Unleashed Coyotes Take Wins in Stride

Why should anyone be excited by the Phoenix Coyotes’ fast start, considering they played so well early last season--including a 12-0-2 streak--but fizzled and lost a 3-1 playoff lead over St. Louis?

Even the Coyotes themselves aren’t exulting over their 5-1-3-0 record, which ties them with Detroit for fewest losses.

“We’re in a tough division and tough conference,” Phoenix General Manager Bobby Smith said. “It’s going to be a long season with a lot of ups and downs. We’re aware of that.”

They’re also aware it’s time they achieved something significant, which they couldn’t do under their previous coach, Jim Schoenfeld.

Schoenfeld favored a physical, grinding game, which is fine for teams with moderate skills. The Coyotes have the skill to play a finesse game and are blessed with good puckhandlers on defense in Teppo Numinen, Jyrki Lumme and J.J. Daigneault, whose skills Schoenfeld didn’t maximize.

When Schoenfeld refused to change, Smith fired him and hired Bobby Francis, a veteran minor league coach who was an assistant in Boston for two seasons.

“He’s extremely well-prepared,” Smith said. “He’s a smart guy and he’s been building toward this for years. The players comment on the definite purpose they see in practice. . . . I thought we were a team that could be more creative. I think you’ll see us better on the power play and see less north-south, advance the puck away from your net.”

Left wing Keith Tkachuk backs his new coach.

“He’s a guy who wants us to pressure the puck and jump up into the play if we see an opening,” he said. “We have a green light, and the defense is getting involved, and that’s what we need.”

Their new philosophy has helped compensate for the absence of unsigned goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. Mikhail Shtalenkov has stepped up capably, with a 1.96 goals-against average and .923 save average. Shtalenkov is working with a fitness coach to increase his stamina, a failing that has held him back.

Smith, who said he won’t pad his $9-million, three-year offer to Khabibulin, expressed confidence in Shtalenkov.

“He doesn’t think he seized the opportunity given him in Edmonton to be the No. 1 goalie, and he’s determined to seize that this year,” Smith said.

That determination would serve all the Coyotes well.

“I’ve said from Day 1 that our only goal is to be better tomorrow than we are today,” said Francis, the son of former NHL goalie and executive Emile Francis. “If we continue to do that, we will play our best hockey by the end of the year.”

Their best should be good enough to carry them deep into the playoffs. But they’re not thinking too far ahead.

“You learn from experience and we know the old adage, ‘You’re only as good as your last game,’ ” said winger Rick Tocchet, who will play his 1,000th game tonight at Edmonton, the opener of a trip that winds to Anaheim on Sunday. “We’ve got a new coach who makes sure that even after a great win, the next day in practice we get down to earth. It’s got a lot to do with maturity.”

BAD REP MAY BE BAD RAP

Dmitri Khristich’s label as a poor team player stems from his days with the Kings and a scrap he was involved in during a practice in February 1997.

Khristich, the Kings’ top scorer in 1996-97, was struck in the eye by the stick of enforcer Barry Potomski. Some players thought it was deliberate, but none stepped in because they considered Khristich selfish and a loner. At least one teammate confronted him about being tougher on the ice, but he reportedly shrugged that off.

Six months later, he was traded to Boston with Byron Dafoe for Jozef Stumpel, Sandy Moger and a draft pick. Potomski was sent to the minors and never played for the Kings again.

Khristich had two good seasons with the Bruins, but General Manager Harry Sinden accused him of softness after the team’s second-round playoff loss to Buffalo last spring. That figured into the Bruins’ unprecedented decision to walk away from an arbitrator’s $2.8-million salary award.

However, the Maple Leafs--desperate for scoring after losing Mats Sundin because of a broken ankle--say their scouting reports were positive and their inquiries turned up no reasons to think Khristich a troublemaker, so they acquired him from the Bruins for a second-round draft pick.

“There was that question out there, but it has, in my opinion, been a bad tag rather than an accurate one,” said Pat Quinn, Toronto’s coach/general manager.

Some of Khristich’s problems with the Kings might have been caused by the language barrier, and the Bruins say they liked him. If he succeeds in Toronto, he will be reclassified as misunderstood, and if he fails, he again will be known as a jerk.

FALLING ON THEIR SABRES

The Sabres may be victims of their own success.

Contract squabbles involving Vaclav Varada, Curtis Brown, Miroslav Satan, Jay McKee and Rhett Warrener upset the chemistry that was vital to their run to the Stanley Cup finals last spring, and they haven’t recaptured the magic.

Their biggest worry is the sub-par goaltending of Vezina winner Dominik Hasek. Whether he’s still uncomfortable after hernia surgery or if Coach Lindy Ruff was correct in saying he’s not focused, something is clearly wrong.

“He certainly isn’t in sync,” said Don Edwards, the Kings’ goaltending consultant and a former Sabre. “His fundamentals aren’t there, but once he gets that sorted out he should be fine.”

SCHOOL DAZE

The NCAA may soon amend its rules to allow U.S. colleges to recruit players from the Canadian junior ranks, which have been off limits because junior players are paid about $50 a week and are classified as professionals.

A proposal to be discussed at the NCAA Management Council’s meeting in April would permit athletes who have competed as pros to compete at the college level. Tennis players would benefit, but hockey players would be affected most because they could play in college if they had tried playing in juniors and decided they were not ready for the NHL.

Opinions are divided in Canada among those who fear colleges will steal junior stars and those who say it’s a good move because kids won’t have to make irrevocable decisions about their futures at 14 or 15. It appears to be a plus for colleges, who will get kids who are serious about pro careers and want an education.

SLAP SHOTS

NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow, making his rounds of NHL teams last week, was prevented from talking to the Blackhawks when a security guard at the United Center refused to let him in without a credential and escort. He was rescued by Bob Pulford, the Blackhawks’ senior vice president. It was an ironic moment because Pulford is a close friend of Goodenow’s predecessor, Alan Eagleson, who went to jail because of illicit dealings involving the union and left Goodenow to restore its credibility.

The Canucks asked former NHL goalie Andy Moog to work with goalie Kevin Weekes so he doesn’t flop so much. Weekes shut out the Rangers on Sunday but has room to improve, with a 2.94 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.

The next time Flyer owner Ed Snider complains about players’ salaries, he should look in the mirror and ask himself why he agreed to pay defenseman Ulf Samuelsson $4.55 million over two years. Samuelsson, who was not re-signed by the Red Wings, is slow, injury-prone and a well-worn 35.

It’s no surprise to see the name Bure among the goal-scoring leaders, but it’s Valeri, not Pavel. Valeri has eight goals for Calgary, while older brother Pavel--three goals--has missed Florida’s last five games because of a groin strain. . . . Brothers Steve and Paul Kariya, Steve of Vancouver, Paul of the Mighty Ducks, have three goals each, better news for Steve than Paul.

Unrestricted free-agent center Joe Juneau was a good pickup for Ottawa, which is missing AWOL center Alexei Yashin and injured winger Daniel Alfredsson. Juneau can earn about $2.2 million a year after agreeing to a one-year deal with a one-year option.

Mark Messier had to gloat after he’d scored the final goal in Vancouver’s 3-0 victory over the Rangers Sunday at New York. Besides climbing into a tie for sixth with 613 goals, it reminded the Rangers how popular he is there--and how unsuccessful they’ve been since they let him go as a free agent. . . . The Rangers have lost four consecutive games, the last three by shutouts. They last scored an even-strength goal five games ago, in defeating Atlanta Oct. 17.