THN at the Stanley Cup: Final shows hockey headed in the right direction
Ryan Malone of the Penguins sets up in front of goaltender Chris Osgood and Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings during Game 4. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
Mike Brophy
2008-06-01 17:21:28
DETROIT - This has not been the close Stanley Cup final many hoped for when two high-powered offenses like the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins hooked up.
In fact, there is a good chance it’ll all be over on Monday.
But here’s the thing – the hockey has been great. The NHL appears to be inching closer and closer to what it set out to accomplish following the lockout with a greater emphasis in speed and skill.
Saturday night’s 2-1 victory for Detroit is a perfect example. Ten years ago, during the dead-puck era, a 2-1 game very likely would have been a slow death on a stick, fraught with clutching and grabbing and precious few scoring chances. But that was not the case in Game 4.
Yes, it was a close-checking game. Freeing up the game’s best players to skate unobstructed does not mean defense goes out the window. But there were plenty of scoring chances for both teams, right up until the dying seconds of the game when the Penguins came within a whisker of forcing overtime during a goal-mouth scramble.
Even though the Red Wings have been the dominant team in this series, the Penguins have had their chances. In Game 1, for example, the Red Wings put the Penguins on the power play three times since the first period. Pittsburgh could easily have gone up 1-0 or 2-0.
Same with Game 2. Although the Penguins were again shut out, Ryan Malone had a glorious opportunity to put his team up early, but had the puck bounce over his stick when he was left unguarded in the slot. Seconds later Sidney Crosby came close to scoring on a wrap-around.
The point is, what was referred to as the ‘New NHL’ has made hockey fun to watch again. And there was a time, not so long ago, when the Stanley Cup final had become a colossal bore. Third- and fourth-liners were as important to the outcome of games as the stars, sometimes more important. That is no longer the case.
I laugh when people suggest hitting is now gone from the game. Are you kidding me? Niklas Kronwall has been a hitting machine in the final. Brooks Orpik dished out five his on one shift in Game 3. Gary Roberts mows down anything that gets in his path.
It took a while for the game to get to this point and there were most certainly growing pains.
When the NHL started up again after the lockout, referees called everything. It was frustrating for the players, the coaches, the managers and the fans. But the league had a vision of where it wanted to be down the road and this was the price that had to be paid to get there.
Gradually the league has eased off on the standard for calls. There are more battles along the boards for loose pucks as well as in front of the net.
Tomas Holmstrom doesn’t stand in front of the net with the opposing defenseman using a feather duster on him, but he also doesn’t pee blood anymore from taking shot after shot to the kidneys.
Players now understand if they use their free hand to impede an opponent, they will be penalized virtually every time. Hook an opponent and you’re gone for two.
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are the best two players in the NHL and Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are not far behind. But if the NHL had not changed the way games are called, you would not be witnessing them working the magic they have worked this season. They would have been grinded into the ice; hooked and held at every turn.
And that would have been a travesty.
Hockey had become barbaric with skill taking a backseat to thuggery. Make no mistake about it, the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup last season and their calling card was toughness. But they also had plenty of skill. Scott Niedermayer…Chris Pronger…Teemu Selanne…Corey Perry…Ryan Getzlaf…Andy MacDonald…Chris Kunitz and so on. The Ducks fought more than any other team, but it was the skill that won them the Cup.
NHL hockey is not perfect. It is becoming increasingly obvious that goaltender’s equipment has to be smaller or the nets have to be bigger – or both. But this game is moving in the right direction.
I would have loved a seven-game final this season and that isn’t likely to happen. But I’m satisfied with the direction the game is headed.
Even a little excited.
THN senior writer Mike Brophy is on the road following the Stanley Cup final and will be filing daily reports until a champion is crowned. To read his other entries, click HERE.
For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.
Jason (Posted 2008-06-02 21:36:22)
There's still no NHL team in Winnipeg though... I'd say the NHL is "heading in the right direction" soon after a struggling team relocates there. www.JetsOwner.com
Jonathan (Posted 2008-06-02 17:18:29)
Bruce, I want to say that, in the old NHL, Ovechkin would get hooked, his speed would be taken away from him and his strengh would be useless. Take a guy like Derian Hatcher, he was an elite defenceman in the old NHL and now he's rather a sub par defenceman because he can,t hook or obstruct anymore. That's a huge difference.
Jaromir Jagr wasn't sloppy or slacking in the latest years of the old NHL. He's one of the toughest guy around to stop when he's at full speed and got incredible hands. Why didn't he scored? Well he was just thinking, "why should I bother? when I have to drag 200 pounds on my back and no one will do anything about it?"
That's why there was that much less goal scored then ever in the early 2000's. I'm not saying the new NHL is perfect, but it's much better then it used to be, at least we get to see talented guys like Pierre Marc Bouchard, Daniel Brière, Martin St-Louis explode because they are able to use their skills.
The major downside is how unconsistent the referee are, if you want my opinion.
CMF (Posted 2008-06-02 13:06:48)
Hey Toots Mcgee, I agree with you completely. Zetterberg IS currently a better player than Crosby. Crosby is packed with talent, and smarts, but not quite as fast as he needs to be. But let me address my pet peeve: please don't make the nets bigger, that would be the worst choice possible. If you think goalie equipment needs to be smaller (explain why please), then go that route. If you make the nets bigger, then call it something else, like hoccer or sockey, or some damn thing. Or, wait.... we could just leave it the way it is, right?
Brian Kemp (Posted 2008-06-02 12:58:32)
Cid from Indiana, here's a comment on the actual article for you: Hey Brophy, I thought games 1 and 2 were boring? Did the Pens get chances in Detroit, making those games exciting, like you say in this article, or did Detroit so thoroughly dominate that the games were almost unwatchable, like you said last week? Which is it? Is that enough for you Cid? I don't expect Mike to reply, that's why I usually don't post questions to the writers, just to other fans, who might actually have a response. I always thought the games had excitement and drama, except at the very ends of games 1 and 2, when the Wings put them out of reach. Other than that, they were close, tight games, you know, fun to watch. Even when the Wings were up by 2, the Pens do have the skill to capitalize on any mistake the Wings made. They just weren't making many.
Bruce (Posted 2008-06-02 12:35:23)
Someone please wake me up when the league and its media mouthpieces finally get finished congratulating themselves for all the "speed and skill" in the "NEW NHL!!"...I'm sorry but it rings as empty as phrases like "the war on terror" and "mission accomplished" and it amounts to the same thing: alot of spin intended to make us ignore other glaring failures. In the case of the NHL the glaring failure is the decision to have on-ice officials intercede to an unparalleled extent in determining the outcome of games. The adjust of players and coaches to this new "style" [and that is really the wrong word] is to introduce a bunch of theater into the game that is anything but an improvement. When the league starts handing out suspensions for dives in equal proportion to its new found love for (suspiciously untimely) obstruction calls, then players will adjust by actually playing hockey again and there will be very few of either kind of penalty that needs to be called.
Several years into the wonder that is "THE NEW NHL!!!" I see a level of embellishment by players who intend to draw penalties that simply didn't exist before. If you really think that is such an improvement Brophy, I've got a sport you'll really love: European Futbol, it's 7 parts theater per 3 parts the game kids grow up playing with a ball on a field. Thanks, but I liked my hockey when I could pay more attention to the players and less to the officials.
Finally, the suggestion that Crosby and Ovechkin would be "ground into the ice" is ludicrous on the face of it. They do not even remotely resemble each other. Ovechinkin is so strong on his skates that I would really like to know who you think could do all this grabbing effectively on him? Crosby goes down if you blow on him so, yes, in the "old NHL" he might still be in the minors growing into a body strong enough to play in the NHL. Outside of Pittsburgh and the media, it doesn't seem like all that many of the rest of us would regard that as such a tremendous loss, especially if it meant 5 on 5 hockey again as the rule and not the exception.
If the new NHL really was such a success, would there still be all this need for apologists like Mike Brophy to keep reminding us? No.
JRCOTE (Posted 2008-06-02 12:17:23)
Well it does make for interesting debate. Everyone has their opinions which is great cause if everybody liked one thing it would be pretty boring world. I just dont see how Datsyuk really made a difference in this series and I find Zetterberg good but not exceptional. For that matter I dont think I find anyone exceptional in this series including Crosby.
Cid from Indiana (Posted 2008-06-02 12:15:43)
I love the fact that basically this entire article and the observations held within is completely ignored by Wings fans because the author didn't say "Dats and Hank are teh BEST!!1!!ONE!" I am a fan of neither team that made the finals, but I have to say, this has been the best SC Finals I've seen in quite awhile. As to everything else, I don't care if scoring goes up, but I think the so-called post-lockout NHL with it's (better) enforcement of obstruction rules is a GREAT thing. Kudos to the league for finally making a smart decision and actually sticking with it for more than a season.
Rob M (Posted 2008-06-02 12:13:46)
All of you who are trying to build Crosby up as a great goal scorer/points are a little misguided. Crosby scored 120pts against Eastern teams. The majority of his games are easy. Take a look at the same season in the West. Joe Thornton 112pts, Jarome Ignina 95pts, Teemu Selanne 94pts. Not as many points against more difficult teams. The West has the big four Detroit, Dallas, Anaheim and San Jose. But Colorado, Calgary and Nashville are no slouches either. On any day they can take you to the limit. Besides Montreal and Pittsburgh who in East even has a chance at matching the power teams from the West? Crosby a 19 year old scored 120pts in the East against easier teams; counter point Teemu Selanne a 38 year old scored 94pts against difficult appointments, whose accomplisment was bigger?
Casey (Posted 2008-06-02 11:42:10)
The "top xxx players in the league" debate is laughable. If you told the players when they were drafted that they would never win scoring titles or Art Ross Trophies or Rocket Richard Trophies but they would have the chance to play in the finals multiple times in their careers, I'd bet almost to a man they would take it. (There's always a few glory hounds out there)
Yzerman is the perfect example. He was scoring 60+ goals and was regarded as one of the best offensive players in the league. BUT THEIR SEASONS WERE ALMOST ALWAYS OVER IN MARCH! Along comes Bowman, who helps him become a great 2 way player, and he finishes with 3 Cups!
As a fan would you rather have THE BEST player on your team who scores 120 points/year and never wins it all, or would you rather have a TEAM that works towards a common goal and hoists the big silver cup at the end of the year? Of course we'd like to have both of those, but it hasn't worked that way since the 80's and 90's.
It's the old cliche, defense wins championships. But now you need defense from more than just the defensemen.
Just a thought...
Samantha (Posted 2008-06-02 10:36:37)
I certainly wouldn't put Crosby among the top 2 players in the league. Yes, he has talent. Yes, he's competitive (a little too competitive - its turning into a negative for him). Yes, he has a lot of offensive imagination and the skill to use it in a game. But, he's still very young and still has some work to do in his own end before we can crown him the best in the NHL. He's close, but not quite there yet. As for the goalie pads and net, we don't need to change either. All you need to do is continue the course of the strong calls against hooking and holding, and eventually, once the young kids out there spend a few more years developing in leagues where they can use their Ovechkin and Crosby moves in games, you will see scoring increase. But, it will still take a few more years for these kids to grow and develop before we see it at the NHL level. If this draft (and THNs draft preview issue are accurate) we're finally starting to see NHL scouts and GMs move away from the holy grail of size-toughness-brawn and more into skill-skating-hockey sense. This will only encourage the smaller, skilled kids out there to stick with it and continue playing hockey. The fruits of the obstruction crackdown are coming folks, just wait and see!
Derwood Sleezy (Posted 2008-06-02 10:32:05)
Let the Pens fans have "the best" player, and gloat and drool over him all they want.....I'll take the Cup!!!! Wooooooooooot!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian (Posted 2008-06-02 10:30:59)
Excellent posts Jeremy and Kristopher. Crosby will be great but right now he doesn't compare to Hank or Datsyuk. Any player that is limited in the roles that they can play (ie. penalty kill) should not be considered a "great one". He does have the potential but right now is just too young. His immaturity never shined more than when he tried to chase Zetterburg of the ice on Saturday and then spent the remainder of the evening trying to minimize Hanks effort on the 5 on 3. I imagine we will see the Penguins in the playoffs again next year but for Pittsburghs sake, hopefully Sid the Kid can outgrow his nickname.
Jeremy (Posted 2008-06-02 10:12:17)
Crosby is clearly very talented and full of potential. Nobody could argue that. I just don't understand giving the Hart to a one-way player. That's more 1988 then 2008. I think back to Yzerman and Federov and they were good players but did not become great (or cup winners) until Bowman made them two of the best two-way players in the league. Sure they slipped on the scoring leader list but they won and won often. Joe Sakic is another good example. I think Pittsburgh needs someone better than Therrien to develop Crosby's potential. With his conditioning there's no reason he couldn't kill penalties and be even more dangerous. Scoring title does not equal MVP, I wish people would stop emphasizing it. Heck, when Yzerman scored 60+ goals we went no where in the playoffs.
Ken Blessinger (Posted 2008-06-02 10:12:08)
It troubles me that players are still being regarded as "the best" based exclusively how they play in the offensive zone. Crosby and Ovechkin, like Wayne Gretzky before them, are great offensive players, but nothing special on defense. Both Zetterberg and Datsyuk, on the other hand, play the whole game, and they do it very well. They probably will never have the scoring numbers that the other two amass but, for winning championships, they are just what any coach would want.
Kristopher (Posted 2008-06-02 09:27:46)
JRCote: Your reasoning (Across multiple points) is flawed. Just because he hasn't won a scoring title (And he probably could have if not for injury this year) doesn't mean he isn't the best player. That's like saying that Pronger is better than Lidstrom because he has a Hart Trophy and Lidstrom doesn't. The fact of the matter is that the best defensive players often give up chances to play better defense. Zetterberg's penalty kill wasn't an aberration for him (Like you seem to imply); it's par for the course. He has incredible offensive talent, and his numbers show it. Secondly, you completely misread what he said about the Swedish elite league: He was comparing it to the minor leagues, which it is certainly better than. Thirdly, your point about Crosby outscoring Ovechkin in the playoffs is unfair to Ovechkin, who actually faced a real team in Philadelphia (Before they got injured) in comparison to an Ottawa team that was atrocious for the better part of the season and got in despite their best efforts. Fourth, the reason Datsyuk and Zetterberg have just started to break out is more due to Detroit not needing them to be fantastic immediately and working on their entire game rather than depending on them from the outset. Finally, I'm not saying that Crosby won't be the most fantastic player in the league at some time in the future. But right now, he's not the best player in the league. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are easily the most complete players in the league. Crosby is a fantastic talent with an offensive gift, but until he shows the same defensive prowess, I don't think he's the best. Hell, Lidstrom is arguably the best player in the league for playing the most flawless game known to man.
Brian Kemp (Posted 2008-06-02 09:18:32)
JRCote, one good penalty kill? Are you serious? It seems to me, Michel Therrien thinks that Zetterberg is better head-to-head than Crosby based on his unwillingness to match them up against one another. In the games Crosby went against Hank, Crosby had no goals, no assists, no points, nothing. Only when he wasn't playing Zetterberg did he get anything going. Zetterberg is only a point behind Crosby, and his defense is much better. In a few years, Crosby might be the best player in the NHL, but right now the best players in the league play for Detroit and Washington, and I'm not even sure which Wing is better; Zetterberg, Datsyuk or Lidstrom.
kg (Posted 2008-06-02 09:09:12)
The point of the game is to win. You need goals to win. Ovechkin is the best (regular season) player on the ice because he's scored the most goals. What's hard to understand about that? Playing defense is a great (and boring) strategy which can help win games, but at the end of the day, you stilll need to put the pucks in the net.
Kurt Hollasch (Posted 2008-06-02 08:49:32)
Read the article Ben. He is not saying 3rd & 4th liners are not important. He is saying they are no longer as important, or more important, as the star players. Big difference.
Ben (Posted 2008-06-02 08:30:22)
I agree with most of what Mike says, but his idea that third and fourth line players are no longer important is ridiculous. Pittsburgh has the most talented star in the game and several ridiculously good supporting characters, but behind line 1 they decline rapidly. Detroit is winning this series on defense, DEPTH, and goaltending.
MJM (Posted 2008-06-02 08:02:24)
Couldn't agree more with Rob M. And lets not forget that Crosby & Ovechkin play in the East - There are no better two way players than Zetterberg & Datysuk. It started with Scotty Bowman teaching Yzerman & Fedorov to play defensivley and has continued in the Babcock era. If the NHL & THN want to push C & O for the media sake - fine but to real hockey fans lets get it right! I wouldn't trade Zetterberg for Crosby ever.
European (Posted 2008-06-02 04:22:18)
Etienne, that's wrong. Swedes do count both assists. I've been a ref over there.
Toots Mcgee (Posted 2008-06-02 01:23:36)
Crosby is real good, true fact, but I'm kind of disturbed by the way the NHL has been marketing him constantly. You can almost see in his post-game interviews and press conferences a sense of entitlement creeping in with the way he refuses to give his opponents respect. It would be really sad if, in the NHL's eagerness to prostitute this kid from the time he was 17 as the game's savior, it consequently kills his work ethic and his good natured attitude.
james dwyer (Posted 2008-06-02 01:11:03)
The NHL's bizarre scheduling being what it is, here in southeast Michigan we don't get to see Crosby or Ovechkin very much. Sure, we're lucky enough to get CBC and sometimes get to see them against the Leafs, but certainly their more noteworthy plays make the highlight reels. Some of the hype around them is marketing, and some of it is real -- their talent is genuine. But I'll tell you, getting to see Datsyuk and Zetterberg for 82 plus games a year, sometimes at the Joe (Louis Arena), is a real treat -- I wouldn't trade a moment of it for C and O. Datsyuk is, bar none, the best puck handler in the league. And is there anything that Zetterberg can't do on the ice? If only they could share the Conn Smythe!
JRCote (Posted 2008-06-01 23:05:30)
Gary. We all know the swedish elite league is not even close to the league the nhl is. Otherwise with this many years experience I would figure he would easily eclipse the 150pt mark. Gee did crosby outscore him as an 18 yr old and a 19yr old... Not even close...
Etienne (Posted 2008-06-01 22:49:13)
Don't forget that the Swedish league doesn't count the 2nd assist on a goal. The only players getting points are the goal scorer and the one with the direct assist. So a player with 1 point-per-game ratio in Sweden is considered better than one doing the same thing in North America, because points are harder to get. That is why there was such a pitch to get undrafted Fabian Brunnstrom in April, even if he had like 40 points in 50 games.
Gary (Posted 2008-06-01 22:27:56)
Hey JRCote....
At 19 years old, Zetterberg led the Swedish Elite League with 16 goals and 24 points in 31 regular season appearances. In their playoffs that year, he scored 14 goals and 24 points in just 21 games. And judging by the way these Swedes in Detroit are playing, I get the feeling their Elite League is a bit more advanced than our minor league affiliates for the NHL.
Gordy (Posted 2008-06-01 22:17:23)
Y'know, I am completely against making the nets bigger. Smaller pads, maybe, but I don't think making goalies ineffective is a way to make the game more exciting. Then you just have basketball on ice, and goals wouldn't really mean as much.
JRCote (Posted 2008-06-01 22:14:30)
Also. Zetterberg had one good penatly kill and it gets blown up. still no scoring title. still no mvp. A meaningless 4th goal in a 4 to nothing win. Sorry he is very good but doesnt deserve the accolades you guys are getting him. Also Crosby is great but No Mario... I will acknowledge that the gap is much closer between him and others then what the analysts let on. I do think he is still better then these guys. Oh yeah... How many goals for Datsyuk. The gap will become more distant as Crosby gets a little older. I would bet the farm on that one. Where were Datsyuk and Zetterberg when they were 19 and 20... guarantee they werent counted on to lead a team to the stanley cup or winning mvps or art ross championships
JRCote (Posted 2008-06-01 22:09:22)
Joe. Or should I call you Doe. Did Crosby not outscore Ovechkin by about 35 to 40 pts last yr. Was he not outpointing him this yr again before he went out with the injury. Was he not outpointing him again during the playoffs in the same amount of games before ovechkin got knocked out. I will admit no question about it that Ovie is a better goal scorer. Not a question about it. But he does not see the ice near as well as crosby nor does he play great defence. Crosby scored 120pts as a teenager and ovie scored 112 as a 22 yr old. Who generates more goals.
Gary (Posted 2008-06-01 22:06:20)
Careful, Joe - I posted similar comments and my post was deleted. This author, like many others, seems to receive paychecks for touting Sid The Skid. Let's see what he can muster tomorrow night (compared to those two guys that are almost as good as him).
Joe (Posted 2008-06-01 22:01:30)
Ovechkin and Crosby?
Crosby is NOT one of the best.. he is hyped because he is a good CANADIAN, and thats all. Over-Rated. Over-Rated. Over-Rate.
Ovie is great, Dats, Zett.. hell I would say that pre-finals Hossa > Crosby.
Crosby gets WAY TOO MUCH credit for doing NOTHING thus far. NOTHING.
Grover Strong (Posted 2008-06-01 21:58:03)
Matt, I really don't think you want Crosby and Ovechin to score like Mario and Wayne did. I was bored to to death with 7-2 and 8-4 scores (non-competitive games and there were lots of them). I love the game, but, when the game was determined by the start to middle of the 2nd period. I usually started looking for sometime else to watch or do. It's a fine line between exciting open and offensive games and phantom hooking and obstruction(which I have seen to many of in the "new NHL"). Last, the level of talent in the 80's and early 90's was questionable. You had guys playing at the NHL level which had no business playing in the NHL which allowed Wayne and Mario to feast on many teams with routine 3 and 4 goal nights.
matt holz (Posted 2008-06-01 21:15:45)
i agree with brophy's statements, the obstruction calls are saving the NHL...i hope the officials keep it up, and we get the skill and offense in our pro game back to the late 80's and early 90's era. i think crosby and ovechkin can score like mario and wayne did, and hopefully the NHL lets them.
Joe D. (Posted 2008-06-01 21:11:25)
For all you Pens fans complaining about not getting calls from the refs, check out the picture heading this article with Ryan Malone parked with his right skate clearly in the blue area of the crease. Gee, don't recall him getting sent to the box! Waht a bunch of whiners. No wonder you all love Cindy Crosby. He's perfect for you folks!
Derwood Sleezy (Posted 2008-06-01 20:54:42)
great comments all! wonder where "1st tier" moncrief is? hope he stays away and learns a thing or two about respecting your competition
crl (Posted 2008-06-01 20:45:37)
After watching this series I'm confused how someone could rank Crosby ahead of Zetterberg or Datsyuk.
Peter (Posted 2008-06-01 20:18:26)
Referees are still the weakest part of the NHL product. Some of the calls (like the one that sent Pens to 5-on-3) are just brutal.
Rob M (Posted 2008-06-01 20:10:04)
Crosby and Ovechkin best in the game? Is that a joke or is that serious? Offensively yes they are in the top 10. Defensively they are both pathetic with Ovechkin getting a slight edge on Crosby. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are complete players making them better players. Crosby and Ovechkin are aspiring to be like them, not the other way around. I have to ask though, when is THN changing their names to "The Penguins News" and when did Mario buy your company that you love Sidney Crosby so much?
Chris (Posted 2008-06-01 19:37:07)
I love how Detroit is up in the series and Crosby hasn't got much going offensively yet he and Ovie are the best in the league followed by Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Hockey is a two way game and Crosby and Ovie don't play on the penalty kill where Zetterberg made a key play on Crosby during a 5 on 3 to keep Pittsburgh from tying the game. When will people learn?
redbutter (Posted 2008-06-01 19:07:27)
I'm surprised no one is talking about how average Fleury's been playing. He's let in a softie every game
bart blakowictz (Posted 2008-06-01 19:05:41)
if you guys seriously think this series could be 3-1 Pens you're delusional. Pens were never close in games 1 and 2, even if they got the bounces you're talking about they still lose 3-2 and 4-2. series tied at 2, i could see, last night was anyones game, but 3-1??? they were dominated in detroit and deserved to lose those games.
Joe Willix (Posted 2008-06-01 19:05:37)
The NHL's heading in the right direction because the Pens can ALMOST win a Cup? Detroit has been playing this style of hockey for 15 years. Why don't you guys cover the real story: the Red Wings, using a mix of youngsters and veterans and a puck-control system, have completely dominated the uninitiated Penguins...PERIOD! The fact that this series isn't closer isn't a disappointment, it's a testament to the fact that the East is completely pathetic compared to the West. And this comes from a lifelong Rangers fan.
muttley tha first (Posted 2008-06-01 18:59:01)
every time i hear some columnist talk about how busted the nhl used to be, it really makes me wonder why they even paid attention to it before if the product was so inferior. guys like gretzky and lemieux and yzerman and messier were playing in the dark ages, i guess. they were some real clutch-and-grab artists, those guys.
dennis shea (Posted 2008-06-01 18:45:20)
for me,the stanley cup playoff season is the best in the world.remember new years day?????????? below freezing, snowfall and a magnificent hoc key game in front of 80,000 plus??????? heck yeah!! these games now make you realize what "the quest for the cup" really means....a quest is a journey of self discovery, adventure ,hard work and the dedication that i do not see in any other sport.......from pond hockey to the cup over your head......it truly is a quest....bring it!.........meself
Jordon Emans (Posted 2008-06-01 18:16:20)
I agree with Bill here, the series could have easily been Pens up 3-1 had a couple of bounces gone their way, and as a Pens fan, am disappointed they had not done so. It is nice to see great hockey players allowed to be great and show their skills. Even though this series isn't going the way that I wanted it to, it has still been enjoyable to watch.
Bill Ritter (Posted 2008-06-01 17:48:28)
Couldn't agree with you more. It has been a great series ( being a Wings fan of course I am a bit biased) with fantastic play on the O and D. It could just as easy be Pittsburgh up 3-1 had a few bounces gone their way.
Skill is where it is at and I am glad that the NHL has taken that path. That said, I still love a good old hockey fight now and again.
Advertisement
Which was the best outdoor NHL game?
"Our give-a-crap level was like at zero."
- Atlanta head coach John Anderson on Sunday's 4-1 loss to division rival Tampa Bay.
Our Partners
The Hockey News Corporation. All Rights Reserved © 2008 Transcontinental
Standards: XHTML 1.0 STRICT + CSS 2. V 1.5 17.09.2008
