Stanley Cup Final: Detroit vs. Pittsburgh

In a dream matchup for the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Detroit Red Wings in the Finals. Detroit has drawn big television crowds for over a decade and Pittsburgh has the NHL's golden boy Sidney Crosby who himself draws big television crowds. Neither team is short of stars as Detroit has the best defenseman in the league in Niklas Lidstrom, John Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and unsung heros Kris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom. Pittsburgh has of course Sid the Kid, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Marc Andre Fluery, and an up and comer in Jordan Staal. Gary Roberts could be playing his last year and is obviously looking to go out on top, hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.

Both teams have proven to be very tough opposition. Detroit roared through the Western Conference playoffs, but had trouble closing the deal in their series against the Stars. If they do that against the hungry Penguins they won't know what's hit them. Pittsburgh has proven to be a very tough opponent in the playoffs as they've gone 12-2 throughout and are a perfect 8-0 at home. Very impressive records that few teams troughout history have been able to accomplish.

This should be a tough, hard fought series that should have huge hockey fans and the casual viewer alike revved up for some great hockey. If the NHL were smart, and when it comes to marketing they unfortunately are not, they'll market this series all over the place. From billboards, to commercials, to an internet blitz, they need to jump on the marketing wagon and finally promote the sport. In fact, they should go out and find NASCAR's marketing team and way overpay these guys to market this great game.

Some amazing hockey should be ahead. While I'd love to see Roberts hoist the Cup, I don't think Pittsburgh has enough to combat Detroit's overall game. I'm calling Detroit in 6.

Detroit Rolls Over Dallas to Advance

The Detroit Red Wings charged to a 4-0 lead in their Eastern Conference Finals game against the Dallas Stars. The Stars came roaring back in the 3rd period but fell one goal short in the end. Detroit clinched their series against the Stars and will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final that starts on Saturday.

I called both these teams, but the series finished faster than I thought. I figured the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia series would to to seven games based on Philly's play against Montreal, but the Pens made pretty short work of the Flyers. I called the Detroit-Dallas series, though. Took 5 games for Detroit to finish off Dallas.

More on the upcoming Stanley Cup Final Series to come...

Penguins In Waiting

The Pittsburgh Penguins put a pretty solid exclamation point on their Eastern Conference Finals series yesterday, making short work of the Philadelphia Flyers in their 6-0 win.

They now await the winner of the Detroit-Dallas series to meet them in the Stanley Cup Final. Detroit leads the series 3-2. After charging ahead to a 3-0 series lead, Detroit has fallen twice to Dallas. I imagine Detroit will take the series and meet Pittsburgh, but they need to learn to put teams away when they're sitting vulnerable. Pittsburgh is a very tough team that will quickly capitalize on any mistake made by their opposition.

Almost ready to raise the Cup!

Crosby's Earned A Reputation!

Sidney Crosby is the most touted young player in the NHL today. He came in tabbed as "the Next One," referring to him as being the next Wayne Gretzky. He's an incredibly skilled player who is living up to the hype, for the most part. He's already the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, making him the youngest in NHL history. He's certainly no slouch, and he's definitely not a bust.

He has, however, made a name for himself in a way that the real Great One never had. Crosby's been tagged as a diver! This means that he embellishes when he gets hit in order to get a call. Apparently, the refs have been falling for it.

During Sunday's game against the Rangers, Sid "the Kid" fell a little too easy after being hit behind the net by Fedor Tyutin, resulting in a penalty against the Rangers. According to those within listening distance, Jaromir Jagr (another NHL scoring great) skated over to Crosby after the penalty and told him to stop diving and to stay on his feet. The Penguins won the game to take a 2-0 series lead.

This isn't the first time Sidney's been called out for diving. While he's justly recieved accolades for his on-ice skills, his reputation for diving is hurting his image. Hockey players, fans, and coaches don't like players who dive. It's a trend that's increasing among younger players. Eric Staal and Eric Cole of the Carolina Hurricanes are two other young players who have been tabbed as divers. Hopefully this is something that will quickly be nipped in the bud.

Wayne Gretzky was called the "Great One" because he truly was a great player. He set records that will probably never be broken. He wasn't a diver!

Senators Swept as Pittsburgh Returns the Favor.

Last year, the Senators made short work of Pittsburgh on their march to the Finals by eliminating them in 5 games. This year, the Pens returned the favor by eliminating the Senators in 4.

The Senators went from first place in the East and dominating the competition, to 7th place going into the playoffs. Injuries played a big part, they fired their coach, and Bryan Murray took over behind the bench while also staying the team GM. Much like he was unable to do with the Panthers, Murray has done little to really improve the Ottawa Senators. Much like the Panthers did years ago, it's probably time the Senators part ways with this guy. Ottawa has a ton of talent on their team, but lack in the goaltending department and don't seem to be very motivated.

The Penguins, on the other hand, are loaded with talent and are rolling. With Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, Staal, Fluery, Whitney, and Roberts to help lead the way, the Penguins are a major force to be reckoned with. It remains to be seen if they have enough in them to go to the Finals and win the Cup, but they're certainly a team with enough skill to make it there.

The Pittsburh Penguins are a great team to watch, it will be fun to see how far they can go.

The Ottawa Senators? Well, it should be an interesting off-season.