Final Thoughts on the Stanley Cup Finals
by Bob Wage on Jun 15, 2009 2:30 AM EDT
12 comments
Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans. May they enjoy the summer, party like there is no tomorrow, and fall flat on their faces next season. Seriously, that was a major accomplishment, beating a previously dominant Detroit team on their home ice. What was it about visiting teams winning game 7's this postseason?
Not surprisingly, Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe, and deservedly so. Although to see the immature Russian handle it so casually and almost drop it on the ice was probably enough to make Constantine Smythe roll over in his grave.
Kudos to former Hurricane Craig Adams. Out of all the champs to have their names on the Cup in 2006, who would have bet that Adams would be the first to repeat?
Nice to see Jordan Staal so happy after the game. That kid has really developed into a fine, two-way player. One can see a lot of his older brother in him when he is behind the net, keeping the puck away from the opposition with his long reach.
It was funny that Marian Hossa picked the wrong team to "help" to win the Cup. Better luck next time Marian.
There has been quite a bit of hoopla about Sidney Crosby not shaking the hand of Nicklas Lidstrom in the handshake line after the game. Apparently, the timing was a bit off as Lidstrom had left for the locker room before Crosby made his way through the line.
Personally, I blame the media. Can't they wait a few minutes and do the post game interviews after the players have a chance to celebrate and shake hands? Crosby was doing interviews already, which took him away from the line, initially. Then Pierre McGuire was interviewing Maxime Talbot as the players were gathering for the team picture. Hello? Is this the first time McGuire has seen a game 7? He doesn't know the routine by now? Fortunately, Talbot noticed what was going on and begged out of the interview so he could join his teammates.
Speaking of skipping handshake lines, have the Red Wings forgotten about one of their own? Chris Chelios has intentionally skipped them before.
Perhaps it's just me, but it seems like the officials are allowing more and more obstruction these days. Hopefully, the game doesn't revert to the way it was before the lockout.
The NHL league office will be popping champagne corks all summer as well. Not only did the Finals get record ratings, but they get to market Sid Crosby even more so than they have already been marketing him. Get ready to watch NBC, (the nothing but Crosby network) be even more out of whack next season, if that is possible. Gary Bettman could not have written a better script if he wanted to.
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Up Pittsburgh!!
Yuck. That is all we need, more Pittsburgh crap. Now we are going to have to listen to this for a whole %$#^&* year. The Whaler board that I frequent is all happy about the Pens winning. Why? Well they are mostly bandwagon jumping losers.
So a bunch of diving, crybaby, cheap shot artists won the Cup. You and your spoiled fans can go choke on it.
This.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 15, 2009 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Walker was in a fight. A fight in which he didn't even throw the first blow.
That’s lot different than a guy (or in this case, guys)taking liberties after a whistle or in play when his team was getting its ass kicked.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 15, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
bettman
at least bettman got booed so much you couldnt even hear him, hopefully that opens his eyes to how bad he is running this league
Yeah.
Because everybody who has ever been booed has been terrible at their job.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jun 15, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I disagree with you about the handshake flap.
Just as Talbot did, Crosby could have declined the interview for the moment to allow the handshake line to be his priority. Clearly, it wasn’t, which is pretty sad for a player chosen to represent his team as its captain.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
I take issue with the claim that Hossa chose the wrong team. It didn’t work out quite the way he had hoped, but he got himself to within one win of the cup. When you consider that the Pens were in 10th in February, I think it’s quite clear that Hossa knew something was fundamentally off in Pittsburgh. The coaching change worked wonders for the team, but there is no way that Hossa could have seen that coming 8 months in advance! As well, if Hossa had stayed in Pittsburgh, who’s to say that the Pens are not in 8th place in February and there is no coaching change at all?
by CarolinaCanuck on Jun 15, 2009 10:44 AM EDT reply actions
so the team didn’t do a press release… but they did give Mo a 3-year-deal….
now… GO SIGN ROSIE!!!!!
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Jun 15, 2009 10:52 AM EDT reply actions
Really good post Bubba.
I don’t think Jordan will ever be as much of a scoring force as his older brother but he is a much better player than I thought he was. He was on the ice against the opposing team’s top line in all of their series and I wish there was a way we could get him.
I didn’t notice the trophy mishap you mentioned about Malkin but I do feel that certain young Russian players don’t have as much of a healthy respect for the game as others do…cough..Ovie.. cough Malkin can be a bit of a dirty player at times after the whistle, much like many other Russians I have witnessed in the past.
I don’t think you can really blame the media for Crosby’s mistake. It’s their job to get a prime interview for their viewers and it was Crosby’s job as a captain to excuse himself from the interview and participate in the handshake. He could resume the interview after he was done. I mean you said yourself that Maxim Talbot was able to do that so he could be in the team photo. Don’t you believe the handshake tradition is just as if not more so important? Especially for a captain? I think Brind’amour would agree with me.
You’re right on about the refs letting WAY too much go during the playoffs. I understand that they don’t want to decide the series, but the NHL has to be careful not to revert back to the pre-lockout scoring drout. Even during the regular season I thought more holding and interferences should have been called. The NHL should nip this in the bud unless they want to sabatoge the viewership upswing that they have right now.
I’m really glad for the NHL and the sport of hockey about the good ratings. I hope it becomes a more widely watched and talked about sport in the USA. I do fear that you’re right about the Nothing But Crosby network though. And to think I thought the market couldn’t possibly be more saturated with him.
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