HOCKEY / LISA DILLMAN : Shoot, There’s Still a Long Way to Go

The National Hockey League, the professional sports conglomerate with the season that keeps on growing, like the man-eating plant in “The Little Shop of Horrors,� has on the eve of Thanksgiving completed its first quarter.

Remember, this is the league with the longest season in all of pro sports, the league that assesses penalties by fining players based on a 276-day work schedule. Pregnancies are shorter. Political campaigns are in striking distance.

Here, less is less.

Nevertheless, enough hockey has been played by NHL teams--or such alleged NHL teams as Ottawa and Hartford--to shape opinions at the 21-game mark. Of course, that’s keeping in mind that conventional wisdom after 21 games is about as stable and long-lasting as the Whalers’ financial outlook.

THEORY: EDMONTON IS DEAD

Yes, the Oilers did open with only one victory in their first 10 games and the dead dynasty stories were brushed off for the fourth consecutive year. Granted, the Oilers are favored by no one to win the Stanley Cup. But every year, General Manager Glen Sather does something dramatic to change the Oilers’ fate. And he’s still on Edmonton’s payroll.

“We’ve started out in our Rip Van Winkle mode,� Coach Ted Green said. “That’s not a good idea because it puts you in a big hole.�

This time, the hole is large but not bottomless. Edmonton is eight points out of third place in the Smythe Division and 10 out of second.

JARI EQUALS MARIO

King Coach Barry Melrose would qualify that, sort of. Jari Kurri is off to his best start in his 11 NHL seasons, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux in scoring. With 16 goals and 30 assists in 22 games, Kurri, a plus-24 on the plus-minus scale, is on a 165-point pace.

More important, his successful move to center enabled the Kings to hold off on making a multi-player deal with the Detroit Red Wings early in the season.

“I think he’s more important to the L.A. Kings than Mario is to the Pittsburgh Penguins,� Melrose said. “The way he plays, he kills penalties, he plays the power play. He takes all the big draws. He plays head to head against all the big lines.

“And he’s got Luc (Robitaille) going and he’s got Tomas (Sandstrom) going. Luc wasn’t scoring before I put him with Jari and neither was Tomas. What’s the common denominator?

“I wouldn’t want to lose Jari Kurri. I think Pittsburgh would be better off without (Lemieux) than we would without Jari.�

FUTILITY, THY NAME IS OTTAWA

How bad are the Senators? Are they so bad that they are actually fun to follow, as were the ’62 Mets?

Very. And no.

The expansion Senators have one victory in 22 games. Ottawa has lost 11 consecutive games, six away from the NHL record.

In all likelihood, the Senators will erase the image of the 1974-75 Washington Capitals, holders of the worst record in modern NHL history.

That season, the Capitals finished with a record of 8-67-5.

Now, even the expanded 84-game schedule won’t help Ottawa, which is on a four-victory pace.

Even the opposition is getting bored. Montreal defenseman Matt Schneider said he fell asleep on the bench during the Canadiens’ 3-1 victory over Ottawa on Saturday.

“That was the most boring game I’ve ever played in,� he said.

FIRST-QUARTER MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Coach of the Year

1. Barry Melrose, Kings.

2. Jacques Demers, Montreal.

3. Terry Crisp, Tampa Bay.

Everyone knew Crisp could do some coaching, based on his days with the Calgary Flames. Since his departure from Alberta, the Flames are just now starting to get things right.

Demers deserves some credit beyond Montreal’s Adams Division-leading 15-5-3 record.

He’s still intact after dealing with the unrelenting press corps in Montreal.

Melrose, for his part, has the distinction of having uttered the best quote of the first quarter: “We’re no longer sushi eaters. Sushi tastes like dirt, anyway.�

Most Valuable Player

1. Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh.

2. Mark Recchi, Philadelphia.

3. Jari Kurri, Kings.

Lemieux scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season against the Rangers on Monday night. With 25 goals in 21 games, Lemieux is on a 100-goal pace and, barring injury, will put Wayne Gretzky’s single-season record of 92 goals in jeopardy.

In 1981-82, the season Gretzky set the record, he often picked up goals in four-on-four situations. Now that four-on-four has returned, Lemieux has a very good chance to reach those same heights.

People in Los Angeles are aware of Kurri’s contributions. But Recchi’s performance has been overshadowed by the Eric Lindros hoopla.

Recchi has 15 goals and 41 points in 21 games, making him the Flyers’ top scorer and among the league leaders. Lindros is second in team scoring with 15 goals and 28 points in 21 games.

Rookie of the Year

1. Eric Lindros, Philadelphia.

2. Felix Potvin, Toronto.

3. Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg.

Lindros had been making major strides, playing more assertively, and then suffered a knee injury Sunday and is expected to be sidelined for a week or more.

Potvin has been so sharp, the Maple Leafs will probably trade goaltender Grant Fuhr within the next month. Selanne has given the Jets some much-needed scoring punch as he leads Winnipegwith 16 goals and 28 points.