MOST NEW COACHES BRINGING NEW HOPE.

Byline: MATT MCHALE NHL 

New season, new coaches. After a month, most are on their honeymoons.

There are five this year in the NHL: Bryan Murray with the Mighty Ducks, former Kings coach Robbie Ftorek in Boston, Brian Sutter in Chicago, Duane Sutter in Florida and Peter Laviolette, the only rookie in the bunch, with the New York Islanders.

Laviolette, who turns 37 next month, was an assistant in Boston and considered a favorite to get the Bruins job that went to Ftorek. His new team, which bares no resemblance to the Islanders who haven't made the playoffs in seven years, has been bolstered by money from new ownership and established stars from other teams.

Alexei Yashin came from Ottawa, Michael Peca from Buffalo and goaltender Chris Osgood from Detroit. They also have rookie Michael Parrish, a one-time 50-goal scorer in junior hockey, who is leading the league with 12.

Except for Florida, which is 3-8-2-1 and last in the Southeast Division, the others have improved.

The Chicago Blackhawks, out of the playoffs the past four seasons, recently had a nine-game unbeaten streak. It was ended in a 5-2 loss against the Ducks on Friday night, but the team now is a definite playoff contender under Sutter, who replaced Alpo Suhonen.

``It's all about structure,'' Blackhawks forward Steve Thomas said recently. ``There has been talent here. We just need to put the house in order. The thing that strikes me is how much we know about our opponents even the morning before the game. Structure has made all the difference here.''

Structure was a critical ingredient Murray brought to the Kings when he took over in 1999. After a successful playoff run last spring, the team has struggled to regain focus.

Ftorek was considered too structured when he was canned by the New Jersey Devils in the final weeks before the 2000 playoffs. He was replaced by Larry Robinson, who was fired by the Kings the previous spring. The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Ftorek returned this season with the Bruins and did not have his best player, Jason Allison, who was involved in a contract dispute. Allison eventually was traded to the Kings and there is a good chance free-agent forward Bill Guerin will be traded before the March 19 deadline.

But the Bruins opened strongly. Then they panicked after scoring just eight goals during a six-game trip and traded Allison for Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray.

They still aren't a great offensive team but are challenging Toronto for the top spot in the Northeast Division.

Finally, there are the Ducks, who might be the most anonymous team in the entire league. Once the merchandising darlings of the NHL, the Ducks have played eight home games, five of which drew the smallest crowds in franchise history.

But the Ducks are in the midst of an eight-game homestand and already have ended Chicago's unbeaten streak at nine games. They are one game under .500 (6-7-1) heading into Wednesday's game with Calgary.

The Ducks did win six games last October, but their season ended with a 2-8-3 November. This year is better. Murray has a more patient offensive approach than his predecessors and it seems to be paying off.

After a slow start, Paul Kariya has three goals in the last four games after just one in his first 11. And there is talk that former Duck Teemu Selanne wants out of San Jose.

His $9.5 million salary won't allow a return to Anaheim, but let Murray dream while he's on his honeymoon.

Second-year struggles

Each passing season creates its own set of challenges for the coach.

Are the players still listening? Is the team making the playoffs and getting to the second round? Do the big bosses like the leadership?

Take Bill Barber of the Philadelphia Flyers and John Tortorella of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Barber took over when Craig Ramsay was fired in the middle of last season. Barber's rough-and-tumble style as a player earned him a spot in hockey's Hall of Fame. As a coach he also can be a little hard to handle.

His criticism of Eric Desjardins forced the Flyers defenseman to resign his captaincy. There have been several disputes between Barber and several of his veteran players.

Desjardins stepped in for two years when Eric Lindros was stripped of his ``C'' by general manager Bob Clarke. All seemed well at the time. Ramsay and Desjardins helped lead the Flyers to within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

But just two months into last season, Ramsay was fired for being too soft. Barber was brought in to light a fire and seems to be burning out his players.

The Flyers are 6-3-0-0, tied for second in the Atlantic Division with the New York Rangers, Lindros' new club.

Desjardins, 32, once was one of the top offensive defensemen in the game. But he is not the player he was two years ago. Clearly, the Flyers are not the team they were two years ago.

Tortorella is trying to spark a Tampa Bay team that hasn't made the playoffs since 1996. His approach is not new. Treat everyone the same from the rookies to the best player on the team.

Even if the best player is 21-year old Vincent Lacavallier, who had the team's captaincy heaped upon him at the age of 19.

More losing, more pressure for Lacavallier, who also was involved in a contract dispute earlier this year. He did not score in his first nine games.

In back-to-back shutouts of the Kings in October, the Lightning proved there is talent in Tampa, Fla., but there also is friction.

Lacavallier already lost his captaincy during the contract problems. And after a blowup between Tortorella and Lacavallier in the dressing room during game against Washington on Oct. 23, the youngster demanded a trade.

Lacavallier denies making the trade request or meeting with management. But he was benched during the third period of a game last year and his playing time has dropped three minutes a game this season.

``This really got blown out of proportion,'' Lacavallier said last week. ``In a player-coach relationship, things happen. We had an issue. We took care of it and it's behind us.''

BLUE LINES

By Matt McHale

STRUGGLING

Life since Peter Forsberg took a leave of absence has been difficult for the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. Forsberg, back in Sweden sorting things out after suffering a ruptured spleen in last year's playoffs, might be back after the Olympics. But right now the Avs are 7-8-0 with 36 goals heading into tonight's game in Montreal. At this point last year, Colorado was 11-2-2 with 46 goals. First-liner Milan Hejduk, a 41-goal scorer last season, has three. Alex Tanguay also has three, after scoring 27 last season. Captain and league MVP Joe Sakic is on pace for 30 goals after scoring 54 last season.

PANTHER WITH BITE

When Florida rookie Kristian Huselius scored against the Kings 10 days ago, it was no fluke. He scored nine in his first month in the league and was named the NHL's top rookie for October. Huselius, who turns 23 on Saturday, and Atlanta's Dany Heatley, are the only rookies to lead their teams in scoring. He already has the Panthers' rookie record with goals in five consecutive games. During that span he had seven goals and two assists. During October, $10 million-man Pavel Bure had just four goals.

THOUGHT YOU WERE BROKE

New Jersey's Scott Stevens and St. Louis' Al MacInnis are two of the league's top defensemen. But both are 37. Both play for conservative general managers, Lou Lamoriello and Larry Pleau, respectively. How did they just receive multiyear deals worth $7 million per season? They play at high levels, neither is tied up too long. Both have taken less than market value in the past. Stevens just got a 67 percent raise from last year, when New Jersey lost in the Cup finals. MacInnis, the league's top defenseman two years ago with St. Louis, is paired with Chris Pronger, who is making $9.5 million this season.

KID STUFF

Montreal's Olivier Michaud became the second youngest goaltender in NHL history last week when he played the third period of a game with the Edmonton Oilers. Michaud, who turned 18 on Sept. 14, stopped all 14 shots he faced. He was earning $36 a week playing for Shawinigan in the Quebec junior league. NHL meal money is $80 per day. Rangers goaltender Dan Blackburn started a game this season at age 18. Harry Lumley was the youngest NHL goalie at 17 years, 38 days, in 1943.

BOUCH IS BACK

A year after getting benched in favor of rookie Roman Chechmanek, second-year goaltender Brian Boucher is back in net for the Philadelphia Flyers. Last week he won three consecutive games, including back-to-back shutouts, a first in Flyers history. Philly coach Bill Barber, Boucher's minor-league coach and harshest critic, had no choice but to go with the hot hand. Boucher, who went 1:55.11 without allowing a goal, has a 1.58 goals against average and .939 save percentage. He now looks like a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic team.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) no caption (Brian Boucher)

Jonathan Hayward/Associated Press

Box: BLUE LINES (see text)