Sundin may not retire as a Maple Leaf?

For years Mats Sundin has always insisted that he wanted to remain a Toronto Maple Leaf. Winning a championship in Toronto mattered most.

On Wednesday, after accepting the Mark Messier Leadership Award at the Stanley Cup Final, while still maintaining his first option was to remain with the Leafs, for the first time he opened the door just a crack at possibly wearing another uniform.

The question came from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail.

"Mats, given what you said earlier about what happened at the trade deadline, wanting to remain with the Leafs, the journey and all that. Doesn't your decision really come down to playing with the Leafs next season or retiring?" asked Shoalts.

Sundin delayed for a second, before replying:

"I don't know. I do think that I have a lot of different options I can explore. And I think I still (maintain) that I want to end my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Saying that, though, the way the situation is right now, I don't have everything in my control, either. There's got to be a mutual agreement there.

"At this point, I don't have anything I can say about what's going to happen next year personally. I don't know."

This is change in a matter of a few months. You wonder if it is related to the uncertainty in the Maple Leaf front office or that he has no interest in a rebuilding team.

Just what you always wanted...a weather forecasting stone

A message to Spokane

I'm sure you are a lovely community. I bet that 1974 Worlds Fair was a blast. And the Pacific Northwest must be beautiful. But just because we let you play hockey in Canada, you shouldn't be abusing the hospitality. Sure we let you and a few others like Erie into our junior leagues. But this isn't the NHL which is over run with American franchises. It's called the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League. So beating Kitchener in front of their home fans was just plain rude. Then you go bust the Memorial Cup. That piece of hardware is 89 years old. You can't just superglue it together. We'll be sending you the bill.

Are you surprised how much Detroit is dominating?

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Red Wings are dominating the the Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals. If it hadn't been the Red Wings but the Sharks, Ducks or Stars, it wouldn't have been very different.

I have to admit I did not pick the Red Wings to represent the West in the finals. Not that Detroit wasn't good enough, but I just thought they might not be able to keep pace with the talent in the West. Let's face it, the West is right now far better than the East. So even the East's best, the Pittsburgh Penguins cannot compete with the best of the West.

Detroit is every bit as tough physically as the Ducks, Stars, Flames and Canucks although they were the least penalized team during the regular season. A good skating team does not take many penalties. But the Red Wings are more than just a group of slick skating Europeans. Thomas Holstrom lives at the edge of the goal crease and takes a real pounding for it. He takes his licks without whining. Niklas Kronwell has become a devestating body checker. In fact, Detroit has no weaknesses. Some may not consider Chris Osgood and top goalie. But he already has backstopped the Wings to a Stanley Cup.

I would take these back

So what does Gary Bettman consider tampering?

Without naming any names, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman fired a shot at the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim GM Brian Burke during his annual state of the league address before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, warning of grave consequences if there is any tampering.

"People who sign contracts can be held to them by the other party to the contract, and there's nothing wrong with that," Bettman said. "If there's tampering going on, ultimately there are no secrets in this world. We will get to the bottom of it. And I'm no fan of tampering. And when it happens, it gets punished severely.

"A team that meddles with an individual under contract could face heavy fines and the loss of draft picks. And an individual who talks to a team while he's still under contract would face fines and a possible suspension."

The Leafs now appear immobilized by their failure to land Burke (How many times have you seen "Leafs" and "immobilized" in the same sentence in the past decade?), and seem set to head into a crucial offseason with interim GM Cliff Fletcher remaining at the helm.

Spokane Chiefs Win Memorial Cup...

and then break it in two. Fortunately, it was just a replica.

These Twin Pandas are Cute

Yesterday was supposed to be Frank Tomas Bobblehead Day

Yesterday was supposed to be Frank Thomas Bobblehead day at the Rogers Centre. Instead, the Toronto Blue Jays handed out blue tote bags, courtesy of the Ontario Power Authority.

Speaking of power, Thomas is beginning to show some for Oakland.When he left Toronto, he was batting .167 with three homers and 11 RBIs. He had played 16 games, and had RBIs in five of them.

Since rejoining the A's, Thomas is batting .306 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 26 games. His on-base percentage is .412. He is hitting .339 in May.

Thomas's various replacements at designated hitter have combined to hit .252 with three homers and 12 RBIs over 31 games in which the Jays have used a DH.

Marlies Eliminated from Calder Cup Playoffs

The Marlies were eliminated in the 3rd round of the Calder Cup Playoffs in 5 games. They lost to the Chicago Wolves as a result of some very undisciplined hockey where they just couldn't stay our of the penalty box. For example last night, Chicago erased the Marlies' 2-0 first-period lead with a pair of power-play goals in the middle period while playing 5 on 3 and then 5 on 4.

So will the long playoff run benefit the Maple Leafs next season? It doesn't look like it. The future #1 goalie, Justin Pogge only played the last two games of the playoffs. Jiri Tlusty who played most of the season with the Leafs totally disappeared in the playoffs. He scored on 2 goals in 19 games and I believe they may have been in the first game of the playoffs. What hurts the most is that Andy Wozniewski scored 4 playoff goals and we know what kind of a player he is. Their top scorer in the playoffs was David Ling (14 points) but at age 33 he's not a prospect. John Mitchell was their top goal scorer (8 goals) but since he was never brought up, he likely isn't a prospect either. I noticed that their powerplay featured Kris Newbury, David Ling, Bates Battaglia and Andy Wozniewski. Yup. Pretty depressing.

Minor Leaguer Traded for 10 Bats

The Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League couldn't get newly signed pitcher John Odom into Canada for immigration reasons. And the Loredo Broncos of the United League were willing to take a cheap gamble on a pitcher.

Oh, and the Vipers really, really wanted some new bats.

And so Odom, about a month after being acquired by a Canadian team, found himself Tuesday on the roster of a team on the Mexican border. All for the price of 10 Prairie Sticks Maple Bats, double-dipped black 34-inch C243 style.

"They just wanted some bats, good bats -- maple bats," Broncos General Manager Jose Melendez said Friday.

According to the Prairie Sticks Web site, their maple bats retail for $69 a piece, discounted to $65.50 for purchases of six to 11 bats.

John, I think this might be a good time to consider retirement and a career change.

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I doubt polar bears can read

Kitchener Ranger Justin Azevedo

I was at the Memorial Cup Semi-Final game last night expecting to see some tight and exciting hockey. Afterall, the Kitchener Rangers and Belleville Bulls had just completed a very close 7-game OHL championship series and a Memorial Cup round robin game that went into overtime.

The game turned out to be a blow out. Rangers scored 46 seconds into the game and never looked back. The final score was 9-0 which was the biggest differential in Memorial Cup history. The best player on the ice was Justin Azevedo who finished with 3 goals and 2 assists. He also happened to have been the OHL scoring champ and the league MVP beating out John Taveres. He also happens to be 19 years old and undrafted. Azevedo happens to be only 5'8". If I recall Martin St. Louis was also undrafted coming out of Junior hockey and I think he didn't turn out too bad.

So could the Leafs use a player like that? Certainly worth a shot. Speaking of the Leafs, I spotted Brian Burke at the game.

UPDATE: Justin Azevedo has now been named CHL player of the year.

Beauty is Nothing Without Brains

Don't Throw Stones

I thought fast food burgers were bad...

Baskin Robbin's Large Heath Bar Shake has an icredible 2,310 calories and 108 grams of fat.

Going green can go too far

For those who love their bacon...

...someone has discovered chocolate covered bacon. No joke you can find it at Marini's in Santa Cruz.

Don't you think the government has taken casino gambling a little too far?

What an Incredible Game!

From the opening faceoff, today's gold medal game looked and felt like a classic. Today, the Russian stars played better than the Canadian stars and that was difference between silver and gold. You can only imagine how good this game would have been if the two teams had all their best players in their lineups - Sidney Crosby, Roberto Luongo, Mike Richards, Brendan Morrow, Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeny Malkin, Sergei Zubov.

Although Canada had a two goal lead with a little over a half period remaining, you could feel that they might not be able to hold it. And they didn't. Ilya Kovalchuk tied the game less than six minute left in the game to send the team into overtime. He scored again early in overtime with Rick Nash in the penalty box. The depth of these two teams really showed because these were Kovalchuk's first two goals of the tournament but they got to the gold medal game without his offense.

You had to be really impressed with two young defensemen for Canada - Mike Green and Brent Burns. I didn't even know what NHL team Burns played for. I can't wait for the rematch at the 2010 Olympics.

You want bad taste, I found it...

...Jesus sports figurines (just $24.95 each).


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Canada and Russia go for Fold, Stralman stars for Sweden

Tomorrow's game will be a classic match up between Canada and Russia. Both countries are undefeated although the Russians needed overtime twice to win games. Canada's top line has been dominant in particular Dany Heatley. Heatley is a gifted player but he makes be nervous because he occasionally disappears in big games (which makes him a good fit for the Senators). In 2006 he and Rick Nash did a disappearing act against the Russians. Let's hope they show up tomorrow.

Two Maple Leafs players played in the tournament. Tomas Kaberle was captain of the Czech team and was second in tournament scoring for defensemen. He was also player of the game for Sweden against Switzerland. Anton Stralman who should have been playing for the Marlies finished 5 in scoring among defensemen. He scored 2 goals against Canada and was selected as player of the game.

Sidney Crosby's Playoff Beard is Pretty Sad Looking

He Scores! ...umm on his own net

Poor defenseman was just trying to rim it around the boards. Hey Gerber should have it anyway.

Few Leaks Coming From Maple Leaf Sports

If you were to exclusively use media reports (TSN, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun) and bloggers to determine the progress of the Maple Leaf Executive Search, this is what appears to have happened to date.

Richard Peddie and Gord Kirke began a search for a President/GM in early February. They put Brian Burke on the top of their list but could not contact him until his team was eliminated from the playoffs. The Leafs were ultimately rejected by Burke and approached San Jose regarding Doug Wilson and were again rejected. They may have approached Detroit about Ken Holland depending on which paper you read even though the Wings are still playing hockey but were not given permission to speak to him either.

At that point the Leafs ran out of possibilities and decided to take another run at Brian Burke through his buddy Dave Nonis who had just been fired by the Canucks. The Leafs weren’t really interested in Nonis but felt they could lure Burke next year by having Nonis cover the job for him until Burke completed his contract with Anaheim. Other reporters came up with an alternate theory where the presence of Nonis in the Leaf executive suite would be so compelling that Burke would get out of his contact this summer and immediately join the Leafs. Meanwhile the NHL would look the other way and ignore any possible tampering.

So much speculation, but very little reality. What is impressive is that there have been very few leaks coming out of MLSE. Normally the Leafs spring more leaks than the S.S. Minnow. So without any information from MLSE leakers, friends of candidates, the guy who washes Larry Tennenbaum’s car, etc, reporters are coming up with some wild scenarios. The only interview that has come out in the open has been Dave Nonis so some are giving us the impression that in over 3 months only one person has been seen.

The reality is that a long list have candidates was put together and Peddie/Kirke have met with quite a number of people. Once the search team has met with all those who might be interested in the Leaf job, I would expect they will put together a short list of serious candidates. A serious candidate would be someone who has the background and experience sought by the Leafs and has shown a genuine interest in the job. A second round of interviews would be conducted where discussions would focus on each candidate would rebuild the organization from the bottom up. This seems to fit into the time frame mentioned by Cliff Fletcher last week when Paul Maurice was let go. That would have the new GM in place around the time of the NHL Entry Draft and the start of the free agent signing period.

In the interim, foolish reporters will have you think that Gord Kirke, one of the most powerful figures in hockey, has no clue what he is doing. So Leaf Nation, sit back and be patient. Good news is on the way.

File This Under: The Rich Just Got Richer

So all that commotion regarding Fabian Brunnstrom last week until he finally signed with Dallas. Well he was just an ordinary player in the Swedish Elite League with only 9 goals in 54 games. Word out is that a much better prospect plays in the Finnish Elite League. In fact Ville Leino played this season for Jokerit, scoring 28 goals and producing 77 points in 55 games, finishing second in the league in scoring and winning the Lasse Oksanen trophy as the league’s MVP.

Would look good in a Leaf uniform. Well forget about it because he signed with the Detroit Red Wings yesterday as a unrestricted free agents.

Maybe one of the worst calls ever on a goal

This alleged goal was in the USA vs. Finland game. I picked the Finnish play by play guys so you could get the other side's perspective on the questionable goal.

To Build a Winner the Leafs Need to Build A Scouting Staff

Everyone puts so much emphasis on acquiring high position in the draft. In fact, a proportion of Leaf fans wanted to see the team tank the last part of the season in order to get a shot at the first pick overall. But the best team in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings, haven't had a high first round pick in two decades and the majority of their roster was Red Wing draft picks. Out of their top players, only Niklas Kronwall was a first rounder and he was picked 29th. Here is how their other top players were drafted:

Nicklas Lidstrom (3rd round/53rd pick)
Johan Franzen (3/97)
Pavel Datsyuk (6/171)
Henrik Zetterberg (7/210)
Tomas Holmstrom (10/257)

There is no question that the European scouts employed by the Wings are doing an outstanding job. So the lesson for others is obvious. Invest in a strong scouting system and you may never will need to rebuild.

Mothers Day is 100 Years* Old Today

My mom is just 83. Happy Mothers Day Mom!

*On Sunday, May 10, 1908, a simple church services in Grafton, W.Va., inspired by Anna Jarvis who wanted to honour her recently departed mother began a tradition to honour the nation's mothers. A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that year failed to establish an official Mother's Day, but it set the stage for a successful measure in 1914.

Nice Parking Job

Conspiracy Theories Dominate Leaf Nation

So this is how it will work. The Leafs have only one candidate they are pursuing to run their team and that is Brian Burke. The Leafs sought permission to talk to Dave Nonis as part of a plan that includes getting Burke to Toronto in the summer of 2009, when his contract with Anaheim expires.

Nonis worked for Burke in Vancouver. The theory was that Nonis could be hired as GM now, replacing interim man Cliff Fletcher. A year from now, with Burke having fulfilled his contractual obligation in Anaheim, he could be hired by the Leafs as team president and be re-united with Nonis.

To disguise their true intentions, the Leafs also asked permission to talk to San Jose GM Doug Wilson knowing very well that they would be turned down.

You see the people in MLSE are so clever that they would have no problem covering up any evidence of tampering. Oops, but the smart Toronto media let it out of the bag.

People get a grip! The Toronto sports media has no interest in following the punchless Blue Jays so they are going back to the old reliable Maple Leafs for some headlines. Except nothing much is going on at MLSE except for axing Paul Maurice (which everyone knew was coming). No buyouts yet, no trades, no signings, no GM. So lets make up some stuff.

Is Fabian Brunnstrom Just a Lot of Hype?

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that the Leafs had to try and sign Fabian Brunnstrom. The reason I said that was mostly because the Leafs don't have many quality young players so if they pick one up without giving something up then why not. I did not think he would be the next Peter Forsberg or Mat Sundin.

Since that time the Youtube video I posted has made Brunnstrom an Internet superstar. The media has made this guy out to be a phenom although there is nothing to suggest he is even ready for the NHL. He is a 23 year old rookie in the Swedish Elite League with very ordinary numbers (in 54 games he had 9 goals and 28 assists). The video shows that he is a good skater but so was Alexandre Daigle - remember him. Although about 20 Swedish NHL players passed on playing for the Swedish team at the World Championships, Brunnstrom was never asked to join the team.

He sounds like a guy who would need to play a season or two in the AHL. Unless he lands on a team that is rebuilding and willing to let him develop in the NHL. Sounds like a good fit for the Leafs. Definitely not the Red Wings.

Playoff Nostalgia

20th Anniversary of Jim Schonfield telling Don Koharski to have another donut

You Can't Win With Sundin in Your Lineup?

There was an interesting quote from Mat Sundin in the Toronto Star this week. Rosie Dimanno reports when the subject got around to the deals that Leafs could have made for their captain, his response was:

"I could have gone to Vancouver and where would I be now? Out of the playoffs. Or Ottawa, and where would I be now? Or Anaheim, and where would I be now?"

That might have been the case. But those teams were willing to gamble that he would have had an impact on their playoff run and were also willing to pay big to find out. It's an odd comment by Sundin because so often he has had to carry the Leafs so why not the Ducks or Senators? It's almost as if he doesn't see himself as an impact player though I find that hard to believe. He has been one of the highest paid players in the league for about 10 years. I guess he was just playing devil's advocate.

When Will Jim Balsillie Get an NHL Franchise?

It appears from news reports that Billionaire Jim Balsillie contacted Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano earlier this season about the possibility of purchasing the franchise, a sign he's still seeking an NHL franchise after at least two unsuccessful attempts. Supposedly Golisano indicated he would be open to selling the club, but not if Balsillie was planning to relocate it.

Balsillie had a tentative agreement to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006. But he withdrew his offer after learning the NHL would restrict his ability to move the club.

His next attempt was to buy the Nashville Predators. That was scuttled last summer after Balsillie indicated he would move the club to Hamilton and began taking deposits from prospective season ticket holders. There are also rumours that he tried to purchase the Ottawa Senators at some point in time.

Clearly, the NHL Commissioner and some of the team owners are not enamoured by Balsillie. But can they keep him from scoring a team forever? Not likely. As the US continues to sink into a recession, NHL teams losing money will go further into the red. Some of these owners will also be suffering financial losses elsewhere in their holdings and find that owning a hockey team may be a luxury than can no longer afford. At some point if it becomes a buyers market because more teams are for sale than there are buyers, the NHL may no longer be able to afford to snub Jim Balsillie. Just look at what's going on in Phoenix and Atlanta - two teams that have never made any money.

I don't think I've seen Don Cherry with a worse outfit

Maybe it's the yellow tie but Saturday's selection seemed more over the top than usual.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

Sharks Lost But Not Because of Nabokov

Last Night's Stars

1. Marian Hossa, Penguins:

Slowly Hossa has emerged as a key player for the Penguins and after yesterday has ditched his reputation of disappearing in the playoffs. He had two key goals including the overtime winner that sent the Penguins into the third round of the playoffs.

2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins:

The Kid only had 3 shots on net as compared to 10 for Malkin. But he made some key plays and did all the work on Hossa's two goals. Even slowed by injuries Crosby is a dangerous player.

3. Evgeny Nabokov and Marty Turko:

The two goalies were incredibly last night and it's a shame one of them had to lose. Combined they gave up 3 goals in over 6 periods of hockey. The save by Nabokov in the first overtime was just spectacular and had to go to video replay to actually confirm he had gloved the shot before it went into the net.

Dany Heatley Resurfaces

Dany Heatley scored 3 goals and picked up an assist in Canada's 5-1 win over Slovenia (ranked 16th in the World in 2007) in the preliminary round of the World Championships. Heatley had 8 of the 65 shots fired at Slovenian goalie Robert Kristan who very well may have been the star of the game. Seems Heatley feels more comfortable playing against the Slovenians than the Penguins. Only problem is - no one will pay you $10 million to play against semi-pros.

The Latvians are up next. They lost 4-0 to the Americans and have no NHLers in the lineup. Latvia was ranked 13th in the World last year. I just don't get the point of including 16 teams when the bottom half are just not competitve. I guess it provides players like Spezza and Heatley an opportunity to shine.

Zetterberg scores the nicest goal of the playoffs

Nothing to suggest that Darcy Tucker will be bought out

The Toronto Star has a story that appears to be pretty definitive regarding the status of Darcy Tucker. The Star states:

A question mark continues to float over winger Darcy Tucker's future in Toronto, with indications persisting that he will be the first Leaf to be bought out of his contract once the period for buyouts opens June 15.

And where did this information come from? Well Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher wouldn't confirm or deny a Tucker buyout. So since Fletcher won't deny the story, the Star concludes it must be true.

Just one flaw in this line of thinking. When Cliff Fletcher came onboard he informed the media that he would not be confirming or denying rumours regarding trades and other player personnel changes. So his refusal to comment on Darcy Tucker's situation is consistent with what he has been doing since January. To read anything into his refusal to deny a buyout is pure folly.

But it makes for a good story in a week where nothing much is happening in the GM recruitment process.

Last Night's Stars

1. Johan Franzen, Red Wings:

Poolers must be going nuts about this guy. The Mule has been carring a big load in this series for Detroit, scoring three times as the Red Wings completed the sweep of the Avs with an 8-2 pounding. In doing so, he became the first player with two hat tricks in the same series since Jari Kurri in 1985. Franzen's nine goals over the four games equaled the number mustered by the entire Avs roster.

2. Henrik Zetterberg, Red Wings:

He is a star because of an incredible goal he scored last night. His four-point effort was enough to earn him a star, but but Zetterberg potted one that'll be remembered long after the rest of his playoff goals are forgotten. After his first attempt from the slot was rebuffed by Peter Budaj, Zetterberg spun through the defense, retrieved his rebound with his back to the net, and buried a no-look backhander for what might have been the prettiest goal of the postseason.

3. Jaromir Jagr, Rangers:

On most nights his performance would have earned a first star but those two Red Wings were incredible last night. In the wake of a disappointing Game 3 loss to the Penguins at Madison Square Garden, Jagr faced the media and announced that the series was far from over. Then, like another legendary Rangers captain who promised victory, Jagr backed up his words with a masterful three-point performance. His first goal epitomized the playoff mantra of taking a hit to make a play. Using his size and speed to drive down the middle, Jagr unleashed a rocket of a wristshot a split second before he was crunched by Pittsburgh defender Brooks Orpik. His effort set the tone for the rest of the game, and gave the Rangers a chance to take the series back to Pittsburgh.

How To Operate a Rotary Dial Phone

Tough Young Woman

Stanford track and field star Alicia Follmar became the embodiment of "no pain, no gain" after a hard fall in the Penn Relays women’s collegiate distance medley race at Franklin Field. While on the ground, she was spiked in the head by a fellow runner, but did not allow that to deter her from her goal of finishing the race.

Follmar, covered in blood and bruises as though she was an extra in a horror flick, grabbed her baton and finished the race in third place.

Last Night's Stars

R.J. Umberger, Flyers:

R.J. Umberger is having a great series and opened the scoring for the third time in this series. Umberger later added an insurance empty net marker, giving him a pair on the night and six in four games against the Habs.

Patrick Marleau, Sharks:

It was a performance worthy of the captain's C from Marleau, who scored a shorthanded goal for the second game in a row. Marleau intercepted another Zubov cross-ice attempts, took off alone and beat goaltender Marty Turco to tie the game at one, and give the desperate Sharks the spark they needed to bring the series home for Game 5.

Martin Biron, Flyers:

The Habs launched 28 shots at Biron through the first two periods in an all-out effort to stop the bleeding and get their series back on even ground. No such luck. Biron, making just his 11th playoff start, ended up stopping 36 of 38 in Philly's 4-2 win over the Canadiens. He has clearly been the difference in this series and is beginning to look like a Conn Smythe candidate.

Former Mississauga Derbys owner charged in hockey scam

Peel Police have arrested a 41-year-old Mississauga man, alleging he bilked players from as far away as the U.S. and Australia out of $100,000 for the privilege of joining the fake Brampton-based organization. It was called the Walton Gates Academy, a part of an organization known as The Canadian Junior Elite Hockey League. The $100-grand allegedly came from the tuition and fees the league charged.

Cops accuse Randy Gumbley, the former owner of the Streetsville Derbys, of going to elaborate lengths to continue his hockey league scam. They allege he spent months attracting 'prospects' using an elaborate website and took them around to arenas and community college facilities, claiming they were associated with the league and his academy.

Last Night's Stars

Evgeni Malkin, Penguins:

Hard to say who is the top Penguin is Sid or Evgeni? Every team should have this problem. Not a bad day for the 21-year-old Russian, whose day started with news that he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy, and ended with a three-point night and a 3-0 series lead for this Pittsburgh Penguins. Malkin took over sole possession of first place in the postseason scoring race with a pair of power play goals, including the game winner, and an assist in Pittsburgh's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Brenden Morrow, Stars:

The captain's name won't be found on the scoresheet, but he played with a purpose in Dallas's 2-1 OT win over the Sharks. When Morrow wasn't plastering a Shark into the boards (or each other) with one of his 11 hits, he was planted in Evgeni Nabokov's grill, making life miserable for the San Jose netminder. Both of the Stars goals can be at least partially attributed to the effectiveness of a Morrow screen.

Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings:

Detroit's most dynamic forward was at his crafty best tonight, tearing holes through the Avalanche defense with his speed. He scored twice, and chipped in an assist as the Red Wings won 4-3 and took a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Toronto's Only Winning Team

The Toronto Marlies beat the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 last night to take the 1st round series 4-3. Let's face it, the Marlies may be the only Toronto team to win any playoff series this year. But only 1,982 fans were at the Ricoh Coliseum to watch it.

The Marlies now advance against the Syracuse Crunch, 3-2 overtime winners over Manitoba last night.

Getting top star billing last night was 30-year-old goaltender Scott Clemmensen, who turned back 37 shots in anchoring the Marlies to their first-ever playoff series triumph. He started in all 7 playoff games. That's right - the Leaf's goalie of the future, Justin Pogge is glued to the end of the bench. Top Marlie goal scorer in the series was John Mitchell with 3 goals.

Maybe Carey Price Isn't the Next Patrick Roy

That's the collective "Uh-Oh" coming from the good folks in Montreal after Carey Price channeled his inner Andrew Raycroft last night in Philadelphia, allowing three goals on only 12 shots.

More and more is Price beginning to look like the 20-year-old kid he is. The pressure in the Stanley Cup playoffs is immense and Philadelphia is a tough building to play in. Well I guess they will have to switch to Cristobal Huet. Oh wait, they traded him.

Dancing Kittens

Can a team when a Cup after changing goalies in the middle of the playoffs?

Any coach will tell you that you need a great goalie to win a championship. Detroit who had won the President's Trophy was one of the Stanley Cup favourites. It was expected that Detroit would depend upon future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek in net in their Stanley Cup run. But Hasek has been awful and is now parked at the end of the bench.

Detroit has moved to Chris Osgood in goal and he has played well. His .947 saves percentage is the best in the playoffs among anyone who has as much as two complete games played. He has a 1.09 goals against average, which is again the best in the league among goalies with two complete games played. Osgood is providing Stanley Cup calibre goaltending so far. Osgood has won the Stanley Cup before (in 1998). That Red Wings team likely won the cup despite a lack of elite goaltending. They won because the team in front of Osgood was the best in the league. It is ten years later now and there is no reason to imagine Osgood is a better goalie today then he was in 1998.

There is a recent example of a team changing goalies during the playoffs in a successful playoff run. In 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes began the playoffs with Martin Gerber in goal and switched to Cam Ward, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup.

Go Habs Go!

...while back at the ACC...

Leaf Nation! Brian Burke is not the Messiah!

The level of angst across Leaf Nation was incredible over the past week after Brian Burke announced that he would be completing the term of his current contract and staying in Anaheim for another season. Then to top it off, the ever vigilant media did 48 hours of nonstop analysis.

If Brian Burke really wanted to come to the Toronto Maple Leafs he could get out of his contract. If he expressed a strong enough desire to leave Anaheim, his employer would let him go. Afterall, who would allow someone to be in charge of their organization who didn't want to be there. Burke may want to move out east to be closer to his family but in his mind it doesn't have to be the Leafs. Then again, he does like his situation in Anaheim so he may even be persuaded to sign a contract extension. So forget the nonsense about waiting out the year for Burke. He's not that interested in Toronto.

But don't despair Leaf Nation. Burke is not a hockey Messiah. He has a good track record but he is not at the top of the heap. As GM of the Canucks, Burke’s teams missed the playoffs two of six years, went out in the first round three times and were eliminated in 7 games by the Wild in their lone second round appearance in 2003. He had some awful draft picks with the Canucks and traded R.J. Umberger for Martin Rucinsky - a move that just reeks of JFJ/ MLSE level incompetence: a first round prospect exchanged for an oft-injured mid-pack vet who played all of 13 games for the Canucks. Burke traded away a Canucks’ first round pick to bring Trevor Linden back to Vancouver. And what became of that first round pick? The Caps used it to select a guy by the name of Alexander Semin. The ridiculous Bertuzzi signing. I could go on and on to point out terrible draft picks, signings and trades made by Burke but why bother. He's not coming to Toronto anyway.

Though the top executives are just not available and likely not interested in moving here. However, there are some good executives who just as good as Burke who might be interested in the Leaf job. Don't ask me who they are. However, the media just can stop speculating who might get the job and quite a few swear to have inside information. Somehow I doubt Gord Kirke knows himself. With 8 teams still in the playoffs, he may still need to wait to get permission to talk to some candidates.

But if I was asked to come up with a name of a guy who would do a great job and would also be available, it would be Doug Armstrong. He apprenticed under Bob Gainey and was an Assistant GM when the Stars one the Stanley Cup. He built the current Stars team that just knocked off the Ducks and could do the same to the Sharks. You could do a lot worse.

Last Night's Stars

1. Johan Franzen, Red Wings

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound center - known as ''Mule'' - redirected a shot in front of the net early in the game, scored on a wraparound in the second period and whacked a rebound out of the air in the third. It was his first career hat trick in the NHL, and first since the Swede was a teenager.

2. Martin Biron, Flyers

Biron made 34 saves in a game the Flyers could have easily lost. Not only did he have to stop a barrage of pucks but the Canadiens were running the little goalie all night.

3. Daniel Briere, Flyers

Briere, booed throughout the first two games at the Bell Centre, got his seventh goal of the playoffs 13:33 into the second to restore the Flyers' two-goal lead after Koivu scored on a power play late in the first. Although it was his only shot on net, he was a constant threat throughout the game.

2008-09 Storm Midget B Lineup

Forwards
Alicia (1993)
Kailee (1992)
Lauren F (1992)
Mari (1991)
Gabby (1993)
Genevieve (1991)
Sheri (1991)
Maddy (1991)
Jackie (1991)

Defense
Madeleine (1993)
Lauren N (1993)
Sarah-Kate (1991)
Amanda (1991)
Paitra (1992)
Allie (1993)

Goalies
Bianca (1992)
Asia (1991)

AHL Marathon Game

Ryan Potulny’s first goal of the playoffs, 2:58 into the fifth overtime, ended the longest game in American Hockey League history, lifting the Philadelphia Phantoms past the Albany River Rats, 3-2, at the Times Union Center.

Potulny scored on the Phantoms' 101st shot of the game, beating Rats goaltender Michael Leighton with a 15-foot wrist shot from the slot and ending the game at 12:39 this morning after 142 minutes and 58 seconds. Leighton finished with an AHL-record 98 saves.

The previous AHL record for longest game was 134:56 set in Game 2 of the 2003 Calder Cup finals, where Hamilton beat Houston,

More of the Buried Red Sox Jersey

You may recall a Yankee hating construction worker buried a David Ortiz Red Sox jersey in wet concrete in the yet to be completed new Yankee Stadium. Yankee officials spent thousands to dig it up. So this shredded jersey that had the Yankees quaking in their cleats has officially sold on eBay--for $175,100. So what would an intact jersey bring in?

Last Night's Stars

1. Johan Franzen, Red Wings
The 28-year-old forward had two goals and an assist to help the Red Wings earn a tough Game 1 win over the Avalanche. His blast in the second period (fourth goal of the playoffs) ended up being the game-winner. Franzen, not known as a scoring machine, had just three two-goal games during the regular season.

2. Martin Biron, Flyers
Biron had a better game than the line score shows. He had 30 saves and should've been in line for a regulation win, but Alex Kovalev's questionable short-handed goal in the second period tied the game at 2-2 and seemed to give the Habs some extra energy.

3. Alex Kovalev, Canadiens
Kovalev delivered -- notching a game-tying goal with just 0:28 left. Of course, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering that he scored 17 PP goals and five game-winners during the regular season. The guy comes to the forefront when needed most.

ESPN's Fan Satisfaction Rating

ESPN has published their fan satisfaction rating and the Maple Leafs did even worse than last year. In 2007 they ranked 99th out of 122 pro teams. This year they rank 121st. Only the awful and scandal-ridden New York Knicks did worse.

This is how the Leafs broke down:

Bang for the Buck (wins over the past three years per revenues directly from fans) 120th
Fan Relations (ease of access to players, coaches & management) 113th
Ownership (loyalty to players and city) 108th
Affordability (price of tickets, parking and concessions) 122nd
Stadium Experience (friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions) 96th
Players (effort on the field; likability off it) 117th
Coach/Manager (strong on-field leadership) 106th
Title Track (titles already won or expected -- soon) 121st

As for other Toronto teams:

Raptors 44th (45th last year)
Blue Jays 67th (41st last year)

Sarah Rides the Behemoth at Wonderland

Last Night's Stars

1. Jeremy Roenick, Sharks

Roenick was benched for Game 6 because of lack of production. But the 38-year-old veteran rose to the occasion in Game 7 when he was re-inserted in the lineup. Roenick tallied two goals and two assists -- in the Sharks' series clinching win over Calgary. His four points were the most scored in a Game 7 since 1993.

2. Joffrey Lupul, Flyers

If at first you don't succeed... The Flyers winger was stymied 19 times over seven games by Cristobal Huet, but he made the 20th shot count. Lupul buried a rebound of a Kimmo Timonen shot past Huet in overtime to give Philadelphia a 3-2 win and propel Philadelphiai nto the second round date against the Montreal Canadiens.

3. Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals

The NHL won't get its dream second round matchup of the Capitals and Penguins, but it's through no fault of Ovechkin. Despite being subjected to blanket coverage by the determined Flyers, Ovechkin still managed nine shots on net, threw three hits, set up Nicklas Backstrom for the opening goal and then beat Martin Biron with a wrist rocket for Washington's other goal. What more could the guy do?

Leafs Need Fabian Brunnström

Cliff Fletcher has to get this guy. He is a 23 year old Swede who is a free agent. Probably the best player outside the NHL.

Lame Fan Drops Ball While Celebrating Catch

Have some pride. Once you drop the ball don't sit there and beg for it back. Just cut your losses and sit down.

Last Night's Stars

1. Alex Ovechkin, Washington:

After going scoreless for four games and 250-plus minutes, Ovechkin awoke with two third-period goals on Monday -- the former clinching the Capitals' 4-2 road win in Philly; the latter serving as a warning shot to those who doubt whether Ovechkin can carry Washington to its second-ever Game 7 playoff victory on Tuesday night.

2. Carey Price, Montreal:

The rookie goalie did not buckle under the weight of Game 7 pressure, stonewalling all 25 Bruins shots in the Habs' series-clinching 5-0 home win. The 20-year-old Price, who had allowed 10 Boston goals in Games 5 and 6 (both Montreal losses), rebounded to post his second playoff shutout and once again remind Hab fans of the last time a rookie Canadiens netminder dominated his competition in the playoffs -- Patrick Roy in the Cup-winning season of 1986.

3. Alexander Semin, Washington:

Ovechkin, understandably, will grab the lion's share of headlines from the Caps' Game 6 win. But Semin, hardly a second-fiddle performer throughout the series, produced the game-tying goal late in the second period, deftly converting a rebound-save off Philly goalie John Erskine into his third goal of the playoffs. Earlier in the period he set up a goal by Backstrom to bring Washington to within one goal of the Flyers.

Last Night's Stars

1, Phil Kessel, Boston Bruins:

He chipped in with a pair of goals to power the Bruins to a Game 7 confrontation Monday with the Habs, including an ankle-breaking move early in the second period that left veteran defender Francois Bouillon scrambling for his cup while Kessel deposited the equalizer behind a Carey Price.

2. Cristobal Huet, Washington Capitals:

For the second consecutive game, Huet gave the Capitals a chance to win one they could easily have lost. While his mates floundered against a demonstrated third-period assault by the Flyers, he turned in a remarkably composed performance, highlighted by 20 saves in that furious final period.

3. Jose Theodore, Colorado Avalanche:

His counterpart, Niklas Backstrom, might have been more spectacular, but Theodore did exactly what he had to do — allow one less goal in a 2-1 Colorado victory. Arguably the year’s best comeback story, Theodore stopped 34 of 35 shots as the Avs eliminated the Wild and moved on to the second round.

Last Night's Stars

1. Jarmar Jagr, Rangers

It look like the Jagr of old last night although clearly time has slowed down this superstar. He was involved in just about every Ranger scoring drive and finished with a goal and two assist to ensure that the Rangers move on to the second round.

2. Dan Ellis, Predators

Ellis is doing his best Patrick Roy imitation and doing it well. Again, he was spectacular but this time in a losing effort as the Red Wings beat him in overtime. Still he stopped 52 out of 54 shots and keeps the Predators hopes for an upset alive.

3. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Ducks

It's well known in hockey that you don't get very far in the playoffs without great goaltending so it's no surprise that the stars performers are often goalies. Last night it was Giguere who turned away 40 shots including 30 in the first two period to lead the Ducks to a gritty win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Dominek Hasek May be Done

"Last 60 minutes is the worst hockey I've played in my life. I have nothing to say about it. It's terrible. I feel very bad about myself."

This is how Hasek summed up his play the other night in game 4 of the Red Wing series against the Predators. He will likely not see anymore games as the Wings are going with Osgood. The Red Wings with the best record during the regular season are reeling and on the verge of elimination against a team that essentially had a fire sale over the summer. Hasek is 43 and a free agent this summer.

He might retire but he is just a year beyond posting 38 wins, with a 2.05 goals-against average in 56 starts. It wouldn't a shock to see a team take a flier on Hasek, for maybe a one-year, incentive-laden deal. Some guys just don't know when its time to leave the game.

Happy Passover

...and easy on that matzah!

Last Night's Stars

1. Marty Turco, Stars

Just when the Ducks had gotten back in the series with a Game 3 win, Turco comes to the rescue for the Stars -- turning aside 28 shots, and carrying a shutout until the final few seconds of the game, to give Dallas a huge 3-1 series lead. What made Turco's effort even more impressive was that he had three rookie defensemen playing in front of him.

2. Jeff Carter, Flyers

In addition to notching his second and third goals of the series, an assist and a whopping eight shots on goal, Carter provided high-end energy on both ends and was aggressive on the forecheck. Heading into Game 5, Carter had one goal and no assists, so this could get him going for Game 6 and possibly the next round. Carter is a retricted free agent and would look great in a Leaf uniform.

3. Jose Theodore, Avs

He had 38 saves, with the majority of the spectacular variety coming when it mattered most -- the third period. From his toe save on Marian Gaborik to a impressive glove save on Brian Rolston, Theodore has shown signs of his '02 Vezina form throughout this series. Colorado actually had no business winning last night's game and scored 2 goals in the 3rd on just 3 shots to steal the win.

"Month of Lies"

Someone once described tryouts as the "Month of Lies". People will say anything when it comes to tryouts. I usually can't wait for it to be over. It's stressful for everyone - players, parents and coaches. Players want to play with their friends. What will the dressing room be like? Will these coaches be fair or will they have their favourites. Some people get what we call the "letter syndrome". All that is important is that they make a "AA" or "A" team. What they often find is the calibre of these teams can be poor and are they can be very uncompetitive. Each year we have players from higher levels come down to play because they just want to enjoy hockey again . I've seen parents take their daughters from one tryout to another to the point where they can't really skate very well because they are exhausted. It's no fun for coaches either. They hate having to tell players that haven't made the team. You hope that you make good decisions based on skill and team chemistry but how can you really evaluate someone properly based on drills done over an hour with 25 or more players on the ice. I've seen players who can do these drills very well but have no hockey sense. While others are not that flashy during the drills but turn out to be higher energy players during games. We try to get out to see other teams in our organization where you might draw players from so that you can have some idea what the players who may come to tryouts look like in games. When it's all finally over - the lies, the tears, the dealmaking, you can go back to playing hockey and having fun.

Can you take the Senators seriously after watching this?

Last Night's Stars

1. Dan Ellis, Predators

Given a two-goal lead early in the first period made the job easier, but Ellis still came up huge, stopping 39 shots to help the Preds pull even at 2-2 with the favoured Red Wings. The second-year NHL pro, in his first postseason, is performing like a cool veteran.

2. Marc Staal, Rangers

Talk about redemption. Just three days after a puck clipped his skate and went in for the Devils' winning goal in Game 3, the rookie blueliner scored his first official NHL playoff goal in the Rangers' 5-3 win. With each game he is looking more and more as a future star. As far as I'm concerned he already is the Rangers best defenseman.

3. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins

The 21-year-old notched a power-play goal and six shots on goal to help the Pens complete a four-game sweep of the Senators. Malkin, who now has two goals in the playoffs, was all over the ice and aggressive in the corners.

Mascot Bloopers

Last Night's Stars

1. Carey Price, Canadiens

President's Choice Memories of Ken Dryden. Not only did the 20-year-old turn away all 27 shots he faced for his first playoff shutout, but he carried the Habs to within one win of advancing to the second round. I've run out of superlatives for this kid.

2. Daniel Briere, Flyers

This is exactly why the Flyers spent a bundle to sign Briere. His two-goal, one-assist showing last night was nothing new, as the veteran forward now has four goals and six points in the series. In fact, no player has more postseason points in the past three years. He got booed during the regular season (not uncommon for players with big contract and big expectations), but all will be forgotten by the Flyer Nation if he continues to produce like this.

3. Chris Pronger, Ducks

The Ducks were basically in a must-win situation last night after dropping the first 2 games at home, and the captain delivered with two power-play goals and an assist. Pronger headed into the game with zero points and five shots on goal. Considering Dallas' postseason play at home (1-7 in last eight), the Ducks are most definitely back in this series.

Last Night's Stars

1. Marian Hossa, Pittsburgh:

The Penguins winger put his former team on the brink of elimination with a pair of assists and his first postseason goal since he played for the Sens in 2003-04.

2. Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa:

Alfredsson returned to the lineup at far less than 100 percent but displayed the type of character that best defines the NHL playoffs. Too bad his teammates don't follow his lead.

3. Ryan Suter, Nashville:

The young defenseman had his second-period point blast deflected by Alexander Radulov for the Predators' first goal, then tied the game at three late in the third with another cannon from the blue line.

Sean Avery Reaches a New Low

The Sean Avery coverage at times is overblown, but he's actually quite disliked throughout the league, and in a way that goes beyond that of the traditional Darcy Tucker/Jordin Tootoo type pests. Hard to believe the league passed a new rule to deal with the jerk.

Biggest Hit of the Year

Sarich lays out Marleau and the hit was clean.

Last Night's Stars

1. Marc Savard, Bruins.

The Canadiens have owned the Bruins all season but Savard changed all that. He scored on a delayed penalty 9:25 into overtime for a 2-1 win that ended a 13-game losing streak to Montreal and trimmed the series lead to 2-1.

2. Martin Biron, Flyers.

After giving up five goals in the Game 1 loss, Biron bounced back with 24 saves in blanking the Capitals 2-0 for his first playoff shutout and his third in the last four games. Although Huet was pretty good at the other end stopping 39 of 41 shots.

3. Owen Nolan, Flames.

Leaf fans will have a tough time with my third pick but he delivered the go-ahead goal with 3:45 remaining and assisted on two more Calgary scores as the Flames rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Sharks 4-3 for a 2-1 series lead.

Provincial Finals - Midget B

Qtr Lambton Shores 4 - Glengarry 1
Qtr Lambeth 3 - Durham West 0
Qtr Twin Centre 0 - Walkerton 1
Qtr Temiskaming 4 - Barrie 0

Semi Lambton Shores 0 - Walkerton 2
Semi Lambeth 2 - Temiskaming 3

Gold: Temiskaming 5 - Silver Walkerton 2
Bronze: Lambeth 2 - Lambton Shores 1

Yankees Uncover Saboteur

The three-day quasi-nightmare for-superstitious Yankees fans is over: The Red Sox jersey buried in cement by a Yankee-hating construction worker along the third base line at the new Yankee Stadium has been found and will be removed in an "extraction ceremony."

At first, the thought of Red Sox jersey buried in the new stadium seemed like a joke, but yesterday the NY Post published photographs worker Gino Castignoli claimed he took while after placing a David Ortiz jersey under the concrete. Yesterday, two workers remembered where Castignoli worked (he was only on the site for day) and told a construction manager:

They led the manager to a service corridor near the site of the planned Legends Club restaurant, behind home plate and toward the third base side.

After the hardhats pointed to the spot, workers brought out jackhammers and dug furiously for five hours, creating a 2-foot- by-3-foot, gravel-filled pit in their search for the tainted threads.

They spotted the jersey at 3:25 p.m. and called Yankee brass. The cursed shirt was about two feet deep in cement

Last Night's Stars

1. Alexei Kovalev, Canadiens:
His retaliatory slash of Aaron Ward on a third-period penalty kill gave the Bruins a five-on-three advantage and paved the way for Boston's tying goal. But just as he was being fitted for the goat horns, the NHL's leading scorer with the man advantage made amends with slapshot of his own that lifted the Canadiens to a 3-2 overtime win and a 2-0 series lead.

2. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings:
Though he only had one assist, Datsyuk was clearly the impact player during Detroit's 4-2 win over Nashville. He won 10 of 15 faceoffs, had two takeaways, delivered three hits, and consistently set the Predators back on their heels with his speed and playmaking.

3. Mike Ribeiro, Stars:
His breakaway goal opened the scoring and sucked the life out of the home crowd, but it was his pair of power play assists, including on Mike Modano's third-period game winner, that better exemplified what he brought to the game. He brought the passion out last night and single-handedly overwhelmed the Ducks.

Game 52 Came Too Soon

The season came to a close with a one-sided loss to Lambton Shore by a score of 5-0. The skating and shooting of the opponents clearly demonstrated how much more work the Storm need to do to compete at the highest level of the Midget B tier. Lambton Shore were last year's champions but they may not be good enough this year to win a medal.

Still this team has come a long way over the past 7 1/2 months and 52 games. They really came together as a team and for the most part were able to challenge some very good teams. There is reason to be optimistic about next season.

GO STORM GO!

Last Night's Stars

1. Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers
Lundqvist made 26 saves, some of them spectacular. His goaltending was the difference last night and lifted the Rangers to their ninth victory in 10 games against the Devils this season. Which tells you how this series is gong to go. The save of the game may have come in the second period when Lundqvist stoned Paul Martin on a power-play point shot.

2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins

You cannot overlook the four-assist performance by Sid the Kid including setting up the late 2 goals by Ryan Malone to win the game. Honourable mention should go to Martin Gerber who faced 54 shots in the game and kept the Senators alive until the final few minutes. He would have been a star if his teammates had been able to help him steal a win.

3. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals
How do you make an impression in your postseason debut? By netting the game-winner and lifting the Caps to their first playoff win since 2003. Even more impressive: Ovechkin, whose 446 shots were second-most in a season in NHL history, didn't register a shot until nearly 13 minutes in the third. But he lead all players in the game with 8 hits.

Storm Eliminated from Moving On

Well it wasn't a great way to start a pivotal game. The Barrie Sharks scored just 32 seconds into the game although the Storm played hard the rest of the way. It just wasn't good enough to beat the strong Shark team. The 4-1 loss eliminated the Storm from moving on the the Quarter Finals. In the second of the day the Storm generated some good scoring chances but the Barrie goaltending was outstanding as it has been all season. It wasn't until the third period when Sheri stripped a Barrie defenseman of the puck and went on a 2 on 1 with Marley that the shutout was broken. At that point the score was 3-1. Kendra was pulled in the last minute of the game and Barrie clinched with an empty net goal.

Lambton Shores, with 2 wins has already won a quarter final pot. The other will go to the winner of the Barrie vs. Vaughan game.

The other Storm teams have been doing much better. Bother the Midget A and BB teams have opened up with a win and a tie each. Both are in the running to move on to the Quarter Finals.

New Yankee Stadium has been Sabotaged

The new Yankee Stadium may be cursed!

A devilish Boston fan working on a concrete crew at the $1.3 billion stadium covertly buried a Red Sox T-shirt under what will become the visiting team's locker room to jinx the Yanks, two construction workers told The New York Post yesterday.

"In August, a Red Sox T-shirt was poured in a slab in the visitor's clubhouse. It's the curse of the Yankees," one worker said. "Nobody knows about it. It's in the floors, it's buried."

The workers say they now fear that they unwittingly helped hex their beloved Bronx Bombers.

"I don't want to be responsible for sinking the franchise," said a second worker, who witnessed the sabotage. "I respect the stadium."

Provincial Let Down

Playing in pressure games is tough and the young Storm team certainly found that out in their first Provincial game. In response to the pressure, players reverted back to a style of play that we haven't seen in many months. The result was a disappointing 3-1 loss to Vaughan. It was disappointing because all the players knew that could have done better and the opponents were beatable.

The game started off well and Mari buried a big rebound off a shot by Sheri in the first period. The one goal lead until the second period when the Vaughan captain scored the first of two goals on the powerplay. Less than two minutes later she scored again and the final goal was scored with only 28 seconds left in the period while on the powerplay.

The goal for the next two games to get back to the wide open style of game that has been so successful for the team for the past 3 months.

Last Night's Stars

1. Evgeni Nabokov, Sharks
Nabokov came up with a pure gem Thursday night in the Shark Tank -- and his sixth career postseason shutout. Without it, the Sharks would've gone to the Saddledome in a huge 0-2 hole. And that scrambling, diving save on Owen Nolan was incredible.

2. Carey Price, Canadiens
In addition to the flying Kostitsyn brothers, Price also was making his postseason debut. The unflappable rookie only had to make 17 saves, but more than a few were with heavy traffic swarming in front. The kid also had the weight of 21,273 fanatic Hab fans watching his every move.

3. Dan Ellis
Yup, I'm going with three goalies for the three stars. It's playoffs afterall. Although Nashville lost, Ellis was spectacular stopping 37 out of 39 shots. He had faced 26 shots going into the 3rd period with the score 1-1 until giving one up to Zetterberg on a possibly offside play.

We found a linemate for Marley and Maryssa