Goods & Bads

With the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs almost wrapped up, Washington and Montreal have a decisive Game 7 left to play, here are some goods and bads of the post season so far.

Good - Detroit played as close to a perfect game as possible in Game 7 against Phoenix. They scored on their power plays and they killed all of the Coyotes' man advantage situations. And, to use a real cliché, their best players were their best players.

Bad - Washington will be without defenseman Tom Poti, who suffered a fratured orbital bone after getting a puck in the face. Tough break for the Caps.

Good - Marc Savard is healty and has been cleared to play in the second round. Although Boston finally found some scoring against the Sabres, Savard will be a most welcomed addition.

Bad - The New Jersey Devils. I really thought the Devils would go far in the playoffs this year, and I am sure they did too. But many of their best players did not show up for the first round and the Flyers took advantage of that, handing in four solid wins in five games.

Good - Brian Boucher. After a rollercoaster decade he is finally back playing for the team that once drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers. He was fantastic against the Devils and he leads all goalies in save percentage and GAA.

Finally I have to get back to last night's game and say, I really like Dave Tippet. Besides being a really nice guy he is also honest. At the post game press conference he did not shy away from admitting they had been thumped by a team that, at crunch time, had stepped its game up to a level the Coyotes could not reach. I also liked it when he called the Red Wing-duo, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk the "Two-Headed Monster". Classic!

Final Round

Henrik Sedin did what he could against the Calgary Flames. His teammates also did what they could to get the puck to him all night. Henrik played around five minutes more then usual and ended up with four assists. Brother Daniel also had a four-point night. He scored three goals, of which the last one was a sick stick-between-the-legs stunt. So Henrik Sedin leads the point race with his franschise-record 112 points. Now all he can do is wait and see what Alexander Ovechkin can do in his last game. The Russian sits three points behind in the hunt for the Art Ross.

In Philadelphia it all comes down to what feels like a Game 7 between the Flyers and the New York Rangers. One game. The winner is in the playoffs, the loser is out. It's a tough one. The Blueshirts looked good in the last game against the Flyers and the are 7-2-1 in their last ten and winners in the last two. Philadelphia, eventhough they are playing at home, are just 3-6-1 in their last ten. I will go with the Rangers.

Detroit are in a good spot right now. Currently in fifth place in the Western Conference, they will face the fourth-placed Phoenix Coyotes in the first round. Not that Phoenix is in any way a bad team, they have had a fantastic season, but I don't think they were hoping to get the Wings in the first round. Actually, I doubt any team were hoping to get Detroit. Well, it all comes down to the last game. The Red Wings need to win their last game, away against Chicago. If they lose and Los Angeles beat Colorado away, the Wings will instead face Vancouver in the first round.

Wow, there is so much at stake in this final round of the season. Just the way it should be.

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Surging Wings short on goals

I just realized I had not written anything all season, so here it goes.

With less than ten games left of the regular season, things are finally looking a little better for the Detroit Red Wings. They are 8-1-1 in their last ten games have been victorious in three straight. Still, I can't help but think of the scoring depth they lost compared to last season and how they will cope with that in the playoffs.

The Wings have a +5 scoring differential, which is extremely low for them. Also, they have scored only 200 goals. Every team ahead of them in the Western conference has scored more. Nashville has 7 more goals, Colorado 20, Los Angeles 14. Phoneix has just one more goal than the Red Wings, but they sit on a pretty good +20 goal diff. Vancouver has scored 42 more goals (the difference being Mikael Samuelsson who the Wings lost to the Canucks. San Jose and Chicago have each 36 more goals than Detroit. Overall scoring among the top eight teams is higher in the west, but of course the Washington Capitals stand out in the east, outscoring the Red Wings by 87 goals and a +81.

Just something to think about.

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See You Later, Joe

One of the all-time greats is calling it quits. After 20 seasons in the NHL, all with one franchise, Joe Sakic has decided to hang up his skates. Throughout his fantastic career, the Colorado captain, known for his leathal wrist shot and smooth passing, won two Stanley Cups with Colorado and recieved the Hart Trophy in 2001.

Sakic retires as number eight in scoring. He is one of only seven players with both 600 goals and 1,000 assists (1,640)

The Vancouver native is considered one of the greatest leaders in NHL history. He was a gentleman, both on and off the ice and he will be greatly missed.

The game won't be the same without you, Joe.

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Bitter Wings and Disrespecting Penguins

Despite being up 2-0 and 3-2, the Detroit Red Wings couldn't finish off the Pittsburgh Penguins. Just like they did against the Washington Capitals, the Pens came back to win the series after being down 2-0.

No one is debating the fact that the Pittsburgh Penguins are the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions, however, there has been a lot of talk about Sidney Crosby being disrespectful and of the Wings being sore losers.

Here is what I think.

Sidney Crosby gets away with a lot of stuff simply because he is young and inexperienced and most people seem to think he deserves to be protected like he's the new Wayne Gretzky. Don't get me wrong, I think Crosby is a great hockey player and he has a lot in common with the Great One, not just the fact that they both wine a lot. But as a captain he has a lot to learn.

Those who call the Detroit players sore losers fail to recognize that there is such a thing as a bad winner. Treating your opponent with respect comes with the title and Crosby failed to do that. At 22, he should have watched enough cup finals to know that you always shake hands with the losing team before you start doing interviews and going nuts celebrating. That is just how it's done, and noty just in hockey but in most other sports as well. There are no special circumstances because you're Sidney Crosby.

Another question that has been raised after Detroit's loss in Game 7, is whether the Red Wing dynasty is over because of it. Why would it be?

Not only was Detroit the first reigning champion to get past the first round of the playoffs in years, but they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and Game 7. Except the fact that Nicklas Lidstrom has one more year left on his contract, they have players like Zetterberg, Franzen, Datsyuk, Kronwall, Filppula, Helm, Ericsson who will be around a lot longer, making the Wings a contender for years to come. And even after that, there are new players ready to take their place. Detroit does not rely on one or two stars, but on the organization's ability to mold players to fit their system. Old players show new players how defense comes first and back checking hard is a must or you're gone. I honestly think both Datsyuk and Zetterberg would have been different players on any other team. They would have been great, but perhaps not the two best two-way players in the league.

Last but not least, I would like to say that I think Marc-Andre Fleury should have been awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. In the end, he made the difference.

So, congrats Penguins! I can't wait for October to come around.

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Wheels Come Off Penguins

Still think Sidney Crosby is the best player in the world? Give me a break! The kid and his superstar side-kick are being schooled out there by the best.

The Red Wings are defending champions for a reason and they have the strength, depth and experience to win when it matters the most. Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have a lot to learn, and you'd think they would have by now. No they have not. The two "superstars" acted like upset and frustrated babies. Whenever things go against Malkin, he loses his head and starts acting stupid. He thinks he is some how inspiring his teammates by elbowing John Franzen, when all he is really doing is showing his lack of mental toughness.

I can understand how frustrating it must be for Sidney Crosby to always (and by always I really mean all the time) have Henrik Zetterberg in his face, constantly tearing his game to shreads. But seriously, if this is the best player in the world, he certainly isn't showing it in these finals.

Throughout the series, Crosby has been totally anihilated by Zetterberg. To be called the best in the world, in my book, you have to be a great two-way player, like Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Crosby is no way near those two, neither is Malkin, and it is made painfully clear in these finals.

The Penguins came out really strong early in the first period, only to totally lose it after going down 0-1 on a Detroit break-away orchestrated by the returning Pavel Datsyuk.

After that, the Pens were done. The defleated completely after one goal! In a post-game interview, the Penguin's captain said they had not played their best yada, yada... why didn't they try their very best in a Game 5 of a Stanley Cup Final? Beats me.

By the way, anyone still doubting the ability of Chris Osgood? No? Didn't think so.

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Best When It Counts

It is very familiar. Two games into the Stanley Cup Final, it's Red Wings two Pittsburgh zip. Clearly, the Penguins have finally found their match. Again. 

Henrik Zetterberg is proving how good he is when it really matters. The thicker his beard grows, the more he elevates his game. and by now, he is really amped up. Like the Anaheim Ducks, the Penguins have no answer for Hank's line that has shut down Sid the Kid. Who cares about the Art Ross Trophy?

Also, the Red Wings are getting goals from their ever so impressive supporting cast. Just like in Game 1, Justin Abdelkader provided that important 3-1 goal that sealed the win again for the red machine. And who would have guessed that Jonathan Ericsson completely shut down Evgeni Malkin? Boy, are the Red Wings glad they have the big Swede. As hard as it it may be to picture Detroit without Niclas Lidstrom, he won't be around forever. 

I have to admit, before this series started, I had some doubt about the Red Wings beating the Penguins. Just like last year, the Pens looked so good. They were so solid. And just like last year, I feel a little stupid when realizing just how good this Detroit team is. Marc-André Fleury was great last night and he kept his team in the game until Abdelkader's goal, but they still couldn't find a way to outsmart, outmuscle or outplay the Wings. 

I won't be surprised if Pittsburgh finds a way to beat Detroit once the series returns to Pennsylvania. I will be surprised if the Wings don't steal serve from the Pens and heads back to the Motor City with a 3-1 lead.