Christian waiting for next chance

      It is a misconception to think that Cleveland Lumberjacks left wing Jeff Christian wears uniform No. 72 because that is how many goals he predicted for himself this year.
      But for a time, it appeared Christian might reach that plateau.
      Christian, who will be at the Thomas & Mack Center with Cleveland to face the Thunder tonight at 7:05, has blossomed into arguably the best power forward in the International Hockey League.
      He wears uniform No. 72 out of respect to his father, Gord, a former tight end for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. But it is an appropriate number because the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder likes the work in the trenches.
      He is not only a talented scorer -- he leads the 'Jacks with 35 goals and 69 points in 59 games -- but he also is a nifty scrapper. He leads Cleveland with 243 penalty minutes, making him the rare player to lead both categories.
      "He's a big strong guy, and he's established himself as more of an offensive player this year," Cleveland coach Rick Paterson said. "He drives to the net, and when he sets up there he's tough to move."
      Christian was recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 25 and returned to Cleveland on Thursday, causing him to miss nine Lumberjacks games and likely ending his quest for 50 goals. But he has surpassed his career high of 34 goals, set in the 1993-94 season while playing for the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League.
      That has forced him to readjust the goals he set in preseason. When Pittsburgh sent him to Cleveland during training camp, Christian said he hoped to reach 75 games, 30 goals, 80 points and 200 penalty minutes for the Lumberjacks.
      "I don't think 40 goals is ridiculous for me now, and I'd like to finish between 80 and 90 points," said Christian, a noted practical joker who is often in the middle of team pranks. "If I did that and wound up with around 300 minutes, I'd think those would be numbers that would speak for themselves."
      The numbers haven't done much to impress the reeling Penguins. He spent seven games with Pittsburgh, scoring his first NHL goal March 4 against the New Jersey Devils, but saw little ice time.
      He was returned to the Lumberjacks after the Penguins' 5-5 tie with the Coyotes on Wednesday in Phoenix.
      He said he is disappointed but wouldn't let it affect his play.
      "When you do everything that is asked of you, and you feel like you've done it well, it's hard to understand," Christian said. "But by the same token, I'm not going to sit by the phone waiting for a call. The saying now, I guess, is `Show me the money.' Well, I'll change that a little and say, `Show me the opportunity.'
      "I think I've proven I can help someone up there if I get the opportunity. If Pittsburgh doesn't think I can do the job, hopefully somebody else has seen me and thinks that I can. The motivation for players like myself is that there are a lot of (NHL) teams out there and if someone sees you and likes you, things can turn around in a hurry."