ELIMINATION GAME

The Stars have put themselves in position to close out a series for only the 3rd time since 2002.

And they'll get three shots to do it starting tonight in Anaheim.

Of course it won't be easy. It never is when sending a team with S. Cup dreams home for the summer. And popular thinking seems to center on a belief that snuffing out the defending champs dream is infinitely more difficult.

But is it?

Years ago when dynasties existed in the NHL that probably rang true. I remember the feeling of ownership that permeated the Edmonton Oiler teams of the 80s. They truly believed that the Stanley Cup was theirs, just as the Islanders did before them. However now days, teams like the Ducks, the Hurricanes, and the Lightning seem to treat their Cup like a lease, rental or loaner not something they have a pink slip for. Because of that, the defense of those triumphs have lacked the "With my shield or on it" passion of the dynasty days.

Maybe it's just another example of our current short attention span, disposable container, "Swiffer" society. (Wow, deep Razor)

Or, perhaps it's the "P" word - parity.

Whatever it is the Ducks are looking like the latest Cup champ to bow out early and easily the following year. And if you need a little statistical illumination to support this observation consider this; If the West Coast Fowl go down tonight the combined opening round record of the last four defending champs will be an abysmal 3-16.

Tough to knock the Cup Champs out? Hardly.

As the Stars are finding out, in the current NHL the team that draws the defending Stanley Cup champions as the playoffs begin should leap for joy, as they immediately become what I have coined, "The Underdog Favorite" (That's my phrase, its trademarked by Razorboy Inc., t-shirts and paraphernalia should be available early next week, and it or any reasonable facsimile of it can not be used without expressed written consent of Razorcorp International and its subsidiaries)

Hooray parity, fatigue and self-satisfaction!