It All Comes Down To This...

I have said this multiple times, but it does not get any better.

While I counted myself among the skeptics once the 2009 Stanley Cup Final became a rematch of last year's six-game duel between the Penguins and Red Wings, I have been pleasantly proven wrong so far. This series has been downright incredible.

It's easy to pick the obvious storylines--Sidney Crosby's relative ineffectiveness in the first three games to Pavel Datsyuk's noted absence from the Detroit lineup, but the grand scheme is a remarkable one. Series like this do wonders for the game of hockey, and no one in the league office will complain when Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get some more air time.

Last night's Game 6 in Mellon Arena successfully blended together every element of exciting and enthralling hockey. The Penguins were on their heels early in the first period, but after Marc-Andre Fleury's point-blank save on Henrik Zetterberg, the home team settled down. After the first period, the Penguins owned a 12-3 shot advantage. But they had nothing to show for it in a 0-0 tie. Chris Osgood made momentum-halting saves on Ruslan Fedotenko and Crosby late in the first to carry his team into the locker room.

As playoff hockey usually goes, the unsung heroes led the way for the Penguins in this one.

Third-line center Jordan Staal opened the scoring in the first minute of the second period, burying his own rebound on a 2-on-1 rush. It appeared the floodgates would open for Pittsburgh, but Osgood stood just as tall. He stopped Max Talbot's deceptive backhand shot before robbing Bill Guerin on the door step. Osgood's stability between the pipes kept Detroit in the game while they were skating on tired legs.




The Penguins killed off multiple Red Wings power plays and took a 1-0 lead into the third period. Detroit countered hard in the opening minutes, but Pittsburgh's push back was equally strong. And again, the third line was responsible for the game-winning goal.

Matt Cooke took a drop pass from Staal behind Osgood and reversed the puck to Tyler Kennedy, who was waiting on the far post. Kennedy crept in front of the net and stuffed a tight-angle shot behind Osgood and put his team in control with a 2-0 lead.

But the ice would tilt again.

Center Kris Draper cashed a rebound from Nick Lidstrom minutes later to cut the deficit in half for Detroit, and Malkin took a cross-checking penalty soon after. The Red Wings peppered Fleury, but his defense swallowed up multiple shots from the point and effectively cleared the zone four times.

Pittsburgh felt the heat in the final 90 seconds with Osgood on the bench for an extra attacker. Most of the Red Wings' third-period attempts came in the final minutes, pushing hard for the tying goal. Defenseman Rob Scuderi made three straight saves in the crease while Fleury scrambled to get back into the net, leaving Red Wing forward Johan Franzen befuddled.

In theory, Scuderi made more key saves than his netminder, who only faced eight shots in the first two periods. But again, this is what makes playoff hockey both beautiful and chaotic: guys will sell out and do everything to get their name etched on the Stanley Cup.

Friday night, we will know whose names get the honor.

Q & A: Steve Osacky

I sat down with Ohio hockey defenseman Steve Osacky to talk about life in the OU locker room, friendly trash-talking among teammates about the Stanley Cup playoffs, and growing up hockey-crazy Chicago.


Q: Why is the future so bright for the Blackhawks?

Osacky: They're finally on the right track. I guess that's the best way to put it. For a while, there wasn't a lot to look forward to in terms of players or winning or anything like that. There wasn't a lot of energy in the United Center, either. Now, they have young stars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg to build around.

Q: How has the atmosphere at the United Center changed in recent years?

O: Well, there's a lot more people there now (laughing). I mean, just the energy around the team is totally different. People expect to see the Hawks win, and they want to see the star players on the team, too. When you sell out every night, it makes things more exciting and definitely louder, too.


Q: There are a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins fans on the hockey team. Any other Chicago fans?

O: Few and far between (laughing). There are a couple other guys on the team from Chicago, like Mike Peota and Paul Marshall. I'm probably the loudest Hawks fan, but every now and then you'll see a couple of the guys wearing Hawks gear, even more so now that they're going deep into the playoffs.


Q: How much trash-talking is there among your teammates with the Penguins, Red Wings and Blackhawks all going far into the postseason?

O: A ton. Some guys keep it cool, but for the most part, the Penguins fans are all obnoxious. There are some Detroit fans, like (assistant coach) Stavros and Justin Farmer. Jeremy Browning is a Wings fan, too. But the loudest and cockiest of them all is definitely (former Bobcat) Jeff Jepson.


Q: How bright is the future in Chicago?

O: It's really bright. You look at all of the young talent and guys that have yet to make it to the NHL, there are a ton of good players both on the team and in the system. Now that they're winning again and this year they're doing some damage, hockey in Chicago is only going to get bigger.

A Second NHL Team in Toronto?

I don't usually delve into outside National Hockey League issues, but after withstanding three weeks of Phoenix Coyotes-Jim Balsillie madness, this one is too hard to pass up.

TSN, Canada's sports network leader and American comparison to ESPN, reported today that a group of investors led by Andrew Lopez would hold a press conference in Toronto to discuss its plans to bring a second NHL franchise to the Golden Horseshoe, the Canadian metropolitan hub.

According to the report, the investors have formed a group called the Toronto Legacy Group and the proposed expansion team would boast the same name (without the 'group'). Lopez and his fellow investors have reportedly allocated $1 billion (Canadian) to finance the franchise, as well as help build a 30,000-seat arena on the north side of Toronto.

At some point, the league has to take notice.

For years, commissioner Gary Bettman has spent the majority of his expansion teams on southern U.S. cities, those that have no professional sports teams or would be considered a non-traditional hockey market. I know, the most trite expression in the NHL.

The Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes and Nashville Predators have all experienced severe financial trouble in the past five years, and eventually losing all this money will come back to haunt the NHL. Getting investors in the league that truly care about hockey and that have deep pockets is only a good thing for the game and the NHL--yet for some reason, the Bettman administration does not think the same way.

I understand that these non-traditional market teams are his little project, and he refuses to see them die. But before too long, the losses are going to become insurmountable, and the Phoenix situation is no exception.

Sure, Balsillie is a different guy--he chooses not to abide by the league rules for acquiring a team and uses his multi-billion dollar wallet to do the talking. Using the round about way to buy a team is not a good method to endear yourself to the head honchos, but the BlackBerry founder sure has enough coin to make the NHL listen.

Since when were passion and dedication deemed bad things for people with money? Wise up, NHL, and grant these people their teams before you lose even more revenue.

Best Sights and Cities of the NHL Playoffs

This year's Stanley Cup Playoffs have been staged in some of North America's most beautiful cities. Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal are Canada's finest metropolitan areas, and the locals are crazy about the hometown teams.

South of the Canadian border, great cities such as Boston, St. Louis, Chicago and Washington D.C. played host to playoff games this season. The 16 teams that embarked on the journey to the Stanley Cup on April 15 have been whittled down to two. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings might not play in America's most picturesque cities, but the hockey they have displayed in the first three games of the final has been artistic.

This interactive map, created with the help of Google Maps, will take you around the continent and into some of the playoffs' best hockey cities. Click on the landmark above each city to learn a little more about their hockey team, and take a look at the pictures inside!


View The Best Sights and Cities of the NHL Playoffs in a larger map

Rematch, Anyone?

Who would have thought we would end up here?

Nearly two months after the Stanley Cup Playoffs began in eight cities throughout North America, the same two cities that represented themselves in last season's Stanley Cup final get a return engagement.



The Detroit Red Wings took the easier and quicker path to their second straight finals appearance. Their postseason began with a four-game sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets, making their first-ever playoff run. It was on to Anaheim and the feisty Ducks, who gave the Red Wings their sternest test of the playoffs so far in a six-game slugfest. Upon advancing to the Western Conference final, division rival Chicago awaited the defending champions.

Poised to make a deep run, the Blackhawks could never build momentum after storming through both Calgary and Vancouver in six games. The 'Hawks young players were ineffective against the Red Wings' battle-tested forwards and after losing goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to injury in Game 3, backup Cristobal Huet could not keep the Red Wings at bay.

Pittsburgh's run to the final included some familiar foes as well as some to the contrary. They opened against their conference final opponents from a year ago--the Philadelphia Flyers. A five-game series win set up a date with the Washington Capitals, and a league marketer's dream: Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin, the game's two best players going head-to-head in a playoff series for the first time. The Penguins won the seven-game showdown with a dismantling in Verizon Center, and moved on to face the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes. The 'Canes looked nothing like the team that had just knocked off the East's top seed (Boston), and were swept by the Penguins.

So, we meet again.

The Red Wings won the first game Saturday night in familiar fashion--solid play from their forwards as well as a handful of key stops from Chris Osgood in the 3-1 win. Pittsburgh's top players must be better in order to keep their team in the series, as Detroit's top guns (minus the injured Pavel Datsyuk) are in top form.

My prediction? A carbon-copy of last year's final...Detroit wins in six games.


Photo credit: jpowers65 via Flickr

The Resurgence of Hockey In Chicago Continues

Hockey in Chicago goes further back than the days of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Denis Savard and old Chicago Stadium.

Those were the glory days of one of the National Hockey League's original six franchises, and they built around Hull--one of hockey's most distinguishable namesakes. But until recently, the Blackhawks have endured a stretch of lean years that has encompassed seven seasons, top-five draft picks and attendance that dipped into the 9,000s in the 22,000-seat United Center.

Now, it is safe to say the lean years have turned into a robust future.

Ohio hockey defenseman Steve Osacky grew up outside Chicago in Oak Forest, Ill., and he and his family are life long Blackhawks fans. They remember some of the good years, a lot of the bad, but are in the midst of their team's impressive run to the 2009 Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings.

"A few years ago, there really wasn't an atmosphere at the United Center," Osacky said. "I mean, obviously we didn't have a good team to go watch, and the future didn't look so good.

"Now, there's a good group of young players that have taken the 'Hawks to another level and it's exciting for the city."

Chicago selected center Jonathan Toews out of the University of North Dakota in 2006 (3rd overall) and then drafted winger Patrick Kane with the #1 overall pick at the 2007 NHL draft in Columbus. The two have not only become good friends away from the rink, but have developed a Hull-Mikita-esque partnership on the ice. Kane flanks Toews on the team's top line, and together, they have electrified hockey fans in the Windy City.




The Blackhawks ushered over 1 million fans into the United Center this year, averaging more than 21,000 fans per game. A major factor to the resurrection of the Blackhawks has been owner/chairman Rocky Wirtz, who took control of the team's operations once his father (William) passed away. Immediately, the younger Wirtz demanded that all of the team's games be broadcast on local cable channel Comcast Sportsnet--unlike previous years when home games were blacked out.

"Just people being able to watch the team has helped a lot," Osacky said. "It was hard to follow them when the games weren't even on TV.

"What Rocky Wirtz has done is great. It's a young team that has benefited from the exposure."

Last year's Blackhawks finished just outside of the Stanley Cup playoff picture, but were one of the league's hottest teams down the stretch. Savard, then the head coach, led a fast-skating and relentless team that many assumed would carry the momentum into 2009.

But they did not.

The Hawks stumbled out of the gate, going 1-3 in their first four games. Savard was fired and veteran NHL coach Joel Quenneville stepped behind the bench after serving a short stint as a pro scout. From there, the team embraced his attacking philosophy and they took off. Chicago finished with over 100 points in the standings and grabbed home-ice advantage with the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

So, is hockey in Chicago "back?"

"I would say so," Osacky said with a smile.

Site Review: HockeyBuzz

Leading the charge of hockey's internet renaissance is HockeyBuzz.com, an interactive, fan-driven Web site that is run by a man hidden behind a veil of anonymity.

Eklund, "the anonymous hockey blogger," is the chief operator and founder of HockeyBuzz, which was begun during the National Hockey League's labor dispute and subsequent lockout in 2004-05. What originally began as an independent blogger's random thoughts and musings has developed into a hockey media giant, and this postseason, HockeyBuzz and TV network VERSUS entered into a partnership. HockeyBuzz writers whose teams are competing the Stanley Cup Playoffs will have their content displayed on VERSUS' official Web site, and will also feature content from rival bloggers as their playoff series go on.

A few years ago, Eklund was hosting his site using Blogger, and now he is the CEO of his own brand and his site brings tens of thousands of hockey fans together under one umbrella. Some blogs by high-profile hockey media members such as Howard Berger (FAN 590 radio, Toronto) and Tim Panaccio (Philadelphia Inquirer) often achieve more than 1,000 comments in their respective feedback sections.

That perhaps is the hallmark of HockeyBuzz: feedback. Not only is the site a world-class hotbed of hockey information and a one-stop shop for the rabid fan, people from across the globe can interact and talk hockey all day and all night, which is what frequently happens. Throughout the regular season and playoffs, fans of every team comment not only on their respective team blogger's posts, but also those of other teams and especially their rivals or game-day opponents.

Few sites can say that they boast the degree of interactivity HockeyBuzz delivers. The NHL has became gradually more welcoming to the blogger as a member of the hockey media, and this revolution is due large in part to the annual growth of HockeyBuzz. Many local bloggers on the site have received full-season press credentials to NHL teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators.

But what do people come back to this site for? Rumors.

Rumors, rumors...and more rumors.

Eklund is an interconnected member of many hockey circles and has access to inside information that hockey fans loathe for. During the prime time of rumor season (after the season is over until the following season begins), Eklund provides fans with daily updates of the rumors and scuttlebutt that he is hearing from the many sources he communicates with. Some are far-fetched, others are well-placed, but in the end Eklund rakes in a significant amount of web traffic.

After a site make over last off-season, HockeyBuzz has introduced several unique features to its fans. Salary Cap Central is a feature that allows readers to view each NHL team's payroll structure, and how much money each franchise allots to its players. Contract terms are also available, so fans can see when each player's contract is set to expire or renew.

The Rumor Chart is Eklund's most popular feature. He analyzes the fate of hockey's upcoming free agents, and categorizes their potential destinations by percentages. He bases the percentages on hearsay and rumors he collects from sources while also taking into consideration salary cap situations.

But where does Eklund go wrong? His name.

While HockeyBuzz has developed into a highly marketable Web site that attracts some of the highest web traffic numbers among hockey-specific sites, Eklund's anonymous moniker has fueled controversy amongst his rivals. People have tried to unveil Eklund by scoping around the Web, but his real identity still remains a secret. For this reason, critics have a hard time believing some of the things Eklund writes or comments on--simply becasuse without a face to a name, credibility takes a big hit.

Hockey fans across the world have converged upon HockeyBuzz to discuss their favorite team, talk about free agents or vent about something Eklund or one of his bloggers said. The credibility issue continues to loom large, and the sad part is, the day Eklund reveals his identity (or he's outed) is the day his site begins to suffer. He has turned his anonymous blogger gig into a prime time show, per se.

Without the questions of Eklund's identity or source credibility, this site earns an "A." But for outstanding content, appearance and fan interaction, HockeyBuzz gets an "A-" from 16 Teams, One Dream.