Origin of the Duck Species in West

Up must be down and down must be up because the Mighty Ducks are in the Western Conference finals.

What it really means is that teamwork counts more than star power and great goaltending is the great equalizer. It means there will be a new hierarchy in the West and fresh story lines for a league that must attract more TV viewers and give fans compelling reasons to buy pricey tickets during shaky economic times.

“You look at the league and there’s parity,” Duck defenseman Keith Carney said. “The powerhouses like Dallas, Detroit and Colorado are still up there but the other teams have gotten better. They’ve caught up.”

Those other teams -- namely the Ducks and Minnesota Wild -- have done a better job of adapting to the new realities of the NHL.

The days of 10-8 playoff games are gone for good. Goaltending techniques are too refined and scouting too sophisticated for scoring to rise without major rule changes, such as eliminating the red line or moving the nets back. Scoring can’t be taught, but defense can. And while natural scorers will always be prized, Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman and Mike Modano didn’t get their names engraved on the Stanley Cup until they improved their defensive games.

Dallas goalie Marty Turco came closer to matching the Ducks’ Jean-Sebastien Giguere than Curtis Joseph did in the Ducks’ first-round sweep of Detroit, but Turco’s teammates couldn’t shred the Duck defense. Coach Dave Tippett juggled his lineup and in Game 5 got a relentless physical effort in a 4-1 rout, but instead of becoming a blueprint for a series-winning rally it proved to be an aberration.

“In the playoffs, they’re going to try to take away your best players,” Dallas forward Stu Barnes said. “Other guys have to step up and score.”

The Ducks bent under pressure but never broke. “Nothing seems to get to us,” center Steve Rucchin said. “It speaks huge for the individuals in this [locker] room.”

Darwinism, hockey style -- survival of the defensively fittest.

The Other John Madden

New Jersey’s John Madden is a finalist for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top defensive forward, but he also merits recognition as one of the league’s most quotable players.

Madden acknowledged the Devils’ emphasis on defense hurts their box-office appeal but said a Cup-winning ending justifies the means. Against the Senators, whom the Devils will face in the East finals, Madden said his team must “play a stupid, simple hockey game that I know the Canadian press will say is boring....

“We don’t draw very big crowds and [the Devils’ style] hurts our crowds. If you look at years past, the team that plays the best defensive game has won the Cup.”

Although his checking was a key reason the Devils defeated the Bruins in five games and Tampa Bay in five games, Madden advocates opening up the game by removing the red line. “It will stop the trap and create more two-on-ones and breakaways,” said Madden, who shares the team scoring lead with Jamie Langenbrunner at 11 points each.

He also criticized Continental Airlines Arena, the Devils’ home rink, as “so big it seems like nobody’s there even if there’s 13,000 or 14,000 people,” and added, “I really think Jersey is not a hockey market. Most people here are Ranger fans.”

Then again, the Rangers haven’t made the playoffs the last six seasons, and the Devils have won the Cup twice since 1995.

News vs. Gossip

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, separated from his wife last Christmas and told Le Journal de Montreal he had an affair with his sister-in-law. He also said his wife had called him two hours before a game to taunt him and say she was dating one of his friends.

It went unreported in the New Jersey and New York newspapers for several reasons. As Madden said, the Devils are largely ignored, and Brodeur is popular with reporters. Also, his marital woes didn’t stop him from leading the NHL with 41 wins and nine shutouts or from leading the Devils to the East finals.

“I’m sure it bugs him, and if it does, he hides it well,” Madden said. “People make mistakes in life, but his business comes out in the papers. I’m surprised he’s doing as well as he’s doing.”

Brodeur issued a statement that said: “To all the people who knew about it and didn’t say anything, I appreciate it. This is my personal life. I don’t want to get bothered with it from now on.”

He broke no law, and had he been a Yankee or Met, his life would have played out in screaming tabloid headlines. But he’s naive to think he won’t hear more about it. Choices sometimes carry consequences, and his choices will impose burdens.

Senatorial Splendor

The Senators, labeled as chokers after squandering a 3-2 series lead over Toronto last year, may shed that reputation after eliminating the Flyers on Monday in Game 6.

Besides a solid defense they have considerable skill, burning speed and the selfless, two-way players who are vital this time of year. Patrick Lalime’s goaltending was good, not great, but was still superior to inconsistent Flyer goalie Roman Cechmanek.

“Winning a round is a great feeling and for us it was a big step, but until we win the Stanley Cup people will question us as winners,” Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson said. “We can’t say if we made the conference final we had a successful year. That’s not enough. There’s only one successful team in a year and hopefully that will be us.”

Out of Luc?

Luc Robitaille, who became a free agent when the Red Wings declined to pick up the final year of his contract, wants to return to the Kings. That would be a heartwarming end to a Hall of Fame career that began in Los Angeles, but he faces a big obstacle in Coach Andy Murray, who criticized his play on defense and his scoring droughts during his last tour as a King.

His agent, Pat Brisson, said Robitaille -- who had 11 goals in 81 games last season in mostly fourth-line duty -- would agree to play fewer minutes if he played in key situations, such as power plays. He said Phoenix, San Jose and Colorado also are potential options for the 37-year-old left wing.

“Luc has always had tremendous success in L.A., and I believe it would be good place for him to finish his career,” Brisson said. “Luc would have to accept a different role, and he’s willing to do that. The fact he’s gained a lot of experience in Detroit and won the Cup there could be a plus for the L.A. Kings.”

Brisson also represents Detroit center Sergei Fedorov, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. Brisson plans to renew contract talks with General Manager Ken Holland next week. “We have to find common ground,” Brisson said.

Slap Shots

The Canucks get a second chance tonight to eliminate the Wild, and they can’t waste it. Like the Ducks, the Wild has been resilient and has exploited holes in the Canuck defense. Another Vancouver loss could shake the team’s confidence in goalie Dan Cloutier, who has been less than stellar.

Team USA’s 4-2 victory over Belarus last week at the world hockey championships in Finland wouldn’t have been noteworthy except that losses to Denmark, Switzerland and Russia had nearly pushed the U.S. out of next year’s world championships, the qualifying tournament for the 2006 Olympics. Defeating Belarus ensured the U.S. will compete in next year’s tournament. “It’s a huge relief,” U.S. Coach Lou Vairo said. “These were the worst two weeks of my life. I’m old and fat. I could have had a heart attack.”

Team USA, which finished 13th, was mostly minor leaguers. Most of the best U.S. players remained with their teams in the NHL playoffs and the there’s not enough depth in the U.S. ranks to compensate. It’s unfortunate the world championships conflict with the NHL playoffs and many of the best players in the world can’t play.

Adam Deadmarsh, who missed the Kings’ last 52 games because of a concussion, has resumed light exercise without ill effects, a club spokesman said. Deadmarsh usually spends off-seasons in Canada but will work out in Southern California this summer.