The Stanley Cup Champions

What else can I possibly say in a post to properly demonstrate what our Penguins have accomplished. The odds were against us. The history was against us. The commentators were against us. In other words, outside of Pittsburgh, there were very few who thought this game seven would even occur aside from us winning it. The fact is that we did and we won.

Let's start with my awards for this playoff year. They got it right in giving Evgeni Malkin the Conn Smythe for the playoffs MVP. Sometimes you can wish they can give out a few more recognitions just for the Stanley Cup Finals and Game Seven. For the Stanley Cup Finals MVP, I would give it to Max Talbot. He had 8 big goals and just when we needed it. I would give the Game Seven MVP to Marc-Andre Fleury, for coming into his hardest place to play and shutting down the Detroit Redwings up until the final seconds ticked off. It was an amazing performance for the whole team. If I could award a co-MVP for the playoffs as a whole, like an additional Conn Smythe, it would go to Sidney Crosby, for the points as well as the gutsy play all playoffs long. Best defensive forward (Selke) would be, without a doubt Jordan Staal. He played against the top players night in and night out and shut them down, along with all the special teams he played. Also credit him with the series changing shorthanded goal in game four. Best overall defender would have to be Rob Scuderi. He had highlight reel after highlight reel of plays that stuffed the best offenses in the league. Finally, if I could award the best comeback player, it would go to Miroslav Satan. He went through quite a bit this season and won his first Stanley Cup. Amazing.

My biggest disappointment came after the game when Mike Babcock came out to do his interview with the press. Now, typically, I can understand being upset because his team lost and that, but to basically say that they couldn't play their best was only because of injuries... Well, I was disappointed in him not just admitting that his team was outplayed and lost. I really don't know what I would have expected Dan Bylsma to say if we would have lost that game, but it would certainly not be a display of arrogance. I just thought that Babcock should have said nothing more than the Penguins played a great series and it was great for hockey. Maybe I am being too selfish considering we did win this one, but I just think that it would have been a professional courtesy.

Let's talk Marian Hossa for a minute. We will start with scenario one: if he would have signed with the Penguins and we would have won the cup. He would have been holding the cup right now, knowing he made a great choice and he would also know there would be a chance to repeat the next few years because the contract would have been for a while. He would have been embraced by the city and loved by thousands. Scenario two: he signed with Detroit and stated that he wanted a better chance at winning the cup than with Pittsburgh. He lost the cup for the second year in a row and on home ice. He scored a ton of goals in the regular season, flopped in the playoffs and is now an unrestricted free agent because he only signed for one year in an economy that isn't as gracious as it was last year. He also drew quite a few question marks from the city of Detroit due to his lack of play this playoff season. interesting.

The city of Pittsburgh has won two major sports trophies this year, the Superbowl and the Stanley Cup. We are once again the City of Champions. We haven't been here since 1979 when we had the Steelers and the Pirates win it all. We are the first city to have the NFL and the NHL since Detroit did it in 1954. The Penguins are the first team to win a road Game 7 in the MLB/NBA/NHL since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. They ended an 18-game losing streak by road team in Game 7. Coach Bylsma became the second rookie head coach hired midseason to win the Stanley Cup (Al MacNeil of 1971 Canadiens). This is the same Canadians that were down two games to none at the beginning of the Finals as well as another playoff series that season and still won it. They are also the same Canadians that won game seven on the road. Kinda eerie isn't it?

I am going to treasure this moment for years to come, I came back to this city after 7 years of moving around in the Army and I have been able to be a part of the city winning two championships. Amazing.