Back in April � before the playoffs began _ I got a call from Eric Duhatschek asking me for my choices for the survivors in the East and West.

At the beginning of the season, I had Ottawa winning the Stanley Cup but for the life of me, I can't remember who I picked to win the West.

But when Hatter called, I immediately volunteered that New Jersey, which had won 11 straight at the time, and San Jose would be the two finalists for the Cup and that the Devils would shock everyone and win.

All the favorites are gone. Including the Devils and Sharks. I was pretty much dumb founded last night watching the Edmonton Oilers dictate every portion of the game to the Sharks. San Jose seemed timid to me. Like the Sharks were afraid to assert themselves.

They had no follow shots on net. I'm not saying Dwayne Roloson wasn't spectacular in goal. Only that he wasn't challenged often enough, especially on follow shots. The Sharks played a perimeter game and seldom had open looks on net.

Worse, they were pathetic on the power play. You can't go 0-for-8 on the power play in a one-goal game and expect to win. Especially, in an elimination game. You can't go 2-for-27 and expect to win a series unless you held the opponent to 0-for-27.

So, now I have to revise my picks. Just like everyone else in North America. I really like Brian Burke's Might Ducks of Anaheim, which is going to please Brian's best pal, Al Strachan, but that's another story.

I like Buffalo and I said after watching the Sabres during the Flyers series that Lindy Ruff's club should come out of the East unscathed. Of the four clubs left, I see the Sabres as having the quickest feet and best, overall skill. I think they can win the Cup.

But I noticed something about Edmonton, too. The Oilers are not necessarily playing a run 'n gun game of shinny hockey in these playoffs. They are playing, hard, aggressive, hitting hockey and they are even trapping when they have to. They've changed their game.

The Ducks are going to have their hands full with these Oilers. Of course, television _ NBC and OLN in the U.S., specifically, _ isn't going to like the fact there is just one, large TV market � Anaheim _ left in the playoffs. Okay, OLN is cable but you know what I am getting at: large markets, large audiences.

I suspect, however, that Carolina, Buffalo and Edmonton will get very strong numbers in their markets because of the attention hockey is generating right now.

This much I know for certain: regardless of who comes out of the East and West, cross-country flights to the Cup finals is going to be very expensive out of Buffalo and Carolina which is bad for newspapers, who are all in a cash crunch right now.

But the hockey among the four is going to be superb. So, who cares if it's expensive to cover, right?