Giant Meets Jet: Justin Tuck shakes Darrelle Revis' hand in Times Square after the first ever Super Bowl was delivered to New York/New Jersey in 2014.

-The chance of a Giants/Jets Super Bowl just got a lot more exciting. With today’s fourth vote giving the nod to New York/New Jersey for 2014 at the new Meadowlands Stadium which opens this summer, it energizes two passionate fanbases who can now dream the unthinkable. Imagine the first ever Super Bowl in classic cold weather as it should be played featuring both the locals who play their games there fighting for bragging rights. This is huge.

For years, not a word was uttered because it was about as possible as our chances with Jessica Alba. Now with a brand new spanking stadium, it’s reality. Imagine if the Giants and Jets really make this once in a lifetime marquee event. Picture all the press/superhype. It would be electric. Big Blue and Gang Green fans going at it over the airwaves and in the stands (hopefully not literally).

I never really cared one way or another if this actually happened but now that it’s official, how can one not be genuinely pumped? Even if neither team makes it which would royally suck, the Lombardi Trophy will be back where it belongs with its proud father looking on from upstairs smiling. Football was meant to be played in tough conditions. Not sunshine. The games I enjoy the most are the ones where heavy wind, rain or snow are involved because it truly tests our warriors. Football players are like gladiators battling for every inch, laying it all on the line. Now, we get the kind of rock ‘em sock ‘em pigskin Lombardi would appreciate. It’s about time!

-Do you think Brandon Jacobs cares to retract that statement if the two teams actually make the big game?

-A final thought on the whole New York SB Extravaganza. Let’s be real. The stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. So, it’s really the Garden State’s game. As a fellow New Yorker, even though the two clubs honor New York due to tradition which always leaves a bitter taste in Jersey friends’ mouths, they do play in New Jersey. Maybe it’s time to actually recognize that along with how nice the state is. Some of my best friends represent it quite well.

-Look. Superman finally arrived and ripped the Celtics for 32 points, 16 boards and four swats in the Magic’s well earned 96-92 overtime Game Four win at TD Garden avoiding the sweep. That’s great and all for the freak known as Dwight Howard, who could be confused for a superhero. He’s bigger and stronger than everybody. So, he should dominate. Especially in a league where the center is almost extinct. Somehow, when the big man who shares a birthday with me finally delivers, it’s overcelebrated. What ever happened to consistency? Somehow in this new Hyped Era Error, expectations dropped. Why???

-If ever there was a player whose name needed to be changed to Dog, we present the sad case of former NBA star Vince Carter. If he had any sorta drive, he could’ve been one of the greats. Instead, there’s a tireless worker like Reggie Miller calling him out on ESPN and justifiably so.

-Do you think Hedo Turkoglu would’ve bricked those two free throws in Game Two?!?!?!?!?!

-Who knew that KG still had this kind of fire in him? He looked done a couple of months ago. Maybe he was just playing possum the whole time.

-Is there a better pure shooter than Ray Allen? Even now, the former Uconn star is money in crunch time. You can’t give him any space.

-I’ll always say it until proven otherwise. With the game on the line, nobody is better than Kobe. LeBron, take notes. And that goes for the club that gets him.

-Really pleased to see the Suns rise up and send a message to LA that it won’t come easy. Can’t say enough about the kind of dominant performance Amare Stoudemire had. Those 42 and 11 were monstrous. Some great power moves and strong finishes too, resulting in three-point plays. Everyone of them emphatic. When his team needed a score, Amare delivered. Hopefully, he and the rest of the Suns can duplicate it as they look to even the series tonight.

-Figure Kobe to get more help from sidekicks Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Derek Fisher. They weren’t good in crunch time.

-In the NHL playoffs which have been totally unpredictable, we get the Blackhawks and Flyers for Lord Stanley. Two Cup starved traditional markets that haven’t won in a while. For Chicago, it’s been almost five decades since Bobby Hull and the Blackhawks won it all in ‘61. Now, leading Conn Smythe candidate Jonathan Toews along with sidekick Patrick Kane plus money performer Dustin Byfuglien (Big Buff) take aim at bringing the best sports trophy back to the Windy City. When the puck drops for Game One at the United Center Saturday, that place will be on fire.

For the Flyers, it’s been a miraculous run starting with a shootout win over the Rangers on the last day of the season just to sneak into the playoffs. Since, all they’ve done is takeout the hated Devils, stun the Bruins in historic fashion from 3-0 down joining the Leafs, Islanders and most recently, the Red Sox. Then they took care of another destined team in Montreal, getting two Jeff Carter tallies to advance to their first Cup Final since 1997 when they were unceremoniously dumped out in four straight by the Red Wings. Can Mike Richards, playoff hero Simon Gagne, Chris Pronger and amazing story Michael Leighton bring the Cup back to Broad Street for the first time since they repeated in 1975?

Two great storylines for a league that’s heating up. NBC can’t possibly screw this up. Or can they?

-No matter what you think of it, the Subway Series matters. No. I’m not one of those who puts much stock in the six games the Mets and Yankees play. However, it’s impossible to ignore the turnout for it at Citi Field. With attendance way down in Year Two, they soldout the place. Plenty of walk ups who wanted to be part of the first three-game set between our two New York clubs.

Baseball is still No.1 here and probably always will be. With all the history dating back to the glory days of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants along with the Yankees (formerly New York Highlanders), NYC is rich in tradition and could support a third team if that ever happened. Just experiencing the turnout the local Staten Island Yankees get anytime the Cyclones pay a visit to the Ferry Terminal for Class A ball is enough to fully grasp what baseball means in this town.

So, even if the cool half dozen might not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things for the Yanks and Mets, it means plenty to the fans. No wonder I got so much flak from J Beck, Johnny Rockets and all the other Met supporters the other night.

Here are a couple from my main man P’s watching Game 4 NBA Finals:

1.The Magic are blowing it here. They had the Lakers on the ropes playing a picture perfect first half with great ball movement and fantastic D from Dwight Howard. Orlando must relax here and get back to smarter ball and do a better job closing out if they want to make it a series.

2.Following the latest implosion with the pen unable to get it done for C.C. Sabathia, the Yankees really can’t deal with the Red Sox. It’s like the clubs traded places following the 2004 ALCS. Maybe the Yanks really are hexed now. Does even the most biased Pinstripe fan still believe when the chips are down, their team is gonna win? The Red Sox are confident they will which is how it once was forever unil the biggest collapse of all-time. The Yankees never do anymore.

3.You have to conclude similarly with what occurred tonight in extras between the defending champion Phils and the Mets in Queens. How many times can you see essentially the same game with these two teams where the Amazin’s have Philly on the ropes even when they don’t have the pitching match-up? And how many times do the pesky defending champs stand up to the challenge finding the late runs against the Met pen before their own pen silences NY bats- allowing one of their big boppers (Chase Utley last night and MVP frontrunner Raul Ibanez tonight)? Full marks to Charlie Manuel’s club. But boy did Jerry Manuel’s guys blow a golden opportunity to close the gap.

4.Really, given how predictable Yanks/Sahhhx has become and great Mets/Phils is, we have to say we’ll take the NL East rivalry now. It’s just better baseball. Even if the Mets continue the baserunning blunders this time coming from David Wright tonight. Can’t wait for the next series between these clubs and the fun commentary from Howie Rose, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, who are the best in this area.

5.There aren’t many stupid comedies I like but this Hangover movie looks like a can’t miss. Yeah. I’ll find my way to the movie theater one of these days.

6.Here’s hoping tomorrow night’s do-or-die Game 7 for Lord Stanley is a classic. We want sudden death just to see who really is the best between the Pens and Red Wings. There’s no better theater than Game 7 in any sport. Especially puck. Even if you’re not a hockey fan, we advise you to tune into NBC at 8 ET/5 PT and tune in. You won’t be disappointed. And with Doc Emrick calling the action, it don’t get much better.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zach Morris on Jimmy Fallon was indeed epic stuff. More so than meaningless June baseball in NYC.

It’s a cool June New York Wednesday with overcast skies that are threatening. Ah. Kinda sounds like a classic Jimi Hendrix tune.

So, what’s cooking? Oh. Plenty. Well, if you’re as baseball-sessed as the folks here. While there’s a Stanley Cup going to a Game 7 and an NBA Finals where the home team has won all three games thus far, they may as well not exist based on all the sports radio talk about the Yankees suffering their latest defeat to the Red Sox and the Mets actually giving a subpar Johan Santana enough run support to edge the Phillies.

So, here we are in the second week of June with still plenty of baseball left before we go crowning anyone. But that’s not the way it works around these parts. Where one week, the NY baseball teams stink and the next, they are virtual locks for the first Subway Series in nearly a decade. No. Not the fake half a dozen games we get in each new stadium with the Mets invading the real short porch later this weekend with the Bronx Bombers later doing the same at the much longer ballpark in Queens.

So, here are some random thoughts on the area locals and other big sporting events going on:

-If you ignored all the fun pie in the face stuff from A.J. Burnett, he’s been almost Carl Pavano-esque so far in his first Yankee season. Maybe it’s a 2003 Marlins thing. Speaking of DL Pavano, hasn’t he won like six games now with Cleveland or as many as he won in his Bronx stint? Amazing.

-If Santana really did show up Jerry Manuel when he pulled him last night in the eighth for Bobby Parnell which was the right thing to do, then maybe it’s time for someone to get in the ace’s face. This other thing about changing the bunt to a hit which worked out as an RBI double ain’t exactly too encouraging either. Sure. He’s a great pitcher but play by the same rules the rest of your teammates do.

-With him the majors’ first 10-game winner and finishing most of his games in a tougher hitting league, maybe we’d take Doc Halladay over Johan. The Jays ain’t exactly bad either these days. What with Adam Lind looking like an All-Star at second. Imagine if Alex Rios and Vernon Wells get going.

-Heard a fan call into Mike Francesa and compare Jose Reyes and Robinson Cano. Well, one’s a shortstop who bats leadoff and steals at least 60 bases and scores over 100 runs while the other’s a second baseman who hits for a higher average and drives in more. Still, we’d take Reyes over Cano because he can impact the game more. Both are outstanding at times defensively while there are other plays that make you scratch your head. Ditto for Reyes on the basepaths and Cano mailing it in last year. Just imagine if both played up to their full potential.

-When Big Papi goes yard and former castoff Nick Green drives in a pair while Josh Beckett silences the Yankee bats, you know the Red Sox are in their heads. Speaking of which, what will the run-o-meter look like when Chien-Ming Wang starts tonight versus Tim Wakefield?

-I’m more interested to see how Cole Hamels does against his favorite opponent.

-Raul Ibanez now has 20 homers and already speculation has begun about whether he’s on the juice. The Phillie slugging outfielder was far too pleased and even said he’d return every penny earned if found with a positive test. Damn. Maybe he should just take it to prove innocence and sue for libel. Not that it will ever happen.

-I don’t mind how emotional he gets after a save but what happens when K-Rod blows one? Does he still point up to the Heavens?

-Have you ever seen so much fuss made over Mo Rivera’s implosion against the Rays in a tie game? Not like we’ve never seen it before.

-Who has a better built-in excuse? J.J. Putz or Brad Lidge. I’m going with the guy who was a perfect 48 for 48 and won a world championship last year after coming over from Houston.

-I still say Francisco Cervelli should be the Yankee catcher and Jorge Posada the DH. Say bye to Godzilla already.

-David Wright, who hit his fourth homer and first in forever last night is right about Citi Field. But hey. He’s also much younger than Chipper Jones, who he joked to and is having a better year. Suck it up!

-Remember when Derek Jeter was done? Remember when the Yankee centerfield was a weakness? Next.

-I’ll take Carlos Beltran on my team but if he’s going to rip teammates for getting swept by the Pirates and then not bother hustling out of the box, what kind of leadership is that?

-The Stanley Cup rematch has been pretty good but badly needs a last second finish or sudden death. Cause aside from Game 7, what better drama is there than that?

-I like Kobe and he’s the best player on the planet but when he turns to the refs begging and getting a call in crunch time following a clean block by Dwight Howard, something’s very wrong.

-Still can’t believe the Magic rolled out Finals failure Nick Anderson to get the place jumping. What? Dennis Scott wasn’t available.

-There’s absolutely no way Sidney Crosby should be considered for the Conn Smythe given how mediocre he’s looked versus Henrik Zetterberg and Detroit. Our playoff MVP leading candidates:

1.Evgeni Malkin, Pit

2.Chris Osgood, Det

3.Henrik Zetterberg, Det

4.Johan Franzen, Det

If Malkin has a good game Friday and the Pens fall short, it should be enough for the league’s leading scorer to win the award. Only five times in NHL history has the Conn Smythe recipient come from a losing club (Roger Crozier 1966 Red Wings, Glenn Hall 1968 Blues, Reggie Leach 1976 Flyers, Ron Hextall 1987 Flyers, Jean-Sebastien Giguere 2003 Mighty Ducks).

-If Pavel Datsyuk had been totally healthy for this series, it would’ve already ended.

-Has anyone seen Marian Hossa? Please send whatever info you have to the Detroit Red Wings before 8 ET/5 PT Friday night.

-Still can’t believe the Magic shot 63 percent from the field and still had to hang on for dear life to get their first Finals win in seven tries. That isn’t too promising for the rest of the series.

-I really could do without the nauseating second and fourth quarter interviews with the coaches. Though we loved Phil Jackson’s response during the Game One blowout when asked about Kobe and he was like, ‘How about that game.’

-Kudos to Svetlana Kuznetsova on winning the French Open for her second grand slam title easily dispatchng Russian countrywoman Dinara Safina. The elder former U.S. Open winner played steady tennis from the baseline while young Safina melted down for a second consecutive slam final. Last time out down under, it was against Serena Williams, who Kuznetsova bested in three hard fought sets in the quarters at Roland Garros. Too bad she was a sore loser about it. Kuznetsova also went three sets coming back to beat Samantha Stosur in the semis. Congrats on the win and we think she should be ranked a little higher than five. Speaking of which, no player should ever be No.1 and still haven’t won a major. Sorry.

-It’s still great a few days later that Roger Federer finally conquered his Paris demons completing the career slam. Just wish it could’ve come against archrival Rafael Nadal, who we hope will be healthy enough to defend his title at Wimbledon in less than two weeks.

-I don’t care because it’s the story that won’t go away. But someone needs to tell Brett Favre just that.

-And finally, for your entertainment, the absolutely classic appearance by one Mark-Paul Gosselaar as none other than Saved By The Bell’s Zach Morris on Jimmy Fallon a couple of nights ago on Late Night:

Dude hasn’t aged and stayed totally in character which made it work. Full credit to Fallon for letting him do his thing for this anticipated reunion.

“750 Math. 752 Verbal. 1,502 combined score. Stansbury material.“

Well, yeah. I am back. Of course, I have plenty of thoughts on what’s been going on the past month. Been real preoccupied with Battle covering the NHL playoffs which thankfully are almost over. The first rematch in 24 years will get started later tonight when Sidney Crosby and the Pens visit Nick Lidstrom and the defending champion Red Wings.

Maybe it’s just me but I’m a little sick of it already. Who wants to watch the same two teams do battle? Sure. It will be a ratings bonanza for NBC yet they are so fearful of hockey that they forced the first two games to be back-to-back this weekend which is the first time in 54 years (seriously Ranger fans) that will happen. What kind of network does that? They just can’t allow any Cup game to interrupt Conan O’Brien’s much anticipated week debut on The Tonight Show. I’m a huge Conan fan. So, I get why. Still, you’d think the sport’s marquee event featuring the game’s biggest stars wouldn’t make NBC flinch out of the way like it was a Rocky Balboa left hook. It just goes to show how lowly hockey is thought of in this country when their own network basically dictates what the schedule is. Had either the Pens or Wings been extended, the Cup Final wouldn’t have started till June 5. Can you say just a tad ridiculous?

Most puck observers loved the NHL’s move to NBC feeling it would be excellent but based on how they’ve covered it which is hardly at all with their precious horse races and golf and God knows what else they’d prefer to air over hockey. It really is sad. As for Versus, I had a pretty good rant about how dreadful they have been on Battle. There’s nothing else to be said.

Hopefully, they’ll get an exciting Final that goes seven and features 2-3 OT games. I’m leaning towards the Pens because Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been absolutely awesome this Spring and their supporting cast is better than last year. Plus the D is tougher and Detroit is banged up. Toss in the experience of losing to them and facing Marian Hossa and I figure they’ve got more than enough incentive to win the club’s first championship since 1992 when a No.66 and No.68 helped them repeat.

As for the Wings, they’re aiming to become the first repeat winner since you guessed it, their franchise led by Stevie Y and Sergei Fedorov turned the trick in 1998 sweeping the Caps a year after sweeping the Flyers. Not a bad legacy to chase. If they repeat though in this Cap Era, that will be a remarkable accomplishment which speaks to just how special the Detroit organization is. It’s much harder to remain successful in today’s game yet Ken Holland and his legion of scouts along with Mike Babcock continue to churn out talented players who fit right into their winning system. If they pull this off without probably Pavel Datsyuk to start and Kris Draper, it will demonstrate just how much depth they possess.

If you’re not a puck fan, do yourself a favor and watch this series. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

… Of course, if you live in this town, hockey basically doesn’t exist. It died less than a month ago when the Rangers and Devils fizzled out both making the wrong kind of history. Why does it feel like they haven’t played in a year? Because if you watch TV, listen to sportsradio or read the papers, it’s been baseball front and center since mid-February. Isn’t that a little sad? I like baseball too but come on. The way fans carry on here when their beloved Yankees or Mets get out of the gate slowly, pushing the panic button when Game 20 of 162 hasn’t been played is scary.

Fast forward a few weeks later and both high priced big market ballclubs are sitting atop their respective divisions. Of course, the same beat writers are now singing the praises of Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, K-Rod and <gulp> Gary Sheffield. Yep. That same guy who was painted evil but now has become an Amazin hero. Crazy. Johan Santana has been brilliant and Alex Rodriguez has let his bat do the talking. David Wright has erased the boos and Johnny Damon has become a dangerous No.2 hitter in a contract year. Omir Santos has become a cult fixture in Queens and Francisco Cervelli has proven he should be the starting Yankee backstop even if Jorge Posada’s finally healthy. The Captain has quietly produced while Luis Castillo now gets cheered. This is NYC. Where your fate can change over the course of 24 hours. Carlos Beltran has raked and now nobody calls to discuss trading Robby Cano or The Melk Man. John Maine and Mike Pelfrey have silenced critics (Oliver who?) and Andy Pettite has outpitched A.J. Burnett. Nick is Swish-a-licious and Livan Hernandez has turned back the clock. Seriously. Phil Hughes belongs in the Yankee rotation and Joba back in the setup role. The Mets hardly miss Jose Reyes and Daniel Murphy’s future is now at first. The Yankee pen is quite scary while the Amazin’s is almost automatic. And the two NY teams are a combined 15 over .500 both half a game up on their chief rivals. Life is so good that even Mike Lupica’s looking forward to June. Until the next crisis.

… It’s safe to say Evan Longoria is the best young hitter in the game. He just might already be the best player. Too bad his team isn’t coming close to performing like defending AL champs. Do you think any Philly fan misses Pat Burrell with the way Raul Ibanez is scorching the ball? The run production for a 37 year-old NY native is a bit scary. I bet the Rays wish they had a doover on trading away Edwin Jackson to the first place Tigers. It’s refreshing to see Texas in first with Nolan Ryan taking games in and holding pitchers accountable. He wants to do away with pitch counts. Are you going to doubt a legend who struckout over 5,000 and tossed seven no-hitters? We didn’t think so! The Brewers have proved there’s life after Ca$h Cow and Ben Sheets. And Tony LaRussa’s at it again with his Cards. Heck. Even the Reds have shown improvement. Is there any doubt what the best division in the Senior Circuit is? I bet Sweet Lou must’ve had an ear to ear grin after Carlos Zambrano’s blowup with another senile ump. The Dodgers sure miss Manny. Juan Pierre has never played better. Somehow, both the Giants and Padres are .500 which speaks to the kinda managing each is getting. Given how deep their staff is, imagine if San Fran had an actual offense. No. Bengie Molina doesn’t count when he bats cleanup. It’s not the manager in Colorado. Is there a more dysfunctional team than the one that plays in the nation’s cap? Jim Bowden sure couldn’t wait to abandon ship. That franchise is so bad, they should be disbanded. Can anyone hit Zach Greinke? Is this really the end for Big Papi? With Carl Crawford tearing up the basepaths and Jacoby Ellsbury doing the same in Beantown, it sure is nice to see the stolen base back. Who is Aaron Hill? The best kept secret in the AL. Joey Votto’s a monster in the state of Ohio. Ain’t it funny how DL Pavano has won five of his last six starts headed into Sunday’s match-up versus his ex-team? It’s also laughable how bad the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte deal now looks. Especially with Ross Ohlendorf budding into a top three starter. And finally, did Ryan Church piss in Jerry Manuel’s cornflakes? Someone should contact the guys at CSI.

… I’ll just say that I’m disappointed that the Nuggets didn’t take the Lakers seven. To get beat that badly on your own home court when you were basically even most of the series is humiliating. Maybe my brother’s right. Perhaps Denver really is jinxed. Sure. They got the two Stanley Cups with the Avs but those may as well be half a century ago given how God awful they now are. Even former hero Patrick Roy rejected them. How do you think Tony Granato feels? Same thing with the Rockies who we think just two years ago made the World Series. And the Broncos have their two Lomardi Trophies but no Jay Cutler thanks to a dumb egocentric young coach trying to make his mark. Okay. LeBron’s performance scoring or assisting on 32 straight points spanning the end of the third and fourth quarters in an elimination game was amazing. But he’s not better than Kobe. Sorry buddy. You might not have as good a supporting cast but I’ll take Mr. Bryant in crunchtime anyday. Dwight Howard’s a monster but he should be given how freakish he is compared to other NBA bigs. We still think he needs more work in the lowpost. Bet Patrick Ewing still has a better postgame. I’ve said it for a while that Hedo Turkoglu is the most overlooked superstar. He does so many things well. He can shoot, drive and get his points but the versatile small forward also rebound and distributes. Bet the Kings wish they’d kept him. Speaking of brutal franchises. Rashard Lewis has been money from the outside all playoffs too.  Can someone tell me why Mike Brown didn’t start playing Booby Gibson more until his team got behind 3-1? And shouldn’t the LI kid Wally Szczerbiak be getting more PT? When Stan Van Gundy suddenly morphs into a coaching genius, you know you’re in trouble. I’ve always liked his game but some of the decisions Chauncey Billups made in the pivotal Game 5 late were flat out awful. Speaking of coaching, is it any coincidence Phil Jackson got the better of George Karl, who refused to play Renaldo Balkman? If I’m the Nuggets, I have to consider moving J.R. Smith. For as good a scorer as he is, he’s just a little too selfish and has a poor attitude. Unless that suddenly changes, it might make sense to see what they can get. He’d be a perfect Knick. Whatever happened to the Yi Net Era? Just saying. Give me the Lakers over either the Magic or Cavs in 6.

… You only have to watch a few points on clay to fully comprehend Rafael Nadal’s dominance. Poor Lleyton Hewitt. It’s nice to see most of the seeds still around including lone American men’s hopeful Andy Roddick. I’m hoping he’ll at least get to face the exciting Frenchman Gael Monfils in the Round of 16. Roger Federer struggling in the second round either is a very bad sign or a good one depending on how he responds to the challenge. No surprise to see Venus go bye bye in the first week at the French Open. The red surface just ain’t cutout for her or younger sis Serena. And yes. I’d be shocked if she reached the semis. I like one of the Russians to win. Either Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva or Svetlana Kuznetsova. Dementieva was fortunate to win her last match with comeback story Jelena Dokic bowing out due to a back injury. She led by a set and was on serve when it happened. Her life’s already been Hell thanks to eccentric Dad Damir. It would be nice if she got a break. Hopefully, she’ll at least be alright for the grass at Wimbledon in a few weeks. Tell ya what. Her power game is taylor made for it. Novak Djokovic is more than just the other contender in Roland Garros. I’m not sure about Andy Murray but he has a shot to do something as well. There’s at least one real good fourth round match with former top 5 Nikolay Davydenko taking on Australian Open semifinalist Fernando Verdasco. That could be a lot of long, grinding points. Possibly five sets and four hours. If you like good tennis, check it out. I won’t take  defending champ Ana Ivanovic seriously until she beats a real opponent. She gets the winner of Carla Suarez Navarro-Victoria Azarenka, who are a set apiece entering the weekend. Even though clay is not her fortet and it’s her second tournament back, never underestimate Maria Sharapova. She’s already pulled out three three-setters. Will she wear down against Na Li? Jelena Jankovic also shouldn’t be counted out. She has a lot to prove and would love to win her first major in Paris. But can she deliver when the pressure’s on? On the men’s side, other younger seeds to keep an eye on are talented Croat Marin Cilic and Muhammad Ali French clone Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A possible Tsonga-Juan Martin Del Potro Round of 16 match-up could happen. That would be a lot of fun. Still like Rafa to win a record fifth consecutive French but the road should be tougher. Win and the fiery kid from Mallorca will really take his place among tennis greats.

… I’ll miss Jay Leno but am glad he’ll be back this September. Best of luck. Conan will do great but his replacement ain’t doing too badly. Say what you will but Jimmy Falloon sure is wacky. That ending with Justin Long. Classic stuff. And who don’t love The Roots?

Well, I think I’ve covered pretty much everything. It’s too early to talk pigskin. Mark Sanchez needs to do more than score off the field with hottie Hillary Rhoda.

Until next time. Peace and One Love!

Final score: 2 6

Anaheim wins series 4-1 to clinch first ever Stanley Cup!

Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks on winning the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup by wrapping up this series in style: By dominating an overmatched opponent in the Ottawa Senators to improve to a remarkable 8-0 in playoff clinchers in their history. They also raised their home record in the Cup Final to a perfect 6-0. Not too shabby.

So, what happened here? Pretty much the same thing that took place for most of this series. As it turned out, Randy Carlyle’s club just had too much physicality and grit for ex GM/coach Bryan Murray’s Sens. The Ducks’ plan of going after Ottawa’s D with an aggressive forecheck worked perfectly. In particular, they pounded Wade Redden and forced him into several bad turnovers. The key Ottawa puckmoving defenseman never looked comfortable during this series rushing several passes and blowing a few coverages which led directly to goals against.

Along with Redden never looking in synch, top pivot Jason Spezza did absolutely nothing thanks in large part to the effective work of the Sami Pahlsson checking line flanked by Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen. But also, considering the dynamic young forward couldn’t produce more than a couple of secondary assists and no goals, you have to wonder about his battle level. He was too easily taken out of this series as was linemate Dany Heatley, who scored his only goal in a 3-2 Game 4 loss and was only effective in that one.

That’s why the Ducks skated away with the Cup so easily Wednesday night- delivering the first ever Cup to the state of California.

Only one team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a Cup and it was way back in 1942 when the Maple Leafs turned the trick against the Red Wings.

In order for the Senators to have had any chance, they needed a much better start than they had. Instead of coming out quickly and taking it to the Ducks, they lost their discipline resulting in the game’s first goal by Andy McDonald just as a five-on-three expired.

After defenseman Tom Preissing went to the box for interference, Anton Volchenkov complicated matters by hooking a Duck with 15 seconds left on the original penalty. They paid the ultimate price when Ryan Getzlaf worked the puck to McDonald at the right circle, who wisely fired a quick wrister which surprised Ray Emery going through the wickets at 3:41 before a raucous crowd. It was McDonald’s fourth goal in the last three games.

Much of the rest of the opening period was a defensive battle as each team struggled to get shots through. In fact, they combined for only eight total shots with Anaheim holding a 5-3 edge.

The Sens did get a couple of opportunities on the power play to tie it. However, they had no success coming close just once with a narrow miss from in tight. It would comeback to haunt them. Seconds after Corey Perry got out of the box, he made a great play by kicking a loose puck to teammate Rob Niedermayer, who then outskated the Sens down the right wing before flipping a backhand which trickled off Emery’s pad into the net for a two-goal lead at 17:41.

It was the second goal of the stanza which the Ottawa netminder would’ve loved to have back which explains what kind of night it was. Entering the game, the second-year goalie had been rock solid in the series despite the 3-1 hole. He just never got much support.

For most of the second, it looked like the two goals would be plenty given how well Anaheim was playing defensively. But Ottawa finally brokethrough thanks to their captain Daniel Alfredsson, who took a nice one-touch Peter Schaefer pass in the slot and wristed one past the outstretched glove of Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

The goal sliced the deficit in half with 8:33 left and energized his team. They started taking the play finally to Anaheim by putting together a couple of inspired shifts. Before they could get the game tied, a boneheaded play turned into a backbreaker. Maybe it was more stunning than boneheaded depending on how you viewed it.

With the puck behind his own net, defenseman Chris Phillips was pressured by Rob Niedermayer into a hockey cardinal sin. He accidentally carried the puck and lost control of it off the back of Emery’s skate for a shocking gift. Travis Moen got credit for the unassisted tally at 15:44 to restore a two-goal lead. As it turned out, it wound up being the Cup deciding goal.

Less than two minutes later, Alfredsson made it interesting again with an awesome individual effort to score an unassisted shorthanded goal. He streaked down the right wing and blasted one top shelf to cut it to 3-2 with 2:22 left. It was his fourth goal in the last three games and playoff-leading 14th.

You would’ve thought that would’ve been enough to inspire his team. However, during the same penalty kill, they allowed a crushing power play goal to Anaheim defenseman Francois Beauchemin only 50 seconds later. Beauchemin took a quick McDonald drop pass and slapped one which beat Emery through traffic to give them a 4-2 lead headed to the locker room just 20 minutes away from their ultimate destiny.

If there was ever any doubt, Moen put it to rest when he neatly deflected home captain Scott Niedermayer’s point shot for his second of the night off a Pahlsson faceoff win to make it 5-2 at 4:01 of the third.

Over three minutes later with Anaheim on a PP, Antoine Vermette made a great defensive play at his own blueline to get in on Giguere shorthanded before being taken down drawing a penalty shot. On it, he tried to go to the backhand on a deke but lost control of the puck in tight pushing it wide- slapping it against the boards in complete frustration. Could you blame him?

The Sens mounted no other threats as the Niedermayer-led Ducks played splendid defensive hockey not much different from the surprising Conn Smythe winner’s former team in New Jersey. They allowed only 13 Senator shots to get through, making Giguere’s night fairly routine with just a paltry 11 saves.

Another Ottawa turnover led to the exclamation point from Perry. Rushed by a forechecking Ryan Getzlaf, Alfredsson tried a dangerous pass in front of his own net to Volchenkov but it was a little off allowing Perry to step into a rocket for his sixth of the postseason. It was the Ducks’ third unassisted goal of the night.

As time wound down, an emotional Teemu Selanne cried tears of joy. The 36 year-old Finnish Flash had waited 15 years for this moment. One one of the game’s great finishers and perennial good guys won’t soon forget as he lifted the Cup. It was just very nice to see his reaction along with many of his teammates who had never tasted the champagne before aside from their captain.

But maybe the best moment was older brother handing the Cup to younger bro as Scott handed it to Rob to start off a hockey tradition. How often do you get to win such a unique trophy with your own flesh n’ blood? It’s about as cool as it gets.

And believe us. Rob had plenty to do with why his team came out on top. You even could’ve made a case for the other Niedermayer taking home the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP because he along with his checking linemates were that good.

Instead, his gray bearded older brother who finished with 11 points (3-8-11) this postseason. So what was the reaction to becoming just the ninth defenseman to win the prestigious award and being able to hand the Cup to his brother? Here’s what the affable 33 year-old four-time Cup winner had to say:

“I was a little surprised. We had a handful of candidates. I was out there trying to do my thing, whether it was playing good solid defense, blocking a shot, helping out on offense. I’m thankful I was out there to help the team and not really thinking about an award like this.“

“You don’t really dream of passing it to your brother. I never have. To be able to do that is definitely a highlight of my career. … He’s one of the assistant captains, maybe not quite the seniority, but I figured I’d use my rank as captain to make that decision. I thought it would be pretty special to be able to do that.“

It sure was. His very excited brother certainly returned the favor offering high praise:

“He’s won so much, but he’s never been a guy who’s ever rubbed it in a guy’s face. He’s been rooting for me my whole career, and I’m just lucky to have him as a brother. … When he passed me the Cup like that, it was unbelievable. I don’t think I’ll ever have a better feeling than that in my career. When he came here, I know he turned down a lot from New Jersey and he had a lot of fond memories there.“    

Just wonderful stuff from the pair who became the first brother duo to lift the trophy since Brent and Duane Sutter accomplished it with the 1983 Islanders. Not bad company!

Congrats to the Niedermayers, Selanne and the entire Anaheim organization on winning it all. They proved to be the best team in this postseason, finishing an impressive 16-5.

The scary aspect is that they should have most of their core intact. The biggest question is whether Selanne will retire or stick around? He scored 48 goals and played the game at a very high level. The good news for the Ducks is that kids such as Getzlaf, Perry and Dustin Penner will only get better which is bad news for the rest of the league. Just wait till Bobby Ryan gets there.

Will Giguere be back? That remains in limbo as the former Conn Smythe winner can become a UFA in less than a month. He should be in high demand after another great playoffs. If not, Ilya Bryzgalov would take over in net.

We’ll see.

For Ottawa, it’s back to the drawing board. They had a wonderful run but ran into a machine. Some of their key players as noted above fell short in terms of the yeoman effort needed to win the Cup. Hopefully, they’ll learn from this and be back. But the competition promises to be very tough with the Penguins, Sabres, Rangers and Devils all looking to be in the mix next season.

Here are our final thoughts:

1.There were only 31 total shots in Game 5 with Anaheim outshooting Ottawa 18-13. 31 shots and eight goals including 6-for-18 that went in for the opportunistic Ducks. Very odd.

2.All three of Anaheim’s penalties came in the first as they silenced Ottawa’s PP which was blanketed. The Ducks meanwhile connected twice in six tries despite giving up Alfredsson’s shorthanded goal.

3.A strong case could’ve been made for McDonald for the Smythe as the dimunitive playmaking center was terrific in this series finishing with five points (3-2-5) in his last two games. He got half his goals (10) and points (14) in this series finishing an impressive 5-2-7.

4.Two other worthy candidates were Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer, who along with Moen teamed up to stifle opponents all throughout their run. Against the Ducks, Niedermayer finished with a goal, two assists and a plus-four rating while Pahlsson was 1-1-2 and an identical plus-four. Their underrated linemate Moen notched three goals in the series and finished plus-three, meaning that the shutdown trio combined for five goals, three assists for eight points and an impressive plus-11 while limiting Spezza and Heatley to three total points and a combined minus-five rating- forcing Murray to shift Alfredsson to the Mike Fisher line. In fact, Spezza only registered a pathetic five shots the entire series.

So how did the Anaheim shutdown line finish this postseason?

Niedermayer: 5-5-10, +9

Pahlsson:      3-9-12 +10

Moen:           7-5-12  +5 

Total: 15 goals, 19 assists, 34 points, +24 

Looking at what they did, it seems odd that Scott Niedermayer won. I would’ve given it to either Rob Niedermayer or Pahlsson, who took many key draws and won a bunch.

5.In defeat Fisher notched an assist on Alfredsson’s first goal of the night. The two-way pivot had a solid series finishing with two goals and two assists for four points. Though he did finish minus-two, he was one of Ottawa’s most effective forwards at even strength and competed extremely well. Spezza could learn a lot from his gritty teammate.

6.With three helpers in the series, Selanne quietly wound up with 15 points (5-10-15) this postseason. He was especially clutch in the Ducks’ comeback against Detroit totaling all six of his points in the final three games- all wins. In fact, nine of his 15 points came in the final 8 games. He certainly fit in well with McDonald and Chris Kunitz, who returned from an injury tonight to skate with the Cup.

7.Two other solid performers were Getzlaf (2-2-4) and Perry (2-4-6) but it was Perry who finished with points in his last three and got better. Along with Game 4 hero Dustin Penner (1-2-3), the young trio was extremely effective this postseason:

Perry:     6-9-15   +5

Getzlaf:  7-10-17  +1

Penner:  3-5-8      +4

Total: 16 goals, 24 assists, 40 points +10
8.The Sens did win the physical battle according to the stats, outhitting the Ducks 33-23 including a game high six from Fisher while the trio of Getzlaf, Scott Niedermayer and Pahlsson paced Anaheim with three each.

9.One of the reasons not many shots were taken was the amount of turnovers in this game which meant a lot of neutral zone play and made for an ugly game.

Takeaways/Giveaways

Ott: 6/25     -19

Ana: 10/20   -10 

10.The other reason the Sens couldn’t get shots through. The Ducks blocked 16 including a game best five from a returning Chris Pronger. The Sens got in the path of 10 but none came from Volchenkov who wasn’t as effective the last two games.

Missed shots:

Ott: 16 BS + 16 MS = 32

Ana: 10 BS + 6 MS = 16 

Game 5 Note: Ottawa only had 13 shots which got through. 

Here are our three stars:

3rd star- Rob Niedermayer (goal, 2 hits, 2 takeaways, +3 rating in 18:18)
2nd star- Sami Pahlsson (assist, 4 SOG, 3 hits, 11-8 draws, +3 rating in 17:44)
1st star- Travis Moen (2 goals on 2 SOG, 100 pct., +2 rating in 17:50)

Conn Smythe Winner- Sami Pahlsson

This concludes our 2007 exclusive NHL playoff coverage. We hope you enjoyed it and wish your teams plenty of luck this offseason.

Enjoy the summer! 

Tonight, the Anaheim Ducks look to win their first ever Stanley Cup when they play host to the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 from The Pond.

The question is how will the Sens respond down 3-1? Will they fight a la Edmonton last year, who eventually forced a deciding Game 7 before falling to Carolina? We’ll see.

History certainly isn’t on Ottawa’s side. Only the 1942 Maple Leafs rallied from this deficit to win the Cup. So are the Sens capable? Certainly. But they’ll need a much better effort from Jason Spezza and Wade Redden to have a chance to force a Game Six back in Ottawa.

Aside from the big game, there was some not so surprising news coming from Long Island about the Islanders finally coming to their collective senses and buying out failure Alexei Yashin. It will cost club owner Charles Wang more than $17 million. Though the captain helped get the Isles to four postseasons in the last five years, he never showed the leadership necessary to lift his team past the first round:

TONIGHT’S SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Game 5: Senators at Ducks, 8 p.m. on NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL RADIO (ANA leads series 3-1)

THE TOP STORIES

DUCKS LOOKING TO CAPTAIN FOR CUP-RAISING VICTORY
Rich Hammond writes in the LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, “One victory away from their hockey dream, 19 players will follow one teammate tonight, the gray-beard Duck who has lifted the Stanley Cup three times and doesn’t flinch in the face of pressure. Scott Niedermayer approaches a playoff game the way a gardener approaches a weed-pulling job. He grimaces a bit, shrugs a lot and just wants to finish the task. Maybe when it’s done, he will allow himself a small smile of satisfaction, and that moment could come tonight after Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. One more victory and the Ducks will eliminate the Ottawa Senators and bring the Cup to California for the first time. If it happens at Honda Center tonight, Niedermayer, the captain, will lift the Cup first.”

SENATORS NEED TO SHAKE OFF TIGHT GAME JINX
David Naylor writes in the GLOBE AND MAIL, “The Ottawa Senators devoted an awful lot of time and attention this season to being prepared for the tight, low-scoring games that are so common during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Yet it is exactly those kinds of games that have them down 3-1 heading into tonight’s fifth and potentially deciding game in Anaheim. ‘That was the thing that was really good for us in the second half of the year, in early rounds, if we were even or down a goal going into the third period, we felt we were in pretty good shape,’ Ottawa coach Bryan Murray said. Ottawa’s 0-3 record in one-goal games during the Stanley Cup final brings back ghosts of problems the Senators faced last season and much of the early part of this one.”

SENATORS LOOKING FOR THEIR OWN DON METZ
Roy MacGregor writes in the GLOBE AND MAIL, “There are a number of names on the nightly ’scratches’ – players eligible to play but not dressed – the Ottawa Senators hand to the official scorer. But nowhere is Don Metz to be found. Metz, of course, would be 91 now if he were still playing, but if some modern equivalent of the sleek and slim winger from Wilcox, Sask., could lace them up for tonight’s fifth game of the Stanley Cup final, there might be a chance. Metz, history will show, did not dress for the first three games of the 1942 Stanley Cup final. His Toronto Maple Leafs were down three games to none against the powerful Detroit Red Wings and seemed almost certain to be swept in four.”

SECOND CONN SMYTHE IN GIGUERE’S FUTURE?
Elliott Teaford writes in the LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, “Last time, he took them within a game of the Stanley Cup championship. This time, they have taken him within a game of Lord Stanley’s mug. Last time, tears rolled down his cheeks after the New Jersey Devils defeated the Ducks in Game 7 of the Finals at East Rutherford, N.J. This time, what could be the decisive Game 5 is at the Honda Center. Last time, goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere skated away with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2003 playoffs. This time, Giguere could skate off with the Stanley Cup and perhaps the Conn Smythe Trophy, too. But…”

DUCKS’ BEAUCHEMIN DELIVERS WHEN NEEDED
Larry Wigge writes on NHL.COM, “Francois Beauchemin has proved that he is more than just an afterthought from the 2005 blockbuster deal that involved (Sergei) Fedorov. Now, when the 6-foot, 210-pound Beauchemin looks to his right he usually sees Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Scott Niedermayer. Not bad for a guy who was cut by Montreal, trimmed by Columbus and scratched from the lineup when he first arrived in Anaheim. ‘I’ve surprised myself, actually,’ said Beauchemin. ‘So I must have surprised somebody else, too.’ Despite the prevailing out-of-nowhere implications, Beauchemin was on the Ducks’ radar before the deal was consummated.”

QUICK HITS
– Terry Frei profiles Ducks GM Brian Burke.
– Scotty Bowman on the challenges the Ducks face in Game 5.
– Jeremy Rutherford catches up with Blues prospect Erik Johnson.
– Shelly Anderson on the film “Mind-Body-Mask“, which profiles Bruins prospect Jordan Sigalet’s battle with MS.

MULTIMEDIA
View SI.Com’s photo gallery from the first four Stanley Cup games.

COVER UP FOR THE DRAFT
To assist your coverage of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the NHL PR department has prepared profiles and video features for the top-ranked prospects. These profiles are located under the “Latest News” section of the NHL’s media site.
– View the profile and video feature for London Knights forward Sam Gagner.
– 2007 NHL Entry Draft Celebration to offer a wide range entertainment to the Columbus community.
– John Meagher profiles draft prospect Angelo Esposito.

FROM THE BUSINESS DESK
In a first for all major professional sports leagues, the National Hockey League is partnering with Sling Media, Inc. around the company’s upcoming Clip+Sling technology. The NHL and Sling Media have signed an agreement whereby Sling Media’s Clip+Sling technology will enable all current and future Slingbox customers to clip and share live or recorded segments of NHL programming online with friends, family and others.

NHL AFTERNOON VIDEO THEATRE
Watch the top five plays from Game 4, featuring a goal by the Ducks’ Andy McDonald.

Final score: 3 2

Anaheim leads series 3-1. 

No Chris Pronger. No problem for the Ducks who are now just one win away from their first ever Stanley Cup.

For the second consecutive round in a crucial game, it didn’t seem to matter that one of the team’s top defensemen wasn’t in the lineup due to a one-game suspension for a cheap unpenalized hit- this time an undetected elbow which concussed Dean McAmmond forcing him to also miss tonight’s game.

That’s because Pronger’s teammates picked him up to silence a boisterous Scotiabank Place who was anticipating a tie series heading back to Anaheim. Instead, Randy Carlyle’s determined club improved to 2-0 without the former Hart/Norris winner by rebounding from a dreadful opening period in which they were outshot 13-2 to pull out the huge victory.

They can thank their goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere for keeping them alive after the first 20 minutes. Aside from giving up a last second power play goal to Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson on what was a brutal goalie interference call against Ryan Getzlaf, the 2003 Conn Smythe winner stood tall as his team struggled from the outset to stay out of the box by taking consecutive penalties. He made big save after big save to keep Ottawa off the scoreboard, allowing his teammates to gain confidence and find their game.

Giggy’s best stop was a flat out robbery of Dany Heatley point blank on a Jason Spezza feed. He supplied that kind of clutch goaltending when his team needed it.

Make no mistake about it. Bryan Murray’s club was ready to play and came out like a house on fire ready to pounce but the play of Giguere (12 first period saves) kept them off the scoreboard for the first 19:59 of the stanza. That’s when Getzlaf went to the box for a dubious penalty drawn by Ray Emery, who not only was outside the crease much like the Devils’ Martin Brodeur two rounds earlier on a deciding goal but embellished it by falling to the ice. It was the second dive by a Senator that period. On the game’s first shift, enforcer Chris Neil flopped to the ice on a Francois Beauchemin tap to draw a slashing call. Neil was public enemy No.1 due to an unpenalized high hit on Andy McDonald which Ducks’ GM Brian Burke claimed was every bit as dangerous as Pronger’s blow. He had a point.

In any event, getting back to the Getzlaf penalty which should really have been the Sens’ second unsportsmanlike conduct minor of the period as NBC’s Ray Ferraro and Brett Hull later confirmed, wound up costing Anaheim. Mike Fisher worked the puck down low to Peter Schaefer with seconds to go. Behind the net, Schaefer quickly centered for a cutting Alfredsson, who one-timed one past Giguere into the top portion of the net with one tick left sending the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Afterwards, an aggravated Getzlaf expressed his disgust to Pierre McGuire about the call before promising that his team would play well. Did they ever. They outscored the Sens 3-1 and outshot them 19-10 the rest of the way including 13-4 in the turning middle period. One which baffled us.

Where did Ottawa’s game go? Who knows? But they weren’t the same team and paid the price. The Ducks began to get their aggressive forecheck going and drew two power plays. But that was the one aspect of their game which wasn’t working. They went 0-for-3 with no shots for the night.

They might not have come close to scoring on one but right after their second was killed, top center Andy McDonald took a Todd Marchant feed in front and calmly beat Emery with a deke to tie it at 10:06. It was the start of a big game for McDonald, who finished with two goals and an assist factoring in on all three of his team’s goals.

The very next shift, he struck again on a beautiful end-to-end rush finishing it off by deking both Anton Volchenkov and Emery before tucking a backhand in to suddenly put his team up just a minute later. This was just a great goal by a very skilled player. He took a pass from Rob Niedermayer and then flew down the ice before notching his second of the night and ninth (third in last two games). How often do you see Volchenkov out of position? He’s been the best defensemen this postseason. He went down to try to block the shot but McDonald was patient enough to outwait him before beating Emery for a crushing goal to silence the Ottawa fans.

Most of the period, the Sens had nothing going for them. Unable to generate much, they struggled. In particular Anaheim captain Scott Niedermayer distinguished himself by playing extremely well defensively to anchor the blueline without Pronger. There’s a reason he’s won three Cups and a Norris and it was on display tonight.

If not for a gigantic glove save by Emery on Beauchemin off a three-on-two rush, it would’ve been 3-1 with under four minutes left. Rob Niedermayer made a perfect cross ice pass to Beauchemin, who had a lot of net to work with but the athletic Ottawa netminder somehow got his glove across to rob him leading to a well deserved loud ovation. If there was a player who deserved a better fate, it was Emery. None of the three goals were his fault and he made some huge stops to give his team a chance.
Receiving a lift from the big save as Doc Emrick accurately pointed out, the Sens finally showed some life to tie the game with two minutes remaining. That it came off the stick of Heatley was a great sign. With Murray switching his lines putting Alfredsson on Fisher’s line and subbing Patrick Eaves on Spezza’s, the strategy paid dividends on the tying goal. After getting a quick pass from Spezza at the side of the net, Eaves quickly found a wide open Heatley for a slam dunk for his first of the series. It was a terrific play by a player who replaced McAmmond.

The big play allowed them to escape tied after two but not before controversy involving Alfredsson. With the period coming to a close, he began to wind up for a final shot but as he turned his head, delayed and then fired the puck directly at Scott Niedermayer. Why he did it was uncertain. However, it was a gutless move by the Ottawa leader which only served to fire up their opponents who immediately came to their captain’s aid leading to a scrum with matching roughing minors being handed out to Fisher and Sami Pahlsson.

The officials couldn’t determine if it was intentional or not. So no penalty was given to Alfredsson. However, it sure looked like it on replays. Even HNIC’s Don Cherry who was an entertaining special guest during the second intermission with Hull and Bill Clement termed it “idiotic.”

There’s really not more that could be said. Could Alfredsson be suspended for Game 5? We’ll see.

The Sens had an early PP opportunity when Beauchemin went to the box giving them a 4-on-3. But they couldn’t capitalize. It would turn out to be their last really big opportunity to go ahead again.

Shortly after, another play started by McDonald resulted in the deciding goal by rookie Dustin Penner. He got the puck to Teemu Selanne, who then was somehow allowed to skate right through before finding Penner in front for his third. Why was he left uncovered? Because of an absolutely awful read by Wade Redden. He didn’t even bother to pickup Penner which led directly to the winner with 15:53 left.
All series, the Ottawa defenseman has struggled getting victimized on quite a few goals against. He’s yet to shed that soft label. Unless his team has a miraculous comeback from 3-1 down, Redden might be looked at as one of the goats in why a Canadian team once again might fall short in delivering the first Cup to the hockey starved country in 14 years.

The Sens and Ducks each managed six shots but only Anaheim got a primary scoring chance. If not for another brilliant glove save by Emery on Penner, the game would’ve been out of reach. He at least allowed his team one last chance to pull him for an extra attacker in the final 80-plus seconds to try to get it tied.

Ottawa though was only able to get one quality opportunity. With exactly a minute to go, Andrej Meszaros one-timed a slapper through traffic but Giguere still got it and didn’t allow a rebound.

As it turned out, that was it because Scott Niedermayer and his defensive teammates like his younger brother, Pahlsson and Travis Moen wouldn’t allow the Sens to recover the puck and get the shot they needed. Instead, the Ducks got a couple of clears and made life easier to finish off a well earned victory.

They’re now one game away. Game Five is back at The Pond Wednesday night.

Some quick hits:

1.Aside from no Pronger, the Ducks were without Chris Kunitz who sat out with an injury. Brad May was an unsung hero in this game drawing a penalty and also creating space for one of McDonald’s goals. The ex-Sabre logged 16 shifts (8:53 TOI), threw two hits and finished plus-one.

2.With Pronger out, Scott Niedermayer took 34 shifts (29:23) finishing minus-one with two blocked shots and two takeaways. Though he was on for a goal against, it wasn’t his fault as Getzlaf didn’t pickup Heatley late in the second. Aside from Niedermayer, Beauchemin saw extensive time getting a game high 31:40 and finishing plus-two. Though he struggled in the first, he picked up his game and was a factor, getting three shots, registering two hits, two takeaways and two blocked shots. He was a workhorse.

3.Heatley was much better in this game for Ottawa. Aside from scoring his first goal of the series, he registered a game high six shots along with three hits. He was dangerous most of the contest and easily could’ve had a hat trick if not for Giguere.

4.While Heatley showed up, Spezza again fizzled getting only one shot through. While he did have a secondary assist, the top pivot just didn’t do enough to make a difference. Especially considering the 22:07 he logged. When lesser skilled teammates such as Fisher and Schaefer do more on their shifts, that’s not a ringing endorsement.

5.Sean O’Donnell was solid in this game for Anaheim as well getting 31 shifts (23:54) while not making any glaring mistakes. The vet definitely did his part to give Anaheim a boost.

6.Both teams had plenty of hits in this one as they combined for 61 with the Ducks holding a 31-30 edge. They were paced by who else but the reliable two-way shutdown center Pahlsson, who registered five. At least four Ducks had three hits. Meanwhile, the Sens were led by the gritty Fisher, who had a game high nine. Teammates Volchenkov and Christoph Schubert chipped in with four apiece.

7.If Neil had a great Game 3, he didn’t distinguish himself tonight. Though the frequent Anaheim target drew two penalties, he only was credited with one hit in 20 shifts (10:02) and was on the ice for two goals against along with linemates Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly. They finished a combined minus-six.

8.The reliable tandem of Volchenkov and Chris Phillips also had a rough night finishing minus-four. When he was beaten on McDonald’s second, Volchenkov slammed his stick in frustration. The sad aspect was that he was one of the few who competed.

9.Each team finished with 13 blocked shots. Beauchemin led the Ducks with three while Volchenkov and Meszaros also had three each.

10.For the first time in the series, Ottawa won the faceoff battle 33-32. Their best was who else but Fisher, who won 11-of-19 draws. Why he wasn’t out there for a couple of critical faceoffs in the final minute is beyond us. It didn’t make much sense. Meanwhile, Getzlaf paced the Ducks by going 10-for-17. Pahlsson was .500 (12-12).

11.The Ducks are aiming to become the first NHL team from California to hoist the Stanley Cup. They’ll have three chances with two on home ice.

12.The Sens are in a hole but know it can happen. A year ago, another Canadian team was in the same exact deficit but Edmonton rallied to win the next two games before falling in Game Seven to Carolina. We’ll see what they’re made of Wednesday night.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Mike Fisher (assist, 2 SOG, nine hits, 11-8 on draws in 28 shifts)
2nd star- Dustin Penner (GW goal, 3 SOG, two hits, +1 rating in 13:52)
1st star- Andy McDonald (2 goals, assist, 3 SOG, +3 in 16:55)

Final score: 3 5

Anaheim leads series 2-1.

If you tuned into this game on NBC, then you know how exciting it was to watch. Badly needing a compelling game which could help give this Cup Final a boost, that’s exactly what the league got last night up in Kanata, Ontario in a topsy turvy seesaw affair which a desperate Sens’ team cameback to pull out by scoring the last three in their two-goal Game 3 victory to get within a game of squaring the series.

It didn’t come easy for Bryan Murray’s club, who battled back three different times from one-goal deficits before taking control the final 24-plus minutes after Daniel Alfredsson’s mysterious deflection off his skate which was ruled “no goal” on the ice was overturned for a key power play goal which tied it 3-3 at 16:14 of the second.

Trailing by one after Ryan Getzlaf’s rebound of a Dustin Penner rebound less than nine minutes prior, the Sens drew consecutive power plays against Anaheim and caught a huge break on their team captain’s first goal of the series. The play from the outset was odd as Wade Redden’s left point shot went off Scott Niedermayer’s stick right to Alfredsson who had the puck go off his left skate with it in motion towards the net. Referee Dan O’Halloran was animate that it wasn’t a goal which meant any video review would have to conclusively prove otherwise to reverse his call.

It’s really hard to buy it because as the NBC tandem of Ray Ferraro and Brett Hull (who knows about controversies and benefited from one ironically enough) referenced, the Rangers’ Karel Rachunek had a similar goal wiped out against Buffalo in Game 3 of the EC Semis. What’s even more amazing is that that was ruled a goal on ice and looked a lot less like a distinct kicking motion than what we witnessed Saturday night.

Where’s the consistency? That’s the biggest problem with the NHL. As Ferraro accurately pointed out, that’s what makes the rule so confusing. The players just don’t know.

When does it get fixed? Maybe after the officials remember that cheap hits like the one Chris Pronger put on Dean McAmmond aren’t supposed to be part of the game. Especially blatant elbows which knock out players and could have caused a concussion. Fortunately for his team, the ex-Devils property was okay.

That’s also the same Pronger who got suspended a game against Detroit for a hit from behind on Tomas Holmstrom in which he and teammate Rob Niedermayer boarded the winger with Niedermayer getting a major while the defenseman received zilch. So, will the league have the audacity to suspend Pronger for Game 4? I doubt it.

It was all the more fitting that McAmmond wound up getting the winner late in the second. The former Devil property (played for Albany during lockout season in ‘04-05) took an Oleg Saprykin feed along the wall and centered for a cutting Christoph Schubert in front. The puck went off Chris Pronger’s stick and in to give Ottawa its first lead with 1:26 remaining.

Ottawa carried the momentum into the final stanza and outshot Anaheim 7-3, outplaying by a wide margin. Continuing to take the play to the Ducks with a more aggressive forecheck down low, they would get a huge insurance tally from blocked shot machine Anton Volchenkov. Chris Kelly (2 assists) worked the puck to Antoine Vermette behind the net, who then centered for a cutting Volchenkov, who in turn buried the big goal at 8:22 sending the Senator sea of red into a frenzy.
They would never look back.

A little earlier, Ray Emery made his biggest stop of the night by diving across to rob Todd Marchant on a shorthanded breakaway. Though the second-year netminder only made 19 saves and gave up two so/so goals, it was a clutch save which allowed his team to have confidence.

They now know they can compete with the Ducks in this series and engage them in the corners. If Game 4 is anything like Saturday’s, it should be a barn burner.

When you have players going at it after whistles (Mike Fisher on Getzlaf and Jason Spezza and Sami Pahlsson plus Chris Neil ready for any challenge) and mixing it up, it makes for an even more intriguing series. The intensity was definitely ratcheted up by the Sens who drew on their capacity crowd’s energy to fight back and show plenty of resiliency in sticking with the gameplan to get the ‘W.’

Now Monday becomes big!

A few quick hits:

1.Spezza did compete better tonight as pointed out by NBC reporter Pierre McGuire but no points and no shots won’t get it done the rest of this series. He and Dany Heatley were both shutout in this game. They can’t rely on the secondary scoring. Tonight, they came through and picked them up.

2.Fisher was great in this game. He won’t get a star but he really was the player who sparked his club with an inspired shift along with linemate Peter Schaefer to change the momentum in the first and lead to Neil’s tying goal. Every one of his 22 shifts (17:40 TOI), something seemed to be happening. Whether it was one of the underrated two-way pivot’s game high five hits or some great cycling and competitiveness along the wall, he really played big tonight. That’s why it’s not a surprise he got rewarded for his hard work by redirecting a Volchenkov point shot for Ottawa’s second goal 27 seconds after Corey Perry scored. He played big tonight.

3.How weird was the night for Spezza? At one point, after he and Pahlsson went to the box for matching roughing minors, the top line center had to wear scratched teammate Patrick Eaves’ No.44 jersey for a shift out of the box due to his No.19 jersey getting torn. The bizarre shift made commentators Doc Emrick and Ed Olczyk ponder if they’ve ever seen that happen before. Our guess is no.

Speaking of odd, how else would you explain Getzlaf forgetting to be out there for a draw which made it 4-on-5 at even strength and led directly to Fisher’s tying goal?
4.Showing an improvement in physicality, the Sens won the hitting battle 32-26 with Fisher and Neil each paving the way with five thumping bone crushers including a beauty by the Ottawa enforcer on Sean O’Donnell. Neil also was a big factor in this one. Aside from tallying his second of the postseason, he was all over the ice earning extra ice-time (10:39). His positive energy rubbed off on teammates.
5.While they might’ve fallen short on the scoreboard, the young trio of Penner, Getzlaf and Perry played a terrific game- combining for both Ducks second period tallies and six points. All three were very active on their shifts and created havoc. In particular, Getzlaf and Perry were dominant at times looking every bit like future stars.
6.In his first game back from a broken bone in his right hand, Chris Kunitz took just 10 shifts (4:13) before leaving the game and not returning. His status won’t be known for Monday probably until either later today or tomorrow.

7.Key stat of the night had Ottawa on the plus/side in the takeaway/giveaway column where they struggled the first two games out West.

Takeaways/Giveaways

Ana- 7/17     -10
Ott- 16/14     +2

8.Another significant change: Ottawa outshot the Ducks 29-22 tonight and registered 22 shots thru the first 40 as compared to only 16 total in their Game 2 shutout loss.

Sens’ Shot comparison:

Games 1-2: 36

Game 3:      29 

Note: The Sens also missed three more shots (11-8) than Anaheim while they blocked one more (9-8) than their opponents.

9.One area the Ducks continued to excel at was faceoffs. They went 38-for-63 (60 percent) in the faceoff circle with first period goalscorer Andy McDonald winning 10-of-11 draws.  Pahlsson meanwhile finished 12-for-26 while no Sen finished over .500 with Vermette going 9-for-19 while Spezza improved to a respectable 9-for-21.

10.Art Ross winner Sidney Crosby appeared during the first intermission. The Pen sensation became the youngest NHL captain last week when the team gave him the ‘C.’ HNIC’s Don Cherry will make his NBC debut Monday night. Don’t miss it!

Our three stars:

3rd star- Ryan Getzlaf (goal, assist in 18:19)
2nd star- Anton Volchenkov (goal, assist, 5 SOG, 3 hits, 2 blocked shots in 26:22)
1st star-  Chris Neil (goal, five hits, +1 rating in 17 shifts)

Things just continue looking skyward for the Anaheim Ducks. Already up 2-0 in their best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final series against the Ottawa Senators, they’ll most likely get back left wing Chris Kunitz for tonight’s Game Three set for 8 ET/5 PT on NBC when the series shifts to Scotiabank Place.

The undrafted 26 year-old out of Saskatchewan was cleared to play by the team doctor just three weeks after breaking a bone in his right hand. A solid skating two-way player who complements the top line of Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne well, Kunitz would be a huge addition to the Ducks if he returns tonight. That decision will be made by Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle after warm-ups.

Considering the big stage, expect the gritty underrated forward to suit up as his team tries to put a stranglehold on this series and pull within a game of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

In 11 games this postseason before the injury, he had a goal and five assists for six points. After injuring it in Game One of the Western Conference Final against Detroit, it was expected that he’d miss the rest of the postseason. Instead, Kunitz should be back which can’t hurt Anaheim’s chances.

If you’re the Sens, it’s just one more thing you have to overcome aside from the 0-2 deficit they find themselves in. History hasn’t been too kind to teams in this predicament. Only once in 30 tries has a team rallied from that hole after dropping the first two games on the road.

One thing they’ll need is better production from the top line trio of team captain Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. They’ve been shutdown at even strength by the Anaheim checking line centered by Selke candidate Sami Pahlsson. Aside from being neutralized, they’ve also gotten outplayed by Pahlsson and linemates Rob Niedermayer (can’t help but wonder how Devil fans feel seeing him outplay his brother) and Travis Moen (former Hawk which just goes to show why they’re the Hawks).

They’ve been guilty of turning over the puck and also gotten victimized twice for deciding goals late in the third period which can’t happen tonight. Spezza must be sharper in all facets. He makes that line go. This means crisper passes and smarter decisions with the puck. It wouldn’t hurt to win a few faceoffs either. He took it on the chin the other night losing 11 of 14.

So, can Ottawa bounceback here? The NHL is praying for it. Not only because the game is on NBC in primetime and probably won’t draw well but because they badly need it for what’s been an uneventful postseason. There haven’t been many compelling series. Outside of Vancouver’s seven game first round win over Dallas where sudden death was needed for a few contests with a couple of late conclusions, no other series has gone the distance.

The league could use a seven game series for the fourth consecutive Cup Final. Not only because of how the postseason has evolved but just to generate some interest from other cities. It was reported in an AP article earlier today that a majority of American media outlets aren’t sending reporters to cover the Final which is almost unheard of considering how big a sporting event it is. Looks like that lockout hasn’t exactly worked out the way Gary Bettman envisioned.

Only nine of 21 U.S. markets are covering it live. Translation: Uh oh.

Other markets are taking full advantage of a new telecommunication system the NHL has made available. Instead of coughing up the dough for cross journey flights, they’re using the resources made available for staff stories including press conferences by telephone. The league PR staff has also been emailing out transcribed quotes.

They certainly need all the press they can get. So it can’t hurt. It’s a desperate situation.

One thing which hurts the NHL is their idiotic 2-2-1-1-1 format. Who the heck wants to commit to all that travel if it goes seven? I recall an angry co-worker at my old job a few years ago who hated the fact Calgary lost to Tampa on Martin St. Louis’ Game Six OT winner which forced a deciding Game Seven all the way back on the East coast. One could certainly understand why. That kind of travel can be draining.

I believe it’s high time the league adopts the NBA Final more friendly format of 2-3-2. Why the heck not? Bettman has copies virtually everything else from his former boss David Stern since coming over to run the NHL. Hence the geographic names to the divisions dictated by location and expansion instead of sticking with tradition.

So what’s one more thing anyway? Better this than the league turning its collective back on the hardcore fan by adopting shootouts in future playoff games which exceed one overtime.

Don’t think it can happen? Anything’s possible. That’s where it’s at.

With an extra day off before they host Game 3, the Senators are looking to respond from the 0-2 hole they find themselves in against the Ducks. They can take solace knowing that it can be done. Anaheim won the next two against the Devils four years ago in a seven-game series in which the home team won every game.

In order for Ottawa to bounceback, they’ll need a much better game from the top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley.

Here were today’s key articles and info as the series shifts to NBC tomorrow night:

TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Ducks at Senators, 8 p.m. on NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL RADIO

DON CHERRY TO MAKE U.S. TELEVISION DEBUT FOR GAME 4
NBC Sports travels north of the border to Ottawa to drop the puck on its Stanley Cup Final coverage Saturday at 8 p.m. ET with Game 3 of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators, presented in high definition. NBC is broadcasting Games 3-7 of the Final in primetime. Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire call the action.

The NHL on NBC studio show will originate from the game sites and feature analysis from the NHL on NBC studio team of Bill Clement, Ray Ferraro and the outspoken Brett Hull. The crew will be joined on NBC for Game 4 by CBC’s Don Cherry. The pre-game show will be simulcast on NBCSports.com and fans can return to NBCSports.com for a complete post-game report.

2007 STANLEY CUP INFORMATION
– Stanley Cup Final media events.
– Stanley Cup Final schedule.

THE TOP STORIES

PAHLSSON A BIG PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
Terry Frei writes in the DENVER POST, “The way (Sami) Pahlsson is playing against the Ottawa Senators, stepping out of the relative shadows as one of the top defensive forwards in the NHL, to a higher-profile role on a possible Stanley Cup champion, he could be on the way to being the much-chronicled toast of Sweden in the offseason. Yes, ‘Sami’ Pahlsson. Not Peter Forsberg. Not Vancouver’s Markus Naslund and the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik. Not Detroit defenseman Nick Lidstrom. And perhaps not even Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators’ veteran captain seeking to be able to be the first player to hoist the Cup overhead after the final game of this series.”

SENATORS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MATCHUPS
Sherry Ross writes in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, “It won’t take long for the Ducks to realize they’re not in Disneyland anymore. Not only does every other passenger car seem to have a Senators flag flapping from one or more windows, but seemingly normal Canadian citizens are walking around in face paint and team tattoos – in broad daylight, miles and days away from tomorrow night’s Game 3 at Scotiabank Place. Home ice means more than sleeping in your own bed and having your crazy fans drown out the national anthems. For the Senators, it may mean a last chance to get back into this Stanley Cup Final series, or face an all-but-insurmountable 0-3 series deficit. The home team gets the last line change, which for these Sens could prove to be a lifesaver. Having the last change will mean Ottawa coach Bryan Murray will be able to force his opposite number Randy Carlyle’s hand.”

FAR FROM DOWN AND OUT
Chris Stevenson writes in the OTTAWA SUN, “History and Samuel Pahlsson are against them. It’s only been done once, losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup final on the road and then coming back to win. That was 36 years ago when the Montreal Canadiens lost the first two games in Chicago and came back to beat the Blackhawks in seven games. The Senators can’t do anything about history nor, it seems, about Pahlsson and the way the Ducks’ outstanding defensive forward and his linemates have shut down the Senators’ big line and found time to score both game-winning goals in Anaheim.”

YOUNG MAN AND THE ‘C’
Rob Rossi writes in the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, “Upon taking over as coach Dec. 15, 2005, Michel Therrien knew where the Penguins were ultimately going—wherever Sidney Crosby would take them. As one of his first official acts, Therrien made Crosby, then an 18-year-old rookie, an alternate captain. ‘The plan was to groom him,’ Therrien said. ‘It was a big plan at the time.’ Therrien’s grand plan to have his club’s best player gradually grow into the role of its unquestioned leader came to fruition Thursday when Crosby accepted the Penguins’ captaincy.”

NHL ENTRENCHED IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Vito Piliece writes in the OTTAWA CITIZEN, “While the Senators battle for the Stanley Cup in Anaheim, California, or here in Ottawa, broadcasts of the games, highlights and analysis are available to viewers at the click of a mouse anywhere in the world. In the past five months, more than 14 million viewers have accessed the NHL’s content on YouTube. Thousands of users of the MySpace social networking site have included the NHL as one of their ‘friends,’ and regularly visit the league’s page to watch video highlights and clips. Replays of games are available on Apple Inc.’s iTunes store and through Amazon.com’s Unbox portable video service, allowing fans to download highlights or entire games for as little as $4.99 U.S. and take their hockey with them. Further, thanks to the digital offerings, traffic to the NHL’s own webpage, www.nhl.com, was up by more than 62 per cent last month.”

QUICK HITS
– Michael Russo profiles Senators defenseman Tom Preissing.
– Larry Wigge looks at the impact the ‘03 draft is having on the Stanley Cup Final.
– Bruce Deachman on the Stanley Cup’s tales from the road.
– Michael Traikos on Canadiens goaltending prospect Carey Price.

COVER UP FOR THE DRAFT
To assist your coverage of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the NHL PR department has prepared profiles and video features for the top-ranked prospects. These profiles are located under the “Latest News” section of the NHL’s media site.
– View the profile and video feature for James vanRiemsdyk.
– TSN.CA looks at the prospects arriving for the NHL Draft Combine.
– Kevin Allen on the options the Blackhawks will have at the draft.
– Terry Jones on Keaton Ellerby.

2007 STANLEY CUP FINAL IMAGES NOW AVAILABLE ON IMAGE.NET
Among the many fans at this year’s Stanley Cup Final games between the Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators are some of the biggest names in television, movies and music, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Snoop Dogg, Jerry Bruckheimer, Cuba Gooding Jr., James Caan, Ray Liotta, Jerry O’Connell, Josh Lucas and Masi Oka. Visit image.net for photos of celebrities in attendance at each game of the Finals. All photos on Image.net are available for editorial use only and at no cost to media outlets.