season. That’s the lowest percentage since the major expansion of 1967.

Fans are also less of a factor. Although the new buildings are bigger, many seats are more distant from the ice, taking fans out of the game. Tickets are also more expensive and beyond the budget of many individuals. That leads to more corporate seat holders, whose devotion is usually less fanatic. Count the no-shows at the FleetCenter sometime.

Phoenix forward Jeremy Roenick is puzzled by his team’s home woes.

“We’re too lackadaisical. We’re too uncomfortable in our own building,” he said. “We’ll go into Detroit and dominate and come back and lose to a team we shouldn’t lose to. . . . We feel we have to put on a show.”

That’s because marketing geniuses have decided that ticket prices are so high, fans won’t feel they got their money’s worth unless they’re entertained with loud music, inane trivia contests and flying mascots. Games aren’t games, they’re circuses. No wonder players feel as edgy as tightrope walkers.

To most fans, a competitive team is entertainment enough. Cut the sideshows and let teams focus on playing hockey. The result might be a revival of the old mystique of invincibility at home.

HOWLING MAD

Home and road, the Coyotes remain among the NHL’s biggest underachievers. Their talent suggests they should be in the upper echelon in the West, not fighting for a playoff spot.

“We have half the guys show up one day and half the other,” said Roenick, whose 16 goals and 39 points have been disappointing. “We’ve been very inconsistent. All of us are trying to find reasons. . . . Management has been very patient but it’s getting to the point where frustration is setting in.”

One problem he cited is the difficulty of adjusting to a new city.

“It’s been very hard, and I’m sure a lot of people will say, ‘Poor Jeremy, he’s moving to a warm climate,’ ” said Roenick, who forced the Blackhawks to trade him after a holdout. “But when you’re in a place for a long time, you get used to it. . . . It is more difficult to play in warm weather. You drive to the rink and it’s so sunny and you see people hiking, running, playing golf.”

Poor baby. Try considering it a reward to be able to play golf in winter, not a punishment that you have to skate and can’t be on the links.

SABRE RATTLING

Dominik Hasek didn’t have high expectations for the Buffalo Sabres this season.

“I thought it would be nice if we were .500,” he said.

But thanks to his acrobatics in goal and his teammates’ strong work ethic, the Sabres (29-19-8, fifth overall) have far exceeded Hasek’s hopes. Hasek has become a strong candidate for most-valuable-player honors with a .927 save percentage and a league-leading 28 victories.

“We play with much more discipline than last year and we have more experience,” he said. “There is pressure from your peers, which is probably the main reason. The coach [Ted Nolan] is a friendly guy. He’s not tough to us. The real pressure comes from peers, and I think this is the best thing.”

Hasek is 6-1-3 since the All-Star break, but he will miss at least one game when he returns to his native Czech Republic today because of a family member’s illness.

SALUTE TO SCOTTY

After coaching the Kings for nearly two seasons, Larry Robinson appreciates the magnitude of Scotty Bowman’s earning 1,000 coaching victories.

“It’s incredible,” said Robinson, who played for Bowman on Montreal’s superb Stanley Cup-winning teams of the 1970s. “You can say he was fortunate to coach good teams, but that’s a hell of a lot of wins. That’s one record you’re not going to see broken for a long, long time. . . .

“It’s not so much that our longevity isn’t that long. You can take Crispy [Tampa Bay Coach Terry Crisp, the longest-tenured active coach at four-plus seasons]. He could stay in another 30 years and he wouldn’t come close. You look back at Montreal and we had close to 300 wins in four years. I don’t think you’re going to see another team dominate like that.”

TAKING SCOTT

Edmonton Oiler owner Peter Pocklington, burdened with heavy debts despite a new lease, rising attendance and financial aid from the league, wants to take his team public. If the NHL and various regulatory bodies approve, Pocklington will sell stock in the Oilers, the Edmonton Trappers of baseball’s Pacific Coast League and the Edmonton Drillers soccer team to raise $33 million. He will retain a majority interest in the Oilers.

The NHL, which last year approved a public offering by the Florida Panthers, is likely to approve his request because league officials are sensitive to the plight of Canadian teams and don’t want to lose another.

SLAP SHOTS

The Blues and Mike Keenan have settled their contract dispute. Part of the agreement is that neither party disclose terms. Keenan, fired Dec. 19, had been seeking about $6 million; the Blues had offered $3 million. . . . Doug Gilmour’s agent met with General Manager Cliff Fletcher last Friday to discuss the veteran center’s future. No decision was made, but if the Maple Leafs stay in playoff contention, they may extend Gilmour’s contract. If not, he will probably be traded. Gilmour isn’t sure what to think. “If somebody calls me and I check caller ID and see it’s Maple Leaf Gardens, I start shaking,” he said. “Should I answer it? Should I not answer it? But I have to deal with it.”

The NHL’s executive committee, which last month heard presentations from the 11 expansion applicants, will meet in New York within two weeks to discuss what they heard. An expansion timetable hasn’t been set. . . . The Sharks fear that defenseman Al Iafrate will need season-ending back surgery. He will first try two weeks of therapy.

The St. Louis Blues hope Chris Pronger will step up while Al MacInnis recovers from a dislocated shoulder. MacInnis was injured in a fight with Detroit’s Tim Taylor. . . . General managers last week rejected a proposal that would have let a goal stand if an attacking player had a skate in the crease but was otherwise out of the play. They recommended replay judges have authority to notify the referee if a player is in the crease. . . . The New York Rangers may renew pursuit of Boston right wing Rick Tocchet, even if the cost is a first-round pick.

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Home Cooking

It’s no longer a cinch to win at home, as evidenced by teams’ collective .533 home winning percentage this season. Here are the best home performances: *--*

Team Season Rec. Montreal Canadiens 1943-44 25-0 Ottawa Senators 1922-23 24-0 Montreal Canadiens 1976-77 40-1 Quebec Nordiques 1994-95 24-1 Boston Bruins 1929-30 22-1 Boston Bruins 1930-31 22-1 Ottawa Senators 1919-20 12-1 Toronto St. Patricks 1922-23 12-1 Toronto Arenas 1917-18 11-1 Ottawa Senators 1918-19 9-1

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