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Monday, September 13, 1999
For openers...
Tkaczuk solid as kids try to make the grade and stay with the big club
A sort of sporting equivalent of the Broadway showstopper A Chorus Line.
And, as with the title of the hit song from that long-running staple goes, the Flames are scanning the stage for One, Singular Sensation to step out of the shadows and stop the show.
Well, heading into tonight's second exhibition game, against the holdout-depleted Ottawa Senators, they're still waiting.
The Habs squeaked by Calgary 2-1 at the 'Dome last night, but the outcome per say -- Brian Sutter excepting -- was of little consquence.
Who was flying? Who was dying? That was of most importance last night and, indeed, in the next eight pre-season outings.
Now in his third training camp, '97 first-round pick Daniel Tkaczuk showed flashes of effectiveness, once hitting the inside of the far post on the second Canadiens goalie on the night, Frederic Chabot. Operating on a Kid Line alongside Rico Fata and Oleg Saprykin, Tkaczuk was clearly the best of the newcomers.
Of the others, Saprykin was the most noticeable of those in a dogfight for employment. Fata, the truculent Steve Begin and defencemen Lee Sorochan and Wade Belak were ... OK. But exhibition games are all about making an impression, being noticed, in any way possible.
Of the vets, an ex-Hab, Valeri Bure, shone, displaying the darting speed and creativity that his him earmarked as an emerging star.
The top draft pick of '99, Saprykin, giveth, and then, in typical NHL fashion, he receiveth. Not picking his spots, the 18-year-old Russian rode veteran tough Jim Cummins into the boards, hard, leaving him motionless on the ice, in the second period.
A wobbly Cummins, his head reverberating like a tuning fork, made it to the Montreal dressing room but never left it, out for the evening. Overall, he'd probably be happy to be out of Calgary, with Flame captain Todd Simpson getting in a series of uppercuts late in a first-period fight to win a unanimous decision.
Begin and defenceman Craig Rivet also dropped the gloves to engage in unpleasantries.
If Saprykin, a healthy-sized lad, was used to having his way in junior, he found out this pro thing is a whole different experience.
Rangy Habs winger Jason Ward, catching Saprykin counting his skate-lace holes, got payback for the Cummins hit not too much later, drilling Saprykin behind the Calgary net.
Welcome to the big leagues, kid.
Tyler Moss, embroiled in a three-way battle for the back-up goaltending position here, certainly didn't get his initial audition off on the right foot, beaten by the first two shots he faced -- Dainius Zubrus at 2:08 and Craig Darby at 5:11.
Darby's deke goal, a breakaway effort, sprung on a lovely pass from right winger Jason Ward, left poor Moss in a tangled mess.
If perserverence counts for anything, he made some points in the next 34-plus minutes allotted him, perhaps his finest moment a three-save barrage, Habs centre Eric Chouinard standing at the side of the net for two cracks with Moss lying on his side, and then an alert stick save on a third chance.
In came his buddy Freddie Brathwaite -- the man to beat in the back-up battle -- for period No. 3 and had precious little to do -- facing only two shots.
Montreal's No. 1 goalie, Jeff Hackett, played the opening 32:59, handling 12 of the 13 shots directed his way.
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