Penguins dance with Lord Stanley

The title of this post is a reference to the commentary of the Penguins legendary, high-octane announcer Mike Lange:



Lange has given us some gems over the years, from "Get in the fast-lane grandma, the bingo game's ready to roll!" to "He smoked him like a bad cigar!" to, on the occasion of the Pens' first Cup victory, "Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, get me the brandy!" And he had reason to celebrate again last night, as the Penguins atoned for last year's loss to the Red Wings by taking an exciting Game 7 2-1.

It is a great story for these young Penguins (who, by the way, the announcers did not constantly refer to as "too young to know any better" - hopefully that moniker is never heard again in NHL broadcasting unless, for some reason, a Timbits Hockey team takes on the Leafs, Senators, Lightning or any other team they may have a chance against).

First of all, there is the NHL's wonderboy Sidney Crosby becoming the youngest captain to lift the Stanley Cup. And he was the main reason that the Penguins even survived the first and second rounds, carrying the team on his shoulders against the Flyers and Capitals. He led the playoffs with 15 goals and finished second to teammate Evgeni Malkin with 31 points.

Malkin emerged as a playoff force, leading the playoffs with 36 points and becoming the first Russian to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy - which, incidentally, he can place on his mantle next to the Art Ross Trophy he earns this year for leading the league in scoring in the regular season.

Malkin turns 23 this year, and Crosby will be 22 by the time the 2009-10 season starts. These guys haven't even hit their prime yet, and seem poised for many years of greatness with the Penguins.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was excellent in Game 7, and shook the label of not being able to win the big game (hmm, I wish another French-Canadian goalie would do the same thing). Grinder Max Talbot emerged as the Stanley Cup hero, scoring both goals for the Penguins. And the Pens played a solid team game to defeat the very talented Wings.

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins, your 2009 Stanley Cup Champions.

And congratulations to the NHL's marketing department for producing this commercial, which captures some of the heartbreak of the Penguins to the Red Wings in last year's Final and somehow makes this year's victory seem all the sweeter for them:



Here's hoping they'll pull off something similar with the Canucks and Roberto Luongo this coming October, and the Canucks will proceed to knock off the Blackhawks in the Conference Final.

Game 7 Excitement

Tomorrow night Gary Bettman will hand the Stanley Cup to either Nicklas Lidstrom or Sidney Crosby, and the curtain will fall on an exciting 2008-09 NHL season. It has been a great Final (with the exception of the 5-0 rut by Detroit in Game 5) featuring some of the best and brightest stars of the hockey world: Crosby, Malkin, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Datsyuk et al.

Some random questions heading into Game 7:

• Will home ice advantage continue to define this series? The home team has won each of the first six games. At home, the Wings have outscored the Pens 11-2. At the Igloo, meanwhile, the Penguins hold a 10-5 edge. My feeling is that the adrenaline, passion and win-or-go-home desperation of a Game 7 trumps home ice advantage, which is a big plus for the Penguins.

• Will Sidney Crosby emerge as a force? Thus far he has been limited to 3 points (1G, 2A) in the series, while being shadowed by the Wings' Henrik Zetterberg. Without a doubt this is the biggest game of his career, and it represents a chance to carve out a legacy at this early stage of his young career.
  

• Speaking of Zetterberg, how amazing is the Wings' depth and team game that they can use him in a checking role? This is a guy who had 92 points two seasons ago, 73 this year and won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season. And Mike Babcock has enough faith in his team to stick Zetterberg on Crosby, and rely on the rest of the team to pick up the offensive slack.

• How will the goaltenders play? As mentioned, both have given up a lot of goals on the road and not many at home, which would suggest an advantage for Chris Osgood. Osgood also the advantage of experience, having already played in 128 playoff games and won three Stanley Cups (two as a starter). Fleury, on the other hand, has played just 48 playoff games (almost half of which have been this post-season) and has only last year's Final loss to draw upon.

• Will the role players decide the outcome? Hitherto unknown Justin Abelkader stepped in and scored two huge goals for the Wings in Games 1 and 2. Tyler Kennedy busted out a two point game, including scoring the game winner, in the Penguins 2-1 Game 6 win. Lesser lights such as Jordan Staal, Dan Cleary, Max Talbot and Darren Helm have all made significant contributions to their teams' success throughout the series. This game may be decided by Crosby, Malkin, Zetterberg, Lidstrom or Datsyuk. But don't be surprised if it's Kris Draper or Matt Cooke who emerges as the hero of the game.

All these questions will be answered in less than 36 hours. I can't wait, it should be an amazing conclusion to the season.

2009 Playoffs: Round Three Predictions

Hmmm. So I might have been wrong about the Blackhawks. And the Hurricanes. Oh well, life goes on - and as a Canucks fan that usually means not having your team in the playoffs at this time of year. Here are my predictions for the Conference Finals:

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6) - Penguins in 7

Ah yes, a classic 4 vs. 6 seed match-up in the Conference Finals. But more importantly it's a Staal vs. Staal series, as brothers Jordan and Eric face each other (anyone remember the Russ vs. Geoff Courtnall/Stars vs. Canucks series in 1994?) Both these teams should scare the bejeezers out of each other. The 'Canes have overcome two great teams, including the conference champion Bruins, and have lived up to their nickename Cardiac 'Canes for their improbable ability to win last-minute or OT games in the clutch. The Pens, meanwhile, are looking like a more mature version of last year's squad that bowed out in the Stanley Cup Final. Sidney Crosby is playing unreal, while Evgeni Malkin is hit-and-miss - but when he's "hit" he is amazing. Marc-Andre Fleury looked shaky at times, but also made huge saves such as this game-changing one early in Game Seven against the Capitals:



I think Pittsburgh is the better team, but Carolina has been proving its critics wrong all playoffs and the Penguins would be very, very wise not to underestimate them like the Devils and Bruins may have been guilty of.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (4) - Red Wings in 6

Who knows how this could play out? The 'Hawks showed a ridiculous resiliancy and ability to come back from deficits against the Canucks and the Flames. But the Red Wings are better and more experienced than either of those Northwest Division squads, and I think the Blackhawks are due for a reality check against a team will be far less likely to stunningly implode than its two earlier opponents. Still... betting against the 'Hawks feels like a risky proposition. But I'm taking the Wings and calling a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Final.

2009 Playoffs: Round Two Predictions

Well the conference semi-finals are underway, and there some brilliant match-ups - most notably, what should be an amazing Pittsburgh-Washington series. So without further ado, here are my picks for the NHL Playoffs' Round Two:

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6) - Bruins in 6

The Bruins manhandled the Canadiens in the opening round, but that isn't saying much given the fact that the Habs were essentially The Titanic on ice this season. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have all the momentum in the world after their spectacular comeback against the Devils in Game 7. However, the 'Canes are not good enough to stand up to this deep and tough Bruins squad, though I think they will steal a couple games. Oh yeah, and if you haven't seen the Game 7 comeback yet then check this out, it is amazing stuff:



Washington Capitals (2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (4) - Penguins in 6

Superstar Ovechkin vs. superstar Crosby. Hart Trophy candidate Ovechkin vs. Hart Trophy candidate Malkin. A Russian rookie between the pipes for the Caps. Two of the most exciting teams in the NHL, each of them with a huge hate-on for the other. This should be an amazing series with all kinds of storylines and subplots. The Caps are a great team, and if Sergei Fedorov continues to play like it's 1994 then they could take it. But I think the Pens will get to Simeon Varlamov and rattle his confidence, and I think they are a deeper and better team. And if you need any more reasons to watch, just think how awesome it will be if Crosby and Ovechkin get in a fight.

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) vs. Anaheim Ducks (8) - Red Wings in 7

Anaheim is a scary opponent (hands up Canucks fans who are stoked not to be playing the Ducks in this series). Just two seasons removed from winning the Cup, and with a roster stocked with the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Pronger, Scott Neidermayer, Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and Bobby Ryan, the Ducks are well-placed to score another upset. However Detroit is still Detroit. They have the deepest roster in the league, a handful of superstars (headlined by Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lidstrom) and are the defending champions. I think the Ducks will give them a good run, but am picking the Wings to prevail.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (4) - Canucks in 5

I am counting on the 'Hawks to win one on home ice, but I do not like their chances in this series. Luongo is on fire, despite allowing three goals last game, and the depth players are stepping up huge for the Canucks. I would like to see the 'Nucks defencemen throw their weight around more against the skilled Blackhawks players, and I expect that we will see Mitchell, Ohlund, Bieksa et al. do just that against Kane and Toews in the coming games. The 'Hawks are a good team, but the Canucks are that much better and more experienced. Sock it to 'em boys!

The Best of the All-Star Weekend

I have to admit, I was strangely interested in the All-Star Weekend this year. I say "strangely" because I can't remember the last time I really watched and had more than a passing interest in either the Skills Competition or the All-Star Game itself. It was probably the 1998 game, which was played in Vancouver and in which then-captain (ugh) Mark Messier scored the winning goal.

Why was this year's event so riveting? I think there are a few reasons. For one thing, it is the centre-piece of the Montreal Canadiens ongoing 100th Anniversary celebrations. No NHL team is as steeped in history as the Habs, no city is as rabid about hockey as Montreal and no organization pulls off large-scale hockey events with style and class as well as the Canadiens.

Secondly, there is an abundance of extremely talented and young players in the NHL right now, led by Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. This year's game also featured youngsters such as Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Thomas Vanek, Jeff Carter, Carey Price and Shea Weber. All these guys are tearing it up right now, and look to be NHL stars for at least the next decade.

Finally, there is the fact that both the Skills Competition and the game were far more interesting than in years past. The NHL has made an effort to make the Skills Competition more fan-friendly, tweaking the breakaway skills challenge and changing the shoot-out to an individual, elimination style event.

The game was its usual high-scoring affair, but players actually seemed to be trying as the game wore on and headed in to overtime - witness the hooking penalty taken by Mike Komisarek to prevent a scoring chance in the extra frame. The shoot-out was exciting, with hometown hero Alex Kovalev and everyone's favourite player Alex Ovechkin scoring to seal the win for the East.

Here is a rundown of my favourite moments from the 2009 All-Star Weekend:

Alex Ovechkin winning the Breakaway Challenge. Just watch the clip, it speaks for itself:



Zdeno Chara in the Hardest Shot Competition. Forget the fact that his shot of 105.4 MPH set a new Skills Competition record, breaking Al Iafrate's record from 1993. Far cooler was the fact that he turned the event into a charity fundraiser. Chara is a huge supporter of Right to Play (as am I!), and last summer climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with the winner of a fundraising auction in support of the charity. At the skills contest he convinced the participants to each chip in $1000, which their clubs matched. The NHL and NHLPA each matched $6000, making a total pot of $24,000 to go towards the winner's charity of choice. On the last shot of the event Chara set his new record, and scored a huge victory for Right to Play:

Montreal Canadiens fans mercilessly booing rival Boston Bruins players throughout the weekend - but having the class to cheer for them when they did something special. I love intense, but respectful, rivalries. The Habs faithful heckled Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard throughout the Skills Competition and All-Star Game. They even gave Blake Wheeler heck during the Young Stars game. Yet the fans applauded, for example, when Chara won the Hardest Shot contest and when Tim Thomas made a great save in overtime of the game. Well done Montreal Canadiens fans.

And finally, Ovechkin again providing a moment of levity. As the Jumbotron showed a couple of girls dancing in the audience, Alex paused to took a look - only to have the camera cut away to show him watching the performance: