STANLEY CUP LIKELY TO BE DECIDED IN GOAL.

Byline: MATT McHALE NHL 

It seems like a distant memory now, Jean-Sebastien Giguere carrying the Mighty Ducks to within a game of the Stanley Cup.

For two frenzied months last spring, Giguere beat better team after better team. During the postseason, his was the only name that mattered in a league desperate for new stars.

This year, his magic was gone and so are the Ducks. But it reminded us even more how goaltending is the game's most important position.

Will this year's Giguere be Boston rookie Andrew Raycroft or 39-year-old Ed Belfour of the Toronto Maple Leafs?

How about Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff, whose record-setting goals-against average came about only because he couldn't get any playing time behind Evgeni Nabokov in San Jose before he was traded?

Then there are the two goaltenders on Tampa Bay, Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame. They led the Lightning to the second-best record in the NHL after years of despair.

There is a great goaltending matchup in each of the eight first-round playoff series that open this week. Some are well known, such as New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, who finally stopped Giguere's run in Game 7 to win the Cup.

Some names you don't, like Tomas Vokoun, who led the Nashville Predators to the first postseason in their six-year history.

Here is a closer look at the goaltending matchups in the first round:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

--No. 1 Tampa Bay vs. No. 8 N.Y. Islanders: Khabibulin got the Lightning off to a fast start and it never let up. But he nearly was traded after last season because of his lousy performance against New Jersey in the second round. Grahame had 18 victories this season, the most by a backup, not including Detroit's Manny Legace, whose 23 actually were more than often-injured starter Curtis Joseph. The Islanders go with youngster Rick DiPietro, who a year ago was in the minors beating the Kings' top farm team.

Prediction: Tampa Bay in five.

--No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Montreal: This is a rematch of the Canadiens' shocking first-round victory two years ago that helped make Jose Theodore the league MVP. Theodore would seem to have the advantage in experience over Boston rookie Andrew Raycroft. But Raycroft was impressive during a grueling stretch against Ottawa, Toronto and New Jersey that led to a division title. Felix Potvin is waiting in the wings if Raycroft falters. But he won't.

Prediction: Boston in four.

--No. 3 Philadelphia vs. No. 6 New Jersey: Martin Brodeur replaced Patrick Roy as the league's pre-eminent goaltender after leading the Devils to their third Cup in nine years. Brodeur was less spectacular than Giguere in the Finals but many thought he should have received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Despite back-to-back poor outings to end the season, journeyman Robert Esche will start for the Flyers. Sean Burke is his backup and has playoff experience.

Prediction: Philadelphia in seven.

--No. 4 Toronto vs. No. 5 Ottawa: Most anticipated series of the first round, mostly because of All-Canada theme. Belfour comes in the playoffs on a hot streak, going 3-0-0 last week with a 0.67 goals-against average, a .971 save percentage and two shutouts. The Senators are less settled in goal, which will help derail their much-anticipated trip to the Finals. Patrick Lalime suffered a sprained left knee last week against Toronto and is just beginning to practice. Martin Prusek has appeared in the past four games against the Leafs.

Prediction: Toronto in six.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

--No. 1 Detroit vs. No. 8 Nashville: Only trouble spot for the Red Wings is in net, where former Kings backup Manny Legace will start in place of the injured Joseph. Maybe that is a good thing since Cujo was crushed by Giguere in last year's first-round sweep. In the later rounds, however, Legace might not be enough. Early in the season, Vokoun was the reason the Predators stayed in the playoff hunt. He faltered after the All-Star break but had teammates believing the postseason finally was in their reach.

Prediction: Detroit in five.

--No. 2 San Jose vs. No. 7 St. Louis: After an early-March slump, Nabokov reverted to the form that made him NHL player of the month for February. It began with a relief victory over the Kings on March 13 and he has been sharp ever since. Chris Osgood, who won a Cup with the Red Wings in 1998, posted his 300th career victory against the Kings on March 16. But the Blues have a history of goaltending failure in the playoffs. It is one reason Osgood and former captain Chris Pronger waged a verbal battle all season.

Prediction: San Jose in five.

--No. 3 Vancouver vs. No. 6 Calgary: If not for Toronto/Ottawa in the East, this series would have all of Canada in a tizzy. The play of Kiprusoff, who set an NHL record with a 1.69 goals-against average, has sparked Flames fans to cry ``Win one for the Kipper.'' This is Calgary's first playoff appearance in eight years and no one wants to play them, especially the Todd Bertuzzi-less Canucks. But in the past week, Vancouver's muddy goaltending situation cleared when Dan Cloutier went 4-0-0 with a 1.25 goals-against. A groin problem has improved but usually takes a summer to heal.

Prediction: Calgary in seven.

--No. 4 Colorado vs. No. 8 Dallas: Patrick Roy is gone and that could hurt the Avalanche more than Paul Kariya's bum ankle. David Aebischer was solid early but faltered after the break and forced the club to get Tommy Salo from Edmonton. That didn't help. The team was under .500 during its final 25 games. This is a shot at redemption for Marty Turco, who lost to Giguere last year in the second round after setting the goals-against mark Kiprusoff just broke. Backup Ron Tugnutt has appeared in 25 playoff games, but if they need him the Stars are in trouble.

Prediction: Dallas in six.

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- Matt McHale

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