Congrats to the Detroit Red Wings on their victory in the Stanley Cup Final. I have to admit, I wish they had won it at home - the celebration would have been infinitely more enjoyable. But I guess you can't have it all.
Also, congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nobody gave them much of a chance in this Final, but after the first two games, they gave Detroit everything they wanted. It's amazing how young these Penguins are. No question, they'll be back.
And that ends our season. I'm sad to see it go. I probably watched more hockey this season than I did in any other season. It has just been such a great season all-around. Some of the highlights (and there are plenty more than these)...
- The Winter Classic
- The emergence of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin
- Pittsburgh selling out every game this season
- The resurgence of hockey in Chicago
- Chris Osgood's comeback
- Rick DiPietro joining the league's elite (for the first half of the season, anyway)
- Record TV ratings on Versus and NBC
- San Jose's 20-game unbeaten streak
- The arrival of the NHL Network
- Montreal's surprising season
- Washington's turnaround
- The debut of young stars in Phoenix and Edmonton
- The Stanley Cup Finals, particularly Game 5
Sure, there were some negative points, such as Buffalo losing yet another elite player and the Chris Simon and Richard Zednik incidents. But by and large, this has been a season to remember. One year ago, the NHL was mocked for giving NBC its' lowest TV ratings ever. Now, the NHL has come all the way back from their post-lockout malaise and, if nothing else, is the clear-cut fourth sport in America.
With that, our focus turns to the draft. And by "our focus", I don't mean mine. I personally couldn't care less about the draft, and I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about any of these prospects just because I'm writing on a blog. Whoever the Islanders pick, see you in a few years. Or, more likely, enjoy your life in a new city after you're traded for a late-season rental.
After the draft, we have free agency. Marian Hossa or Brian Campbell would look awfully good in Ranger blue; I'd wager that they land one of these guys. The Islanders, of course, will settle for the Jon Sims of the world. Which is ridiculous if you think about it; with Miroslav Satan's salary off the books, the Islanders will have plenty of cap room. Unfortunately, much of it will be spent giving one-year deals to third-line players.
Yes, free agency is where it's at. And believe it or not, it's just four weeks away. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad that there's not more hockey to be played this year. The season has been one of the best in recent memory; let's hope next year is just as good.
Also, congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nobody gave them much of a chance in this Final, but after the first two games, they gave Detroit everything they wanted. It's amazing how young these Penguins are. No question, they'll be back.
And that ends our season. I'm sad to see it go. I probably watched more hockey this season than I did in any other season. It has just been such a great season all-around. Some of the highlights (and there are plenty more than these)...
- The Winter Classic
- The emergence of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin
- Pittsburgh selling out every game this season
- The resurgence of hockey in Chicago
- Chris Osgood's comeback
- Rick DiPietro joining the league's elite (for the first half of the season, anyway)
- Record TV ratings on Versus and NBC
- San Jose's 20-game unbeaten streak
- The arrival of the NHL Network
- Montreal's surprising season
- Washington's turnaround
- The debut of young stars in Phoenix and Edmonton
- The Stanley Cup Finals, particularly Game 5
Sure, there were some negative points, such as Buffalo losing yet another elite player and the Chris Simon and Richard Zednik incidents. But by and large, this has been a season to remember. One year ago, the NHL was mocked for giving NBC its' lowest TV ratings ever. Now, the NHL has come all the way back from their post-lockout malaise and, if nothing else, is the clear-cut fourth sport in America.
With that, our focus turns to the draft. And by "our focus", I don't mean mine. I personally couldn't care less about the draft, and I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about any of these prospects just because I'm writing on a blog. Whoever the Islanders pick, see you in a few years. Or, more likely, enjoy your life in a new city after you're traded for a late-season rental.
After the draft, we have free agency. Marian Hossa or Brian Campbell would look awfully good in Ranger blue; I'd wager that they land one of these guys. The Islanders, of course, will settle for the Jon Sims of the world. Which is ridiculous if you think about it; with Miroslav Satan's salary off the books, the Islanders will have plenty of cap room. Unfortunately, much of it will be spent giving one-year deals to third-line players.
Yes, free agency is where it's at. And believe it or not, it's just four weeks away. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad that there's not more hockey to be played this year. The season has been one of the best in recent memory; let's hope next year is just as good.
EDIT: I wanted to take a minute to congratulate Chris Osgood for his work in these playoffs. He easily could have been the Conn Smythe winner; I'm sure he'll take the Cup instead. This is a guy who was extremely eager to leave Detroit in 2001 to come to the Islanders, who had finished 30th in the league the year before. He did a lot for the Islanders in his time with the club, and I'm very glad to see him rewarded for his efforts.
Pretty sure you owe me $1 for me correctly predicting the Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg. Match that with my prediction of "Detroit in 6" and "Sykora in triple overtime" and I think I've won the playoffs, despite not having a series winner correct in Round 2.
ReplyDeleteI would have called Detroit in 6 if I had actually finished my predictions piece in time. My bad.
ReplyDeleteSykora in triple OT can wash out my ridiculously awesome first round if you want. Let's just call it a tie - just like the Metro Ice Challenge