IF YOU GRAB MY STICK, I'LL GRAB YOURS

Midway through Mike Ribeiro's goalless streak I asked the vulpine center whether he had resorted to goalie voodoo, personal acupuncture, or the age old practice of teaching ones sticks a lesson by plunging them - blades first - into the dressing room toilet in an attempt to shake the funk. He swore he had not.

Well today, the day after he exited the o-for column with a savoir-faire two goal effort versus the Sharks - including the tying and then winning marker in overtime, I learned that Ribeiro had in fact gone to desperate measures.

The struggling pivot and his left winger Brenden Morrow engaged in a little stick swapping at the morning skate. Ribeiro used Morrow's pattern and vice versa. (From the "well duh" department, this practice works a lot better when both players shoot the same way - left handed or right - as "Ribs and Mini" do) Anyway, they stuck with the slight stick betrayal for the game that night and abra- friggin -cadabra, they combine to pull Ribeiro out of his slump and a rabbit out of a hat. Or, maybe more appropriately, a win out of the jagged-tooth jaws of a loss.

Moral of the story: If professional life has you down, blame your tools and swap em' out. Carpenters, this will be especially helpful for you. Nude models and erotic actors, understandably you may be SOL on this one.

Bravo boys!