Saturday, May 18, 2002
Kapanen picks bad time for worst slump of the season
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sami Kapanen skated in front of the net with a few teammates at the end of practice Friday, shooting in rebound after rebound.
That's about as close as the Carolina Hurricanes' forward has come to scoring during the playoffs.
After a career-high 27 goals during the regular season, the three-time Finnish Olympian doesn't have a goal in 13 postseason games, matching his longest drought of 2001-02.
Kapanen again was shut out Thursday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Carolina 2-1 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Game 2 is Sunday.
“Once I get into the locker room after the game and I'm told that the media requests me, I pretty much know what the question is going to be,” said Kapanen, who's scored at least 20 goals in five straight seasons.
The Western Conference final begins Saturday, with the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Detroit Red Wings.
The Hurricanes eliminated New Jersey and then Montreal despite Kapanen's problems, but who knows how much longer the team can win without help from one of its top scorers.
“It's nice to see that people are paying attention,” Kapanen said. “Most people have been supportive and not putting me down. But at the same time, if you keep talking about it every day, it's in the back of your mind. I have to keep believing it's going to happen sooner or later.”
Kapanen had a chance to break out of his slump Thursday, getting a pair of great chances on the same shift. But his shots flew high and wide both times.
“The tendency is that you want to get the shot off so quick,” linemate Ron Francis said. “He had a couple of great chances in the Montreal series, and I said to him after, 'I think you have a little more time than you really think.' When you want it to happen so bad, sometimes you let that shot go a little too quick instead of waiting that extra second to make sure you have it going exactly where you want it to go.”
Carolina coach Paul Maurice moved Jeff O'Neill back to the top line with Francis and Kapanen, partly to try to spark Kapanen.
“We need some scoring from me, but at the same time I don't want to get to the point where I'm too frustrated,” Kapanen said.
“It's not good for my game and it's going to affect my game if I start worrying about scoring goals. That's just one part of the game. Sometimes a player that goes without goals, once he gets the first one he gets excited and feels like finally something can happen to him. Hopefully, that's the case with me.”
Some of Toronto's players certainly noticed Kapanen's scoring problems.
“It is scary because you know he's going to put the puck in the net,” Toronto defenseman Nathan Dempsey said. “You're thinking, 'What time is he going to explode?' We're focusing really hard on him trying to take his speed away and take his ice away.”
Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn gave his team a much-needed day off Friday, after the Maple Leafs played 15 games in 29 days.
“Just the one day away from the rink helps rejuvenate things,” Dempsey said. “When you come back to the rink on Saturday you are all that more excited and happy to be back on the ice. It gives you a little extra jump.”
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Kapanen picks bad time for worst slump of the season
