Get out the magic crystal ball. We’re about to embark on a long journey. Thirty teams get a fresh start where they can dare to dream of winning Lord Stanley. The most spectacular trophy in all of sports which arguably is the hardest to win.

It’s not just because you have to gut out an 82-game schedule which at times can be trying due to the tireless back to backs, three in four nights and even seven in 11 days the Rangers have beginning with tomorrow’s home opener versus Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and the Blackhawks following a hectic preseason concluding with a two-game sweep of the overmatched Lightning in Croatia.

Such can be life in a league which seems to be pointed for expansion towards Europe emphasizing just how global the game has become with the Penguins and Senators also splitting a series in Stockholm last weekend.

Finally, the other 26 get started including an improved Devils team who dialed up Doc Brown’s time machine and went Back To The Future literally to the year of their first Stanley Cup luring free agent centers Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik for one more run while Martin Brodeur’s still good enough.

For other teams like the Islanders, the immediate future doesn’t look so bright with new coach Scott Gordon behind the bench where returning leading scorer Mike Comrie had only 49 points on what’s a rebuild around Rick DiPietro and young former No.1 Kyle Okposo. They’ll try to overachieve in an ultra competitive Atlantic where the Flyers fresh off a run to the Conference Finals losing to the Pens appear to be the favorite while Pittsburgh lost Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone and are without top D Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar for at least the first three months.

Can the new look Rangers featuring Nikolai Zherdev, Markus Naslund and Wade Redden make fans forget Jaromir Jagr or did Glen Sather slip up?

Are the Panthers ready to qualify for their first postseason since Pavel Bure was the league’s best finisher or will their revamped blueline not be enough without departed captain Olli Jokinen? Can Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals do it again even with Jose Theodore in net?

Meanwhile in Carolina, the injury bug has already hit infecting Justin Williams, Scott Walker and Rod Brind’Amour making the loss of Erik Cole big though Joni Pitkanen was brought into help anchor the D. Will Barry Melrose’s return to the NHL bench be ruined by the Lightning’s apparent weak blueline?

Should the Thashers even bother taking the ice? They’ll have company in Columbus, St. Louis and Los Angeles who all should be ticketed in the John Tavares sweepstakes. Are the Leafs going to be in this process too without Mats Sundin? Maybe Toronto fans should hope.

Can Carey Price recover from last Spring to lead what looks like an even stronger Habs roster into serious contention? Are Craig Rivet and the return of Teppo Numminen enough to get a talented Sabres team back to the postseason? Is Tim Thomas a fluke and will Patrice Bergeron be the same in Beantown? Can the Senators continue defying logic despite losing another key cog?

These questions and more will get answered in due time along with whether Hossa’s addition is enough for the Red Wings to become the first repeat winner since they did it a decade ago. They’ll have plenty of stiff competition in the loaded Stars, Sharks and Ducks with maybe a couple of newcomers sneaking into the parade.

This is how we see it:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

*1.Flyers- plenty of talent in Richards/Carter but can Biron build off last year’s run?

*2.Canadiens- adding Lang and Tanguay up front makes them scarier but it all depends on Price.

*3.Capitals- the game’s best player, a healthy Nylander plus Green and Backstrom should be enough.

4.Senators- best line in game plus deep forward corps and tougher D help despite questions in net.

5.Devils- Rolston and Holik should boost scoring, D remains question but can’t bet against Brodeur.

6.Rangers- Drury leads an improved transition game. could miss Jagr and Avery but Lundqvist helps.

7.Penguins- Crosby and Malkin get them in but we don’t like Satan or Fedotenko. Hard to take seriously.

8.Sabres- balanced scoring led by Pominville, Vanek, Roy plus better D and steady Miller in net.

9.Bruins- Ryder added to solid forward corps but it’s dependent on Thomas and system.

10.Panthers- love their new look with Ballard and McCabe but who’s scoring the goals up front?

11.Maple Leafs- Wilson will get them to play hard but there’s just not enough there to get in.

12.Hurricanes- injuries already taking toll. Laviolette’s a fine coach but Ward needs to be consistent.

13.Lightning- Stamkos should win Calder and they’ll score but the D is brutal and will tire out goalies.

14.Thrashers- Schneider was good addition but they’ll have to outscore teams until Lehtonen improves.

15.Islanders- they’ll work hard but they’re young and don’t have enough scoring even with Streit.
PLAYOFFS

Flyers over Sabres in 6

Habs over Pens in 7

Rangers over Caps in 6

Devils over Sens in 5

Flyers over Rangers in 6

Devils over Habs in 7

Flyers over Devils in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

*1.Red Wings- until proven otherwise, they’re the best team and add Hossa to mix. Conklin’s solid backup.

*2.Stars- play in top division but Avery, full year of B. Richards should be plenty. Need Zubov healthy.

*3.Canucks- scoring could still be tough but like changes and see Luongo bouncing back big time.

4.Sharks- Marleau with Thornton, Boyle, Blake plus Nabokov make them awfully tough.

5.Flames- nice additions including Bertuzzi/Keenan reunion but they’ll be hardpressed to win a round.

6.Ducks- Teemu’s back plus Getzlaf/Perry, Niedermayer/Pronger and Giguere make them lock.

7.Avalanche- Sakic takes one more shot with Tucker added but can Budaj or Raycroft do job?

8.Blackhawks- Campbell and Huet help young core led by Kane/Toews. Huet could get them in.

9.Oilers- bolstered scoring with Cole and Visnovsky. Lots of young talent but what about goalies?

10.Predators- Radulov’s departure hurts scoring. Solid D but can Ellis repeat? Trotz is a great coach.

11.Wild- possess nice blueline led by Burns/Zidlicky and Gaborik’s great but is there enough scoring?

12.Coyotes- Jokinen helps but D is thin past top 3 and they’re depending on too much young talent.

13.Blue Jackets- Umberger and Huselius boost Nash plus revamped D and Leclaire but who else will score?

14.Blues- Love Boyes and Kariya’s due for bounce back season but they’re extremely young.

15.Kings- top line of Brown, Kopitar and O’Sullivan will be fun but LaBarbera in net? They can’t be serious!

PLAYOFFS

Wings over Hawks in 5

Stars over Avs in 4

Ducks over Canucks in 6

Sharks over Flames in 6

Wings over Ducks in 6

Stars over Sharks in 5

Wings over Stars in 7

Stanley Cup Red Wings over Flyers in 7

NHL Awards

Conn Smythe- Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit

Hart- Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit

Vezina- Roberto Luongo, Vancouver

Norris- Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit (renamed The Lidstrom)

Calder- Kyle Okposo, Islanders

Selke- Mike Fisher, Ottawa

Byng- Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit

Adams- Denis Savard, Chicago

Yes. It’s true that if you count the games in Europe this past weekend, the 2008-09 season already begun. I just don’t think it becomes official until the rest of the league gets going beginning later tonight when eight teams start up.

Here are the four games excluding the area locals with the Devils hosting the Islanders at The Rock Friday night before visiting the defending Eastern Conference champion Penguins, who should be well rested from their two-game split with the Senators in Stockholm:

Toronto at Detroit 7 ET, Versus, CBC- the defending Cup champs raise their banner along with new star addition Marian Hossa against a Mats Sundin-less Leaf team expected to finish near the bottom of the East with the immortal Jeff Finger their big offseason move. =-O :-\

Boston at Colorado 10 ET, Versus- the second half of a VS doubleheader pits two playoff teams against each other from opposite conferences. Can Tim Thomas have a repeat for Claude Julien and how will the 2000-01 Avs plus Paul Stastny fare with Andrew Raycroft and Peter Budaj splitting duties in net under Tony Granato?

Anaheim at San Jose 10:30 ET, CI- a classic Pacific rivalry renewed as the Sharks and Ducks clash in a possible playoff preview. How will Teemu Selanne look and what about Patrick Marleau on the same line as Joe Thornton under a new coach. Rob Blake also on the blueline led by big acquisition Dan Boyle? Figure it to be highly entertaining with two of the NHL’s elite netminders in Vezina runner-up Evgeni Nabokov and Cup winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere getting tested.

Calgary at Vancouver 10:30 ET, CI, CBC- another fun filled rivalry takes place when Northwestern Canadian rivals get together for the first of six action packed battles. Will Todd Bertuzzi be healthy enough to debut for the Flames under familiar coach Mike Keenan with also key pickup Mike Cammalleri teaming with Jarome Iginla up front? How will Pavol Demitra mesh with The Sedins on a revamped Vancouver team minus Markus Naslund looking for redemption. Can Steve Bernier help out the scoring relieving pressure from Roberto Luongo?

Fasten your seatbelts! It should be exciting to finally see some other teams get underway with the Devils and Islanders on deck under fairly differing expectations.

We’ll have more stuff later on on the 2008-09 season including where I’m ranking teams. So stay tuned.

Earlier today, the Red Wings came to terms on a new five-year contract worth a reported $15 million with forward Valtteri Filppula.

The 24 year-old Finn who Detroit tabbed in the third round back in 2002 attained new career bests across the board in games played (78), goals (19), assists (17), points (36) and plus/minus (16) last season. He also fared alright in the Wings’ run to the Stanley Cup posting five goals and six helpers for 11 points in 22 playoff games.

By getting the deal done, both sides avoided the headache known as arbitration. While he’s only played two full seasons, Detroit GM Ken Holland feels investing in Filppula will work out:

“We love everything about him because he’s a complete player with great character, and we think he can get even better. He plays hard, he plays hurt. He’s got great speed and talent along with versatility because he can play left wing or centre. … The only thing no one knows is how good he can be. But even if he doesn’t become a 70-point scorer we think he might be, we’ll still love everything about him as a player and person.”

“We’re really excited about locking in a player this young and this good that keeps him off the market as an unrestricted free agent for a couple of years,” Holland added. “He’s the kind of player we can build around in the years to come.”

More and more, we’re seeing these kinds of contracts handed out so that clubs can avoid arbitration and RFA. From my vantage point, Filppula is exactly what Holland described. A versatile gritty forward with speed who can shift from wing to center if called upon. He looks to be a solid two-way player who can play in any situation.

You have to figure he’ll continue to improve as a secondary contributor. It looks like the Wings once again found a good player in the middle of a draft. Full marks to their scouting staff who continues to get the job done at a very successful rate.

Lightning Sign Stamkos: The Tampa Bay Lightning signed 2008 No.1 overall pick Steven Stamkos to a three-year rookie entry level contract. He’ll earn an average of $875,000 and could make over $8 million in performance bonuses.

The 18 year-old out of Markham, Ontario knows it will be a challenge going from juniors to the pros this Fall:

“I know it’s not going to be easy for me to step in right away. Hopefully I can earn my stripes and play well and really deserve to be there.”

The NHL had to be pleased with the participants in the Stanley Cup Final as did NBC. With the Red Wings representing a big market and the Penguins featuring the game’s most recognizable star, not surprisingly ratings for the six-game series which Detroit prevailed in for their fourth Cup in 11 years were way up.

It was the most watched series since Detroit’s five-game Cup victory over Carolina six years prior. But even better, it scored very well overall which is a big step for a league which has been historically disrespected by many outsiders who don’t get how special the sport can be. That means you Tiger “Wuss” Woods. Kudos to NBC’s Mike Milbury for putting that fraud in his place.

 Here’s some more info courtesy of The NHL Today on how well the Cup Final did:

From NBC SPORTS, “Wednesday’s deciding Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on NBC drew an average of 6.8 million viewers making it the most-watched Game 6 since the NHL returned to network television in 1995 and the third most-watched Stanley Cup Final game overall in that same span. The 4.0 national rating and 7 share is a 111% increase over Game 6 in 2006 (Edmonton-Carolina, 1.9/4). NBC’s Stanley Cup average (3.2/6, 4 telecasts) earned the best rating and was the most-viewed series (5.4 million average viewers) since the 2002 Final (Carolina-Detroit, 3.6/7, 5.8 million viewers, 3 telecasts). NBC finished No. 1 for the night in all key adult-male demographics and No. 2 overall for the night. The 2.9 (Adults 18-49) is NBC’s highest Wednesday average in that demo since Jan. 23.”

Photos Copyright Getty Images 

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 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!