In the National Hockey League, no decision is still a decision, in a way.
Consider the case of goalie Ed Belfour. He was going after a Blackhawk record eighth straight victory Wednesday night in Vancouver.
But he was relieved to start the third period by Jimmy Waite with the Hawks losing 4-2. Waite earned a tie when the Hawks rallied to forge a 4-4 deadlock with two third-period goals.
So, can Belfour still tie Tony Esposito and win an eighth straight start if he plays Friday night in San Jose?
The answer is no. His streak is wiped out by the no-decision. Belfour does retain his unbeaten streak, however. The team record in that category is 12.
On the move: The Hawk power play remains in the lower levels of the NHL, but it has jumped to an 18.2 percent success ratio. That’s the highest rating for the club this season.
The look: “Mike Ditka, can I have your autograph?” coach Darryl Sutter said Thursday morning at the Vancouver airport as his club departed for San Francisco.
No, the former Bears coach wasn’t passing through. Sutter was kidding defenseman Igor Kravchuk, who had decided to comb his thick hair straight back in the Ditka fashion.
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“Looks just like Ditka,” said Sutter.
No fan: Some people think Belfour could be the first Hawks goalie to win the Hart Trophy since Al Rollins in 1954. If so, Belfour will have to garner the NHL’s MVP award without Rollins’ support.
Now living in Calgary, the 66-year-old was critical of Belfour after watching him beat Vancouver and goalie Kirk McLean 6-2 last Sunday on a game broadcast nationwide in Canada.
“I’m really impressed with McLean,” Rollins said. “He plays the game the way it should be played. He didn’t go down once. Belfour was flopping, wandering all over the place. Guys like that get more bad goals scored against them.”