Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Stanley Cup Finals: Game Two Re-Cap

Call it domination. Call it a mismatch. Call it home-ice advantage. I call it getting smoked. And that's just what happened to the Pittsburgh Penguins when they fell two games to none to the Detroit Red Wings in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals. It's been more than six periods since the Penguins last scored a goal, and if the home-ice edge doesn't sway in their favor tomorrow night, that drought could very well continue. Let's hope they don't jump ship. There's still time for some quality hockey.

I fear, however, that we won't see any. The best way to analyze this series is as such:

Take this from the ground,



unless you're this guy,



in which case you'll probably find it here,



and firmly gouge it here.



It won't look like this,



rather this.



That's right. Mario Lemieux, Michel Therrien, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the entire Pittsburgh Penguin crew, are finished. They may salvage a game, perhaps two, but there is no way in Hoth they climb out of this monster of an ice hole into which they have fallen. Without doing any research for accuracy, I'll just throw out the friendly reminder that the Red Wings have 23 -- 23! -- championship rings on their roster. Okay. It might be 13. It definitely has a three in it, and it's not three. The Pens are just way too overmatched. Even when they break the scoring drought -- and they will -- the Wings will not back down, and Osgood will not play any worse. Better luck next year, Pittsburgh.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Well,

Most of the time the odds are right and the favorite wins. That's why they call them odds.

I expect there will be a few more cup finals for the Pens in the near future.

Stick a fork in 'em. That's funny. I think they'll be alright.

I like my Blues roasted.

Cheers,

Nate

Unknown said...

Gents,

The Spurs got screwed last night. Did anyone witness the no-call, and I can't even stand the Spurs. Ya think the league wants and LA/Boston final.

Is there a league that has worse playoff officiating than the NBA?

Cheers,

TLR

Unknown said...

Quote of the day by Brent Barry from Marc Stein's article on ESPN.com:

"And if you try to bring up how sensationally he played on a gloomy night when the seven Spurs outside of the Duncan-Tony Parker-Barry troika combined for just 16 points, Barry said: 'It's like putting whipped cream on s---.'"

-- TLR

Unknown said...

Still waitin' for the USA v England match preview. It's our first game in New Wembley.

For some details:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=538816&root=us&&cc=5901

Cheers,

TLR

old no. 7 said...

Ah yes, the conspiracy theories. Of course the Spurs got hosed. Of course it's rigged. It's amazing that the Spurs have been able to win four titles in spite of a league that is desperately trying to get big-market teams into the Finals. Which is why the Knicks are so good.

I'll agree that that last call could have, maybe should have, gone the Spurs' way. But if SA had won that game it would have been a robbery. They were completely outplayed the entire contest, their bench sucked, Ginobli was horrible, and they got all the calls up until that final one.

Kobe took 29 shots and no free throws. This is after a Game 3 in which he took 23 shots and one FT. You're telling me that Kobe has taken 52 attempts this week and was fouled in the act of shooting one time? Horseshit. The calls have been overwhelmingly in favor of the home team.

And I hate both of these teams. Don't blame the refs, that's what losers do. The Lakers have clearly won 3 out of 4 games and have every right to be up.

Unknown said...

Yea,

Kinda like Denver fans NEVER say there was a block in the back on Dante's brilliant touchdown return.

NBA playoff officiating has always been awful. They officiate players not plays, and call fouls situationally.

I don't know how it ended up like that, but it's pretty damn frustrating. I'm not much into either the Spurs or the Lakers. Guess I'll be pullin' for the East this year ... unless it's the Pistons. Then what?

-- TLR