It's gotta be the pads?

[stogiesmoker00]

That's what the Minnesota Wild were saying about Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Continuing his postseason brilliance, the Anaheim goalie has now posted two straight shutouts as the Mighty Ducks lead the Western Conference finals 2-0.

But some players have hinted that Giguere might be getting some help -- of the illegal kind.

The Wild's Antti Laaksonen first raised the issue after Giguere shut out the Wild, 1-0, in Saturday's Game 1. Teammate Cliff Ronning later suggested that NHL officials should check Giguere's pads.

The Stars' Claude Lemieux made the same "claim" before Game 1 of the West semifinals.

"I don't know what the regulations are or whatever, but his pads are way too big," Lemieux told reporters.

Giguere, meanwhile, disputes the talk.

"My pads are legal," he told The Los Angeles Times. "I don't care. They have been measured, so what can I say?"

Ducks coach Mike Babcock thought the accusation was so ridiculous that he even started joking about it with the media.

"Doesn't anyone want to ask me about Giguere's pads?" Babcock sarcastically asked reporters Monday.

"They are huge. The better he plays, the bigger they get. It's an amazing thing."

According to a report in the L.A. Times, Ducks equipment manager Mark O'Neill said that Giguere's pads were already submitted for a random check after Game 1 of the team's first-round series vs. Detroit.

The 2002-03 NHL rulebook limits the width of a goaltender's pads to 12 inches. There is no reference to a limit on length.

Regardless of all the talk, Giguere has been the talk of the playoffs. And after Monday's 2-0 win over the Wild, Giguere extended his scoreless streak to 153 minutes, 17 seconds, dating back to 14:49 of the third period of Game 6 against Dallas in the second round.