Step 1: Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, TALBOT

Step 2: ???

Step Three: Stanley Cup!

I think a team has to hang out in the NHL basement for 3-5 years, draft star players while your team is threatened to be sold / moved and within a few years it starts paying dividends.
That seems to be the case in Pitts.

I thought Crosby was considered the best player in the league and Malkin was third? And why does nobody like Crosby? I really need to move back to Canada so I can follow the NHL more.

Considering all the circumstances (5 seconds to go in game 7, the fact that it was against an all-time great, the fact that he dove out of nowhere to block it) that has to be one of the top 5 saves of all time, right?

I have finally come out of the cave known as the self imposed information delay. Being this was a game 7, I hid from everything until I finally got my copy and enjoyed the game in its entirety without spoilers. And what a game…

Good on Matt Cooke for getting his cup…but at the same time, I am a little sad that Hossa didn’t get his (hey, former Portland Winterhawk). And the ironies of ironies is…when Hossa played for the Memorial Cup Championship in 1998, he blew out his knee midway through the 3rd period and missed the remainder of the game…twist of fate would have Crosby do the same. Although Crosby was able to accept the trophy on his own two feet…back in the day, Hossa was handed the cup while strapped to an office chair and his leg sticking straight out in front of him.

But, while watching that 7th game and marvelling at the speed, power and the lack of mistakes of both teams, I couldn’t help but think, there is no f*ing way the Canucks could have kept up with that pace. Mistakes that were made, were immediately pounced upon (ie Talbot’s first goal). So, instead of Luongo finding his game when it counted, it was Fleury…sticking his neck in front of a Lidstrom wrist shot with precious few ticks left on the clock. Bobby Orr flying through the air to win the cup…and Fleury sticking his neck in front of that shot are indelible images. Bottom line…this was the most entertaining/exciting cup final I have watched since…well, 1994. The NHL is back.

What a terrific season…and the best part of it…the Canucks are now in first place of the division and have an equal shot of doing what Pittsburgh did yesterday.

You are so right in saying MG has a lot of work to do this summer. I think it was some form of mass psychosis that had a lot of fans (myself included) thinking the Canucks were poised for a run this year. The final was a truly inspiring series to watch and there is no way the Canucks, as constructed last season, could have raised their level to reach that of either Detroit or Pittsburgh.

I guess it begins with decision time on the Sedins. I think I heard that a formal offer is expected this coming week.

I still don’t agree with the whole “Canucks couldn’t play to Detroit or Pittsburgh’s level”

History has shown that certain teams that bond together and play 100% as a team can surprise anyone. I can think of several examples. Calgary making the Finals a few years ago, the Oilers a few years ago, the Panthers of 1996 to name a few. Sure, those teams didn’t win the Cup those years, but they defied all odds to get there.

but that didn’t keep their D from being exposed as old and slow or their supposedly all world goalie from being ventilated.

The D was seemingly slow yes, but the defence shit the bed. It’s not as if they don’t have the talent. They just fucked up their assignments. So did Luongo.
Hey, you could be right, but I am saying that had Vancouver played a better team game without the brainfarts then it would be a whole new ball game. You can’t deny possibility.
To me, you’re still underestimating the power of team chemistry and using too much hindsight by looking at a playoff tree at the end of it all.

I love Matt Cooke, he took the place of Ruutu, but played better in the oppositions zone than Ruutu, both are fan favorites either way. My desire for the pens to win the cup grew much more when Cooke told a Pittsburgh writer, I’ve lifted that cup so many times. That’s something as a fan gives you chills to hear an athlete speak that fondly of his sports greatest prize. The Cup is without question the most respected championship in all of sports. It’s tradition. It’s legacy. The passion it exudes from the players striving for it from North America to Europe from Minnesota to Massachusetts from Buffalo to Pittsburgh from Ontario, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island,Manitoba, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan. Everywhere in between. The Cup is signicant to Canadians when they turn 5. It is without a doubt the most repected championship. Come on, do you see football players getting their name on the Lombardi trophy, no .Although it doesn’t diminish it. People will see the cup and some of the greats names on there, that’s special.