Philly Goaltending Carousel

CHICAGO--The way in which the Flyers handled their goaltending issue on the off-day between Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup final was rather strange.

Very Philadelphia, really, at least when it comes to dealing with masked men.

This is a team that has gone through a boggling number of goaltenders over the years. Just since Simon Gagne played his first game for the Flyers in 1999, the club has used 15 different goaltenders in at least one game.

Brian Boucher. John Vanbiesbrouck. Roman Cechmanek. Maxim Ouellet. Neil Little. Robert Esche. Antero Niittymaki. Jeff Hackett. Sean Burke. Martin Biron. Michael Leighton. Martin Houle. Ray Emery. Johan Backlund. Jeremy Duchesne.

Boucher and Leighton, of course, had two tours of duty, and its up to them to provide enough stabilty between the pipes for Philly to win its first Stanley Cup in 35 years.

But the manner in which head coach Peter Laviolette named Leighton the starter on Sunday was yet another strange new twist.

In the early afternoon, Laviolette went out of his way to categorically tell a press conference that he would not reveal the identity of his Game 2 starter, saying it was all "internal" and would stay that way. Leighton had given up five goals on 20 shots in Game 1 before giving way to Boucher.

Hours later, the Flyers PR staff released word that Leighton would in fact be the starter. So what changed?

Why didn't Laviolette simply say Leighton would start earlier in the day instead of letting his goalie answer mutliple questions about how he would feel if he didn't get the nod? 

What apparently happened is that after Laviolette's presser, a team source told CSNPhilly.com that Leighton would start and posted that story on the Internet. Shortly after, the Flyers confirmed the story.

What a strange way to do business in the Cup final. Laviolette ended up looking silly, protecting a piece of team information that got out anyway.

Analysts were mixed over whether Boucher or Leighton should get the start. But starting Leighton tonight at least gives him a second chance and avoids the appearance of panic. If the Hawks win again, Laviolette can turn to Boucher for Game 3 on Wednesday.

But the entire matter sure hasn't been handled with confidence by the Flyers. 

Final Thought on the Logo

CHICAGO--Folks, you've really got to understand something.

When I write something like I did the other day about the logo of the Chicago Blackhawks and how some might consider it racially insensitive, it's not to preach or convince anyone.

It's just an opinion. You can agree or disagree. I certainly didn't attack anyone who might love the Blackhawks Indian head logo, and in fact I went out of my way that the original intent of Frederic McLaughlin, while it had nothing to do with honoring aboriginals (he was honoring his military comrades from World War I), wasn't about insulting aboriginals, either.

It was just thinking from another time.

The funniest thing I've heard is that somehow the fact a poll in The Star showed the majority of respondents in favour of having the Hawks retain their logo should somehow be a lesson to me, and certainly proof that I was dead wrong in my original thesis.

People, people. Many ideas are unpopular, but over time become accepted because people change and times change. Once it was unpopular to suggest women should have the vote. Times changed. Once it was Canadian government policy to ship natives to residential schools. Now it's understood that was a bad idea.

Sadly, people who disagree on these kind of issues always accuse others of political correctness, which has become a catch-all, Palin-like phrase designed to trash any and all ideas that might be different from conservative, mainstream believes. If you express an opinion that supports a minority group, in particular, you will always receive criticisms that you are trying to be politically correct. Usually, that's just an indication that those people are unwilling or incapable to either disseminate independent thought of their own or can't articulate why they disagree.

So they just scream political correctness and believe that somehow legitimizes what they're saying.

There were many thoughtful responses to my column, and probably the best were from native Canadians or those of mixed heritage. Those were split about 50/50 on the issue, some suggesting they weren't offended at all, others applauding me for articulating a certain point of view they supported.

But at the end of the day, it was just my opinion. I'm hardly outraged on the issue, but it seemed to be worth putting it out there for discussion. Sadly, so many people don't want different issues discussed, particularly if those issues make them uncomfortable in any way.

Even worse, it was suggested by some that bringing up the topic on the eve of the Stanley Cup final was somehow unseemly, that only orthodox hockey topics or opinions supportive of the NHL and the Blackhawks are worthy of publishing. Well, that's just silly, but again, I've learned to expect that if you try and put something different out there, people will just try to shout you down.

I was never looking for others to agree with me, although some did. Certainly, I was never trying to articulate an opinion that I believed would be popular. What a waste of my time and your time that would be. Moreover, popular doesn't mean right. History sure tells us emphatically that the most popular beliefs were often the most wrongheaded.

If you're looking for a columnist or blogger who just wants to find which way the wind is blowing before writing, you're looking in the wrong place.

Double Dipping

CHICAGO--Please, a game. Something to talk about other than platitude after platitude about this player or that one. Some meat for the meal, please.

The news from today, of course, is that Calgary will host an outdoor game next February as the NHL continues to push the strategy of investing more and more in large event marketing, rather than using individual players to sell the game. Given that the Winter Classic TV ratings or the Fenway Park game were sharply down last year, it's an interesting decision.

Then again, selling an outdoor game in Calgary is easy. Selling pretty much anything to do with hockey in Canada is easy these days. They'll sell the game out and the hype will be in overdrive for all the Canadian television networks. Having the game in February keeps it distant from the world junior hockey championships, which dominates Canadian hockey interest around the Christmas break.

What it allows, naturally, is for NBC to keep its unofficial policy of U.S. teams only for the Winter Classic, with the tacit agreement of the NHL.

So far we've had Buffalo and Pittsburgh in Buffalo, Chicago hosted the Wings and Hawks, Fenway was home to the terribly boring Boston-Philly game and next year Heinz Field in Pittsburgh will hold with the game featuring the Penguins and Capitals. That, of course, will right the wrong of last year when the Caps thought - as did most of the hockey industry - the Ovechkin and the Caps were going to be part of the Fenway game before the NHL got cute and substituted the Flyers.

With this new two-game, two country outdoor approach, NBC can keep the Canadian teams off its airwaves and the Canadian teams can be kept from bitching about it too much.

Stevie Y Goes To Central Florida

Fact is, Tampa might not be Steve Yzerman's dream position.

But it's available now, and it has some upside. More to the point, all the best jobs are taken and unavailable for at least another year. Sometimes, you have to take what's there.

Think about it. All the Original Six cities - Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, the New York Rangers, Boston and Chicago - have executes in charge who aren't going anywhere. The likeliest to open up any time soon would be the Rangers, but Glen Sather is still in charge and that might be Mark Messier's job when he's ready.

Based on Team Canada's performance at the recent worlds, Messier might not be ready quite yet.

Beyond that, the best positions would probably be Philly, Washington, Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Minnesota, depending on your perspective.

And those jobs are all taken. Canucks GM Mike Gillis might be on the shakiest ground, but that has another year, maybe two, to play out.

The other 19 spots, meanwhile, all have various upsides and downsides, again depending on your perspective. Fans of different teams will no doubt be deeply offended that others might not believe their teams are the most attractive in the sport for any executive. Edmonton and Calgary, for example, might be plum jobs to some, but both have very difficult contractual problems to work out and have GMs in place for at least another year. Ottawa is in good shape and is Yzerman's hometown, but Bryan Murray seems rock solid there.

Buffalo and San Jose are both good spots. But both have financial restrictions on what they can and can't do, and both have veteran GMs running the show.

Which brings us to the Lightning, and the weird historical twist that for the second time in hockey history, Yzerman follows Brian Lawton. The team has two quality veterans in Vinnie Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, although Lecavalier has a nasty contract. Steve Stamkos is already a 50-goal man, Victor Hedman could be a stud defenceman and the Bolts have the sixth pick overall in the June draft.

The Bolts have a lot of expiring contracts and decent prospects. What matters most, of course, is whether new owner Jeff Vinik has the wherewithal and the intent to invest in the franchise, in which case he would be the first in a long line of owners to do so. This is a team that even when it was owned by Bill Davidson of Detroit, it was run on a bit of shoestring and without a long-term committment from ownership.

Some believe Vinik is different. Dave Nonis, who decided to stay with the Leafs for largely personal reasons, believes Vinik will be an excellent owner. Yzerman must believe that, too, or he would never have signed on with the Lightning.

His experience helping to run the Detroit Red Wings and in organizing the Canadian Olympic team that won gold three months ago in Vancouver suggest he has the makings of an excellent GM. Vinik has done well by clearing the team of all management and coaching committments, so Yzerman will have the freedom to shape his own future.

This gives Tampa credibility in the marketplace, which is good news for the Bettman administration, which has been trying to stabiize this franchise for years. In many ways, its not a bad market, with fans that have proven they will come out and support a winning team. There just hasn't been much consistency or commitment from ownership or management.

And The Winner Is.........

MONTREAL--Chalk up one for the home team.

RDS, despite fierce discussions over Friday and Saturday, managed to maintain it's right to put an on-ice broadcaster in the coveted spot between the benches for today's Game 4 between the Canadiens and Flyers.

RDS has "No. 1" position for the game and theoretically first dibs on pretty much everything. But the 3 p.m. start time was an NBC request - CBC figured it would lose about one million viewers compared to a nighttime game - and lobbied to have their analyst, Pierre Maguire, get the between-the-benches position.

NBC was actually third in the pecking order behind RDS and CBC. In the end, RDS analyst Joel Bouchard gets the prime position, while CBC's Glenn Healy and Maguire will be stationed at two other vantage points for the highly anticipated match.

So, Canadian insecurities aside, the American networks don't always dictate the show.

Battle of the Network Stars

MONTREAL--It's a tussle nearly as intriguing as the Habs-Flyers series that will continue Saturday afternoon at the Bell Centre.

Who will win? NBC? RDS? CBC? It's going to be a fascinating window into the priority given to the various networks by the NHL.

All three, you see, would like to have dibs on the ice-level broadcasting position between the benches for Game 3. NBC uses Pierre Maguire there, CBC uses Glenn Healy. RDS sometimes uses former NHLer Joel Bouchard.

It's a spot without a lot of wiggle room since the setup forces the Montreal backup goalie into the same area.

Here's the intrigue. RDS has the No. 1 position for tomorrow's game, which mean they get first choice of everything, from interviews to camera positions, etc.

NBC, however, is arguing that having an analyst between the benches is a staple of their broadcasts. The NHL, of course, has spent years courting the various U.S. networks in hopes of landing a rich deal, although the current deal with NBC is anything but that.

The issue will probably be decided sometime today, with the NHL having the final say.

Tune in to see which network carries the day. It'll tell you something about the pecking order of NHL broadcasters.

Facebook Fights Crime

MONTREAL--Chalk one up for social networking. As long as Facebook is in the correct criminal hands.

Montreal Gazette veteran writer Pat Hickey was shocked to find his car vandalized outside the Wachovia Centre in Philadelphia after Game 1 of the Montreal-Philadelphia playoff series. The tires were slashed, there were crushed beer cans littering the car and the Quebec licence plate was stolen.

Hickey was stopped twice for having no plates on the way back to Canada, but managed to find his way home in the vehicle after Game 2.

When he got home, however, he noticed that the apparent culprit was bragging about the incident on his Facebook page, displaying the stolen licence plate. Hickey relayed the information to the Flyers, saying about $1,000 damage had been done to his car but that he wouldn't ask for reparations or ask that charges be laid if the Philly "fan" contributed $1,000 to charity.

The Flyers have said they will pursue the matter with Philadelphia police.

Thursday Mail Bag

MONTREAL—So, this is pretty much it.

Either the Habs make it a series tonight, and the Sharks make it a series in the Windy City tomorrow night, or we could be starting the Stanley Cup final next week.

That's, of course, if U.S. television networks go along with it. Already there's chatter NBC will want the NHL to delay the start of the final to two weekends from now even if both the east and west conference finals were over by Sunday. Hard to believe the NHL would go for that, but TV is the tail that wags the dog these days.

It sounds like Habs head coach Jacques Martin is going to add a little size for Game 3 tonight in Benoit Pouliot and Ryan O'Byrne, although Pouliot is hardly a physical player. The guessing is that Jaroslav Halak will be in goal, although Martin could theoretically have a surprise up his sleeve.

It's a hot, breezy day in Montreal, the kind of day that makes this pretty much the perfect playoff town. Now we'll find out whether there will be games at the Bell Centre next week.

Now on to this week's mail bag:

Q: Last summer I and many other Toronto fans were clamouring for Brian Burke to sign Mike Cammalleri. Instead, he signed Phil Kessel at a tremendous price. Consider this-if Burke had signed Cammalleri , the leafs would now have Cammalleri, say Tyler Seguin, plus a first and second round draft choice. Crosby might be worth this but certainly not Kessel. Do you know of any reason why Burke would not have followed this path?

Clement Rose, Calgary

A: Let's go through the sequence. First, Brian Burke tried to trade Tomas Kaberle for Kessel at the June draft, but that fell through. On July 1st, the Leafs contacted Cammelleri and were prepared to meet and make an offer, but before they could do that he signed with Montreal. So it wasn't a direct choice between the two players, and Cammalleri made the issue moot by signing with the Habs. Clearly the Leafs preferred Kessel, but when that deal wasn't consumated and the Sedins signed back with Vancouver, Cammalleri was first on the Toronto hit list.

Obviously, with Cammalleri having a terrific spring, there's lots of people bringing this up now. That sentiment wasn't heard as often during the regular season when Cammalleri was frequently injured and scored 26 goals in 65 games. Moreover, the two players are similar in some ways - both are pure scorers - but they're not exactly the same. Cammalleri is 27 and in his goal-scoring prime. His contract has four more years to go with an annual cap hit of $6 million. The Canadiens paid a premium price to get him.

Obviously, the Leafs paid for Kessel in more than dollars. But he is 5 1/2 years younger than Cammalleri and has four more years to go on his deal at cap hit of $5.4 million. In his last playoff season, he had six goals in 11 games. Not bad.

The point is, obviously signing Cammalleri, something the Leafs wanted to do, would have saved the draft picks. At the same time, Kessel is 22, still years away from his prime. So the comparison is imperfect.

Q: Damien has the NHL not learned over time that returning to failed markets doesn't work? The return to Winnipeg would be a waste of time for everyone. I would love another Canadian team- though that is overrated as 60-70% of the players on any team are North American anyway, but will Winnipeg support another team? Small market, failed once before. History tells us that Canadian teams do well when the dollar is strong but what about 10-12 years ago when it was weak and teams wanted NHL bailouts? Obviously, my choice would be a SW Ontario team to compete with the Leafs. Big market within driving range, corporate money and exposure. I am a lifelong Leafs fan, no matter how hard I try not to be, but would love some local competition to force their hand.

Rob Burns, Kitchener

A: Of the top of my head, it sure seems to be the NHL did very well going back to Denver and Minneapolis/St. Paul, places where the game had failed before. The Wild, in particular, are doing very well. Atlanta, not so much.

As far as Winnipeg, I sure hear your concerns, although I'm not certain a team somewhere in southern Ontario would be that much more stable. It depends on ownership, and if Jim Balsillie were willing to own a team that would be fine, just as if David Thomson wanted to own one in Manitoba. But what if they sell? Then what happens. I think you have to put teams in places based more on market than owner, because owners change. Your point that going back to Winnipeg isn't a slam dunk is a good one, but circumstances might yet make it a better place to be for the NHL than an number of other markets.

Q: Hi Damien,

You're probably as tired as the rest of us following this Phoenix Coyotes debacle, but there is one question that keeps gnawing at me. All of the talk has the Coyotes going back to Winnipeg, but Quebec City has also been thrown in there as a potential for a future NHL franchise. My question is: why, in all of this talk, is Hamilton (or Southern Ontario) not mentioned at all? How much water do you think the theory holds that the NHL is seriously contemplating a Hamilton expansion team? Yes there would be hurdles to clear in the form of the Leafs' and Sabres' territory rights, but wouldn't the perceived value of another Southern Ontario team make it worth the headache of trying to make it work somehow?

Matt Downing, Mississauga

A: It really depends how you look at it. Would another team in southern Ontario be stronger than some of the teams in the southern U.S.? Yes. But would that team necessarily make the rest of the league stronger? That's the bigger issue. The NHL, as an entire entity, has probably more potential having a team in the much larger market of Phoenix if it can make it work. Believe me, there are a lot of U.S. teams that would have little or no interest in trying to sell tickets when Hamilton or Kitchener or Winnipeg come to town. It's more complicated than simply exchanging a money-losing team for a team in a better market.

Q: Why does the NHL tolerate obstruction? The 2010 playoffs look like pre-lockout hockey with all the pulling/tugging/holding/grabbing and blatant interference yet no calls by the refs ?I do not want to watch Hal Gill or Ben Eager obstruct players WHO DO NOT HAVE THE PUCK. I want to watch Sedin or Hossa or Crosby skate up the ice unimpeded from behind( especially when they are simply joining the rush) The NHL ratings are about to plummet in Canada if the refs do not start to call all this obstruction cause this kind of crap added to neutral zone trap hockey is just killing the enjoyment of the game.

Bill Kennedy, Thornbury

A: I sense your frustration but disagree with your point. I don't see all the obstruction you're seeing. I see battles for pucks along the boards, but compared to what it was six or seven years ago, there's basically no obstruction in the game today. And you state that NHL ratings are about to plummet in Canada if some things don't change. I think the opposite is true. Ratings have never been higher.

Q: Hey Damien, Which players in the upcoming draft do you think Burke will pursue the hardest? I know this year's draft class is supposed to be weaker than most but I would love to see the Swiss player Nino Niederreiter (currently ranked 8th overall) flying down left wing in the Blue and White. What will it take for the Leafs to secure a Top 10 draft pick?

Brent Golem, Waterloo

A: A miracle? Unless they're willing to move Luke Schenn, Nazem Kadri or Phil Kessel, there's no chance they can land a top 10 pick. If they can get a first rounder it will be a late one, and it's impossible to say what player they'd be looking at.

Q: With the coronation of Dion Phaneuf as captain of the Leafs imminent, I have started to think whether I should care if the Leafs have a captain and, if so, should it matter who it is. So, how much difference do you think designating a captain, and, if designated, the leadership style of the captain, can make on the performance of team? Do you think that a young team like the Leafs will benefit more with the (apparent) in-your-face style of Phaneuf or the (apparent) more laid-back approachof Mats Sundin? Do you think Sundin was "successful" as a Leaf captain(defining success as getting the team to win more games than it would have won if the captain was a player without any designation of a captain or alternate captain)?

John Hunt, Harvard, Mass.

A: Well, I think the Montreal Canadiens are showing that not having captain isn't necessarily an impediment to post-season success. The last team to win a Cup without a captain was the 1972 Boston Bruins, so clearly most teams believe having somebody wear the "C" is necessary.

Sundin was, in my mind, a very good captain, as good a captain as he was a player. The Leafs just didn't have good enough teams to win it. The fact he was a quieter leader didn't detract from his leadership. It sure worked well enough for Nicklas Lidstrom in Detroit. As to whether Phaneuf will be a good captain, I just haven't seen enough of him in Toronto yet to make a judgement.

Q: Damien,

Do you think the Leafs should get an accomplished back up NHL goaltender in case Giguere gets hurt? At this point, Gustavvson seems to play better every other game instead of every game plus his heart issues may arise again. Other than G&G nobody else seems close to being ready. If they do decide to get an experience back up where do they put him if Giggy and The Monster are healthy and playing well?

Neil Poutanen, Guelph

A: You can only carry so much insurance. The Leafs will have James Reimer and Jussi Rynnas with the Marlies, and Ben Scrivens learning somewhere else, likely the ECHL Reading team. If you sign an older vet he's going to play in place of those youngsters. So no, I think they'll be going with what they have.

Q: I love reading your work, I was wondering if you had any information on whether or not the Leafs intend to sign prospects Joel Champagne, Tyler Ruegsegger, and Korbinian Holzer. Holzer did not look out of place with Germany at the Olympics. Thanks again for your great work.

Israel Stern, Thornhill

A: My information is Tyler Ruegsegger will get an AHL contract to start. There are still concerns about his skating. The Leafs will look to sign Holzer after the world championships where he's been playing for Germany. They haven't decided whether they want to sign Champagne yet.

Q: My though on how to improve NHL scoring and excitement: Make icing a two-minute penalty. Forces teams to carry the puck out of there own end. Potential for excitment in my mind would be great. Just think it through a bit. This may be an old idea that I'm just repeating.

Steve Kowalczyk, Burlington

A: That's too significant a penalty. Icing the way it is called now is fine by me.

Panthers Get A Good Man

That sound you hear is the sound of about a dozen or more NHL general managers cheering, applauding for the hiring of Dale Tallon as the new GM of the Florida Panthers.

It's not that they think Tallon's a dope and will trade them Stephen Weiss or Nathan Horton for a song. It's because Tallon was enormously popular as GM of the Chicago Blackhawks and most executives in the league believe he got a raw deal when he was dumped last summer by president John McDonough in favour of Scotty Bowman's son, Stan.

Interestingly, Tallon's name wasn't out there in connection with the Florida job. Randy Sexton, of course, was hoping to keep it, although he didn't really distinguish himself and, it's believed, had the post because was willing to work for a very moderate salary.

Tallon, on the other hand, is the architect of the Hawks team that may yet walk away with the Stanley Cup. He inherited a 65-point team and the likes of Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Dustin Byfuglien when he took over in 2005. He then drafted Jonathan Toews, Patrice Kane and Niklas Hjalmarsson, made deals for Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp and signed goalie Antti Niemi as a free agent.

There were some bad deals as well, notably Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet. But every team has bad contracts they wish would evaporate into thin air. 

It's been such a wasteland in south Florida for such a long time its hard to know whether Tallon can fix all that ails that awful franchise. They've built the team around Weiss and Horton, who seem anything but franchise-type players, got little when they traded away goalie Roberto Luongo and allowed Jay Bouwmeester to walk out the door for nothing.

They were only three points better than the Leafs this season, so that puts their plight into perspective. But good guys don't always finish last, and while 29 other GMs will be trying to beat Tallon, a few will be pulling for him as well.

Wakeup Call

PHILADELPHIA--That's the thing about the playoffs. The day after is always a gigantic valley of desperation for the loser and a moment of blissful enlightenment and accomplishment for the winner. 

So sure, the Flyers feel great today and many are saying the Canadiens revealed their true selves yesterday in an ugly, one-sided 6-0 defeat at the Wachovia Centre on Broad Street. 

And maybe both are true. Then again, both may be wrong.

I don't think many were heralding the Flyers as a fabulous team a week ago after they had lost the first three games to Boston. Similarly, the Habs have most certainly been to this place of doubt before, particularly after losing Games 3 and 4 in the first round to Washington by a combined 11-4 score and after getting whipped by Pittsburgh in Game 1 of the second round.

And Jaroslav Halak? He's been pulled twice before, then came back and won his next game.

So don't draw conclusions based on one game, even one as decisive as yesterday. Remember San Jose getting pummelled in Detroit in Game 4 then going home to wrap up that series? Playoffs are an emotional rollercoaster where momentum means little from one game to another.

That said, the Habs will surely make some adjustments. They've got to try and do something to get centre Tomas Plekanec going. Plekanec had a lot to say at the beginning of the Capitals series but now hasn't scored in nine games. There was a telling moment in Game 1 where he had a clear path to the Flyer net and chose, in true Jason Blake style, to take it to the less congested and scary area behind the net.

If he's going to play like a frightened squirrel, the Habs will have trouble generating offence with two lines.

As well, I'd bet Ryan O'Byrne will be inserted on defence to add a little more bulk to the Montreal defence. Maybe they take Marc-Andre Bergeron out, maybe they dress seven D-men. O'Byrne has been steady if unspectacular, and he may help make his teammates a little braver.

Make no mistake about it, the Flyers have a big, physical defence led by Chris Pronger and Brayden Coburn. But they can be attacked with speed and intelligence as long as the Montreal forwards know there are going to be more lumps taken against Philly than against Washington and Pittsburgh combined.

But this series is just getting started. There's likely a gigantic velley of desperation waiting for the Flyers and blissful enlightenment in the offing for the Habs.