The teams are set. The schedule has been bumped up a week. And, in many ways, it's looking a lot like last year. Time to take a look at the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
It's been almost three decades since a straight-up rematch has happened in the Stanley Cup Finals. That time, the Edmonton Oilers faced off two years in a row against the New York Islanders. The first time around, New York used their age and experience to defeat a young, star-studded Edmonton team. When they matched up again one year later, the young Oilers, led by Wayne Gretzky, got their revenge and lifted the Cup for themselves. Could history repeat, with the Penguins taking the role of the Oilers?
In many ways, the Red Wings/Penguins rivalry is very similar to the Islanders/Oilers match-up of the early 80's. The Wings have age, grit, and plenty of experience on their side. They've also got a pile of championships over the years. Meanwhile, the current Pittsburgh team is full of young stars, featuring one of the NHL's brightest in Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh never recovered from getting knocked around in two quick games last season, but they're a different team heading into this final. For that matter, so is Detroit.
To get to the Finals, the Penguins had to dismantle Philadelphia's physicality, Washington's finesse, and then simply beat up on a Carolina team that was out of gas after taking two thrilling series victories away from New Jersey and Boston. Pittsburgh hasn't really had to deal with a physical presence since the first round, and their offense is only picking up steam. During the conference finals, the Penguins made Carolina look foolish all over the ice, as they skated to an easy sweep.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings battled first Columbus, then had to face Anaheim and Chicago. The series against Columbus was an easy one for Detroit, but both Anaheim and Chicago took their toll on Detroit. For proof of that, look at some of the star players for the Red Wings that didn't finish the series against the Blackhawks, and may be questionable for the start of the Finals. The Red Wings are definitely a better team with both Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Lidstrom, and both players missed games against a Chicago team that just didn't have the right touch when it came to overtime. Reverse two of those sudden death losses, and the Red Wings are scraping to another game seven, and possibly falling.
This match-up, much like last year, will be a battle between the long-time face of the NHL, and the new kids who want to be on top of the pile for years to come. Detroit started the playoffs poised to repeat as champions, and, after Boston got knocked aside, it looked almost inevitable. However, the way that the Penguins took care of their opponents for the past month shows that there are good things coming out of Pennsylvania hockey. Plus, the Penguins have the added incentive of sticking it to Marian Hossa, who lost with Pittsburgh last year and then defected to Detroit. Penguins should take the series in six games.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
General Wild management
The announcement came out yesterday, but there wasn't confirmation until today when the Wild held a press conference. But, for anyone that hasn't been following, the Minnesota Wild have hired their new general manager, only the second in the team's existence. And they hired someone who will dramatically change the team, quite possibly for the better.
The last few weeks, there were a number of different candidates coming through St. Paul, each bringing their own perspective and goals to Wild owner Craig Leipold. At the end of everything, only one candidate received a second interview, and, consequently, a job offer. He'll be leaving his present team, even though they're still busy at this time of year.
For anyone that's been following even a little bit, it didn't come as any surprise that Leipold decided to hire Chuck Fletcher, (now the former) assistant general manager from Pittsburgh. Fletcher has basically spent his life around hockey and the NHL, and has had a hand in building teams into contenders. From assembling the Florida Panther team that won the Cup in the 90's to helping put together the current Pittsburgh Penguins team that has found itself two wins away from back-to-back Stanley Cup finals, Fletcher has shown great vision in his moves, and played a large hand in putting together contracts for some of the more notable players to come through the teams he worked with.
Fletcher also brings a desire to see a more offense-oriented game to the Wild. Don't expect the trap to go away, but players like Mikko Koivu, Cal Clutterbuck, and James Sheppard could find themselves being unleashed a bit more in the offensive zone, getting to show what they can do. Want proof? Watch the Penguins play, and think of what the Wild could do with a similar system.
So what's next for the Wild, and for Fletcher? Well, Fletcher has tapped his assistant GM, keeping Tom Lynn in that position. That move could be very good, as Lynn is familiar with the organization and didn't always agree with Doug Risebrough. The move could also backfire, but Fletcher is more hands-on with contracts than Risebrough ever was, so it shouldn't rest solely with Lynn. The obvious next step is finding a coach. With the way that Dan Bylsma has performed in Pittsburgh, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Wild look to a young coach, and they will want to move relatively quickly on that, with the draft looming. The other big move will be trying to hammer out something with Marian Gaborik. The odds of resigning Gaborik before free agency are slim, but the star winger could be intrigued by the new management.
Overall, though, the Wild went out and find the best possible candidate to take over the franchise, and the next few seasons should prove to be very interesting in Minnesota.
The last few weeks, there were a number of different candidates coming through St. Paul, each bringing their own perspective and goals to Wild owner Craig Leipold. At the end of everything, only one candidate received a second interview, and, consequently, a job offer. He'll be leaving his present team, even though they're still busy at this time of year.
For anyone that's been following even a little bit, it didn't come as any surprise that Leipold decided to hire Chuck Fletcher, (now the former) assistant general manager from Pittsburgh. Fletcher has basically spent his life around hockey and the NHL, and has had a hand in building teams into contenders. From assembling the Florida Panther team that won the Cup in the 90's to helping put together the current Pittsburgh Penguins team that has found itself two wins away from back-to-back Stanley Cup finals, Fletcher has shown great vision in his moves, and played a large hand in putting together contracts for some of the more notable players to come through the teams he worked with.
Fletcher also brings a desire to see a more offense-oriented game to the Wild. Don't expect the trap to go away, but players like Mikko Koivu, Cal Clutterbuck, and James Sheppard could find themselves being unleashed a bit more in the offensive zone, getting to show what they can do. Want proof? Watch the Penguins play, and think of what the Wild could do with a similar system.
So what's next for the Wild, and for Fletcher? Well, Fletcher has tapped his assistant GM, keeping Tom Lynn in that position. That move could be very good, as Lynn is familiar with the organization and didn't always agree with Doug Risebrough. The move could also backfire, but Fletcher is more hands-on with contracts than Risebrough ever was, so it shouldn't rest solely with Lynn. The obvious next step is finding a coach. With the way that Dan Bylsma has performed in Pittsburgh, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Wild look to a young coach, and they will want to move relatively quickly on that, with the draft looming. The other big move will be trying to hammer out something with Marian Gaborik. The odds of resigning Gaborik before free agency are slim, but the star winger could be intrigued by the new management.
Overall, though, the Wild went out and find the best possible candidate to take over the franchise, and the next few seasons should prove to be very interesting in Minnesota.
Friday, May 15, 2009
2009 Playoff Preview - Conference Finals
The teams are set, the ice is fresh, and there's a much clearer picture of who could very well be hoisting the Stanley Cup in a few weeks. After some surprises in the first round, the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs played out mainly as expected, with only one major upset down the line.
Eastern Conference Final
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Anyone that said at the start of the playoffs that they expected to see the Hurricanes playing in the conference final was either incredibly wishful, or incredibly psychic. And yet, the 'Canes have done what few thought possible, first disposing of the New Jersey Devils, and then sneaking past the Boston Bruins in thrilling fashion. Cam Ward needs to keep being the stud of a goaltender that he's been so far through the playoffs, having already outplayed both Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas. Meanwhile, the 'Canes need to keep the perspective that they have nothing to lose if they want to challenge.
On the other side of the ice, the Pittsburgh Penguins knew exactly what to expect from their past opponents, and, until Game 7, the series against the Washington Capitals played out as many expected. Evgeni Malkin seems to have woken up, and Sidney Crosby has led the team to within one series of trying to get the Cup for the second year in a row.
The Penguins come into the series a little less banged up, and definitely more talented, than the Hurricanes. That hasn't stopped Carolina yet, though, as they've shown incredible composure (with at least one notable exception) throughout their first two rounds, and they may continue to have luck resting on their side. Ultimately, though, expect 'Canes to lose their first playoff series with Ward as a goaltender, as they fall to the Penguins in six games.
Western Conference Final
#2 Detroit Red Wings vs #4 Chicago Blackhawks
There were plenty of people who didn't give the Blackhawks much of a chance against the Vancouver Canucks, but those people obviously hadn't seen the way that the Blackhawks have shifted gears ever since Joel Quenneville took over the coaching job. Chicago has a ton of young talent, and, unlike Boston, they kept applying the pressure throughout the playoffs. They shut down Vancouver's Sedin twins, and opened up their chances at an Original Six match-up.
Meanwhile, Detroit needed to survive against possibly the luckiest, and one of the most brutal, teams in the league as they were pushed to Game 7 by the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit is normally able to dictate the pace of the game from the first drop of the puck, but the Ducks used their physical presence and knack for finding the puck after strange bounces to almost knock off their second series opponent. Chris Osgood was just good enough to stop the Ducks offense, but he definitely wasn't as strong in net as Detroit would like. To make matters worse, the Red Wing offense was in disarray, needing some luck of their own to advance to face Chicago.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have experience and determination, both required to have a good chance to repeat as the NHL's best team. However, the Blackhawks are willing and able to play a physical game like the Ducks did, they have more offensive power, and they're catching Detroit after a grueling series. Top that off with incredible familiarity between the teams, and Detroit could find themselves in for more than they can handle. Chicago should take this series in seven games.
Eastern Conference Final
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Anyone that said at the start of the playoffs that they expected to see the Hurricanes playing in the conference final was either incredibly wishful, or incredibly psychic. And yet, the 'Canes have done what few thought possible, first disposing of the New Jersey Devils, and then sneaking past the Boston Bruins in thrilling fashion. Cam Ward needs to keep being the stud of a goaltender that he's been so far through the playoffs, having already outplayed both Martin Brodeur and Tim Thomas. Meanwhile, the 'Canes need to keep the perspective that they have nothing to lose if they want to challenge.
On the other side of the ice, the Pittsburgh Penguins knew exactly what to expect from their past opponents, and, until Game 7, the series against the Washington Capitals played out as many expected. Evgeni Malkin seems to have woken up, and Sidney Crosby has led the team to within one series of trying to get the Cup for the second year in a row.
The Penguins come into the series a little less banged up, and definitely more talented, than the Hurricanes. That hasn't stopped Carolina yet, though, as they've shown incredible composure (with at least one notable exception) throughout their first two rounds, and they may continue to have luck resting on their side. Ultimately, though, expect 'Canes to lose their first playoff series with Ward as a goaltender, as they fall to the Penguins in six games.
Western Conference Final
#2 Detroit Red Wings vs #4 Chicago Blackhawks
There were plenty of people who didn't give the Blackhawks much of a chance against the Vancouver Canucks, but those people obviously hadn't seen the way that the Blackhawks have shifted gears ever since Joel Quenneville took over the coaching job. Chicago has a ton of young talent, and, unlike Boston, they kept applying the pressure throughout the playoffs. They shut down Vancouver's Sedin twins, and opened up their chances at an Original Six match-up.
Meanwhile, Detroit needed to survive against possibly the luckiest, and one of the most brutal, teams in the league as they were pushed to Game 7 by the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit is normally able to dictate the pace of the game from the first drop of the puck, but the Ducks used their physical presence and knack for finding the puck after strange bounces to almost knock off their second series opponent. Chris Osgood was just good enough to stop the Ducks offense, but he definitely wasn't as strong in net as Detroit would like. To make matters worse, the Red Wing offense was in disarray, needing some luck of their own to advance to face Chicago.
The defending Stanley Cup champions have experience and determination, both required to have a good chance to repeat as the NHL's best team. However, the Blackhawks are willing and able to play a physical game like the Ducks did, they have more offensive power, and they're catching Detroit after a grueling series. Top that off with incredible familiarity between the teams, and Detroit could find themselves in for more than they can handle. Chicago should take this series in seven games.
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