The Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup

I didn't see it coming.



No, really, I didn't see the Stanley Cup winning goal. I, like 90% of other people watching Game 6, had a thought process something like:

"Wait, did he just score? No, he didn't score. What the...? Where the heck is the puck?"

But Patrick Kane did score - 4 minutes into the overtime period - to win the Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks after a 49 year drought.

It means that the third time is the charm for Marian Hossa - the curse is over, which makes me kind of sad to lose that joke. But it means that Pronger, Carcillo and other players I don't like were stopped from raising the Cup above their heads. So it's all good, I guess.

I'm somewhat disappointed to not have a Game 7, just because I think that the fight between the two teams would have created some excellent hockey. But the series was great even without that - this Flyers team had so much fight in them. They should be proud that they were even to make a series of it - not many teams could recover after going down 0-2 to this Blackhawks team. Even in Game 6, the Flyers looked like they were dead in the second period, but they battled back again. Unfortunately, it seemed as if their luck finally ran out in the overtime.

So, what now? Hockey season is over - it's officially the offseason, probably the only instance where I will begin wishing summer to be over. I guess it's free agency and then training camp - maybe I'll get back to actually talking about the Canes.

Congratulations to the Blackhawks and their fans. I remember what it was like for the Canes to win their Cup, and I must say that I'm a little jealous to not be a part of it this year - maybe next?

Musings after two

Well, I will say that this has been an interesting Stanley Cup Finals series so far. Chicago's up 2-0 at this point, and Philadelphia is going to have to work at it to get back in it, I think.

First off, Game 1 was so absolutely amazing. If you missed it, I feel really sorry for you because that was some exciting hockey. I mean, assuming, of course, that you like offense. If you like goaltender-based or defensive hockey (hello readers from New Jersey!), you must have absolutely hated this game.

5 goals after the first period, 11 overall - man, it was like every time you blinked someone else was scoring a goal. And the weirdest part was that neither of the teams' top lines contributed to the scoring!

Game 2 was low-key, comparatively, the teams only scoring 3 goals during the game. Toews and Kane still didn't contribute to the scoring.

After two games, I think, obviously, that the Blackhawks are in a very strong position to win it. And, yes, I am a fickle fan with this series. I was somewhat on the Flyers side when the series began, probably because I think it's hilarious that Marian Hossa can't win a Cup, and that I always liked Peter Laviolette. But then, after watching these games I remembered how much I hate Chris Pronger and how much of a punk Dan Carcillo is. So I think I'm not going to be too upset if the Blackhawks win.

But even still, I can't give the Blackhawks a certain victory. Philadelphia has obviously come back in these playoffs before, and tonight they come back to their home building. Antti Niemi is playing well, but as we saw in Game 1, he can obviously let in goals. However, on the flip side, can the Flyers continue to shut down the Blackhawk's big name players?

Unfortunately tonight is my last sure bet at seeing the games on TV... my family vacations to the backwoods of PA never have any respect for the hockey blogging schedule. Don't expect a post until days after Game 5... so I suppose I'm no longer cheering for a team, but at least a six game series. Although, more hockey before the offseason can't be a bad thing, can it?

And so the season ends...

Pittsburgh Penguins won 2-1 in Game 7 last night, thereby winning the Stanley Cup.

Well, at least it wasn't a repeat by Detroit, right?

I didn't watch too much of the Finals, although I did watch most of the game last night. It wasn't interesting to me - I didn't care who ended up winning because I didn't want either team to win it.

That said, Game 7 was as Game 7s always are - action packed and full of tension. Detroit scored late to make a true game of it for the last minutes of the third - one of their shots went off the crossbar and Fleury somehow managed to save a point-blank shot with one second remaning. Props to Max Talbot of the Pens for scoring both of their goals.

And so now begins the long boring hockey-less offseason. Only four months until October!

Overtime, retirement, and firings

So apparently I missed a pretty good game last night. Game 3 went into triple OT, after the Pens scored two in the first, let in three consecutive and were ~35 seconds away from watching the Red Wings lift the Cup when Maxime Talbot saved the day. Then Petr Sykora won it in triple overtime.

But, I wasn't watching (didn't want to see the Red Wings win, as the Pens performance on Saturday didn't leave me with a lot of hope), and I wouldn't have stayed up for it anyways.

This game does increase the probability of me tuning in tomorrow, but considering all the games I've watched the Pens have lost, and all I haven't they've won...

In other news: Sami Kapanen, the Cane from long ago, has announced his retirement today. He was a fast little skater, and was a part of that special season of 2001-2002.

John Tortorella will not be coaching Tampa Bay next year, being canned from the job today. I'm happy because I thought he was a little arrogant and I didn't like his coaching style - but that happiness depends on the Lightning hiring someone that will enable the Canes to win. Not that having only one line on their won't help with that, it just is beneficial to the Hurricanes if the Lightning can pick up someone moronic.

And rumors are that Barry Melrose, the guy known to me as the ESPN hockey analyst that wears pinstriped suits and gets very little face time since the network dropped hockey games, will be taking the job. Which sounds weird because it doesn't look like he's coached in the last ten years, but it's just a rumor... But, hey, if he makes his team lose to the Canes, I'm all for it.

Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much my outlook on anything that happens in the NHL. Don't steal my players, don't beat my team, anything else is cool. And, if you can hurt Buffalo in any way, that's doubly fine.

Onwards to Game 6!

Now that's just sad...

Y'know what's both pathetic and hilarious at the same time? Watching Marc-Andre Fleury trip coming out of the tunnel in Game 1.

If that's a sign for the way the Pens play in the rest of the series... *facepalm*

So, yeah, Penguins lost 4-0. And the Wings should have had goals earlier in the game - I believe one was called off and a few hit the post.

Game 2 is tonight. Hopefully Pittsburgh will come out and make it an interesting series.