The Penguins End Great Year
Posted June 5th, 2008 @ 10:41am by Erik J. Barzeski
The Stanley Cup finals are over and the Penguins came up on the short end. They simply couldn't score enough goals or defeat the "I thought that type of hockey was made illegal after the lockout" obstruction thrown up by the wrinkly, grey-haired Detroit Red Wings.
Hossa wants to stay, and a lot of other players have voiced similar sentiments. Sidney Crosby has already taken less money than he could have gotten to help the Penguins out - will others do the same to keep the team together? The Penguins were, by far, the best team in the Eastern Conference this year, and could return to the Cup finals next year if the team remains largely intact.
Conklin will go. WWGRD? Retire to run for President? We'll see. I have a lot of faith in Ray Shero, but his skills will be tested this year.
Only the Pirates three years in a row (back in 1990-1992 when they resembled a professional baseball team) and the Steelers back in Super Bowl XXX have disappointed me as much as this loss has. This feeling is one I've not had in over a decade. It's a strange brew, a mix of pride and sadness. The Steelers will suck this fall (I'll still watch every game), so I've got to wait until October and the hockey season starts up again before I really start to care about a winning Pittsburgh professional sports team.
P.S. In a year when my hockey team started off slow, made the playoffs, and beat everyone only to finish second to a team that's moving up a league next year, it's a tad odd that the Penguins started off slow, made the playoffs, and beat everyone only to finish second to a team that's moving on to retirement next year. 😛
Donate Life
Posted 09 Jun 2008 at 12:54pm #
I as wondering when you would finally make a comment! To be fair there were a lot of calls against the Wings, including the mysterious Holmstrom "interference" call. I thought it was a great series. As a long time Wings fan I was anxious when the series started as I knew the Pens would make it fun. I'm looking forward to next year and hopefully a rematch!
Posted 09 Jun 2008 at 3:18pm #
The Holmstrom call was interference, by the letter, as were the two goalie interference calls in game five OT.
But the refs did a horrible job, on both sides of the puck, throughout the entire series. High sticks went unnoticed on both sides, trips and knees, boarding/roughing… I'm a fan of swallowing the whistles a little in the playoffs, but they've gotta be consistent, and they weren't.
Posted 09 Jun 2008 at 11:50pm #
While I respectfully disagree with your interpretation of what the rule says regarding interference, I will agree that this was probably the most inconsistent, poorly officiated playoffs I've ever seen in 15 years of watching. If it's a penalty in the 1st, it's a penalty in the 3rd. Period. And I'm sick of these makeup calls. My theory is this, you make a mistake on a call and give a team a PP but they don't score, why is there a need for a makeup call? The PP did not result in any scoring, so there is no need for a makeup call. Two wrongs don't make a right, if you will.
Anyway, it was a good fight up until the last second. Fleury is a great goaltender who kept them in a lot of games, it's too bad his butt cost them the series 😆