14 Years In The Making

The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs have come to end. The Anaheim Ducks won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a 4-1 series win over the Ottawa Senators, and are the second team from the 1990 expansion wave to win the Silver Chalice (Tampa Bay was first). The Ducks played their best hockey during the Stanley Cup Final series, and, in doing so, earned the right to be called "NHL and Stanley Cup Champions".

Here's how the Ducks became Stanley Cup Champions in their short history.

In 1993, benefitting from the success of Wayne Gretzky's stay in Los Angeles and the thriving San Jose hockey market, California received a third NHL team as the Walt Disney Corporation was awarded an expansion franchise. Hockey traditionalists hated the choice of the name as Disney announced that the team would be called "the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim" after the Disney kids' movies. The team took up residence at the Arrowhead Pond, just a short distance east of Disneyland. The Ducks chose goaltender Guy Hebert of the St. Louis Blues as their first player ever in the 1993 Expansion Draft. Paul Kariya was selected 4th overall by the Mighty Ducks in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft as their first NHL draft pick. They created fairly recognizable jerseys that felt like you were watching a bunch of kids play hockey.

October 8th, 1993 saw the Mighty Ducks take to the ice for their first NHL game. The Detroit Red Wings pounded the Ducks 7-2 before an electric sellout crowd at the Pond. The Ducks finished their first season with a respectable 33-46-5, and won an expansion record 19 games on the road. The Ducks were a competitive team most nights, and even swept the two-game series with the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers.

After a four-month lockout to start the 1994-95 season, the Ducks struggled in their second season. However, Paul Kariya's first season in the NHL was a success as he totalled 18 goals and 21 assists. His team, however, finished with a record of 16-27-5, finishing in last place.

The 1995-96 season saw Paul Kariya's continuing emergence as a bonafide star in the NHL. Kariya tallied 50 goals and 58 assists to finish seventh in league scoring. The Mighty Ducks pulled off a monsterous trade this season to help compliment Kariya's scoring. The Ducks traded Chad Kilger and Oleg Tverdovsky to the Winnipeg Jets for Teemu Selanne. Selanne and Kariya clicked almost instantly as linemates, with Selanne scoring 36 points in 28 games after the trade. Unfortunately, the Ducks missed the playoffs by losing the tiebreaking scenario with Selanne's former team, the Winnipeg Jets. Even more unfortunate is the alternate jersey scenario. The alternate "Wild Wing" jersey that the Mighty Ducks introduced has been noted as one of the worst jerseys in the history of the NHL. Thankfully, it only last for this one season.

The 1996-97 proved to be a breakout season of sorts for the Mighty Ducks. Selanne led the team in scoring in his first full season as a Duck, posting 51 goals and 58 assists. Kariya scored 99 points despite missing 13 games. The Mighty Ducks posted a record of 36-33-13 for their first winning season in the NHL. They advanced to the playoffs to play the former Winnipeg franchise, now called the Phoenix Coyotes. The Ducks won their first playoff series over the Coyotes four games to three, and advanced to the second round to face the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings swept the young Ducks, but three of the four losses came in overtime.

The Mighty Ducks opened the 1997-98 season in Tokyo for the Game One Japan promotion against a west coast rival in the Vancouver Canucks. The Mighty Ducks were without one of their key players as Paul Kariya held out for a better contract. The Ducks and Canucks split the two games in Tokyo before heading back to North America. Without Kariya, though, the Ducks struggled. They got off to a 12-18-6 start before signing Kariya on December 22nd. 22 games later, Kariya's season ended with an injury, and the Ducks limped to a 26-43-13 record, missing the playoffs. What made matters worse was the introduction of both a home and an away alternate jersey. In partnering with Nike to create their jerseys, the "streamlined" jerseys were supposed to be an upgrade. They were certainly a regression in Mighty Ducks jerseys as the road alternate lasted only until the end of the 1998-99 season.

The 1998-99 season saw Kariya bounce back, posting 101 points alongside Teemu Selanne who posted 107 points. The Ducks posted a record of 35-34-13 for third place in the Pacific Division, and their second playoff berth. They were swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Detroit Red Wings being outscored 17-6 in the four games.

The 1999-2000 season saw Kariya and Selanne struggle for the first time. The Ducks played less-than-average hockey all season, and finished last in the division with a 34-36-12-3 record. The up-and-down story of the Ducks continued. They did keep their white alternate jersey for this season, but it would not be seen again once this season ended.

In 2000-01, Mighty Ducks management decided that last place was a great place to be, and traded away Teemu Selanne to the San Jose Sharks for goalie Steve Shields, winger Jeff Friesen and draft picks. The Ducks' struggles got worse after the trade when Paul Kariya was injured and missed 16 games. The Ducks finished with a 25-41-11-5 record, worse than the two new expansion teams, the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In 2001-02, the Ducks ended up in last place in their division again for the third consecutive season, posting a 29-42-8-3 record. The Ducks did pick up the pace a little in the second half as Jean-Sebastien Giguere emerged as the starter, going 20-25-6 with a 2.13 GAA. GM Bryan Murray also made a couple of bold moves after the playoffs, acquiring setup man Adam Oates through free agency and sniper Petr Sykora from New Jersey in a trade for Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky.

The Ducks started the 2002-03 season by hiring a new coach in Mike Babcock. Babcock was promoted from Anaheim's AHL affiliate in Cincinnati after going 74-59-20-7 in two seasons with the baby Ducks. The Mighty Ducks started the season with a 15-10-6-3 start, but management felt they needed to get stronger. Bryan Murray acquired Sandis Ozolinsh, Steve Thomas, and Rob Niedermayer, leading the team to its best finish ever at 40-27-9-6. The Ducks were one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season, and carried that momentum into the playoffs. The Ducks swept the highly-favoured Detroit Red Wings in the first round. Giguere stopped an incredible 165 of 171 shots in the series. The Ducks defeated the Dallas Stars, the number one seed in the Western Conference, four games to two in round two. The Ducks continued their brilliance in the Western Conference Final against the Minnesota Wild, sweeping the Wild while allowing only one goal in the four games played. The Mighty Ducks lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the New Jersey Devils in seven games, but Jean-Sebastien Giguere established himself as one of the premier netminders in the game by earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as NHL Playoff MVP. Things were certainly looking up for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

The 2003-04 season started with stunning news as Paul Kariya signed a contract with the Colorado Avalanche far below his market value to be re-united with Teemu Selanne. The Ducks decided to try and replace Kariya's scoring by signing long-time Detroit Red Wing Sergei Fedorov. However, the team struggled throughout the season and could not duplicate the success they had in the previous season. The Mighty Ducks finished the season with a 29-35-10-8 record. Giguere looked nothing like himself from a season before as he posted a 17-31-6 record with a 2.62 GAA. The Ducks also got onboard with the black jersey craze and introduced a brand new alternate jersey and logo. This alternate jersey and logo lasted until after the 2005-06 season.

In 2005, Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli of Irvine, California and his wife, Susan, bought the Mighty Ducks from The Walt Disney Company for a reported $75 million. The Samuelis pledged to keep the team in Anaheim, and worked to change the attitude and image of the Ducks' brand. Brian Burke, former Vancouver Canucks general manager and President, was appointed GM and Executive Vice-President of the Mighty Ducks on June 20, 2005.

After the lockout, the Mighty Ducks struggled out of the gate during the 2005-06 season. They had signed Teemu Selanne again, and picked up star defenseman Scott Niedermayer through free agency. Brian Burke hired Randy Carlyle to replace Mike Babcock as head coach. Sergei Fedorov continued to struggle as a Duck, and was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Tyler Wright and François Beauchemin. The deal revived the struggling franchise as they climbed back to .500 hockey by the end of November. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Chris Kunitz, Andy McDonald and Joffrey Lupul emerged as stars as they were promoted by Burke. After the Winter Olympic break, the Ducks won 10 of 13 games and looked unbeatable on most nights. The Ducks set a new franchise record for points with 98 and posted a franchise-best 43-27-5-7 record. The Ducks eliminated the Calgary Flames in seven games with career backup goalie Ilya Bryzgalov emerging as a star. The Ducks swept the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, winning Game Four 4-3 on four Joffrey Lupul goals. They advanced to face the Edmonton Oilers, but lost in five games. If you were a Ducks fan, you had seen this scenario before - great season followed by disappointment.

However, the 2006-07 season saw sweeping changes for the Anaheim franchise. Gone was the "Mighty" moniker. Eggplant colours were replaced by champagne, and new jerseys and a new logo were created. Brian Burke continued to make big moves, and he grabbed another stud defenseman via a trade. Burke dealt Joffrey Lupul, Ladislav Smid, a 2007 first-round draft pick, a 2008 second-round pick, and a conditional first-round selection to the Edmonton Oilers for Chris Pronger.

On November 9, 2006, the Ducks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-0 at General Motors Place in Vancouver to improve their season record to 12-0-4. The win set an NHL open era record by remaining undefeated in regulation for the first 16 games of the season, eclipsing the previous mark set by the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers.

On April 7, 2007, the Ducks won their first Pacific Division title ever as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the second-place San Jose Sharks in the Sharks' final game of the season. Anaheim set a new franchise record for points in a season with 110.

The Ducks entered the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild were outplayed from the start, and Anaheim won the series four games to one. The Vancouver Canucks fell to the same fate in the same number of games in the second round. The Ducks continued their masterful play as they bounced the Detroit Red Wings out of the Western Conference Final four games to two. The Ducks won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a 6-2 win over the Senators in Game 5 on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at the Honda Center. The Ducks became the first west coast team since the 1925 Victoria Cougars, to win the Stanley Cup.

Ok, so that's the NHL season done. The NHL Awards Night is upcoming, and the draft is but a mere 15 days away. I'll have more AHL coverage this week as the Calder Cup Finals between the Hamilton Bulldogs and Hershey Bears winds down. Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks, the 2007 NHL Stanley Cup Champions!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

- big thanks to nhluniforms.com for the images of the jerseys and the timeline!

The End Or The Start Of An Era?

Somebody finally came to their senses. According to TSN today, the New York Islanders have finally decided to buy out perennial big-money disappoinment Alexei Yashin. The cost might be high, but this is a step in the right direction for an up-and-coming Islanders team. Losing a guy who goes invisible for long stretches during the season, not to mention completely disappearing in the playoffs, will only help their young franchise. For a guy who has worn the captain's "C" for the Islanders' franchise, he was probably the worst on-ice leader in recent memory. In any case, Alexei Yashin's stay on Long Island is officially over.

The salary cap breakdown isn't that bad. Yashin had $26.45 million left on his 10-year, $87.5 million contract he signed after the team acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in 2001. Under the terms of the NHL collective-bargaining agreement, the Islanders can pay Yashin two-thirds of that amount, approximately $17.63 million, over the next eight years to buy him out. The team will still count $2.2 million of his salary under their cap over that same time period. Yes, they eat up eight years of $2 million dollars in salary. At the same time, you don't have a guy on your roster who isn't helping you win. You have to give to get.

Of course, Islanders' owner Charles Wang took the high-road in his comment on this decision.

"This decision was one of the hardest I have ever had to make," Mr. Wang commented. "The organization holds Alexei in the highest regard - as a player, as a teammate and as a person. He was part of the revival of the franchise at a time when we had not qualified for the playoffs for eight seasons. All of us at the Islanders wish Alexei nothing but the best as he continues his career."

Allow me to translate Mr. Wang's comments: "I had a tough time parting with that much money and getting no return," Mr. Wang commented. "The New York Islanders gambled on a Mike Milbury hunch that basically screwed us over. I was gullible enough to believe that trading Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt, and Jason Spezza would result in good things for our franchise with Yashin at the helm. I wish nothing but the best for Yashin as long as he's no longer with this team."

Ok, so that's a little harsh. However, if you talk to any Islander fan, I'm sure they would feel the same way. Alexei Yashin scored 119 goals and 290 points in 346 games for the Islanders. His best season came in 2001-02 when he notched 32 goals and 75 points in 78 games, leading the Isles back to the playoffs. However, in trading Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt, and a draft pick that turned out to be Jason Spezza for Yashin, I'd wager any amount of money that the fans would want a "do-over".

Last season, Yashin scored 28 points in his first 22 games under new head coach Ted Nolan. However, a sprained knee caused him to miss 24 games, and significantly lowered his scoring pace to 50 points in the last 58 games. In the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres, he failed to score a goal. You expect more from a leader and superstar earning the kind of money Yashin was making. A lot more.

Maybe the expectations were too high for Yashin. Maybe his injuries and his age caught up to him faster than expected. Or maybe he isn't worth the money that the Islanders threw at him. My guess is that it is the latter of the three choices. Whatever it is, he'll be selling his services at a discount through free agency now.

"The Islanders have treated me with the utmost respect," said Yashin. "I've always believed in the vision Charles Wang has for the organization and although I won't be a part of it, I believe that the team is headed in the right direction. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life."

A new chapter, indeed. Where ever he ends up, I would guess that he'll have to work extremely hard to shed all the negatives that come with his signing. My guess is that he'll stay in North America, but there's a good chance he could be signed by a Russian SuperLeague team much like Alexei Morozov was.

Whatever the outcome of this, Alexei Yashin's free ride in the NHL is over. From one era to the next, it's all about beginnings and endings, and this could be the end of Yashin's mediocre NHL career.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Lord Of The Ring

I'm sorry to the Ottawa Senators fans out there, but it is going to take an impressive three-game winning streak now for the Senators to be called "champions". I'm not saying it can't be done. It will take the will and determination that some people rarely find in order to win the Cup. However, Ottawa needs to keep its eyes on the prize, much like Frodo in the picture to the left. In any case, today's view is all about the rings that are worn by those who have won the hardest trophy in sports to win.

Henri Richard is the most-decorated hockey player in NHL history, having won 11 Stanley Cups during his 20-year career. The "Pocket Rocket" only has six rings to show for his efforts, having received other gifts in place of the missing championship rings.

Richard joked that the team used to give him turkeys. In reality, the 1959-60 Canadiens didn't get rings at all, and when they did get rings, the players covered half of the cost.

"The game today, things are heavy - not only the rings, but the money, as well," he said. "There's no doubt I'm proud to have those rings."

This is where I nearly choked. The cost of one ring for today's NHL Champions can cost between $4000 and $15000 - more than the gross domestic product of some African countries. That's a used car on the player's finger.

According to Rick Antona, vice-president and general manager of Diamond Cutters International, there are 80 to 150 rings made for each championship club, depending on the owner's wishes. The process to select a ring design and production is between three and six weeks. The actual manufacturing of the rings could take up to three months.

The tradition of awarding championship rings to players is as old as the Stanley Cup itself. When the Montreal AAA hockey club won the initial Stanley Cup in 1893, the seven players on the team were each given a ring by the club president.

So what makes the rings different? Why are they one-of-a-kind? How do they differ?

The 1893 Montreal AAA hockey club received these rings. They're nothing overly flashy, but the Montreal Hockey Club (MHC) certainly led the way for more elaborate ring designs.

The 1959 Montreal Canadiens received these rings. Note the "World Hockey Champions" that appears on the border of the ring, and the inscription of "Capt. M. Richard" above the Montreal Canadiens' logo.

The 1962 Toronto Maple Leafs received these rings. It's a fairly simple design, but the diamond appears on top of a Maple Leaf. The 1964 Maple Leafs actually wore the same rings, but with a "64" instead of a "62" on the right side.

The 1972 Boston Bruins received these rings. The Bruins also went with "World Champions" rather than "Stanley Cup Champions" as the Leafs did. The left side shows the Prince of Wales Trophy with "B. Orr" above it.

The 1984 Edmonton Oilers received this ring. The top just contained the name of the franchise. The left side of the ring shows the image of the Stanley Cup with the records in the four series they played to win the Cup. The right side of the ring shows the player's name and the team logo. I'm not sure what the carrot at the bottom means, but it must have some meaning. If you know, leave it in the comment section.

The 1986 Montreal Canadiens received these rings. Notice the top has both the French and English names for the Stanley Cup. The left side of the ring has the player's name, the team logo, and the player's number on it. The right side of the ring has the image of the Stanley Cup with the number of how many Stanley Cups the Canadiens have won on it. It also has the team name and the series' records listed.

The 1988 Edmonton Oilers received these rings. The Oilers opted for "Stanley Cup Champions" around the border of the ring this time. On the left side of the ring, you can see the Oilers' logo, and the player's name and number. The right side of the ring shows the team name and the image of the four Stanley Cups won by the team.

The 1993 Montreal Canadiens received this ring. They opted for just the year on the top of the ring. On the left side of the ring, you can see the team logo and the player's name and number (or, in this case, his name and position with the team). The right side of the ring has the team name, the Stanley Cup Finals logo, and the "24 together" inscription for the 24 Stanley Cups the team has won.

The 1995 New Jersey Devils received these rings. The words "Stanley Cup Champions" appear around the border of the ring again. On the left side of the ring, the name of the player and the team logo appear. On the right side of the ring, the Stanley Cup Finals logo and the team name appear.

The 1998 Detroit Red Wings received these rings for winning the Stanley Cup. The "Stanley Cup Champion" border is a fixture on this ring and the following rings.

The 1999 Dallas Stars received these rings. You can see the player's name on the left side of the ring.

The 2000 New Jersey Devils received these rings. Following the trend, the player's name appears on the left side of the ring.

The 2001 Colorado Avalanche received these rings for their Stanley Cup victory. You can see the year they won on the right side of the ring.

The 2002 Detroit Red Wings received this ring for their victory. The team name appears on the left side of the ring this time.

The 2003 New Jersey Devils received these rings for their Stanley Cup Championship. On the left side of the ring, you can see the image of the three Stanley Cups the franchise has won, including the year the Cup was won. The team name appears above the Cup images. On the right side of the ring, you can see the player's name and number, as well as Brodeur's personal win-loss record from the Stanley Cup Championship playoff years. The Stanley Cup Finals logo is featured in the middle of the right side.

The 2004 Tampa Lightning received this ring for their championship. On the left side, you can see the team name and the NHL logo. It appears they may also have the images of the Prince of Wales Trophy and the Stanley Cup on that side as well.

The 2006 Carolina Hurricanes received these rings for their Stanley Cup victory. It's a very nice ring, but I don't like the way the swirl around the Stanley Cup appears.

Anyway, there will be a new ring handed out to either the Ottawa Senators or the Anaheim Ducks this year. I'm sure it will rival the cost and look of some of the rings shown above. Either way, 22 players will have a used car parked on their fingers. Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Just Call Him "Le Saviour"

As I was reading through my emails this morning, I received an email from Tyler who had included a link to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette column written by Bob Smizik. I am not a regular reader of the Post-Gazette, but knowing how the fans of the Penguins are, I should start making it one of my daily rounds. In Mr. Smizik's column, he proposes that the city of Pittsburgh, in keeping uniform with the other heroes of the city's sports teams, should erect a statue in front of the new Pittsburgh arena that is slated to be built. Mr. Smizik makes some very valid points, and certainly has a case for Mr. Lemieux's inclusion into the Pittsburgh art community. However, I'll let you decide.

In any case, here is Mr. Smizik's article in its entirety as found in the Sunday, June 3 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and is entitled "Penguins need a statue to go with that new arena".

"By most accounts, all is going well with plans for the new arena that will be home to the Penguins.

The site has been selected, buildings are being cleared, plans are being developed. ICON Venue Group, of Denver, will oversee the design and construction. World-renown HOK, of Kansas City, Mo., is involved with the architecture.

Almost everything is covered.

Almost.

One more piece needs to be added to the mix.

A sculptor.

Without such an artist in place, the arena won't be complete. No sculptor, no statue.

And without a statue of Mario Lemieux in front of the building, no matter how grand the design, no matter how spectacular the finished product, Pittsburgh's new arena won't be complete.

The Penguins, of course, have more important things to worry about, such as getting the building done on time. Besides, there's a bit of an awkward situation involved. Lemieux is not only an owner of the team, but also a man whose modesty equals his hockey skills. It's understandable the team might be reluctant to talk about a statue, particularly at this point in time.

But there's no reason the subject of a statue honoring Lemieux shouldn't be on the table. It's an absolute necessity to make the building right. It should be finished and in place when the arena is finished. It shouldn't be hurried or late.

There is ample precedent in Pittsburgh.

Heinz Field has a statue of Art Rooney, the great founder of the Steelers. PNC Park has a statue of Honus Wagner, the Pirates' greatest player, at its home plate entrance, and statues of Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell on the Federal Street side.

The trend has been set, not that honoring Lemieux required one.

It's not just that no one has done more for hockey in Pittsburgh or for the Penguins than Lemieux. That's a well-known fact. The only athlete who played for a Pittsburgh sports team that is remotely comparable to Lemieux is Wagner, still regarded as the greatest shortstop in baseball history, despite having a career that began more than 100 years ago.

Wagner, whose statue originally stood in Schenley Park beyond the left-field wall at Forbes Field and was moved first to Three Rivers Stadium and then to PNC Park, might have matched Lemieux's accomplishments on the field of play - he won eight batting titles - but his contributions to the franchise are not comparable.

Baseball was going to be established in Pittsburgh whether the Pirates had traded with the Louisville Colonels for Wagner (the transaction involved 15 players and $25,000) on Dec. 8, 1899, or not.

But had the Penguins not done their worst late in the 1983-84 season in order to finish last and win the draft rights to Lemieux, there is ample reason to believe the franchise would be elsewhere or out of existence today.

By the sheer magic of his play, Lemieux fostered tremendous growth in the sport both from a playing and spectator standpoint. Little more than 20 years after his rookie season, Pittsburgh amateur hockey has reached the point it is regularly developing professional players, which would have been unheard of before Lemieux. From a spectator standpoint, all it takes is a decent team to draw a capacity crowd to Mellon Arena. In the pre-Lemieux days, when the Civic Arena had a capacity of fewer than 13,000, it was as much the rule as the exception that the building would be half full or less.

Lemieux changed all that and the culture of the franchise. He turned the Penguins from perennial losers to Stanley Cup champions.

He should be honored with a statue and, inside the arena, there should be a Hall of Fame area to honor the many players and people who built the franchise and made it great.

So what will the statue in front of the new building, perhaps to be named UPMC Arena, look like?

It could be the traditional hockey pose, with Lemieux slightly bent, stick crossed in front of him and ready to play.

Better still, Lemieux in full stride, head up, puck on stick with an imaginary goalie quivering in the distance.

Either would be good, but here's our favorite: A joyous and exhausted Lemieux hoisting the Stanley Cup.

What a sight that would be for future generations of hockey fans."

I agree with Mr. Smizik's last statement. Mario Lemieux has saved hockey in Pittsburgh twice, and twice delivered the Stanley Cup. I posted a little image I came up with during the Pittsburgh arena negotiations, and I think this says it all.

If you'd like to reach Mr. Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he can be emailed at bsmizik@post-gazette.com. Please be respectful if you disagree with his views. People respond better to a well-reasoned argument than an angry diatribe. If you support the idea, please leave a comment here as well. I'll look to forward on all comments, pro or con, to Mr. Smizik for consideration.

In any case, Mario Lemieux has done more for hockey in Pittsburgh than anyone else. I don't think that can be denied. And I think it is a fitting tribute if he should get his image carried on in bronze. Pittsburgh hockey fans, you deserve it as well. Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! And thanks for the email, Tyler!

A Much Better Effort

Last night's game between the Ottawa Senators and the Anaheim Ducks looked a lot more like the Senators of the 2007 NHL Playoffs. The Senators showed up, played hard, and won the game. There were a lot of little things that the Senators did right last night, and they were the same things that brought them success in the previous three series. For the first time in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Ottawa Senators dumped-and-chased as well as they had in any other game. This directly resulted in three of their five goals last night. The supporting cast showed up and played extremely well. If Ottawa can continue to play as well as they did last night in the rest the of the series, they have the capability to win the next three games in a row.

The Ducks, meanwhile, will be without the services of their stud defenseman, Chris Pronger. Pronger was suspended in the Detroit series for a forearm to the head, and he has been suspended for Game Four for those same actions. Here's the NBC version of the hit, called by Mike Emrick and Pierre McGuire.

Pronger's elbow/forearm clearly hit McAmmond in the head, and I commend Colin Campbell's decision to sit Pronger down for this headshot.

"This one took a lot of thought," Colin Campbell, the NHL's executive vice-president and director of hockey operations, said at a news conference. "It wasn't an easy one. It didn't jump out at us right away."

I admit that I didn't see it initially when it happened last night, but the replays were clear in Pronger's use of the arm on McAmmond's head. When asked if McAmmond would be ready for Game Four, Ottawa coach Bryan Murray responded with "McAmmond doesn't look promising". He is listed as doubtful, and reportedly lost consciousness after hitting his head on the ice. However, McAmmond did not receive a concussion which is extremely good news.

In a rather strange moment, it appeared that Patrick Eaves, a scratch for Game Three, appeared on the bench, fully-dressed for the game. He skated across the ice, and sat in the penalty box for Jason Spezza, who had received a roughing penalty on the previous play.

Senators center Jason Spezza had to borrow Eaves' jersey after Spezza's jersey was torn in a scrum with Ducks center Samuel Pahlsson. Spezza skated one shift with Eaves' jersey on before the equipment manager located another Spezza jersey in the Ottawa locker room.

"I’ve worn it before actually, in training camp, so it was pretty funny," Spezza said of wearing the #44 jersey. "If I would have, it would have been nice to have scored with Patty’s jersey on."

The Senators were very happy with their total team play. They got goals from five different players, and only one with the names of Alfredsson, Spezza, or Heatley.

"Every line played real well today," Alfredsson said. "I think as a team we needed to have a good effort and we got some big shifts from Fisher's line, Kelly's line with Neil and those guys. Cycling the puck - got a goal. If you do that, you'll be successful, no question. It was nice to see."

Bryan Murray also expressed his happiness with his team's response in the virtual must-win game of the series so far. "We hung in and we hung in and we played well," Murray said. "This group got beaten up a little early in the year. We've said that many times. They've gotten beaten up in some individual games. We've hung in, hung in, played well. Obviously, it's only one game. But I really like the way we responded."

Ottawa’s grinders struck pay dirt as new daddy Chris Neil, whose wife gave birth to the couple’s first child on Friday, celebrated the happy moment in style, tying the game at 1 for Ottawa.

"It was like a roller-coaster ride, waiting in line especially at the hospital," said Neil, who missed practice Friday to attend the birth. "But just my wife is a trooper and it was amazing. I can't say enough. I knew where I had to be. It was amazing. You can't put words behind that. You just watched your baby being born. I can't say enough about it."

Hailey Neil weighed in at 6 lbs. and 10 ounces. Congratulations to the Neil family on their addition!

If the Senators can keep this up, this series should be tied after Game Four. They looked good, and responded well. Game Four goes Monday, June 4 at 8pm ET, and is available on NBC and CBC. Looking forward to another solid game! Until then, keep your sticks on the ice!