The New York Rangers will head into tonight's showdown against the Washington Capitals with a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. King Henrik has carried the offensively-challenged Rangers to the cusp of the second round, but not all is hunky-dory in Tortorella land.

Rumors are swirling that Rangers coach John Tortorella will not have resident bad boy/sociopath Sean Avery in tonight's lineup. At the end of Wednesday night's 2-1 win in Game 4, Avery took two moronic penalties that jeopardized the Rangers one goal margin. Tortorella's head looked as if it was going to slowly catch on fire from the smoke pouring out of his ears. Putting Ovechkin and company on the power play is analogous to putting Mike Tyson in a room with beauty pageant contestants - bad things are bound to happen.

Avery's behavior on the ice has become more erratic as the series has lengthened. Tortorella can attempt to influence Avery's behavior, but the real force that can change Avery's antics are the veterans in the room with Avery. A couple of veterans need to get in Avery's grill and inform him this is not the Sean Avery show. Do the Rangers have veterans that can influence Avery's thinking?  Former Broadway Blueshirt Brendan Shanahan may have been that guy in the past, but Rangers general manager Glen Sather made the decision not to bring back Shannie for the 2008-09 campaign.

Does Tortorella lose the respect of the room if Avery suits up tonight? That's a question only those who have access to the inner sanctum of the New York Rangers would know. You can bet that Avery's antics at the end of Game 4 did not endear him to his teammates.

The Rangers have to scratch for every goal and cannot afford to put the Capitals on the power play. When Avery plays the game and checks his inner Steve "Mental Case" Durbano - the man is a good hockey player. When Avery makes up his mind to skate, he creates opportunities for his linemates. Come 7:00 pm tonight - we'll see if Avery is still in Tortorella's doghouse.

If Avery is a healthy scratch, will he wear this outfit to the Verizon Center?

Joe Thornton

After Thursday night's 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the San Jose Sharks can kiss their season good-bye. Down 3-1 to the Ducks, the Sharks will have to take solace in the irrelevant President's Trophy - awarded to the team with most points in the regular season - and not Lord Stanley's Cup.

In Game 4, Sharks captain Joe Thornton did as much as one man can do to destroy a team. In a huge game, Thornton was terrible in his own end and finished with a -3. Jumbo Joe was on the ice for every Ducks goals except the empty-netter at the end of regulation. Thornton's mind-boggling bad decision to pass the puck up the middle in his own zone led to the Ducks third goal scored by Corey Perry.

The Boston Bruins organization believed that Joe Thornton was not the right guy to lead its team to a Stanley Cup championship. Thornton's Game 4 performance seems to give that theory a Little more validity. For the series, Thornton has produced two assists. That level of offensive output won't bring a Stanley Cup to San Jose.

Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf outplayed Joe Thornton. Both centers were matched up throughout the game and Getzlaf's grit and talent dwarfed the anemic play of Jumbo Joe. The Ducks first line of Getzlaf, rookie sensation Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry was a difference-maker in Game 4.

Nystroms Have Big Game DNA

Calgary Flames forward Eric Nystrom is the son of Islanders big game legend Bobby Nystrom. Because of a shoulder shoulder injury to Rene Bourque, which was caused by Chicago's Adam Burish's wayward stick, Nystrom was elevated to the first line for Game 4 against the Blackhawks.

Playing in front of a sold-out Saddledome crowd sporting Calgary Flames jerseys (best fans in the NHL), Eric Nystrom scored the game-winner with 6:56 left in the third period to break a 4-4 tie. Jarome Iginla scored an empty-netter to make it a 6-4 Flames victory.

Playing in front of fans, like this, you want to overachieve.

Do the Nystroms possess Big Game DNA that is absent from Joe Thornton's DNA strand or do we expect less from the Nystroms? When the Nystroms overachieve we applaud their performances, but Joe Thornton is expected to play at a high level every night, which is also commensurate with his tax bracket.

What makes a big game player? Whatever - it is - Joe Thornton may not possess it.

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal's mobster friends clearly would have shown more fight against the Bruins.