Left wing Jocelyn Lemieux was scratched from Tuesday`s lineup because he suddenly developed a bruised thigh. Lemieux, who felt fine at Monday`s practice, isn`t certain how the injury occurred. The problem shouldn`t sideline him long.
Lemieux`s absence didn`t make coach Mike Keenan relent and return Michel Goulet to the lineup. Keenan decided instead to play Mike Hudson, and Goulet now has missed the last three playoff games.
– The Hawks will have to tighten up their locker room security. Somebody made off with defenseman Bob McGill`s jersey, and he had to wear No. 2 instead of his regular No. 25 in the pregame warmup. But McGill was scratched from the game lineup.
– When Stars GM Jack Ferreira looks at his club, it`s not the players he`s brought in during his two years at the helm that please him most.
”The thing that`s most satisfying is the people we`ve hired,” he said. ”Pierre Page to coach and his assistants. Our scouts. In order to succeed you must have strong management.”
Ferreira admitted being concerned about the team being sold, not knowing if the new ownership would retain him. ”There`s only 21 of these jobs,” he said of being an NHL GM. ”It took me 16 years to get here, and I don`t want to give it up.”
– If the Hawks-Minnesota series ends early, the second round series against either St. Louis or Toronto won`t start earlier. It will begin, as scheduled, next Wednesday. The opener will be in Chicago if the Hawks advance. Last year, they opened the Norris Division finals in St. Louis.
More Top Picks Best Webcams For Working From Home
– No one can explain why Wayne Presley has played better the last couple of weeks. But he did get a boost about a month ago from his newborn daughter, Abby. ”I really got a lift when my wife had our little girl,” he said.