Problems With Stick Shift

Players love the new synthetic, one-piece sticks because they feel the composite materials in the stick allow them to shoot harder than they can with traditional wooden sticks. But the extraordinary number of broken sticks littering the ice during the playoffs has raised the question of whether the benefits outweigh the potential pitfall of being left without a stick.

Duck Coach Mike Babcock made no secret of his dislike for the composite sticks, recalling a game against Dallas in which Duck defenseman Keith Carney had an open net but couldn’t score because his stick broke. And in Game 2 of the Ducks’ series against Minnesota, Rob Niedermayer had a clear path for a short-handed goal that gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead after the Wild’s Cliff Ronning broke his stick.

“The sticks are puck rejecters, and it’s not just that they break,” Babcock said. “Every time it hits someone’s stick, it bounces three feet, so what’s the trade-off?”

Wild Coach Jacques Lemaire also showed his disdain for the sticks. “I see them break all the time,” he said. “I talked to Cliff and he said before he stopped a shot with the stick and maybe it got weaker. Maybe when the stick gets banged, after that, it’s not good.

“I don’t know about those sticks.”

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The Ducks had a surprise waiting for them when they returned from Minnesota early Tuesday morning. About 50 fans with signs were waiting for the team bus at 1:45.

“It was amazing,” Duck goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. “It’s great that people have that enthusiasm. I would have been home in bed. But it was nice to see them there.”

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Stanislav Chistov’s second- period goal in the 4-0 victory over the Wild was his fourth of the playoffs, tying him for the rookie lead with Dallas’ Niko Kapanen.

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The Stanley Cup will be on display at three local Sears stores next week. It will be at the Buena Park mall May 20 from 4 to 8 p.m, at Los Cerritos mall in Cerritos from 4 to 8 p.m. May 21 and at South Coast Plaza from 4 to 8 p.m. May 22.

Fans will be allowed to pose with the Cup and take pictures without a fee, a Duck spokesman said.

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The city of Anaheim is close to completing a deal to change management of the Arrowhead Pond to an unidentified entertainment group, sources close to the negotiations said. The move is expected to be finalized within the next two weeks.

The arena is currently run by Ogden Entertainment. The Disney-owned Mighty Ducks, who have reached the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, are the only permanent professional sports tenant.