I found it amusing that a fan in full hockey gear jumps onto the ice at a Canadiens practice in suburban Montreal and takes a couple of shots on goalie Jose Theodore.

How many of you Canadians out there know that the great Tretiak challenged Bob McKenzie some years ago to shoot on him and Bob beat him with a backhander?

Anyway, I can't remember jumping on the ice at a Flyers practice. In their new facility, it's not possible because the protective netting extends entirely around the rink and you can't get over the boards.

Now, the most bizarre thing I ever saw at the rink was a group of Flyers doing stretching exercises on the ice and Eric Lindros is sitting next to Ron Hextall. This was during the 1998-99 season, Hexy's last as a Flyer.

Lindros, sitting on the ice, bends over to stretch to his feet at the precise instant that Hextall, sitting too close to him and slightly tilted the Big E's direction, lifts his feet. Hextall's skate catches Lindros in the head. Blood is spouting out everywhere. Lindros is helped to his feet by teammates and skates to the bench.

Hextall is horrified, thinking he just decapitated Lindros.

Trainer John Worley comes running to the bench after I yell to him to grab a towel. Lindros goes to put the towel on his head and collapses. He was carried off the ice by two players and Worley.

The afternoon that happened, I was the only reporter at the rink and as was my custom, I was sitting in the bench area. The other reporters were late and this happened early at a Flyer practice.

It would have been a good scoop, but the others all asked why Lindros wasn't on the ice once they arrived.

Anyway, the fan incident in Montreal made me try to recall the weirdest thing I had ever seen at a hockey practice.

Now, I can tell you, there is a blonde woman who attends Flyers practice some days at Skate Zone wearing a full mink coat. When Simon Gagne reaches the glass, she exposes herself. She is wearing nothing underneath.

A number of the players _ most notably, Chris Therien _ have complained that they are getting ripped off. The woman only flashes Gagne. You never know what day the blonde flasher will appear.

Hey, if you're going to flash someone, best to flash a guy who might score 60 or more goals than a guy who is minus-3 with three assists, eh?

For more on the incident at the Canadiens practice, click onto these links below:

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=1f90efc6-0594-4502-8aa8-2ff126952951

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=150086&hubname=

A Devil of a Time for Flyers

The unusual aspect of last night's game was that the Flyers outworked the Devils offensively in the opening period but had just four shots to show for it while trailing 1-0.

It was like that the entire game during a 3-0 loss, the first shutout against the Flyers in 80 games. So, the 7-0-1 mark on this 11-game road swing is now 7-1-1.

The Devils made good on two power play goals while the Flyers were dreadful with the man advantage because they could not get open shots.

Given Devils' interim coach Lou Lamoriello credit. His team played man defense � the way the Devils won their three Stanley Cups _ to the bitter finish.

The Flyers top penalty killer, Sami Kapanen, was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury _ something the club hid on Sunday even though reporters asked about it. That makes a difference when you give up two power play goals as the Flyers did through two periods.

Meanwhile, Peter Forsberg's line with Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble didn't have room to skate and failed to generate decent scoring chances. It was a total, defensive effort by New Jersey to stop the Flyers point streak on the road (14 straight games going in).

Lamoriello, getting the last line on Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock all night, used John Madden on Forsberg, even when the Flyers changed up lines to get Forsberg off Madden.

For more on last night's Flyers-Devils game, click onto these links:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/13589335.htm

http://www.nypost.com/sports/devils/59111.htm

http://www.nj.com/devils/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1136871919243410.xml&coll=1&thispage=1