Stanley Cup Final Thus Far

I'm sorry. I sincerely meant to give everyone (all three of you, I talked to another regular reader this weekend) a prediction and a breakdown of the Final.

Here are the Cliff Notes from my breakdown:

1. The Red Wings are good.
2. The Pens have more talent.
3. The edge in the Osgood vs. Fleury match-up goes to Osgood.
4. The edge in the Babcock vs. Bylsma match-up goes to Babcock.
5. However, the reason we'd win is because we're a more complete team than last year and Bylsma has us playing aggressive, whereas Therrian had us playing more passive. I thought that, if we took the fight to the Red Wings, we'd force more turnovers, spend more time in their zone, shoot more, and that would translate to more goals.

All of that added up to Pens in six. Still possible, but not bloody likely.

Here's the thing...

I feel much better about these first two games than I did about the first two games last year. Last year, I was just praying that we didn't get swept. This year, I think we can take both games at home.

We already overcame a 0-2 deficit and won a series in these playoffs. I know, it was against a much weaker Capitals team, but there are still plenty of similarities between the two series thus far.

1. We're outshooting and outhustling Detroit. I repeat: We have more shots on goal than the Detroit Red Wings for the first two games of this series. I would also like to add that those two games were played in Joe Louis Arena (where there's something up with the ice -- everyone on the Pens seems to be fighting the puck and it never ends up where they think it will end up). I cannot express how shocked I am that we outshot them in two straight games in their building. That never, ever, ever, ever, ever happens.
2. Then again, in the extended version of the breakdown, I was intending to say that if we somehow manage to outshoot them, we'll win the series. So... so much for that.
3. Their goaltender is red hot. I knew Osgood was a great goalie coming into this series -- we saw firsthand last year and he was tremendous in the Blackhawks series -- but I didn't know he was this good. We eventually broke Varlamov, but I'd also give the edge to Osgood in an Osgood vs. Varlamov match-up. I'll give three keys to us winning this series here in a minute, but it goes without saying (even though I'm saying it) that we need to keep the pressure on Osgood. He's already a little too comfortable with the amount of heat we've put on him already. If that turns down, he'll slide on some comfy slippers and make himself a hot totty. We can't let that happen.
4. We can't catch a freakin' break. All the bounces, all the momentum, all the the little things are going Detroit's way. Now, a lot of that is them making their own luck. I'm not taking anything away from them. But, seriously, two inches one way or another on Sunday and we win 4-3. In the Capitals series, the breaks weren't as one-sided and some of the bounces went our way, which would lead one to believe that it would ultimately swing our way. They're so one-sided in the Final, though, that I'm not sure the tide will turn. Also, Detroit's good enough to beat us without luck, which is not a statement I'd make about the Washington Capitals.
5. Like the Capitals series, I think it could very easily be 1-1 right now instead of 2-0 in favor of Detroit. Really, for the Capitals series, I thought it was pretty plausible that we could be up 2-0 instead of down 2-0, but, ultimately, I think the scores of the two games at JLA were misleading and Sunday's game seriously could've gone either way.

Obviously, we have a lot going against us. We're down 0-2 in a seven game series, we're not catching any breaks, our goaltender may very well have post-traumatic stress disorder, and... oh yeah! The Red Wings are pretty good, too.

In addition to everything we're already doing -- being aggressive, taking the game to them, spending a ridiculous amount of time in their zone, forcing turnovers, not making dumb mistakes in the neutral zone -- we need to do these three things. And we need to do them well.

1. Fleury needs to concentrate like he's never concentrated before. He's lost focus a number of times in these playoffs, but it never really burned us that bad. Well, it has officially burned us bad thus far. He needs to get back in a zone like he was in games three through six last year. And he needs to do it now. Osgood is already in that zone, so it's far too lopsided at this point.
2. We need a little luck. More to the point, we need a shit-ton of luck. We need more luck than the Red Wings have had thus far. And Detroit needs to lose their luck. So, this isn't something we can control, really, but we need it. Badly.
3. We need to realize that the refs are calling a very loose game. I'm not saying the officials screwed us over, I'm not saying we're not getting any calls, and I'm definitely not saying that Clark Haggans was offsides and Ben Roethlisberger never crossed the plane. What I am saying is that the refs are calling the games loose. They're not really using their whistles. They're not calling a bunch of penalties. They're letting the players decide the outcome of the game and that's how it should be. However, no one on the Penguins seems to have realized this yet, whereas everyone on the Red Wings figured it out about halfway through the first period of Game 1. I am not mad at the officials. I am not mad at the Red Wings. I am mad at the Penguins for not realizing this right away -- or, really, at all thus far -- and not taking advantage of it.

Hey, it's a tall order. It's going to be awful-damn difficult, but not impossible. I think we can do it, starting tonight.

Bill Cowher

A full Preview of the Cup Final is coming, but I wanted to post a couple of things real quick, because I feel these are things you, my loyal readers, need to know. Both of you.

1. I was rooting for Chicago to win last night, but I'm actually glad that Detroit won. I think that we're stronger this year than we were last year. I think the fact that Malkin and Crosby are really coming into their own is going to help us out immeasurably. And, obviously, we learned a thing or about the Red Wings last year. They basically have the same team this year, so we'll be able to apply that knowledge. Plus which, there's a revenge factor and a Hossa factor, so there's that on top of that. But, they still scare the hell out of me.
2. Everyone needs to lay off Bill Cowher. There are several reasons for this: First of all, it's hockey, not football. I could see people being upset if he jerked off the Edgar Allen Poe mascot before a Hated Ravens game (or whatever it is that they do). I could see it if he knelt down and kissed the star at halftime for a Cowboys game. But, I don't ever remember him being spotted at a Pens game when he was here. I don't remember him talking about it. I don't remember any reference to Bill Cowher being a rabid Penguins fan (or even a casual one) during his 15 years as Steelers coach. His life has been completely consumed by football for the past 40 years, so it doesn't surprise me in the least that he picked up hockey now that he has some spare time. Second of all, I know, he's from here. He should be a Pens fan. I get it. But, his life, his house, and his family are in North Carolina now. He went to NC State. His wife went there. His job's in New York, not in Pittsburgh. Speaking of that job he has... Third of all, he's no longer a coach. He's a TV Analyst. Now, more than ever, he's an entertainer. He needs to be in the public eye. No publicity is bad publicity. What could make more headlines than him ringing the bell or sounding the siren (or whatever it is they do there) for the team that's playing against his "hometown" team? At worst, it's him attention whoring. At best, it's him evolving as a person and saying, "Hey, I don't get checks from the Rooneys anymore. I'm going to do what I want to do." All that having been said, I'd be upset if Roethlisberger and Keisel, and some of the current Steelers that have been regular attendees at Pens games retired and Keisel ended up dropping a bunch of debris on some unsuspecting settlers at an Avalanche game (or whatever it is they do there). That's because they showed up to those games under the pretense of being fans. If they were to suddenly switch sides, then it would have been a publicity stunt all along.

Also: LET'S GO PENS!

Penguins-Hurricanes Game 3 Review

I seriously thought the Canes would win Game 3. I seriously thought they had more fight in them. I seriously thought they were a better defensive team than they've shown themselves to be thus far. I seriously though Cam Ward was going to hold up under pressure better than he has.

I was seriously wrong.

I think they're done. I would be tremendously shocked if they win Game 4. I think we win Game 4, then wait for the winner of the Detroit Periods vs. the Chicago Blackhawks. Although, really, I think the Blackhawks are done, too. Detroit just looks too strong and, much like how we did, Detroit took Chicago to the woodshed in Game 4 of their series.

So, this begs the question: Say it's a Periods-Penguins Final... who wins? Still not sure on that. However, I will say this: Heading into the playoffs, the thought of a Periods-Penguins Final scared me more than missing a house payment or the wife telling me she was two weeks late. Now? I'm not scared, but I'm still not sure.

Basically, the Penguins have filled their roster spots with the strategy of, "We have two of the three best players in the world. Let's get the best guys we can afford to fill out the rest of the roster." Well, sadly, we lost out on Hossa, but I think that we ultimately gained.

I think that Crosby and Malkin now understand that the fate of the team rests on them. I think they understand that, if they want to hoist the Stanley Cup at the end of the year, they need to score a lot. Sure, everyone else involved with the Penguins understood this a couple years ago, but you have to understand that these guys -- Ovechkin aside -- need to be forced to be selfish. The idea of team is so ingrained in them that they need to see repeated empirical evidence of the fact that, sometimes, they need to take the game into their own hands. Now, when they have the puck, they think, "Is there a better player to have the puck right now?" And the answer, finally, in their heads, is no.

So, officially, the fate of the Penguins is in their hands. And, really, now that Ovechkin is out of it, is there anyone you'd rather have determining the fate of your team? I know I sure wouldn't.

Even if the other team changes their entire game plan to take away Malkin and Crosby, we still have plenty of other scorers that can pick up the slack. Plus which, now that Malkin is no longer gassed (doesn't look tired this year, now does he?), we essentially have a secret weapon, since the Periods really didn't have to game plan for him last year. It's interesting, but no Hossa in this year's line-up may actually help us. If the opponent spends time and resources taking the two stars out of the game, we don't have any other real stars. The guys on the ice just have to depend on each other. The guys they grew up with. The guys they came into the league with (and Bill Guerrin).

Really, if you look at it, we lucked our way into the Final last year. We faced a wounded Senators team, then a Rangers team that really only had Jagr in a contract year, then a green Flyers team that was just happy to be there and had some injury issues. I'm not saying that we didn't deserve it last year, but we definitely earned it this year.

We've always been a "two superstars (and Jordan Staal)" team, but this year we're embracing it.

Also, I'm not a "get hot at the right time" guy, especially when the NHL playoffs run for six months, but I'm definitely an, "understand your strengths and weaknesses and how to maximize and minimize them" guy. And that's what we're doing now.

I'll put it this way: Weidman's wife asked me yesterday if the Canes were that bad or if the Penguins were that good. The Penguins are that good. They are embracing their identity and running with it.

If they keep running with it, they'll win it all.

Pens-Canes Game 2 Review

Well, that was certainly exciting! And unexpected. And nearly caused me to have a stroke.

I think the Canes probably win Game 3, what with Bill Cowher sounding the siren, but I don't think they win. If I was confident before, I'm supremely confident now. I think this is over in five games, if not before.

I know that one game, or even two games, cannot define a series, but any time you score seven goals on the team that entered the series with the best GAA in the playoffs and against the goalie that was widely considered to be the best one remaining, then you gotta like your chances.

Several other points...

1. Malkin's Dad is now officially the most interesting subplot of this series, since the Staal vs. Staal thing has kinda crapped out. From his vintage 1973 leather jacket, to his awkward button-down shirts, to the fact that he put the blonde in front of him in a UFC-style choke hold and made out with her for ten seconds right in front of his wife after Malkin's third goal last night, I wish they had a feed that just followed the Malkins all game. I would bust out some picture-in-picture action for that.
2. Speaking of Malkin, he's now the points leader for the playoffs, with 25. Crosby is second with 24 points in 15 games. That's pretty impressive. And it's one of the most significant developments of the playoffs for the Penguins. Last year, Malkin and Crosby showed flashes of brilliance, but they didn't have too many plays that made you stand up and say, "Holy crap!" and they certainly didn't take over games the way they've been taking over games this year. Malkin ran out of gas towards the end of the Eastern Conference Final last year and Crosby had a ton of points, but they were mostly on assists. This year, both guys are scoring guys in bunches and both have a hat trick. Which is awesome.
3. But the most significant development of the playoffs for the Penguins is that, even though Malkin and Crosby are scoring the bulk of the goals, this is definitely not a two man team. Everyone is getting great looks and great chances -- especially the third line -- it's just that Malkin and Crosby are the ones that are scoring. If you think it's easy to score a goal, particularly in the playoffs, I think you need to go talk to Chris Kunitz, who scored his first goal since 1834 last night. Tyler Kennedy, Jordan Staal, and Bill Guerin could all have tons of goals at this point based on their scoring chances, it's just that the puck hit a defender, hit a defender's stick, or the goalie made a great save. As incomprehensibly awesome as Malkin's third goal (I originally just typed "goal" and realized that I needed to specify, which is also awesome) was last night, it's not a goal if Ward moves his stick and/or shoulder a little faster. Or maybe it hits the defender's stick and slows down just enough even though Malkin was consciously blocking the defender's stick so that that didn't happen. My ultimate point is that, if teams focus on taking Malkin and Crosby out of games, we're still well positioned to continue to score. A lot.
   
4. My other point is that this is the first time in history -- at least that I can remember -- that the Penguins are consistently outshooting their opponents. Ward faced 42 shots last night and seven got through. Fleury faced only 28 shots. Sure, four of those got through (more on this in a moment), but, with all the talented scorers on this team, you really have to like our chances if we keep outshooting our opponents by 14 per game. For the playoffs, we're outshooting our opponents 35-29, which may have something to do with why we're in the Eastern Conference Final and currently up 2 games to none. (I'm also obligated to state that Detroit is in the same situation and they're currently outshooting their opponents 40-29. Just saying.)
   
5. I also think that it's a very good thing that the offense is starting to find its groove. Again, if you can score seven goals against a team like Carolina, you are doing something very, very right. The power play is hitting its stride -- sure, they're only one for eight thus far in the series, but the Canes, as we've established, have a pretty great penalty kill -- we're getting great chances, not too many fluky goals, and we're starting to make our own luck. Ten goals in two games doesn't just happen.
6. All that having been said, I think the reason we possibly lose Game 3 is that Carolina tightens up and starts playing more like they did in Game 1. In Game 1, the Canes played their game, on the side boards and lots of contact and trying to spread us out and attack us when they pushed us to the sides. They lost, but at least they played it their way. In Game 2, they tried to open things up and attack Fleury. They scored four goals, sure, but they got crushed in transition and weren't able to keep up with us behind the net, thus giving up seven goals. I think they get back to playing the game their way, not ours, and they get back to it with a venegenace in Game 3. The home crowd will be fired up, they won't want to go down 0-3, and the sting of getting demolished in Game 2 will be fresh in their minds because their won't be a two week layoff like there was between Games 1 and 2.
7. The x-factor in this series -- and the x-factor moving forward, provided the Pens win this and go back to the Cup Final -- is Fleury. He makes some amazing saves and I think he's a great goaltender... but he definitely has some issues. Does he not know when he's supposed to leave the crease? Does he not know when to cover up the puck and when to release it? He has given up way too many easy rebounds and has been caught outside the crease way too many times in the playoffs for my liking. Sure, the defense could've helped more than they did last night. They could've cleared some of those rebounds for him. They could've been hacking away at the puck in front of the net. But, really, it's up to Fleury to glove and cover if there's a lot of traffic. I understand that, sometimes, you just can't, but there have been plenty of situations where he could have and didn't. I think the defense is playing well enough and we're winning enough faceoffs (now that we're no longer playing the Capitals) that he should stay in the crease and cover up on every shot for the rest of the series, then re-evaluate if we win. The only thing that's going to make us lose this series at this point is a number of disastrously dumb mistakes. And Fleury has already made too many of those, so we shouldn't let him make any more.
8. Now, seriously, I'm not piling on the guy, it's just that he oridinarily saves 26 of those 28 shots and he didn't last night. And he looked a little lost in Game 1 and got beat up a bit in the Washington series. Also, if you're looking for the goalie that is going into Game 3 with the most mental issues and the least confidence, I'd have to say it's actually not the guy that gave up seven goals in Game 2. I think there's something weird going on in Fleury's head right now and we need to simplify things for a bit so that he gets it straightened out before the Cup Final. Really, anyone that says he "settled down" after a rough first period in Game 2 isn't looking at things closely enough. He faced 14 shots in the first period, then 14 shots the rest of the night. Hey, if we can hold our opponents to six or eight shots a period for the rest of the playoffs, then I think he's fine. I just don't see that happening.
9. I'm very happy that Kunitz scored last night. Hopefully it's contagious.
10. Also happy for Tyler Kennedy and Maxime Talbot. They play hard every night and usually have their fair share of quality scoring chances each game. I'm happy they each got themselves a goal.
    

Pens-Canes Game 1 Review

After the game last night, I went upstairs to see what the wife was up to. She asked me if the Pens won, I said yes, and then she asked me if I still thought they'd win in five. I said yes, but how quickly I said yes got me thinking... did I just say yes because that was my defensive reaction? That I didn't want to be wrong on my prediction (at least so quickly), so I immediately backed myself up?

Well, upon further review, I still think they win in five.

We had a two goal lead for most of the game. Their power play is dreadful (although their penalty is kill is as good as advertised, even if we got one home). Even though they cut the lead to one goal and came awful damn close to tying things up, the goal that they got was with a 6-4 advantage in the last minute and a half of the third period of a playoff hockey game. With stakes that high and the odds stacked so thoroughly in their favor, it was almost a sure thing that they score -- although we did fail to clear the puck three times before they got their goal.

Basically, I'm saying that I still don't fear their offense, I still trust Fleury, they're not as dangerous as the Capitals, and I think we can get to Cam Ward. For those reasons, I still feel confident about my prediction. Not as confident as I felt going into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead, but confident.

A few other things:

1. As if special teams weren't already enough of a non-factor, it looks like the refs have pretty much put their whistles in their pockets and will let the players decide the games. I was very nervous during the first ten minutes of the game, seeing as how they called three penalties during that span, but they only called three the rest of the game. Actually, the refs calling the games loosely hurts the Penguins, since the Canes power play sucks and ours is coming on, but it helps the games, helps the sport, and, ultimately, I feel we can win regardless of how the games are called. As long as the penalties aren't too flagrant.
2. Speaking of flagrant penalties, I was listening to the local broadcast (with the mighty Mike Lange) when Ovechkin took out Gonchar with that highly questionable "knee check." Lange was livid and thought that Ovechkin should've gotten a five minute major, faced a possible fine and suspension, and be immediately checked into Allegheny Penitentiary, where the boys there would show him a new definition of "five hole." No call was made, however, so that only fueled Lange's fire. I was listening to the Versus guys last night (the one dude sounds like Booger from Revenge of the Nerds) and when Matt Cooke knee-checked Erik Cole, they didn't really say anything. To me, it looked like the same play. Are they just not calling that? Was that a make-up non-call for the non-call on Ovechkin? Either way, that sets a dangerous precident. They should call that, lest either team -- or any team left in the playoffs, for that matter -- makes knee checking a part of their strategy.
3. It's true that we won, in large part, because Fleury made some absolutely ridiculous saves. That is obviously something that is not sustainable. But, Cam Ward made about an equal number of equally ridiculous saves, so I think it will come down to who flinches first. Guess who flinched first in the Capitals series? In the Flyers series? Once again, still confident in my Pens in Five prediction.
4. I still can't believe we have to wait until Thursday for the next game. Everyone's already in Pittsburgh. What are we waiting for? People to lose interest?
5. I had never heard anyone announce Phillippe Boucher's name before. I had assumed that he would've changed the pronounciation to "booch-er" instead of "boo-chay" in order to keep idiots like me from calling him "Bobby" or "Waterboy." Nope. Should've seen it coming, though. He's French-Canadian.
   

Penguins-Hurricanes Preview

I said that the Penguins would beat the Flyers in six and they did.

I said that the Penguins would beat the Capitals in seven and they did. However, I grossly underestimated the effect that a seven game series would have on me. So, let's not have another game seven, okay?

Now, I'm here to give you the straight dope (and a prediction) on the Pens-Canes series.

I gotta be honest, the only -- and when I say only, I mean ONLY -- thing that scares me about the Canes is that they don't scare me. Historically, that has been a good sign. But that doesn't mean that some unseen force could destroy my prognostication abilities.

Consider...

1. The best player the Canes have is Eric Staal. He's not as good as Sidney Crosby. He's not as good as Evgeni Malkin. I'm not even convinced he's as good as Jordan Staal. Given that the third best player for the Penguins might be better than the best player for the Hurricanes, I'd have to say that swings the series decidedly in favor of the Penguins. There are only five guys that are allowed to be on the ice at a time, so if you hold a 3-1 advantage in talent -- in a sport where individual talent is a key factor -- that's a big advantage, right?
2. The penalty killing for the Penguins hasn't exactly been great. But, the Canes have converted on only five of 48 power play opportunities. For those of you keeping track at home, that sucks.
3. However, the Canes have also killed 49 out of 54 penalties, which is quite good. It's amazing, actually.
4. BUT, something's gotta give. And, the fact that the Penguins power play has been improving the past few games, with them converting four of their last eight, the pendulum swings back to the Pens.
5. The big things that the Canes have working in their favor are goaltending and defense. Well, we already broke down a great goaltender, so breaking down another one should only be a matter of time, right? And, really, how good can their defensemen be? I know that I am welcoming an evil, evil storm of karma, but I'm really curious. Can they stop all three of our lines with how well they're playing? I really doubt it.
6. So... you're saying that this series breaks down to Marc-Andre Fleury versus Cam Ward? Who would you take in that situation? Yes. I'd take Fleury, too.
7. "Cardiac" teams that keep hanging on, keep hanging on, keep hanging, then end up winning have a ceiling. They've already been in two seven game series and hung on to win both of them. Think they've reached their ceiling? I do.
8. Usually, talent wins out in a playoff series. The Penguins have far, far more talent.
9. I know that the Canes finished with 97 points, which was only two points -- or one win or two overtime losses -- short of the Penguins total of 99 points. But I really feel as though Dan Byslma has this team playing well, playing together, and focused on scoring goals, as evidenced by the upswing in shots on goal since he became coach, but particularly since the playoffs have started. With all the talent we have, it's really a numbers game: The more shots we put on net, the more we will score.
10. But, the Canes did eliminate the #1 seed in the Boston Bruins. I have to say, though, that the Bruins did not scare me. If we drew Boston, I would have predicted Penguins in six.
    

I have to say that I am supremely confident of a Penguins victory in this series. They can't hang with our talent. Our offense trumps their defense. Our power play trumps their penalty kill. Our goaltender trumps their goaltender.

I really just don't see how this plays out where the Penguins lose and don't advance to the Stanley Cup Final (dear God, please don't let it be against the Detroit Red Wings). I just don't see it.

As a matter of fact... I'm so supremely confident, that I will buy (and wear) a Joe Flacco jersey for all Steeler games come football season. This confidence should buoy the fans out there. But, the fact that I'm not willing to purchase (and wear) a Ray Lewis jersey for all Steeler games come football season should foretell the shadow of doubt; the grey lining in my cloud of silver.

(Editor's Note: The Flacco Bet only holds true if the Pens lose the series, not if they fail to win in the predicted number of games. Also, if anyone, that means anyone, wonders aloud why I am wearing a Flacco jersey, I am allowed to scream, "It was a bet!" The purchase of a Flacco jersey will not represent, in any way, shape, or form, an endorsement of the Hated Ravens, or their subsidiaries.)

Penguins in Five.

Penguins-Capitals Review

Well, I was going to post something yesterday and throw out my prediction for Game Seven, but, as it turns out, it's for the best that I didn't do that. Here are the Cliff Notes:

1. I thought the game was going to be close.
2. I thought it was going to go into overtime.
3. I really had no idea who was going to win.
4. I thought Varlamov was going to be the difference (though in a way, I was right).

Therefore, we can come to only one conclusion: I'm an idiot. But, hey, I'll take a dribble cup if it's the Stanley Cup.

Also, it's for the best that I didn't post anything yesterday in that I would've blathered on and on and probably ended up with 5,000 words by the time I was finished. Now that I've had time to think about the game (and the series), I think I'll be able to trim that down to 3 or 4,000.

A few thoughts:

1. We had 42 shots in game six and 30 shots in game seven. The difference was that we snuck a couple past Varlamov and nothing snuck by Fleury. And then Mussolini -- or whatever Washington's coach is called -- panicked, switched goalies, and it was pretty much over at that point.
2. But this doesn't mean that I was able to relax with a four goal lead until the announcers started thanking the producers (about three minutes left).
3. Everyone was talking about how Washington's defense imploded, but, really, they played crappy all series. Varlamov was just always there to bail them out. He wasn't there to bail them out in game seven and then he really wasn't there after Mussolini took him out. I'm not saying that the Penguins are a bad team, because they're not. They're a tremendous offensive team, but you don't get that many shots on goal for a series -- and you don't outshoot someone as badly as we outshot the Capitals -- unless you're playing some downright horrible defense. It finally caught up to them. So, yeah. Great timing on that.
4. I don't like him, but, if I'm starting a team right now and I have my pick of any player in the NHL, I'm taking Alex Ovechkin over Sidney Crosby. I just think it's easier to build a team around Ovechkin because he's more vocal and shoots more. And he's got a crazy-good shot. And he is ridiculously talented. And, hey, if I also have the second pick overall and have my pick of anyone in the NHL, I'll take Sid second. If I ran the Penguins, could only pick one player, and had the current roster in place with the exception of Sid, then I'd take Sid. He's a great fit for the Penguins, but Ovechkin is a better fit for the Capitals. Listen, Crosby just has a lot more talent around him. And he makes all those guys better. Ovechkin wouldn't elevate the play of everyone around him like Crosby does, but they'd certainly score a bunch of goals with everyone else knocking rebounds on the shots that Ovechkin misses. With the respective rosters the way they are, I wouldn't trade Crosby for Ovechkin head-up, either. But... okay, I'll say it: I think Alex Ovechkin -- though a supreme douchebag -- is the best player in hockey.

Finally, I have to say that hockey picked the right time to have an awesome playoffs. The basketball playoffs, while slightly compelling, already played their best series (Celtics-Bulls will be damn near impossible to top) and the drama will be gone until the Lakers play the Cavaliers and even then that might not be all that great of a series.

Baseball's not in full swing yet and there's the specter of Manny and A-Rod hanging over the season thus far. And, of course, no football to steal our attention.

So, dropped right into this dead zone in cool sports to watch, you have three of the biggest stars playing against each other in a back-and-forth series that got pushed to seven games and featured stars duelling it out, great individual efforts, insanely good goaltending, and yet lots of scroring. You have Giant Killer Anaheim looking to (please, please, please!) eliminate the Detroit Periods in seven, and so many seven game series that they need to show two game sevens in one night.

People are starting to pay attention. People who think icing is just something that's on cupcakes are starting to tune in. And the Sid-Geno-Ovechkin storyline and all the compelling things that happened in this series played no small part in that rise in interest.

So, in a way, the Capitals, the NHL, and the Penguins were all winners.

But in another, more accurate way, the Penguins were the winners.

Penguins-Capitals Game 3

Well, I have to say that I'm happy the Penguins won tonight. I'm happy that the series is no longer at a desperation level (3-0 lead for the Capitals). And I'm glad that Malkin had himself a great game.

But, seriously, it was about time that we won a game. We outshot them, outhustled them, and basically outplayed them the whole series, but they won the first two games. The Capitals pretty much just made the clutch plays they needed to make and won the games based on coming up big in big moments... which is really what the playoffs are all about.

And we kept getting outdone and outfoxed by a couple of fortuitous bounces and a hot goaltender.

So now I know how Flyers fans feel. We did the same damn thing to them last series. Let's hope that this series ends better for the team that "played better than the other team."