First off, a belated congratulations to my friend Justin Tasch. For those of you who aren't familiar with Mr. Tasch, he writes as "j.a.t." on a Mets blog, where he teaches Abe how to play baseball (baseballlikeitoughtabe.com). Recently, he was asked to write a guest post for the popular site fantasybaseball365.com. The link for the post is below, and again congrats Justin.
Now onto the best championship tradition, the Stanley Cup:
The NHL playoffs proved why nothing compares to hockey in April, May and June. The series this year were incredible, starting with the Ducks taking out the Presidents' Trophy winning Sharks, Carolina shocking the Devils when Brodeur crumbled in the last minute of Game 7, and the Rangers blowing their 3-1 lead to Washington in Round 1. Next, the classic Crosby-Ovechkin matchup was predestined to go 7 games (taken by the Pens in a blowout), Carolina beat Boston when, in an ironic twist, the villain Scott Walker scored IN OVERTIME OF GAME 7, the Ducks fought the Red Wings until they finally ran out of gas in Game 7, and the young Blackhawks proved their mettled and embarrassed Roberto Luongo and the Canucks. The conference finals left little doubt as to what the finals would look like, as the Pens and Red Wings polished off their opponents quickly for a shot at the ultimate hardware
Now, as a hockey fan who has no real favorite team, I like to see the teams that play the best hockey succeed. I enjoy when teams have real two-way players who can shoot, pass, skate, check, and demonstrate all-around greatness. A player like Alex Ovechkin doesn't appeal to me, because he's a one-dimensional shooter who doesn't play defense, attempts dangerous checks, and can't even score at high percentages. As a result, you could only imagine my joy when, after getting back to the States, I saw the Red Wings and Penguins had both advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season (+2 points for alliteration). Both rosters are littered with guys who "play the right way" and the Finals rematch was a great storyline.
The first two games, both Red Wings victories, made it pretty doubtful that the Penguins would overcome the hump this time around. However, Marc-Andre Fleury (who i started to have serious doubts about this year) came around to provide good, often spectacular goaltending as the Penguins took Games 3 and 4. After the game 5 blowout, the Red Wings looked like they were going to close out the Pens in Pittsburgh again. However, Fleury again stepped up, and the Pens played great team hockey in game 6 to force a 7th and deciding game. The first period was uneventful, but early in the 2nd Maxime Talbot, the bearded wonder, got a gift turnover and slipped it through Osgood's legs for the first goal of the game. A few minutes later, Sidney Crosby left the game after getting his left knee wedged against the boards, and he was limited to one more shift for the rest of the game with what was called an MCL sprain. It didn't matter in the end, because Mighty Max scored another one later in the period for a pretty commanding 2-0 lead. The Red Wings turned the tide as the 3rd period started, getting a goal from Jonathan Ericsson, but Fleury made some nice saves to keep them from tying the game. The last save, a diving/flopping sprawl to get Nicklas Lidstrom's shot from in close, will be an iconic one for years to come. After this, Sid the Kid's leg felt plenty good enough to take a victory lap, the Cup-kissing and passing proceeded, and the young Pens got their Championship
Some thoughts on the series:
By the end of the series, the Red Wings truly did look tired. While they downplayed it during most interviews, it seriously affected their play. The Wings' defense, from top to bottom, is by far the best in the league, but they often looked weary. As a result, they sent out bad passes more than usual and looked flat-footed whenever the Pens started a rush.
The injury to Nicklas Lidstrom also was a huge factor in the series, and HORRIFIC if you've read any of the reports. Hockey gives even less injury news than the NFL does, but qualifying testicle surgery as a "lower-body injury" isn't right and showed little concern for how serious the condition may have actually been. Pittsburgh may have dodged the bullet by facing the world's best defender at less than 100% because of whatever this injury was.
I hope that "The Flower" Marc-Andre Fleury can use this victory as a springboard to more consistent and successful goaltending. While his nickname makes him seem a tad girly (a polite way of saying it flat-out sucks) his athleticism is truly astonishing. I can't remember any young goaltender who can move side-to-side as quickly as Marc-Andre, and he bends like Hasek did in his prime. While he seems a bit inconsistent seeing the puck (some of the goals in the losses were pretty bad) his positioning is improving, and his flexibility is clearly outstanding. I look forward to watching the former #1 overall pick develop into a more mature goalie.
Throughout the series I didn't enjoy the "Zetterberg is really shutting down Crosby" talk. I thought this was bull created by the announcers, who constantly look for little things to play up as the "Key To The Series." Crosby was the most dynamic player on the ice in every game except Game 5. Looking at the scoresheet doesn't do justice to how well he creates chances and how hard he works on defense, and there's no question he is the best player in the league. Because he's not physically dominant like Ovechkin or Malkin, you'll always see him do other, more astonishing things. He's a master at changing directions and the stop and go's with teammates, and his ridiculous passes seem to fool even his own wingers. Sid the Kid reminds me of Albert Pujols, who plays at a historically-great level yet is not fully appreciated, because he doesn't seek the media attention like more outspoken Russian wingers playing in Washington do.
Looking to next year, I can't really see the Finals being any different. The Red Wings should be healthier and a force out West again, and the Penguins proved that they really just need to peak in the second half to win the East. The bridesmaids in the Western Conference should be San Jose, who will be trying not to flop for the millionth time, Chicago, with their young stars, and Anaheim, if they can keep the entire team from retiring. In the Eastern Conference, a bunch of flawed contenders exist in Boston (goaltending questions), Washington (wondering when will the other young talent will perform around Ovechkin), New Jersey (Brodeur may be amazing but is certainly old, and the defense is thin), and Philadelphia (been waiting for a #1 starter since Hextall left). This year reminded me why i love the game, with all the amazing hockey being played before my very eyes. The season ended on such a high note that I can't wait for my fix next year. I CAN'T WAIT....
-D.R.
