The San Jose Sharks still hold a 3-2 lead on the Los Angeles Kings, but they are far from comfortable. Specifically, their goaltending situation is about as settled as that of the Philadelphia Flyers (okay, it’s not that bad). Antti Niemi, who was so great for the Blackhawks last year during their Stanley Cup championship run that the Hawks decided they didn’t even want him at a low salary, was bad in their Game 5 loss, giving up three goals on four shots.

Ouch.

Still, head coach Todd McLellan says that they are sticking with Niemi, despite the fact that he had to be yanked.

“He is our guy,” McLellan said Sunday. “Last year, this year — anytime he’s had a bad game, he’s come back.”

But the coach did note that Niemi is not always so bad in games so close together.

“We don’t expect him to be perfect,” McLellan said of Niemi. “We expect him to be a little bit better, and I think he expects that of himself.”

The Sharks just gave this guy a four-year contract extension last month, so that might have some bearing on them going with him over Nittymaki. But, that doesn’t mean he won’t get the quick hook if he struggles in Game 6 at the Staples Center.

Former Chicago Blackhawks goalie and Stanley Cup champion Antti Niemi has decided to accept a contract with the San Jose Sharks, a source tells ESPNChicago. It’s a one-year, $2 million deal.

This tells us even more about how much it means for an individual to win a championship. People rag on Dan Marino and Jim Kelly for not winning a Super Bowl. Well if winning it all was so important to the status of an individual, how come Niemi couldn’t get a job until September? Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl in 2000 and the team rewarded him by signing Elvis Grbac.

But, we digress. Niemi was awarded a $2.75 million salary from Chicago by an arbitrator. Great, right? Nope, they decided it was too much to pay him and they passed. In some fairness to the Blackhawks, they aren’t flush with cap room.

The Philadelphia Flyers had an amazing run through the playoffs and at times got some great goaltending from Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. But, the bottom line is that they are backups who should not be starting on a team that has a Stanley Cup on the brain.

So, one would think that if the Flyers got the chance to sign the goalie who won the Stanley Cup, they’d go for it, right? Nope.

With Chicago Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi on the open market after Chicago balked at the idea of paying him $2.75 million (which is what an arbitrator ruled was his worth). And, according to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren on Monday, the Flyers aren’t interested either.

We understand why they aren’t. Niemi is just not that great. But, what is a little concerning is the fact that Holmgren thinks he’s set with Leighton, Boucher and Johan Backlund. You can’t really be okay with that group on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, right?

The Chicago Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup with Antti Niemi as their goalie. Great, right? Re-sign him, right? Not really. First of all, he’s not that good and they won in spite of him rather than because of him (thank you to the Philadelphia Flyers for having Michael Leighton in their net).

Second of all, the Hawks have salary cap problems. They’ve already traded half of the team away. So, when Niemi won a one-year, $2.75 million contract via arbitration, the Blackhawks had to walk away.

Not that good + Costs too much money = Sign Marty Turco.

And that’s just what Chicago did. They announced today that they have added Turco on a one-year, $1.3 million deal. He’ll be 35-years old in two weeks and had a 2.72 GAA last year with the Dallas Stars.

“Marty is the perfect veteran addition to our tremendous core that is already in place as we look to begin our defence of the Stanley Cup,” said Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman in a statement. “He is joining us with the intention of adding a Stanley Cup to his lengthy list of accomplishments over the last decade and we are looking forward to his immediate contributions.”

Turco spent his entire 10-year career with the Dallas Stars.

“Joining the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks is an unbelievable opportunity for me both professionally and personally,” said Turco in a release. “The Blackhawks are a first-class organization in a world-class city and at this point in my career I am excited to be a part of a team that will give me such a good chance to win the Stanley Cup.”

Regrets to all those who tried to name the new Chicago Blackhawks drink at the John Hancock Observatory after something that rhymed with “Niemi.”

Maybe Cristobal Huet will get it together?

The Chicago Blackhawks have named Antti Niemi as their starting goalie for Tuesday night’s showdown with the Dallas Stars. Niemi had 34 saves on Saturday to help the ‘Hawks break a three-game losing streak and beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1. The last time Niemi started back to back games? He got pulled in the first period after giving up three goals.

“I just have to make sure it [getting pulled] doesn’t happen again,” Niemi said after Monday’s practice.

Cristobal Huet was in goal as the team lost three in a row, but he says he understands the decision to go with Niemi.

Photo Caption: Niemi does his Ray LeBlanc impression.

“The end result the last three games [wasn't good],” Huet said. “I can only blame myself for not getting the job done. I didn’t get any bounces, but I felt pretty good those games to give the team a chance but it didn’t happen.”