According to TSN’s hockey insider, Darren Dreger, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a happy group after Tuesday night’s game six win, because they stuck to their game plan and then “they weathered the storm in the third.”
Let’s say for arguments sake that Detroit had scored during their phase of prolonged pressure, which basically lasted the entire third period. Dreger, in his analyses, would definitely not be talking about how successful the Penguins were at their game plan, he would probably be lauding the Red Wings’ ability to absorb the blows and land a knock-out punch at the crucial moment.
In all fairness to the Penguins, Detroit deserved to lose the game. They slept for the first two periods and only awoke for the third, which they dominated. But for the Penguins, the final 20 minutes were a failure. Entering the last period with a lead of 1-0 and subsequently being outshot 14-7 was a failure on their part. They played with fire and were lucky to escape with a tie from that timeframe.
But that’s not what the analysts say. They give us a results based breakdown, stating that Pittsburgh bounced back well from their loss, played a great game, and deserve their win. We deserve better! We demand a real analysis!
One year ago, Marian Hossa sat slumped on the ice realizing his dream was over. He looked up, seeing the men in re
d and white, the storied Detroit Red Wings, celebrating once again. He wondered if his chance would ever come to feel that jubilation; to put his hands on the Stanley Cup.
A rematch in any sport produces drama and many riveting storylines. In the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Final there are many: will Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have matured enough to win this year? Can Nik Lidstrom lead the Detroit Red Wings to glory once again? With so much hype going into the series, the most compelling story is not of a team, but of one player and his quest to win.
The bad blood caused by memories of last year’s battles will not be shared by Hossa, as he looks across at the Pittsburg Penguins’ bench to see the familiar faces of friends and ex-teammates with whom he made the trip to the Final last year. While his decision to switch allegiances for the more proven team may reek of selfishness, when examined closely, his intentions are noble. Upon becoming a free agent in the summer of 2008, Hossa, the premier unrestricted free agent of the summer, received many hefty contract offers and multi-year deals, including a rumoured $9M over several years from the Edmonton Oilers. The Penguins also offered a multi-year contract, and job security in the world of sports is always sought after. Hossa went the unconventional way, agreeing to a one year deal at $7.4M with the Detroit Red Wings – leaving both money and term on the table so that he could play with the team that gave him the best shot at a championship.
In an age where most professional athletes will chase the almighty dollar wherever it leads them regardless of the quality of the destination – see Ed Jovanovski to Phoenix, Nikolai Khabibulin to Chicago, or countless other examples – it is very refreshing to see a legitimate superstar take a paycut and be willing to share the spotlight in order to win. If his gamble doesn’t pay off, Hossa may look much more dejected than he did last year, as he watches the team he could have signed with, hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Note: This Saturday posting is in lieu of Monday's.
It is the end of the second period of Game 3, Detroit has just scored three straight goals to tie the hockey game, and CBC’s Kelly Hrudey just said “The problem for Chicago is that they don’t have the leadership that some of the Detroit Guys have.” But Kelly, I thought the ‘Hawks just didn’t know any better? That’s not helping them much right now, is it? And is Detroit winning this game because of overwhelming leadership? True, their team is a lot older than Chicago’s but leadership doesn’t score goals.
The Red Wings’ leadership didn’t dominate the entire second period, not letting Chicago have a sniff of the puck. Not to take anything away from Nik Lidstrom, who is a great captain, but he didn’t score Detroit’s first goal because he’s a great leader, he scored because he is divinely gifted. The entire Red Wings roster is better top to bottom, and that’s why they will go on and have a chance to defend their Stanley Cup.
