Official 2007-2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Thread - "And a child shall lead them"

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I look at the Pens/Crosby getting to the Finals this early like the Cavs and Lebron getting there - a nice story, but ultimately will be triumphed by experience.

The Red Wings have 11 players with Stanley Cup rings, totaling 24 championships between them -- Nicklas Lidstrom (3), Kris Draper (3), Tomas Holmstrom (3), Kirk Maltby (3), Darren McCarty (3), Chris Chelios (2), Chris Osgood (2), Brian Rafalski (2), Pavel Datsyuk (1), Dominik Hasek (1) and Mark Hartigan (1).
 
THN just put up their prediction!

DETROIT RED WINGS vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

2008 Playoff MVP
Detroit – Henrik Zetterberg. Aside from the fact he leads the Red Wings in scoring with 21 points in 16 games, Zetterberg is as proficient a defensive contributor as he is on offense.
Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby. Sure, he’d probably like to have more than four goals in 14 games, but his skill and vision are key factors in elevating the play of those around him.

Why They’re Here
Detroit – Depth remains the Red Wings calling card. Imagine a team losing its top scorer (Johan Franzen, 12 goals) through the first two rounds and barely skipping a beat. It also helps to have experience and the Red Wings have plenty of that to go around, too.
Pittsburgh – Not enough credit is given to coach Michel Therrien, who has instilled in his offense-oriented team the value of two-way hockey. The Penguins don’t have the same marquee value on its blueline as Detroit, but the Penguins team defense is solid.


Special Teams
The Penguins rank second on the power play after three rounds with a 24.6 percent success rate, while the Red Wings are fifth at 21 percent. Both teams have an 87.3 percent penalty-killing efficiency rate, but the Red Wings have five shorthanded goals compared to one for the Penguins. Edge: Pittsburgh

Forwards
At first blush, one is tempted to suggest no team in the NHL has as potent a 1-2 punch as Crosby and Malkin, but the reality is, through the playoffs, Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been every bit as lethal; and they have more experience. Hossa has proven himself to be a valuable trade deadline addition, but Franzen can counter Hossa’s effectiveness if he is able to return to health. Although 19-year-old Jordan Staal of the Pens is a horse, Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby have the edge in checking experience. Edge: Even

Defense
There is no question the Red Wings have a deeper and more experienced blueline beginning with soon-to-be-named Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom. Brian Rafalski is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with New Jersey and a solid two-way performer, while Niklas Kronwall, finally healthy at this time of year, is another two-way threat who likes to hit. Brad Stuart has re-emerged as a dependable D-man with the Wings. On the other side, Sergei Gonchar is unquestionably Pittsburgh’s best defender and certainly worthy of praise. After that, defense is done by committee. Edge: Detroit

Goaltending
When Dominik Hasek went down, the Red Wings were very fortunate to have a backup goalie many teams would love to have as their No. 1 – Chris Osgood. Given the fact he has two Stanley Cup rings already and was the starter when Detroit won its second straight Cup in 1998, Osgood has lots of experience, so there are no surprises for him. Marc-Andre Fleury, meanwhile, is new to all of this. He was 1-4 coming into this year’s playoffs, but has been nothing short of sensational through the first three rounds. Edge: Detroit

Coaching
Once again, if experience counts, the Wings are standing tall with Mike Babcock who guided the Mighty Ducks to the final in 2002-03. Babcock’s teams are fast, play a solid puck possession game and are very disciplined. It would have been easy for Michel Therrien to assess his talent and go with a strictly run-and-gun style, but he understands the value of defense and has managed to get that message through to his players. Edge: Detroit

X-Factor
Based on previous playoff experiences, we pretty much know what to expect from the Red Wings’ stars. But what about the Penguins’ top guns? This is, after all, just the second year of post-season action for Crosby, Malkin and Staal. Have we seen their best yet? If I was the Red Wings, I’d be concerned Crosby only has four goals to this point. He could be on the verge of exploding. Edge: Pittsburgh

Prediction
This has the potential to be one of the best Stanley Cup finals in years. Or, if Detroit’s experience is the deciding factor, it could be over in four games. Given the fact the Penguins have not lost at home in this year’s playoffs, we don’t see that happening. And when you have the best player in the world on your team – Crosby - that can also be a deciding factor. Pittsburgh in six.

I agree with a lot of their assessments except for the Goalie one (and who will win the series but yea...) as I think both ave played very good but Fluery doesn't have such a deep defensive unit to back him up.
 
SleazyC said:
THN just put up their prediction!



I agree with a lot of their assessments except for the Goalie one (and who will win the series but yea...) as I think both ave played very good but Fluery doesn't have such a deep defensive unit to back him up.

Even forwards, better defense, better goaltending, and 5 short-handed goals for the Wings - Pens in 6? :lol

Also, Zetterberg > Crosby, just no Canadian wants to admit it.
 
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fallout said:
Oh fuck, not another one. Can we stop with this bullshit already?


Don't worry, it will pass once the bandwagon "Johnny come lately" fans leave after the finals.

All I know is, this thread will implode if the pens pull it off. :lol

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purg3 said:
Don't worry, it will pass once the bandwagon "Johnny come lately" fans leave after the finals.

Are you talking about the Penguins fans who were non existent on this board before Crosby was drafted?
 
purg3 said:
Don't worry, it will pass once the bandwagon "Johnny come lately" fans leave after the finals.
At this juncture in our discourse, I should probably clarify the following:

1. I do think the Zetterberg has been better than Crosby in these playoffs.
2. My opinion on (1) does not mean that I think Crosby is a terrible player.

Anyway, that said ... I think it would be kind of cute if Osgood won the Conn Smythe.
 
Fuck the Penguins, go Red Wings. The Pens just got a bunch of super high draft picks to make their team, the Wings actually develop there own without luck in the draft.
 
A team isn't good on the strength of a handful of top draft picks. If that were the case, the Caps wouldn't have been a borderline playoff team in a weak division and wouldn't have gotten bounced in the first round. The Pens are so good because they've surrounded their core with a strong supporting cast. From the early part of this decade, they drafted a number of key depth players in third round and beyond: Malone, Talbot, Letang, Scuderi, Kennedy... they used Welch to get Roberts, Carcillo to get Laraque, Christensen and Armstrong to get Hossa and Dupuis. Gonchar, Sykora, Ruutu, Conklin, Gill, those were quality signings or trade additions.

A Pens fan would be silly to act like they haven't been fortunate to get here. The Pens were bad at the right time. But that's not the reason the team is this good. They drafted well in the later rounds and made good additions to build around the core. That's how you turn promise into a true contender. You're not going to get past more than a round or two if all you have is a couple superstar players with no depth. The Pens teams in the late 90's were proof of that.
 
Due to unforeseen circumstances, both teams are eliminated.

Fraudsby unexpectedly goes on Maternity Leave. Lemieux mysteriously dissapears the next day

Malkin accidently kills himself when trying to slewfoot a lightpole he believed was Nicholas Lidstrom.

Datsyuk's circuitry malfunctions, relegating him to the Isle Of Effeminate Machines along with C-3PO and The Tin Man.

Zetterberg believes he is on a short-handed breakaway, only to realize too late that the game is in Intermission. He is consumed by the Zamboni.

After mourning these tragic events. Bettman will award the Cup to the most deserving team-Your Dallas Stars. Modano will then use the Cup as a condom to fuck Willa Ford.

Stars in 1.
 
Barrage said:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, both teams are eliminated.

Fraudsby unexpectedly goes on Maternity Leave. Lemieux mysteriously dissapears the next day

Malkin accidently kills himself when trying to slewfoot a lightpole he believed was Nicholas Lidstrom.

Datsyuk's circuitry malfunctions, relegating him to the Isle Of Effeminate Machines along with C-3PO and The Tin Man.

Zetterberg believes he is on a short-handed breakaway, only to realize too late that the game is in Intermission. He is consumed by the Zamboni.

After mourning these tragic events. Bettman will award the Cup to the most deserving team-Your Dallas Stars. Modano will then use the Cup as a condom to fuck Willa Ford.

Stars in 1.


Amazing :lol

So, how many days left until game 1?
 
kassatsu said:
Damn too bad I joined this board last year.

Yeah I joined in '06. Makes me feel bad for Kingpen and Alucard :lol


And holy shit at the new ticket prices for games 3 and 4, wow.
US $125.00(min.) - US $350.00
 
Code:
Brian Rafalski (Wings) 	 	30 - 1
Chris Osgood (Wings) 	        5 - 2
Evgeni Malkin (Penguins) 	7 - 2
Henrik Zetterberg (Wings) 	4 - 1
Johan Franzen (Wings) 	        12 - 1
Marc-Andre Fleury (Penguins) 	5 - 1
Marian Hossa (Penguins) 	20 - 1
Nicklas Lidstrom (Wings) 	5 - 1
Pavel Datsyuk (Wings) 	        8 - 1
Ryan Malone (Penguins) 	        25 - 1		
Sidney Crosby (Penguins) 	3 - 1

current conn smythe odds courtesy sportsbook. still waitin on the exact games props to come out.
 
Marc-André Fleury is actually one of my cousins, although pretty far in the family tree (I never met him, haha). Go Penguins.
 
I'm pumped. Best final in years, go Wings!

You can argue who has the better offense/goaltending, but there's no arguing that the Wings D is superior to the Pens and every team the Pens have faced so far, and that will be the difference.
 
Pens in 6, just because I hate the Wings. Normally you'd expect a young team like the Pens to need to lose a Finals before they put it all together, but I can't in good conscience pick the Wings to win jack shit.
 
purg3 said:
After mourning these tragic events. Bettman will award the Cup to the most deserving team-Your Dallas Stars. Modano will then use the Cup as a condom to fuck Willa Ford.

:lol :lol

That's hockey-age post of the year right there, ain't nothing going to top that one folks.
 
Solo said:
Ever hear Pierre Maguire verbally suck off Mike Richards?

Yeah, I had to also put up with Glen Healy spit shining Dallas' shaft throughout their playoff run. Unreal.

Anyways, Pittsburgh in 7.

I wish more people in the States watched hockey. But being from Canada, I guess only we can really appreciate it (I'm generalizing).
 
If the series makes it to game 5 I will definitely try to get some tickets to go see the game. Would love to go on Saturday or Monday for game 1 or 2 but I am just coming back from college and will probably be way to tired to make the trek to Detroit.
 
purg3 said:
Yeah I joined in '06. Makes me feel bad for Kingpen and Alucard :lol


And holy shit at the new ticket prices for games 3 and 4, wow.
US $125.00(min.) - US $350.00

I didn't mind the Pens back then, no one really gave the team any grief really. I just found your comment funny, that's all.

I should have added a smiley face to my comment.

Actually I find your ticket prices comment funny too...I think there were some Pens fans here making fun of how Detroit can't sell out with their sky high prices.

SA-X said:
I'm pumped. Best final in years, go Wings!

You can argue who has the better offense/goaltending, but there's no arguing that the Wings D is superior to the Pens and every team the Pens have faced so far, and that will be the difference.

There are 2 components to the D, the coaching and then the individual skill. I see both teams have coaches that have instilled the idea of defense into even the most offensive players on each team. I give that quality to both teams. But IMO, the Wings have more individual skill on their D lines than the Pens do. When it comes to shutting down second and third lines, the depth in D will be key, the way I see it.

I don't know too much about the Eastern Conference, so I could be wrong on this next point...but I don't think Ottawa, the Rangers, or the Flyers didn't have the sort of depth on defense that the Wings have, so it will be a test for the Penguins.

Well, another thing has been brought up many times, the face-off wins stat...and analyst shrug it off because the Pens, despite being horrible on faceoffs, are still doing awesome.

While that's a good point, I think that when it comes to Detroit, it will start to be a big detriment for the Pens. The Flyers were able to cough it up many times throughout a period...the Wings won't, despite the Pens pressure in the neutral zone.

Now I'm not saying that all of this adds to the Wings steamrolling the Pens (though I wish it were the case, and at the beginning of the playoffs I would have said so)...I'm just saying that the Pens haven't seen a team like this.

And the vice versa is true. The Wings haven't seen an offense like the Pens before (had the Aves been healthy, they may have). The Pens really like to clog up the neutral zone, which we didn't see much from the Preds, Aves and Stars mainly because they rarely had a lead.

My point is, both teams will be tested.

It seems like it's a series that can be framed in many ways...youth vs. experience. Highly touted drafts vs. 6/7th round draft picks who turned into superstars. A young up and coming superstar goalie vs. a Stanley Cup Winning goalie. There are some similarities I suppose. You have a washed up Sykora on the Pens and McCarty on the Wings vying to make themselves relevant again. heheheheheh
 
holy shit i had NO IDEA richards got a 12-year contract!!!

happened while i was in south america apparently. this isn't the first time i've come across info months afterwards that i missed during that trip, but i can't believe i didn't know that for six months...
 
FightyF said:
Actually I find your ticket prices comment funny too...I think there were some Pens fans here making fun of how Detroit can't sell out with their sky high prices.

Well, considering we sold out every single home game this season, they could set the ticket prices at whatever they want and we will still sell out.

Just curious, how much are wings tickets for games 1 and 2 in comparison?
 
I'm surprised nobody has brought up the injury that's going to happen to Marc-Andre Fleury during Game 1, and the heroic attempt by Ty Conklin to try and shut the door for 5 whole minutes using his Stanley Cup Final experience.



sku78o.jpg
 
Big-E said:
Richards is worthy of praise.

Sure he is - he is a great player. But there is a line between giving praise and giving verbal fellatio, and Maguire crosses it any time Ive heard him call a Flyers game. Its embarassing, and just adds yet another thing to the growing list of reasons why Pierre Maguire is the worst commentator going.
 
bishoptl said:
This article on hockey goons is absolutely glorious. :lol

Three seats to my right is an elderly woman. Her face is wet with tears. She has never seen a hockey fight before.

She is Mirasty's grandmother.

Two seats over is a blonde with a ponytail, wearing a Mirasty jersey and Ugg boots. She's standing on her chair, screaming and whistling and waving her index finger in the air.

She is Mirasty's mom.

:lol
 
Alucard said:
MIGHT be going to Game 2 or 5 in Detroit. $230? Why not? This series could really go either way.

for sure, whats a few hundred dollars to possible watch you're team win a Stanley Cup final game on route to a championship?

actually, that price makes me laugh, I think that's what I paid for a pair of tickets to go see Habs/Leafs in the regular season this year..

I wonder how much tickets would have gone for at the phone booth had Montreal made it to the final...



*insert trash talk about Montreal never making the finals again by manics or barrage here*
 
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