The Nhl

Playoff Pest
The Canucks' Jarkko Ruutu earns ice time by rubbing foes the wrong way

QUICK QUIZ: Is Jarkko Ruutu a) an evildoer in the new X-Men movie, b) an exotic intestinal virus or c) the NHL's newest playoff villain? The answer is c, though the Canucks' forward plays with the nastiness of a and can be as much of a pain to opponents as b. Ruutu had just one assist in 11 playoff games through Monday, but his fingerprints—along with marks left by his elbows and stick blade—were all over Vancouver's seven-game, first-round series win over the Blues and its Round 2 matchup with the Wild, which the Canucks led 3-2 after a 7-2 loss at home on Monday. Says Minnesota forward Antti Laaksonen, "He likes to get under your skin."

On every shift Ruutu, 27, hurls his 6'2", 200-pound body around like a wrecking ball, often treating the officials' whistles as round-opening bells rather than signals to stop play. His stickwork and instigating, which includes yapping, have drawn at least five penalties that resulted in Vancouver power plays. After an unsportsmanlike-conduct call on St Louis's Barret Jackman, Ruutu winked at him as Jackman skated to the penalty box. "When guys try to get back at you, you know you've got them," says Ruutu.

For most of the season the Canucks brass was as frustrated with Ruutu as foes were because of his penchant for taking undisciplined penalties. He was a healthy scratch 46 times during the regular season and expected to be shipped out at the March trade deadline. In one practice Ruutu started a fight with teammate Matt Cooke just to get attention. Says G.M. Brian Burke, "There were times when I said [to coach Marc Crawford], 'If you dress him again, I'm going to kill him.' "

In the postseason, however, Ruutu has smartened up. "He's a more patient and persistent player," says Burke. But still a player that opponents love to hate.

Record for Multiple Overtimes
Sudden Death Not So Sudden

The Devils clinched their series against the Lightning last Friday with a 2-1 victory in Game 5, but as defenseman Scott Stevens said, "We almost played six games." Indeed, New Jersey needed 2� overtime periods to win that match and the war of attrition. It was the NHL's record eighth multiple-OT game of the playoffs.

The late nights and tired legs are by-products of meetings between evenly matched teams that have mastered conservative systems. In tight games clubs try to prevent scoring chances, often to the detriment of their offense. "If a game is tied late, teams wait for the other guys to crack," says Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock, whose squad has played three multiple-overtime games. "That's how well-disciplined teams are."