Buckle UP! Hold the PHONE! Shine your shoes! For just the 15^th time in Stanley Cup Finals history it’s time to get ready for a game seven (tonight in Detroit). The Red Wings are hoping to repeat the finale of the 2003 Cup championship when New Jersey beat Anaheim 3-0 in the 7^th and deciding contest in a series where the home team won each game. The Penguins, on the other hand, feel they are primed for a road win at just the right time.

With the playoffs nearly over, here are some observations from the comforts of the LAZY BOY:

 

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Game seven with all the marbles on the line demands the following question: Would you rather have the two best players (Crosby and Malkin) or the best team? If this was basketball I may be inclined to select the two best players in a one game winner-take-all. However, in hockey, I would choose the best team and that is why my original prediction (Detroit in 7) stands and I’m taking the Red Wings in the deciding game. In addition, game seven in the Stanley Cup final has favored the home team, with the 1971 Montreal Canadiens and the 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs being the only road winners in 14 occasions.

 

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The Red Wings-Penguins final has been good, but has it been a classic? Let’s see, no overtime games, and just one of six games decided by only one goal. As well, the series has been fairly predictable with the home team winning each game. In other words, no! However, this can certainly change with a memorable game seven.

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Taking the lack of classics a step further, the short NHL Conference finals were not memorable either. The best matchups were in round two, yet the Pittsburgh-Washington series which had an amazing first six games, had a meltdown in game seven.

It certainly was odd that the loser of the first four games actually outshot the winner. I’m not sure what that means, other than the shots on goal department can be an overrated stat.

Did you notice during the Cup Final that when the Red Wings won many observers noted it was because of depth and experience, yet when the Penguins won, Detroit looked old, slow and tired? Yes, perspective is a funny thing, isn’t it? (FYI: ages of the key Red Wing players: Lidstrom 39, Osgood and Holmstrom 36, Rafalski 35, Samuelsson 32, Datsyuk, Cleary and Hossa 30, Franzen and Stuart 29, Zetterberg & Kronwall 28, Lebda 27, Ericsson, Filppula, Hudler 25 and Helm 22)

 

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Never underestimate the importance of one player, even to a talent laden team like Detroit. The mere presence of Pavel Datsyuk sparked the Red Wings, let alone his two assists, in his first game back (after missing seven with a foot injury) in that 5-0 skunking in game five.

  

Marian Hossa hasn't had a great series against his former team. In fact, he has been invisible in some games. I expected more and believed he would score at least one goal. Well, there is one more chance for him to shine and for a good story which we all love it would be fitting if he has a hand in the Red Wings Cup winning goal. But let’s be honest, unless you are a diehard Detroit fan, aren’t you hoping Hossa makes a gaffe that leads to the Penguins winner? Yes, some fantasies are too good to be true.

 

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I think when it’s time to select the 2010 Men’s Olympic Hockey Team, Chris Osgood won’t be one of the three Canadian goalies; but the 36-year-old Peace River, Alberta native, certainly has the dubious honor of being the most under respected man in the game. Come on, we all heard the whispers that the Red Wings were vulnerable this season because of #30. With 15 career playoff shutouts, three in Cup finals and one win shy of a 4^th Cup ring, Osgood has certainly done his talking where it counts.

 

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Some may consider this to be a small item but I certainly believe it is noteworthy. Midway through game five, after allowing five goals on 21 shots, and shortly after Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled; the first guy consoling him on the bench to pick up his spirits was teammate Petr Sykora. I find that admirable because Sykora was a healthy scratch for a 14^th consecutive game. Talk about putting a teammate ahead of yourself. Now that is classy. Other highly paid athletes should learn it’s not always about them. Ironically justice was served as Sykora returned to the line-up in game six and contributed in the 2-1 victory with a key shot block. In addition, Fleury responded by stopping 25 of 26 shots.

 

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If you remove emotion from the equation, and think logically and in proper perspective, one must admit that the Vancouver Canucks certainly are not that close to being serious challengers for Lord Stanley’s mug. Yes, they were improved, and they excited the fans with a first round sweep, but really faded against Chicago. Then, the Hawks were soundly spanked by the Wings. Truthfully, Vancouver is on par with the upper middle teams like Calgary, Carolina and Anaheim, but certainly not in the same league as Detroit, Pittsburgh or even Washington. It certainly makes for another interesting off-season, as short as that may be.

 

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NHL schedule makers just don't get it. There were too many off days in the Conference Finals and then too make up for it rushed the Stanley Cup final with back-to-back games and three in four nights to open the series. In addition, games 4 and 6 in the Final were on the same evening as the NBA championship series. Now, you tell me; is that smart marketing? 

 

  

Courtesy of http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/13410909/ 

 

 

 

CBC had picture trouble for the 3rd game of the Pittsburgh Detroit playoff game with officials saying the Governments purchase of GM resulted in some budget reductions so CBC was forced to download the feed with slow speed connections. Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)

 

John Daly has signed an endorsement with a sports drink company. Daly says it makes a terrific mixer. Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va (http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.com/)

This is National Business Etiquette Week. So, on behalf of all service providers everywhere I want to say, “Sit down, shut up, buy our stuff and get the hell out so we can go home!”

Comedy writer Jerry Perisho http://monologuewriter.blogspot.com/

 

 

In a report in the Wall Street Journal, visual scientist Arthur Shapiro says that curveballs don't really 'break'. I think Mr. Shapiro should spend more time in the lab and less time watching Barry Zito. 

Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

 

Octomom Nayda Suleman will not divulge the name of her children’s biological father, but indicates that he would be upset that she used the sperm to have so many children. Well, we may not know who he is, but that does eliminate Travis Henry. Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)