The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 18

C20 Till-; VANCOUVER SUN, WKDNF.SDAY, DI-CKMBKR 4, 2002 SPORTS Giants benefiting from combination of luck and conditioning Brathwaite comes up big against East-leading Bruins By GARY KINGSTON Tyson Marsh was taking questions just outside the Vancouver Giants' dressing room the other night when his interrogator began talking injuries. Suddenly, Marsh's head started darting left and right. Was the subject off lim 'Jr J- owl" Blues 4, Bruins 0 In Boston, Fred Brathwaite made 33 saves and Keith Tkachuk and Scott Mellanby each had a goal and an assist as St. Louis snapped the Boston's eight-game home winning streak. The Bruins, who entered the game with the best record in the league, lost for the first time at the FleetCen-ter since a 41 setback to Anaheim on Oct.

31. Boston also had its five-game winning streak snapped. St. Louis improved to 7-3-1 on the road and 60-0-1 against Eastern Conference teams. The Blues got the only goal of the first period when PetrCajanek's shot from outside the right circle was deflected off the far post by Eric Bogunlecki and trickled past Boston goaltender Steve Shields.

The Blues added a pair of goals in the second period to break the game open. Mellanby's seventh of the season on a point-blank shot midway through the period made it 20 and Doug Weight's backhander less than four minutes later gave the Blues a three-goal advantage. Tkachuk scored his sixth goal of the season with 4:33 remaining in the game. Brathwaite did the rest, recording his second shutout of the season and 15th of his career against the most potent offence in the NHL. Maple Leafs 4, Lightning 3 (OT) At Toronto, Karel Pilar scored 3:48 into overtime as the Maple Leafs won their fourth straight and moved over .500 by rallying past Tampa Bay.

Robert Reichel's goal with four minutes left in the third period had tied the game for the Leafs, who trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in the third period. Mats Sundin and Jonas Hoglund also scored for the Leafs, while Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Freddie Modin replied for the Lightning. Capitals 4, Penguins 1 At Pittsburgh, Jaromir Jagf scored his 13th goal of the season and Olaf Kolzlg made 16 saves as slumping Washington beat the Penguins. GENE J.

PUSKARASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux Is tripped up In front of the net by former teammate Jaromir Jagr of the Washington Capitals during the first period Tuesday In Pittsburgh. Joel Stepp (wrist ligament damage discovered at Anaheim's training camp) before the season starts. Czech defenceman David Turon, a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, suffers a broken clavicle on his last shift of training camp before he's to be assigned to Portland. None of those four have returned to action. The Kamloops Blazers lost then-scoring leader Jonas Johann-son in early October when he broke his ankle on his first shift while playing for Sweden in an international tournament in Europe.

The Medicine Hat Tigers lost 30-goal scorer Ryan Hollweg after only four games when an MRI after a concussion discovered a bruise on the brain that has ended his season. "It does seem things are worse at the start of this year," says Giants' trainer Colin Robinson. "Usually you see more injuries closer to the end of the season when it gets longer and guys get worn out." The Giants, who lost 210 man-games to injury last season when Jeff Beatch (concussion), Robin Kovar (ankle sprain) and Pat Brandreth (bad shoulders) were the major losses, credit a couple of factors for their relative good health so far this season: A greater commitment under new head coach Dean Evason to in-season conditioning and more intensive stretching. A favorable early-season schedule that has been weekend heavy with several four- and five-day breaks and only one three-games-in-three nights stretch. "We just quite simply.didn't work out enough last year," says Robinson, who has instituted regular post-practice and post-game exercise bike work and short stints in big, ice-filled tubs.

Last year, guys with little hurts were a lot quicker to say I can't play." "If a player doesn't do the work, there are older guys this year who step up and say 'Get on the bike'. It makes a difference. Guys aren't in as big a rush to get out of here to hit McDonalds." Robinson acknowledges the Giants, whose lack of scoring depth would leave them crippled if scoring stars Adam Courchaine and Darren Lynch got hurt, have also been lucky and a beneficiary of that well-spaced out schedule. "We've got a big test coming up, though six games in nine nights on the road starting Saturday in Kamloops. If we get out of that healthy, then it really shows these things we're doing are working." And in another fortunate bit of scheduling, the Giants immediately go into an 11-day Christmas break after the road trip, giving any potential injuries some extra time to heal.

ICE CHIPS The Giants acquired 16-year-old LW Jamison Orr from the Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday for the rights to list players David LeNeveu, a goaltender at Cornell University and an invitee to the Canada's world junior selection camp, and LW Andrew Ladd, who is currently playing with Coquitlam of theBCHL its? Was he look-ing for an escape? He turned to rap three times on the door did he really want to extricate himself from the line of questioning that badly? before turning back with a broad smile. Ah, yes. Knock on wood. Good idea. More than a third of the way into the WHL season, no team has been more fortunate andor lucky than the Giants when it comes to injuries.

While they have lost all of three man-games to injury fifth defenceman Mark Ashton has sat out three straight with a bum shoulder players around the league, many of them top producers, are dropping quicker than mutual fund share prices. "We do consider ourselves lucky," said Marsh. "It just takes a bad bounce or a rut in the ice or something and somebody could be out." A bad bounce. A rut. Or just nasty bad luck.

Last Friday, Michael Bubnick, a 20-year-old right winger playing his first game for Saskatoon after a trade from Calgary, broke his left collarbone against the Rebels in Red Deer. He's out six to eight weeks. One night earlier in Calgary, Moose Jaw Warriors' captain Harlan Anderson separated his shoulder at the Saddledome and is out four to six weeks. "I think the number of injuries is a similar amount to other years," says Giants' GM Scott Bonner. "But it's the good players that are getting hurt.

Usually, it's the muckers and grinders that get hurt because they're guys that play so rugged. This year, the stars are getting hurt everywhere." The Spokane Chiefs, for instance, come into Pacific Coliseum tonight minus all-star defenceman Chris Heid, who will be out several weeks after breaking a finger blocking a shot. Doug Lynch, another all-star defence-man, missed a game last week with a shoulder injury. While injuries to top scorers Moose Jaw's David Bararuk (hip flexor, six games), Regina's Grant Jacobson (neck four games) and key defenceman Saskatoon's Stephen Mann (concussion, eight games) and Kelowna's Josh Georges (knee, indefinite) are not unusual, there have been some freakish things happen. Consider these cases: Regina loses 48-goal scorer Matt Hub-baeur before the season starts after doctors discover a tumor in his nasal passage.

Red Deer loses veteran defenceman Cody Holzapfel (two broken arms in a car accident) and 27-goal scorer Today 7p.m vs Spokane MOJO Paul Karlya from the left circle in the last two minutes. Kariya scored the Anaheim goal. Hurricanes 2, Predators 1 At Nashville, Rod Brlnd'Amour and Erik Cole scored and Arturs Irbe stopped 24 shots to propel Carolina over the Predators. Vernon Fiddler tied the game for the Predators at the 2:03 mark of the third period, but Cole got the winner at 11:27. Flames 2, Avalanche 1 At Denver, Craig Conroy and Oleg Saprykln scored as Calgary beat Colorado to end a four-game losing streak in Al MacNeil's first game as interim coach.

Roman Turek stopped 30 shots for the Flames, who won for just the second time in 13 games after firing head coach Greg Gilbert and assistant Brad McCrimmon before the team's morning skate. Oilers 2, Wlldl(OT) At Edmonton, Mike York scored at 1:29 of overtime as the Oilers beat Minnesota for their fourth straight win. Tommy Salo stopped 30 shots and Anson Carter also scored for the Oilers, who extended their unbeaten to seven games in front of 15,527, the smallest crowd at Skyreach Centre so far this season. 1 Sharks 3, Coyotes 2 (OT) At Phoenix, Teemu Selanne tied the game with less than four minutes left and scored the winner at bf overtime as San Jose beat the Coy- otes in Cap Raeder's coaching' debut with the Sharks. Marco Sturm also scored for San Jose, which was playing its first game since Darryl Sutter was fired Sunday.

Shane Doan and Andrei Nazarov scored for Phoenix, which is winless in seven of its last eight. Brier or Grand Slam? Former Penguin Robert Lang, Ivan Ciernik and Jeff Halpem also scored for the Capitals, who are 3-7-10 in their past 11 games. Mario Lemieux spoiled Kolzig's shutout bid with 2:53 to play. Rangers 5, Blue Jackets 3 At New York, Pavel Bure scored three goals and assisted on Eric Un-dros' game-winner as the Rangers beat Columbus. Dale Purinton also scored for the Rangers, while David Vybomy, Matt Davidson and Andrew Cassels replied for the Blue Jackets.

Red Wings 2, Mighty Ducks 1 At Detroit, Curtis Joseph made 29 saves while Brett Hull and Sean Avery scored as the Red Wings defeated Anaheim. Joseph, who has allowed just three goals in his last two games, stopped Steve Rucchin from the slot and miNi INSIDER Last year, the Grand Slam series cost B.C. two potential Brier representatives when Pierce and McAulay still teammates at that point opted for the Grand Slam as did Bert Gretzinger of Kelowna. This year Pierce, McAulay as well as Gretzinger will again take a pass on the playdowns. "It would be nice if we could do both," says Pierce.

"But it's obviously not going to happen this year." Pierce says the chance to compete for the Grand Slam cash the first three events carry $100,000 purses and the last one $150,000 is just too good to pass up. Even though both Pierce and McAulay are well down this year's WCT money list Pierce 27th and McAulay 30th they get back into the exclusive 18-rink GSC fields because they were among the earliest backers of the new concept. to hold summer holidays, the team won't be out of action locally for longer than two weeks. "It's a 16-week schedule that begins Jan. 3 for us and goes to mid-April.

So there is a game every week either home or away." As well as an entertaining product (see controlled violence at unbelievable speed) Reinhart is, and always will be, selling a moderately-priced entertainment option for Lower Mainlan-ders. A family of four can go to a Ravens game for less than $100. The same family of four can go to a Canucks game for ah, you Teams left "For me, giving up a shot at another Brier doesn't really bother me that much," Pierce insists. "I know some guys on my team have never been to a Brier. But I just don't think we can afford to bypass this opportunity." Pierce notes that his new quartet which includes Sean Geall, Dean Koyanagl and Ross Graham has as its ultimate objective earning a berth in trials for the 2006 Olympics.

To reach that level, Pierce says, they are almost obliged to play the best competition they can manage. "If we go the traditional playdown route, we'll only be playing B.C. guys," he explains. "To me that's not good enough. With the end goal being an Olympic Trials berth, the best way of us getting up to that level is to play the GSC events." Pierce adds: "That was our choice.

Go into the playdowns, where you could play on probably sub-standard conditions in the first two rounds arid then maybe the provincials might be good. Or else go with the Gland Slam where you know they're going to be on the best ice conditions possible." PEACE OVERTURES? So while it appears the Brier could again be missing several of the country's top names, there are moves behind the scenes to try and end the dispute. The Players' Association new chief executive, former NHL defenceman Paul Boutiller, is currently on a factfinding mission meeting with the vari to choose ous provincial men's associations trying to find some common ground. What the elite players would like is a system where the top cash spiel performers would be granted a bye through at least the first few rounds of the provincial playdowns. "From what I understand, negotia- tions are going very well," reports Pierce, who is the WCPA's western vice-president.

"I think it has to come back the conflict resolved. Continuing to go against each other isn'tgoingtobegood." WICKS 'N' ROLLS Fresh off her victory in the lucrative JVCTSN Skins Game (winning $50,570,) 2000 world champion Kelley Law of Royal City heads a field of 18 rinks entered in the Lower MainlandVancouver Island women's champi- onships, which open Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Langley Curling Club. Under a revised format this season the Langley competition will qualify three rinks for the women's provincials. The fourth and final Lower MainlandVancouver Island women's berth will be decided Jan.

3-5 at a backdoor bonspiel in Campbell River Surrey's Craig Lepine and his Valley foursome were finalists this past weekend at the $45,000 Terro-co Classic in Red Deer against a field that included reigning Brier champ Randy Ferbey of Edmonton and two-time Brier winner Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg. tainment atmosphere" you want, at the end of the day you still need a team that wins if you hope to maintain fan interest. To that end, Reinhart feels the Ravens will always be one of the best teams in the league for no other reason than the incredible wealth of talent that is bred in its own backyard. "It's a real advantage," Reinhart said. "We've got many of the top players in the game who live right here and want to play here.

That should always give us a certain advantage." By LYNDON LITTLE Elite men's curling in Canada still hasn't got its act together. For the second consecutive year the provincial playdowns are going to be weakened by the unresolved war between the Canadian Curling Association and the World Curling Player's Association. Brent Pierce, third on Greg McAulay's 2000 world championship rink now skipping his own foursome, says his Royal City team has made a decision to again miss this season's B.C. playdowns in favour of competing in the World Curling Tour's Grand Slam of Curling. The Grand Slam, now in its second season, is the WCT's showcase series and features many of Canada's elite men's teams.

However, teams who commit to the four GSC events end up forfeiting a chance to qualify for this year's Brier March 1-9 in Halifax because at least one of the GSC events will conflict with just about every provincial playdown somewhere along the road. In the case of B.C., the conflict comes in January when the Pacific Coast Curling Association's Zone 2 playdowns (Jan. 9-12 at the Valley Club in Cloverdale) runs the same weekend as the second of the GSC events, the Masters of Curling in Sudbury, Ont. tage of that infrastructure and the professionalism of the entire operatioa It's huge for us." Reinhart figures associations between NHL teams and teams in the NLL are natural and will continue to grow. Owners of the Colorado Avalanche have purchased an NLL team that will start operations this season.

Reinhart said he knows other NHL teams are looking at the same opportunity. The Ravens will play eight home games this season and unlike last year, when there were gaps in the schedule long enough -i- MARK VAN MANENVANCOUVER SUN FILES A commitment to In-season conditioning has helped keep fewer Giants players off trainer Colin Robinson's table. Associations between NHL and NLL teams a natural' seats available the rest of the season. With Ravens games being played at GM Place, Orca Bay has the potential to cash in on the tens of thousands of extra people entering the building. Extra numbers drive up the costs of things like signage around the rink.

Ravens games have also become extra-value add-ons for Canuck suite holders. "Having a strategic relationship with the Canucks was something that was missing before," said Reinhart. "They were a great landlord last year but we needed more. Now we can take advan don't want to know. Reinhart is also hoping the Ravens will become more attractive as a Canucks ticket becomes harder and harder to get "We're not in competition with the Canucks because let's face it, there is only one Canucks in this town," said Reinhart.

"And the other thing is our price points are so different. But as I say, we're reaching out to a different fan in some ways but to someone who enjoys a great sport in a great atmosphere." Reinhart is aware, however, that you can have all the "enter Mason from C18 burden with him and, hopefully, share in the team's ultimate success too. Which, not surprisingly, is what Reinhart prefers to focus on now. Making the Ravens an unqualified success. One huge asset Reinhart has at his disposal is the Canucks.

Or at least, their ticket sellers. Considered the tops in the NHL, Orca Bay's sales force is looking for things to do lately given there are so few Canucks.