Fall colours black and blue

By DAVE FULLER -- Toronto Sun CHICAGO -- The Maple Leafs' other hard-luck centre, Igor Korolev, will sit out tonight in Chicago and tomorrow in St. Louis with a sinus injury.
However, right winger Garry Valk, who also was wounded in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers, will face the Hawks.
Valk, whose specific injury remains undisclosed, was hurt while fencing with Florida rookie Ivan Novoseltsev.
Meanwhile, Korolev was struck in the cheekbone by a puck on teammate Danny Markov's clearing attempt.
"(Korolev) has damage to his sinus area and he's not going to be able to fly," coach/general manager Pat Quinn said.
"He might have been able to play in the old days when we hopped on a train to go to Chicago, but we don't do that anymore."
Steve Sullivan, a healthy scratch in two of Toronto's past three games, could replace Korolev in the lineup.
KHRISTICH VS GUERIN: The Edmonton Oilers apparently are ready to trade unsigned power forward Bill Guerin and have been in contact with the Leafs.
The Toronto Sun has learned that Guerin's agent, Bob Murray, was given permission to try arranging a deal with another team.
While Quinn and Oilers president Glen Sather are close friends and have discussed Guerin's situation, the Leafs aren't optimistic about acquiring the 30-goal shooter.
They suspect Edmonton general manager Sather was merely "being polite" when he gave Murray the go-ahead and that he has little intention of moving Guerin.
The Leafs also consider Guerin's $3.5-million salary request to be very excessive.
Meanwhile, the Leafs continue to talk with Dmitri Khristich's agent, Larry Kelly, although as many as four other clubs also covet the unsigned Bruins winger.
THE NUCLEAR COACH: Quinn yesterday threw his weight behind "the ban-the-instigator-rule" movement, which appears to be gaining support daily.
The rule calls for the potential ejection of a player who deliberately starts a fight, with the risk of further sanctions should he accumulate more such penalties.
While the rule was intended to make the game less violent, its critics claim it promotes lawlessness -- freeing players to harm others without facing the consequences.
"The idea behind (scrapping the rule) is like the nuclear deterrent," Quinn said.
"If you have the A-bomb, you don't want to use it, but you have it. So, hopefully that threat of the use is going to change the conduct on the other side.
"A lot of times, it just sorts itself out then. You look around and say, 'Geez, I may have to pay a price if I stick this guy deliberately. So, then I won't do it. I'll treat him rough, I'll hit him, I'll do what I can within the physical rules that are allowed, but I won't go beyond it.' "

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