Sports

TRAVIS WEARS TARGET IN RETURN

Last night’s Coliseum return of center Travis Green, a.k.a. the “gutless puke,” would have been more interesting had Mike Milbury still been behind the bench and agitating defenseman Rich Pilon been in the lineup.

But perhaps embattled Isles coach Bill Stewart can go a long way in endearing himself with the GM if Green paid a price last night when the Mighty Ducks ended their metropolitan-area tour on Long Island.

Back on Dec. 18, at The Pond in Anaheim, Green, who ticked off Milbury during two consecutive contract holdouts in 1996 and 1997, inflamed him even more. Green took a run at concussion-plagued defenseman Kenny Jonsson, delivering a high shoulder check that sent the Isles’ best player into the boards and then out of the game with a headache.

Afterward, a livid Milbury, claiming Green had never laid a check during his five seasons on Long Island, launched into a diatribe highlighted by “He’s a gutless puke.” When a Post reporter sprinted from the post-game news conference to grab a telephone yards away to try to beat the newspaper’s final deadline, Milbury shouted: “Don’t’ forget the ‘gutless puke’ part.”

It was classic Milbury, but this one was from the heart. He hated Green’s attitude as an Isle, thought he should have been more of a leader and couldn’t wait to seize this opportunity to rake him. “I don’t know what the date is, but it’ll be interesting when Travis comes to the Coliseum,” Milbury threatened that night.

Pilon even piped in: “An old dog has a good memory.” Too bad Pilon was still out last night with a inflamed disc in his back. The Isles, without Pilon and with the season-ending injury to tough guy Gino Odjick earlier this season, have become one of the softest teams in the league.

The Isles may have had to leave it up to 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara to deliver payback last night in Green’s first visit to the Coliseum since he was traded in February, 1998, for Joe Sacco and Mark Janssens.

It turned into a lousy deal as Janssens was shipped out a month later for an eighth-round pick and Sacco has become a bust with just three goals and a hard-to-believe zero assists this season to go along with a team-worst minus-23. Milbury put Sacco on waivers five weeks ago and the fleet winger was not claimed. Milbury couldn’t give Sacco away for a bag of pucks at the trading deadline.

Meanwhile, the Isles would love to have a playmaking center such as Green to play now with Ziggy Palffy, who lost his partner, Robert Reichel at the trading deadline.

Green has been switched around on Anaheim’s top three lines. He started the season centering Anaheim’s two glorious wingers, Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. He played a lot with former Isles’ teammate Marty McInnis. Green, who scored Friday vs. the Rangers, played most recently on a third line with Ted Drury and Jeff Nielson. Green has 13 goals and 16 assists and will be involved in the playoffs for the first time since he was an Islander in 1994. *Captain Trevor Linden gave somewhat of a lukewarm endorsement to Stewart, who put his job in jeopardy for remarks he made Monday night ripping the talent level and inability of ownership to “acquire National Hockey League talent.”

‘He’s instilled some good concepts,” Linden said. “For the most part, guys have enjoyed playing for him.”

Asked bluntly if he would like to see Stewart back, Linden said, “I’ll play for him.”

G Felix Potvin returned for his first full practice Friday. The plan is for him to play the final five games, including in Toronto April 14. Potvin vs. Curtis Joseph.