Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis saw something bizarre after his team lost to Montreal in the first round of the NHL playoffs last night. Himself. Or, someone bearing a resemblance, anyway.

Marty Siegel, of course, is not technically Ted Leonsis, but he’s got more than enough hockey cred. He’s an original Caps season ticket holder, and has stories of sneaking his son into the Cap Centre on his shoulders. He still skates, running an old-timers team in Ashburn. His sons play hockey, too. At 64, he’s 11 years older than Leonsis, but his sons are always telling him how much he looks like the owner.

“They have no idea,” Evan shouted into his cellphone a few feet from his dad. “They think it’s him. I’m not exaggerating.”–DC Sports Bog.

The real Leonsis was not amused, addressing the situation in a post on his blog titled “Identity Theft.”

Not sure how I am supposed to react so I won’t other than to say, please email him after the loss last night. He was responsible for this rebuild and for the poor playoff performance and he deserves all of the angst and rage. Thank you. –Ted’s Take.

By the way, the real Leonsis is on the left. I think this sort of thing should happen more often. I can’t wait to see the Drunk Jerry Jones lookalike. Thanks to Jack for the heads-up.

One of the biggest arguments against an elimination-style playoff in Division I-A football is that allowing more teams to compete for the national championship devalues the regular season. It’s also one of the best arguments–for that sport, anyway. That wouldn’t fly with the NHL, whose regular season is so worthless that you could start the playoffs in October with a really big bracket that pulled the “season” into mid-April and the product would be better off. Because the Stanley Cup Playoffs kick ass.

ASYLUM POLL: NHL vs. NBA — Who has the more entertaining playoffs?

And I hate saying that, because Gary Bettman has really burned every hardcore hockey fan they ever had. After the lockout, the cancellation of the 2005 season, the changing of the home-team-wears-white rule, realignment, renaming the divisions, overexpansion, their hypocritical position on fighting, ridiculous contracts, and the constant whoring of the game to the fairweather American, the only thing that really remains intact from the Ziegler era is the race to Lord Stanley’s Cup. It’s best-of-seven, and if the game’s tied at regulation, next goal wins.

It’s that simple, sudden-death premise that makes the playoffs so much better than the regular season. And you bet your ass it is sudden. Ask Chris Osgood, who let the game-winner fly over his left shoulder just after the start of the third overtime in Game 2 of the Wings-Ducks conference semifinal yesterday. At one point, you’re there, waiting to see which side will prevail. Then you blink, and it’s over.

Red Wings right winger Tomas Hoimstrom, who it seems has that TomASS, got a goal by teammate Pavel Datsyuk last night waved off because, even though his skates weren't in the crease, his ass so fat they have to stop play for it.

Replays showed Holmstrom, who often uses his wide body to position himself in front the goalie to set a screen for a shot, didn't have his skates in the crease at the time of the goal. But referee Kelly Sutherland waved off the goal.

"The referees said his skates were outside the crease but his rear end was in the blue area," Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "That's a call I've never heard of."

NHL Rule 69, interference on the goalkeeper, never mentions the word "butt."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rule 69 doesn't mention the word "butt"? That's like Rule Blowjob not mentioning "your mom". Hey-O! No really, it confuses her greatly.

Nothing like a few butt cracks. That is, jokes about asses. Written on a notecard and placed in a stripper's asshole.