HOCKEY LAST NIGHT: GOODBYE, GUMPER

They don't make goalies anymore like Lorne (Gump) Worsley, who died Friday at age 77.

The Hall of Famer was a prime example of the breed of goalie who's long gone now -- the 'keeper who had that look about him of the roly-poly kid who couldn't skate when he was young, so he had to suck it up and get between the pipes if he wanted to be part of the team. This is no knock on the goalies today, but they all look like they willingly chose to play goal, and who can blame 'em, since lighter, more protective equipment has taken all the Fear out of it.

In the Gumper's era, goalies had the duties thrust upon them, and they faced it with barefaced bravado and a dry cool wit that would make today's action stars seem tongue-tied. It wasn't all a barrel of laughs — Worsley had a fear of flying, and had what people then called a nervous breakdown. That said, who can forget the Gumper's wisecrack that the team who gave him the most trouble was "the Rangers" -- the team he happened to be playing for at the time. Or his wisecrack about getting the starting assignment for Game 7 of a Stanley Cup final? "It was the first time I ever saw whitecaps in a coffee cup." Who even talks like that in today's corporate-speak-is-king NHL?

Goalies such as Gumper played every game, weighed down by 40 lbs of equipment and every shot they stopped must have hurt like hell -- they actually avoided trying to catch the puck, never mind that hotdog manoeuvre all the goalies do nowadays. They humanized the game, since they were enough like the average Joe on the street who didn't feel like giving up his beer and smokes and club sandwiches (Gerry Cheevers used to have it in his contract that he could drink beer during intermissions), except for the part where they would occasionally stick their face in front of Bobby Hull howitzer. The Gumper faced the Fear -- not until his last season did he put on a mask -- and for that, attention must be paid. You and I will never see another one like him.

Islanders 5 Sabres 3: The Isles rocked it old school in their '72-73 vintage sweaters, meaning Arron Asham (pictured) might have to keep wearing that afro wig for a few games yet. Portage la Prairie's favourite son got two goals to earn the title of AFROS -- the Atlantic's Finest Right-Wing On Saturday (OK, so that joke was forced, but it's three-thirty in the morning).

Leafs 4 Habs 1: Not too shabby -- the Leafs have picked up eight of 10 points against Montreal on the year, and the Habs remain a mess.

Senators 3 Bruins 1: For all that talk here in Ottawa about Jason Spezza having to change his game to fit into his team's supposed new lunch pail mentality, no one resented all the scoring chances he created, including the one that set up Patrick Eaves' go-ahead goal in the third.

Oilers 4 Kings 3: The reunited Ryan Smyth-Shawn Horcoff-Pinto Hemsky line scores all four goals, offsetting Edmonton's suspect back end.

Penguins 7 Coyotes 2: He'd never say it, of course, but Sidney Crosby notching four points against Wayne Gretzky's old team suggests someone still has a grudge over last year's Olympic team selections.

NHL Scoreboard

Today's better games: Avs-Wings, 3:30; Stars-Ducks, 3:30; Sharks-Canucks, 10.

HOMETOWN BREAKDOWN
The 67's win 4-1 in Sarnia and are a point back of the sixth-place Frontenacs (with a game in hand) since the hometown club, naturally, ate it against the Belleville Bulls last night. Bulls goalie
Mike Murphy made 20 of his 36 stops in the first period, frustrating the Fronts and spurring Belleville to a 5-1 laugher. Tyler Donati, whose 95 points seem to have all come against Kingston, figured in every goal for Bellevegas.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.