Quinn in tight spot

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
Tie Domi won't be tied to the press box.

General manager/coach Pat Quinn, who has had the chance to evaluate his Maple Leafs for three games minus their injured fourth-line enforcer, indicated Domi would at worst become a member of his rotating healthy scratches system.

Domi had a favourable medical report on his bruised ribs yesterday and will begin skating today. He won't play against Anaheim tonight, although defenceman Alexander Karpovtsev's strained shoulder has healed enough to allow him back.

"I am having enough trouble trying to get Kris King in," Quinn said yesterday of the physical winger who has sat the past eight games. "One of the difficulties (on the 10-4-2 Leafs) is who doesn't play. It is not an easy decision."

Quinn, who had planned to sit Todd Warriner for one game before Domi's injury simplified things a bit, still isn't sure he has the type of lineup which will react favourably to a rotation.

"I know they all want to be out there," Quinn said. "Maybe the answer is carrying just 20 players."

Domi was upset when asked whether his prolonged absence might put his job in jeopardy.

"I didn't lose my job, I was injured," he said flatly. "We finally got over that four-game (consecutive-win hump) when I was in there. I am never going to hand my job to someone else and I don't plan to change my style."

The need for Domi and King to be on hand was underlined on Friday in Washington when Chris Simon of the Caps made good on a pre-game boast to fire up his team by picking a fight. His dance partner turned out to be a willing Karpovtsev, who suffered the shoulder injury in that tussle.

Quinn is still angry Simon wasn't booted out. In fact, the Capitals agitator stayed in to score the winning goal.

"We have only one fighter," Quinn said. "But if the game's going to be based on that, maybe we have to go out and get more fighters."

The Leafs had a loss and a tie in the last two games of their trip and fell out of first overall. That tempered talk about this team being compared to the 1967 Leafs.

"We have holes in our game," Quinn said after a practice that was heavy on attacking and defending odd-man rushes.

The coach has also been critical of his forwards for slacking off their defensive responsibilities.

The other problem facing the Leafs tonight is stopping a Mighty Ducks team off to the best start in franchise history (7-6-2-1). Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya, second and third in NHL scoring last season, are second and third in plus/minus in the NHL this season.

"Those two can change things around in a hurry," Quinn said, after watching Anaheim's 3-1 win over Edmonton on television Sunday night.

"I look forward to the challenge of trying to stop them," defenceman Tomas Kaberle said.

Bert's back on blades
Blue Jays boot game
Bombers drop Peterson
Felicien rebuilds race

Visit our Polls Archive

SLAM! Sports SLAM! Galleries Help CANOE