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Road teams have held their own in playoffs

DETROIT -- Home, sweet home? Not this season. Through the first three playoffs rounds, teams were a mediocre 45-41 at home.

The Red Wings have been particularly sketchy at Joe Louis Arena, 6-5 after Tuesday's 3-2 loss on the heels of losing seven times at home during the regular season. The Hurricanes are 6-3.

"In the playoffs everybody is mentally prepared and the atmosphere is so intense," Detroit center Boyd Devereaux said before Game 1. "It's definitely not as big an advantage as everyone makes it out to be."

"You play on the road and you play a little bit of a simpler game," right wing Darren McCarty said. "You're not trying to impress. Home ice in the playoffs really doesn't matter unless it's Game 7."

McCarty is right. Of the five deciding games this season, all have been won by the home team. Carolina coach Paul Maurice said that might be because the home team gets the final player change during play stoppages. That is no different from any other game, but he said there is something about a Game 7 atmosphere that plays into the hands of the home team.

"When you get to that Game 7, the matchups really become an advantage," Maurice said.

BROKEN, BENCHED: Dave Tanabe said he has been cleared to play "for a while now," but the Hurricanes defenseman, who broke his right wrist in the first game of the playoffs, remains on the bench.

"I just have to wait for the coaches to make their decision," he said.

Tanabe, 21, considered one of the league's top young defenseman, played 78 games in the regular season. But after getting hurt in a collision with New Jersey's Jay Pandolfo, he has watched Carolina's defense flourish.

After missing 18 consecutive games, rust is a concern. Maurice said even if a Carolina defenseman has a bad game he would be hard-pressed to play Tanabe.

LUDZIK BEHIND THE BENCH: Contracts have not been signed but it appears former Lightning coach Steve Ludzik will be named coach of the OHL's Mississauga IceDogs.

Ludzik coached Tampa Bay from the start of the 1999-2000 season until Jan. 6, 2001, when he was fired and replaced with John Tortorella.

He has spent a year and a half collecting the rest of his three-year, $1.2-million contract and working as a studio analyst for the Score sports network in Canada.

WHO WANTS TICKETS?: Devereaux grew up in Seaforth, Ontario, a three-hour drive from Detroit, so he said it is strange that no friends or relatives have asked him for Stanley Cup tickets.

"They must think there's no possible way of getting into the games," he said. "I've been calling friends to say, "How would you like to go to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final?' It's fun to call people and hear the excitement."

HASEK STOPPED: Detroit goaltender Dominik Hasek was ticketed on his way to practice Tuesday morning for allegedly driving 65 mph in a 45 mph construction zone, Detroit police officer Alecia Thomas told the Associated Press. Hasek had no comment, team spokesman John Hahn said.

AT WHAT PRICE? Tickets priced between $80 and $400 were being scalped for $2,100.

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