Def Leppard's Joe Elliot explains his Cup mishap

Saw this at Puck Daddy's joint, of course:

Joe Elliot should not have cleared the air on the Def Leppard website about why he put the Cup upside down on the table on stage during the regular season opening night concert.

"I will, as always, take full responsibility for what happened because I have big pucks. However, someone at the NHL should have known better and informed me first instead of keeping the Stanley Cup under lock and key until the last minute. The practice run the day before with a coffeemaker went swimmingly because it, like every other sporting cup I've ever seen, was wider at the top than the base. Ironic isn't it that after that night's gig, a NHL insider told me that long ago the Stanley Cup was also designed to be put down that way!!!
Like most of my fellow Brits, I'd never seen it before until it was handed to me sideways by which time I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Whoops……"

Wow Joe. You really cleared the air on that. I totally believe you. Now, don't you have another shit glam song to write? Piss off!
(Actually, I liked Hysteria.)
On the flipped side of the issue...who really gives a shit if he put it upside down? It's just a moment of mockery for Elliot and that's about it. If Hayden Panettiere can hump it and lick it, then Elliot can put it upside down. Both can be looked at as insults to our Lord God Stanley. It's just that one is hotter than the other.

T Tags: Joe+Elliot+Stanley+Cup+explanation Def+Leppard NHL

NHL 09 simulation has the Stars winning the Stanley Cup

Sure, this is a pathetic thing to post. But strangely enough, I think the Stars are going to win it this year as well. I'm not on that Wings repeat bandwagon.
Watch what Richards does after a full year in Dallas. Mike Modano is more possessed than he has been in years. Anyway, for the simulation:
-No trades
-No injuries
-No Sundin
-No Forsberg
-No Shanahan

Canucks finished in 8th spot but lost to the Sharks in Round 1.
The Stars defeated the Penguins in 5 games in the Finals. Satan, the Lord of all things evil actually put up a bunch of points during the season and the playoffs. But it was Brendan Morrow who won the playoff scoring race and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

-I'm not posting personal predictions until late September.

Oh, and NHL 09's "Be a Pro" mode is damned cool, but it has its issues. I was getting demoted in Manitoba and told by the coach that I was just "going through the motions". So I was delegated to 3rd line duty. Only thing is, I was leading the team and the AHL in scoring. Lame. However, with 2 weeks left in the season, the Canucks called me up to play on their 3rd line. I excelled there and was eventually promoted to top line center with Demitra and Dan Sedin. The Nucks went right to the Finals and Dank won the Conn Smythe. Good times.
Any of you own NHL 09 yet? It still blows my mind how good it is.

That's enough useless info for you. Then again, there isn't much going on in the NHL right now anyway. However:

- Glen Sather may be giving Mats Sundin a deadline to make up his mind. That could be this Tuesday, according to one NY reporter. Look for Shanahan to be re-signed this week. Sundin ain't doing or saying squat.

-Hayley Wickenheiser is complaining that she has to wear a visor playing in Sweden. The guys don't have to, so why does she? I guess there are some stinky rules in Sweden about females in hockey. Apparently she didn't have to wear one playing in Finland. Run that article through a translator. Just once I'd like to watch her play with the guys in Europe. I hope nobody is going easy on her. Not to be cruel, but she is playing in a men's league after all.

T Tags: NHL 09 +Simulation Stars+win+Stanley+Cup Rangers+give+Mats Sundin+deadline Hayley+Wickenheiser+Sweden+visor

Chelios brings Stanley Cup to Wrigley Field and makes a controversial statements

This past Friday, Chelios reportedly sounded "pretty darned good" singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at the Cubs game, but when given the honor of throwing the first pitch, he threw it high over guest catcher Eddie Vedder. He was given a second chance and threw that pitch a little high as well. However, Vedder reached high and least caught that one. The crowd gave Chelios a "rousing" ovation when he was introduced. He even had the Cup beside him on the pitcher's mound.
But that isn't the really big news of the day of Chelios in Chicago. What Chelios said after the ball game (a lopsided loss by the Cubs by the way) is what is somewhat controversial.

"I know I bring it (Stanley) with the wrong team, but at least I brought it home."

"You don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I've found a new home with Detroit, but Chicago is always going to be home and my parents are here," he said. "I intend on coming back here someday and living the rest of my days whether it's as a player or just somehow maybe involved with the Blackhawks."

Well, Chelios is 46 now, the oldest person to win the Stanley Cup, and reportedly already has a verbal deal in place with the Red Wings that just has not been announced by Wings' GM Ken Holland yet. His agent has confirmed that. The former Hawk had great things to say about the current Blackhawks team.

"They've made all the right moves," said Chelios. "They've got a great young nucleus with this team and the management, with what they've done is just tremendous for the fans.
It's been a long time coming since you felt that buzz. I can't say I wish I was a part of it right now because I'm a Red Wing, but it's great to see the fans excited about Blackhawks hockey."

So, as careful as Chelios may have sounded, he just couldn't avoid some Blackhawks and even Sox/Cubs fans' backlash by bringing Lord Stanley to a city that is the enemy of his current team Detroit. Examples:

- This writer from the Chicago Sun Times suggested that Chelios may have brought bad karma with him, as both the Sox and Cubs lost their games. Funny, but I don't believe in Karma.

-Fan Backlash #1: ...just remember the nasty,deliberate, try and knock him out hit he made last season against the Hawks' Kane.
He lost me there, he should have been booed Friday by any hawks fans attending fridays game at wrigley.

-Backlash #2: Class is Hull, Makita and Esposito not a cheap shot artist like Chelios, i remember his first game back after the trade when he was booed off the ice, the same thing should have happened at Wrigley. Hopefully he will never be associated with the Hawks again in any capacity.

-Backlash #3: He could take it to schools to friends, but to use it as a Chelios congratulatory party at Wrigley showed chelios doesn't care about us..he cares that chelios is still in the limelight. He didn't cause the Cup drought but he doesn't feel our pain either.
I tried to hear Detroit sucks in the background, but didn't. You don't know how much I wished that I could have be at Wrigley because HE WOULD HAVE HEARD ME yelling DETROIT SUCKS!

-Backlash #4: CC can stick the Cup where the sun don't shine. He wants to come back to Chicago? Yeah when he's in his 60's...The Hawks can use him like they're using Hull,Makita and Espo...I don't care what he's done he's a fricken Red Wing...

The above comments are from the Daily Herald.

I can understand the bitterness of the fans. They have endured so much shit over the past decade or so. When Wirtz Sr. traded Chicago-born Chelios to the Wings in 1999 in exchange for Anders fricking Eriksson and 2 first round picks (one turned out to be Sandy McCarthy), it was just another added blow. Two years earlier he had traded Ed Belfour to the Sharks for Chris Terreri, Ulf Dahlen and Michal suck Sykora.
The previous year, he traded the man Jeremy Roenick to Phoenix for Alexei Zhamnov, Craig Mills and a 1st round pick: Ty "who?" Jones.
Years of mediocrity ensued. But to trade the great Chelios to the enemy was a serious blow.
And that creates hate. Long-lasting hate. Especially when he has success with the enemy.
As an outsider, I would think that Chelios' presence on the Hawks' young team would be welcomed. He can still play. But this scenario is becoming more and more unlikely. Chelios looks to finish his playing years with the rival Wings and it will take years for some fans to get over the 'hate' part. That's what's beautiful about hockey and sport. Rivalries are awesome! You can be a star and saviour for your team for years, but damn you if you ever choose or are successful with an enemy team!
Personally, I know Chelios is easily hated on the ice. But I was a major fan of his especially when he played for Chicago. But I didn't like him going to the Wings either. I hate Detroit!
Regardless, here are some great Chelios memories from his days in Chicago (plus a few others):

CheliTube

-Ooo. Caught on tape, Chelios says to a host of a show that he would NEVER play for Detroit.

-Chelios fights Recchi in 1996.

- Chelios fights Glen Anderson (?). Never seen Anderson fight before. Looked like a boxer here. Landed nothing though.

- Chelios, with the Red Wings, had 4 assists against Vancouver this night. Watch him gloat to the fans in GM Place when he was given #1 star of the game. Sorry Nucks fans, but that was pretty funny.

-Chelios as a Hab destroys Brian Propp with a viscious elbow. Dirty, Cheli.

-Ron Hextall can't contain his anger anymore and attacks Chelios in an act of revenge for the Propp hit.

Images from the Chicago Tribune.

T Tags: Chris+Chelios+Wrigley+Field Stanley+Cup Chicago 2008 first+pitch

Stanley in Love

Uh......

This image is from last year I believe. Anyone know where it was taken?

T Tags: Stanley+Cup Drunk chick

PS3 has Canucks winning Cup

See? It's not just me.

Sundin to retire? Oh well, my PS3 simulation has the Canucks winning the Cup without him

Sundin could retire, reports his agent JP Barry to TSN.

Barry says Sundin is still strongly considering hanging up the skates for good.
"The longer it takes, who knows? He is deciding whether its time to retire or not," Barry told TSN.

Sundin has told the press in May that he was considering retiring to married life, and this seems to more and more be the case. Imagine being that rich and then being engaged for the first time(?) and you're 37 fricking years old! That will suck the life out of ya! Ok, so that's harsh. But the lack of motivation is pretty apparent though, is it not?
Enough of that....

The day after a serious party, I often find myself immobilized and playing my Playstation 3. So yesterday I had enough free time to re-arrange all of the rosters on my NHL 08 game to match the current team rosters. (Yeah, that took time.) No Sundin on any roster. No Forsberg, Jagr, Sakic, etc playing in the NHL. I then chose the Dynasty Mode and picked the Canucks as my team and simulated a whole season plus playoffs. Not only did the Canucks win the West, they won the Stanley Cup...over Ottawa.
Horse shit, I thought. The PS3 is being biased because the Canucks were my default team. So I try again, and this time pick the lowly Florida Panthers as my default team. "Now I'll get something a little more 'realistic'" I thought to myself.
Well, here's what happened:

Western Conference

1. Canucks - 120 points
2. Ducks - 109 points
3. Blackhawks - 102 points (I created Toews and Kane months ago)
4. Flames - 92 points
5. Red Wings - 90 points

Canucks leaders in goals

1. Dank Sedin - 33
2. Taylor Pyatt - 28
3. Pavol Demitra - 26

Assists

1. Daniel Sedin - 52
2. Henrik Sedin - 51 (missed 10 games to injury)
3. Mason Raymond / Kyle Wellwood - 44

Points

1. Dank Sedin - 85
2. Henrik Sedin - 72
3. Mason Raymond - 67
4. Taylor Pyatt - 65
5. Kyle Wellwood - 63
Demitra was 10th on the team with 45 points and yes, missed 14 games to injury)

After simulating the playoffs:

- The Canucks beat the Sharks in 6 games
- They beat the Flames in 5 games
- They beat the Blackhawks in 7 games in the semi-finals
- They killed the Flyers in 5 games to win the Stanley Cup again!

Who stepped it up in the playoffs?

Goals

1. Daniel Sedin - 15
2. Mason Raymond - 11
3. Matt Pettinger / Kyle Wellwood - 10

Assists

1. Sami "glass" Salo - 20
2. Mattias Ohlund / Alex Edler - 15
3. Raymond / Pyatt - 14

Points

1. Daniel Sedin - 28 points
2. Raymond - 25
3. Wellwood / Pyatt- 23
4. Salo - 22
5. Henrik Sedin - 20
Demitra was further down the list with 16 points. Not so stellar, Pavol.

EA Sports could be somewhat BC-biased (hello Burnaby!) but remember, before the playoffs started last April, the simulation had the Sharks winning the Cup.

Isn't it great living in a fantasy world sometimes? Happy frickin' BC Day!

Other things I noticed in the stats:

- Naslund thrived in New York but didn't break 100 points.
- Bertuzzi thrived with Iginla and both had over 100 points. They were both in the top 5 of league scoring. Nuts I say!
- Mason Raymond really stepped it up the whole season, as the stats show.
- As did Pyatt and Jason Jaffray. Steve Bernier has a low rating in NHL 08 and didn't get as many points playing on the 4th line.

T Tags: Playstation 3+simulation Canucks+win+Stanley+Cup Mats+Sundin+may+retire

Poor Lord Stanley...he always gets shit and abuse

From the Detroit Free Press:

Wings forward Kris Draper revealed during the weekend that his diaperless baby, Kamryn, did a number on the Cup last month. A number two, to be exact.

"A week after we won it, I had my newborn daughter in there, and she pooped in the Cup," Draper said. "That was something. We had a pretty good laugh.

"I still drank out of it that night, so no worries."

No worries huh? Sounds like Draper was born and raised on a farm. Hope he trusts the person who cleaned the bowl out.


T Tags: Kris+Draper+daughter+shits+in+Stanley+Cup

Stanley Cup maybe dented at Cheli's Chili Bar?

Who cares? It gets smacked around every year, especially when boozing and partying is involved. From the Detroit Free Press:

The rumor was Brett Lebda accidently dropped it. "I don't know what you're talking about," Lebda said. "I didn't drop it. That's a bad rumor going around."
Asked about the rumor, Chris Chelios said: "I'm not saying nothing. I looked at the Cup today -- there's no dings in it. There's nothing wrong with it. So it's a rumor. A bad rumor."

Word is that the boys banged the dent back out again.
Why all the denial though? If I dented it, I'd be proud to admit it! Go down in history for it. But it seems that throughout history, denial on "who did it" is common practice.
These stories surface every year. So, without further to do, it's time for links to Lord Stanley's trials and tribulations.

- A dent could be seen in the Cup last year, as Teemu Selanne hoisted it at the party at the Honda Center during the Ducks' celebration.

- Video: Chris Chelios brings the Cup to his joint, Cheli's Chili Bar.

- Video: Chris Osgood lets people drink from the Cup at Cheli's Chili Bar.

UPDATE: JUNE 17,2008

From James Duthie's blog: Here’s what happened:

Chris Chelios was atop the bar, Coyote Ugly style, Cup in hand, with the packed crowd cheering madly. At some point there was an attempted handoff to Brett Lebda. Whether it was the chaos of the crowd, or the…umm…content of the blood, balance was lost. Down went Lebda. Down went Stanley.
And no, the dent wasn’t “slight”.
In fact, it needed emergency service. Mike Bolt, the Keeper of the Cup, was taken to Joe Louis Arena, where Stan, like a forward who took a puck in the eye, was placed gently on the trainer’s table in the Red Wings dressing room, and operated on.

The dent had to be carefully banged out.



-

In 1994, Mark Messier took the Cup to Scores, an East Side strip joint. Scores spokesman Lonnie Hanover said, "It was the first time I'd seen our customers eager to touch something besides our dancers!"

That is just one of the many crazy Cup stories compiled by Mitchell Szczepanczyk in a massive article called: The Stanley Cup: A History of Abuse and Neglect.

- "Why is the Stanley Cup Mario Lemieux's Swimming Pool" is a book you can buy that is loaded with crazy Cup stories.

- Some more stories found here at 100 Percent Injury Rate.

T Tags: Red+Wings+dent+Stanley+Cup Cheli's+Chili+Bar Stanley+Cup+abuse Stanley+Cup+Stories videos

Red Wings Stanley Cup Parade

There is not a lot of images or videos of the Wings' Cup parade out there yet. But there are a few images at Yahoo.
Oh, I see TSN has a story up on their site, with great video footage. Check it out.













As you can see, Zetterberg is almost glued to his Conne Smyth trophy. He should be. These playoffs were a defining moment for him. He deserves it.

T Tags: Red+Wings Stanley+Cup+Parade video pictures Detroit

Cup Finals somewhat marred by officiating and CBC

I hate to be a party pooper after a Stanley Cup win by Detroit, but I want to get a couple of monkeys off my back.
1. Are these refs paid to call penalties to sway game results? What the hell was up with the hooking obstruction call on Jiri Hudler with less than 2:00 left in the game? That was weak! The refs were letting a lot go up to that point and then pull that call from out of their asses. Sure enough, Pittsburgh scores on the power play to make it 3-2. You could see the Wings reeling after that. Before that call Detroit was in full control. The shots could have been around 12-1 at that point. It wasn't even close. The Pens and their fans were dead. But a chincey call made at a lousy time in Game 6 just baffles me. What if the Pens actually tied it up? They almost did! I don't know how many obscenities I hurled at the TV there but I lost count. Fucking bullshit is what that was.
Thankfully the right team finally won in the end, and not even the referees could stop it. It didn't have to go this long. Detroit is so good that this could/should have been a sweep. But how lousy were the Penguins 5-on-5 in this series? They were dominated.
Hey I'm not saying Hudler's obstruction wouldn't be a penalty in general. But I saw plenty of obstruction from both teams leading up to that point. So why wait until there is less than 2:00 left in a pivotal game to call it? Ass. This was the worst Finals I have ever seen on refereeing alone. It ruined it for me. Garbage.
The positive? Everything else was just fine. The action was intense. Plenty of huge hits. Great puck movement. Stellar goaltending. I could just do without the diving and lousy inopportune calls.

2. CBC's love affair with Sydney Crosby has gone overboard. Bob Cole loves the kid like he's a love child and Greg Millen's love affair with Sid is almost like something out of a porn flick, but let's settle the fuck down a little bit guys. (Go ahead and flag me)
While Crosby made a few good plays here and there, he was covered masterfully by Lidstrom and Zetterberg. But to praise the guy's holy name every time he touches the puck or makes a pass and treat it like it god-damned genius is absurd. Crosby's pass to Malkin for Pittsburgh's first goal in Game 6 was not legendary, Bob and Greg. It was a cross-ice pass with no Wing in the lane. Any schmuck with a stick could have done that. No, it was a great goal by Malkin and a routine pass by Crosby, end of story.
And this was CBC's slant throughout the series. Crosby jerk-off session. Yeah I just said that. Admit it, that's what it was. I'll tell you what a Western Canadian guy in myself thought of this series:
-pure Detroit domination for the majority of it
-great passing and playmaking by Detroit throughout.
-super defensive work by the Wings, give or take a few mistakes and stressful moments here and there.
-Malkin who?
-Crosby who? Can you imagine how Ovechkin would have played in Crosby's stead?
-the series loss couldn't happen to a better team!
-I give huge props to Marc-Andre Fleury though. Sure, he faltered in Game 6, but his save percentage was sickeningly good in a series-losing effort.
-Zetterberg's Conn Smythe win was absolutely deserving.
-I almost entirely agree with Don Cherry's love of Gary Roberts. For a player who spilled his guts on the ice, his 7-8 minutes of icetime per game was an atrocity. He should have taken more of Sykora's icetime. A great ferocious leader he is. So was Ryan Malone.
Oh, and who addressed the CBC media after the loss? Gary Roberts. I guess Crosby and Malkin were too busy crying together in the showers.

---

As a Canucks fan, and a general Wings hater, I find myself confused right now. Normally I'd post a mockery Datsyuk-Zetterberg Photoshop pic. But I've really grown to like these guys. They are so good! I'm not jumping onto the Red wagon, but I have a lot of respect for how those 2 played. Zetterberg never tired and was a 2-way genius, and I think Datsyuk just may have the best hands and stick work in the NHL. Lidstrom really is worthy of all the awards he wins. I never really appreciated his skills until now. He doesn't have to lay a guy out in the corner. He wisely plays body without killing the guy and keeps taking the puck away. He has that super ability to get his stick in passing lanes too.
Oh well, give me a few months. I'm sure the hate will come back.

LINKS FOR THE CUP WIN

GAME 6 HIGHLIGHTS

TO CROSBY'S CREDIT, THIS POST GAME INTERVIEW (AFTER THE CRYING STOPPED) WAS DECENT.

LAST 30 SECONDS OF THE GAME ALL THE WAY UP TO ZETTERBERG ACCEPTING THE CONN SMYTHE TROPHY

LIDSTROM HOISTS THE CUP AND THE WINGS CUP PARADE AROUND THE ICE BEGINS

YAHOO IMAGE GALLERY OF GAME 6 AND THE CUP CELEBRATION

GAME 6 BOX SCORE

Last Monday, Tiger Woods was asked which team he was cheering for in the Finals. His response?

"I don't really care. Let's talk about the Dodgers," the California native said. "I don't think anybody really watches hockey anymore."

Oooo. Hey jackass, it's more fun watching a Jessica Simpson reality TV show than the sport YOU play.
Actually, this year's final 4 games in the Finals had the highest NBC viewer ratings since 2002. That's a positive.

T Tags:Red+Wings+win+Stanley+Cup highlights videos links pictures Referees Crosby CBC+joke

Wings-Penguins Game 6 Preview / Prediction

I should give up predicting in this series because I've been wrong too often. But how can you not bet on Detroit winning tonight, given the way they have dominated the Penguins in the shots and goals category? Answer: Marc-Andre Fleury.
Given that Detroit is far more composed and experienced and it has shown all series long, you'd have to think that the goals and shots trend will continue. Is Fleury up for some more magic? Possibly. But I've said it over and over again, the Wings have to shoot high on him. He is weak up top. The best Fleury saves in Game 5 were along the ice. Same old same old. He's been stopping a vast amount of those shots all series long. Shoot some pucks at his head and see what happens!
How much momentum will Pittsburgh have after that robbery of a win in Game 5? Add home ice advantage to that and they should put up a good fight.
Detroit just has to keep playing the way they were playing. One mistake and one unlucky bounce cost them to lose their lead with only seconds left last game. Zetterberg should have shot the puck in deep when he had it at center ice, but he turned it over. Once the Pens charged into the Wings' zone, Franzen got control of the puck and tried to clear it high off the glass. Unfortunately, a Penguin player tapped his stick and the Mule didn't get enough on it. Turnover, and badda bibg badda boom Talbot bags the tying goal with the Cup probably on it's way to ice level. A real stunner of a game.
Several Wings tired after the long Game 5. Is there a factor there? The best thing they can do tonight is score first and not give up the first 2 goals. They gotta shut those loud Pens fans up early and zap the energy out of the arena and the home team. I think they will do that. They have to be pissed after Game 5. They should have won that game. They know they are better than Pittsburgh.
Chris Osgood has to be better as well. I think he will rebound.
So what is my prediction? 3-1 Wings. Let's get this over with. The closer Crosby and Lemieux get to a Cup the angrier I get.

- It appears TSN's Bob McKenzie shares my sentiments, somewhat about Detroit's psyche.

- Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar will play tonight.

-Said Mike Babcock today:

“I think being on the road is a great thing,” Babcock said. “We've closed out every series on the road. As far as carry over from (almost winning Game 5) that, it's a lesson learned. They're good players. It won't happen again. Sometimes you need to be reminded.”

T Tags: Red Wings Penguins Game+6 Preview Prediction Stanley+Cup

Nooooooooo! Pens 4 Wings 3

I can't believe the Penguins just won. Outshot 58-32 and looking completely outclassed all night, and Marc-Andre Fleury pulls out a Patrick Roy-like performance from out of his butt. What a game. But especially, what a spectacle by Fleury.
Pittsburgh finally got their bounces tonight, the most crucial one being Hudler's accidental high-sticking penalty in the 3rd overtime to set up the winning goal by Petr Sykora. You just knew that the Wings would burn out on that penalty kill. After all the chances they had in this game to end it, that penalty was a killer, especially after already killing 2 other penalties in the overtimes, both being goalie interference calls.
Speaking of goaltender interference, did these refs all of a sudden get a great delusion of grandeur in regards to that? Why the hell were they calling those types of penalties in an overtime game in the fucking FINALS when they let that go all year? Baffling. Sure, the contact was there, but if you are going to start calling that, institute it at a better time.
It seemed that the Red Wings were tiring more as the OT's went along. Datsyuk looked completely slowed-down. He played 34:20. Osgood looked shakier and shakier as the game trudged on. The Penguins, even though being outplayed completely, still seemed poised and patient, waiting for an opportunity. Well, it came.
A classic game though. It reminded me of the Avalanche-Panthers Game 4 of the 1996 Finals. Mostly one-sided throughout. In that game though, I thought Panthers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck put out a better performance than what we saw from Fleury tonight. That was one for the ages, even though Uwe Krupp ended it in the 3rd OT and the dominating team deservingly won.
Not tonight though. Grand theft larceny.

Side notes

- Hal Gill played 40:02 and was a -1 on the night. But he looked steady, even in Gonchar's absence. What a long way Hal has come. From the crappy Leafs all the way to the 3rd OT in Game 5 of the Finals this year.

- Anyone else notice how Jarko Ruutu was almost the best Penguin in the overtimes? I can see why. He probably only played 7:00 after 3 periods. He looked to almost click on a line with Malkin and Sykora.

-Malkin=disaster. Turnover after turnover. Gad damn, the guy's a choker! He'll turn it around. The Pens just gave him another chance to do so.

-Sure, some people heap praises on Brad Stuart. Well I don't. He is a schitzoid out there: brilliance followed by utter mindlessness. I think he takes McCabe pills.
I would sit him and play Chelios next game. Just my opinion.

BOX SCORE

T Tags: Penguins Red+Wings Game+5 Overtime Fleury

Wings-Penguins Game 5 Preview

I am going to keep this quick and easy. I think Detroit will come storming out of the gates tonight seeing that they are playing in front of their home crowd at the Joe. The Pens will not be able to contain them and take early penalties. The Wings will capitalize on the powerplay(s) and bury the kid team by a score of about 4-1, solidifying the fact that experience does count and that the Wings were not too old. No, the Penguins were too young.
Anything else that happens tonight would be uncivilized.
I want to see Sid the Kid cry in defeat. I want to see Mario Lemieux weeping in his cushy little booth. I want the Penguins' heads on platters. And yes, I actually do want to see a European captain hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in history, so we can all shutup about it!
No need to drag this series out. Get it over with tonight Detroit....please!

UPDATES

From TSN:
Jordan Staal has a bruised foot from blocking a shot in Game 4. He was seen limping on Sunday.
Tomas Holmstrom says he will play tonight.
Chris Chelios will not play tonight, as coach Babcock refuses to change a winning mix.

T Tags: Red+Wings Penguins Game+5 Preview Prediction Stanley+Cup+Finals

Wings vs Pens: A dive-to-dive basis

You won't get a Zandberg silence on diving in the NHL. Especially not in the Cup finals. Tonight's game could have been decided that way. The only thing that was lacking in Crosby's dive with 10:00 left in the 3rd period was the splashing of water in the pool. Luckily the Wings masterfully killed off the 2-man disadvantage. These teams take turns diving night-to-night. Pathetic.
Aside from that, it was a decent game. The right team won. The aging Wings continue to show composure in all areas, but especially in their own zone. It almost seems effort-less sometimes.
They also continue to outshoot the Pens. Tonight it was 30-23, including 9-6 in the 3rd period.
Peeves?
-Gary Roberts only played 10:47? He needs more time than that. Roberts the warrior deserves more.
-I know trainers teach players to beat 4 guys in Russia, but that doesn't work on this continent. Malkin needs to learn that. His play is like a broken record. He rips up the ice and tries to beat a line of Wings and is not being a team player that way. He's just causing a turnover. There's no use being selfish when in a slump. Malkin is going to learn that the hard way.

It looks like the Wings are going to take it at home, barring some stupid calls by the refs to sway the game. Should be a beauty game. No, really.

PS: I never knew that Zetterberg was that good of a 2-way player. He saved the Wings' butts more than once tonight with his defensive play. Unreal.

A nice touch by Don Cherry on Coach's Corner tonight. His comments and tribute to Luc Bourdon were heartfelt and appreciated.

A show of class by the NHL and Pittsburgh to give Luc a moment of silence tonight as well. That can be seen below.



BOX SCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

Red+Wings Penguins Game+4 Stanley+Cup+Final Diving Luc+Bourdon+moment+of+silence+video

Red Wings-Penguins Game 4 Preview

Most of the stories surrounding Game 4 revolve around Tomas Holmstrom. Firstly, Is he going to play tonight? If not, Dan Cleary will take his spot on the top line and Darren McCarty will dress. Holmstrom is a game-time decision.
The other issue is Holmstrom's diving, which is big headlines in the Pittsburgh Tribune. Hal Gill received 2 cross checking minors in Game 3 because he was trying to remove Holmstrom from his spot in front of the net. Holmstrom easily fell to the ice on both calls.

"We were laughing about it," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "It's embarrassing."

Oh yeah? I thought the Penguins were going to be the bigger divers in this series, as they are famous for it. But it's true, the Wings are diving more than the Penguins, who are choosing a hard-nosed approach.
Gill mentioned:

"The hard part is when he dives. ... It's tough to play him too hard if the refs aren't going to call the dives."

Oh boo fucking hoo. Karma's a bitch, he Hal? Just think, it wasn't that long ago when your kid captain was pulling the same crap. How about Malkin's slew-footing? The Penguins are just looking for a mental advantage.
Holmstrom denied these accusations of course in humorous fashion.

"If you get cross-checked from behind, how can you see if the cross-check is coming?" he said. "For sure, stuff happens around the net. You get banged up not just by one guy, (but) two guys, three guys coming in. It's a freak show around the net. Guys are flying left and right. I don't know. I don't even know who was out there. It's a big blur."

The big blur part doesn't suprise me. Maybe the Pens should start diving more as well. Don't tell me that they are above that. Then we'd have a dive-a-thon out there completely shaming the sport.
We'll see if the refs bite on the Pens' whining.
This series could have been 3-0. Game 3 and the series was in Detroit's hands until Brad Stuart (hero to goat) coughed the puck up in his own zone and Crosby scored. That finally put some life back in the Pens. Now Pittsburgh has life and these games should be closer. It's amazing how Pittsburgh's game changed after the scored their first goal after the series: faster pace, tight passing, better forecheck, more goals followed. Yeesh.
Detroit just has to stay poised and score the first goal. That trend still remains.
I wish they would put more shots high on Marc-Andre Fleury. Pretty tough to beat him along the ice. Yeah, I said "I wish". I'm not pulling for the Penguins. I've always hated them and still do.
The Red Wings took the Game 3 loss in stride and went to a relaxing resort. Expect a poised Wings team again tonight.
To throw a prediction out there: 3-2 Red Wings. Might even be some overtime there. Just a guess.
A question: Why the hell didn't Pittsburgh play Darryl Sydor throughout the playoffs? 2 Cup rings and he sits on the sidelines? Well his experience comes in handy now, doesn't it? And Gary fricking Roberts..... a machine.

T Tags: Penguins Red+Wings Stanley+Cup+Final Game+4 Preview Holmstrom Diving

Waddle home, Penguins

So the sign being held by a Wings fan at last night's game read. I laughed. I also laughed at how one-sided Game 2 (and this series) is. Talk about ownership. It's men versus boys out there. The talk of the younger Penguins outhustling the elderly Wings has all but ended for now. The Wings are playing their system to a T.
The negative? It's almost emotionless out there. Sure the hits are present, but the Wings skate away from any frustrated Penguins rough stuff. It took a Sykora clip on Osgood near the end of the game to finally get the Wings off their discipline game. (Was that Datsyuk punching Roberts with his gloves on?) Once again, that was an Osgood embellishment, as he flopped onto the back of the net. He did it earlier with Malone as well, resulting in a Pens penalty. Yeah, the only emotion out there is hits and dives. Sad isn't it? So much for the grand series.
But it's not over yet. Osgood and Franzen's dives may prove to be a motivating factor for the Penguins, who look like deer in headlights out there. Maybe now the anger is there. Take that anger into Pittsburgh and you never know. Only thing is, I don't see Detroit getting off their game on the road either. No matter. I think that all the Pens have to do is start skating harder with a vengeance and SCORE THE FIRST GOAL. Once they can do that, they'll finally have some momentum to build on.
What did you think of the play of Gary Roberts? For about 9.5 minutes of icetime he played like a warrior out there. Sure, it was dirty and he was penalized on occasion, but does that really matter? Something had to spark the Pens. Lord knows Crosby and Malkin weren't.

UGLY BYTES

Michel Therrien after Game 2 in regards to the Osgood incidents:

"We took two penalties tonight on the goalie. We never take penalty to the goalie in the playoff. I'll tell you something, I reviewed those plays. He's a good actor. He goes to players, and he's diving. Took away our power play. Got to get focused. I know our players are frustrated right now. It's tough to play the game. But Osgood did the same thing against Dallas under Ribeiro."

Touche. Way to bring up the Ribeiro incident. More of that interview here.

Mike Babcock post game:

"Well, I guess the way our team's built is we don't have as many North America guys that would be dropping their gloves and fighting right there. The way we try to do it is we try to play as hard as we can between the whistles, and we try to shoot the puck in the net when you take penalties. And to me, we just try to keep our poise and play. And the stuff after the whistle and all that, that's not going to win us any games. Between the whistles is. And we're just going to try to continue to play the way our team's built to play."

Built for skill and diving....nice work. More of Babcock's interview here.

Funny moment during the Tomas Holmstrom post game interview:

Q. Tomas, is your strategy against Sid's line to more or less take away his options?

TOMAS HOLMSTROM: Who?

Haha. Exactly.

UGLY STATS

Goals after the first 2 games: Wings: 7 Penguins 0
Shots after the 2 games: Wings 70 Penguins 41
Powerplays after 2 games: Wings 14 Penguins 8
Points by Euro players after 2 games: 10. 10 points out of 14 total, or, 71%
Academy Award performances by Osgood in game 2: 2. Best Diver in a lead role.
Cheap shot punches by Gary Roberts in Game 2: At least 10.
Seconds it took Franzen to fall to the ice after Roberts punched him: About 3. Diving jackass.
Times Crosby was reduced to tears after 2 games: Twice, not including the call to his grandma between the 2nd and 3rd period last night and on the ride home.

The Penguins look dead and confused. But 3 big things they have to do now in Game 3 are: skate harder and with a vengeance, make crisper passes, and SCORE THE FIRST GOAL.

T Tags: Penguins Red+Wings Game+2 Stanley+Cup+Finals Divers Wimps Domination

Franzen will play tonight...or will he?

There are conflicting reports that Johan Franzen may or may not play in Game 2 tonight. TSN says he will.
With Gary Roberts returning to the Penguins lineup, Georges Laracque will sit. Yeah, who needs a goon in the lineup in the playoffs anyway? Roberts had said a couple of days ago that he is going to prove why he never should have been scratched for Game 1. Given the way Roberts plays, I would not doubt him for one second. He is going to crash and bang the Wings around and could chip in offensively as well. Roberts rules. I've always been a huge fan.
Once again, look for the team who scores first to possibly take the game. Both teams' records on that scenario are nearly flawless.

T Tags: Franzen+returns Game+2 Gary+Roberts+to+play Laracques+out Stanley+Cup+Finals

Penguins-Red Wings Preview / Prediction / Funky Stats

It is a very tough call predicting which team is going to take Lord Stanley this year. On one side, you have a more experienced team in the Wings who have shown so much composure throughout the regular season and playoffs. On the other side you have a younger team that is showing composure beyond its years.

I am going to break this down into several statistics from this year's playoffs so far in order to make a decision, because I haven't picked a winner yet.









RECORD IN PLAYOFFS

Wings: 12 wins 4 losses
Penguins: 12 wins and 2 losses

GOALS FOR

Wings: 55 (they played 2 more games)
Penguins: 51

GOALS AGAINST

Wings: 31 (played more games)
Penguins: 27

GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE

Wings: 1.94
Penguins: 1.93

POWERPLAY GOALS

Wings: 16
Penguins: 16

POINTS FROM TOP 3 PLAYERS

Wings: (Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Franzen): 31 goals, 23 assists and 54 points
Penguins: (Crosby, Hossa and Malkin): 22 goals, 37 assists and 59 points

SECONDARY SCORING

Wings: 23 goals, 68 assists and 91 points
Penguins: 29 goals, 54 assists and 83 points

POINTS FROM DEFENCEMEN

Wings: 37
Penguins: 25

PENALTY MINUTES

Wings: 163
Penguins: 225

SHOTS

Wings: 581 (36.31 shots per game) (The Wings have outshot their opponents 14 times out of 16 games in these playoffs.)
Penguins: 452 (32.3 shots per game)

GOALTENDER STATS

Wings: Chris Osgood: 13 games played, 10 wins, 1.60 goals against average, .931 save percentage, 1 shutout.
Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury: 14 games played, 12 wins, 1.70 goals against average, .938 save percentage, 3 shutouts

Both goalies are going to see a lot of shots in this series.

STANLEY CUP RINGS

Wings: 17-plus
Penguins: 1 I believe (Sykora), 2 if Roberts plays.

HOME ICE ADVANTAGE

Red Wings.

So geez, most of these stats are pretty close.
Can the Wings contain the Penguins' speed? Probably. Can they shut down Crosby and Malkin? I think so. They have proven to be disciplined in the playoffs so far, even against fast teams. They have a rigid defensive system and a wicked pressure game that forces turnovers and then their puck possession is so accurate. Then again, so do the Penguins.
Even though the Penguins are deeper at center, like Darren Pang said today, I don't think that's enough.

Who would you rather have in goal, Fleury or Osgood? Tough call. I see that most polls on the matter are about split 50/50. I'd go with Osgood, because he has the experience factor. But I'm not underestimating the potential ability of Fleury in the Finals either.

The fact that Detroit has more secondary scoring so far didn't suprise me. Pittsburgh has Laracque and Ruutu as grinders and they score about as much as Ugly Betty.

I guess that hardly settles it. With the Wings having home ice advantage and the extra experience, I'll go with them in 7 games.
This series should be great.

Anyone else care to wager?

UPDATES

-Johan Franzen has been cleared to practice with the Wings today. We'll see if he plays tomorrow. Even if he does, will his hot streak still be there? Even so, he is a great presence in front of the net.
-Gary Roberts, who has been suffering from pneumonia, may play in Game 1.
-Look for the first team scoring to be a pivotal factor, as NHL.com points out. 10 times in this year's Playoffs that both Pittsburgh and Detroit have scored the game's first goal. Pittsburgh is 10-0; Detroit is 10-1. No other team scored first more than seven times. That NHL.com article has some great stats there, including lifetime stats between the 2 teams. Check it out.

Predictions from Gurus everywhere. Borrowed from Faceoff.com. Thanks guys!



























T Tags: Red+Wings Penguins Finals Stanley+Cup+Preview 2008 Stats Prediction

WFS Plans / My Fave Duck Cup Images

Yahoo Sports (Getty Images) posted so many great hockey images this year and the 2 below are no exception. I thank them for it as I 'borrowed' so many of those images all year. Nice work.

Thank you to all of the readers who have stopped by since this sites' birth in July 2006. It has been a great season with so much enjoyable moments. There is always a lot of hockey to talk about and I have enjoyed sharing conversations with all of you.

As for this site, I will keep it going especially with the NHL Draft and July 1 coming up soon. There will be a lot of transactions from this point on.

CSI: Stanley

Thanks, NHL.com!
Hey, I admit I'm a sucker for TV shows CSI: Las Vegas and CSI: Miami. It's extra cool to see the Miami team posing with Lord Stanley though.

To see a few more images of celebs with Lord Stanley, check out NHL.com.

T Tags: Stanley+Cup CSI:Miami