Philadelphia – Putting a microphone on Peter Forsberg on Saturday might have produced the opposite effect for NBC.
For its first regular-season NHL telecast since 1975, the network miked Forsberg in his first game against the Avalanche. Otherwise there might have been more trash-talking against some of Forsberg’s former teammates.
“I think everybody knew I was miked, so nobody wanted to say anything stupid,” Forsberg said. “We kept it quiet.”
Said former teammate Joe Sakic: “There would have been a lot of talking if he didn’t have the mike. It would have been good. He warned us (Friday) night he was miked, so it wasn’t as fun as it could have been.”
There were no big hits on Forsberg, or by him. But Forsberg was his usual whirling dervish self, making several great passes that teammates failed to convert before getting a goal and assist in the final three minutes to send the game to overtime.
“It was different playing against him. We’re so used to him being with us,” Sakic said.
“He’s doing well there, and it’s just good to see him.”
Sakic and a couple of other teammates went out to dinner with Forsberg on Friday night.
“It was great – he bought. It was beautiful,” Sakic said. “Any free meal’s a good meal.”
Rathje perturbed
Flyers defenseman Mike Rathje wasn’t pleased with the hooking penalty on him against Sakic that gave the Avs a two-man advantage in overtime.
“I was going after the puck. But it doesn’t matter. All you have to do is fall down and you get a penalty,” Rathje said.
Sound at seven straight
Avs coach Joel Quenneville, on his team’s seven-game winning streak: “Our game is more sound in all three zones than it was. Today’s game was a great one for the fans. It had a lot of action and we had to overcome a lot.”
