Manny Legace, Legacy...Patronizing

Hey guys,

I'm back again, fresh from a horrible cold, but that didn't keep me from watching the sports world.

In some ways, things can't be better. In others...

Let's jet to the NHL first.

Manny Legace was waived this past week by St. Louis. It may not have surprised certain people, but it did make me say, "Why?"

But in a way, I was not surprised. I mean, this is the NHL.

Let me explain.

I wrote an article recently about hard decisions not always being the right ones in regards to several released players and coaches over the last few years. Now, another player joins them. Again, it's a case of doing something to wake your team up more than actually punishing the person—it's like using them to prove a point.

This time, the point is, St. Louis, you could've been so much better this year. Instead of firing a few little guys, let's drop a key guy to get your attention that we mean our finger-wagging.

That unfortunate player was Manny Legace, a man who played years as a back-up for the high-octane Red Wings in Detroit before finally ending what was, to many, the best career of any backup (often setting GAA marks lower than 2.50 each season, and winning far more than he lost).

His first year as a starter went swimmingly, as he led the Wings to the playoffs in the number-one position. The problem was once the team got there, they couldn't stay there. They were eliminated early.

However, his record was still what it had always been, a winner of some 35-plus games (I think it was actually over 40), and a GAA below 2.50.

Then, without a real reason to spur it besides that one playoff series not going Detroit's way, he was replaced by the return of the perennially selfish, but most successful, Dominik Hasek. He had won his Cup, retired—and now wanted another shot at age 41.

So the suits cut ties with Legace.

In Detroit, Hasek did his part to be sure, but in the last playoff, he was totally clueless in the net early in the first round, blowing his team's two-game lead over Nashville. Chris Osgood came in, kicked butt and saved the Red Wings. They went on to win it all, but Hasek never played another game.

Now, Legace may never play again in the NHL. There would be no worse miscarriage of justice in sports than this when it comes to a single player being penalized for one mistake without being given a second chance.

Legace and his Blues haven't been great, that's true, but this all goes back to him being released from his duties as a Red Wing. I have no doubt the Blues will recover, but this scenario is eerily similar to the one that hit Patrick Lalime some years back.

Remember? His Senators had stormed as usual in the regular season—and then the unthinkable happened that postseason. Not only were his top-three-seeded Senators beaten, they were swept—by Toronto. Ouch.

But, again, as much fun as I had with the jokes about Lalime, I was shocked when Lalime, an All-Star goalie with Cup-potential, had been shipped and Head coach Jacques Martin had been fired.

Two huge

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