Game of the night - Oct. 13

Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0-0) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (1-2-0), Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.

The last time the Maple Leafs started a season with three straight wins? Try 1999 when they were paced by names like Sundin and Thomas.

And Hoglund??

Regardless, Toronto is one of the pleasant surprises early this season behind solid goaltending from Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2-0-0, 1.51 goals-against average, .935 save percentage), and two goals each from Phil Kessel, Clarke MacArthur and Tim Brent.

But Giguere has never won in the Steel City, going 0-3-1 with a 3.24 GAA and .893 save percentage. That could mean the season debut of “The Monster” – a/k/a Jonas Gustavsson.

The 6-foot-3 Swede had a decent rookie season, going 16-15-9 with a 2.87 GAA and .902 save percentage for a team that finished last in the Northeast Division. He’s yet to play in Pittsburgh, and lost his only start at home to the Penguins.

Last season, Kessel was one of 11 players tied for the team lead in goals scored againt the Pens with one. Besides Kessel, the only others remaining are Tyler Bozak, Carl Gunnarsson, Colton Orr and Luke Schenn.

Toronto, which starts a two-game road trip with this contest, was 12-21-8 away from home last season, but closed that slate with a 3-1-1 mark.

The last time the Penguins dropped three in a row in Pittsburgh? Dec. 20, 2008 to Jan. 3, 2009 – a five-game stretch that started with a loss to Toronto.

A third straight setback is probably not how they envisioned christening their new $321 million arena.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have long been considered the second coming of Lemieux and Jagr. Though they have combined for one goal and one assist so far in 2010-11, Sid and Geno could be in line for a breakout performance.

Crosby scored in all four games against Toronto last season, totaling six goals and an assist. Malkin has five goals and 13 assists in an eight-game points streak versus the Maple Leafs, and has points in 14 of 15 career games versus them.

Pittsburgh is off a 1-2-0 start after winning 3-1 at New Jersey on Monday. Crosby and Malkin getting off to slow starts is not the only reason for the Penguins’ woes.

The loss of Jordan Staal, out indefinitely with a foot injury, has been a big blow, and not choosing to bring back Bill Guerin appears to be a short-sighted decision. Staal and Guerin were tied for third on the team last season with 21 goals each.

So where is the scoring coming from? Try the blueline. Paul Martin – the club’s top free-agent pickup – leads the team with three assists and four points. Alex Goligoski has two goals so far after managing a career-high eight in 69 games last season.

Marc-Andre Fleury rode the bench against the Devils in favor of Brent Johnston, but should be back in goal despite some pretty mediocre numbers against the Leafs (4-4-1, 2.97 GAA, .899 save percentage).

The pick? I’d like to see Toronto move to 3-0-0, but Crosby and Malkin are due to break out sooner or later. I’m guessing Wednesday will be the night.

PITTSBURGH 4, TORONTO 2

Two minutes

THE GOOD…

David Backes and Andy McDonald, St. Louis Blues

If you showed up late Monday, you missed a 42-year-old franchise record being broken. The forwards beat Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller a mere six seconds apart in the Blues’ 5-1 win over the struggling Ducks.

The old record of 7 seconds apart was set by Don McKenney and Frank St. Marseille on Jan. 24, 1968, against the Minnesota North Stars during both clubs’ inaugural seasons.

“To be rewarded that early, it really helps you to stick to your game plan and I thought we did a good job throughout the game to do that,” St. Louis defenseman Barret Jackman told The Associated Press.

Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

A lesser rookie may have folded up after giving up two goals on the first two shifts in his first start of the season for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Crawford, if nothing else, proved pretty unflappable after that

With Marty Turco getting the night off, Crawford allowed Drew Stafford’s goal 14 seconds into the game before Derek Roy found the back of the net at 2:43.

After that, Crawford didn’t allow anything in until early in the third period, and survived a short-handed situation in the closing minutes to lift Chicago to a 4-3 win, its first of 2010-11.

“A little panic sets into your head, but you have to try and brush that away,” Crawford said. “I just kept battling and stuck with it.”

THE BAD…

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

At 38 and now in his 17th NHL season, perhaps the all-time wins leader (602) is starting to show his age.

With a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday, the four-time Vezina Trophy winner has allowed 11 goals in his first three games, going 0-2-1 – New Jersey’s worst start since 2001-02.

“It’s not the way we wanted to start,” said the Devils’ Patrik Elias. “We know what we’re doing wrong. We have to play 60 minutes, put it all together and get some consistency. We have to get back to doing what we do best.”

James Wisniewski, New York Islanders

In his first season on Lawn Guyland, Wisniewski has already written a new chapter in the hatred – um, rivalry - between the Islanders and the New York Rangers.

Wisniewski was caught on tape Monday making an obscene gesture toward Rangers agitator Sean Avery in the Isles’ 6-4 win.

An AP report called it a hand gesture, however Wisniewski mimicked a blowjob at Avery after the two were jawing during a stoppage in the opening period. Wisniewski said he didn’t remember doing so, but video of the incident was on YouTube before the game was over.

A suspension is almost assuredly coming. No pun intended.

While impressive, it’s nothing compared to Dan Cloutier calling out all of the Islanders after hammering away at Tommy Salo in 1998.

…AND THE QUOTABLE

"It's pretty obvious what the guy was doing, but I'm sure nothing will happen to him because nothing ever happens. It's interesting, he'd get a warning for something like that. Can you imagine if I did that? They sent me to rehab the last time I did something. It's crazy.” – New York Rangers forward Sean Avery after New York Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski mimicked a blowjob motion at him Monday.

An early look-in

Here are some observations from the opening weekend of the new season …

The Ottawa Senators are in trouble.

Fans in the Canadian capital can live with Friday night’s 2-1 loss to Buffalo in the season opener – first-night jitters, whatever you want to call it.

A rout at the hands of their most-hated rival on Saturday has to be considered inexcusable.

Forget for a moment that Toronto has had three straight last-place finishes and hasn’t been to the playoffs since Paul Martin - not this one! – was prime minister.

Ottawa didn’t get on the board until there were less than 13 minutes to play in Saturday’s 5-1 drubbing by the Maple Leafs. Perhaps the most glaring issue was the shot differential – 38-18 after being outshot 36-26 by the Sabres.

"A tough start is a tough start," general manager Bryan Murray told the Senators’ official website. "It's tough to catch up and you do have to win a lot of games. We have been a streaky team (in the past) and we certainly talked to a couple of players and the coach (Sunday) about that.”

And it’s not going to get any easier Monday when Ottawa faces Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Images of Pascal Leclaire doing a jig and crashing into the wall like this guy in the dressing room between periods are coming to mind.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are working their way toward relevancy again.

Stop me if you heard this before.

An Original Six team hasn’t won a championship in generations. Fans are disgusted by last-place finishes and no playoff games.

Changes at the top combined with some savvy personnel moves result in the team ultimately winning the Stanley Cup again, ending a decades-long drought.

It’s worked for the Chicago Blackhawks. It may be working for the Maple Leafs.

Much like the combination of Stan Bowman and John McDonough have done in the Windy City, Brian Burke appears to be doing the same in Toronto.

The Maple Leafs have scored eight goals in weekend wins over Montreal and Ottawa to move atop the Northeast Division – rarefied air considering they’ve finished at the bottom of the division each of the last three years.

What I like about the Leafs so far is they don’t have one true superstar. Three players are tied for the team lead with two goals each, and seven players have multiple points.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere is looking more like the goalie that helped Anaheim win the Cup in 2007. Since then, his win total had decreased from 35 to 19 to 10 last season with the Ducks and Leafs.

“If you get decent goaltending, then often you solve a lot of problems,” coach Ron Wilson told Yahoo! Sports.

Toronto hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967, the longest current title-less streak by any NHL team. Odds are, the Cup will not be paraded there this spring, but it may not be much longer after that.

The Anaheim Ducks may be the worst team in the league.

I thought the Minnesota Wild would be the worst team of 2010-11, but Anaheim is staking an early claim to that title.

It’s one thing to be blanked on opening night by a Detroit team that seems to have all the pieces back together to make a championship run. It’s another also give up four goals to a Nashville club that has a whole lotta ‘meh.’

“It’s tough having to play from behind all the time, but it is only Game Two right now,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf told The Associated Press after Saturday’s loss to the Predators. “We’re a learning team right now, and we have to take things out of tonight and go forward with it.”

Getting some bodies in front of Jonas Hiller might help. The Swiss netminder has faced a league-high 92 shots so far – 15 more than Dallas’ Kari Lehtonen heading into play Sunday.

The loss of future Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer to retirement has been a big blow, and Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are another year older and closer to hanging it up.

Just two games, but two games could be telling.

The party's over

The party is over in Chicago - for now, perhaps.

For the first time since 1961, the Blackhawks finally raised a Stanley Cup banner, ending a party that began with a Patrick Kane's overtime goal in Game 6 over Philadelphia in June, and continued for much of the summer.

There was the requisite raising of the banner to the rafters - names from the last championship team decades ago taking part in the ceremony.

Now, the introduction of the team that will defend the title? That was much different.

Thanks to the salary cap, no more Big Buff.

No more grit from Eager.

Or timely goals from Ladd and Versteeg.

Or more big stops from Niemi.

Maybe it was all the energy expended during the celebration as Chicago fell 4-3 to the rival Detroit Red Wings and dropped to 0-1-1.

Next up, in Kane's hometown of Buffalo on Monday, then Wednesday night back at the United Center against the Nashville Predators, who are expected to start 6-foot-6 rookie netminder Anders Lindback in place of the injured Pekka Rinne.

One other thing from Saturday night ...

The New York Rangers didn't want to rely solely on Marian Gaborik for scoring heading into 2010-11.

It's only one game, but Derek Stepan has stepped up.

The 20-year-old Wisconsin product became only the fourth player in NHL history to debut with a hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

"I was just kind of getting my feet wet in my first NHL game. And it was a fun process," Stepan told The Associated Press. "I guess for me, it's just one of those things where you kind of go, 'I guess I got lucky.'"

Gee. Ya think?

Stepan - who was in the lineup due to injuries to Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal - joins Alex Smart (Montreal, 1943), Real Cloutier (Quebec, 1979) and Fabian Brunnstrom (Dallas, 2008).

Stepan also became the second Ranger to score three times in a season opener, joining Ron Murphy (1955).

Thrashers' Pavelec collapses, later asks score

To say the Atlanta Thrashers are snakebit would be an understatement.

One playoff appearance in 10 years. General apathy towards that club in the Peachtree City - two seasons ago, the Thrashers were 29th with 14,626 per game. Last season, they rose to 28th, but packed in an average of 13,607 at Philips Arena.

Marian Hossa? Gone. Ilya Kovalchuk? Ditto. Kari Lehtonen? Well, the few fans in Blueland need to be thankful for something.

After a winless preseason, you can imagine the pall that was cast some 2 1/2 minutes into Friday's regular-season opener when during a stoppage, new starting netminder Ondrej Pavelec appeared to point toward one of the benches before keeling over backwards.

The names and thoughts came fast - Jiri Fischer, and in the worst case scenario, Alexei Cherepanov.

Now, there is some positive news. Pavelec, 23, is in stable condition in an area hospital. He even asked the score, a 4-2 Atlanta win over Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

“You’re thinking about his family and everything. It’s awful,” backup Chris Mason told The Associated Press. “Honestly, it was really tough. When I first went in there, I could barely concentrate. I couldn’t even think about playing a game.”

Needless to say, Pavelec will miss Saturday's game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

RIP Bob Probert - 1965-2010

It wasn’t that long ago when NHL teams had another position: Enforcer.

If you ever saw ‘Slap Shot,’ then you know the kind of players I mean. The Ogie Oglethropes and Tim ‘Dr. Hook’ McCrackens of the world. The ones who were itching to drop the gloves first, and shoot later.

That’s why when I heard while driving home from work today that Bob Probert collapsed on a boat in Canada and died one month after turning 45, I had to sigh a little.

Sure, he was a brawler first and foremost, but Probert was a lot more than that. He actually possessed skills.

He played from 1985-2002, first with Detroit and then Chicago – about as bitter two rivals can be. Probert’s best year came when he was an All-Star with the Red Wings in 1987-88, scoring 29 goals – 15 on the the power play and five game-winners – to go with 33 assists in 74 games.

Oh, yes, he also was a minor short of 400 minutes in the penalty box.

In fact, Probert reached double digits in goals six times over his career. But, he will be remembered more for being fifth all-time with 3,300 penalty minutes. That’s 55 games worth of punishment.

Maybe the years of cocaine use caught up with him. He was arrested at the US-Canada border in 1989 and ended up doing federal time. Five years later, he was involved in a motorcycle crash, and traces of cocaine were found in his system. That ended his career with the Red Wings, but started a new chapter with the Blackhawks.

In February, Probert was cheered on at the United Center as he dropped the ceremonial first puck on “Bob Probert Heritage Night.” Then, he didn’t look well – like someone who has lived a hard life.

Being an enforcer does that to you.

2010 NHL playoff predictions ...

Will be coming soon ...

Goodbye to the 'Dome

After 27 seasons, the Twins will leave the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome this fall.

Like when the New York Mets escaped antiquated Shea Stadium last year, I don’t think too many will be shedding tears.

I won’t.

On Monday night, I made my last trip to see the Twins in the ‘Dome, a 4-1 win over the hated White Sox in what turned out to be the last game for Jim Thome and Jose Contreras in a Chicago uniform.

But the game itself meant little to me.

The stadium at 5th and Chicago wasn’t a warm place – the age of retro ballparks was still about a decade off. With a turf that made baseballs bounce like Superballs and a right-field ‘fence’ better suited for wrapping sandwiches, it seemed more like something from a video game, bastardization for the purists.

My first trip to the ‘Dome was in the spring of 1986 when I helped move the contents of a dental office from Brooklyn, N.Y. to St. Paul - the start of a decade-long on-again, off-again love affair with the Cities.

Sitting in the upper deck of the outfield, I watched a stout fire hydrant of a center fielder somehow catch balls he had no business getting. I also remember the three drunk college kids from NoDak sitting behind us calling out repeatedly for ‘Fong’ – former Twins second baseman Rob Wilfong, then with the California Angels.

In 1987, following nine weeks of summer courses at Queens College to ***ahem*** make up for lost time (let’s go with that, OK?) I took a vacation by driving to take in a four-game set with Seattle.

Aug. 14 – Bert Blyleven scatters six hits over eight innings, Kent Hrbek and Tim Laudner homer in a 6-2 win.

Aug. 15 – Twins score eight in the first off Lee Guetterman and Mike Brown, take an 11-0 lead after two en route to a 14-4 rout.

Aug. 16 – Gary Gaetti has two hits and two RBIs for the third straight game to back Frank Viola’s five-hit effort over eight innings of a 5-1 win.

Aug. 17 – Gaetti adds two more hits, Minnesota scores three in the first off Mark Langston, and cruises to a 4-2 triumph.

I will say this for the ‘Dome: It’s loud, and after years of battering my ears with thrash, speed, cheese and just plain ol’ bad metal, loud is not necessarily bad.

But that’s about the only positive thing it had going on.

Now, that’s not to say it was the worst baseball stadium I have ever been in. As bad as Shea was, that wasn’t it either. That honor now, and for all times, will belong to ‘Stade Olympique’ en Montreal.

Monolith comes to mind. And that blue tarp covering the hole in the roof only added to the fishbowl effect.

The ‘Dome had its own peculiarities, though. When I first saw it from Interstate 94, the first image that went through my mind was fast food.

Wendy’s used to have a burger called the Big Classic, but instead of being served in a wrapper, it came in a Styrofoam-like box. Looked a helluva lot like the ballpark to me.

Outdoor aesthetics aside, there was the baggie in right field.

Outfield walls should be just that – a wall. Bricks. Mortar. Plywood, at least. This looked like Mr. Fantastic was put in place and told to do his thing.

And the havoc that baggie used to create. Was it a homer? No? WTF? Also, God help a rookie outfielder track down fly balls against that ceiling, worse if those hankies were being waved.

No feature was more reviled, though, than that turf.

Watching that series against the Mariners, I had a bird’s-eye view of bats swung like pinball flippers, and the ball – not sure if this is possible from a physics standpoint – actually appear to gain speed off that infield hop on the Astroturf, sometimes getting past outfielders to turn a single into a triple.

Prior to paying my last respects, I saw my last game in the ‘Dome in July 2006. Johan Santana against CC Sabathia, then the staff ace in Cleveland and now with the Mets and Yankees, respectively.

Sabathia pitched a 13-hitter – yep, went the distance – struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Santana, who also fanned seven and failed to issue a walk, but gave up five hits over seven in the 6-2 win.

Now, it’s all about the countdown and Target Field, starry nights and grass-stained uniforms.

Not to mention those early April home games at night when the temperature hovers around freezing.

See ya there in 2010.

Primanti's for everyone!

¶ DETROIT (AP) - Pittsburgh Penguins win Stanley Cup.

A look at Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals

Only because the NHL has scheduled back-to-back games in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 54 years!

Looking at the Stanley Cup finals

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic) vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10, 1st, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Red Wings, 1-0-1

LEADERS: Pittsburgh – Jordan Staal (2 GP, 3G, 1A); Sidney Crosby (2 GP, 1G, 2A); Evgeni Malkin (2 GP, 1G, 1A); Max Talbot (2 GP, 1G, 1A); Marc-Andre Fleury (2 GP, 1-1-0, 4.39 GAA). Detroit – Pavel Datsyuk (2 GP, 3G); Marian Hossa (2 GP, 1G, 2A); Jiri Hudler (2 GP, 1G, 2A); Nicklas Lidstrom (2 GP, 3A); Ty Conklin (1 GP, 1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1 SO); Chris Osgood (1 GP, 0-0-1, 6.56 GAA).

"It was a really tough decision for me to make. When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit." – Former Penguin Marian Hossa after joining the Red Wings on July 2, 2008.

Roughly a year ago, Marian Hossa’s debut as a Stanley Cup finalist ended in disappointment.

Just over three months after coming over from a franchise where moribund would be considered high praise, he could only watch as the Detroit Red Wings skated around Pittsburgh’s Mellon Arena after having won their fourth championship in 11 years.

Now, he gets the chance to extend the NHL’s current dynasty and win his first championship at the expense of the talented team he spurned – and disparaged – starting on Saturday night.

“It is ironic,” the Slovak said with a smile Wednesday following a 2-1 overtime win over Chicago to capture the Western Conference title. “And it is the situation. Back-to-back finals, same teams and I switch teams. But right now I’m with this team and I’m trying to help this
team win the Cup.”

When a deal was swung with Atlanta in late February 2008 to acquire Hossa, the Penguins thought they were getting the final piece to the puzzle that was going to bring the Stanley Cup back to the Steel City for the first time since the mulleted Lemieux-Jagr heydays of the early ‘90s.

Even though they had young stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury, the Pens still needed an experienced hand. At just 29, Hossa was a 10-year veteran on the verge of 300 career goals.

Come the postseason, Hossa shined despite his team losing. He scored a team-high 12 goals – three coming in the finals – was second with 26 points and tied for second with five game-winning goals.

Then the floodgates opened. Edmonton looked to make a splash behind new billionaire owner Darryl Katz, offering a reported $70 to $80 million. Pittsburgh was willing to part with $49 million for seven years.

But four weeks after seeing what could be, Hossa made his decision. One year. $7.45 million. Detroit.

Apparently, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. And to this day, Hossa unwaveringly stands by his choice.

“Being in the Finals is the motivation,” he said. “Another chance.”

That’s all Pittsburgh wants. Given the way they have gone through their competition, they’re making the most of it.

“To get this opportunity, you know what, I think a lot of guys in there whether they were part of the team last year or guys who are new, you know, we feel really fortunate to have this opportunity,” Crosby said after the Penguins closed out a sweep of Carolina in the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-1 win on Tuesday.

Detroit and Pittsburgh are Rust Belt towns, but while the Red Wings are banged-up, they're still a highly-polished unit. This year, the Penguins seem to be the hungrier club, more in touch with their blue-collar roots.

Cross-state rival Philadelphia gone in six. Down two games to Alex Ovechkin and Washington? Caps out in seven. Easily handling Carolina after it dispatched top seed Boston.

Having the top two scorers in the postseason helps.

Much like Lemieux and Jagr carried the Penguins nearly two decades ago, Crosby and Malkin are doing the same now. They each have 28 points - the captain with an NHL-best 14 goals, the Russian setting the pace with 16 assists.

Crosby appreciates the comparisons to the franchise's top two all-time greats, but there's one glaring difference: Lemieux and Jagr won championships.

“As far as me and Geno are concerned, it's when we do our best to contribute and help the team. As I said before, he and Jagr are guys who have proven it year after year, you know, being the one-two punch like that. They've won cups and, you know, we've yet to do that. … But it's a compliment, and we'll try to keep going the same way."

Last season, they combined for 49 points, with none coming in the first two games of the Cup finals. In fact, no one did - the Penguins were blanked in both contests.

Speaking in Detroit on Friday, Crosby was clear that wouldn't happen this time.

"We know our opponent,'' he said. "Last year that wasn't the case. There shouldn't be any anticipation, really. We know what to do. We've got to go out there and do it."

THE PICK: Detroit was the last team to win back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998, but in you believe in karma, Hossa will skate away disappointed … again. PENGUINS IN 7

Penguins headed back to Cup finals, Wings soon to follow

Wow – did I whiff on that one.

Perhaps it’s just that I didn’t want to see another Pittsburgh-Detroit Stanley Cup final, but unless somehow Cristobal Huet morphs into Tony Esposito and lifts Chicago to three straight wins, that’s exactly what fans will see again.

So, the storyline won’t be how the Blackhawks’ Andrew Ladd and Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu will seek revenge on their former clubs. Instead, expect it to be Marian Hossa’s return to Steel City in a Red Wings uniform, looking to make good on the reason why he joined them in the first place.

Looking at the Eastern Conference final

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic) vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7, 2nd, Southeast)

2008-09 SERIES: Pittsburgh, 2-1-1

LEADERS: Pittsburgh – Ruslan Fedotenko (3 GP, 3G, 1A); Sidney Crosby (4 GP, 1G, 6A); Evgeni Malkin (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Marc-Andre Fleury (3 GP, 1-1-1, 2.00 GAA). Carolina – Eric Staal (4 GP, 2 G); Ray Whitney (4 GP, 1G, 3A); Cam Ward (2 GP, 2-0-0, 1.49 GAA); Michael Leighton (2 GP, 0-2-0, 4.03 GAA).

If you like offense, then this is the matchup you want.

Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby leads all playoff goal scorers with 12, three more than Carolina’s Eric Staal. Evgeni Malkin is also among the leaders with 13 assists and 19 points.

That’s why the matchup in goal will be so crucial. Cam Ward – 2.22 GAA and two shutouts - is a Conn Smythe winner, and has been playing over his head so far for the Hurricanes. I give him the nod over Marc-Andre Fleury and his 2.72 GAA.

THE PICK: Carolina in 7. Watch for Hurricanes’ Jussi Jokinen if it comes down to crunch time. A shootout specialist, he has three game-winning goals in the playoffs.

Looking at the Western Conference final

(1) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10, 1ST, Central) vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks (46-24-12, 2nd, Central)

2008-09 SERIES: Detroit, 4-2-0

LEADERS: Detroit – Jiri Hudler (6 GP, 4G, 5A); Brian Rafalski (6 GP, 1G, 6A); Marian Hossa (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Henrik Zetterberg (6 GP, 2G, 4A); Johan Franzen (6 GP, 3G, 2A); Pavek Datsyuk (6 GP, 3G, 1A); Ty Conklin (5 GP, 4-1-0, 3.10 GAA); Chris Osgood (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.00 GAA). Chicago – Martin Havlat (6 GP, 2G, 6A); Brian Campbell (6 GP, 7A); Andrew Ladd and Jonathan Toews (6 GP, 3G, 2A); Patrick Kane (6 GP, 1G, 3A); Kris Versteeg (5 GP, 2G, 2A); Nikolai Khabibulin (4 GP, 1-1-1, 2.69 GAA, 1 SO); Cristobal Huet (3 GP, 1-1-1, 4.29 GAA).

The last time the Chicago Blackhawks raised the Stanley Cup, it came at the expense of the Detroit Red Wings.

To take one more step toward ending the NHL’s longest title drought, the young Blackhawks must find a way to beat the defending champions.

When the teams take the ice Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena to kick off the Western Conference finals, several storylines will be bandied about - Original Six rivals … two of the most storied franchises … re-embracing of hockey in the Windy City.

And, perhaps, the new guard ready to bypass the old one.

Say this much for the Blackhawks, for a franchise that hasn’t made it this far in postseason play since 1995, they’re not intimidated by facing a team that has won four Stanley Cups in 11 years.

“Certainly we liked the experience we gained in the first two rounds,” said coach Joel Quenneville, who will try to lead Chicago to its first Cup since 1961. “We didn't know how we were going to handle the playoffs for a first time for a lot of the guys. I thought we were on-the-job training every day, gaining experience, preparing in different situations in games, coming out of games, trying to find out how to close out a series. I thought both times we handled those assignments very well.

"But I just think as we go into games, the excitement and enthusiasm on our team has been real. … The guys are excited about this challenge and this opportunity. Should make for a great series.”

The Blackhawks hadn’t been to the postseason in seven years, but defeated Calgary, then did away with Vancouver – advancing to this round with a 7-5 in Game 6, spearheaded by Patrick Kane’s hat trick.

“Obviously Detroit has been there before plenty of times. But for us, I think it's exciting for the fans that have been here since then and since that point,” Kane said. “Just to be a part of it, just to be a part of kind of the resurgence of the franchise the past couple years, how fun it's been … It's been a helluva ride. It's been really enjoyable. I don't think you could have predicted it to be any better.”

Kane leads Chicago with eight postseason goals and is second with 12 points, one behind Martin Havlat. Captain Johnathan Toews and Calder Trophy-hopeful Kris Versteeg each have 10.

Balance, sure. But make no mistake that Red Wings coach Mike Babcock will have his team focus on Nos. 19 and 88.

“There's nothing similar about them at all,” Babcock said. “Toews to me, he's a will guy. He's the guy you need to have for your franchise because he's a guy that's going to play two ways. He's the guy that's going to will your team to success, he's the guy that's going to set the tone in practice.

“Kane is the guy who can channel in a phone booth … how can a guy that size go into traffic like he does, never get touched, be so strong on the puck, score as many goals as he does, yet always be open on the back door, shoot the puck, have the instincts he has, play in big games? To me he's an exciting, fantastic player. But they're very much different."

Detroit’s offense still remains one of the most dangerous in the game with the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen. One player who’s struggled, though, has been Pavel Datsyuk – currently tied for ninth with five points.

He led the Wings in scoring each of the last four seasons, and was second with 23 during last year’s championship run. So, is there something physically wrong or … ?

“Pavel is a proud guy,” Babcock said. “He wants to be leading the team in scoring. He usually does. When he's not, he probably puts some pressure on himself. He's just got to make sure he's not thinking too much and just play the game.”

The matchup goal is an intriguing one. Detroit's Chris Osgood is one of those players you don't think much of in the regular season because he saves all for the postseason - he's second among active goaltenders with 67 playoff wins, and the most of the four that will starts in the conference finals.

Osgood expects to face an amped-up Chicago club this time, but doesn't expect many changes, if any.

"We expect the intensity level, the speed level and their type of play to be bumped up that much higher," said Osgood, a three-time Cup winner. "The games are totally different than the regular season. But individually we know what their tendencies are, but we're gonna have to be able to match that for the whole series."

Nikolai Khabibulin is fourth with 39 wins, and a Stanley Cup ring to his credit. That veteran leadership could be a boost to Kane and the remainder of the Blackhawks.

“You know, I think it's gonna be a great series, though. I think the fans obviously wanted a Wings/Hawks series. In Game 6, three or four minutes left, they were yelling, Detroit sucks, things like that. It's going to be great for the fans,” Kane said.

All things considered, this has the potential to be one of the best conference finals matchups in decades. Easily.

THE PICK: Chicago in 6. Though they hadn’t been to the postseason in seven years, the Blackhawks have been unfazed so far. Khabibulin has outplayed two of the league’s best netminders in Miikka Kiprusoff and Roberto Luongo, and I’ll take him over Osgood.

Dodgers' Ramirez added to drug-cheat list

At this point, should we even be surprised anymore?

With the 50-game suspension handed down Thursday by Major League Baseball to Manny Ramirez for a positive drug test, add another name to an already impressive list of cheats.

Canseco. McGwire. Palmeiro. Sosa. A-Rod. Clemens. Bonds … yes, the jury is out on him – for now. Caminiti. And those who were long suspected, the Bagwells and Andersons, among others.

A slew of minor leaguers have been banned for 50 for violating the drug policy, but until Ramirez was suspended, Philadelphia’s J.C. Romero – a journeyman reliever who could only get into the Hall of Fame with a paid admission and has maintained his innocence, going so far as to file a lawsuit against the makers and distributors of nutritional supplements he claims are responsible for his positive test in August – was the biggest name.

Until now.

Ramirez – a 12-time All-Star with 533 career homers - tested positive for HCG, a women’s fertility drug that can also be taken to help restart testosterone production after coming off a steroid cycle.

He issued a statement, talking out of both sides of his mouth as only ManRam can do.

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now.”

Of course, he couldn’t stop.

“I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.”

Except for this one. He also waived his right to challenge the findings, a clear admission of "OK, you got me."

What’s curious to me is the belief that the doctor thought it was all right to give Ramirez this drug. You’re making $25 million a year – well, take away about $8 million of that now – and you and your people aren’t doing due diligence on this?

And how long will it be before Bud Selig issues his own statement? You know the one ... disappointed ... not baseball's fault ... how baseball has the best and strongest drug-testing policy ... and so on, and so on.

Union be damned, it’s time to test them all, and if continual monitoring is needed, then so be it. Test positive once, you're not eligible for the Hall of Fame. Simple as that.

You want to clean up the clubhouses? Make a real effort then.

Looking at the conference semifinals, 1st Ld-Writethru

(2) Washington Capitals (50-24-8, 1st, Southeast) vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9, 2nd, Atlantic)

2008-09 SERIES: Washington, 3-0-1

LEADERS: Washington – Alexander Semin (4 GP, 4G, 3A); Nicklas Backstrom (4 GP, 6A); Brooks Laich (4 GP, 2G, 4A); Alex Ovechkin (4 GP, 4G, 2A); Jose Theodore (4 GP, 3-0-1, 2.70 GAA). Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby (4 GP, 1G, 6A); Evgeni Malkin (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Bill Guerin (1 GP, 1G, 2A); Sergei Gonchar (2 GP, 2G); Marc-Andre Fleury (4 GP, 1-3-0, 4.72 GAA)

Plots, plots and subplots.

Will Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin continue their feud? Will Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin continue their on-again, off-again Cold War? Will Simeon Varlamov be the second coming of Ken Dryden?

The Crosby-Ovechkin ‘feud’ – whether it’s hype or otherwise – makes for good copy.

"What I can say about him? He is a good player, but he talks too much." -- Ovechkin on Crosby

"Like it or lump it, that's what he does. Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't like it." -- Crosby on Ovechkin's goal celebrations

Each will be trying to outdo the other, and that will be entertaining to watch. Ovechkin had three goals and four assists in Washington’s opening-round win against the New York Rangers. Crosby had four and four as Pittsburgh eliminated Philadelphia in six.

As for Malkin – selected second overall after Ovechkin in the 2004 draft – his issues with Ovechkin emerged during the season.

"Ovechkin is a great player, but every time he hits me - I don't know why," Malkin said after the first meeting. AO responded by saying it’s all part of the game.

Malkin, a finalist for the Hart Trophy with reigning winner Ovechkin, led the Penguins with five assists and nine points in the series win over the Flyers.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said none of these rivalries matter.

“The media attention for Ovechkin and Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is not going to be a new thing. They have dealt with it over and over and over again, and they know how to deal with it,” he said. “You know, maybe it's the rest of the room that can say enough of the talk away from the rink, let's play hockey.”

While former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Jose Theodore started all four regular-season games against the Penguins, there is no doubt coach Bruce Boudreau will ride the hot hand and send out Varlamov, who has a 1.17 goals-against average in the postseason.

It’s often thought that a hot goaltender can carry a team all the way to the Stanley Cup. Varlamov is proving to be that so far. The 20-year-old Russian was the key to the Caps rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the New York Rangers in seven games.

“We'd only seen him play in six games, but we had a lot of faith in him,” Boudreau said. “The reason we did it is we didn't want - it was quite simply we thought we can always come back to Theodore. He's played very good if he's had a bad outing or not. If we waited till Game 3, if Theodore had had a bad outing in Game 2, it would have been too much pressure for him to start in New York down 2-0.

“We thought, we'll see him in Game 2, then we can make a decision after that. So even though we lost Game 2 1-0, (Varlamov) played really well. We had a lot of faith in him at that point.”

THE PICK: Washington in 7. The Capitals have the offensive firepower to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Crosby and Malkin. They advance with a triple-overtime win.


(2) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10, 1st, Central) vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks (42-33-7, 2nd, Pacific)

2008-09 SERIES: Detroit, 3-0-1

LEADERS: Detroit – Pavel Dastyuk (4 GP, 3G, 4A); Henrik Zetterberg, (4 GP, 3G, 3A); Daniel Cleary (4 GP, 2G, 3A); Niklas Kronwall and Nicklas Lidstrom (4 GP, 4A); Chris Osgood (3 GP, 2-0-1, 2.97 GAA); Ty Conklin (1 GP, 1-0-0, 2.00 GAA). Anaheim – Ryan Getzlaf (4 GP, 2G, 7A); Teemu Selanne (3 GP, 3G, 3A); Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger (4 GP, 3A); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (4 GP, 1-2-0, 3.82 GAA); Jonas Hiller (1 GP, 0-1-0, 3.16 GAA)

The Red Wings probably knew they had all the pieces needed to make another run at the Stanley Cup. The Anaheim Ducks now know the same thing.

Despite being the eighth seed, Anaheim stunned Presidents’ Trophy-winning San Jose in six games. Ryan Getzlaf led the Ducks with six assists and eight points, and Calder Trophy finalist Bobby Ryan scored a team-high four goals.

The key, though, was another young netminder in Jonas Hiller. The 20-year-old Swiss native posted two shutouts, a 1.64 goals-against average, and has apparently made fans forget Cup-winning goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

“I think we are enjoying that we are still playing at all,” Hiller said. “And Detroit is a hockey city, so it should be a lot of fun.”

For Getzlaf, facing the Wings on this level is simply another challenge.

“We knew we were going to have to go through probably both San Jose and them to get to where we want to be,” he said.


What the Ducks will be facing is perhaps the most balanced team in the playoffs. Henrik Zetterberg had a club-best three goals with five others recording two.

After struggling for a good part of the regular season, Chris Osgood was sharp again when it mattered. He allowed just seven goals in a four-game sweep of playoff newbie Columbus, and is 18-4 with four shutouts in his last 22 postseason starts.

"Should be fun," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

THE PICK: Detroit in 7. The Red Wings will figure out a way to solve Hiller, but it won’t be easy.