Giguere Measures Up, League Says

There are two schools of thought about Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s goaltending equipment.

One is based on playoff posturing, started by Dallas’ Claude Lemieux. One, it seems, is based on fact.

Lemieux began the finger- pointing during the Stanley Cup playoffs, claiming Giguere’s pads were illegal and that he was a cheater who prospered. NHL officials came to Duck camp last week with a tape measure.

“They measured them and the next thing you know, they were under the limit,” Giguere said, smirking just a bit. “They can actually be bigger.”

While that will probably do little to stop accusations, from players and out-of-town newspaper columnists alike, the numbers, Giguere said, don’t lie. He said his leg pads measure 36 1/2 inches, 1 1/2 inches smaller than NHL regulations. His shoulder pads too were under the limit. Pads can be only 12 inches wide.

“The only thing they said was we have to get them to stay on my shoulders better,” said Giguere, who gave up four goals in his first exhibition game Friday. “But they said that all last season.”

The only thing Giguere had to do was remove padding that provided extra protection to his knees.

“A lot of goalies had to do that,” Giguere said. “I know Ottawa’s Patrick Lalime did too. It’s just a minor adjustment.”

The accusations against Giguere began in the playoffs, after he had bewildered the Detroit Red Wings. Lemieux stirred the pot first, before the second-round series. Some Minnesota players chimed in during the Western Conference final. Giguere has said his pads have passed every time the NHL checked the gear.

Nevertheless, Giguere’s pads became column fodder, particularly in Dallas, since the new pad rules were adopted this summer.

Giguere had a 1.62 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage during the playoffs. He had a goal-less streak of 217 minutes, 54 seconds during the conference final and set an NHL record by not allowing a goal in 168:27 overtime minutes.

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Joffrey Lupul and Ryan Getzlaf each scored a goal in the third period as the Ducks defeated the Sharks, 2-1, on Saturday night in San Jose to run their unbeaten streak in exhibition games to four.

Lupul took a pass from Vinny Prospal and slid it past Shark goalie Evgeni Nabokov as the Ducks broke a scoreless tied with 9:12 remaining in the third. It was Lupul’s second goal of the preseason for the Ducks (3-1-1).

Duck goalie Martin Gerber made 29 saves.

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Associated Press contributed to this report.