More Than Talent, Phoenix Has a Team

Before he signed with the Phoenix Coyotes as a free agent in July, defenseman Jyrki Lumme admired their talent but was never surprised when they made their annual first-round playoff exit.

“It’s nice to get individual stuff, but that’s not going to win on a regular basis,” he said. “They were all young and probably didn’t know what it takes to win. It takes a few years before you know.”

The Coyotes appear to have learned that lesson. The team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 1987 and whose picture illustrates the dictionary definition of “underachiever” has developed grit and selflessness, producing a bond that has held firm under early tests.

Keith Tkachuk, whose training-camp holdout threatened to destroy the team’s fragile psyche, is leading the charge toward a new image. He vowed after the Coyotes squandered a two-goal lead over the Mighty Ducks last week in a 2-2 tie that they wouldn’t duplicate their past collapses; he has helped ensure that by collecting six points in his last four games and has led the Coyotes to a 3-0-1 unbeaten streak.

“He’s made a huge effort to be more of a leader,” Coyote General Manager Bobby Smith said. “You can tell from some of the comments he’s made, like saying after we won at San Jose [with a third-period rally last Wednesday] that we wouldn’t have won that game a year ago. And [rookie] Daniel Briere gets called up and is a man without a home, and Keith Tkachuk brings him home. That’s not something he would have done two years ago.”

Tkachuk isn’t alone. Rick Tocchet is throwing his battered, 34-year-old body at shots, the defense has found a balance between ruggedness and skill, free-agent acquisition Greg Adams is a locker-room leader and Jeremy Roenick is playing a solid two-way game. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has given up only nine goals in his last six games, reducing his goals-against average to 1.73.

“I sense a resolve from a lot of players,” Coach Jim Schoenfeld said. “They feel this is their time and they’re willing to put forth the effort to make it their time.”

That effort includes maintaining their poise and purpose while playing at a high tempo. “When we played Detroit last year, we got a test,” Tocchet said of the Coyotes’ six-game playoff loss to the Red Wings. “We have a different attitude this year. We know not to let up and not to be selfish.

“It’s a situation where talent doesn’t mean everything. Chemistry is the big thing, and I think we’ve got good chemistry this year.”

Of course, it could turn out like a bad chem lab experiment and blow up. And Smith isn’t planning a parade if they win a playoff round. But indications are the Coyotes have become a team, rather than a group of talented individuals.

“I said to our players last year that we certainly don’t want to be looked upon as the Hartford Whalers of the West. When I played in Montreal, it seemed the Whalers were there only so Boston and Montreal would have somebody to beat in the first round,” Smith said.

“Something has been missing here, yes. You want to be careful about not overestimating your talent, but this is the best team I’ve had since I’ve been involved here. There are a lot of good teams out there. We’re not the only well-coached team with good goaltending. It’s going to come down to commitment on the part of the players, avoiding injuries, and having luck.”

This season, they’re making their luck and it has all been good.

WE HATE TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT . . .

Insurance magnate Art Williams bought the Tampa Bay Lightning only a few months ago, but he already is questioning how long he will keep his new toy. Williams said he’s leery of the money being lost by many NHL teams and doesn’t intend to wallow in red ink with the Lightning.

“I’ve invested in this franchise for a year or two, and this thing is going to have to carry itself or I won’t keep it,” he said. “I love the sport, and I think the future of the sport is fantastic. We’ve got to get the costs under control and the revenues up.

“The answer for the next two or three years is getting the players’ salaries under control. That’s got to happen. . . . We’re going to do it, or I ain’t going to be here. We’re going to have to make some tough decisions, and I’m capable of making them.”

Sounds great. But did anyone tell him the NHL and NHL Players Assn. have an agreement--with no reopening clauses--through Sept. 15, 2004, so there’s little chance of changing the salary structure? Why do people who get rich by being smart in other industries become dumb when they buy sports franchises?

NOT TO PRAISE HIM, BUT TO BURE HIM

The public truce between Vancouver Coach Mike Keenan and General Manager Brian Burke was broken last week--surprise!--when Keenan urged Burke to trade suspended right wing Pavel Bure. “We’ve got nothing behind the first line until we make a Pavel Bure move,” Keenan said. “We have no depth.”

Which is true, but he knew that a month ago. And saying it to the world won’t help Burke get a good deal. Keenan has made sure he comes out looking good, having told friends that before Burke was hired, he had a deal done that would have brought Aki Berg, Olli Jokinen and Glen Murray from the Kings to Vancouver for Bure. King General Manager Dave Taylor denied it, and his conservative, build-through-the-draft philosophy gives him credence.

THE SON ALSO RISES

When Colorado went to the Western Conference finals in 1996, Eric Lacroix’s lineage was no problem. Now that the Avalanche is struggling, players decided he was a divisive force in the locker room because he’s the son of Avalanche General Manager Pierre Lacroix.

What a heap of garbage.

Sure, he was in an awkward position. But his teammates should have been more concerned about their own responsibilities and less worried about his bloodlines. The Avalanche’s woes might be Pierre Lacroix’s fault, but Eric Lacroix, who asked to be traded after hearing his teammates’ whispers, bears no blame. He’s a spirited, physical player who always gives an honest effort. Which is more than most Avalanche players are doing.

SLAP SHOTS

General managers will meet today in New York to discuss the rule changes implemented this season. That kind of gathering is likely to produce a trade: Maybe the Maple Leafs, who have lost three in a row, will finally deal Felix Potvin. . . . The Oilers were relieved Doug Weight’s right knee wasn’t injured as badly as first feared. He was to undergo arthroscopic surgery today and is expected to be out three months. . . . ESPN will put a microphone on Wayne Gretzky for the Rangers’ game today at New Jersey. A recent telecast with a microphone on Washington goalie Olaf Kolzig was a gem, catching Kolzig complimenting Buffalo’s Miroslav Satan for a slick move on a two-on-one and Buffalo’s Michael Peca instructing teammates on the bench. No need for glowing pucks when the camera work and production are so good.

Eric Lindros’ hit on Ottawa’s Andreas Dackell last Thursday was vicious but not illegal. The Senators handled it in the smartest way possible--by defeating the Flyers twice in four days. That sent a louder message than any bench-clearing brawl. . . . Fighting New Jersey Devil General Manager Lou Lamoriello is like fighting City Hall: You rarely win. Defenseman Scott Niedermayer learned the hard way when he accepted a multiyear deal for little more than what he held out for. He will get $3.25 million a year plus bonuses, but the bonuses will be added to the next season’s base salary. The Devils missed him. They haven’t scored more than three goals in a game and none of their defensemen has a goal. . . . The Penguins have an odd streak: Their last 11 goals have been scored on the power play. . . . Bruising Penguin defenseman Darius Kasparaitis returned on Halloween after injuring his knee during training camp. There’s a trick. He’s certainly no treat.

Good move by the NHL to repeat last year’s All-Star game format of North America vs. the Rest of the World. It created pride in a game no one cares much about. . . . The Blackhawks waived Ed Olczyk. He’s trying to negotiate a buyout instead of going to the minors. . . . More than a year after his mother’s death, Dallas defenseman Darryl Sydor is wearing a patch inside his jersey with her name on it. He believes she’s behind his strong early-season efforts. “I know she’s been able to see them all,” he said. “I will [wear it] until the last day I play in the NHL. She’ll be there every game, I know that.”