from Jeff Miller of the OC Register (paid sub.) at the Bellingham Herald,

"We've put ourselves in a very good position to make a run for it," Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri said. "We feel good and feel confident in ourselves. There's not a guy in this locker room who would be less than devastated with anything other than winning the Stanley Cup."

Yet, unexpected is not unusual in the NHL in springtime, this being the one sport where having home-field advantage often proves to be not even marginally advantageous.

Strange things happen all the time, like just Friday, when Daniel Winnik showed up on the Ducks' practice ice protected by a full-face cage. Afterward, Boudreau announced that Winnik had suffered a broken nose, but the coach claimed he wasn't entirely sure where, when or how the injury happened.

"He's just ugly," Boudreau cracked, and the guy really does have a great sense of humor. Maybe this is the postseason Boudreau will be around long enough to keep people laughing.

If not, it will be another sad conclusion after another glorious but overhyped regular season, a franchise valued at $300 million unworthy yet again.

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