Yeah, Scottie Walker!!!

Not trying pick on you in particular. I see this all the time and I just gotta say something. Why would it be un-Canadian to have wanted Chicago to win the series? Its not like there aren't Canadians on both teams as well as non-Canadians. I grew up in northwestern MN just a couple of miles from the border and trust me, we took hockey as seriously as any rabid Canadian hockey fan, perhaps even more. But no one would have had a problem if someone wanted a Canadian team to win a series (as long as it wasn't the Olympics or they were playing the Northstars or later on the Wild). Personally, I wanted the Canucks to win that series and I feel absolutely no guilt about it (okay perhaps a little buyer's remorse in hitching my wagon to a supposedly defenseive team that consistantly can't hold onto a lead with even MULPIPLE goals!!!! ). I love the game way too much to let it turn in some nationalist proxy pissing contest that so many want it to be.

Hey Tiger:
I do get where you are coming from - and in a recent Stanley Cup final I just found it impossible to cheer for Ottawa (Leafs Ontario rivals). But the media even plays up the 'Canada's team' angle up here and clearly a lot of Canadians buy into it. It just seems to be the ingrained thing to do.

And the ratings for Stanley Cup finals when a Canadian team is involved are higher than when it is two American teams playing in the final - with bigger ratings even in the other Canadian markets - not just in the home market of the Canadian team that made the final. And it is surmised that the reason for those higher ratings is because there are more fans feeling they have a rooting interest - cheering for the Canadian based team.

And maybe this in some ways is silly - but speaking personally here - there is just something about a Canadian hockey crowd belting out 'O Canada' - often with the anthem sinhger stopping to let the crowd takeover - as happened both in Edmonton and Ottawa during the finals - that just impacted me in such a way to have us want to cheer for that team - if that makes sense.

And of course the fact that a Canadian based team has not won the Stanley Cup since Montreal's win in 1993 certainly plays a part in the equation too.

Submitted for your approval...or ridicule... my preview of the conference finals.

You made the right calls on who wins each series. IMO, Carolina has a better chance of winning than Chicago. The only team in the West with a real chance against Detroit was Anaheim (maybe, maybe Vancouver). However, if it goes 7 games I think Detroit craps out this time. But I doubt it gets that far. I don't see Detroit giving up several 2 or 3 goal leads like Calgary and Vancouver. Lastly, I think Chicago gets out coached. Detroit in 5.

Penguins vs. Hurricanes. Hmmm. Tougher. Frankly, Pittsburgh didn't look all that good against Washington except for game 7, when honestly, Washington lost that game. Can Carolina's D beat Pittsburgh's offense? They are a big team that can strangle Crosby and Malkin. And with few very talented wingers, Pittsburgh may have a tough time. So yes I think they can, but I think Carolina has used its luck up. Another seven game series. Another very tough call, but I have to give the edge to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh in seven (quite possibly another game seven OT).

Red Wings in 5 Penguins in 4

I sure enjoyed game number 1!!

One game in each series and Detroit and Pittsburgh take their first steps towards a rematch. I am definitely rooting for the Blackhawks (sorry Eddie), but as for the other series I'm torn between my dislike of teams in locations that don't really care about hockey and my disdain for whiny Sidney Crosby.

That is perfectly understandable, Joe. They've still got a lot of other folks rooting for them.

WOO-HOO!

The Blackhawks aren't making it easy for the Red Wings but they're still down 2-0 in the series. Once the puck was turned over you could almost see that OT goal being scored, and sure enough it was.

The Carolina-Pittsburgh series skips a night -- tomorrow instead of tonight. Can't believe the NHL is afraid of going up against the American Idol finale!

Another exciting hockey game! Pens win 7-4 but the game was in doubt through the middle of the third period until Malkin took over scoring his second and third goals of the game for the hat trick to give the Pens a 6-4 lead. (They added an empty netter). Malkin was AMAZING last night. All over the ice - including being a force penalty killing for Pittsburgh.

Watching Malkin's parents interaction with each other and the fans all around them after each of his goals was just priceless. And this morning I read Malkin is crediting his mother's home made soup for his recent success. So sweet!

Wow! That was one hell of a game last night! Unfortunately the Wings lost in overtime but they were down 3-0 only to come back and tie the game in a very short span.

Despite injuries to Datsuk,Lidstrom and Draper,the Red Wings soundly beat the Blackhawks in Chicago 6-1

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall, I have to say that I am very surprised to see how well the Pens are playing in this series. I figured Carolina's defense would give them more fits, but obviously not. This is a real turnaround from the last round where they played barely adequately against Washington, a much weaker foe than Carolina. Perhaps that says more about Ovechkin than anything else.

It's sure looking like a rematch is coming. Unfortunately, if both Pittsburgh and Detroit win their next game, we'll have nine days to wait for it. Game 1 of the finals is June 5th. Had Chicago not won a game, and both series were sweeps, they would've started it on May 28th, this Thursday. But noooooooooooooo...

UPDATE: They may move up the games after all, to Sat. May 30 and Sun. May 31, if the two series end by Wednesday. The problem is with the network televising the first two games...and no, it's not Versus:

This is quite a shock. Peter Zezel died.

Story

I'd also like to point out that I predicted the Penguins would sweep Carolina and they did.

Sad news about Peter Zezel. He was with the Flyers at the start of his career and was part of both teams that got to the finals in the mid-80s. At the end of his career, when he was with Vancouver, he asked for a trade to an Eastern team to be closer to a niece who was dying of cancer in Toronto. The Canucks traded him to Anaheim instead. He promptly retired.

The Penguins made short work of Carolina. Their second goal last night was awful -- a little popup that went off the glove of Cam Ward and into the net. I think the Hurricanes showed their weakness when they had Boston down 3-1 and couldn't put them away until the 7th game.

I read an interesting item: for the first two West games in Detroit, the Red Wings had about 2,000 comp tickets -- freebies -- due presumably to the bad economy. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks limited players to just 2 tickets each for the games in Chicago because of the demand.

...and we now officially have a rematch of last year. My immediate thought: Detroit over Pittsburgh in 6. However, this is not my final prediction yet.

HELL YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RED WINGS KICK ASS!! WITHOUT LIDSTROM,DATSUK,ERIKSON AND DRAPER AND WE STILL WON!!!!!!!!!!! I'd like to also say that I predicted this one as well. I agree with Joe, Red Wings in 6 over Pittsburgh!!!! RED WINGS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to the Wings...

Still, as a Hawks fan, I gotta be happy with where they are vs just two short years ago...
I'm happy that hockey is back in Chicago again...

Pens in 6. They remind me of the young Oilers in the 80's. Could not win the first time - but learned their lessons and won it the following year. And the short turnaround time with two games this weekend is problematic for the banged up Wings.

I've made my official prediction. Eddie won't like it.

I love Eddie's enthusiasm! GO WINGS!

Thanks Spike! I need all the help I can get! Welcome to the Outsports family!




Well,we shall see shant we? Lidstrom will be back tomorrow. I don't know about the other injured players but hopefully they will all be back very soon. I'm sticking with my prediction. Detroit in 6 (or less)

Two teams that have impressed in the playoffs thus far. Definitely getting the best two teams in the finals.

I like the Pens this time. I see a group of young stars in Crosby, Malkin, Staal, etc who still haven't reached their peak yet have gotten a year older and wiser thanks to last year's experience.

I sense Pittsburgh in a knock 'em out, drag 'em out full blown seven gamer.....

(And if anyone has tickets in the 'Burgh or the D lemme know, it's a drive to either city from here.)

I don't think some of these gentlemen appreciate the depth and experience of the Red Wings. GO WINGS!!

Oh this is fun! Detroit 3 Pittsburgh 1! Can you say "handcuffed?"

It's 1-0 Detroit, although two of their three goals were complete flukes and the third one was sort of fluky as well. Still, it's a far cry from how the Penguins started the series last year (4-0 and 3-0 losses), completely stifled. They had chances tonight. One thing they need to do is win more faceoffs so that they have the puck more.

Now we'll see how the quick turnaround for Game 2 tomorrow affects things.

Well,I'll tell you, Joe.Tomorrow we'll win with more pretty goals and less fluky ones.

If the Wings keep winning something like 70% of the faceoffs the Pens are toast.

Yes,yes they are! I love to see Sid the kid get all frustrated! Mwahahahaha!

Pittsburgh is bound to have one good home game, but I can't see more than that. Detroit has the experience, and they're playing for a city that's really hurting. I say Detroit in five.

Yes,I think our goals were much prettier this evening as opposed to the so-called "flukey" goals last night!

Fair enough. Some of what you say is perfectly cool, especially in the third paragraph. I do understand the nexus between hockey and Canada, after all I played the game, and I'm cool with that, as long as it is a positive influence. But IMO all too often, in the past ten years or so, after I stopped playing, that nexus has begun to sink into the realm of the lowest common denominator. Or perhpas it has always been that way, and it just the fact that I was playing the game rather than watching entirely from the outside that blinded me to it.

As for the current playoffs. I can't see any likely scenario in which Detroit doesn't win. Though personally, if I were a Penguin, I'd make sure Hossa could only sip through a straw when drinking from the Cup.

Keep it up Wings!!!!

Ouch! Damn pesky Penguins! We'll have to fix this Thursday night! Go Wings!!!!!!!!!

I thought the Pens had much the better of the play in the third period. It made me wonder if the 3-games-in-4-nights issue was rearing its head.

Could be Joe but it sure did not look that way during the second period. That period it looked like the Pens were tired as the Wings were all over them . I thought the worst - that the Wings were on their way to a sweep. That would have made for a very anti-climatic end to what had started out as such an amazing playoff season. The first two rounds were brilliant - but the short semi-finals series both lacked drama.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that would love to see the Pens win on Thursday and set up a dramatic best of three finish to the season. I'm sure NBC whose ratings for Games 1 and 2 were up 17% compared to their Games 3 and 4 coverage last year are hoping that is the case.

This video of Pens fans outside Mellon Arena last night.
http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoid=101952

That's true. The first period was really wide open for both teams, though.

I'm sure that those of us who don't root for either team would like a long series. I'm still torn between my wanting to be correct in my prediction and my dislike of the Whiny One from the Steel City.

I thought the Wings fumbled the goalie pull badly, resulting in the Pens fourth goal. I only saw the third period and was impressed by the Penguins drive. Still, I say Wings in five. Game five at The Joe will be over the top!
GO WINGS!

You are such a wise man!

Game 3 was the most watched program ever on Versus apparently. Some other good news ratings #'s for the NHL. In Pittsburgh and Detroit 43% of people watching television Saturday and Sunday night were watching the games on NBC. And nationwide it was the first time since the Superbowl that NBC won the Sunday night ratings battle among the male 25-49 target market.

I'd love this to go 7. Sorry Eddie - I know that would be a bit tense for you.

Yep: "The 2.6 rating was the highest ever on Versus, beating a 2.1 for Lance Armstrong's final ride in 2005 and Game 5 of this year's Detroit-Chicago series."

I think the best thing ratings-wise would be for Pittsburgh to win tonight. Having the series 2-2 would guarantee a sixth game and make Game 5 even more critical to both teams, both of which should lead to decent ratings for NBC.

Un-freakin-believable! I think that game raised my blood pressure about 10%.

Special teams...what did I say about that? Hmmmmm...here it is: "...the big difference is in penalty killing. The Pens ranked 8th during the season and 5th in the playoffs. The Red Wings — surprisingly, considering their record – were 25th of 30 teams this year, and are 14th among this year’s 16 playoff teams."

In the finals (and why does the official logo say "Final" without the "s"? Who calls it a "final"?) the Penguins are 4 for 9 on the power play, and the Red Wings are 1 for 9 and gave up the SHG last night that changed the game.

Wings are going to have to be the more physical of the two teams tonight, IMO. I thought by and large they were outhit in game 4. It would be a HUGE help to have Datsuk back for sure. Plus they have got to watch the giveaways, and keep Malkin and Crosby at arms length if possible. Easier said than done. The winner of this game should take the series. I for one am hoping its the WINGS!!! Sounds like Bettman is happy with how things are going. He said the ratings overall this year are the best in 10 years. It should be a very entertaining game tonight...

Long time no see, ht. Penguins have completely self-destructed tonight. Even if they can win game 6 at home I have no idea how they can win game 7 in Detroit. This will put a dent in the ratings for sure.