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Congrats to the Detroit Red Wings on winning the Stanley Cup by hanging on for an exciting 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six at a loud Mellon Arena. They truly were the best team and very deserving of winning their first Cup in six years and fourth in the last 11.

After losing in very tough fashion with the hardware in their building the other night, the experienced Original Six club responded by playing a whale of a game dominating large portions against a younger opponent. They got the first two goals including ex-Devil Brian Rafalski’s power play tally which opened the scoring at 5:03 of the first.

The Wings doubled their lead when Marc-Andre Fleury couldn’t control a Mikael Samuelsson rebound allowing a cutting Valtteri Filpulla to sneak a backhand through shortside for a 2-0 cushion nearly halfway through the contest. But the Pens responded via the man-advantage when Evgeni Malkin finally got on the board for the first time in the series. Taking a perfect Sidney Crosby cross-ice pass, the 22 year-old Russian rifled the puck past Chris Osgood for his 10th of the postseason.

Clinging to a one-goal lead with 20 minutes left, the Wings ratcheted up their level outplaying the Pens severely by getting 12 of the first 13 shots. They also had some luck fall their way when eventual Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg’s shot trickled through Fleury and with it hanging close to the line, the 23 year-old Pitt netminder accidentally knocked it into his own net. While it was a bad break for the Pens, it was also a great individual effort by Zetterberg befitting of why he took home playoff MVP.

Taking the puck from superb linemate Pavel Datsyuk, the Swede went 1-on-3 and then found room to take his wrister which resulted in his 13th and the Cup clincher. That was the kind of skating which defined how dominant Zetterberg and Datsyuk were throughout the entire postseason. They somehow would make amazing plays out of nothing and score goals which defied logic. Perhaps he was a bit lucky on the goal which made it 3-1 with 12:24 remaining but it also was created by a very smart player who will no longer fly under the radar when it comes to being one of the game’s best.

For the most part, Pittsburgh looked completely outclassed and had nothing going until a Jiri Hudler minor gave them life late. Sergei Gonchar’s slapper was deflected home by Marian Hossa cutting it to 3-1 with still 87 seconds to go. Plenty of time for the Pens, who used a Max Talbot goal to hold off the celebration in Detroit a couple of nights ago.

Could they duplicate that and force another sudden death? Unfortunately, they just ran out of time. Off a broken play, Crosby got off a tough backhander which Osgood stopped. With the puck dangerously close to the line, the veteran Detroit netminder who entered the postseason as a backup to Dominik Hasek got his goalstick on it before Hossa got to it. By the time his backhand attempt took place, the clock was at zero. So even though the puck just went wide, it wouldn’t have counted.

If ever there was a great story which developed out of nowhere, it had to be the clutch play of Osgood, who in relief of Hasek was utterly brilliant winning 14 of his club’s 16 games and posting a splendid 14-4 record to win his third Cup (second as starter).

His team did play intelligent defensive hockey getting in the path of shots and breaking up passes but Ozzie made his share of high quality saves and arguably could’ve won the Conn Smythe as well which went to Zetterberg. He finished with a miniscule 1.55 GAA, .931 save percentage and three shutouts including back-to-back in the first couple of games of the Final series. For a man who had always been doubted as a starter being capable enough to backstop Detroit to championships, it was pretty amazing to see the 35 year-old Peace River, Alberta native lead the Wings to another Cup exactly a decade afer helping them repeat in a sweep over the Capitals.

Just awesome.

As for Zetterberg, with a goal and a helper, the brilliant 27 year-old former 1999 Detroit seventh round gem finished the postseason with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) along with a gaudy plus-16 rating typifying just how special a player he really is. Complete in every facet.

The selection of him for the Smythe was a superb one. If Osgood wasn’t going to win it, why not give it to the most consistent performer in the 2008 playoffs? I’d have to imagine Datsyuk and Osgood finished second and third though I wouldn’t venture to guess which order.

I also want to congratulate Rafalski on winning his third Cup. The former Devil blueliner who helped the franchise win two of their three Cups was outstanding playing alongside Detroit captain Nick Lidstrom, who broke the Euro hex becoming the first European born captain to lead an NHL club to the championship. I was amazed at the chemistry the two dynamic defensemen had. They always seemed to be a step ahead of the opposition working the puck out diligently and making a smooth transition to offense. The performance by both was oustanding as was the physicality from Niklas Kronwall and a rejuvenated Brad Stuart, who freight trained Crosby during the second with a clean hit forcing No.87 to limp to the bench.

The Mellon Arena crowd also did itself proud by continuing to support their team with chants of “Let’s Go Pens, Let’s Go Pens, Let’s Go Pens” after the final buzzer had sounded. The vast majority remained for the postgame ceremony and respectfully cheered. It was extremely nice considering how tough the circumstances had to be after watching their club come so close to miraculously tying it.

What started as a disappointing series turned into a very good one with the Pens trying as hard as they could to comeback from an 0-2 and 1-3 hole. They weren’t as good as the Wings but did their best to make this a fun Stanley Cup Final which generated some excellent ratings on NBC. This was much needed for the sport with the series only lacking a dramatic final Game Seven.

Congrats again to the Red Wings on their great victory. They truly proved to be the best team.

How many times have you heard or seen a player call their shot and deliver? Yeah. Not too often. Well, if you go by what NBC’s Pierre McGuire reported down between the glass during the second overtime, Petr Sykora called his own shot and came through to save the Pens from certain defeat.

The former Devil who’s won a Cup apparently pointed to his chest and indicated that he would score the winner. As fate had it, that prediction came true when Jiri Hudler was whistled off for a double minor guilty of an undisciplined high stick. Brilliant all night, the Red Wing penalty kill couldn’t deny Sykora. Taking a perfect pass from Evgeni Malkin, who actually showed a pulse, No.17 walked in and beat Chris Osgood with a perfect whistler high glove top shelf to send the series back to Mellon Arena for Game Six Wednesday night.

Kudos to Pitt defender Sergei Gonchar for showing guts coming back from an injury when he crashed into the boards hard back in the second. He was out there and made a difference on that final power play registering a secondary helper on the winner.

Perfect timing for the Pens, who can really thank Marc-Andre Fleury for bailing them out. He was brilliant making 55 saves including all 24 in the three overtimes. Detroit held a 24-14 SOG edge in sudden death but couldn’t find a way to beat the Pitt netminder who easily turned in his best performance.

The Red Wings have to be shaking their heads as they outshot the Penguins by 26 (58-32) and still didn’t win the Cup. Instead, they’ll be forced to do it the hard way by traveling back to Pittsburgh for Game Six. The last thing they want is a winner take all Game Seven even if it’s in their own building.

It’s worth noting that only once in Stanley Cup history has a team comeback to rally from a 3-1 deficit. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs turned the trick against the Red Wings. There have been instances in recent memory where a team rallied to tie the series from that margin but lost in the seventh game. Such was the case in 1994 when the Canucks lost to the Rangers by a goal after extending the series to the max. It also occurred a couple of years ago when the Oilers got a sudden death shorthanded breakaway tally from Fernando Pisani before blowing out the Hurricanes in Game Six to force Game Seven. But home ice proved too much as the Canes wrapped up the series hanging on for a two-goal win.

Obviously, the Pens have the momentum and should come out flying back on home ice Wednesday. However, the Red Wings are an experienced bunch who shouldn’t hang their heads too much. They’ll be ready to play.

Final thought. I really could’ve done without the cheesy NBC replays showing the reaction of Mario Lemieux’s wife. Geez. Could they make it anymore obvious who they want to win this series?

Still, that the series shall continue is good for the network as it should draw more viewers in. The one thing this postseason has really lacked is drama. If the Pens can rise up and win one more time on home ice, then the league would get the desired seventh game with all the pressure squarely on the veteran Wings. Will it happen? I don’t know. If any team can comeback from such a disheartening defeat, it’s Detroit. They should’ve wrapped it up tonight. The Pens are playing with house money and won’t want to disappoint their home supporters.

It should be fun to see what transpires.

Believe it or not, Game Five is still going on at The Joe between the Red Wings and Penguins. If Detroit gets the next goal when the third overtime begins, they win the Stanley Cup. If Pittsburgh finds a way to win, then it’s on to Game Six back at Mellon Arena.

The Wings fought back valiantly from two goals down scoring three straight including ex-Devil defenseman Brian Rafalski’s blast which looked to be the Cup winner with under 10 minutes left. However, it wasn’t to be as though they dominated the Pens for long stretches, Max Talbot found a way to tie it getting to a loose puck making it 3-3 with 34 ticks left in regulation.

Detroit continued to carry the action in the first OT peppering Marc-Andre Fleury with shot after shot. He’s the only reason the game’s still going as he’s made several spectacular glove stops to keep his team alive. The second OT saw the Pens gather themselves and play the Wings even with shots seven apiece. Each team had a power play chance but couldn’t cash in. The two Detroit goalie interference calls in the first two OTs were bush league and a perfect example of what’s wrong with the NHL. Neither was even close to being a penalty but the refs have been programmed or as I like to say Bettman-sized.

The call on Petr Sykora was legit even though it was a bit tacky. Here’s a concept for these idiots in stripes. How about letting the players decide it? It just could work.

Anyway, the third sudden death should be starting shortly over on NBC. So, if you don’t have it on, why the heck not?!?!?!?!?! There’s no greater theater.

SOG still favor the Wings 54-28. Correction on the second OT. The Pens had eight shots to Detroit’s seven.

Anyway, we’ll see if Detroit can raise their fourth Cup in the last 11 years or if the Pens can extend this series. It should be a doozy.

With Detroit on the verge of winning their fourth Stanley Cup since 1996 after a 2-1 win tonight that gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals, I figured it was high time to give an excellent unit its due.  Much of the hype pre-series was about star power on both sides.  But as so often happens in hockey, highlight-reel offense has given way to great defense.  Pittsburgh’s previously unstoppable offense has been stone cold against Detroit, scoring only four goals in four games, and never putting more than 24 shots on Chris Osgood in any contest.  Sidney Crosby has been held to two goals - both at home in Game 3 - and Evgeni Malkin, hyped as the ‘real’ best player in hockey throughout the playoffs has been completely obliterated in the Finals, held pointless in four games.

Although I said in my last post there was no real compelling rooting interest I am sort of hoping Detroit wins, if nothing else but to end the so-called European captain hex.  Few, if anyone would be more deserving than Nicklas Lidstrom, who’s been the best defenseman in hockey for a decade if not longer and does it with quiet determination.  Lidstrom had a stellar Game 4 tonight, scoring the tying goal in the first period and being named first star because of his work on the high-powered Penguin offense during his team-leading 28+ minutes of icetime.

Plus, as a Devils fan I still have a soft spot for Brian Rafalski though I know a lot of my bretheren would give me a beatdown for expressing such sentiments.  Then again the same was true when Rafalski was a Devil, since he was often underappreciated there by the fans, media and even management to an extent.  Rafalski’s chipped in 11 points in the playoffs to go along with his typical 20-25 minutes of very good defense, though his assist on Lidstrom’s goal was his first point in seven games.

On the other hand, I’ve never been a big fan of Brad Stuart.  I’ve always felt he got overhyped and was extremely overrated, as evidenced by his bouncing from team to team.  And while he had only two assists in the first three rounds of the playoffs he’s putting up points like a machine in the finals.  Call it the dash for cash if you will, since his five points and +7 against the Penguins while playing 20+ minutes a night through the first four games will surely convince someone to throw big money at him in a shaky FA market for defensemen.

Similarly, I’ve always thought injury-prone Niklas Kronwall would never live up to his immense hype.  But he took a big step toward doing so this year by putting together a 35 point, +25 regular season and adding 13 assists during the Red Wings’ playoff push thus far.  He had another terrific game tonight, playing 25 minutes with a +1.

And three cheers for the guy behind it all, Osgood.  Yes as I stated above he hasn’t had to make a ton of saves in any game in the finals, and throughout the playoffs Detroit’s D has only given up 25+ shots three times in Osgood’s sixteen playoff starts but the much-maligned veteran has made the saves when he’s had to - particularly during Detroit’s first-round series against Nashville when he took over for an ineffective Dominik Hasek with the series tied 2-2 and won two straight. 

Detroit hasn’t looked back since, and two straight shutouts of Pittsburgh - their first two times being shut out in the playoffs - is nothing to sneeze at.  Osgood is on the verge of winning his third Stanley Cup (second as a starter) and quite possibly a Conn Smythe trophy with his 13-3 record in the playoffs, a 1.48 GAA and .935 save percentage.  Not bad for a guy that’s bounced around the league the last several years and wasn’t even the number one goalie on his team heading into the playoffs.

With a hard fought 2-1 road win over the Penguins in Game Four, the Red Wings are a win away from winning the Stanley Cup. A hotly contested game which saw each team with a goal after 40 minutes was decided by a superior experienced Detroit club who carried the play to their younger opponent in the third.

Off a Pittsburgh turnover, Jiri Hudler’s backhander trickled through Marc-Andre Fleury to give the Wings their first lead of the night. They had trailed 1-0 early on a Marian Hossa power play goal before captain Nick Lidstrom tied it following a power play. The Pens’ failure to clear the zone would comeback to haunt them as this time, the team which entered with a perfect 9-0 mark on home ice couldn’t comeback.

Even a two-man advantage couldn’t get the game knotted. Instead, outstanding penalty killing work by Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Lidstrom allowed the Wings to get out unscathed. In particular, Zetterberg’s doggedness was unbelievable. His anticipation on the backcheck denied Sidney Crosby a pointblank opportunity to tie it. But the worthy Selke candidate wasn’t done stealing the puck at the blueline while generating a shorthanded chance killing precious time. The Swede’s defensive work was something to behold as were his teammates, who did an excellent job protecting the lead.

Detroit outshot Pittsburgh 9-6 in the final stanza limiting their effectiveness. Evgeni Malkin couldn’t generate much and most of the Pens’ chances came from the perimeter. With Fleury pulled for an extra attacker giving a desperate Pitt club a 6-on-4, the Wings dug in getting in the path of shots and clearing the zone.

The Pens’ last gasp came in the final seconds when a puck nearly came to a wide open player but never got there due to Detroit’s pesky D allowing the Original Six club to go home Monday with a chance to wrap up the series and Cup back home.

As the buzzer sounded, a flustered Crosby had words for Zetterberg as he and teammates shrugged it off with ease celebrating their big Game Four victory which put them up 3-1.

The Cup will be in the building at Motown a couple of days from now.

It’s worth noting that the defensive work by Lidstrom and D partner Brian Rafalski was outstanding. They were just dominant in their zone controlling things and keeping the Pens’ forecheck at bay. As NBC guru Pierre McGuire noted at the conclusion, Mike Babcock did a great job running the bench. Maybe the experience of being there before rubbed off. He coached the Ducks when they lost to the Devils five years prior.

It should be interesting to see how the Pens respond to facing elimination with so much at stake. They haven’t been put in this predicament all postseason. Meanwhile, the Wings know a thing or two about leaving the door slightly ajar for opponents as was evidenced last round when they allowed the Stars to win two straight before finishing them off in Game Six.

We’ll see what happens.

Admittedly I haven’t watched a minute of this series yet - though that may change Saturday.  As intriguing as the series is from a hockey perspective there isn’t really a black hat for me to root against (unlike some Devils fans I have no real beef with Pittsburgh or Detroit), or a Cinderella to root for.  Plus my baseball team’s a better soap opera than anything that’s on during the day, so I’ve been preoccupied with the Met saga - but I digress since this is after all, a hockey blog.

Of course I didn’t really miss much the first two games, except a whole lot of Detroit dominance.  They won Game 1 4-0 helped out by two unassisted goals from Mikael Samuelsson, a shorthanded tally from Daniel Cleary to put the game out of reach with less than three minutes left and Chris Osgood’s 19 saves, good enough to shut out the high-powered Penguin offense.

After putting away Game 1 with a fast finish, the Wings used a quick start in Game 2 to get another leg up on a Penguin team finally facing its first real adversity of the playoffs.  Brad Stuart and Tomas Holmstrom scored first-period goals, again giving a dominant Detroit defense more than enough breathing room.  For the second straight game Crosby, Malkin and company were held off the scoresheet.  This time Osgood made 22 saves as the Wings took Game 2 3-0.

Back at the Igloo for the first Stanley Cup Finals game there since 1992, the Penguins rode the momentum of a raucous crowd to a Game 3 win.  Sidney Crosby finally displayed his skills on a national stage by getting the first two goals, though it was Adam Hall’s third-period tally that proved to be the game-winner in a 3-2 Pittsburgh victory.  Pittsburgh’s defense held on for dear life in the third period, as Samuelsson scored his third of the series to cut a two-goal deficit in half, and then the Penguins had to kill off a late power play to sew up their first win of the Finals.

So the NHL’s getting what it wants - at least for now.  A Game 4 in a loud hockey arena with the series somewhat in doubt again, on Saturday night so Canadien television gets to broadcast another Hockey Night in Canada show and NBC gets a weekend night audience in two hockey markets.  Hopefully the action resembles Game 3 more than the first two games. 

Ending on a sad note: Everyone who’s a hockey fan was stunned by the sudden passing of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luc Bourdon at the age of 21 in a motorcycle accident.  There will be a moment of silence before Game 4 on Saturday, and Battle of NY passes on its condoldences to the Bourdon family and the Vancouver Canucks.

In case you missed it, the Stanley Cup Final is finally all set. With the Red Wings posting a 4-1 victory in Game Six over the Stars in Big D last night, the President’s Trophy winners and the Eastern Conference champion Penguins will meet for Lord Stanley beginning this Saturday with the first two games exclusively on Versus.

Why there’s that sort of delay to start this series is just another baffling reminder of how messed up the NHL is. Fyi…it’s worth pointing out that the Wings and Pistons don’t play in the same buildings. So, what’s the holdup?

It would make a lot more sense to give both teams Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare and have Game 1 faceoff on Thursday with Game 2 Saturday. But logic isn’t something that prevails much with league headquarters.

For some reason, they want to go up against the NBA. Granted. At least they got the desired final they craved. This really couldn’t have worked out any better. In terms of star power with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa on one side and Nick Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the other, this is an enticing match-up pitting the two best overall teams for all the marbles.

You got a wealth of skill, skating and solid team defense along with timely goalkeeping from unlikely pair Marc-Andre Fleury and Chris Osgood. Can the Pens’ talent at center slow down Detroit in the faceoff circle and take away their puck possession game which drives opponents nuts? With the undervalued Jordan Staal also in the fold, they match-up well.

This series definitely has the potential to be a classic seven-game series. Hopefully, it can live up to that billing cause this postseason has lacked that one defining series which you could hang your hat on.

Want to give a ton of kudos to the Stars for not giving up a la the Flyers in their humiliating 6-0 defeat which thankfully I didn’t see much of due to a wedding. While it’s true they fell behind 4-0, they never threw in the towel playing an excellent third period getting one goal and forcing Osgood to make some big saves or it might’ve been much more interesting.

I also want to give props to the Dallas fans, who were extremely supportive standing up and giving their guys the kind of support you like to see. That was really cool how they saluted them at the conclusion. Though I kind of felt bad for Marty Turco and Brenden Morrow cause they really laid it on the line. If there’s one goalie I’d really like to see win, it’s Turco. And Morrow’s also a real good leader and easy to respect.

One final observation which I didn’t see coming. Not long ago, I questioned the candidacy of fine offensive players Datsyuk and Zetterberg for the Selke. It’s apparent though that they each are very worthy because in every sense they are “two-way” players who play both ends about as well as possible. Just watching their relentless work ethic while shorthanded has been a breath of fresh air. We’ve witnessed some highlight reel shorthanded markers including a Zetterberg tally Monday which put it out of reach.

I usually have a hard time giving the Selke to an offensive star but would have no such issue if either won the award. I don’t think that’s on either’s mind right now as they got something a lot more important to win.

The other cool storyline which is one to follow is whether the European hex will finally end. In Stanley Cup history, no team captained by a European-born player has ever won the Cup. But with Lidstrom leading the Wings, I think it could happen. This is one of the best players of our generation who leads by example in his fine play on the ice. He’ll need to have a large series against the Crosby-led Pens.

It should be interesting to see how it plays out. Enjoy the Finals!

Star credit. No other way to slice it. They looked dead and buried after Game Three but suddenly have risen up taking a pair of close games from the Red Wings to creep back within a game of getting this series even.

How awesome is this? Well, if you’re a Detroit fan, it’s got to be a little scary, huh? Especially when your team seemed so close. Now who knows. It’s going back to Big D for Game Six. Who ever thought that?

I just never imagined Joel Lundqvist having more of an impact than twin brother Henrik this postseason. Nice pass fake before surprising Chris Osgood for that winner in the second period. Why don’t more players do that? Smart play by a hard working player.

Marty Turco did get an assist on that winner too and has been absolutely splendid in the last two wins permitting just a goal in each. He’s plenty good enough to give his team a shot at this. Now, it’s up to the rest of his teammates led by vets Brenden Morrow, Mike Modano and Sergei Zubov to win on home ice and get this series to a remarkable Game Seven back in Motown with it all riding on the line. How much pressure would there be on the Wings? Are you kidding? It would be enormous.

It would still be hard to see Detroit losing this. They’re plenty good enough even without Johan Franzen and extremely capable of wrapping it up on the road.

At least now there’s something for hockey fans to get excited about.

All thanks to the Dallas Stars. Thank you for showing tremendous heart and not giving up.

According to Sean of GoingFiveHole, if both the Red Wings and Penguins finish off their opponents quickly, it’s possible that the Stanley Cup Final could begin by next Tuesday.

The Pens’ blogger had all the possible scenarios. If true, this is encouraging news because the last thing the NHL needed was almost a near two week hiatus before the respective teams took center stage for Lord Stanley. There wouldn’t be any logical reason to make either club wait assuming the Stars and Flyers don’t make things interesting starting tonight at American Airlines Center in Big D.

So, the question is can either team down 0-3 bring back any credence to the magical ‘33′ formula? One can only hope.

I finally figured out what’s been nagging me. No. Not the fact the Rangers weren’t good enough. Besides, they have a snake running the asylum who will probably push Sean Avery out the door while failing to address the glaring holes on a soft as vanilla custard team.

It’s just that these playoffs have totally sucked ass. Where’s the excitement? Where’s the one series that’s completely drawn you in as a fan? Nowhere!

Sure. There’s been a couple of close comebacks in the first round and that neverending Game Six between the Sharks and Stars with Dallas finally prevailing on their captain Brenden Morrow’s shoulders with maybe the hockey Gods looking down. Unfortunately for those Stars, maybe they should’ve put San Jose away earlier cause that was the last ounce of strength they had. Detroit has owned them even without Johan Franzen. Who still thinks Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are soft and can’t be relied upon in crunch time? Guess there won’t be anyone questioning that dynamic duo anymore.

What about the Flyers? What the heck happened to them? Apparently, playing Carey Price and Montreal was nothing like playing Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury and the rest of the Penguins. How awful has this series been? Let’s see. I didn’t bother to watch the first seven minutes and when I flipped it on for a score, there stood another reason to flip back to TNT:

Penguins 2 Flyers 0

I knew right there I didn’t have to bother turning back. The game and series were over and the Flyer fans dressed in orange may as well have started puking at what they were watching.

Face it. These NHL playoffs have sucked beyond incomprehensible belief. It doesn’t help that Versus the All Pens Network has covered it about as badly as humanly possible. There was yet another glaring mistake during last night’s Wings’ 5-2 win over the Stars in Game Three. Somehow, the production truck confused Datsyuk with Zetterberg giving the Swede a goal instead of the playmaking Russian pivot who posted his first career playoff hat trick. They look nothing alike.

Did the network bother to correct the graphic? Nope. Instead, Doc Emrick was there to announce Pavel’s sixth trying to save face. Why? Cause he’s the only one who even tries during these telecasts. Ed Olczyk has become a bland boring analyst with little to say much like that dreadful studio intermission show hosted by the boring Bill Patrick with Brian Engblom and Keith Jones. I miss Bill Clement! How freaking sad is that?

I’m not the only one either. If you want good coverage, you can still hear him, Sam Rosen, Dave Strader, Joe Micheletti and Billy Jaffe on NHL Radio with Joe Tolleson and Dave Maloney hosting. The level of energy’s better and their intermission coverage totally dwarfs the NHL’s National TV Network. Word of advice. Watch the NHL Network. They have much better stuff before and after games. It’s the only sane thing going for this league which badly needs more exposure.

You know that infamous quote from The Sixth Sense where the kid says to Bruce Willis’ character:

“I see dead people.”

Yes. That quote. Well, it applies to a network who can’t be bothered unless they’re showing 9,000 shots of Mario Lemieux or another 12,000 of Crosby. Dead people have actually put in more energy than what those intermission segments have become. Nobody wants to see stale analysts with little to say. Where’s the balls? Why can’t these guys take a stand? Even after Mike Ribeiro’s slash in response to Chris Osgood’s sneaky butt end, NOTHING! They just smiled. Could there be a little emotion?

In some aspect, I actually feel for the Flyers cause it hasn’t been a fair fight. They lost top two defenders Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn and that couldn’t happen for John Stevens’ club to stand a chance.

Finally, I did happen to catch the Pens’ third goal after flipping back just in time to see another brilliant turnover by rookie Steve Downie. Is he a moron? It was bad enough that his lazy play cost his team Game Two. Word of friendly advice to the rook. You don’t pass the puck to Malkin at his blueline with no teammates around and expect to get away with it. Not shockingly, it took Malkin and linemates Petr Sykora and Ryan Malone a few seconds to score and send the sea of puke home. It was a nice ride. Too bad for them the fat lady has already begun rehearsing.

One other thought based on what I’ve seen. What the heck happened to Daniel Briere?

If it’s true that these playoffs have been a letdown, then the league desperately needs a great Stanley Cup Final between the Pens and Wings. They must put on a good show because really. … nobody will watch. These are the best two teams left who possess the most skilled skaters with excellent supporting casts to go with it. So, you have to believe it should be interesting.

Personally, I believe in Detroit. They always seem to have the puck and are killing opponents in the faceoff circle. However, you can’t discount Pittsburgh. Especially with the size and skill they got at center. Jordan Staal really has gotten overlooked. He’s been a beast in all facets. He’ll probably see a lot of Datsyuk next round.

Who do you prefer? A team with experience and some youth mixed in well equipped who just stifles opponents? Or a younger team with the top two talents in the game who can impose their will on games along with an underrated supporting cast.

I’m still taking the Red Wings. They need to win this series for many reasons. One of which that this might be their last shot with that group even though a few of their core will be around a while. Because the Penguins shall only get better. Can a team really win with Chris Osgood in net? He hasn’t lost yet making Dominik Hasek into the NHL version of Wally Pipp. Is this some sort of twisted joke?

No. Only about as much as that crazy dream I had where me and my brother saw Martin Brodeur at a bank out at the Mall and he got all miserable when the talk centered around Sean Avery. No. It wasn’t even forced. But the sour puss look was worth every penny.

Maybe there is some truth to my mind as nuts as it’s become lately. Regardless, I sure hope the Stanley Cup Final isn’t a total bore. Please give us something.