2 Down, 2 To Go For the Wings

What a disappointing start to this Stanley Cup Finals if you're a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, or a player for that matter. Two games, two losses by the same score of 3-1. Not very good! For the Red Wings, all is fine. Two big wins and now they are heading into Pittsburgh up comfortably in the series just looking to steal one game to take total control of these finals.

The first game was Detroit at their best! Get the lead, play New Jersey Devils style trap defense, and shut your opposition down. The same exact thing happened in Game 2. However, this time the Red Wings got a lot more help from the officiating. On the 1st goal by Detroit, a Detroit player clearly interferes with a Penguin off of the face off and there's no call. On the 2nd Detroit goal, Pascal Dupuis stick gets slashed out of his hands by Marian Hossa. Still, there's no call. Seconds later, Valtteri Filppula scores... come on, give me a break! Just poor officiating, period. Now, I save the best for last... the Henrik Zetterberg "save". How is he allowed to fall on a puck on the goal line to make a save and there is no penalty/penalty shot awarded? I knew right away that it was an illegal play, but the referees on the ice sure f***ed that one up too. Why that is important is because it's the rule you idiots, get it right!

Not exactly the best game for the officials and it deserves a much needed look by the NHL. It's embarrassing to watch. Oh well, enough of my rants. Can Pittsburgh get back in it? Sure. But I don't feel very good about this one anymore. Over and out!

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Penguins and Red Wings To Do It Again

Well it was really just a matter of time wasn't it? Detroit took care of the young and upcoming Blackhawks in OT in Game 5 by a score of 2-1. Which in turn set up a do-over for the Pittsburgh Penguins - who systematically dispatched the Carolina Hurricanes in one fell swoop with a 4-1 victory in Game 4. The Penguins have just too much talent. My hats off to the Hurricanes for the great run, but the talent overcomes all and they were clearly lacking in that department. As for the Hawks, the talent is there - but the experience factor wasn't and in the end that's what was the deciding factor that tilted the series in Detroit's favor. Talent and battle tested, that's Detroit in a nutshell.

So, here we go again! A rematch of last years final in which the Red Wings took care of the Penguins in 6 games. It was inevitable that these 2 would collide once more for Lord Stanley. It's almost funny to me that all the exhibition and regular season games meant nothing to the rest of the league... almost as if the season doesn't count and they are just playing another 7 game series again.

Pittsburgh is one year more battle hardened, on a roll, and Marc-Andre Fleury is playing great. Detroit on the other hand, is Detroit. They have no real weaknesses in their game (maybe injuries?). They just smother you and feast on your mistakes. I believe this one is a toss-up. Both teams are very talented, but goaltending will be the deciding factor. Who are you betting on? Fleury or Osgood? Over and out!

EDIT: On a sad note, my condolences go out to the Zezel family on the passing of former NHLer, Peter Zezel. It's always sad to lose someone, especially at such a young age. Rest in peace. 

EDIT 2: Also make sure that you guys check out the new poll. It's on the right hand navigation, towards the bottom. Thanks!

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Penguins and Red Wings in Control

Well, it looks like the Carolina Hurricanes great run in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs is just about over. With a convincing 6-2 win over the Hurricanes, the Pittsburgh Penguins were led by the awesome two-headed monster of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Pens are now 1 win away from heading back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Carolina just doesn’t have enough talent to deal with Crosby, Malkin, and company. Sorry, but if you think they do - then where has it been? I give the Hurricanes great grades for their run in the playoffs, no doubt. They had to beat the best team in the Eastern Conference all season long in the Boston Bruins, as well as the Atlantic Division champion New Jersey Devils. However, to play and win against the Pittsburgh Penguins you have to be perfect and the Canes have been far from that. Malkin, who woke up towards the end of the Capitals series, is on fire right now! Also, as usual, Sid “The Kid” is playing like the star that he is - tough tandem, wouldn’t you say? Even with the Canes scoring first and the Raleigh crowd as loud as ever, the Pens were too much once again. The Pens outshot the Canes by a 40-34 margin. That is becoming a habit for the Penguins in this year’s playoffs. Can the Hurricanes win one? Sure. Can they win the series? Forget about it!

Onto the Detroit Vs. Chicago series. Try to bear with me a little bit here as I’m trying to condense 2 stories into one! Here it goes… In Game 3, the Chicago Blackhawks looked like a lost hockey club for almost 2 full periods. However, they still managed to pull out a dramatic 4-3 victory in OT. Patrick Sharpe became the hero of the night as he snapped a Samuel Pahlsson pass (which was a beauty) past Chris Osgood 1:52 into the first OT session. The Hawks did a little growing up in this contest as they were able to rebound after blowing their commanding 3 goal lead in the game. I’ve gotta tell you, Chicago definitely looked like the inexperienced team that I thought they were. At times during the game it seemed like the rink was cut in half in Detroit’s favor for the entire 2nd and 3rd periods. Detroit just shot down any and all Hawks efforts to attack offensively. One last point about this game: Niklas Kronwall. I usually jump on this guy all the time due to the fact that the majority of his hits are illegal (he leaves his skates like there’s no tomorrow). In Game 3, however, I have got to lean on his side with his hit on Martin Havlat. It hurts me to say it, but it was a clean hit (Marty, keep your head up).

In Game 4, the Detroit Red Wings proved what I suspected all along. The Chicago Blackhawks youthful inexperience finally came to the forefront. The Hawks looked very nervous, slow, and shockingly tentative after coming off the big OT win in Game 3. Detroit showed it’s poise and experience in a commanding 6-1 win. The Red Wings have now placed the stranglehold on the young Hawks and this series with a 3-1 lead. Detroit is just too good for the Hawks. With the rules of the NHL being what they are, the Red Wings have built their team according to suit. I personally don’t care for this style that they play and I could debate anyone in the NHL on it. But, it is what it is and Detroit plays it perfectly. The Blackhawks on the other hand got a little flustered and frustrated trying to exact some physical punishment on the Wings. Sorry, it doesn’t work in today’s NHL! The Wings may be the most talented team, I will admit that. On the flip side, they are also the game’s best actors and fakers. Oh well, enough for today. Game 5 in Detroit doesn’t look very good for the Hawks - this series may be over soon. Over and out!

EDIT: New poll added. Go vote! The last poll has closed: "Who Will Win The Stanley Cup", the majority of the votes went to the Red Wings and the Penguins. They definitely have the best shot as of now!

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Malkin, Pens Take Care of Canes, 7-4

Evgeni Malkin possibly heard that Alex Ovechkin had won the Sporting News Player of the Year Award for the 2nd year in a row. Malkin proceeded to own the Carolina Hurricanes with a hat trick and a 4 point performance in Game 2. This is not what I had expected, especially on the Hurricanes behalf. Wide open pond hockey with nary a care for defense. The Pens outshot Carolina 42-28 and in the end they deserved this win, no question about it. I just keep thinking that how could the Canes be lured into Pittsburgh's strength? Their strength is wide open offensive hockey. At least against Carolina, the Pens have that advantage in my eyes. I give Carolina an "A" for answering each of the Pens goals early in the game with one of their own, but this is a recipe for disaster - and that's what it became. Crosby and Malkin... and the Hurricanes are gonna match them with who? Eric Staal? Not quite! Looks to me like we might be heading towards a rematch of last years final, unless the Canes re-group at home in Raleigh (which is not out of the question). They will have the crowd on their side (loudest in the league), but they have to get back to what they do best! Pressure, play good D, and capitalize on mistakes. If the Hurricanes do not rebound, much like the Western Conference Finals - this one will be over quick.

Speaking of the Western Conference playoffs, Detroit won again (yawn), 3-2 in OT. Damn those Red Wings! Just when most of us thought Chicago was going to steal a game in Detroit and tie the series up at one. The Red Wings took advantage of the Blackhawks like playoff experienced teams do. They turned a huge blunder by Brian Campbell into a game winning goal in OT. First off, what in the world was Campbell thinking? Let's see... he had 3 options. 1) Shoot the puck on the net, 2) Dump it in the corner, and 3) Make a pass across the blueline with the Red Wings in the way? We all know what number Campbell chose in this scenario. Detroit is a tough enough team to play as it is... but jeez, don't make it easy for them! That's the game in a nutshell. Coach Joel Quennville has to be horrified by the turnovers in the first 2 games by his defensemen (which in turn led to Detroit goals). My last count is at least 3 goals have been scored by the Wings off of Blackhawk turnovers - including the OT winner. The Blackhawks played much better in Game 2, probably good enough to win. But, you can't, and I repeat you can't make dumb plays like Brian Campbell did against Detroit. If you do, like I said in my previous blog, this series will be over in a blink of an eye. Let's hope not! Over and out!

EDIT: http://greschnersports.com/ is now up. It's the sports Memorabilia website started by my good friend Ron Greschner, as well as Nick Fotiu and Vic Hadfield. If you want authentic autographed memorabilia, this is where to look! Go ahead and spend your money, people!

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Let the Games Begin

The games are now on! The Pittsburgh Penguins escaped Game 1 against the gritty Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 3-2. If not for some outstanding goaltending by Marc-Andre Fleury, the outcome of this game could have been quite different. Pittsburgh struck twice in the 1st period in a span of 1:24 on goals by Miroslav Satan and Evgeni Malkin. Satan’s goal was on a breakaway after serving a penalty for holding. What were the Cane’s thinking as the PP was winding down? They did not keep check of the time left on the penalty… big mistake! Malkin then fired a screened backhand past Cam Ward to give the Pens the early 2-0 lead. At this point in time, I thought this game was going to be a blowout. The game most definitely would have been a blowout if it wasn’t for Cam Ward’s save on Billy Guerin early in the 2nd period. Fortunately for Carolina, the Hurricanes were able to re-group and really outplay Pittsburgh for the majority of the game that remained.

The Hurricanes finally struck gold on a goal by Chad LaRose making the score 2-1. LaRose was able to outwait Fleury on a situation where it appeared there was one too many passes going on (Carolina had many of these throughout the contest). Now, heading into the 3rd period things were starting to look better for the Canes. Unfortunately, about midway through the 3rd period, Matt Cullen took a delay of game penalty in which the Pens capitalized on. Philippe Boucher took a Sidney Crosby pass and squeaked one through Ward to give the Pens a crucial 3-1 lead. Still, the game wasn’t over yet. Late in the game with Carolina on the PP (thanks to Brooks Orpik’s elbowing penalty) Joe Corvo was able to blast one by Fleury - who got a piece of it, just not enough. These turn of events helped set up a very wild ending. The Hurricanes still had their goalie pulled for the extra attacker down by a goal and had really 2 or 3 great chances to score the equalizer. Eric Staal had the best shot at tying the game, but unfortunately the puck jumped off his stick blade right back into Marc-Andre Fleury. The net was wide open! This series is looking like it’ll be a good one. How long it will go? I can’t say. Pittsburgh had their chances to bury the Hurricanes, but in typical 08-09 Hurricanes fashion - they came storming back. This was a good one to watch, but I believe the best is yet to come.

Now, onto the Western Conference Finals. Detroit sure took Chicago down in workman-like fashion by a score of 5-2. Even after giving up the 1st goal to Adam Burish early in the 1st period, the Red Wings really were never threatened by the young Hawks. I thought that early in the 3rd period when the Hawks tied the game at 2 on a PP goal by Kris Versteeg… that maybe, just maybe the Blackhawks had something going. Unfrotunately for them, it was not to be as Detroit answered the Blackhawks push at every level. Dan Cleary was the star of this game with 2 goals (Although Khabibulin should have had the first one) and the veteran team was too much for the Hawks to handle in the end. Hey, even Osgood played great when he was needed. The Wings outshot the Hawks 42-32 overall and there was no question in my eyes who was the boss in Game 1. Chicago had better tighten their game up if they want to make this a series. Detroit is too good (and that hurts for me to say) for Chicago to play wild and reckless hockey. The Wings really feast on that style of play. We will have to see what new strategy that coach Joel Quennville will come up with for Game 2 and beyond. The Hawks are down, but not out! Over and out!

Oh yeah, also check out the poll below on the lower right hand navigation. There will be poll questions weekly, so be sure to give your opinion!

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Sean Avery & The Final 4

I was fortunate enough to be invited once again by Ron Duguay and Ken Daneyko onto their weekly radio show, "Ice Breakers" on Sirius XM Radio. Sean Avery was the first guest and I won't get into everything that was talked about, but what I took from Avery is that he's one cool dude who understands the baggage that he carries. I also stand by his coming back to NY. This is where he thrives and belongs. Ron and Ken handled the interview like 2 seasoned pros and Sean seemed real comfortable in this, his first big interview since he came back to the Rangers. Good job guys! Larry "Ratso" Sloman was another guest and Ron, Ken, and I talked about a book that was groundbreaking at the time, "On Thin Ice", a year about the New York Rangers (I was in the book). "Ratso" is a good friend of mine, as well as many other former Rangers (My wife adores him). It was a good time had by all. I want to thank Ron, Ken, and Rob Raju (President/CEO of AXIOM Sports & Entertainment) for keeping me in the mix. Check out the damn show... it's great!

The Final 4

The Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. Who would of thought that the Carolina Hurricanes would be in this position? Wow! Boy, did they shock the hockey world with a 3-2, OT victory in Boston. You just have to tip your hat to this team. They continue to impress me with their speed, style of play, and superb goaltending. As for the Penguins? What an ass-kicking they put on the Washington Capitals. Sidney Crosby, who may stomp his feet and whine at times, proved without a doubt that he is the best player in the NHL. Sorry, Alex. Maybe next time! For now, Sid "The Kid" rules the roost as he played big in a big-time game in a hostile territory. Alexander Ovechkin, on the other hand, came up with an unclutch performance after doing a little chirping about how it would be to the Caps advantage playing at home. Oh, really? One more thing... I wonder what Alexander Semin has to say now about Crosby after trashing him earlier in the year? I like Pittsburgh in the ECF, but Carolina has defied all the experts - so what do I know?

Now that Detroit took care of Anaheim on a lousy goal (controversial?), the Hawks and Wings are meeting in an Original Six Western Conference Final. You have to like this if you're a historian of the game. The question is, can the Hawks rise to the level of a team that is hardened with experience and has Stanley Cup rings? I really like this Chicago team. They have a lot of talented players up and down their roster, but Detroit has been here before. Can the youthful exuberance overtake the grizzled veterans? We will have to wait and see. Over and out! 

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