Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 3.34

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So I’m sure everyone knows situations like these. Something is said about someone else; that person takes it right out of context and then before you know it you have major drama on your hands founded on virtually nothing. Why just this week I had a situation like that myself – I’ll tell you, you lose more friends that way – and so to did the Maple Leafs. When the Anaheim Ducks lost to the Dallas Stars in their first round playoff match up, speculation regarding Brian Burke as the next general manager of the Maple Leafs reached lofty new heights.

By Tuesday, as far as many media members were concerned, the redecoration of the GM’s office at Air Canada Centre complete with a fresh green coat of paint and Irish Spring soap in the executive bathroom might as well have been underway. It was even thought that Ivan Fecan, an MLSE board member and CEO of CTV, had offered to ensure Burke’s wife Jennifer – a broadcaster in Vancouver – be given a television job in Toronto. Wow talk about a story snowballing out of control.

Finally on Wednesday, Burke himself made it clear he isn’t going anywhere. Now with Burke out of the picture for at least a year, some are suggesting the Leafs stick with Cliff Fletcher next season before trying once again to lure Burke once his contract with the Ducks runs out, a notion that is indeed absurd. You cannot go through the season, essentially putting the franchise on hold, using a placeholder GM in hopes of attracting Burke again next year. There are numerous other candidates that would do a fine job. It seems some people are operating under the belief that Brian Burke equals Stanley Cup, and that’s just certainly not the case. The Maple Leafs can and will have to move forward without Burke leading the way, and if you’re a Leaf fan, you better hope they’ve been exploring other options. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 3.33 - Featuring Andy Frost

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For almost five games against the Boston Bruins, it appeared that Carey Price was ready to make like Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy and lead the storied Montreal Canadiens through the playoffs to a place they haven’t been since 1993. However, late in game five, Price made his first mistake attempting to keep the play alive. Instead, Glen Metropolit pounced on the loose puck after Price had tossed it back into play, scoring the eventual game winning goal. Boston would score three more times against a clearly rattled Montreal netminder.

In game six, despite the Canadiens loss, Price was solid but still did let in five goals. At just twenty years of age, Price is dealing with the immense expectations of playing in a hockey crazed city desperate for a long playoff run. All quite a bit to handle for such a young man. However, throughout the regular season and early part of the playoffs, it looked that if anyone could handle these expectations, it would be Carey Price. Mature beyond his years and seemingly unflappable, Price’s play was so strong that it prompted the trading of Cristobal Huet.

You know that the at-times vicious and relentless Montreal media will continually bring up Price’s gaffe should the Canadiens go onto lose this series after being ahead 3-1. The fact is though that the Canadiens, since taking that 3-1 lead, have not been the same team and little of that has to do with Price. Twenty six times the Canadiens have been ahead 3-1 in a playoff series and twenty six times they have closed the deal. Only because its Montreal does this scenario exist but because of his one glaring individual error, the spotlight will be focused on Carey Price in game seven. Although with everything we’ve seen from Price in his rookie season, don’t be surprised if writes himself back into the good books of Montreal Canadiens fans.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 3.32

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Even when the Senators beat the Maple Leafs, the Maple Leafs really still beat the Senators. With a playoff spot still very much in jeopardy when they came into Toronto to play their penultimate game of the regular season, the Senators responded with a convincing 8-2 trouncing of the Leafs, locking themselves into a playoff spot. In the playoffs, yes but after what they lost along the way, really not a hope of competing. Already reeling down the stretch, Mark Bell tagged both Mike Fisher and Daniel Alfredsson with clean hits that carried long term consequences. Clean hits, I should say, in the opinion of most people. Fans in Ottawa seem to prefer the hits of the dirty variety using elbows and high sticks care of Chris Neil.

With Alfredsson and Fisher in suits instead of hockey sweaters to start the playoffs, Spezza and Heatley have been asked to carry the load and so far they’ve been anything but impressive. Not to worry though, just look to the secondary scoring options. Oh that’s right, Bryan Murray never addressed that issue which became ever so apparent in last year’s Stanley Cup Final.

Against the Penguins, the Senators look simply overmatched in all areas of the game. The 42 year old Gary Roberts is bringing back memories of better days in Leaf land when he would run rampant over the Senators in the playoffs. Wade Redden, don’t be afraid to battle for the puck behind your net. Where’s that toughness it was clear the Senators needed after last year? Yeah, didn’t get that addressed either. Chris Neil, yeah clearly not the answer…he doesn’t scare anybody who is actually tough.

So not to say that the Senators would beat the Penguins if Fisher and Alfredsson in the lineup, there are still clearly serious issues on this team that go far beyond the absence of Fisher and Alfredsson. Safe to say though, they’d be a bit more competitive with them. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.

Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 3.31

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So who isn’t happy to see the Washington Capitals get a shot at the post season? After starting the year with a discouraging six wins in their first twenty one games which led to the firing of head coach Glen Hanlon, it looked like it was going to be yet another season of spinning the wheels for the Washington Capitals. Then, Hanlon was replaced with Bruce Boudreau and suddenly the Capitals started to come together in a hurry.

Of all the teams that made late season playoff pushes – Edmonton, Chicago, Buffalo, Toronto, maybe even Phoenix – Washington started from the farthest back. On the strength of a seven game win streak to conclude the season along with wins in eleven of their last twelve and points in forty four of their last sixty one games, the Capitals jumped from ninth to third after beating the Florida Panthers in game eighty two of their season. Without question, numbers like that show Washington is the hottest team in the league. Why shouldn’t a team like this make it after a team like Ottawa limps through the back door only to clinch a spot on the strength of a Bruins loss. Nothing like charging through the gate with confidence eh?

Now that the Capitals are officially in the playoffs, it also ends the debate for the Hart Trophy: Alex Ovechkin…end of discussion. Led the league in goals with thirteen more than the next highest scorer, led the league in points, led the league in game winning goals, led the league in excitement. Watching the final twenty seconds as the Capitals headed toward a playoff birth with Ovechkin on the bench, it was tough to tell if he was a player or a cheerleader. This guy loves to win and wants to win and players like that belong in the playoffs. Without Ovechkin, the Capitals still would have been in the race though. The race for the top draft pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.