Pittsburgh was arguably the more talented team in this Finals. Any club with Hossa, Crosby and Malkin have a talent advantage.  They also played solid, hard-nosed, two-way hockey throughout the series.  The Pens left it all on the ice and should not hang their heads today.  Chins up boys, you never gave up, especially in the last four games of the Finals.  This season should be viewed as a huge success for the young ice birds.

Game six was was inches away from going to OT but a last second, (no exaggeration), Hossa rebound attempt slid harmlessly through the goal crease as the horn sounded.  Penguin players, fully spent, lingered on ice for minutes after the NHL season was complete.  Some perhaps hoped they would be granted a stay of execution.  Most were just too tired to move.

Marc-Andre Fluery did not have his best game.  The final two Detroit goals were weak.  Goal number two was scored on a very ordinary backhander from Valtteri Filppula that found the five-hole.  The game winner will haunt the talented Pittsburgh Goalie for a while.  Henrik Zetterberg, shot the puck and it appeared that Fluery made the save.  In fact the puck trickled through the netminder and sat just behind him, a foot or two from the goal line, on the ice.  Suddenly aware that he did not possess the puck, Fluery lunged back to attempt to cover.  Instead he managed to flip the puck past the goal line with his posterior.  This one will sting during the off-season but odds are Fluery will one day lift the sacred Cup over his head.

Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP while amassing a franchise record 27 points in the post-season.  Henrik also played superior defense throughout the playoffs.   The same can be said for the great majority of players on this well-coached machine of a hockey team.  The Red Wings won their 11th Stanley Cup because they know and perform their roles flawlessly.  Their passing is crisp.  Their sticks are always in lanes denying opponent opportunities.  They maintain a very high level of professionalism and have unbreakable composure. The best team won the Cup this year.

Nick Lindstrom became the first European Captain to ever raise Lord Stanley’s Cup.  The hall of fame Defensemen is also one of the classiest guys in the league. Lindstrom follows in the footsteps of another Detroit legend, Stevie Y, who possessed very similar traits on and off the ice.  Funny how even-tempered players with a “C” sewn to their sweaters tend to win Cups.

Congradulations Chris, “older than most dirt” Chelios.  The super veteran played 69 games in the regular season and will get his name once again inscribed on the Cup despite missing the finals due to injury.  Congratulations Dallas Drake.  After 14 years in the league, his hard work has been rewarded with the ultimate prize in hockey.

So ends the 2007-08 NHL season and it has to been seen as a step forward for the league.  Beginning with the classic outdoor Buffalo-Pitt game, exposure has increased as have TV ratings.  Young stars such as Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk have begun to revitalize the game on the world stage.  The future looks bright for the NHL.  Hopefully the suits, (talking to you Mr. Commissioner), don’t screw it up.

Soon draft talk will heat up.  Off season acquistions and rumor will shift into high-gear and the coaching carousel will begin to whirl.  Before that happens let’s take a moment to appreciate this year’s champs, the Wings.  The best team won this year.  Enjoy the party Hockey Town!

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

110 minutes of inhaling much more than exhaling

110 minutes of pure drama

110 minutes of competition at its best.

Watching from the couch left me drained. I can’t imagine what it took physically and mentally to play at the level the Wings and Pens sustained in game five. Yes, there were brief lulls, but for the most part the intensity was constant. This was not a game for the weak of heart or those with questionable digestive systems. Bloody cotton plugged the noses and was applied to eyes and mouths of some players. Exhaustion dominated the demeanor of all on the ice but they played on. They gave everything they had and more. It was a game not soon to be forgotten by those interested in the outcome.

The Stanley Cup is the most difficult prize in sports to obtain. The superhuman effort, unyielding perseverance and commitment required to feel the Cup in your hands is hard to fathom. The NHL preseason begins in September and the Cup is awarded in June to the fortunate few who can withstand the limit-testing marathon. Enduring the physicality and focus this game requires for a little less than 10 months pushes the boundaries of what a man can withstand. No matter which team prevails in this series I think all of us that have watched have gained a heightened respect for the dedication it takes to survive and advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

You know what happened last night. You don’t rely on a dime a dozen, hack like me for the score or the highlights. I watched the game just as you did. During the four-hour epic, I gasped 23 times, used 48 expletives and accidentally kicked my dog twice while jumping from my position on the couch. I gave him a cookie and he forgave me. At about 12:30 I yelled at the top of my lungs when Sykora scored. Truth be told I didn’t want it to end. The tension of impending sudden death is intoxicating.

I don’t have a dog in the fight.  I’m not a Wings fan nor a Pens fan. I am a Thrasher season ticket holder and irreparably devoted to the Atlanta club . I know, I know, it’s a tough way to go through life. Most of all I am a hockey fan who is gaining a new level of appreciation for the players of this great game during this fantastic series. I hope you are as well. Game six, Wednesday at 8 pm EDT, don’t miss it.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

On Saturday night Detroit took a huge step toward raising Lord Stanley’s Cup by stifling the Penguins at the Igloo en route to a hard fought 2-1 victory.  Detroit leads the series three games to one and looks to end the 2007-08 NHL season on Monday at the Joe.  The loss was the first by the Penguins in this postseason.

The Penguins came out of the gate with high energy and continued their intense play of game three.  Hossa scored the game’s first goal from close range and the white-clad Penguin fans were rocking the building.  The volume diminished as Nick Lindstrom netting a long slapper past a screened Marc-Andre Fluery.

Following a scoreless second period, Jiri Hudler flipped a quick backhander between the left post and the Pen’s Goalie and the Wings led 2-1 with 17.5 minutes to play. Plenty of time, right?

Midway through the final period, with the Pens 30 seconds into a power play, Crosby was pulled down as he skated in on a breakaway.  Pittsburgh sent Sid, Hossa, Malkin, and Gonchar to the ice for a prolonged 5-3 advantage.  This was it, the defining moment of the series and the NHL season.  Scoring on a long 5 on 3 advantage is more probable than not scoring.  Considering the cast that the Pens sent to the ice, the odds pushed farther in their favor.  Early in the two-man advantage Pittsburgh set up well and attacked.  The pass went to a seemingly open Crosby but at the last moment, Henrik Zetterberg held the kid’s stick to the ice with his own and denied the opportunity.  The Pens regrouped but again Zetterberg cleared the puck.  With 25 seconds left in the five on three, Pittsburgh called a timeout and white-boarded a play. Malone failed to get the puck deep and then Malkin turned the puck over.  The penalized Wings returned to the ice, the Pen’s body language withered and sagged and the air left the Igloo.

Space and open ice is needed in order to make passes and move the puck.  For the final minutes of game four, Detroit Defenders were on Pittsburgh Forwards like white on rice.  They checked, they bumped, they poked and harassed on every shift. With seconds remaining, Pittsburgh attempted a furious rally in front of Detroit Keeper Osgood.  The steady netminder stood strong and the final horn sounded.

Besides Hockey Town faithful and Sidney haters, most hockey fans wanted to see Pittsburgh raise the Cup.  They are more marketable and photogenic.  The truth is the Red Wings are a great team who execute the intangibles of the game far better than any NHL team in recent memory. Their strategy is simple, shut down the opposition by closing open ice and attack off turnovers.  When the Wings are executing, any small mistake by the opposition is magnified.  The Wings capitalize.  The Wings defuse energy and talent with superior technique.  The Wings win.

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, besides being two of the best offensive players in the league, are also two of the best defenders on Detroit. That’s just not fair.  Couple their two-way play with the peerless Detroit D-men and a solid Goalie and what you have is a recipe for the destruction and deflation of all that stand in their path.

The disappearance of Evgeni Malkin has also been very costly to the Penguins.  The superstar has as many points as I in the Finals and has added costly mistakes to his offensive invisibility.

It has become apparent that the Penguins must play their best game in order to be at least competitive with the Wings.  Winning requires a furious, non-stop attack and great performances from the Pen’s stars. Malkin must step up and the entire Pittsburgh team must play with an unrelenting focus for 60+ minutes in order to extend the series. They may not have it in them.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

Phenomenal

All-engaging

Intense

Breath-taking

I don’t have a thesaurus handy but the list of superlatives needed to accurately describe this hockey game is lengthy.

Until game three, the Stanley Cup Finals had not exactly been curling the toes of hockey fans. Detroit disposed of the Pens in a militarily precise fashion in game one and two and most experts predicted that game three would bring more of the same. Instead game three was a classic thriller that could not have been scripted any better for the NHL. This battle had it all, furious action, vicious hitting, excellent netminding and an extraordinary performance by the NHL’s marquee player.

The Pittsburgh fans were ready. All except one Pen’s follower was wearing the white tee shirt provided by the club when the camera cut to the crowd at the opening of the game. The one nonconformist, dressed in yellow, stuck out like a sore thumb throughout the game. The sea of extreme white was actually hard on the eyes in HD. The fans were glaring, boisterous and ready for their boys to break through. They would not be disappointed.

The momentum of this series changed during a relentless forecheck by the Pens in the later portion of the first period. On three consecutive shifts, Pittsburgh pressed the action and would not let the Wings out of their defensive zone. When Sidney Crosby broke the seal shortly thereafter, giving the Pens a 1-0 lead, the Igloo exploded in a cathartic roar. The 800 pound gorilla was off the back and a hint of confidence entered the building. At this point, you knew this game would be different from the first two.

Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead on another hustle goal by Crosby. Hossa once again assisted. The Hossa, Sid, Dupuis line was matched up against Detroit’s 4th line all night. Coach Therrien’s decision not to send this line up against the Zetterberg line was one of the keys to victory.

Detroit cut the lead to 2-1 on a brilliant individual effort by post-season MVP Johan “The Mule” Franzen. Then, it got really interesting.

There was an exhilarating six minute stretch of this game that was halted by no stoppages of play. This portion of the game might be have been the most exciting hockey I have ever seen and I have viewed my share of great hockey. During this furious extended sequence, Brooks Orpik hit everyone who came in his general area. In twenty seconds he dropped Wings players to the ice five times. Orpik played like a mad dog who’d been kicked one too many times. Pittsburgh Goalie Fluery made incredible saves, Hossa hit a cross bar, both sides attacked at full speed, the checking was brutal, the pace was unreal and high-ranking Executives at the NHL were salivating. Remember, this was the first Finals game televised on a major network. When a whistle finally blew the crowd didn’t applaud like you’d expect. They were exhausted as were all the players on both sides. This six minutes of hockey was special.

From behind the goal, Adam Hall sent a puck off Detroit Keeper Osgood’s back and it was 3-1. With six minutes left in the game, Detroit’s Samuelsson answered with a slapper past a screened Fluery and the Pens held a tenuous 3-2 lead. For the Pens, the final minutes would seem like an eternity. The Wings pressed Pittsburgh every second of the remainder of the game. Shots were coming from all directions. The Wings threw everything but grenades at Fluery but he withstood the barrage. Detroit attacked until the final horn sounded and came up one goal short.

The Pittsburgh Penguins played their guts out and left it all on the ice. They showed that Detroit can indeed can be conquered but it takes an unrelenting team effort for 60 minutes. The Pens will need every hour of the two-day break before game four to heal and recuperate.

Sidney Crosby found another gear reserved only for the great ones, no pun intended. His superior focus was obvious from the drop of the puck and he left no doubt who the best player on the ice was on this night. Pittsburgh also took a page from the Wings play book and double and triple teamed Detroit puck carriers in the offensive zone all night. With space diminished, most of the 34 Detroit shots on goal were less threatening than in the previous two games.

Can the Pens play with level of intensity for 60 minutes again? If not, they won’t win another game. If they come out of the locker room with the collective determination and focus shown in game three, this series will be legendary as predicted.

Wings fans should not be discouraged by this loss. The Wings played a very solid game and were beaten by a very talented team that simply would not be denied. Pittsburgh has advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals because they can play 60 minutes of furious hockey. Can Detroit raise their game another level? We shall see.

Buckle up, this is going to be a wild ride. Game on!

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

Wings D-man Brad Stuart opened the scoring in the first period with a slapper from the right side.  Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterberg collaborated on hustle goal from close range later in the period and Wings never looked back.  Pittsburgh had very few good scoring chances but one glaring opportunity was not cashed in during period two.

With the Wings leading 2-0, a Detroit player blew a tire, (lost an edge and fell on the ice), while moving the puck out of the defensive zone. Gary Roberts picked it up and delivered a perfect pass to Staal who completely missed the net from point blank range, twice.  From there it went downhill for the Pens.

Pittsburgh came out of the gates hitting in game two but the surgically precise Wings seemed unimpressed by the physicality.   They simply would not allow Pitt to achieve any flow as they double and triple teamed Penguin Forwards who carried the puck into their offensive zone.  After a brilliant individual effort and Sportscenter quality goal by Filppula put the game out of reach, things got chippy.

First, Gary Roberts punched Johan, “The Mule”, Franzen in the face as he skated by the recently concussed superstar.  Minutes later another Penguin popped Franzen in the side of the melon after the whistle and a fracas ensued.   Punching a guy in the head multiple times who has recently missed significant playing time due to head injury is just dirty.  For good measure, Chris Osgood received a cheap shot behind his net with a minute left.  Not a very classy performance by a Pittsburgh team that looks grossly over-matched by the Wings.

Chris Osgood?  What can you say, the guy is clutch.  He stopped all 22 Pitt shots, most of which were not at all threatening.  Still, Ozzy is unscathed in the Finals and that is impressive.

Detroit has a winning system and many interchangeable parts that fit into their system seamlessly.  As one impenetrable line finishes a shift another fundamentally sound group picks up the pace.  They just keep coming.  Talented, disciplined player after player.  Closing the space, tightening their grip, shutting down all that dare oppose.  For Pittsburgh fans nightmares will soon result.  Visions of red-clad hockey machines with sticks in lanes, blocking shots and transitioning with lightning speed with haunt the dreams of the Pens faithful.

The good news for the Pens is that they can get the hell out of the Joe and return to the Igloo for game three on Wednesday.  The bad news is the Wings will be waiting for them and I don’t think they care where the game is played.  On a pond in Manitoba or a rink in Connecticut, Detroit is going to beat any opponent if the status quo continues.

This Detroit club plays the best team game since the Gretzky Oilers of 1983. They have all the pieces of the puzzle; skilled scorers, great defense, a hot Goalie, and role player after role player that contribute.  The machine can not be beaten unless one or more of these components malfunction in game three.  But hockey momentum is a funny.  The tide can turn and a series can do an “about face” on one play.

Finally, if Detroit scores the first goal in game three, pack up the tents and chill the champagne.  The Cup will come back to Hockey Town, USA.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

Detroit is peaking, again. Never since the Oilers of the  mid 1980’s has a hockey club been this cohesive, polished or dangerous.  Their passing, resulting puck possession advantage, superior goal tending and stingy defense leaves little margin for error, even for an ultra-talented club like the Pens.  After finally viewing game one, (thanks Tivo), it appears that the relatively young Pittsburgh club were reduced to spectators after their best efforts were thwarted in the first period.  The Pens became fans and not opposition for segments of the game and the Red Machine kept on rolling.

If Detroit continues the flow and tempo they dictated in game one, the Pens are in for a short painful series.  Put simply, the Pens will lose every game if they chase the Wings around the ice.  They must dictate pace for extended durations and clog the fluid Detroit game.

The Wings are seasoned, highly skilled, and play the quintessential team game.  They are also old and small.  In fact, they are collectively the oldest and smallest team in the NHL.  The Pens must punish the diminutive senior citizens physically in order to break the monotony of their brillient team play.   Pittsburgh must hit, hit hard and hit often.  They may even need to get a little dirty to break the hockey town momentum.  The Detroit scorers must be harassed constantly and Pittsburgh has the players needed to agitate.

The Pens will shake up their lines tonight and this should breathe some life into the club.  Malkin must get back on track immediately.  The superstar is in a funk.  Sid and Hossa must resume the outstanding play they have maintained throughout the playoffs.  With Detroit firing on all cylinders, the Pitt marque players must bring “A” game to keep this series competitive. Finally, Fluery must be an immovable force in net and match or exceed Osgood’s performance in game two.

As Coach Brooks told the 1980 US Hockey team repeatedly during the last ten minutes of the epic contest vs. Russia, “play your game”.  Sid’s greatest will be tested tonight.  The “Next One” will be required to elevate his play like Wayne and Mario have done in the past.

If you are a fan of hockey, you want this to be an extended series.  The ratings for game one increased 157% over last year.  The exposure and excitement that a six or seven game series will create for the NHL will continue to revive this great game in the USA.

I won’t miss the action tonight.  I am well-rested and have a pre-game feast of Red Snapper, corn on the cob and baby fillets ready to be grilled.  Come on over and let’s watch some hockey.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

Once again Chris Osgood was brilliant in net denying a furious third period barrage of Dallas scoring opportunities. Osgood improved his 2008 postseason record to 10-2. It was his 55th victory — his 48th for Detroit, passing Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk for the Wings franchise record.

After the final horn sounded the Dallas faithful gave the Stars a standing, towel waiving ovation. Stars’ fans have to be a little disappointed in the outcome of this series but overall it was a very successful season for Dallas and the classy crowd in the lone star state acted accordingly.

In the post season Detroit has looked like a polished, well-oiled hockey machine and a team of destiny. After showing some vulnerability during back to back losses in games four and five of this series, the Wings regained their swagger and played a near perfect game six. If they can ride the momentum of this victory into the Pittsburgh series, they will be a formidable opponent for the ultra-talented Penguins.

The Pens/Wings match-up is intriguing on so many levels. Detroit brings a ridiculously cohesive, seasoned club to the party. They have been here and some have their names inscribed on the Cup multiple times to prove it. Detroit Goalie Chris Osgood comes into the Finals on one the best runs of life and looks strong to say the least. The Wings don’t give up many shots, less quality scoring chances and are always looking to attack when they have the puck. In a word, the Wings are streamlined.

Pittsburgh has lost a grand total of two games this postseason. The Pens have arguably the most talented team in the NHL. Sid, Malkin and Hossa can all take over offensively and win games by themselves. Marc-Andre Fleury has matched Osgood’s performance in net thus far and Pens are underrated defensively. Their supporting cast is also formidable and should not be overlooked. This club is young, hungry, talented and on a roll.

So the question is, “Does the most experienced team have the advantage in a high pressure series?” My opinion is that Detroit has a very slight advantage but this series has the potential to be legendary, not great, not good.

Folks will be watching. Even casual hockey fans will give the NHL a chance beginning this weekend. The combination of the marquee player and marquee franchise in the NHL facing off for all the marbles will bring in ratings and God willing, increased interest in NHL in the United States.

I think I speak for most US hockey fans when I say give me seven games. Give me drama. Give me a war that will not soon be forgotten. This great game deserves this fantastic Stanley Cup match-up and the exposure it will bring.

Oh, by the way, Pens in seven.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

Pavel Datsyuk tallied his first NHL hat-trick and Henrik Zetterburg sunk in the third period, short-handed dagger as Detroit took a commanding 3-0 in the Western Conference finals beating the stars 5-2 in convincing fashion.  Once again Chris Osgood was excellent in net stopping 16 of 18 Dallas shots.  The Wings won their franchise single season record ninth consecutive playoff game.  The fine-tuned Detroit hockey machine returns to Detroit to try and put the Stars out of their misery on Wednesday night.

It’s not that Dallas is playing poorly.  It’s not that the Stars are not giving 100% on the ice.  Detroit is just unbelievably good.   Many superlatives have been used to describe this team.  I’ve watched this series and the last and I will say that this might be one of the greatest hockey clubs ever assembled.  It’s not that the individual talent assembled is unprecedented although any team with Lindstrom, Zetterburg, Holmstrom and Datsyuk is pretty impressive. What sets this club apart is how well they function as a unit.  Their passing is ridicuously accurate and crisp which results a puck possession advantage in almost every game.  The D-men know where each other will be and they trust each other.  This fundamental soundness results in very few quality scoring chances by the opponent.  What is really scaring is that the Detroit D-men seem to know where the opposing attackers are planning on being.  Add an abundance of experience, attention to detail, poise and superior goal tending and what you have is an unbeatable club in a seven game series.

A Penguins versus Wings final is intriguing on so many levels but as a hockey purest one element really gets my attention.  Arguably, the Pens have more individual talent.  Crosby, Hossa, Gonchar, and Malkin have mad skills.  Detroit is the more cohesive team.  They are a machine.  Can the Pittsburgh’ studs simply take over games or is Detroit impenetrable?

No matter who gets the honor of lifting the cherished Cup the real winner is the NHL.   A Pens/Wings final could revitalize interest in this great game like no other series in recent memory.  Buckle up hockey fans.  This is going to be a wild ride!

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

The Dallas Stars played a much improved game two versus the mighty Wings but their game lacked one integral element.  They only deposited the biscuit in the basket once despite being offered multiple chances by the usually stingy Detroit defense.  Early in the first period the Stars failed to convert a 4-1 break as Steve Ott missed the net.  Why is Ott shooting on a 4-1 break?  There were more qualified snipers involved in the play.  This trend became a theme throughout game two.  Dallas had chances but failed to convert many quality scoring opportunities. The result was a 2-1 loss and a 2-0 series deficit which may be insurmountable considering their opponent.

Give the Wings some credit, they bent but did not break.  Chris Osgood once again was solid stopping 17 of 18 Dallas shots including a few “Sportcenter” quality denials. Rookie Darren Helm and superstar and fashion consultant Henrik Zetterberg provided all the offense the Wings would need in the first period. As the omnipresent God of all things hockey Barry Melrose stated on ESPN, “You can come back on some teams but not on the Detroit Red Wings.”

An ugly play unfolded as the final horn blew.  With seconds left, Mike Ribiero was involved in a rush in the Detroit zone.  As he skated by Goalie Osgood, Chris introduced the butt end of his stick to Ribiero’s chin.  The Dallas Forward turned around and slashed Osgood across the chest with this stick.  Osgood, acting skills honed, dropped to the ground as if he were struck by the sword of William Wallace on a Scottish battlefield. This “chippiness” should provide some drama for game three played in Dallas on Monday.

Folks, I love drama.   I live for the seventh game.  It just ain’t going to happen in this series.   The Stars have had a nice run.  Marty Turco has erased some of his past playoff nightmares with an excellent 2008 post-season but Detroit is a special club.  Their team chemisty, ability to play as a unit and collective playoff experience is overwhelming.  It’s going to be Detroit in at most five games and then bring on the Penguins.

A Detroit/Pittsburgh series will do wonders for the popularity of NHL in the sports community. TV ratings will skyrocket if this series materializes.   For that reason I hope these two very watchable clubs play for the big, silver, shiny Cup. This great game of hockey deserves to more cherished, especially in the USA.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace

Detroit is the smallest, oldest team in the NHL. Their playoff beards contain considerable gray patches. Many key players on this seasoned club experienced the 1980’s as an adult. Some may own Van Halen or Smithereens cassettes. And they are small. In a bar fight, most would lose. More importantly, they have played hundreds of playoff games collectively and many have the names inscribed on the sacred Cup. Most importantly, they are a well-oiled machine and special as a unit. On Thursday night the weary Dallas Stars found out how special this Detroit club has become.

After about four shifts is was apparent that the effects of the 4OT classic that propelled the Stars to the Western Conference Finals had not subsided. Dallas legs were not moving, passing was not crisp and they came out flat. Conversely, Detroit came in well-rested and surprising sharp for a team that has not played a game since April. The Wings dominated the first two periods, out shooting the Stars 25-15.   Their 4-1 game one victory was not as close as the score would indicate. The Stars were also out-hit, out-hustled, and dramatically out-classed in game one.

Chris Osgood continued his impressive yet unsung goal tending stopping 20 of 21 shots.  Osgood now leads NHL Goalies in both GAA, (1.45) and save percentage, (.939).  “The Mule”, Johan Franzen continued his torrid scoring frenzy, scoring in his fifth straight game. He leads all NHL scorers with 12 post-season goals.

The bottom line is that Dallas has little time to right the ship.  The old, small, and remarkably talented and cohesive red machine looks prime to run over the Stars if they fail to find their legs soon, very soon.

Your Loyal Servant,

Sean Grace