Rangers Blow It, Caps Still Alive

Bad Boy Punished

Well, it was a surprise, but then again, it wasn't a surprise.

Perennial NHL troublemaker Sean Avery has been scratched from the New York Rangers lineup for tonight's Game 5 contest in Washington against the Capitals after a series of indiscretions in the past two games.

In particular, Rangers head coach John Tortorella was incensed after a New York win in Game 4 that put the Blueshirts ahead three games to one was jeopardized by two pointless Avery penalties in the final period.

Luckily for Avery, the Caps weren't able to capitalize by putting any pucks past Henrik (The King) Lundqvist in the New York net, but he wasn't so lucky for Game 5 as Tortorella clearly decided his team had a better chance of winning without the infamous bad boy.

The Rangers had been the one team willing to give Avery another chance after he was suspended last fall by the NHL while playing for Dallas for some intemperate public remarks aimed at a former girlfriend and her boyfriend, Calgary defenceman Dion Phaneuf.

Avery underwent anger management therapy while on leave from the NHL. When he returned, the Stars waived him and the Rangers picked him up. For the most part, he had been a good citizen, aside from a silly incident involving Boston goalie Tim Thomas in the final days of the regular season.

Against the Caps, however, Avery has become increasingly unpredictable, almost as if he was daring either the referees to call penalties or Tortorella to take some action against him.

Well, Tortorella did tonight, replacing Avery - pointless with 24 penalty minutes in the series - with grinding winger Aaron Voros.

And here’s a couple of extra playoff mail bag questions:

Q: With the London Knights now eliminated from the playoffs, would John Tavares be eligible to play in the upcoming world championships? I don't know whether or not it would be worthwhile to do so, but I am just curious.

Daniel Gray, London, Ont.

A: Yes, Tavares is eligible. In fact, you might remember that Jonathan Toews played for Team Canada at the 2007 world championships after his college season ended. It’s all about nationality, and, of course, availability. But you don’t have to be an NHLer to play in the worlds.

Q: Hi Damien,

Now that the Habs are out of the playoffs, I suspect there will be big changes with the roster during the off-season. I think the days of Koivu and Kovalev are over. I also think that the Habs will make a serious push for Lecavalier.

In a deal with Tampa do you think the Habs will have the upper hand since Tampa is bleeding money? Or will the Habs have to trade half of their roster for Vincent? What would Tampa be looking for? Are there any other teams that would be in the running for Vincent?

Sanjay Bali, Scarborough

A: Well, based on Bob Gainey’s outburst at Tampa GM Brian Lawton yesterday, the atmosphere may be permanently poisoned between the two clubs. Gainey insists Tampa was talking about trading Lecavalier and they discussed players, while Lawton seems to deny any and all of that. The Lecavalier contract is really nasty, particularly in an industry where the salary cap may fall. To me, it’s the Canadiens that would be more desperate to make this move now. The Bolts have serious money problems, but they have other options, like moving a player like Ryan Malone. I seriously doubt that if Lecavalier were to go to Montreal, the gains in terms of players and futures for the Lightning might not be as great as you might think. The biggest gain for Tampa in that kind of deal is deleting Lecavalier’s contract.

Q: Damien,

I just can't seem to find an answer to this question. When Antropov was dealt to the Rangers the Leafs recieved a 2nd round draft pick and a conditional draft pick. What are the conditions on this pick?

Steve Lipskie, Guelph, Ont.

A: If Rangers win two rounds this spring, the Leafs get their fourth rounder in 2010. It’s not a biggee, but if you’re a Leaf fan, I guess you cheer for the Rangers this spring.

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.**

Washington becomes a hockey town

Chop, Chop, Chop

Had a question the other day about whether Mikhail Grabovski might be able to use the threat of going to play in the Kontinental Hockey League as leverage in his negotiations with the Maple Leafs over a new contract this summer.

ANDREW WALLACE/TORONTO STAR

Alexei Yashin skates in the KHL in November, 2008.

To me, the threat of this league was always overblown, and the tragic death of Alexei Cherepanov last season during a KHL game, an incident which seemed to question the level of safety for players in the league, sure didn’t help.

Well, the latest news from the KHL suggests this is a league where few agents of quality NHLers will be sending their players in the near future.

But it might also provide a template for the NHL should economic matters deteriorate and begin to cause serious problems.

With the agreement of its players union, the KHL held a “re-draft” today, essentially a tool to allow teams to slash some player salaries.

Here’s how it worked.

Each of the current 24 teams – the league has ambitious plans to expand – protected 15 players. Of those exposed, players that were taken in the first round would have their entire contracts embraced untouched by their new team.

Three players changed teams.

After that, things got a little Stalin-esque.

Players taken in the second round, you see, had their paycheques cut by 20 per cent, and nine players were taken.

Two more players went in the third round when salaries were chopped by 40 per cent. In the fourth round, players selected saw their pay decreased by 50 per cent.

In all, 17 players were picked. The rest of the available players, 42 in total, were then shipped back to their original teams with a 50 per cent pay cut.

The Orwellian explanation for the process was that it was designed to “ensure the future stability of the League.”

Maybe. And certainly cutting costs is both a way to stay alive and a means of attracting other teams and investors. The Canadian Football League would be a decent comparison, and football in general is an industry in which players frequently get their salaries reduced for salary cap or other reasons.

Four years ago, meanwhile, NHL salaries were slashed 24 per cent across the board as part of the new collective bargaining agreement between owners and players.

Drastic times often require drastic measures. It could be that with the current NHL-NHLPA collective bargaining agreement expiring in 2011, around the time when financial hardship could be hitting the NHL, the measures taken by the KHL today could seem mild by comparison.

Here’s a few added questions from our playoff mail bag:

Q: Hi Damien,

I wanted to hear your thoughts on Mats Sundin. After watching Sundin during the stretch run and the early part of these playoffs, what is wrong with this guy?

I have heard the argument that it's conditioning, but let's be honest, after 35+ games, conditioning shouldn't be an issue. Some of said his skills have deteriorated, along with losing a step, but is it possible for someone to diminish that much in such a short period? I wonder if he's hiding some other injury, because if you watch him play, he's always the first guy off on a line change, which was never the case in Toronto. Secondly he doesn't seem to be taking many slap shots.

Lastly, in his last year in Toronto, he scored the majority of his points using down-low cycle game. Do you think his skills might of eroded earlier, but because of the type of game he play no one in Toronto noticed?

Punji Panicker, Toronto

A: Two things. Sundin was pretty darn good last year, but as Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne showed last season, taking half-a-year off just isn’t kind to NHL players. It takes them a while to catch up.

Secondly, Sundin was featured by the Leafs in every important situation, given every power-play chance with the best players. That hasn’t been the case in Vancouver.

Finally, his reluctance over whether he wanted to play this season always suggested he just wasn’t sure, and in the end he was either convinced to play or lured by the money. Well, this is too hard a league for anyone to compete in who isn’t fully committed to the work and sacrifice at hand.

Q: Hi Damien,

Did the Habs underperform this year or did they overperform last year? Their last 4 seasons have looked like: 93 pts (8th), 104 pts (1st), 90 pts (10th), 93 pts (7th).

It can be argued that they improved last year, but it didn't look like they were improving enough compared to other teams in the east to keep pace. I'll confess, I came into the season thinking they were destined for 6th-8th. Am I just a curmudgeon or could it be that the Habs simply overperformed last year (as opposed to having a break out year) and just aren't that good?

Carl Hill, Toronto

A: Great question, and I’m sure one that Bob Gainey is mulling over. I would still argue this team under-performed, if only because so many of its key players – Carey Price, Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Kostitsyn, Mike Komisarek, Roman Hamrlik, Saku Koivu – suffered through inexplicable off-years. These are good players who seemed to wilt as the situation got worse, but they’re still good players. What seemed to be the case is that the balance of the team was wrong, that the addition of players like Georges Laraque and Robert Lang didn’t address the team’s real needs, particularly the need for size and production at centre ice. Things are miserable in Montreal right now, but they at least still have lots of young players and a chance to fix it this summer.

Q: Good to see the Leafs go to the university pool for new talent but as a former NCAA and CIS player it is disappointing that the eggheads and scouts in Toronto and most of the NHL along with the Canadian press give the NCAA so much attention yet virtually ignore the Canadian university scene.

Here we have Matt Gilroy a 25 year old - Hobey Baker winner and great player no doubt - signing a $3.5 million, one way contract with the Rangers yet to my knowledge no contract, and certainly little fanfare for the Canadian University player of the year (Senator Joseph A. Sullivan trophy) Marc Rancourt from St. Mary's. He has a very impressive junior and college career as well as being an academic award winner.

Just surprises me that with the talent level so high in Canadian university hockey there are so few recruited by the NHL. It just seems a missed opportunity. And without the intense media coverage the investment risk in contracts is so much less than the NCAA route.

Hype is a huge reason but any thoughts on this?

Chris Cathcart, Toronto

A: Bit of a mystery to me, although it has always been the case. You’d have to believe there is some talent there, although NHL scouts suggest the level of play just isn’t comparable to the NCAA and that the CIS is populated by far too many players in their early to mid-20s. It’s almost a semi-pro league because of the ages of the players.

Darryl Boyce, a Leaf farmhand this season, is one player who went from major junior to CIS hockey and then to pro hockey, but he hasn’t been a success story yet like Mike Ridley and Steve Rucchin were once upon a time. I’ve always believed that if the CIS wanted to be taken more seriously as a breeding ground for pro talent, it had to address the age issue. The average age of a CIS player is about 23, much older than the NCAA, although that gap has closed in recent years. There are also more teams in the NCAA, and they play longer schedules.

All in all, my experience is that NHL teams will go anywhere in search of talent, and if they believed it was there in the CIS, they’d be chasing it.

Q: Watching the Flames play at the end of the season with 17 because of the salary cap, I wonder what is the penalty for exceeding the cap. I can't find an answer.

Nes Chyz, Windsor Ont.

A: There is no penalty. You just can’t do it. The league won’t register the contract if it takes a team over the cap.

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.**

Olympics, Burrows and More Playoff Mail Bag

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Alex Burrows gets a high-five for his play so far in the playoffs.

Part of what is making these Stanley Cup playoffs interesting is the backdrop of the 2010 Winter Olympics. You can bet Steve Yzerman and his Olympic crew are taking special notice of those who play well in the most difficult time of the year. Already a youngster like Jonathan Toews is serving notice that it will be awfully difficult to keep him off Team Canada as is the dynamic duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in Anaheim.

Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer is clearly demonstrating he’s got miles left on his chassis, and just when you thought Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau were going to all but eliminate themselves from consideration with another disappointing spring, the Sharks beat the Ducks to stay alive in their Western Conference series.

But how about Alex Burrows of the Canucks? Going into the season he wouldn’t have been on anyone’s list, and now it seems likely he will at the very least be one of the 40-plus players invited to Canada’s pre-Olympic camp in August.

Burrows’ second goal of the game Tuesday night ended St. Louis’ surprising season, but his skating, his dogged play, his ability to annoy the opposition and his growing offensive abilities should put him on Yzerman’s list with the selection of the Canadian team still eight months away.

Now for some extra questions in our daily playoff mail bag:

Q: Damien, After viewing the Calgary/Chicago game Tuesday, my wife turned to me and said, wow, that was a great game. She is university educated, somewhat of a pacifist who dislikes confrontation of any sort, except with me of course. Keep in mind she has witnessed bench clearing brawls first hand when I played, which was one reason she stopped coming to games when we were dating. This being said, in addition to the fact she was cheering for Calgary, she was into the emotion of the game actually vocally cheering goals, which is most certainly out of character. At the end of the game a cross check from Burrish on Bourque really had her puzzled. “How can he let him do that” she asked. “Why are his (Bourque’s) teammates not going after him”? After a brief scrum ensued, emotions became heightened with apparent “trash talking” directed at Iginla further fueling the already ignited fire. Guess what though, no outright fights. In fact the refs were running around with 13 seconds left obviously making threats of formal litigation followed up by expulsion from the league if anyone stood up for themselves and actually dropped the mitts.

Although it would seem that you are on the anti-fighting band wagon, I cite this game as well as the recent Lucic incident as a sign of things to come. People who sit in armchairs, and say that hockey has no need for fighting, do so at arms length from knowledge and understanding of the game. The truth is that emotions run high and lines are crossed. When this happens, what lessens the tension buildup is a fight. It seems now though players have turned to using sticks in place of fists. Voila, we have turned our game into the “New Improved European version". Understanding and having been in the thick of these, I can say, rational goes out the window, tunnel vision ensues with one purpose, to go after a player on the opposition. If not with a fist, then it will be a stick, a skate, a water bottle or anything else you can get your hands on. Barbaric, perhaps, but it is reality.

Damien, given all this, if you were playing, someone came up and gave you a stick to the face that exerted pain and you knew was most certainly on purpose, what do you feel is the proper way to deal with it? Take a stick and try to gouge out someone’s eye, stand up for yourself, send the message you won’t take it and drop your gloves, or hope the league saw it, gives the player at least a 3 game suspension. Remember, you have 3 seconds to make a decision!

S. H., Mississauga

A: A couple of points. You make it sound as though stickwork in the NHL, or stickwork in the playoffs, is some brand new thing. How long have you been watching this league? The most vicious stick-fight in the history of the NHL between Wayne Maki and Ted Green took place almost 40 years ago. Stick-swinging duels used to be common place. To suggest this is somehow a brand new reaction to other factors in the game is not only ludicrous, it shows a complete ignorance of the history of the game.

Second, you state that fights “lessen the tension buildup.” On what basis do you make this claim? If that was the case, Todd Bertuzzi would never have clubbed Steve Moore into pre-mature retirement, given that Moore had already fought earlier in that game. I can give you many examples of fights increasing ugliness in games.

All of this said, if you are suggesting the referees appear to be losing control of what is happening in these playoff games, I would agree with you to a large extent. There appear to be little or no repercussions to those who use these post-whistle scrums to get cheap shots in, and that’s a shame. League officials have the ability to use their clout to cut down on this nonsense, but it doesn’t seem to be happening. That’s what would stop it, not having more fights. Fights have never stopped violence in the game, in my opinion. They have only made it worse by creating precisely the environment that you complain about, which is an atmosphere of vigilante justice in which players act outside the rules in the pursuit of some warped sense of hockey morality.

Q: Hey Mr. Cox,

I hope all is well and I really enjoy your column. I'm hoping you can answer a question on something written about two weeks ago. I apologize, I'm not sure if it was you or one of the other writers. It stated that the Leafs could only have 50 contracts under the CBA. They were at 49. Yet, they proceeded to sign at least three more players. Can you clarify?

Thanks in advance for any assistance,

Long-suffering-newfie-on-the-rock-Leaf-Fan,

Dean Menchions

A: Dean, I was wondering this myself, and here’s how it works. Each team has a reserve list comprised of signed players, unsigned draft choices, so-called “defected” players and suspended players. On that list, each club can only have 50 NHL contracts for a given year. So the Leafs, for example, have more than 70 players on their reserve list, but they are limited to those 50 contracts.

After signing Christian Hanson, they were at 49, and more collegiate signings could have been a problem. If necessary, they had a suspended player named Derek Walser on their reserve list who left the club last fall to play in Russia, and if necessary, the Leafs feel confident they could have got relief from the league if, for example, they’d been able to sign Matt Gilroy and wanted to use Tyler Bozak this season.

They were able to sign several other players – Bozak, Robert Slaney, Alex Berry, Viktor Stahlberg – because all of those players signed for future NHL years. In other words, none of their contracts kick in until July, 2009. So they didn’t count against this year’s 50 allowed contracts. By July 1st, more than 20 Leaf contracts will expire, which will leave them all kinds of room to sign new players.

Hope that helps.

Q: Hello Damien. Given the miserable career playoff records of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, is there any way either one merits any consideration for Team Canada 2010?

Lorne Brady, Callander, Ont.

A: I think both merit consideration. But I don’t think Marleau will make the team, and Thornton is in tough if only because of the large number of very talented Canadian centres.

Q: More of an observation, than a comment.

Of the 16 teams involved in this years playoffs, Mike Keenan has coached seven of them; Philadelphia, Chicago, New York Rangers, St. Louis, Vancouver, Boston and Calgary.

Mohamad Azimi, Acton, Ont.

A: And I think I’ve interviewed him at every single stop. Now THAT makes me feel a wee bit old.

Q: Hi Damien, hope you’re enjoying the playoffs as much as I am.

With Mikhail Grabovski soon to be a restricted free agent, do you think there will be any interest in him? I also read that he could use the KHL as a bargaining chip. If "Grabo" bolts to Russia while an RFA, do the Leafs receive any compensation?

Also, CuJo has said he may not be quite ready to hang them up. Do you think CuJo's career rests with Jonas Gustavsson? I'm not sold on there being much outside interest in him.

Thanks. Keep up the great work.

Dave Arnold,Toronto

A: Thanks for the questions, Dave. Okay, I don’t think there’s going to be an offer sheet out there waiting for Grabovski. He just doesn’t, in my opinion, fit the profile of those who have been pursued in this way before, whether it was Dustin Penner, Ryan Kesler, Tomas Vanek or David Backes. That he might use Russia as a bargaining chip wouldn’t be a surprise. NHLers don’t have much other leverage. I’m guessing if he tries to do that seriously the Leafs will wish him well and ask him to contact them when he wants to play in the world’s top league again. And no, they would receive no compensation should he head to the KHL.

And on Cujo, he’s not coming back to the Leafs. Period. They don’t want him. It has nothing to do with Gustavsson.

Q Brian Burke's quest to select a guy like John Tavares or Victor Hedman doesn't make sense when there are such talented kids out there i.e Ryan Ellis and Taylor Hall, ranked where Burke would have no trouble getting one or even both these guys.

I’ve been watching the OHL play offs and these two young guys are the heart and soul of their team while it looks ( my opinion ) like Tavares' heart doesn't seem to be in this series.

Walter Bakema, Windsor, Ont.

A: Thanks, Walter. For starters, Hall isn’t draft eligible until 2010, and he’s the early favourite to go No. 1 in that draft. Ellis is indeed a talented defenceman, but he’s undersized and it would be a gamble for any NHL team to take him in the top 10, let alone at the Leafs No. 7 slot or higher. I’m hoping he proves everyone wrong, ‘cause I like little guys who make it, but the NHL is a nasty, unfriendly place for defencemen his size.

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.**

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.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

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.**

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)

JOSE SANCHEZ/AP

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.

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.