Dec. 12, 2001. 01:40 AM
Coyotes defender has hard time playing ex-mates
Josh Rubin
Staff Reporter
When your job involves pasting your opponent into the boards, it's a little tough playing against friends, Danny Markov admitted.
In his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs since they traded him to the Phoenix Coyotes last summer, the rambunctious defenceman said he found it more than a little weird to be playing against his former teammates.
"It's tough. You spend lots of time with those guys, you make lots of friends," said a subdued Markov after the Coyotes got thumped 6-3 by the Maple Leafs.
Markov didn't exactly have a stellar showing, winding up minus-2 on the night. He also had a pair of giveaways and was in the penalty box for Toronto's first goal of the game. It was one of only a handful of subpar games for the former Leaf, who leads Coyote defencemen with 16 points. Former Leaf forward Sergei Berezin fared even worse, and didn't manage a single shot on net.
Markov, who plays as much on emotion as he does on talent, was asked how he puts friendship aside when he meets players like his former Leaf defence partner Dmitry Yushkevich on the ice.
Normally a chatterbox, Markov paused before giving a short response.
"I don't know. I just don't know how to answer that one," said Markov, who was sent to the Coyotes in exchange for Travis Green, Robert Reichel and minor-leaguer Craig Mills.
Markov finally perked up when he finished speaking with reporters, then made his way to the Leaf dressing room, where he gave big, happy bear hugs to several former teammates and training staff.
Curtis Joseph, who was piling a post-game meal onto his plate when Markov attacked him from behind, broke into a grin when he saw who it was.
Yushkevich, who was Markov's closest friend on the Leafs, started laughing when he turned around and saw it was Markov calling out, "Hey, buddy, can I talk to you for a minute?''
After the two friends went around the corner and had a 10-minute heart-to-heart chat, Yushkevich emerged and said he felt some sympathy for Markov.
"He told me he didn't know what he was doing for the whole first period," said Yushkevich, who admitted to having his own pre-game jitters.