Less than 24 hours after helping to dispatch the Montreal Canadiens and win the Eastern Conference finals, Flyers goalie Michael Leighton was trying to unwind a little.

The Stanley Cup finals against the Blackhawks begin Saturday in Chicago. Given the frenetic pace of the playoffs so far, that seems like an eternity.

"It would have been nice to get right back in it," Leighton said today from Philadelphia. "We
do have a few days to relax and think about what we've accomplished, but we

Talk about a whirlwind season. Leighton started it with the Canes, was waived in mid-December, went to Philly, took over as the starter, played in the Winter Classic, suffered a high ankle sprain in mid-March, then jumped into the playoffs against the Boston Bruins after a Game 5 injury to Brian Boucher to help make some history.

Michael Leighton said today he's not sure if he will start in goal Saturday for the Philadelphia Flyers against the Canes. That's a decision he will leave to Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.

"I'm not sure but they told me to be ready," Leighton said. "It would definitely be exciting to play against them. I hope to play."

Goaltender Michael Leighton has been placed on re-entry waivers, the Hurricanes confirmed today.

Leighton was placed on waivers Monday. He cleared waivers, then was assigned Saturday to the Albany River Rats (AHL). 

Leighton has a one-way contract that pays him $600,000 this season.

Carolina's emergency signing of Manny Legace to fill in while Cam Ward is out is interesting on a number of levels.

Sure, it's easy to look at a goalie who couldn't make Atlanta's roster and scoff, but he's also a veteran with tons of experience. The Hurricanes need a stable hand at this point as much as they need a quick one. Legace should be able to provide that, at the least.

This week's Tuesday Top Five in Talking Points is a direct follow-up to this week's Monday debate.

For whatever reason, whether it has been Arturs Irbe or Cam Ward or Kevin Weekes in net or Paul Maurice or Peter Laviolette behind the bench, the two-goalie system hasn’t been a huge success with the Hurricanes.

It worked in 2001-02 (Irbe and Tom Barrasso during the regular season, Irbe and Weekes in the playoffs), 2002-03 (Irbe and Weekes, although the Hurricanes finished dead last) and 2005-06 (Ward and Martin Gerber).

But more often, it doesn’t.

Read about the top five seldom-used or ill-fated backups here.

With Cam Ward having started the past 16 games for the Hurricanes and likely to start the next three as well, Michael Leighton is getting a taste of what many other backup goalies have experienced in a Carolina uniform: The No. 2 Blues.

For whatever reason, whether it has been Arturs Irbe or Ward or Kevin Weekes in net or Paul Maurice or Peter Laviolette behind the bench, the two-goalie system hasn’t been a huge success with the Hurricanes.

It worked in 2001-02 (Irbe and Tom Barrasso during the regular season, Irbe and Weekes in the playoffs), 2002-03 (Irbe and Weekes, although the Hurricanes finished dead last) and 2005-06 (Ward and Martin Gerber).

But more often, it doesn’t. Here are five other seldom-used or ill-fated backups — Tuesday’s Top Five:

RALEIGH -- Michael Leighton insists he's not thinking ahead, that he's focusing solely on the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Canes' game Thursday night.

But with Cam Ward out with a groin injury, Leighton likely will start in goal this week against Pittsburgh, quickly followed by the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. That's three games in four days against the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Simon Gagne and Alex Ovechkin. That's a lot for any goaltender to think about.

"It's never fun to see your No. 1 goalie get hurt (but) it's an opportunity for me to play," Leighton said today. "It's (bad) for our team, obviously, because Cam has been playing really well the last three or four games. ...  We just need to get a win any way we can these next two or three games and obviously I have to do my part."

ANAHEIM -- Center Eric Staal, who injured a shoulder Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, should play today against the Anaheim Ducks, Canes coach Peter Laviolette said.

Michael Leighton will get the start in goal, Laviolette said. Cam Ward was in goal against the Kings in the 4-3 overtime loss and has started the last two games. In his only start, Leighton was the winner in the Canes' 4-3 overtime win at Tampa Bay.

Rookie forward Zach Boychuk made his NHL debut against the Kings but was held out of the third period. He opened the game on the line with Rod Brind'Amour and Sergei Samsonov, but
Laviolette bumped up Chad LaRose or Dan LaCouture during the third.

"A 3-2 game, the kid hasn't played in a while, I just didn't want to put him in a situation he was uncomfortable with," Laviolette said today.

Goaltender Michael Leighton is slated to be Cam Ward’s backup this season, but he will be hard-pressed to match his performance for the Albany River Rats in the AHL playoffs last season.

His 98 saves, in a 3-2 five-overtime loss to Philadelphia, was believed to be a league record.

“It was disappointing we lost the game but looking back, it’s pretty exciting to be a part of something like that,” Leighton said. “It might be a long time before it ever happens again. I kept the stick and I’m in the process of getting one of the game sheets from the AHL to put on my wall.

“It’s probably something that will never happen to me again: 98 saves.”

Zac Dalpe paid his own way to this week’s prospect conditioning camp as an Ohio State recruit, to maintain his eligibility per NCAA rules. But he admits his mind isn’t fully made up yet.

The update Dalpe's tug-of-war between Ohio State and Plymouth (OHL) was one of several interesting notes from Wednesday's first day of Carolina's prospect conditioning camp.