The Final, Laboured Breaths of Les Habitants

Let the autopsy begin.

Yes, it is unfortunate that the patient is technically still alive. But let’s face it, the Montreal Canadiens really expired sometime during the winter, and thank goodness the Boston Bruins have arrived to end the misery.

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Gainey and his stars feeling the pain as Game 3 ticks down.

Hard to believe it was just last fall that owner George Gillett and president Pierre Boivin arrived in Toronto for a press conference at the Royal York Hotel all full of bounce and optimism for the club as it entered its 100th anniversary season. Gillett certainly gave no hint his ownership of the storied franchise was in any sense in doubt, while Boivin seemed to suggest the Habs were beyond the point when they would be anything but successful on the ice.

“Today, if you recruit and operate well, are well-managed and well-coached, and have strong fan support, there’s no reason you can’t have a team that’s going to contend . . . forever,” said Boivin.

Those words sure sound a little haunting now, don’t they?

In fact, you could argue that the Florida Panthers, or even the bedraggled Maple Leafs, would have put up a better battle in the first round against Boston than the Habs have. In last night’s Boston victory in Game 3, there were two symbolic moments.

One came partway through the game when Montreal’s Gregory Stewart tried to rough up Boston centre Patrice Bergeron during one of those ridiculous scrums, an indicator that the Habs were so desperate that was the best strategy they could come up with, to have a grinder try to bully a finesse player who had sat out almost all of last year with concussion problems.

The second moment came when Chuck Kobasew scored into an open net with Saku Koivu unable to stop him. As ultimately unsuccessful as was the Mats Sundin era in Toronto, so too is it time to draw a curtain across Koivu’s time as captain in Montreal, which has yielded a big fat nothing.

What went wrong for the Habs?

Maybe it started with goaltending and pretty much finished with goaltending, albeit with a few other issues along the way. Even with all those unrestricted free agents to deal with, GM Bob Gainey’s biggest decision is going to involve the future of goalie Carey Price, and whether he can actually be counted upon to be the backstop of the future.

The jury’s out on that one. But with all the problems the Habs ran into this season, from the Kostitsyn brothers’ social connections to Alexei Kovalev’s year-long funk, all probably could have been handled if Price had delivered top-end netminding.

That’s not to put all the blame on the shoulders of the kid. But in the NHL, it all starts and ends with goaltending. If you don’t have it, you have nothing.

Here’s a few questions for our daily playoff mail bag:

Q: Damien,

What is the NHL's current policy for officiating? Are the officials instructed to call what they see, or are they instructed to call the situation? Watching the playoffs this weekend, I can't help but think the pendulum is swinging back to the days of few calls down the stretch, and officials trying to "manage" the game. Hopefully you can tell me. I am paranoid.

Mike Pasma, Surrey, BC

A: Don’t be paranoid. Relax, be happy. The referees are instructed to call the rule book, and I really don’t think the standard on interference and hooking in particular has changed. Where they are running into some problems is with all the extra-curricular nonsense going on, and with that stuff, well, I really can’t say what the standard is or even what the rules are. It seems you can mug a guy but as long as you keep your gloves on and make it look like a wrestling match after the whistle you’re likely to escape unpenalized. I like the way, basically, the game is being called, just not the scrum stupidity.

Q: Hello, how do they say on radio? Long time reader first time emailer?

Okay having an uncivilized debate about Steve Mason and the rest of the Goalie corps out there.

I believe that although great as rookie goalie THIS year that I could name 6-7 goalies that were better. That because of all the accolades he has received being a ROOKIE goalie that it is skewed people's thought about where he ranking in term of the Lungo's, Khabulin, Backstroms etc.

Please help by voicing your opinion I don't care if I'm right or wrong I just want to see if the name calling is justified against me...lol

Enjoy the Playoffs

Matthew Fox, Toronto

A: Can’t speak to the name-calling, Matthew. I used to call my daughter (when she was tiny) pumpkin all the time until she lectured me that there was not to be any more vegetable-calling.

I think Mason was right there with the best in the game this season, rookie or otherwise. It was a funny year for statistical comparisons, but if I were to vote for the Vezina (GMs do) I would put Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo and Mason in my top three, probably. Others might like Miikka Kiprusoff or Nicklas Backstrom. But few would argue Mason doesn’t belong in that group.

Q: Hi Damien,

Just curious about the two year contract that the Leafs gave Christian Hanson. Did those few games he played at the end of the this season count as the first year of the deal? If so, why would they play him and forgo a year of his rights to play in some meaningless games? I thought I read a quote somewhere from Christian himself saying that Burke had promised him a chance to play this year and that was a mitigating factor in his decision to sign with Toronto. Perhaps he and his agent realize this was a one year short-cut to free agency? Is he an UFA at the end of this deal?

Regards,

Aidan Flanagan, Vancouver

A: Here’s the deal. Hanson signed with the proviso the Leafs would play him immediately and thus burn the first year of the two year deal. He then becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next season. It’s a gamble by both sides. If the kid can really play, the Leafs might be vulnerable to an offer sheet (Dustin Penner, David Backes, etc.). If he’s average, they can dictate his salary on a multi-year deal. But that’s how these deals get done in the absence of huge guaranteed money up front.

Q: Hi Damien. I keep wondering when the Leafs are going to rid themselves of Matt Stajan. For the amount of ice time he gets and 1 mil plus it is not worth 55 points. Don't say he kills penalties as the buds were 29th on the PK. I think the leafs should keep Devereaux long before Stajan.

David Nash, Thunder Bay

A: Right now, its hard to see where Stajan fits on a Brian Burke team. I could see him moved before next fall. But he doesn’t have great value and the Leafs have few assets, so he might get one more shot at finding a more permanent role under Ron Wilson. Devereaux is a terrific guy, but he’s not a long-term answer.

During the playoffs, Damien Cox is answering your questions daily. Click here to submit a question.
**Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Damien. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

A Great Game, With or Without Hitting

Sharks Facing Shocking Ouster

Suddenly, the Anaheim Ducks look like the Ducks that just two years ago won a Stanley Cup championship.

And the biggest beneficiaries of that, aside from the Orange County hockey heroes themselves, might be the Vancouver Canucks.

(Ed. Note: Check out the extra playoff mail bag at the bottom of today's blog. You keep 'em coming, we'll try to answer them more often throughout the post-season)

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The playoffs just don't agree with Joe Thornton.

Anaheim again stunned the NHL's best team during the regular season, the San Jose Sharks, last night, jumping ahead 2-0 in the best-of-seven series with three of the next four games slated to be played in the Ducks home rink.

That puts Randy Carlyle's group in the drivers seat, and if they can close the deal against Joe Thornton and Co., it would change the Western Conference playoff picture rather dramatically.

With Detroit up 2-0 on Columbus and Vancouver ahead 3-0 on St. Louis, an Anaheim victory over the Sharks would likely mean a second round meeting between the Red Wings and Ducks, with the Canucks to take on the winner of Chicago-Calgary.

That would mean that Vancouver, at least in theory, could make it all the way to the conference final without first having to play either San Jose or Detroit, a scenario that didn't look likely heading into post-season play.

Anaheim beat San Jose 3-2 last night on another terrific goaltending performance by youngster Jonas Hiller, who has stopped 77 of 79 Sharks shots in the first two games of the series. Goals by grinders Andrew Ebbett and Drew Miller put the Ducks over the top in the third, wrecking what might have been a dramatic playoff story for 43-year-old Claude Lemieux, who skated in his first playoff game in six years in a losing cause.

But arguably the most noteworthy part of the Anaheim win was the dominance of captain Scott Niedermayer on the back end. Niedermayer assisted on the winning goal by Miller, and while he was later victimized on a nice solo goal by Jonathan Cheechoo that brought the Sharks to within a goal, he once again is looking like the superb, game-changing defenceman he was before taking a half-season off last year and never quite regaining his old form.

Niedermayer skated almost 27 minutes in the victory with his usual effortless stride, and based on his play would have to be a prime candidate for a position on the Canadian Olympic team next winter in his home province of British Columbia. With Chris Pronger trade rumours gone for the moment and Francois Beauchemin back from knee surgery, the Ducks have their Big Three back together on the blueline and playing well.

San Jose coach Todd MacLellan tried to mix things up by taking Thornton off the the line with Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi, reuniting him with Cheechoo, his old trigger man. Thornton had some moments and picked up an assist on Cheechoo's goal, but if the Sharks go down early again he's going to feel the heat for their departure from post-season play.

Marleau and Setoguchi skated with Travis Moen and were average at best for a Sharks team that had the best record in the NHL this season but knew all along it would be judged on how it fared in post-season play.

Former head coach Ron Wilson took the hit for the team's playoff failures last spring, but if the club suffers through another spring disappointment it would be hard to imagine both Thornton and Marleau would be back next fall. GM Doug Wilson might be under some heat, as well.

But maybe that's not giving the Ducks enough credit. GM Bob Murray, who took over from the departed Brian Burke in December, made some aggressive moves before and at the deadline including shipping winger Chris Kunitz to Pittsburgh for defenceman Ryan Whitney and then moving veteran checkers Moen and Sammy Pahlsson. Hiller, meanwhile, has taken over from J.S. Giguere as the No. 1 goalie, the top line of Ryan Getzlaf between Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan is among the best in the sport right now and all the moves have come together in the past few weeks to suddenly make the Ducks look very dangerous indeed.

They're poised to record a rare No. 8 seed over No. 1 seed victory. If they do that, they could prove capable of much, much more.

During the playoffs, Damien Cox is answering your questions daily. Click here to submit a question.
**Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Damien. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Q: I was watching one of those playoff preview shows and when they showed captains with the Stanley Cup there was Roberto Luongo with the Cup.  It would be a different sight to see a goalie accept the Cup from Gary.  Something different like seeing Jose Theodore wearing the toque for Montreal for the outdoor classic.  Do you have any unusual similiar sights you have seen over the years, that you normally would not expect to see?

Keith Kerfoot, Aberfoyle

A: Well, there was that time wayyyyy back in 1967. . .

I think the one many remember is when Calgary won the Cup in 1989, they had several players in their civvies accepting the trophy who were leaders and assistant captains but also healthy scratches in the final game. The group included Jim Peplinski and Tim Hunter, I believe, and the Flames valued their leadership so much that they wanted these guys front and centre at the end, even if they were in street clothes.

In recent years, teams have started having their spares and extra players don their full hockey equipment and join in the celebration of the Cup when the final series ends. I know Anaheim and Detroit did that the last two years. Finally, I don't think anyone will ever forget watching Scotty Bowman, after his last Cup title, put skates on so he could experience the feeling of skating with the Cup in his arms before he packed it in as an active coach. That was special.

Q: Hey Damien, Loving your work. Firstly, given the current expectations of teams in the NHL (i.e. Detroit, San Jose etc...) what is the main matchup that the NHL is looking for going into the Stanley Cup finals. I understand revenue is important and Chicago vs. Montreal (though not gonna happen) would be a dream in terms of television and sales. However, is the NHL secretly hoping teams like St. Louis, Columbus, Washington go far into the playoffs? It might mean a drop in large market viewership but it would help increase the NHL in these markets long term.

Mario Garisto, Toronto

A: Maybe I'm naive, but I really don't think Gary Bettman and Co. sit around hoping for this matchup or that matchup. Every team that makes it to the final brings benefits, some more than others. I would imagine in an ideal world you'd always have one of the big market clubs - Montreal, Philly, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles - involved just to garner some attention in major media centres. To me, last year's matchup between Detroit and Pittsburgh, putting aside of course my general preference for Canadian-based clubs, was just about perfect.

Q: Would it be legal for Brian Burke to trade assets/picks/players to the six teams above him in exchange for them not drafting Tavares? Personally, I would rather see him go 1st overall because he is Canadian and would be the 4th Knight to go first overall (which i think is a record).

David Doner, London Ont.

A: Sure, but they'd have to be hockey trades the league could live with. For example, when Brian Burke made a series of deals with Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Chicago to land the Sedin twins in 1999, part of the deal with Atlanta was that the Thrashers would select Patrik Stefan first overall. I think it would be impossible, however, to do this with six teams, if only because the Leafs don't have enough assets to pull it off.

Q: While watching the Flyers and the Pens (opening) night, and pulling for the Flyers, I saw Scott Hartnell stick his knee out on a Pen, a couple of weeks ago when the Wings played the Flyers he did the same thing, some years ago when he played for Nashville he injured Jiri fischer and a couple of years down the road Niklas Kronwall. Both of whom needed a knee operation. My question is when is the NHL going to wake up and notice this cheap stuff? I am sure there were Eastern Conference games that I did not get to see where he has done this to others.

William Beaudoin, Rochester Hills, MI

A: Oh, I think the league notices. But sometimes the incidents are anything but black and white. That said, Hartnell is a guy the league keeps an eye on. He's got a reputation.

Staying Out There. . .for Too Long?

One interesting side note to Game 1 between the Rangers and Capitals was the unusual way in which Washington coach Bruce Boudreau deploys star winger Alex Ovechkin.

Or the way Ovechkin deploys himself.

Ovechkin played 26:07, which is a lot for any forward. But what was really remarkable was that he only took 20 shifts.

That meant Ovechkin's average shift was 1:18, far too long in a league where coaches love the 45 second shift to maximum energy and manpower.

But it gets better.

Ovechkin took one shift of 2:35, and one of 2:08. Sometimes those numbers can be distorted somewhat by penalties and TV timeouts, but they're still long shifts. He also took five others that were 80 seconds or longer.

Hard to imagine any hockey player can maximize his play staying out there that long, although Ovechkin did have 28 shots attempts and 13 actual shots-on-goal.

His improvisitional teammate, defenceman Mike Green, took 30 shifts for a total of 30:47, including one of 4:07. His final two shifts of the game were 2:35 and 2:29 as the Caps tried desperately to tie the game before losing 4-3.

Numbers don't mean everything. But these ones are eye-popping.

Burke Stirring It Up

A Big Hiller To Climb

Could be that Brian Burke knows something or two about these obscure free agents he likes to sign.

With Burke's Maple Leafs in hot pursuit of Swedish free agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson these days, it had to warm the hearts of the Leaf Nation a little Thursday night to watch Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller stone the NHL's best team.

The Ducks, despite being badly outshot, stunned the San Jose Sharks 2-0. Hiller, who has taken over from veteran J.S. Giguere, is a 27-year-old Swiss who was personally scouted and signed in 2007 as a Euro free agent by Burke  for Anaheim.

The native of Felben Wellhausen, Switzerland played 46 games during the regular season and Thursday night made his NHL playoff debut in style by blanking the Sharks, winner's of the Presidents Trophy for finishing first overall in the NHL this season.

Hiller wasn't brilliant, but he was very good against a San Jose team who came into these playoffs determined to exorcise the demons of playoff failures past. Instead, the new Sharks looked a lot like the old Sharks, while Anaheim, the 2007 Stanley Cup champions, looked cool and in control despite the disparity in shots.

Two of Anaheim's stars, Scott Niedermayer and Ryan Getzlaf, supplied the goals, and Getzlaf's solo effort after stepping out of the penalty box was a thing of beauty. On the other bench, meanwhile, it was another night to examine the inability of San Jose centre Joe Thornton to come up big during post-season play. Ron Wilson's frustration with Jumbo Joe became Todd MacLellan's last night.

Thornton has now scored five goals and 25 assists in 36 playoff games as a Shark. In his last 48 playoff games, he has six goals. This was supposed to be the spring that Thornton, working on a powerful forward line with Patrick Marleau and Devon Setoguchi, was supposed to have some new answers at his disposal under MacLellan, Wilson's replacement as head coach this season.

Instead, he had none, and the rope-a-dope Ducks jumped ahead 1-0 in this No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed matchup, only the second all-California matchup in NHL playoff history.

The Sharks will downplay the defeat, but the walls have to be closing in on them now. Essentially, the 82-game regular season was but a prelude to another playoff test for San Jose, and last night Thornton and Co. failed the test rather badly. Thornton did make a couple of important defensive plays, but on the attack he was barely noticeable.

The Sharks joined Washington as the only home teams to lose their playoff opener this spring, while the Devils, Bruins, Blackhawks, Red Wings, Canucks and Penguins were able to use their home arenas to their advantage.

Habs Lose, but Prove They Belong

The Montreal Canadiens should feel pretty good after Game 1 of their Eastern Conference clash against hated rival Boston.

Quite frankly, the Habs were right there with the B's on Thursday night, and might have evened deserved better than a 4-2 loss. In fact, the visitors probably surprised even themselves with their ability to compete physically with Boston, a big, rawboned team with some serious hitters.

The Canadiens did well to fight back from a 2-0 deficit to make it a deadlocked game well into the third, and only a Bruin power play allowed the home team the room to pot the winner, with Marc Savard making a nice look off before setting up Zdeno Chara.

Carey Price was very good in the Montreal net, another good sign. But he also showed one of his most maddening characteristics on the first Boston goal of the night, a tendency to be just too casual at times when urgency is called. With the puck loose in his knees, Price moved calmly to cover it with his glove, but not quickly enough before it was jarred loose and stuffed into an open net.

It's a little thing, but these are the Stanley Cup playoffs and you need your goaltender to leap upon that loose puck as though he were protecting a baby, not coolly try to swipe it with his glove.

Too cool for school is how my TSN colleague Michael Farber frequently describes Price, and this was another occasion in which that description fit.

The Habs got good mileage, if not enough offence, out of their good players, including strong efforts by Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins. That said, the absence of Andrei Markov from the blueline is glaring, and a big problem when the Canadiens try to organize their power play.

The Habs didn't get blown out, as some predicted they would. They got a taste of the physical sacrifice it will take to win this series, and for one night, even in defeat, they appeared prepared to pay it.

Thursday Mail Bag

Well, as my colleague Dave Feschuk astutely pointed out, Brian Burke is apparently the best columnist in town and had everybody talking this week over his apparent plan to land John Tavares.

If only I had that ability to stir it up.

Damien is taking your questions and comments throughout the NHL playoffs and will publish a daily selection in this space. Click here to submit a question or comment and check the blog daily for answers.

I think what you’re seeing is all that Anaheim lost when Burke left, and that is an extraordinary ability to make his team the centre of attention in any number of ways. Not many people talk about the Ducks now in the same way they did when Burke was there, and now the Leafs are a daily topic across the league. What the value of that is precisely is unclear, but it sure makes things interesting.

What I do know is that it is nothing less than an absolute travesty that it has been five years since there was a Stanley Cup playoff game in Toronto, the longest drought in the history of this franchise. Watching the playoffs open Wednesday night in four very excited cities just drove home the point that having the Leafs on the sidelines year after year is not only bad for the league, its sucking the life out of this market.

That means when Burke does get this club back into post-season play, it should be exciting as hell because there will be years of pent-up frustration and emotion.

Until then, well, we’ll just have to enjoy the circus.

Now on to this week’s mail bag:

Q; Damien,

I can't help but find optimism in Brian Burke's openness with the media. The newest being the draft and how he covets John Tavares. One thing that has caught my attention is the way he has signed the NCAA free agents. What I am baffled by is how he can sign players like Chris Hansen and Tyler Bozak to one-way contracts yet he turns around and refuses to sign Matt Gilroy to a one-way contract. Isn't Gilroy a more highly sought after free agent? He did win the Hobey Baker Award.

Rob Ryder, Georgetown, Ont.

A: You are partly right. Gilroy is the more sought after free agent. But Hanson and Bozak did not get one-way deals. In fact, part of the CBA dictates that players on entry level contracts like those two get mandatory two-ways. The difference with Gilroy is that because of his age he falls outside of the entry level system, so he can get a one-way and whatever salary he can negotiate.

Q: Hey D.C.

Who is the Kane/Stamkos/Tavares of 2010? The last 3 years it's been pretty obvious who's going 1st overall in the draft - and we've been hearing about J.T. specifically since he was 15 - but who's the big fish every bottom feeder will be wanting a year from now?

Terry Bridge, Waterloo, Ont.

A: Well, I’m still trying to get my head around this draft, to be honest. But the name you keep hearing over and over in terms of the 2010 draft is Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires. He’s a Kingston boy, and wouldn’t it be terrific if, assuming John Tavares does go first this summer, we had three consecutive Ontario-born teenagers go No. 1 in the NHL draft.

Q: Hey Damien,

So Burke has declared he wants Tavares. Likely a long shot at best. In the off-season, what options are really there for the Leafs? As if they really had so much talent to trade they would have made the playoffs. Obviously there are some tradable assets, but I guess the real asset the Leafs have is cap space and money. What teams out there are looking to dump a high salary or 2? And how could that benefit Toronto? On the Tavares issue an interesting idea I heard is Rick DiPietro to Toronto, assuming he is injured and of no use to NYI.

Jason Higgins, Orangeville, Ont.

A: There are any number of clubs with potential cap issues – New York, Philly – and others who may be looking to cut costs, like Colorado. But we won’t really know which team is where until the summer after contract buyouts and free agency.

It would benefit the Leafs potentially because theoretically they could take on a bad contract in a trade if it meant they were able to use that as leverage to get something better out of the deal. I’ve heard the DiPietro idea too; he’s under contract until 2021 (!) at $4.5 million. Obviously his injury problems are becoming an issue, but I can’t imagine any team wanting to assume that liability unless they were absolutely convinced the cap was going to increase significantly to upwards of $70 million in the next five years.

I think everything’s on the table. While Burke’s predecessor, Cliff Fletcher, said publicly that he didn’t believe there were special players in this draft, it seems pretty evident that Burke, rightly or wrongly, feels very differently. He wants one of the top teenagers available, and I’m not sure even Luke Schenn is untouchable if that’s what it takes to make a deal happen. This will be fascinating to watch.

Q: What do you think of Brian Burke's very public goal to move up to the top draft pick? A lot of Leaf fans I know figure it is a done deal and they are already planning to buy a Tavares a Leaf Jersey.

But if he does not land the top pick, does he risk looking foolish? How would he be able to save face given the high optimism and now expectations of Leaf fans?

Brent Achtymichuk, Toronto

A: It’s an interesting strategy. I guess he believes by declaring his intent he can build pressure on the Islanders to move the pick by draft day. I don’t think he’s guaranteed anything, however, and I think Leaf fans by and large are pleased with his aggressive attitude.

Strong Canucks, Mild Sundin

For those who used to watch Mats Sundin regularly compete in playoff hockey for the Maple Leafs, this was nothing like it used to be.

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Now is the time for Sundin to really deliver in Vancouver.

Of course, that was five years ago. So the fact that in his first playoff game Wednesday night as a member of the Vancouver Canucks the former Leaf captain was all but invisible, well, maybe you chalk that one up to the passage of time.

Sundin played 15 minutes and 53 seconds, had two shots and at best one quality scoring chance. The Canucks were impressive in grinding out a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues in the opener of their best-of-seven series, riding the strong netminding of Roberto Luongo and excellent penalty killing to the victory.

Sundin, meanwhile, has now gone 14 games without a goal. Even though the top Vancouver line of the Sedin twins with Alexandre Burrows attracted the No. 1 Blues defensive pair of Barret Jackman and Roman Polak most of the night, along with checking centre Jay McClement, Sundin and his linemates, Ryan Kesler and Pavol Demitra, weren't able to capitalize against the other St. Louis forward and defensive units.

That alone, of course, is a big change for Sundin. For years as a Leaf, he would always attract the most difficult checkers. Now, it's the Sedins who do, which theoretically should open up more room for Sundin and his linemates. That didn't happen in Game 1, although Demitra did set up a first period goal by Daniel Sedin.

Based on Wednesday night, the Canucks may not need much in the way of contributions from Sundin to beat the determined but youthful Blues. But to get far in these playoffs they will, and right now he doesn't look a great deal different than he did in January, still seemingly struggling to get his timing and a little slow afoot. He just doesn't look anything like the player he was as recently as last year, as if the months of indecision about playing at all this season compromised his once impressive skill set.

Damien is taking your questions and questions throughout the NHL playoffs and will publish a daily selection in this space. Click here to submit a question or comment and check the blog daily for answers.

Wednesday night was his 84th playoff game, by far the most of any Vancouver player, so that experience should allow him to at the very least be a steadying influence. But the Canucks paid him a lot of money to do more than that, and they're still waiting.

Tough Choices

Gotta go with the kid.

Bruce Boudreau might disagree, and he gets to make the choice. But after watching Jose Theodore be awfully hard to hit Wednesday night in Washington's series opening loss to the New York Rangers, you've got to believe the man they call Gabby is at the very least considering giving rookie Simeon Varlamov the start for Game 2 on Saturday.

Now, Boudreau has two days off to fully digest Wednesday night's 4-3 defeat, and he's going to see some things other than Theodore's iffy goalkeeping he won't like. Like Jeff Schultz getting undressed on the winning goal by Brandon Dubinsky. He was already justifiably upset over the non-interference call on Sean Avery that set up Scott Gomez's second period goal.

But here's the tricky part of the goaltending decision, and it goes beyond the fact Varlamov, aged 20, has never played an NHL playoff game and only dressed as Theodore's backup because regular No. 2 man Brent Johnson is out recovering slowly from hip surgery.

Let's say Boudreau sticks with Theodore, who now has four wins in his last 15 playoff starts, for Game 2, and the veteran netminder plays poorly and the Caps lose.

Then, you have to stick with Theodore probably because it would be difficult to put Varlamov in for a do-or-die Game 3 in Madison Square Garden.

But if you go with Varlamov for Game 2, he might steal one and even the series, or if he loses, you can go back to the more seasoned Theodore for Game 3.

Now, understand Varlamov is no Justin Pogge. He has played for the Russian national team and he played extensively for Yaroslavl in the Russian league playoffs last year. He was Washington's first-round pick in 2006, so there's some pedigree here.

(Ed. Note: Pogge delivered the goods for the AHL Marlies Wednesday night, stopping 27 shots en route to a 3-2 OT win over Manitoba in Game 1 of their first round series.)

In six appearances this season for the Capitals, Varlamov was 4-0-1 with good numbers. He probably can't outplay New York's Henrik Lundqvist, but the Caps don't need that. They just need solid netminding, something Theodore, 40th in NHL save percentage, isn't likely to supply. Even when he made stops Wednesday night, he was coughing up unreasonable rebounds. Theodore gave up four goals on just 20 shots, and afterwards Boudreau made it clear he felt his club's defensive coverage was more than solid in front of his goaltender.

The Rangers got a huge boost by winning the game despite being without Chris Drury due to injury, despite surrendering 13 shots to Alex Ovechkin and despite three dumb penalties by veteran forward Markus Naslund.

They're probably licking their chops with either Washington goaltending choice, either getting another shot at Theodore or testing a raw rookie.

It wasn't just winning Game 1 that was huge for the Rangers. It was the way the Caps lost it.