Anywhere but Here
"Charity and beating begins at home."
So wrote a 17th Century English playwright and hockey analyst named John Fletcher. The NHL's top-ranked teams were most charitable hosts on opening night, as seven of the eight top seeds began the playoffs by taking a beating on home ice.
The Stanley Cup playoff format is supposed to reward the teams that finish highest in the standings. So the higher ranked team gets home ice advantage for a possible game seven, as well as the privilege of beginning the series in the familiar confines of home, surrounded by adoring supporters.
But several weeks ago, one ex-coach (sorry, can't remember who) said the playoff set-up doesn't offer much advantage at all to a great regular season team. Most coaches, he said, would prefer to open on the road, far from the pressure, the distractions and the anticipation of home. Hard to argue with that theory after the first 48 hours.
2003 Stanley Cup Muttonheads
First nominee for the 2003 Stanley Cup All-Muttonhead team: Derian Hatcher of the Dallas Stars, for his brain-dead elbowing penalty in Game One against the Edmonton Oilers.
Dallas was trailing 2-1 and coming on strong when winger Claude Lemieux took a dumb boarding penalty with just under four minutes left in regulation time.
But the Stars had a couple of good scoring chances with Lemieux in the box, and were due to return to full strength with 1:50 to go, still plenty of time to score the tying goal. But 16 seconds before Lemieux's penalty ended, Hatcher blew his team's chances out of the water.
Lining up Steve Staios at the Dallas blueline, the Stars' captain flattened the Edmonton defenseman with an elbow to the face. The Stars hardly argued when Hatcher got what he deserved: a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Back on the man advantage, the Oilers ran out the clock with relative ease.
Not only did Hatcher sabotage his team's chances in a close playoff game, he risked a suspension. Hatcher anchors the Stars' blueline for 26 or 27 minutes per night. They need him in the lineup. Unless, of course, he keeps taking selfish penalties.
More Stanley Cup Notes:
Blues, Leafs and Avs Pack Up Their Gear
Pity the Dot-Com Millionaire
The Slimmest Margin of Error
2003 Red Wings: A Trivia Question in the Making
