|
Sunday,
February 8, 1998
Hip hip Bure!
By GEORGE JOHNSON -- Calgary Sun The Russian Pocket Rocket
has liftoff.
After last night, he might just keep going until splash-down
somewhere in the vicinity of Nagano.
Who needs a jet plane when you're suddenly fueled by a full tank
of self-confidence?
Valeri Bure bid Calgary 'sayonara' in style last night. For months
now, Bure has wrestled with an opponent even more intimidating than Akebono,
acclaimed grand master of sumo.
Himself.
"After awhile, you get so frustrated you can't help but laugh,"
sighed Bure. "I can't lie. It bothers you. You lose sleep. But what can
you do except keep going, working hard, hoping things will turn your way."
Last night, for the first in more than two months, Valeri Bure
felt that sweet, soothing feeling of exultation that only guys used to
scoring goals can describe. Snapping off a shot, the puck leaving his stick
with the crack! of a pistol shot, he blew a bee-bee past Curtis Joseph's
strength, that Brooks Robinson-safe glove, 5:02 into the game to send the
Flames on their way.
Then he did it again, at 2:11 of the second, sliding out from
the side of the net. And again, with 18.7 seconds left, into an empty Oiler
net, putting an exclamation mark on his first career hat trick.
The last time he'd scored a goal, outside of practice?
"Oh," replied Bure, waving a hand, "I don't remember. Against
Washington. On a 2-on-1, I think."
That'd be Nov. 26, the Habs invading the U.S. Airways Arena in
Washington. A long, long time ago.
Calgary's 4-2 putdown of the Oilers last night, their second
straight win as NHL clubs reach the Olympic Winter Break, shunts them,
unbelievably, right back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
"A HUGE win," said Bure. "The last two games, to beat teams ahead
of us in the standings ... what a good feeling. We're going to this break
on a high note."
When the Oilers and Sharks regroup and start up again on the
24th, they might be best advised to peek over their shoulders from time
to time.
Bure's relief yesterday was matched only be Dwayne Roloson's.
On Jan. 14, the last meeting between the Oil and Flames, Calgary dominated
in every facet of the game -- but goaltending. Roloson fell apart, and
the Flames lost 5-2.
Well, last night the usually reliable Curtis Joseph got his walking
papers after two goals and three shots.
If Bure set the table for the Flames, Roloson finished the meal.
Two and a half minutes into the third, Valeri Zelepukin darted between
the defence pair of Cale Hulse and James Patrick, but Roloson bailed them
out with a fine pad save.
"I blew that game in Edmonton," said Roloson.
"And I wanted to redeem myself tonight. Of course I thought about
it before the game. How could I help that?"
Joseph lasted just three shots and 6:03, Cory Stillman's questionable
goal eluding him on the short side all coach Ron Low needed to endure.
Skating back towards the Oiler blueline, Theoren Fleury sliced
a high backhand pass to Stillman, who gloved the puck down and somehow
squeezed the puck between Joseph's glove, body and the post.
It took Calgary only 5:02 to grab the lead, a couple of Olympians,
Michael Nylander and Bure, hooking up.
Nylander slammed on the brakes, tossed a short pass to Bure and
he zipped a shot up and over Joseph's glove as Greg de Vries dropped in
a block attempt.
Joseph, too, went down too soon on the shot.
Boris Mironov got one back for the Oilers, then backup Bob Essensa
produced half a dozen fine stops to keep it from getting out of hand.
He slid right to left and stacked his pads on a gilt-edged Hnat
Domenichelli chance, got lucky when Sandy McCarthy's 20-foot shot from
the slot struck the upper shaft of his stick and ricocheted into the crowd,
and finally dove across, hugging his catching glove to the post as he lay
on his stomach to deny German Titov's breakaway backhand deke.
|
Страничка Валерия Буре на сайте
"Звёзды с Востока"
ПРЕССА:
13 августа. Федоров, Буре-младший
официально отказались от участия на Кубке Мира.
10 марта.Bure says this exit's for keeps - Florida
Sun-Sentinel
8 марта. “Флорида” снова обменяли Буре. На этот раз
в Даллас.
14 января. У Буре все в порядке! - Советский Спорт
11 января. Еx-Flame Bure still loves Calgary
- Calgary Herald
7 ноября. Засуха
Буре-младшего закончилась на 363 дне.
|