TalIas offers dependable relief when No. 1 goalie Dafoe out

It took the Boston Bruins about 25 games to decide Byron Dafoe was their No. 1 goalie. It took only two to see Robbie Tallas was probably the perfect backup. Tallas, the fourth-year pro called up from the Providence Bruins of the American League when Jim Carey was demoted Dec. 4, made only two appearances in the next two weeks, but both were memorable: Talias outdueled Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres in a 2-1 Boston victory at the FleetCenter Dec. 11 and helped a tired, undermanned Bruin team take a point out of Philadelphia a week later by making 28 saves and earning first-star status in a 2-2 tie with the Philadelphia Flyers. “We have confidence in Robbie or we wouldn’t put him in there,” shrugged coach Pat Bums after Talias frustrated…

ELSTON

Juneau injury angers Caps

Losing center Joe Juneau until at least mid-January with ligament damage to his right knee was difficult enough for the Washington Capitals to deal with. How it happened made it even tougher. Juneau was nailed as he was crossing center ice with a knee-to-knee hit by Los Angeles Kings’ right winger Sandy Moger in a Dec. 13 game in Inglewood, Calif. “This is the type of thing a player should be suspended for,” said GM George McPhee. “It was the intent that certainly was most important and certainly (the length of) the injury has made it more important.” The Capitals believe Moger lined Juneau up for the hit twice on the same shift, missing the first time. “The referee (Rob Shick) noted that, too,” said coach Ron Wilson. “He came over to the bench…

Coaching relic McVie calling his own shots

When Harry Sinden did a housecleaning of the Boston Bruins’ coaching office after 1994-95, assistant coach Tom McVie faced the unthinkable. Not the firing. McVie has been fired more times than a gun. It was what this firing did. It nearly caused a divorce. For the first time in 42 years of marriage to his loving wife Arlene, McVie had no hockey team. For the first time, he’d be spending a winter at home in Portland, Ore. Not good. At a time when retirement should have looked appealing, hockey was all the 60-year-old wanted. McVie can handle the coldest rink in the world. He couldn’t handle cold turkey. “My wife would say, ‘Good morning, Honey’ and I’d say, ‘Get off my back,’” McVie recalls. “Little things like changing the TV channel or leaving the…