31.   If the playoff opener is any indication, watch out for the New Jersey Devils again.

32.   In playoff openers next Saturday, it will be Jacksonville at Buffalo and Minnesota at Dallas.

33.   In the playoff opener Tuesday night, Palmer made a diving, backhanded stop that helped prevent New York from breaking loose in the first inning.

34.   In Salt Lake City, the best team in the West had an easy time winning its playoff opener.

35.   New York traveled to Cincinnati to win a playoff game for the berth last Monday, then traveled to Phoenix and beat Randy Johnson in the playoff opener Tuesday.

36.   Nieuwendyk, sidelined since injuring his right knee in the playoff opener last season, knocked a loose puck past Nikolai Khabibulin on a power play.

37.   Team doctors felt Coady might have been able to recover in time for a playoff opener, but were worried about him aggravating the injury.

38.   The Bruins, who ended a five-game winless streak, finally gained momentum going into their playoff opener at home Thursday night against Montreal.

39.   The Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals won their NHL playoff openers with surprising comebacks.

40.   Todd Stottlemyre will pitch the first-round AL playoff opener for Texas on Tuesday night.