It's ICE hockey, right?

Why was it still being played in June?

And don't get me started about basketball....

This is why I am not a fan of either of these sports. They don't have seasons, just years.

Ok, so I just came from Mitch Albom's fawning recap of every Wing's play, complete with a mention of the hometown of every Wing's star, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but reading this rather perfunctory take on what was one of the more exciting Cups in recent memory leaves me feeling a bit like Mr. Kaufman might have spent his formative years in McKeesport or Aliquippa. I forget...did he even mention the Penguin's opponent?

He could have at least brought the one post-game quote that actually cut through the usual "sports-talk blah, blah, blah" when the tragic, human figure of Chris Osgood stared back at the typically insolent interviewer and summed-up his whole career in "I've got a bigger heart than people think." But hey, from the Pistons to the Wings it's always the same story with sportswriters... great "teams" will always be passed over for "marquee players."

It's ICE hockey, right? Why was it still being played in June?

I'm a huge fan of the sport (I play it myself) but I do have to agree with you there. The season drags on far too long and few people care about how hard-fought Lord Stanley's Cup is. The reason is the rash of franchises over the past few decades in places where they've never seen *snow*, let alone ice. Which is not to say I begrudge Florida or Dallas their teams. I'm saying the huge number of teams has diluted the sport. I think playoff season needs to be rethunk. Fewer quarter- and semi-final games within the divisions, for example.

And here I thought you were linking to the story about the time the Canadians won the Cup, had a flat tire on the way home, left the Cup on the side of the road and drove off without it. Went back for it and discovered it flanked by garbage cans. Near thing that.

BTW the link doesn't work.

D Passing: crisp, accurate, very well designed

P Passing: occasionally accurate, but not as precise

D Goalie: Good, stable, dependable

P Goalie: Occasionally out of position, sometimes made risky choices

D Penalty kill: Game 6, killed a 5 on 3 and were aggressive on offense, not scored on until Period 3

P Penalty kill: Scored on 1 time in Period 1

D Penalty Unit: 1 goal (P1), 4 penalty periods

P Penalty Unit: 1 goal (P3), 4 penalty periods, 1 5 on 3 (no goal)

I agree. I think the first round should revert to a best of five. Well it should if we were concerned about the overall quality of play in the later rounds (fresher legs and all that. I can't get over how these teams have essentially been playing every other night for two months...it's insane). But I think a legitimate counter-point is just how much money a team rakes in for every playoff home game (the standard number is $1 million/game). For lower tier teams I think the lure of even $1 million extra (assuming they get swept or lose in five) is a very big deal and could be just the thing to convince ownership to field a good team.

(of course you could argue that a best of five gives a better chance for the lower seeds to win in an upset...although I don't recall ever seeing an 8 seed upset a 1 seed in the NBA when they had best of five...)

well clearly I don't really know what I'm talking about...regardless, the pens played admirably. They just had the misfortune of running into one of the finest teams of the last 20 years. Also it was nice to see a Newf hoist the Cup (Cleary)...made me mudder proud ;)

Nuggets over Sonics and Knicks over Heat.

Congrats to Detroit and their players. They were the best team all year and in this series, but as Sid the Kid said, they (Pens) left it all out there. THAT shot he took almost found it's way in which would have been one for the ages. I was watching with my hockey-tolerant gf and had said with three mins to go that there was no way possible to score 2 goals in last three minutes. I fell out of my chair on that last shot and was subsequently told I knew nothing about hockey because look what almost happened.

btw...Pirates fans/apologists...why is this franchise given a 'small market' pass when the Steelers and Pens are able to compete at the highest levels? 11 straight losing seasons?

There is a certain pleasure in watching the Finals while the grill is covered in brats, especially if I spent the winter shoveling snow,scraping ice of my windshield and getting pelted with salt from the plow truck. However, I don't think cities without really wintry conditions earned their hockey teams. I would like the Stars a lot more if the city of Dallas didn't shut down every time they accumulated an inch of snow.

"However, I don't think cities without really wintry conditions earned their hockey teams. I would like the Stars a lot more if the city of Dallas didn't shut down every time they accumulated an inch of snow."

Vancouver Canucks excluded.

Personally, June is bittersweet for me. I love the playoffs no matter what month it's in. When the cup is lifted, I kind of want that moment to last longer. Because after that, what else is there until next fall? Basketball finals? Puh-leeeze. Baseball? Yawn - all the excitement of seniors lawn bowling. I'm not wathcing the Olympics this year and there's never enough lacrosse televised.

The "other" hockey-playing Penguins are probably going to be chewed up by the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup minor-league hockey finals this week.

Sic transit gloria mundi...just a few years ago penguins were marching, dancing and surfing their way into our hearts...

I didn't realize Vancouver wasn't wintry in the winter but any city in Canada gets to have a team :)