Home | Bio and Personal Info | His stats | 2003 Pre-Season | Articles | Calendar Season | Game Reports | Appearances | Photo Album | Hockey Cards | Related Links | Yahoogroups | Contact Me

November 7, 2002 - Associate coach plays goalie
My Kris Draper Page

Red Wings: Notebook
Associate coach plays goalie
Kocur fills in for Joseph, who's out with the flu and could miss game tonight

By Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

Bruins vs. Wings
   
   Faceoff: 8 o'clock tonight, Joe Louis Arena.
   TV / radio: Fox Sports Net / WXYT 1270 AM.
   Records: Bruins 7-2-2-0, 16 points; Red Wings 6-5-2-0, 14 points.
   Notable: This is the only meeting between the teams this season. The Bruins won the only game between them last season. Boston is playing well behind Steve Shields (Michigan), who has a 2.49 goals-against average and .911 save percentage, center Joe Thornton (four goals, eight assists) and right wing Glen Murray (five goals).
   


Comment on this story
Send this story to a friend
Get Home Delivery
   DETROIT -- You have to wonder if this was in the associate coach's job description when the Wings were looking this summer.
   In need of a goalie Wednesday at practice, because Curtis Joseph was unable to practice because of the flu, associate coach Joe Kocur stepped into the crease.
   It's not a total shock, as Kocur served as a goalie in the Wings' morning skate once last season, as well as numerous times in post-practice scrimmages.
   But this was Kocur's first appearance as a practice goalie. And it was memorable.
   "I'll be lucky to get out of bed tomorrow," Kocur said.
   Coach Dave Lewis joked that goaltending wasn't on Kocur's resume. But the Wings' struggling goal-scorers built their confidence scoring goals on Kocur.
   But Kocur acquitted himself well in net.
   "He yelled at a few guys for shooting the puck too high," Lewis said.
   Kocur said he wouldn't necessarily describe himself as a butterfly, or stand-up, goalie.
   "More like a get-out-of-the way goalie," he said.
   Kocur said he's had fun playing goalie in the scrimmages but noticed it was different facing the shots in the practice.
   "It's something new, something different and as long as they don't shoot hard, it's OK," he said. "Once you start getting hit by it (the puck), it's no fun."
   Kocur said he made an agreement with forward Brett Hull before practice.
   "We agreed if he wanted to score, he could score," Kocur said.
   Lewis said the Wings won't know about Joseph's availability until this morning. He said Joseph didn't feel well Wednesday, and there's a concern about dehydration and strength. If Joseph isn't ready to play against Boston, goalie Manny Legace would make his second straight start.
   
Ice chips
   The Wings won't see former teammate Martin Lapointe, who is on the injured list (foot) with the Bruins. Lapointe could return early next month.
   ... Center Sergei Fedorov, on a third-period breakaway attempt that would have tied the score in the third period against Chicago: "I hope I can get 1,000 of those. It would have been nice to get a decent shot. I couldn't get the puck to settle down."
   ... Center Kris Draper was disappointed in himself for a late slashing penalty that put Chicago on the power play. The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead with a goal seconds after the power play expired.
   "We have to play disciplined hockey," Draper said, "and that's not the way to come out of this thing (a recent Wings slide)."