How will this Cup series be remembered outside of Detroit

[thegreat66 19]

Will it go down as one of the better Stanley Cup Finals? Do you think the games have been exciting compared to past Stanley Cups? There has been a boring game or 2 but I think for the most part the series has been exceptional.

[thegreat66 19]

Will it go down as one of the better Stanley Cup Finals? Do you think the games have been exciting compared to past Stanley Cups? There has been a boring game or 2 but I think for the most part the series has been exceptional.

Title was supposed to read outside of Detroit and Pittsburgh

[Guest micah]

This has been a very fun Cup final to watch. It won't be a classic, it hasn't been the kind of series that fans of other teams will think of when they here "best SC Finals you remember".

...unless they're very young, of course.

[talex 1]

I am hoping it will be the SCF where the league finally realize that it needs to tighten up on officiating. When you have at least 2 games decided by officials and you have the TV Personalities talking about it during and after every game, it is a black eye on the NHL, how is a new casual fan supposed to vest in a team with shoddy officiating like we have seen in this series? Like the one commentator on NBC said last night, you at the very least let the teams know what the rules for the game will be (he referenced they should have given Babbs a heads up)... I mean how insane is that? A TV Commentatot basically saying the rules are changing game to game....

I am also hoping the series is remembered as the one where #5 got #5.

Gooooooooooooooo Wings!

[hillbillywingsfan 792]

looks like someone is trying to make up for all the s*** trolling posts...wow..when will it ever stop

[KronwallCRUNCH 5]

I think this series will be remembered as a classic. If you take out the agonizing feeling of being a fan of one of these two teams in this series, it's been one of the most entertaining finals in a very long time. Add the fact that the league's darling Sidney Crosby will either win his first cup, or that the Red Wings will most likely get the "dynasty" label, and it will only add to the hype.

[heikks86 21]

i dont know if anyone outside of Pitt and Detroit will remember this series. the same way i dont really remember any of the series the past 10 years that the Wings didnt play in

[dat's sick 1,002]

I think there's been too little OT action and too many games decided by more than 1 goal for it to be a real classic, but it's been a great final.

Fantastic hockey in most games.

Now, if Game 7 would turn into a Triple OT affair or something like that, then the series could be catapulted into classic-status.

But I think it will be a final that is remembered, due to it being a rematch of the previous year, the whole Hossa-thing, Crosby winning the cup for the first time or losing for the 2nd straight year etc.

Lots of storylines. I can't remember many finals in the last decade that seem as memorable as this one.

Edited June 10, 2009 by dat's sick

[Echolalia 2,961]

I think everyone outside of Detroit and Pittsburgh has the Wings and Pens on their s***-list.

[VM1138 1,921]

I can't put my finger on it, but it seems like last year was a bit more entertaining. Sure, this is going 7 games, but it's mostly due to complete and total ineptitude of each team in various games, not because of mind blowing stellar play making them evenly matched.

It's a very good matchup, certainly better than most we've had the past few years, but for the moment I think 2008 was the better final. Unless of course Game 7 is some sort of crazy game. But even if the Wings win (and I hope they do) I think on the outside it'll be overlooked sort of like how '98 is always neglected at the expense of 1997.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

It won't be remembered as much of an upset because the Pens can boast of having two of the most dominant offensive weapons in the game and the perception that M.A. Fleury is better than Osgood.

However, in my mind, it would (ain't gonna happen though) go down as an incredible upset and monumental flop by Detroit.

Look at the lineups?

Sure, they have Malkin and Crosby, top flight offensive weapons.

But we have Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and Hossa, IMO, that is far more high end talent and our guys are harder working, better defensive players.

Defense, are we ******* kidding here? Six time Norris Winner Lidstrom along with Rafs, Kronner, Stuart, an impressive and almost flawless Ericsson. When Brett Lebda is your weakest link, that's not too shabby.

vs

An injured Gonchar, a stay at home stalwhart in Orpik, Scuderi (never ******* heard of him until last year and suddenly he's a defensive God? Letang (Brett Lebda with more offense), Eaton and ******* Hall Gill? Seriously, how could we ever lose to a defense corps like that and not consider it to be a humiliating upset of epic proportions.

Some would argue our depth far exceeds Pitts. I think it exceeds it somewhat but not dramatically. Kunitz, Cooke, Fedotenko, Talbot, Guerin, these are good players. Obviously we have the depth with Flip, Hudler, Homer, Sammy, Cleary, etc....

Up and down the lineups this Red Wings team has better players. The 2nd/3rd line guys on the Wings have arguably more skill than their counterparts. And frankly, I can't even name all 12 forwards for the Pens. Meanwhile we add Darren Helm, who has been one of the best, most impressive players all playoff year and seasoned vets in Maltby and Draper.

A question might linger in goal but not when Osgood plays like he did last night. Unbelievable. He's been great all playoffs.

If we lose, then this is one of the greatest upsets I can recall as a fan.

If we lose I think the finger can be pointed squarely at 3 things.

1. Marian Hossa's complete disappearing act from the scoresheet

2. Tomas Holmstrom's near complete ineffectiveness in the series. He's had some screens but really, where has the touch gone? Where have the tips gone? Which brings me to point 3.

3. Our power play, other than game 5 where the Pens essentially gave up, our PP has been atrocious, trouble getting pucks through (which can explain some of Homer's lack of production), too many blocked attempts.

One thing is for certain, we never seem to understand how to handle a team that is diving and sliding all over the ice blocking shots. It's ridiculous how many times our offense has been stifled over the past years by an underdog team whose players are diving all over to block shots. High shot block totals equal doom for Red Wings winning games.

Why? We have the most patient players in the game. It baffles me that we shoot so many pucks into defending players.

On Friday I hope to see the following:

1. Faster release or move around shot blockers. If you are going to cradle it, you cannot then slap it into a diving Pen. You have to get off a quick wrist/snap shot or fake the defender out of position. If the Pens block another 15-20 or however fricken many they block, we'll be in trouble.

2. Simpler PP. Too many passes, not enough pucks getting through to the net. Brian Rafalski might be the best I have ever seen at wristing it through to the net. Lids and Sammy and Kronner should take note (if there are PP's that is).

3. Some offense out of Marian Hossa. He has got to get on the board. He hasn't played poorly on the defensive end and he has worked his tail off on the back check. But lets get real. He's a sniper, a goal scorer and without Datsyuk and Holmstrom getting goals, without Franzen, Hudler, Sammy and Clearly scoring alot of late, we can't just rely on Z to put every puck in the net. Hossa and/or Homer needs a goal.

Rant over. My apologies to all who took the time to wade through that.

[Snazzy 0]

I will remember this Cup series to be tainted and I will have a sense of feeling that NHL staged it to push it to 7 games. I honestly feel sick by the officiating.

[thegreat66 19]

I think everyone outside of Detroit and Pittsburgh has the Wings and Pens on their s***-list.

Interesting. Why do you say that?

[T.Low 1,011]

In Vancouver the sports radio guys are loving the series. They love that there are so many story lines, so many stars, and so much end to end, and high skill displays. They know about Dats and Zetterberg but are still blown away by their skill levels and two way play. They all agree that both teams are lethal but are somewhat split on who they think will win, most seeming to go with Detroit.

I agree with them and have to think that the hockey fan world has to be happy with this series.

Yes, instead of each home team being ramped up against a more lackluster visiting team I would have liked to see both teams totally ramped every game...but they are the pros and I am not. There is more to it than meets the eye.

And people forget that while your gnipping, he's gnopping, meaning that there are two teams on the ice fighting for every puck. While Hossa is trying to get some room to operate there are two or three highly skilled multi million dollar NHL championship caliber hockey players trying to take away that room and knock him off the puck.

I've really enjoyed the series. I was hoping the WIngs would be able to Hoist at the Jow this year: its so much more exciting at home...but anything can happen in Game 7's.

Go Wings.

Edited June 10, 2009 by T.Low

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

justice will be served to the wings when they beat the pens in game 7. once the nhl gets their s*** together as far as what is and isn't a penalty, then there will be better series' in the future. i think this series will be a benchmark as to what the league has to look at for their next officiating review. what is an interference penalty?

no i do not think this series will be remembered as one of the greats due to the inconsistincies in the game. furthermore, when/if there is a dvd released for this series, there will be way too much bettman in it and it will ruin the overall product. at some point of every game the commentary mentions him and the coyotes bulls***. that's what will be remembered in this years playoffs more than the outcome is bettmans public cry during the SCF to grab supporters for his deep south hockey revival.

not even top 10.

2002 on the other hand, with yzerman taking it home on one leg, beautiful!

[ben_usmc 253]

regardless of the outcome, I would say the best series this playoffs was the Ducks/Wings

[OsGOD 3]

if the pens win... this will series will be shoved down the throats of all hockey walks of life as the BEST OUTCOME in the history of the sport... Cindy Won and Maide Marian Lost

I can see the NHL getting their ads ready right now

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

This will be the best series ever, depending on who wins it though.

[Selke13 0]

NOT A CLASSIC

too many of the games are lopsided in score

as well as both teams only playing 110% about 75% of the time

Edited June 10, 2009 by Selke13

[C-TownWing 0]

I'll be honest, I don't think it'll be remembered all that fondly. And this isn't an officiating rant either, I'm freaking sick of those.

1. It's lacked that signature game. Last night was the first one-goal game of the whole series, as crazy as that is with two great teams going at it. Last year, every game except 1 and 2 was decided by 1 goal if I'm not mistaken. Game 7 may turn out to be that game, but who knows? Series do generally end up getting defined by the clinching game, so in that sense, 2009 still has a blank slate.

2. Everyone outside of Wings and Pens fans hates the Wings and Pens. If we're being brutally honest about things, most fans of other teams are rooting for a black hole to suck both teams into oblivion on Friday.

3. There's no underdog to get attached to, no unusual contending team on the verge of winning its first Cup. Even on the player side, nobody doubts that the Pens' big guns will get one at some point so they don't count, and Hossa hasn't endeared himself to, well, anyone at this point. There's no Ray Bourque story, nor is there a 2003 Ducks/2004 Flames hardworking surprise team.

I think hardcore hockey fans do appreciate the level of skill on display for both sides, and that all games except 4 and 5 have been tight, even if they were decided by more than one goal. But I also think that these three things might prevent it from being one of those series that people still talk about in 20 years.

[T.Low 1,011]

No matter what opinions people hold of the Wings and Crosby/Malkin, everyone respects them. Everyone whose team is not playing right now is saying "Why can't our team be more like Detroit" or "How did Pittsburgh end up with Crosby and Malkin, why couldn't our team end up with them?".

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I really have no idea. Friday is going to be the biggest game of my life, I know that for sure.

[OsGOD 3]

Everyone whose team is not playing right now is saying "Why can't our team be more like Detroit" or "How did Pittsburgh end up with Crosby and Malkin, why couldn't our team end up with them?".

isn't that cut and dry?

Detroit: Ownership and Scouts picking diamonds in the rough

Pittsburgh: Sucking for several years to get the #1 draft picks

personally i would rather build a franchise on the Detroit side rather than the Pittsburgh side (unless your team is sucking... you just have to suck worse and be lucky in the draft)

[wingoneforthegipper 0]

Interesting. Why do you say that?

Don’t want to assume to know what he was thinking… but

Typically people hate very successful teams (Wings)

And hate over hyped pretty boys (Crosby)

So most non Wings or Pens fans hate both teams and don’t want either team to win.