For Canada, It’s All a Bit Much to Bear Right Now

First we steal Wayne Gretzky. Then we lure the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets south of the border. Now, we’ve eliminated every Canadian team from the playoffs and turned the second round--which starts Thursday--into an all-American affair for the first time since 1974.

The Calgary Flames never had a chance against the Chicago Blackhawks; Toronto interim Coach Nick Beverley and his over-the-hillbillies ran out of Geritol against the St. Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks were beaten by a rare clutch effort by Colorado. The Jets were persistent but not deep enough to upset the Detroit Red Wings, and the ghosts that inhabited the Montreal Forum abandoned the Canadiens, who squandered a 2-0 series lead over the New York Rangers and lost all three games at the new Molson Centre.

At least the Jets, who will play in Phoenix next season, lost honorably. That can’t be said of the Boston Bruins, who succumbed meekly to the Florida Panthers after goalie Bill Ranford re-injured his ankle and offensive catalysts Rick Tocchet and Adam Oates were held in check. The Bruins looked like playoff first-timers, while the novice Panthers stayed cool.

The next question is whether Steve Kasper will stay as coach of the Bruins and Harry Sinden as general manager. Sinden hinted at changes on both fronts.

“We have to draft better,� he said. “We have to get maybe better coaching. We have to get maybe better efforts out of our players.�

He also cited a series of misjudgments, including the acquisition of Kevin Stevens, injuries to Al Iafrate and Cam Neely and the failure to recognize the faults of goalie Blaine Lacher. Sinden may yield his job to his assistant, Mike O’Connell.

Changes may also be in store in Washington, where the Capitals blew a 2-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins and lost in six games. The Capitals’ quadruple-overtime loss in Game 4 was great drama, but anyone who saw their quadruple-overtime loss to the New York Islanders in 1987 knew they would lose this one too. They have always been shaky under playoff pressure, doomed to fall a goal short. They have gotten past the second round only once, in 1990, and have never had a leader who can help them over the big hurdles.

Injuries weakened them, but Coach Jim Schoenfeld didn’t help his cause when he mishandled his goaltenders after Jim Carey fell apart in the opener. Olaf Kolzig won Game 2, but Schoenfeld went back to Carey for Game 3 and suffered when Carey gave up four goals on 19 shots. Kolzig was splendid in the overtime game and wasn’t to blame in Game 5, but Schoenfeld went with Carey in Game 6. That backfired when he was beaten on two of Pittsburgh’s first four shots.

We do feel sorry for Michal Pivonka and Kelly Miller, who played in that quadruple-overtime loss in 1987 and had to relive the nightmare last week. They deserve to play for a winner, but that won’t happen in Washington.

BROAD STREET BULLIES REVISITED

Philadelphia General Manager Bob Clarke’s criticism of Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Terry Crisp--his onetime Flyer teammate--would be funny if there hadn’t been so much blood shed in the teams’ six-game series.

From the outset, the Lightning hooked, held and harassed Flyer center Eric Lindros at every chance, and he took a load of abuse without retaliating. But after his hand was slashed, his knee was bruised and he was elbowed into his bench in the first three games, Lindros responded by leveling Igor Ulanov, Shawn Burr and Michel Petit, breaking Petit’s nose.

“They didn’t try to win. They tried to [mess] people up,� Clarke said. “And your coach is in charge of that. He cannot look Lindros in the eye and tell him he didn’t try to get him hurt.�

Lindros wasn’t as upset, figuring that winning the series was the best revenge.

“When the hits present themselves, you’re going to take them,� he said. “What goes around, comes around, I guess that’s the proper wording.�

EITHER WAY, IT HURTS

When Detroit Coach Scotty Bowman switched from goalie Chris Osgood to Mike Vernon after Games 1 and 2 against Winnipeg, he said Osgood had pulled an abdominal muscle. But that proved a fabrication, leaving Osgood confused.

“I’m at my wits end,� he told the Detroit Free Press. “I’m just frustrated. I guess I didn’t have a very good year [a league-leading 2.17 goals-against average]. Maybe I’m just the home goalie.�

MELROSE’S PLACE

Former King Coach Barry Melrose, a studio analyst for ESPN, said he won’t pursue any coaching positions. He said no one has called, despite rumors that he’s a candidate for the San Jose Sharks’ job.

“I love to coach and I want to coach again, but it’s got to be the right situation,� said Melrose, who last year was interviewed by Calgary but lost out to Pierre Page. “I don’t want to be one of those guys who, as soon as a job opens up, is on the phone with a general manager begging for an interview. I know I’m not everybody’s type of coach. I talk a lot, and not a lot of GMs like that. Some of them feel threatened by that.�

SLAP SHOTS

The Rangers wonder if they were told the extent of Marty McSorley’s hip and groin injuries when they acquired him from the Kings. He missed the Montreal series and is out indefinitely. “I don’t know Sam’s knowledge of the condition,� Ranger General Manager Neil Smith said to Newsday of Sam McMaster, the Kings’ general manager. “But I think the LA team doctor didn’t know the extent of Marty’s injury, and if he did, he was less than honest. I don’t want to embellish this and say they [fleeced] us. I talked to Marty myself and he said he was fine. Sam said he was fine. It’s unfortunate when this happens.�

Said Dave Taylor, the Kings’ assistant GM: “I think when the trade was made, Marty was fine. We felt he was fine and so did they.�

Vancouver General Manager-Coach Pat Quinn called Colorado’s defensemen “marshmallows� after the first game of their series, but it was the Canucks who were burned on the outside and soft on the inside. Alexander Mogilny, who had scored 55 goals this season, did little and only Trevor Linden was consistent. . . . Toronto interim Coach Nick Beverley, who replaced Pat Burns in March, plans to return to scouting. . . . Bowman was offered and is expected to accept a three-year contract to coach the Red Wings another year and then become their director of player personnel.

St. Louis General Manager-Coach Mike Keenan rested Gretzky most of the third period in the Blues’ clincher against Toronto. Gretzky admitted he was drained. “Mentally and emotionally this was the toughest series I’ve ever been involved in,� said Gretzky, who had nine assists in six games. “I didn’t want to let Mike down and I didn’t want to let St. Louis down.�

Tampa Bay General Manager Phil Esposito apologized to a female reporter from the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press for making vulgar comments to her last Thursday after the Lightning had lost to the Flyers. A few days earlier, he had questioned goalie Daren Puppa for pulling out of a game because of back spasms, although medical personnel verified Puppa’s discomfort. Esposito, who once ripped a chain off the neck of a New York Post reporter, is a boor.

King Governor Bob Sanderman said the club “isn’t really planning� an across-the-board increase in ticket prices, but he didn’t rule out raising prices on some less expensive seats. That’s a nice way to soothe fans after your team has missed the playoffs three consecutive years. . . . Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux had 69 goals this season but no playoff goals until Game 5. Gretzky, who had 102 points this season, had no goals against Toronto. Canuck enforcer Gino Odjick, who had three goals this season, had three against Colorado. Go figure.