2008 Stanley Cup Finals

[CanadianChris 0]

Just before the opening faceoff, I'll say Detroit in 6. I can't take any defence that includes Hal Gill seriously.

[MFer 0]

Meh...some iffy calls going on here.

 

Kronwall with a couple nice hits early on though.

[Guest Desensitized]

LIDSTROM. NO "N". Christ, that always pisses me off.

Nick Lindstrom is buds with Matt Leinhart and Curt Henning.

[Matt Young 0]

I watched a handful of Stanley Cup Finals games back in the late 90's when I was eager to ingest anything sports related. Now, as an adult with many more interests and a lot less free time, I rarely ever watch a full baseball or basketball game (football's another story) unless it's the playoffs. And I never, ever liked hockey before.

 

I had watched a couple Kings games this season with a friend who is a die-hard fan, but didn't get too interested. Then, while watching the NHL Network stoned one morning a couple months ago, something clicked. I didn't watch any hockey after that, but I've been keeping up with stuff.

 

I watched game 1 of the Finals and played 5 games of NHL 08 Saturday. I went from hating hockey to really enjoying it. I'm way late to the party, but fuck it. I'm supporting Pittsburgh in the Finals since one of my best friends is a Pens fan, born and raised in Pittsburgh. But I guess if I become a regular follower of the sport next season, I'll have to adopt the Kings or Ducks as my team. So yeah, Kings.

[Fartsauce 0]

This is off-topic but did anyone catch the end of the Spokane/Kitchener Memorial Cup? Spokane won the game 4-1 but that wasn't the best part. Their captain raised the trophy over his head and it smashed into 2 or 3 pieces on the ice. They were all just sitting there for about 10 seconds with the biggest "WTF do we do" face. It was absolutely hilarious and the youtube is going to be up shortly.

 

[Zetterberg is God 0]

Just got back from game one and it was awesome of course despite the unbelievable amount of Pittsburgh fans but kudos to them for showing up. The ceremonial faceoff with Stevie Y was a great moment and the building was rocking the entire night. Best part of the win was seeing Samuelsson and Cleary snap lengthy droughts. Hopefully the Mule's return tonight gives them the W.

[Guest Smues]

This is off-topic but did anyone catch the end of the Spokane/Kitchener Memorial Cup? Spokane won the game 4-1 but that wasn't the best part. Their captain raised the trophy over his head and it smashed into 2 or 3 pieces on the ice. They were all just sitting there for about 10 seconds with the biggest "WTF do we do" face. It was absolutely hilarious and the youtube is going to be up shortly.

 

 

That is all kinds of awesome. I had no idea, because oddly enough that wasn't mentioned at Spokanechiefs.com when I was checking to see if they won or not. Good job Bruton, you moron.

[Red Baron 0]

Way to show up Pittsburgh.

[MrRant 0]

This is off-topic but did anyone catch the end of the Spokane/Kitchener Memorial Cup? Spokane won the game 4-1 but that wasn't the best part. Their captain raised the trophy over his head and it smashed into 2 or 3 pieces on the ice. They were all just sitting there for about 10 seconds with the biggest "WTF do we do" face. It was absolutely hilarious and the youtube is going to be up shortly.

 

 

That is all kinds of awesome. I had no idea, because oddly enough that wasn't mentioned at Spokanechiefs.com when I was checking to see if they won or not. Good job Bruton, you moron.

 

Spokane deserves to drop the cup.

 

 

 

Sorry. My hatred for Eastern Washington is too strong.

[Nightwing 0]

Nice game. I'm sure people will cry about the goalie interference call that I think was against Malone, but if anything that's the only consistent way to go. Sure, Osgood sold it a little, but he was about two feet into the crease. Holmstrom got called for less in the first game.

 

The end of the game thing, I'm not torn much about, either. Osgood embellished (Yes, he definitely did. It's quite obvious), but that wasn't the Riberio incident. Not by a long shot. Sykora (or was it Sydor? God, I can never remember the Pens...) gave him something like a foot and a half of clearance while he's skating around. I wouldn't normally suspect anything from him if not for the Pens completely gooning it up on Franzen and other guys. Seriously, punching and BUTT-ending Frazen, the guy with a possible concussion? Nice class, guys.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Get the brooms out. The Pens haven't come to play yet, I see this going 4

[Zetterberg is God 0]

Another solid performance from the Wings. The Pens gooning it up shows they're getting pretty desperate. Seeing Datsyuk and Franzen dishing it right back is awesome and despite Osgood's embellishment, he had another solid performance. It's between him and Zetterberg for the Conn Smythe but consecutive shut-outs maybe put it in his hands.

[Diamonddust 0]

I haven't posted here yet, but I'm a die-hard Wings fan living in the deep south. If Detroit plays like they have the past two games when the series moves to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, they will sweep, and it won't even be close.

 

Here's hoping the next two rounds of Penguin hunting goes smashingly for the Wings!

 

LET'S GO WINGS!

 

Two more to the Cup!

[Red Baron 0]

Sorry Nightwing, I think Franzen embelished a bit when Roberts hit him in the face.

[Annabelle 0]

did anyone else catch that slow and aging detroit defense struggling to keep up with the offensive firepower of the penguins? ya, me neither. team defense. it will always beat offense. funny thing is, the two best players in the series have been filpula and kronwall. none of the big names. everyone is saying they want the pens to win because they want to see a dynasty. you ARE seeing a dynasty, its just not with pittsburgh.

[nl5xsk1 0]

did anyone else catch that slow and aging detroit defense struggling to keep up with the offensive firepower of the penguins? ya, me neither. team defense. it will always beat offense. funny thing is, the two best players in the series have been filpula and kronwall. none of the big names. everyone is saying they want the pens to win because they want to see a dynasty. you ARE seeing a dynasty, its just not with pittsburgh.

I'd presume that Chelios - the slowest & most aged Wings defensemen - being healthy-scratched would help the Wings blueliners keep up with the Penguins. Don't get me wrong, their second pairing has played much better than I anticipated. But removing a 46 year old defensemen is bound to help a team keep up with a younger team.

 

 

[Red Baron 0]

Yes, I agree with Niskie about this.

 

I would put Hossa/Crosby/Roberts on the top line if I was Pittsburgh, and he has to be pushing near 20 minutes after two periods. And also I did not expect Fleury to play this poorly either.

[Nightwing 0]

Sorry Nightwing, I think Franzen embelished a bit when Roberts hit him in the face.

 

Are you looking with the same eyes that saw a Detroit team that couldn't beat Colorado, Dallas, and Pittsburgh? Or have you gotten your vision checked yet?

 

I don't think he embellished; just because he reacted late doesn't mean it didn't hurt. You certainly see it enough with things like pucks, where the guy hasn't had enough time to fully process everything before he feels it. Plus, it doesn't make it any less classless to punch a guy whose had concussion symptoms. I also forgot to mention Talbot's kick to the back of Frazen's leg. You can't possibly defend that crap.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Sorry Nightwing, I think Franzen embelished a bit when Roberts hit him in the face.

 

Are you looking with the same eyes that saw a Detroit team that couldn't beat Colorado, Dallas, and Pittsburgh? Or have you gotten your vision checked yet?

 

I don't think he embellished; just because he reacted late doesn't mean it didn't hurt. You certainly see it enough with things like pucks, where the guy hasn't had enough time to fully process everything before he feels it. Plus, it doesn't make it any less classless to punch a guy whose had concussion symptoms. I also forgot to mention Talbot's kick to the back of Frazen's leg. You can't possibly defend that crap.

I hate to say it, but it has to be expected in the Cup finals. If Franzen had a bad knee, players would be going after that; if he had a bad back, players would be going after that. So while I recognize that going after a head injury is a bit more callous than going after a knee or a back, it's part of the game.

 

It was a cheap-shot, but a to-be-expected cheap-shot.

[Red Baron 0]

Why do you think Ulf Samuellson constantly went after Cam Neely.

[Red Baron 0]

Sorry Nightwing, I think Franzen embelished a bit when Roberts hit him in the face.

 

Are you looking with the same eyes that saw a Detroit team that couldn't beat Colorado, Dallas, and Pittsburgh? Or have you gotten your vision checked yet?

 

I don't think he embellished; just because he reacted late doesn't mean it didn't hurt. You certainly see it enough with things like pucks, where the guy hasn't had enough time to fully process everything before he feels it. Plus, it doesn't make it any less classless to punch a guy whose had concussion symptoms. I also forgot to mention Talbot's kick to the back of Frazen's leg. You can't possibly defend that crap.

 

 

No it was an act. He didn't need to stay down as long as he did, and could have done a bit better on the fall as well.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I'm glad the Wings are here to take my mind off The Tigers

[Nightwing 0]

Sorry Nightwing, I think Franzen embelished a bit when Roberts hit him in the face.

 

Are you looking with the same eyes that saw a Detroit team that couldn't beat Colorado, Dallas, and Pittsburgh? Or have you gotten your vision checked yet?

 

I don't think he embellished; just because he reacted late doesn't mean it didn't hurt. You certainly see it enough with things like pucks, where the guy hasn't had enough time to fully process everything before he feels it. Plus, it doesn't make it any less classless to punch a guy whose had concussion symptoms. I also forgot to mention Talbot's kick to the back of Frazen's leg. You can't possibly defend that crap.

 

 

No it was an act. He didn't need to stay down as long as he did, and could have done a bit better on the fall as well.

 

Yeah, sure. And Pittsburgh's defense is having such a better time holding off Detroit's offense, right? I can accept criticisms of Osgood; he embellished what happened. But I don't see much embellishment in the guy with concussion symptoms taking a punch to the head going down. Just because he didn't react instantly doesn't mean that it didn't hurt, nor does it mean that it wasn't a cheap shot.

 

Nksie: There's a certain level of cheap-shotting I'll sort of accept as "part of the game". I mean, this isn't someone giving a slap to someone's knee with their stick every now and then. This is someone just punching someone else outside of the play. At the very least, they could at least try to be a little less obvious and insulting about it. And it still doesn't make it any less of a goon act.

[Red Baron 0]

Oh god how I was wrong on that so far, about the defence. Hal Gill should not be playing more or near 20 minutes, and he's actually playing like Hal Gill.

[Annabelle 0]

did anyone else catch that slow and aging detroit defense struggling to keep up with the offensive firepower of the penguins? ya, me neither. team defense. it will always beat offense. funny thing is, the two best players in the series have been filpula and kronwall. none of the big names. everyone is saying they want the pens to win because they want to see a dynasty. you ARE seeing a dynasty, its just not with pittsburgh.

I'd presume that Chelios - the slowest & most aged Wings defensemen - being healthy-scratched would help the Wings blueliners keep up with the Penguins. Don't get me wrong, their second pairing has played much better than I anticipated. But removing a 46 year old defensemen is bound to help a team keep up with a younger team.

andreas lilja ain't exactly feelt of foot, or even that good. but i agree. to an extent. the top four dmen in detroit play 85% of the time, so it would be a wash. lilja makes a bit of a difference but lets not overstate it. chelios has been hurt for awhile. if he was 100% healthy, im sure he'd be playing. and the series would be exactly the same.

 

and yes, franzen dived when he got hit. but roberts has been taking cheap punches at people his entire career.

 

and the red wings are also helping me cope with the tigers.

 

winning my playoff draft helps, too

[Red Baron 0]

everyone is saying they want the pens to win because they want to see a dynasty. you ARE seeing a dynasty, its just not with pittsburgh.

 

Edmonton lost its first time in the Stanley Cup finals against the Isles. Maybe they need some growing pains for next season.

[Annabelle 0]

everyone is saying they want the pens to win because they want to see a dynasty. you ARE seeing a dynasty, its just not with pittsburgh.

 

Edmonton lost its first time in the Stanley Cup finals against the Isles. Maybe they need some growing pains for next season.

i agree with you. i was being slightly facetitious. but if any team can be a dynasty it is the wings because they have the ability to always draft well and keep their prospects. the pens only have about a 5 year window before the salary cap catches up to them and the team will have to be broken up. maybe theyll win next year, but i don't see detroit getting any worse. and the eastern teams are always catching up. the flyers could give them trouble next year. ditto: rangers.

[Red Baron 0]

The Pens need to get rid of Hal Gill and somehow get a high draft pick for this upcoming draft for a defenceman, and yet somehow manage to keep Hossa for at most, three years. As you mentioned earlier, the major problem for Pittsburgh is trying to sign Malkin, Malone, Staal, Hossa and Fleury to long time contracts, and the odd ones out are most likely going to be Staal and Hossa.

[the max 0]

I don't see how Hossa will re-sign with Pittsburgh. He's going to ask for 7.5+ for longer than three years on the open market and I can't see Pittsburgh signing him over Staal or Malkin. I think Shero rolled the dice with the trade, looking to stack the lineup and make the Finals which he has done.

 

What are the Penguins going to give up to move up and draft a defenseman? They don't pick until the 4th round this year and any first and second round picks hereafter are likely going to be late round picks because the team is going to be good. Who would trade with them? They got rid of four tradable assets to bring in Hossa.

[Nightwing 0]

There is absolutely no way that Hossa is staying in Pittsburgh, unless he is taking a serious pay-cut. I think he's going to be going out west somewhere.

 

Pittsburgh isn't going to be like Edmonton in the 80's, because the 4-peat and 5-peat dynasties have died off with the shift into the Free Agency and Salary Cap eras. If that Edmonton team had been around in the climate now, they would have been sold off or broken up a year or two after their first Cup due to other teams giving superior offers along with Salary Cap considerations.

 

If Pittsburgh wants to be a long-term contender, it has to develop a good scouting network ala New Jersey and Detroit and look for those diamonds in the rough or just solid roleplayers that can be found in later rounds. They got this great base from their shitty years, now they need to get the support staff to find the other pieces. You can always go the free agent market, but it's proven to be unreliable as a long-term solution and I doubt Pittsburgh will have much salary cap room if they want to keep the integral pieces like Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and Malone.