Sens Ready to Rumble

They have been resting for quite a while now, too long some might say, favouring the Anaheim Ducks, but the juggernaut that is the Ottawa Senators will surely be ready to keep rolling. So far they have rolled past Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo, all in five games. Chances are they will give the Ducks the same treatment. Anaheim was dominated by the Red Wings in the conference final but managed to squeeze by to reach their second final in four years.

It's always hard to perdict a final but Senators in five seems like a possibility.

Ducks off to the Final

In the end the Anaheim Ducks proved to mighty for the Red Wings. Detroit out shot them by 16-3 in the third period, but never got closer than 4-3. Jean-Sebastien Giguere won the goalie fight against Hasek, who was great early on in the series, but lost his edge at the end, and I bet he's smiling when thinking about giving the Senators a good run for their money in the final.

Crunchtime at the Pond

Just like in 2002, while playing Colorado, the Detroit Red Wings find them selves down 3-2 heading in to Game 6. Can they get out of it once again?
As long as the Wings are confident they are the better team, which the last three games have proved, and just keep bringing a heavy offence on the Ducks they should win. Hasek and Lidstrom, who played 40 minutes in Game 5, are keys, just like Holmstrom who needs to bring his best when it's needed the most. Also, Lang, Bertuzzi and Cleary need give good offensive support to the first line, who will have Niedermayer and Pronger on their backs. They need to do like Franzen and shoot a lot because I have a feeling the pressure of Game 6 is not going to bother a guy like Giguere too much.

Poor effort by Wings, Giguere heroic

The Anaheim Ducks are just one game away from their second Stanley Cup final. The Wings took three penalties in a row in first period, saved only by the Duck's inabillity to score, then dominated the second period, but then gave the game away to a not so impressive Anaheim Ducks. If not for Giguere, who had 36 saves, the Wings would have won this comfordably by three or four goals.

What was really disapointing about Detroit was how they played the last minute of regulation. No team, especially one about to win Game 5, should never ever give up a goal with less than a minute to go. You play like life depends on it, block shots, push people away, and you do what it takes to prevent anyone from taking a shot. If you don't, you don't deserve to win.

Sweden vs Canada

The Ottawa Senators are in their first Stanley Cup final since returning to the NHL in 1992. Since they are favourits, regardless who they face in the final, Daniel Alfredsson could be the first Swedish (and the first non-North American ever) captain to hoist the cup. What is really interesting about this years play-off is that Nicklas Lidstrom is giving him a race for his money. Odds are that a Swedish captain will hoist the cup, as Scott Niedermayer is the only Canadian left. Only once in 112 years has a non-Canadian, Michigan born Derian Hatcher for the Dallas Stars in 1999, recieved the cup. Times are a changing..

Homer Rises to Beat Ducks

Who expected the Detroit Red Wings to win by a near blow out in Game 3? Not that many I think. To be honest, I thought the Ducks would win quite comfordably in Game 3 but then drop Game 4 to a more desperate Red Wings. This of course takes some pressure off the Wings heading into Game 4.

The cheap hit by Niedermayer (I'm not surprised) and Pronger on Tomas Holmstrom says it all of just how desperately they need to stop him. Of course it didn't though, as Holmstrom, who scored two goals before the hit, was stiched up and then returned to assist on another goal.

I think the Ottawa Senators will finish of Buffalo tonight, and then get much welcomed rest before the final.

A sweep out east?

What looked like it would be a really tight series between the two best team in the east is now just one game away from a sweep by the Ottawa Senators. The Buffalo Sabres are down 3-0 going into Game 4 at Ottawa and it doesn't look good. If it weighed too heavily on them being favourits I'm not so sure, but the well oiled machine, that is the Senators, really have them pinned down as Alfredsson continues to lead the way for his juggernaut of a team. Red Wings or Ducks, look out for Ottawa in the final! They aren't playing around this time.