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2B – Daily News – Wednesday, October 6, 2010 NHLPreview: Hawks try to repeat NEW YORK (AP) — Forget about celebration hang- overs and short summers, the biggest threat to the Chicago Blackhawks’ hopes to repeat as Stanley Cup champion might be the salary cap. The cloud that has hung over the NHL since the end of the lockout in 2005 literally shadowed the Blackhawks’ parade just days after they claimed their first title since 1961 with a six-game win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gone is 25-year-old postseason hero Dustin Byfuglien, who scored a team-high 11 playoff goals — including five game-winners, top goalie Antti Niemi, and others who pro- vided key roles in the run to the championship. In all, the Blackhawks sent away eight players to get under this sea- son’s salary ceiling of $59.4 million. ‘‘Everybody was talking about players getting traded and what the team was going to look like next year, while at the same time we’re trying to enjoy what we just did,’’ Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. ‘‘It’s not easy for those guys and it’s not easy for the rest of our team. Now we’re at that point where it’s all behind us: the salary cap, the trades and this and that. We’re ready to move forward with the guys we do have.’’ While Chicago was clearly the best team in June, the Blackhawks certainly will face strong claims to that dis- tinction as hockey gets rolling again Thursday when the regular season opens with a five-game slate. ‘‘That’s the worst part about it, seeing some of your best friends leave,’’ star forward Patrick Kane said. ‘‘Not that they were some of our best players, but they were obvious- ly instrumental in what we did. ‘‘If you look at our team this year, it’s kind of a new team. It’s a new challenge. Of course you want to keep that team together, but it’s just not the way the NHL works any- more. You’ve got to make changes.’’ And the rest of the league has noticed. The Detroit Red Wings, the NHL’s last repeat champion in 1997 and 1998, might be poised to reclaim the Western Conference title they held the two previous years. They also might have an advantage with a less condensed schedule instead of last season’s jam-packed one that accommodat- ed the long break for the Vancouver Olympics. With Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and ageless defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom healthy and hungry, the Red Wings are happy to slip under the radar and let the Black- hawks carry the burden of the bull’s-eye. Detroit was knocked out in the second round by regular-season Western champion San Jose and now seems to have lost some of the intimidation factor. ‘‘I don’t know. I was reading the other day that we’re not that good,’’ Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said with a smile. ‘‘We are good. I just know that we’re going to end up with a lot of points.’’ That will be necessary again in the wide-open West, where it took 95 just to qualify for the postseason. Seventh-place Nashville got in with 100 points, and clubs such as the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes that finished at the bottom of the standings in 2009 all made surprise trips to the playoffs. ‘‘It’s not a whole lot of point differential between eighth and fifth,’’ Kings forward Anze Kopitar said. ‘‘It’s one of those things where we can all thrive on it and take it to our advantage because everything is so close in the West. Pret- ty much anybody can win.’’ Out East, the Flyers and Montreal Canadiens nabbed the final two places with only 88 points — one more than the ninth-place New York Rangers — but then surged all the way to the conference finals over overwhelming favorites such as the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. Montreal knocked out powerhouses Washington and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds. Philadelphia ousted Boston to reach the conference finals after trailing the series 3-0, and then 3-0 in Game 7. The Penguins reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009, splitting the final series with the Red Wings in those seasons, but were stunned in the second round by the upstart Canadiens. The only thing that kept that from being the most surprising result in last season’s playoffs was Montreal’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to Presidents’ Tro- phy-winning Washington in the first round. ‘‘I think teams are still hunting us down during the reg- ular season,’’ Capitals defenseman Mike Green said. ‘‘We did well in the regular season, but once the playoffs came around for whatever reason we couldn’t succeed. That might play into our advantage come playoffs. Maybe they’ll underestimate us and you never know.’’ Not likely with Alex Ovechkin still lurking in the nation’s capital. Ovechkin might have the individual statistical edge over Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby — the Washington star’s biggest rival — but he hasn’t turned that into playoff suc- cess. The Capitals have won the Southeast Division for two consecutive years, including posting the NHL’s best mark last season for the first time, but they haven’t gotten as far as even the Eastern Conference finals since Ovechkin came to town after the lockout — the same year Crosby landed in Pittsburgh. Patriots, Vikings discussing Moss trade MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The New Eng- land Patriots and Vikings are discussing a trade that would bring star receiver Randy Moss back to Minnesota. A league source spoke to The Associated Press about the discussions on condition of anonymity on Tuesday night because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations. The seven-time Pro Bowler was a first- round draft pick of the Vikings in 1998 and spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with Minnesota. He was traded to Oakland in 2005, where he languished for two years before being revitalized in New England. Moss set an NFL record with 23 touch- down receptions in 2007. But he has said several times this year that he expected 2010 to be his last season with the Patriots. He did not have a catch in New England’s 41-14 victory over Miami on Monday night. ‘‘When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted,’’ Moss said in September. ‘‘I am taking that in stride and playing my final year out and whatever the future holds is what it holds, but it is kind of a bad feeling GIANT (Continued from page 1B) title and playoff berth since 2003 on Sunday, in their third try. San Francisco’s rotation will go Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and — perhaps — rookie Madison Bumgarner. Bochy didn’t rule out Zito. There’s the ques- tion of what value Zito could have coming out of the bullpen considering the Giants already have reliable lefty relievers in Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez. ‘‘Whatever they think is best, I’m happy to help out starting or in the bullpen,’’ Bum- garner said. Sabean has been leaning toward keeping 11 pitchers on the 25-man division series roster. Zito, making $18.5 million this year, could help out if the Giants were to fall behind quickly and need him for long relief. San Francisco’s bullpen has gone the last 24 innings without allowing an earned run. ‘‘The pitching staff alone allows you to be able to have some adjustments made to your roster along the way,’’ Sabean said. ‘‘Depth helps. You can see it, from the rotation, to the bullpen, offensively, defensively.’’ Zito failed to reach 10 wins for the first time since his rookie season in 2000. His 4.15 ERA is the fourth-highest of his career. He went 1-8 with a 6.72 ERA over his last 11 outings and 10 starts and only had one victo- ry in his last 15 appearances. The stretch included a career-worst nine-game losing streak from July 21 to Sept. 14. Zito didn’t want to address speculation about his status for the playoffs. ‘‘I was frustrated with my performance in August, certainly,’’ he said. ‘‘I think, as the last start of the year, it really ended on a sour note personally, but I felt like it was a pro- ductive year for me and I felt I gave the team a chance to win more than I did my last few years.’’ Zito pitched well in a no-decision against the Braves on Aug. 6 at Turner Field. He allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings with 10 strikeouts as the Giants won 3-2 in 11 innings. — feeling not wanted. It is not like my pro- duction has gone down.’’ Moss caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards in his first season with New England in 2007. He had 69 catches for 1,008 yards and 11 TDs in 2008, when Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the year and came back with 83 catches for 1,264 yards and 13 scores last season. Foxsports.com first reported the discus- sions. A Patriots spokesman said no trade has been completed. Moss is in the final season of his three-year, $27 million contract and has made no secret about his desire for a new deal, and believed he would have to go else- where to get one. ‘‘I don’t even know what my fate is, and for me to be 33 years old, it’s like I’m held at bay, and that’s definitely an uncomfort- able thing,’’ Moss told The Associated Press last month. ‘‘If this is my last year here, I want to leave as good as I came in here in ’07. I know that’s really hard to duplicate, but I don’t want the fans, the organization, coaches or my teammates to have a sour taste in their mouths about Randy Moss.” ‘‘I know there’s been a lot of talk about Barry,’’ Bochy said. ‘‘He’s had his struggles here lately but that’s going to be a decision we make in the next day or two.’’ The 33-year-old Rowand, meanwhile, lost his starting job in center field midway through the year to Andres Torres, who has sparked the offense in the leadoff spot while making things happen on the basepaths and in the field. When Bochy starts Jose Guillen in right field, it leaves Cody Ross and Nate Schierholtz as options off the bench. San Francisco might not keep both Rowand and Schierholtz. Schierholtz has speed that makes him capable of entering as a pinch-runner or coming in for defense. Rowand could be the odd man out, though he has won a World Series and postseason experience is valuable. Rowand also is batting .478 (11 for 23) against Game 1 Braves starter Derek Lowe, and .381 (8 for 21) versus Game 3 starter Tim Hudson. ‘‘We have some time here. Sure, we have some tough decisions, we know it,’’ Bochy said. ‘‘You don’t want to set up your roster too early. ... We have a pretty good idea. We’re just waiting before we announce the roster.’’ For the reputation Bochy has had in the past for favoring veterans, he took his chances in 2010 with guys like Torres and rookie catcher Buster Posey. The two have been huge. Making constant lineup adjustments and sitting players like Pablo Sandoval during slumps has taken regular communication. ‘‘Boch has done a great job. It’s never talked about,’’ Sabean said. ‘‘For everything that he supposedly isn’t — we know he’s not outgoing and we know he’s not a fire and brimstone guy — you talk to the players and they have needed him this year maybe more than any other year. Whether it’s telling them when they’re going to play or not going to play or when things change, he’s upfront with them. That’s all they can ask for — con- sistency and being honest. He’s not in it for himself. He’s not in it to further his career. He just wants to go to the playoffs for the Giants.’’ Ovechkin and Crosby will be the featured stars in this year’s Winter Classic in Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day. The buildup will be even bigger this time with a multipart HBO reality series in advance of the outdoor game at Heinz Field. ‘‘We have the motivation we need in the organization. We have to realize it’s time to move forward,’’ Ovechkin said of the Capitals. ‘‘We have to improve our mentality. We know we can play good offensively, but we have to play good defensively if we want to win.’’ The want to win is always there. The belief that any team can is stronger than ever. Five teams have new hope with new coaches, including four clubs that missed the playoffs; Atlanta (Craig Ram- say), Columbus (Scott Arniel), Edmonton (Tom Renney) and Tampa Bay (Guy Boucher). John MacLean, the Dev- ils’ career leader in goals, was promoted by New Jersey from the AHL to take over for the retired Jacques Lemaire. The Tampa Bay Lightning dipped into Detroit’s deep pool of success and hired Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman to be their general manager. That move can only help the development of 20-year-old forward Steven Stamkos, who in his second NHL season tied Crosby for the league lead with 51 goals. With hulking youngster Victor Hedman anchoring the defense, and veteran forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Mar- tin St. Louis still providing offensive punch, the Lightning might not be too far away from getting back to an elite level. ‘‘The hiring of Steve Yzerman has definitely made our team more popular,’’ Stamkos said. ‘‘Tampa is not your tra- ditional hockey market, but having won the Cup in ’04 and having guys like Vinny and Marty there as well as myself, we are a fun team.’’ For the fourth straight year, the NHL regular season is opening on two continents. This time a record six teams are getting started with two games outside of North America: Carolina is taking on Minnesota in Helsinki, Finland; Columbus faces San Jose in Stockholm, Sweden; and Phoenix and Boston are playing a set in Prague, Czech Republic. Everyone will be getting used to a pair of new rules. The ban on blindside shoulder hits to the head, adopted during last season’s playoffs, now carries a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct along with being subject to supplemental discipline. The NHL has also instituted size specific goalie pads. Before this season, the rule provided only for a maximum pad length of 38 inches. Now the rule specifies a maximum ‘‘limiting distance size’’ for each goalie. Playoffs set to start with trio of Cy Young winners By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Sports Writer First playoff appearance in 15 years. Packed house in Philadelphia. Goose bumps galore. By the time Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds have a chance to soak it all in, Phillies ace Roy Halla- day will be in the middle of his windup. ‘‘You’ve got to start somewhere,’’ said Reds manager Dusty Baker, tak- ing his third NL team to the postseason. ‘‘It’s sort of like a kid coming out of college. Everybody wants to know what is his job experience? And sooner or later you’ve got to work to get that expe- rience, and that’s where we are right now.’’ The anticipation is over, the also-rans are out and the pressure is on. Everyone knows what’s at stake in October. Ryan Howard and the Phillies are swinging for their third straight pennant. Texas is trying to win a play- off series for the first time. The wild-card Yankees hope to repeat as World Series champs. Postseason base- ball begins Wednesday, with a trio of Cy Young Award winners on the mound: Hal- laday, Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia. In the first of three mar- quee pitching matchups, Lee gets the ball for the Rangers against the Tampa Bay Rays, who will throw an ace of their own under the roof at Tropicana Field. David Price has blossomed into the elite starter almost everyone expected, going 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA for the AL East champions. First pitch, 10:37 p.m. ‘‘Should be a pretty fun matchup to watch,’’ said Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, all set to play after missing the final 10 games of the regular season with a strained left quadriceps. Texas’ dangerous lineup features playoff newcomers Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, but the Rangers are the only current major league franchise that hasn’t won a playoff series. Lee was acquired from Seattle in July to help change that. The left-hander went 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts for the Phillies last year. ‘‘I expect as much out of myself as anyone expects out of me. You can call it pressure, call it what you want. But I’m not nervous or worried or any of those kind of words that would go along with pressure,’’ Lee said Tuesday. ‘‘I’m looking forward to it, and it’s going to be a challenge and a lot of fun.’’ Next up, Halladay and the Phillies host Cincinnati at 2:07 p.m. With three aces in the rotation and a playoff-tested team, Philadelphia is heavily favored to reach its third consecutive World Series. The last National League club to do that was the St. Louis Cardinals from 1942- 44. But the Reds, led by Votto, a top contender for NL MVP, can slug with just about anybody and they have an overpowering arm to bring out of the bullpen in rookie Aroldis Chapman. Halladay, obtained from Toronto last December, will be making his playoff debut after 13 stellar seasons. He’ll face Edinson Volquez, who returned this year from right elbow surgery and went 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 12 starts. Cincinnati, winner of the NL Central, is in the post- season for the first time since 1995. ‘‘I could sit here forever and talk about Halladay,’’ Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. ‘‘He’s very dedicated, he’s very intense, he wants to win, he definite- ly wants a ring. He wants to be the best pitcher in base- ball, but he also wants to be on the best team. He defi- nitely puts his team before himself, and he’s definitely inspirational to all of our players and he plays a big role in the makeup of our team.’’ The 5:37 p.m. game is a familiar matchup. Sabathia and the Yankees face AL Central champion Minneso- ta in a first-round series for the fourth time since 2003. New York won all three previous meetings, includ- ing last year en route to its 27th World Series title, but this time the Twins have homefield advantage at their spacious new ballpark, Tar- get Field. Wednesday night will mark the first outdoor post- season game in Minnesota since 1970, and the temper- ature is supposed to be in the 60s. ‘‘It’s hard not to look at the past, that is pretty obvi- ous,’’ Twins first baseman Michael Cuddyer said. ‘‘But it’s a totally different team than those first two times we played the Yankees.’’ It might be a different New York team than last season, too. Derek Jeter and the Yankees staggered to a 9-17 finish that cost them the AL East crown. Francisco Liriano pitches the opener for the Twins, who hung a picture in their clubhouse of the back page of a recent (New York) Daily News that read ‘‘Bad news: Yanks must go on road for playoffs. Good news: They play the Twins. E-Z Pass.’’ ‘‘We tried to wrap this thing up and didn’t get it done,’’ said Andy Pettitte, who will start Game 2 for New York. ‘‘The bottom line is we’re the world champs until someone knocks us off.’’ All division series are best-of-five. The fourth matchup gets under way Thursday night, when retir- ing manager Bobby Cox and his wild-card Atlanta Braves play at NL West champion San Francisco. MLB Divisional Playoffs Best-of-5 Today’s games Texas (Lee 12-9) at Tampa Bay (Price 19-6), 10:37 a.m, TBS Series tied 0-0 Cincinnati (Volquez 4-3) at Phila.(Halladay 21-10), 2:07 p.m., TBS Series tied 0-0 New York (Sabathia 21-7) at Minnesota (Liriano 14-10), 5:37 p.m., TBS Series tied 0-0 Thursday’s games Atlanta (Lowe 16-12) at San Fran.(Lincecum 16-10),6:37 p.m. Series tied 0-0 Texas (Wilson 15-8) at Tampa Bay (Shields 13-15), 11:37 a.m. New York (Pettitte 11-3) at Minnesota (Pavano 17-11), 3:07 p.m. Friday’s games Atlanta (Hanson 10-11) at San Francisco (Cain 13-11),6:37 p.m. Cincinnati (Arroyo 17-10) at Philadelphia (Oswalt 13-13), 3:07 p.m. Saturday’s games Tampa Bay (Garza 15-10) at Texas (Lewis 12-13), 2:07 p.m. Minnesota (Duensing 10-3) at New York (Hughes 18-8), 5:37 p.m