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By SCOTT REINARDY sreinardy@leader.net
Wednesday, January 26, 2000 Page: 3B
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Casey Harris was just looking to change his luck.
Harris arrived at practice Monday with a new jet-black do after having his
brown hair dyed Sunday.
“I needed a change. A lot of guys go blonde, I had to go black.”
Before Tuesday’s game, Harris hadn’t had a point and was minus-3 since his
two-goal performance on Jan. 12 against Syracuse.
Wearing No. 13, you’d think Harris wouldn’t be too concerned about bad
luck. But before this season, he said, he was a slave to his superstitions.
“I’m trying to get rid of my superstitions,” he said. “There were too
many rituals.”
Harris said eating specific foods and putting on his equipment the same way
every time became bothersome.
“They didn’t do any good in the past. I feel much better this year. I
don’t have to worry about the nonsense.”
Part of shaking the bad luck was returning to his high school uniform
number of 13.
“They wouldn’t let me have it in college or juniors because it was
superstitious. I wore 21 for years, but I like No. 3 and I like No. 1 so 13 is
my number.”
Whether it was his dyed hair or his determination to avoid superstitious
tendencies, Harris’ luck apparently has changed.
Harris assisted on the Penguins’ first goal Tuesday against Syracuse,
passing the puck to Alexei Kolkunov and then screening the goalie. It was his
third assist and eighth point of the season.
ONE FAN AT A TIME: For the first time in three games, the starting lineups
were announced at First Union Arena before Tuesday’s game against Syracuse.
After returning to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin was
concerned that being booed would disrupt the team. Aubin expected boos after
quotes attributed to him in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were derogatory to the
local team and Wilkes-Barre. He requested the team not announce his name in
the starting lineup for games Friday and Saturday. Team officials decided not
to announce the starters at all.
That changed Tuesday. When Aubin was announced as the starting goalie, he
received a nice ovation from a storm-depleted crowd. What might have helped
repair his relationship with the local fans was a 1-1 record during the
weekend where he saved 52 of 58 shots (.897 save percentage).
ICE CHIPS: Greg Crozier’s first-period goal extended his points streak to
10 games. … The Penguins’ five-goal first period was the most the team has
scored in one period this season. … With the bad weather, the $4 parking fee
was waived Tuesday. … Before Tuesday, John Slaney led the Penguins with
seven points (five goals, two assists) in five games against Syracuse. He
added to that total with two goals in the first two periods Tuesday. … The
Penguins have scored at least one power-play goal in five straight games
including Tuesday. … Pavel Skrbek was scratched for the fifth straight game.
He was a healthy scratch for two games and now is nursing a sprained wrist.
… Forwards Boris Protsenko and Dylan Gyori were also scratched Tuesday, as
was goalie Dave Weninger.
Call Reinardy at 831-7342.