Game 7 Is On!!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!

It looks like the Hat Trick has been sidelined with the Stanley Cup Finals…and, happily, some job interviews…so it looks like I need to catch up!

As predicted by the Hat Trick at the beginning of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Wings-Pens series is going to Game Seven tonight at the JLA. After the first two games with Detroit up 2 – 0 you wouldn’t have thought we would be here, but we are. The Pens have played well, much like they did in taking the Washington Capitals to Game Seven in the semifinals. Add in to that some help from the Zebras (the six men on the ice for 25 seconds in Game Three and the lack of a Penguins penalty until halfway through the THIRD period of Game Six…thank you Zebras) and you have a Game Seven. Should be interesting…

The Hat Trick has seen enough Game Sevens in his time to pretty much understand that two things will happen like this:

1. It will either be a close, tight game that could go into overtime (or multiple overtimes) until one team gets a bad bounce with a final score something like 3 – 2.

2. Or it will be an epic blowout, over in the first period, similar to what the Penguins did to the Capitals in 2009 and what the Red Wings did to the Colorado Avalanche in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals in 2002…they eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup.

The Hat Trick is hoping for a good, tight game, but isn’t sure his nerves can handle it so maybe a blowout (by the Wings, of course) might be better. Regardless, tensions will run high in Pittsburgh and Detroit.

On paper the Wings would seem to have the advantage in skill players and playoff experience with many members of the current team having been on the 2002 and 2008 Stanley Cup teams (and a few were even with the Wings for 1997 and 1998). But the Penguins got some momentum in Game Six and the Wings looked flat. If the Wings continue that type of play then the Penguins will hoist their third Stanley Cup. If they play like they did in Game Five, where they destroyed the Penguins 5 – 0, then it looks good for Detroit. Only time will tell and the time is in a few hours from now…

Best Game Five Quote:

Compliments of Mrs. East Coast Wing following the second period when the Penguins spent most of the time in the penalty box: “They need to rename the penalty box ‘The Igloo…’”

Thank you Mrs. East Coast Wing!