Monday night was a game for the ages, and if you do not believe that, consider the names of Bobby Baun and Babe Ruth were invoked sometime around the second or third overtime.
Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar left the game early with an upper-body injury -- and this time, it really looked like the entire upper body -- after crashing hard into the end boards. Late, and I mean late in every sense of the word, in the overtime periods, Gonchar returned to the bench to provide moral support.
Then came the power play after a high-sticking double minor to Jiri Hudler. Gonchar took to the ice, playing his familiar point position. Watching Gonchar was reminiscient of Bobby Baun, who scored the overtime winner in game six of the 1964 Stanley Cup while playing on a broken ankle.
In the modern case, Gonchar had an opportunity to shoot early in the power play, but it was clear he could not shoot. No problem, when you have Petr Sykora on the same unit.
While on the bench late in the second overtime, Sykora turned to NBC's Pierre McGuire, pointed to himself and said he would score the winning goal.
There are debates as to whether Babe Ruth ever called his shot, but the lore lives on. Today, Sykora becomes part of that lore.
This would be amazing stuff, incredible theater, if it was any old playoff game. But it was far more than that. The Detroit faithful came to coronate the new Stanley Cup Champions, and it nearly happened. Detroit led three games to one coming in, and Joe Louis Arena rocked like it has not in years.
The first period was an unmitigated disaster for the home side. Plagued by nervousness and giveaways, the Wings found themselves down 2-0 after the opening period, a period that might have been their worst of the playoffs.
Detroit opened it up in the second period, but could only find the back of the net once. Heading into the third period, the Wings found themselves trailing by a goal, so they opened the game up even further.
And it worked. At 6:43, Pavel Datsyuk executed a perfect tip off an amazing fake shot-turned-pass from Henrik Zetterberg to tie the game. And when Wyandotte, Mich., native Brian Rafalski gave the Wings the lead midway through the period, the party had started.
Hometown boy becomes a superstar, returns home a decade later, then scores the Stanley Cup winning goal. It seemed the script was too good to be true.
Apparently, it was.
Nobody in the Joe sat through the period's closing minutes, and the Wings were playing to perfection. Pittsburgh was getting very few chances, there were almost no whistles, and the muggy arena was on the verge of going crazy.
When the public address system played Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" late in the third period, as has become Detroit custom, the crowd continued singing. Considering the song has found new life as the closing song from the final episode of the Sopranos, it only seems fitting Maxime Talbot "whacked" in a loose puck to tie the game with just 35 seconds to go.
It had been roughly 70 years since a team facing elimination tied a Stanley Cup Final game in the closing minute of the game, but that is exactly what happened on this night. A fateful 35 seconds that separated Detroit from hockey glory. The struggles of the auto industry, falling housing prices, and a struggling economy did not matter, as the Wings were about to win their fourth Stanley Cup in just 12 years.
And just like that, it was all taken away. For now, anyway.
Then reality set in. There was still an overtime to be played. And if that failed, there would be two more chances for Detroit to capture hockey's holy grail.
The Wings came out flying in the overtime period, dominating the first overtime stanza. Unfortunately for them, a brick wall named Marc-Andre Fleury was guarding the pipes.
Fleury has been hot and cold through the playoffs, as he has much of his career. To put things in perspective, however, Fleury is just 23 years old. Many of the game's best goaltenders -- names like Dominik Hasek and Johnny Bower -- had not tasted the NHL by that age. For Fleury to be the starter on a Stanley Cup finalist at that age is remarkable.
And remarkable does not begin to describe how he played in overtime. He faced 58 shots in the game -- 24 in the two and a half overtimes -- but stats do not tell the whole story. Particularly in the first overtime, Fleury faced countless top-notch scoring chances, and came up big virtually every time.
By the time the game ended around 1 a.m. Detroit time, the Joe Louis Arena was silent, but far from empty. The city earned the reputation as Hockeytown for a reason -- the fans were still there. Whether or not anyone was there -- at work, that is -- at 8 a.m. Tuesday is another matter entirely.
But they all know where they will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday -- in front of a television, in a bar, or in the Mellon Arena. In a series where each game has been more entertaining than the previous, perhaps there should be a petition to extend this series to a best-of-nine.
Failing that, it would be advisable to tune in Wednesday night. Monday's game five got an impressive 4.3 rating/8 share on NBC, and it would seem almost guaranteed all of those people will tune back in for game six.
Tiger Woods may say nobody cares about hockey anymore, but the numbers indicate otherwise. And after all, when is the last time you saw sports bars packed with fans cheering on their favorite golfers?
I thought so.
And in this series, even in Los Angeles, this has been big enough to be on the 100-inch big screens, as well as every television in the bar. At least, that is the way it was at the packed bar I was at for game four Saturday night.
This series is living up to expectations, and with any luck, fans in non-traditional markets will finally discover what the rest of us have known for years. When played at its best, hockey provides excitement, passion, and intrigue not provided by much else on this planet.
The Orlando-based Tampa Bay Lightning fan completed every hockey fan's dream last winter, visiting all 30 NHL arenas in 30 nights.
Including Mellon Arena in Pittsbugh.
Why is that significant, you ask? It appears Williamson is not welcome in Mellon Arena. Neither are residents of New England, the South, the West, or much of the Midwest. Visiting from Canada? Forget about it.
Yes, geographic discrimination is alive and well in Steeltown. You see, when the Penguins put tickets on sale at the start of the season, the following appeared on Tickemaster's website when you clicked on any given game.
"Mellon Arena is located in Pittsburgh, PA. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of PA, OH, WV, MD, NY, NJ, DE, VA and the District of Columbia. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of PA, OH, WV, MD, NY, NJ, DE, VA and the District of Columbia will be canceled without notice and refunds given."
In other words, forget about road trips for visiting fans. That is, unless you're a hometown fan of the Philadelphia Flyers, the New Jersey Devils, the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders, the Buffalo Sabres, a Washington Capitals fan who lives in any D.C. suburb (but not the city itself), or a Detroit Red Wings fan residing a few miles south of the city in Toledo.
Illogical? Yes. Unethical? Yes.
The policy did not come to light until an AOL blog pointed out the policy was in place for the Stanley Cup Finals. Several Penguins fans pointed out the policy was in place all season long, which makes it even worse.
Traveling to road games has long been a part of being a hockey fan. Most die-hard fans have great memories of road games -- they are a place to meet fellow fans from your team in a unique setting, a place to meet fans from other teams, and a place to show your overall hockey support.
Not in Pittsburgh. Yes, I know tickets are hard to get -- there is a season ticket waiting list and single-game tickets sell quickly. Yet tickets are still a lot harder to get in Toronto, and the Maple Leafs are far too classy to institute such a policy. Same goes for Montreal, or Detroit during the late 1990s.
This is not the first time this has happened. Ironically, Pittsburgh fans were up in arms when Washington restricted ticket sales to everyone but people from Pennsylvania in the 2001 playoffs. Those same fans need to speak up in this case. Anything less would be hypocritical.
In 2002, the Carolina Hurricanes limited ticket sales to fans in the mid-Atlantic states. Interestingly, the Detroit Red Wings were the opponent in that year's Stanley Cup Finals as well.
The Hockey Gods have a sense of fairness. In both of those cases, the team employing geographic discrimination lost.
And it is not like Pittsburgh has always been a tough ticket. Just two years ago, this team appeared on the verge of bankruptcy -- and perhaps on the verge of heading to Hamilton. Jim Balsillie attempted to purchase the struggling team, a team that failed to fill a smallish, dated arena despite the presence of Sidney Crosby, and many speculate he would have moved the team north to Ontario.
Eventually, a new arena was approved, and the team stayed in Pittsburgh. The crowds increased, season ticket sales were capped, and the Penguins were the hottest thing since the Steelers won the Super Bowl.
Now, the success has gone to their heads. Or perhaps, they remember the many years when the Penguins struggled to draw fans. From their entry in the league in 1967 until Mario Lemieux was drafted in 1984, empty seats were common at the Igloo. When Lemieux retired for the first time in the 1990s, the same thing happened. And it happened again in the early 2000s as the team struggled with mediocrity.
During those times, it was common for visiting fans to take over the Igloo in large numbers, as tickets were easy to get. So perhaps the policy is not just one of arrogance, but also one of insecurity, as the Penguins recall what it is like to be the road team in their own arena.
As a fan who someday hopes to visit all 30 NHL arenas, as well as all junior and minor league arenas, policies like this are infuriating. If this catches on, going to road games will be a thing of the past. So will going to a game as a neutral fan when you are visiting a city on vacation or a business trip.
The NHL needs to act quick and forbid teams from discriminatory policies such as this one. In the meantime, the answer is simple. Every other NHL team needs to put the address of every city, suburb, and municipality within the greater Pittsburgh area in their Ticketmaster database and forbid sales to fans from those cities.
Perhaps then, those Penguins fans would complain to their own team and get the policy changed. After all, it is absurd the Penguins can shut out fans from other teams, yet Penguins fans can still buy road tickets.
In a perfect world, geographic discrimination would never exist on ticket sales. But until that happens, the other 29 teams might have to act in order to force change.
FINAL THOUGHT/BAD PUN OF THE DAY: It will be interesting to see if Johan Franzen comes out especially fired up in game three after Gary Roberts' cheap shot to the head of a player returning from concussion-like symptoms.
If so, to borrow a line from an upcoming Adam Sandler movie.... you don't mess with the Johan.
Seven games, decided by one goal in double overtime. And even then, it could go either way.
Yes, that is the prevailing thought for this year's Stanley Cup Finals between Detroit and Pittsburgh. Through three rounds, the Wings have lost just four games while the Penguins have just two defeats.
Two great teams that would be great teams at any point in the league's history. It is a dream Stanley Cup Finals for the league's marketing types, and a seven game series would only make it better.
Not so quick. History shows us young teams on a roll do not always fare well when playing for hockey's holy grail. Remember the 1983 Edmonton Oilers? They lost just once through the first three rounds, and they were a young team led by superstars such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri.
Then they ran into the league's reigning dynasty, the New York Islanders. The Isles may have been considered a bunch of graybeards, but those graybeards swept the youngsters in four games.
The parallels to this series are stunning. Sidney Crosby, annointed as the next Great One, has lived up to the hyperbole. His leadership on and off the ice is remarkable for a 20-year-old. At the media availability day Friday, he spoke like a 25-year veteran.
In other words, he sounded like Chris Chelios.
Just kidding -- but Crosby is a 30-year-old in a 20-year-old's body, and that could present some problems for Detroit. He is not easily rattled on or off the ice, he stays composed yet plays with passion, and he can elude even the best defensemen.
Well, we think the last part is the case. Crosby has not faced Nick Lidstrom, the NHL's best defenseman, for nearly two years. And there is a reason Lidstrom has won enough top defenseman awards to change his first name to Norris.
The "silent assassin" goes about his job more quietly than other high profile defensemen, but few question he is the best. Add Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Kronwall to the defensive corps, and the Wings have the personnel to shut down Pittsburgh.
It will be an interesting battle indeed, as the Penguins have three solid lines. Common sense dictates the Wings would like to get the Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom line out against the third or fourth line, but that might not be the case.
For Detroit, their top scoring line is also their best checking line. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are Selke candidates, and it could be argued they are the two best defensive forwards in the league. Don't let their offensive prowess fool you -- these two come to play at both ends of the ice.
Look for Detroit coach Mike Babcock to send the trio out against the Evgeni Malkin line, as the Malkin line is more defensively deficient than the Crosby line or the Jordan Staal line. Puck possession is the name of the game for Zetterberg and Datsyuk, and that alone could neutralize one of Pittsburgh's top two lines.
From Pittsburgh's point of view, it would seem their best matchup is to keep the Crosby and Malkin lines away from Zetterberg and Datsyuk. The Penguins' top two lines also thrive on puck possession, and they would be best served to play against anyone other than the league's best puck possession unit.
On the blueline, the Wings have the edge. Sergei Gonchar, Ryan Whitney, and Hal Gill lead a very competent defensive corps, but the Wings might have the best blueliners in the league -- a point that would likely be argued by Anaheim fans.
In goal, Chris Osgood has been Sogood since taking the starting reins midway through the opening round against Nashville. Osgood has Stanley Cup experience and he never seems to try to do too much.
On the other side, Marc-Andre Fleury has been spectacular, showing why he has been touted as a top-notch prospect for the past several seasons. Maybe it is the new white pads, but Fleury has been a rock for the Penguins in the playoffs.
PREDICTION: It is too easy to say this could go either way (and it could), so there has to be a limb on which to step out. Detroit's experience is invaluable at this time of year, and if the Penguins falter early, this could be a short series. Yet that seems unlikely -- the young Pens simply seem too composed. Stanley Cups will find Pittsburgh in coming years, but this year, look for Detroit to win in six.
Why Vancouver will win: Roberto Luongo is a candidate for the Hart Trophy, and he was arguably stronger yet in the first round against Dallas. There may be no tougher goalie to face in a best-of-seven series right now. Vancouver’s defense seems to know exactly when to pinch and when to retreat, and they receive decent offensive punch from the blueline.
Why Vancouver will struggle: Beyond Markus Naslund and the Sedin twins – who were quiet for the middle five games of the opening round -- the Canucks lack scoring depth up front. Against Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, this could be a fatal flaw.
Why Anaheim will win: Niederpronger – also known as Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger – plays nearly 60 minutes a game. If the Canucks get past the rearguards, there’s always J.S Giguere or Ilya Bryzgalov as the last line of defense.
Why Anaheim will struggle: Luongo. It seems cliché, but Luongo can win a series on his own.
Conclusion: Look for a very low scoring series, as Anaheim’s blueline and Vancouver’s Luongo will make sure that is the case. In the end, the Ducks should be able to pound Vancouver at both ends of the ice, and that can be the difference in a long series.
Prediction: Ducks in six.
#1 Detroit vs #5 San Jose
Why San Jose will win: The Sharks have the West’s best depth at forward with Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, Joe Pavelski, Bill Guerin…. you get the idea. The two-headed goaltending tandem known as Naboskala – Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala – ensure San Jose will have solid netminding, even in the case of an injury.
Why San Jose will struggle: Bill Guerin is the only Shark with his name on the Stanley Cup. On the other hand, Detroit features a plethora of past champions.
Why Detroit will win: The Red Wings were the league’s best regular season team and they dominated Calgary in the first round. The Wings have great depth up front and on the blueline, while Dominik Hasek has turned back the clock between the pipes.
Why Detroit will struggle: San Jose is a much younger, bigger, and more physical team. There is always a chance the Wings will start to show their age – but do not bet on it.
Conclusion: Perhaps the most intriguing series of the second round, this one could go either way. Detroit must find a way to shut down San Jose’s top two lines in order to advance to the conference finals.
Prediction: Sharks in seven.
Eastern Conference
#1 Buffalo vs #6 New York Rangers
Why the Rangers will win: Since acquiring Sean Avery before the trade deadline, the Rangers have been the NHL’s hottest team. Brendan Shanahan provides playoff grit and experience, while Jaromir Jagr is still one of the game’s elite players. Henrik Lundqvist has regained his rookie season form in goal, and the rearguards in front of him have turned around their mediocre early season performance.
Why the Rangers will struggle: Compared to the Sabres, the Rangers have a notable lack of depth. If Jagr or Shanahan struggles, who will pick up the slack?
Why Buffalo will win: No team rolls four lines better than the Sabres, yet they still have impressive top-end talent with the likes of Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, and Thomas Vanek. Ryan Miller has emerged as one of the league’s best netminders the past two seasons.
Why Buffalo will struggle: The Sabres might not have an answer for the ever-annoying Sean Avery, although they can limit Avery’s effectiveness by taking early leads.
Conclusion: Unlike last year, the Rangers peaked at the right time this season. Many observers are writing them off against the mighty Sabres, but that is a little premature. Look for a close, entertaining series between these two teams.
Prediction: Sabres in seven.
#2 New Jersey vs #4 Ottawa
Why Ottawa will win: From the start of the season, this Senators squad looked more like a playoff team than years past. The top line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson is as good as any in the league, while players like Mike Fisher, Chris Neil, and Anton Volchenkov provide depth and grit.
Why Ottawa will struggle: The Senators must overcome a history of falling short in spring. The image may have been true in the past, but it is likely overblown this season considering the makeup of this squad.
Why New Jersey will win: Martin Brodeur. The legendary goalie continues his remarkable career, and he can single-handedly win a series.
Why New Jersey will struggle: The Devils looked sluggish at times in the first round against a schizophrenic Tampa Bay squad. They will need a more consistent effort to knock off the Sens.
Conclusion: Ottawa’s offensive attack against New Jersey’s air-tight defensive system provides an interesting clash in styles, but the Senators have too many offensive weapons for the Devils to shut them down completely.
There are those in the media who have theorized the amount of fighting in NHL games is a big factor in the game's perceived weakness in the U.S. market.
Perhaps they are right.
Except they have the rationale wrong. It is not that there is too much fighting in the game, it is that there is not enough.
Sure, there are people who think fighting in hockey is awful. But with very few exceptions, those are people who would not watch hockey in any case. The average fan enjoys a good scrap now and then, and this seems even truer for the much-desired casual fan.
Every time a highlight of a hockey fight comes on in a bar, even in Southern California, the bar stops and watches. And not a negative word is ever spoken. Instead, people's eyes light up, patrons and employees stop and watch, and even the most timid servers tend to say "good fight!"
No, it is not the high amount of fighting that hurts hockey in the United States. On the other hand, many sports fans talk wistfully about the bygone days when it was more common to see two guys drop the gloves and settle the score.
Although the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins received headlines for their style of play in the 1970s, fighting actually peaked in the 1980s. With high scoring games accompanied by some legendary fights, many fans look back at that decade as a high point in NHL history.
Since then, fighting has slowly declined to the point where no NHL team is averaging as much as one fighting major per game this season. There has been much said about the Katella Street Bullies -- make that the Anaheim Ducks -- but even their totals are relatively modest compared to bygone years.
Anaheim has 65 fighting majors through 72 games, and fan favorite George Parros leads the league with 16 bouts. Yet as recently as 2001-02, Florida led the league with 117 fighting majors, or roughly 1.4 per game. The Chicago Blackhawks routinely piled up more than 90 scraps per season through the first half of the 1990s.
And these numbers came at a time when people already talked about fighting being down in the league.
Nobody is advocating the return of bench-clearing brawls to hockey. And nobody is advocating staged fights -- that has never been a part of hockey and never will become a part of the game.
However, a good fight or two adds a lot to the game. One of the most famous bouts of recent seasons came during the first round of last year's playoffs when Anaheim's Francois Beauchemin tangled with Calgary's Jarome Iginla. Calgary led the series 3-2 when they dropped the gloves early in game six. Iginla has a reputation as one of the league's toughest players, yet Beauchemin scored a decisive decision.
The rest of the game, the normally-sedate Pond crowd resembled the old Chicago Stadium. With the crowd and team fired up, the Ducks won the game and eventually took the series in seven games.
When asked by CBC about the difference in the series, Anaheim star Teemu Selanne said it was Beauchemin's fight that turned the series around. Keep in mind, this is coming from a player who is known for anything but his pugilistic skills -- yet he credited the fight as being the difference in the series.
Petr Sykora gave a similar assessment on Home Ice XM 204 earlier this year when he said the new NHL was good, but he really missed the fights. Again, a non-fighter comments how he misses the momentum from a good scrap.
The best way to allow that momentum to return is to eliminate the instigator penalty. In theory, the rule made sense to many people at the time it was introduced. It would seem to work fine for a situation when a player like Donald Brashear jumps a player like Sidney Crosby -- a clear case of an enforcer fighting someone who does not want to fight in an attempt to get the skilled player off the ice for five minutes.
It is not enforced that way, however. Instigator penalties often go to a player who drops the gloves a half second earlier when two players are set to go -- something that seems ridiculous. Even more important, it eliminates the enforcer's ability to settle a score by dropping the gloves. There is a reason Wayne Gretzky rarely got hit -- he had Dave Semenko, and later Marty McSorley, to step to his defense.
Look at many of the recent incidents in the NHL -- Chris Simon hitting Ryan Hollweg with his stick being the most notable. In the old days, it would have been natural for Simon to get up and drop the gloves, settling the score in a fair way. In this case, the dazed Simon -- who is said to be suffering from concussion-like symptoms two weeks after being checked from behind by Hollweg seconds before the incident -- instead chose to give Hollweg a slash/cross-check to the face.
Nobody is saying what Simon did was right. Yet at the same time, players are more cautious about dropping the gloves in a case like that, and sometimes, the frustration manifests itself in the wrong way. Would the lack of an instigator penalty have changed the incident? It is doubtful even Simon could answer that question, yet one has to wonder.
The rule can be maddening -- and unjust -- in other cases as well. In Friday's game between Chicago and Anaheim, Chicago's Tuomo Ruutu took a run at Anaheim's Andy McDonald, following through with a high-stick to McDonald's face. Teammate Chris Kunitz did the right thing -- he came to McDonald's defense, dropping the gloves in an attempt to go with the more-penalized Ruutu.
The ever-irritating Ruutu failed to fight back, however, instead choosing to ragdoll. In other words, he let his body go limp and played the role of the innocent victim. The officials fell for it -- Kunitz received two for instigating, five for fighting, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct.
The game actually took an interesting turn from this point, as the Ducks had revenge on their minds for the third period. Several scrums and a couple of fights ensued, and the fans loved every minute of what they saw.
The movement to scrap the instigator rule continues to gain momentum within the hockey world -- both with fighters and non-fighters. Lose the instigator rule, let the gloves come off, and allow scores to be settled.
The players, fans, and hockey media all seem to agree. Hopefully the competition committee will be on board as well.
Yes, it has only been three weeks since the hockey world thought the Penguins were unquestionably destined for Kansas City. At that time, it seemed only a superhero could save hockey in Pittsburgh.
Of course, there is a reason they call him Super Mario.
A week after Mario Lemieux met with a Kansas City contingent regarding the relocation of the Penguins to Missouri, it appears the Penguins will be staying put in Pittsburgh.
No, nothing is done yet. But Lemieux has had two meetings with city and state officials, and all reports say things have gone well. The key bit of information, however, comes from Phil Esposito.
As most hockey fans know, Esposito is extremely connected in the hockey world. He has done it all -- he was a hall of fame player and followed that career with a wide variety of jobs, including team founder, coach, general manager, broadcaster... you get the point.
So when Esposito reported on Home Ice XM 204 Wednesday morning that the Pens look destined to say in Pittsburgh, it has more than a bit of validity. Esposito said an acceptable deal could be in position from the regional governments as soon as the coming weeks. He also said the team does not appear to be currently for sale, speculating Lemieux would wait until the arena deal is done before putting the team back on the market.
If Esposito's credentials are not enough for you to believe, consider he is a good friend of one of the team's potential suitors. Frank D'Angelo of Toronto's Steelback Brewery threw his name into the hat last month, even appearing on Esposito's In the Slot radio show to discuss his interest.
In other words, if Espo says this will likely happen, it will likely happen.
The NHL could not be happier to hear this news, as Pittsburgh is a much-needed true hockey market. While the media tries to convince Americans nobody watches hockey anymore, Pittsburgh functions much more like a Canadian market. The newspaper coverage is outstanding, the television and radio coverage is high quality, and the Penguins are a part of the city's culture. Local television ratings are among the highest of all U.S.-based teams.
Nobody is saying Kansas City, or any other market, could not work. However, it would be a risk. Kansas City has seen failed NHL, IHL, and UHL teams over the past 30 years, and the city has not seen the explosive growth of other second-run markets such as Denver, Atlanta, or even the Twin Cities.
Despite that, Kansas City might get their shot at an NHL team yet. The interest of several markets including Oklahoma City, Portland, Houston, and Southern Ontario has prompted more talk about NHL expansion.
The league is considering realignment for next season that would see two divisions in each conference. With 30 teams, that means one eight team division and one seven team division in each conference. One more team in each conference would seem to make scheduling and playoff matters simpler.
Then, of course, there is the matter of finances. Esposito acquired the expansion Lightning for Tampa Bay in the early 90s, and the price at the time was $50 million. Esposito said he thinks the franchise fee this time could be as high as $200 million. Adding to the owners' interest in expansion is the fact that expansion fees, unlike most revenue, is not split with the players.
Do the quick math -- two teams at $200 million is $400 million. Split 30 ways among the existing owners, that puts about $13 million in the coffers of each existing NHL team. The $13 million goes a long ways to provide financial stability for fledgling franchises -- something that benefits everyone. If the bottom line looks better, expect ticket prices to be more stable. The owners win, the fans win.
And the players win. Two more teams means 46 more jobs, and despite fears of diluting the talent pool, that simply is not the case. When the NHL had 21 teams, the vast majority of players were Canadian. Now, the NHL is roughly one-third European, and another 10-15 percent of players come from the United States most seasons. The number of Canadian players has stayed relatively steady over the past 25 years while new talent pools have been tapped to make up the difference.
In addition, anyone who watches the AHL, major junior, or college hockey knows there is a lot of talent out there. For whatever reason, some players simply fall through the cracks. Look at a player like Dan Cleary -- in a 21-team league, he might have been buried in the minors. In today's game, he found his stride at a later age and is now one of the top scorers on the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings.
The minors are full of Dan Clearys. There are many players who are capable of playing at an NHL caliber who just need to be given a chance. In addition, youth hockey programs are stocked with top-notch coaching, meaning kids are playing the game at a higher level than ever before. As today's kids develop, the NHL should reap the benefits in the coming seasons.
In other words, there is plenty of talent. Losing one or two players from each current NHL roster will not make a huge impact, and those jobs will easily be taken by a more than capable AHLer.
What expansion will do, however, is stabilize the bottom line for existing franchises and introduce two new markets to the game.
And most importantly for those in Pittsburgh, those new markets now look like they will not come at their expense.
It may be the season to be jolly, but for those of you in and around Pittsburgh, it is the season to be angry.
No, do not be angry at Mario Lemieux. He has been Superman for the Penguins in the last two decades. If not for Super Mario's dedication, the Penguins would have been in Portland by the late 1990s. Lemieux has forsaken the money due to him in order to keep the franchise in Pittsburgh more than once, so when he says the team may be forced to move, understand he has exhausted every opportunity.
Do not be angry at the National Hockey League. The NHL desperately wants the Penguins to stay in Pittsburgh.
Do not be angry at your fellow fans. Pittsburgh faithful have repeatedly filled the Igloo night after night.
The frustration should be directed towards the political system that has put the Penguins in this mess. The Pennsylvania state government had a chance to pull the Penguins out of this situation by granting a slot license to Isle of Capri, the organization that pledged to build a $300 million arena for the Pens and the city of Pittsburgh.
Certainly, there are more factors that went into the awarding of the slots license for downtown Pittsburgh, but none of the other bids seemed to do as much good for the city as the Isle of Capri. A $300 million arena for free -- those words bear repeating. No taxpayer money. No team money. No PSLs or increases in ticket prices needed to pay for the new rink.
A $300 million arena to save the NHL's most exciting young franchise. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury are the league's stars of the future. No, scratch that. They are the league's young stars of today. Crosby and Staal are still eligible for this year's World Junior tournament, but instead, they are tearing up the NHL.
The future could not be brighter on the ice, yet there is nothing but doom and gloom in Steeltown this Christmas. The Penguins have been a part of the city's fabric for 40 years, but that may come to an end in spring. The lease at Mellon Arena is up and there is virtually no chance the Pens will stay at the aging facility for any length of time.
When Lemieux admits the team might have to leave Pittsburgh, the city's biggest booster is essentially throwing in the towel. Where the Penguins would go is anyone's guess at this point. Kansas City is a leading candidate -- it is not a traditional hockey market like Pittsburgh, but it does have a new arena. Houston and Winnipeg are not out of the question, although expansion would likely be required on the latter's arena.
The frustrating thing for Pittsburgh residents is none of this had to happen. The ideal solution had been found -- the Isle of Capri was the team's savior.
In a complicating twist, the slots license was awarded by the state and not the city. Pittsburgh lies on the far western side of Pennsylvania, while the majority of the state's population is in Eastern Pennsylvania. Hence, the majority of the state's political power lies far from Pittsburgh.
Nobody is saying things would have definitely worked out different had the decision makers been primarily from the Pittsburgh area, but you have to wonder. Surely Pittsburgh natives would understand how important this issue was to the city, wouldn't they?
We will never know. The decision was made and the Pens have to live with the aftermath. A privately-funded arena is virtually out of the question, as the complicating issue is the fact the Penguins have been for sale for some time. No owner is going to pay $100-200 million for a team and then spend $300 million on a new arena -- it is financial suicide. For that matter, so is staying in the Igloo.
Lemieux said Thursday the team is off the market, an interesting development to the story. Without a doubt, Lemieux will continue to exhaust every possible angle to keep the team in Pittsburgh -- but he has already been doing that for years. Perhaps the dire situation will open up some funding, but that seems like a long shot at this point.
One thing is for sure -- if the Pens leave Pennsylvania, it will not be for lack of effort from Lemieux. As far as the state government goes, well, that is another story.
Pittsburgh may be near coal mining country, but the fans did not expect -- or deserve -- this lump of coal in their stockings.
Star power sells everywhere, but that seems to be especially true in Southern California.
Whether it is Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paris Hilton, Sidney Crosby, or Evgeni Malkin, Southern Californians love celebrities. And in the hockey world, it often seems the high-profile players have a top-notch game when playing in the glitz and glitter of SoCal. Just ask Alex Ovechkin, who recorded his first career hat trick last winter at the then-Arrowhead Pond.
Monday night at the arena now known as Honda Center, Crosby and Malkin did not find a similar fate. The young superstars recorded just one assist each as the hometown Anaheim Ducks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime.
The Ducks picked up a point for the 15th consecutive game to start the season, tying the record set by the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers. Under the rules of that era, the Ducks actually have one loss -- an overtime defeat to the New York Rangers -- but there is no denying Anaheim is on a roll.
Through much of the first fourteen games, the Ducks relied on a strong power play for their offense. Yet on Monday, the Ducks scored just once in eight power play opportunities in regulation time.
Fast forward to overtime, and Pittsburgh's Noah Welch was issued his third minor of the night -- this time for tripping -- just 21 seconds into overtime. Anaheim's Teemu Selanne tripped on the Welch's stick in a clearly inadvertent play, but at the same time, the trip did prevent a possible scoring chance.
On the ensuing power play, Scott Niedermayer made a perfect pass across the crease to Selanne, who was driving to the left side of the net from the left faceoff circle. Pittsburgh goaltender Jocelyn Thibault had no chance on the play, and the Ducks recorded their 11th win of the season.
Penalties were the theme of the game, as the Penguins found themselves shorthanded nine times and on the power play just twice. Some of the calls seemed to be borderline, but in the so-called new NHL, the standards are still being sorted out.
The Ducks started on the right foot when Chris Kunitz opened the scoring just 3:29 into the opening stanza. Kunitz was stationed at the left side of the slot and did his best Brett Hull impression, going to one knee to one-time a pass from Selanne and beating Thibault to the short side.
Just 21 seconds later, Dominic Moore brought the puck out of the right corner and skated into the low slot, where he deked goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere to tie the game.
Midway through the opening period, the Crosby and Malkin show started to get on track. Crosby impressively won a battle in the left corner and found Malkin inside the left point. Malkin's shot was stopped, but Chris Thorburn was stationed at the left side of the crease and batted home the rebound. The goal was Thorburn's first in the NHL and came almost immediately after being teamed with Crosby and Malkin for the first time.
It looked like a delayed replay when Anaheim's Corey Perry tied the game on the power play midway through the second frame. This time, it was Scott Niedermayer's shot from inside the left point that was stopped by Thibault and Perry who fired home the rebound from the left side of the crease.
The Ducks dominated the game after a slow opening period, outshooting Pittsburgh 40-17 overall and 32-11 after the first 2o minutes. With the Pens spending 14:34 shorthanded, Crosby and Malkin struggled to get ice time for much of the game. By the time it was all said and done, Crosby played 19:29 and Malkin 19:45, but much of that time was spent in the defensive zone as the Ducks again showed an aggressive forecheck.
Thibault was the main reason the Pens escaped with a point, as he was spectacular in just his second appearance of the season. He was inexplicably left out of the three stars, but he could not be faulted on any of the three goals. Even an average goaltending performance would likely have yielded at least six goals to the Ducks, who were firing on all cylinders after the first intermission.
The crowd of 16,599 -- disappointingly short of a sellout by a little more than 500 -- was enthusiastic and featured roughly 3,000 Penguins fans. Many fans were late for the game, as long security lines to enter the arena continue to be a major problem.
THREE STARS: Homerism is a common complaint for three star selections in several arenas, but the problem seems to be amplified in Southern California. Despite scoring two goals -- including the game winner -- Malkin was denied a star last week in Pittsburgh's overtime win at Staples Center.
It was the same story Monday, as Anaheim received all three stars in their overtime win at Honda Center.
As a result, Grimm's Tales will begin doing our own three stars, starting with Monday's game below.
FIRST STAR: Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim. A perfect pass on the overtime winner capped off a solid night at both ends for the blueliner.
SECOND STAR: Jocelyn Thibault, Pittsburgh. Thibault stood on his head to send this game to overtime.
THIRD STAR: Teemu Selanne, Anaheim. Selanne notched the overtime winner and had several scoring chances in one of his strongest performances of the young season.
If you are a fan of wide-open, high-scoring hockey, this could be your series.
The Senators are led by the potent trio of Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza. The Lightning counter with Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards, and Vincent Lecavalier.
Just as importantly, the goaltending issue is a question mark for each team. Dominik Hasek's status has been a question mark since he was injured in the Olympics, putting the starting job in the hands of Ray Emery. Emery has posted a respectable 2.82 goals against and .902 save percentage, but the Sens certainly hope Hasek returns at some point in this series.
On the other hand, Tampa Bay counters with two goaltenders who have struggled much of the year. Veteran Sean Burke posted a 2.80 goals against and a .895 save percentage, while John Grahame finished with a sub par 3.06 goals against and a .889 save percentage.
Tampa Bay has the advantage of playoff experience, as they are the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning had a tougher time than expected in adapting to the new rule enforcements, a bit of a surprise for a high-scoring, up-tempo team. When the Lightning are on, however, they can play with anyone in the league.
Prediction: This could be one of the first round's most intriguing series. If either team comes up with standout goaltending, that could be the difference. Senators in seven.
#2 Carolina vs #7 Montreal
Twenty years ago, a rookie goaltender named Patrick Roy came out of nowhere to lead the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup.
This year, Habs fans hope surprising Cristobal Huet, who led the NHL with a .929 save percentage, can make history repeat itself.
To do that, Montreal will have to shut down young superstar Eric Staal, who tallied 45 goals and 100 points in the regular season. Staal is joined by late season acquisitions Mark Recchi and Doug Weight, two players who will provide veteran leadership for the Hurricanes.
Montreal's top scorer, Alex Kovalev, posted just 65 regular season points. With Martin Gerber excelling between the pipes for the Hurricanes, offense could be hard to come by for the Habs.
Prediction: An energetic Bell Centre crowd will help Montreal get a couple of wins, but Carolina is too strong for the Canadiens. Hurricanes in six.
#3 New Jersey vs #6 New York Rangers
Through most of the regular season, the Rangers were one of the NHL's feel-good stories. A happy Jaromir Jagr led the Rangers' revival, and the world's media center caught hockey fever once again.
Less than ten miles from Madison Square Garden, however, another story was taking place. New Jersey won their final 11 games to pass the Rangers on the season's final day, capturing yet another division title for the team from the Meadowlands.
Jagr finished second in the league with 123 points, but New Jersey has their own scoring sensation. Little big man Brian Gionta set a Devils record with 48 goals, and he has formed a potent first line with Scott Gomez and Zach Parise.
Henrik Lundqvist has posted great numbers in his rookie season, but anytime Martin Brodeur appears in a playoff series, the goaltending edge has to go to the Devils.
Prediction: The Devils technically have home ice advantage, but look for many Ranger fans to find their way to Continental Airlines Arena. The energy in Madison Square Garden should get the Rangers a win or two, but New Jersey is the East's hottest team right now. Devils in six.
#4 Buffalo vs #5 Philadelphia
Maxim Afinogenov is their leading scorer with 73 points. Chris Drury is their only 30 goal scorer. Yet the Buffalo Sabres ranked fifth in goal scoring in the regular season.
An odd stat to be sure, but the Sabres are all about a team concept. Eleven players have at least 40 points, and the same number have double-digit goals.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, relies largely on the duo of Peter Forsberg and Simon Gagne for their offense. When healthy, they can be unstoppable, but health is always an issue with Forsberg. He has been nursing a groin injury in recent weeks, and he will likely be at less than 100%.
Emerging star Ryan Miller gives the Sabres an edge between the pipes. Philadelphia will counter with Robert Esche, but if he falters, look for the Flyers to turn to Olympic standout Antero Nittymaki.
Prediction: If Forsberg is healthy, the Flyers could be a force in these playoffs. Anything less than 100% from Forsberg, however, and the Sabres' balance could be too much for Philadelphia to overcome. Sabres in seven.
As a life-long hockey fan and sports fan in general, sports has always been a big part of my life. I have combined that with my interest in writing to create a long-term interest in sportswriting , something that has manifested itself in various sportswriting opportunities over the years.
