When I did my preview for the Stanley Cup playoffs, I picked Detroit to go all the way. I also said their opponent would be the Boston Bruins, so I'm not going to brag about any ability I might have to predict the future.
In Game 5, the Penguins were able to win because Marc-Andre Fleury was perfect. Although he didn't stink up the place in Game 6, he wasn't that close to perfect, either. The first goal of the game was an unstoppable one, though. Rafalski wristed a shot that bounced off the side of a Pittsburgh defender, and into the top corner of the net.
Detroit doubled their lead in the 2nd. Mikael Samuelsson's rebound off Fleury was knocked in by Valtteri Filppula. Believe it or not, neither of those guys are American.
But Pittsburgh had a little bit of magic left in their bag of tricks. After 5 games without a goal, Evgeni Malkin finally lit the light to make it 2-1 going into the 3rd.
Henrik Zetterberg, however, had other plans. Fleury actually stopped Zetterberg's shot, but then accidentally tipped it behind him and across the goal line.
The Penguins made it extremely interesting when Marian Hossa scored with 1:27 left. As time expired, Hossa poked a slow shot that rolled behind Chris Osgood parallel to the goal line, but never went in. The clock hit 00:00.0, and Detroit won their 11th Stanley Cup.
Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European to captain a Stanley Cup champion. Henrik Zetterbeg won the Conn Smythe Trophy (given to the MVP of the playoffs). I wish other sports had an MVP for the entire post-season, instead of just a World Series or Super Bowl MVP. Zetterberg must be on top of the world right now. He's got a ring, a trophy, and here's his girlfriend, Emma Andersson:
I guess the double S stands for ssssssssssssssssshit.
The Penguins put up a good fight, but in the end they were outmatched. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are two of the League's best players, but the Cup can't be won by individuals. This isn't basketball. It's too easy for an individual to be taken out of a game. The Red Wings limited Crosby by matching him against Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Lidstrom, whom the NBC analysts rightly called "three of the best defensive players in the world." Malkin, on the other hand, took himself out. The 21 year old appeared on edge, making bad passes and bad decisions. The only thing that prolonged the series was Fleury's brilliant goaltending and an occasional spark of brilliance from Crosby.
The Penguins will be back. And Detroit will as well. But they won't be a match for the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions. You're reading it here first. A year from now, the Boston Bruins will be hoisting the Cup.
-The Commodore
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