What Happens When You Don't Post For a While...

I have to laugh at my last post..."Senators Dominate Penguins", my post of May 18.  As many know, the Pittsburgh Penguins are now the Stanley Cup champions, winning their second cup in consecutive years.

At least the Red Wings were in the discussion...the last time this happened in the NHL was the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings in 96-97 and 97-98.

Sigh...till next year....

Wings Lose a Rough One

The Hat Trick got to watch the Red Wings yesterday due to a national broadcast on NBC. Needless to say the Hat Trick has missed quite a few games this year...unemployment forcing the decision to cancel the NHL Center Ice package and then the pissing contest between Versus and Direct TV has not helped matters...but I digress...

The game was a match-up of the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup teams...namely the Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Wings played solid throughout the game and kept is close forcing an overtime and getting an important point that is desperately needed for making the playoffs. Unfortunately the shoot out didn't go as well with the Penguins taking the victory on a Evgeni Malkin backhander that Wings Goalie Jimmy Howard couldn't grab.

Needless to say there is a reason why the Penguins are unbeaten in shootouts this season. The Hat Trick knew this was a problem going into the shootout but I had hope since Jimmy Howard had played very well throughout the game. At least the Wings got a point and are sitting at the number eight spot in the conference right now with the Calgary Flames.

It's been a difficult year for Wings fans...the salary cap really hurt the team by forcing them to part with several key players. Add in a really tremendous amount of injuries and it just adds up to some bad losses and bad hockey. Luckily the Wings are starting to get some players back so hopefully we'll start seeing that with the standings although even the Hat Trick could not have predicted that the Wings, if the playoffs started today, would be counted out for the first time since the 1980s. Luckily they have time to recover and hopefully we'll see that in the coming weeks, especially with the Olympic break in play that is coming up later in February.

Let's hope things improve otherwise it's going to be a boring playoff season for the Hat Trick.

The Cup Is Not To Be…This Year

Unfortunately for Red Wings fans across the world, the Stanley Cup will not be coming back to Detroit following the 2008-2009 season. The Wings lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2 – 1 in a game that featured many, many “almosts” as the Wings just could not score against Fleury. It’s tough to lose it in Game Seven but I know I speak for many Red Wings fans in that I’m glad they made it this far.

A more detailed series analysis will follow once the Hat Trick has digested the loss…and removed himself from the comfortable fetal position he is now enjoying…

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!

Game 2 Starts in 10 Minutes!

The Hat Trick is eagerly ready for Game 2 after the strong finish by the Wings last night in a Game 1 win. Pittsburgh needs to win tonight if they have any significant hope of winning the series...you almost always have to win at least one game on enemy ice to have a legitimate shot at the title. We'll see what happens...the Penguins have some young players which helps them in a back to back game situation but the Wings showed last night that they are up to that challenge.

Let's just hope the Zebras don't try and call this one like last night...some bad officiating all the way around!

Wings Win Game 1!!!

Great win by the Wings, 3 - 1 final against the Pens at the JLA. It could have been 4 - 1 if not for some stellar defense by the Pens in the final minutes of the game with an empty net. The Wings really turned it on in the third period and Chris Osgood continued to be strong in goal. Great win after a very short rest period (compared with what the Penguins got) after putting the Blackhawks away in the Western Conference Finals.

While the Hat Trick is not going to get involved in the controversy over the back-to-back games being schedule in the Stanley Cup Finals, I am concerned that Game 2 tomorrow night is going to be tiring for the Wings and a real challenge. However, if the Penguins are going to be a serious team in this series they need to leave Detroit with a win, otherwise it is generally over. The Pens have showed they are a better team compared with last year so tomorrow should be interesting...improved experience and youth from the Penguins with the experience of the Red Wings.

A few more thoughts...

• Once again it's nice that both teams in the Stanley Cup Finals are from the Eastern Time Zone. The Hat Trick is so tired of the Detroit Red Wings (and Columbus for that matter) being considered a Western Conference team given both teams play in the Eastern Time Zone. More on this in a later post...
• How about that stand by Ozzie against Malkin? Amazing...
• It's always nice when your fourth line can deliver a goal. Congratulations to Justin Abdelkader for scoring his first NHL playoff goal. Nice to see a Michigan State players and Muskegon native do well for the Wings!
• Wouldn't it be nice for the Red Wings fans outside of the Detroit metropolitan area (like the Hat Trick!) if we could tune into CBC for the games? The quality of the announcing is superior and you get Don Cherry! How the Hat Trick hates listening to the NBC crew...
• Why does everyone say the Wings don't play physical? They looked pretty physical to the Hat Trick tonight.

Final Thought:

The win tonight also provides a poignant moment for Red Wings fans and residents of Detroit, as well as the State of Michigan. With the Chrysler Corporation in bankruptcy and the Chapter 11 filing of General Motors imminent it is nice to see some joy in Michigan this late May night. The Hat Trick wishes all affected by this situation the best as we move through these difficult times.

Game 1 - Second Intermission

As predicted, we have a close game on our hands with a 2 - 1 Red Wing lead. The Hat Trick has a few observations:

• Osgood has been excellent in goal - some of his teammates need to buy him a bottle of his favorite for pulling them out of the abyss.
• How come is took the Zebras until 6:16 in the Second Intermission to actually call a penalty on the Pens? I don't want to be that guy that always complains about the officiating but there were plenty of calls the Zebras could have made and didn't...yet the Wings went on the defense twice before the Zebras called a Pens penalty...and Matt Cooke got away with what should have been another Pens penalty.

Third period starting now...we'll see how it goes.

Game 1 Begins

The Red Wings begin the defense of their Stanley Cup tonight at 8:00pm in a remtch against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins bring an entirely different team to the finals this year compared with last year. They have that Stanley Cup playoff experience that they didn't have last year plus they have been very succesful going through the Eastern Conference to get to the Finals. The Red Wings bring what they do best...confidence, skill and teamwork in defending the Cup, their first opportunity to defend their champtionships since the '97 - '98 season.

The Hat Trick feels confident that the Wings will do well and win again but this isn't going to be like last year. Prediction: Wings in Seven, all very close, challenging games.

Red Wings Are Stanley Cup Finals Bound!

The re-match is on as the Red Wings will face the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second straight year after beating the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime. It was a tight game and the Wings definitley looked a little slow and tired at times but did pull it off. The loss of several key players including Captain Nick Lidstrom didn't help. The Wings go on to face a Penguins team that, unlike last year, now has that vital playoff experience that is needed to win the Cup. Add in a relatively easy Eastern Conference series against the Hartford Whalers...er Carolina Hurricanes...and this is going to be nothing like last year when the Wings essentailly ran over the Penguinis to win their 11th Stanley Cup.

The Wings have until Saturday to get rested, get ready and get the mental focus needed to beat the Penguins. It's liekly going to be a though series and they need to take it seriously if they want to repeat like they did in '97 and '98.