i’m a Flyers fan first, Blue Jackets fan second….so a Detroit and pitt series AGAIN isn’t the matchup I was expecting to see. I saw alot more potential matches that, personally, would have been really exciting to see. The Flyers loss still baffles me, from what I saw it seemed like the Flyers should have had control of that series (it all started with losing to the Rangers last game of the reg., still stupid to think about) they just seemed like the better team, but had no really direction at times and the refs/penalties killed us as well.

Back to this year’s Cup Final, I’d much rather see the Wings get the Cup…hopefully stuffs Pitt bad and sends them packing another year, but really don’t see that happening this time around. These are the 09 teams, making this a brand new series between the two familiar rivals. I can see this going the distance to game 7 in the Motor City. Probably how Detroit will take this series too, at home, with ice advantage again over the Pens.

All and all, these two teams made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for a second year in a row. Maybe Pitt will take the series and avenge last years loss(hope not!) or Detroit will carry the Cup two years in a row(hope not either, but Wings are my choice)

That no one wants to see the Pens win anything. They are for the great part of history a very below average team. They won back to backs in a down time for the NHL and thanks to a bogus draft lottery and 6 crap filled seasons they got more #1 draft picks than Matt Millen with the Lions. They did not waste those draft picks, mazel tov, but a monkey (or even Bobby Clarke) could have made those can’t miss choices.

Do we root for the Bengals cause they’ve been a pitiful franchise? No

Do we root for the Clippers? No

Does anyone feel bad for the Pirates? I don’t

I lived in Pittsburgh in the years before the back to backs and trust me, no one could have explained a 2 line pass let alone name 5 players on their team. You are a football city Pittsburgh, take that mantle and enjoy it. I would.

Not only can’t I root for the Pens in this series I need to vehemently root against them.

Mario- great player, biggest whiner ever

Jagr- great player but never did a thing without 66 on his line

Crosby- I’ll be brief, he learned everything he knows (complaining, diving etc) from Mario and could be the least compelling face of a sport I can ever remember. I would never want him in Orange and Black

Malkin- does he talk? If anyone has ever heard him talk does he start with “I’ll break you” in every interview? Scary talent though.

MAF- would we be in our 2nd finals with him in goal? I think probably

Guerin- once a Devil and now a Pen, nuff said

Kunitz- will he cheap shot Lidstrom like he did to Kimmo? He’ll try

Yeah, we all remember being swept by the Red Wings and no one despised them more than me that summer but time has passed, those players are gone and I don’t have the outright hatred I do for say the Yanks winning another world series.

I love hockey but to be honest with you, I’m about as excited for the finals as I am for cutting the grass, its there, I’ll get to it, I just hope it doesn’t take that long.

It just sucks to see the freaking Pens in the finals again…. They’re playing really well, but outside of Gonchar missing a game vs Washington, they don’t appear to have any real injuries, and I think that’s the key for a long postseason

I’m afraid the Penguins will take the Cup this year, folks. True, they have injuries that they’re not talking about, but Detroit has a hobbled Lidstrom AND Datsyuk. Plus, as well as Ozzie is playing in net, Fleury has been better.

Even though the Wings beat the Hawks in 5, 3 of those games went to OT. Only one game (Game 4) was a blowout, so for the most part the Hawks were right there with the Wings. The Hurricanes were clearly outclassed by the Penguins, as every loss after Game 1 was lopsided. Both the Wings and Pens had second-round matchups that went to 7 games, but Detroit had the tougher series (against Anaheim). The Pens’ toughest series was probably against us… and as we’ve all said, it should have gone to a Game 7 as well.

In short, things have gotten tougher for the Wings while they’ve gotten easier for the Pens. With the commissioner in Crosby’s corner, there’s no way the Pens will lose two years in a row. Plus, with Fleury, Malkin, and guys like Rob Scuderi playing like they are now, I can’t see Pittsburgh losing – especially considering they’re healthier than Detroit. For all of his drawbacks, Crosby is a very competitive player and losing two years in a row will not sit well with him.

As Travis asked in the poll, that is what I think will happen, not what I want to happen. But I agree more with the subject of this post – this sucks. I want to watch hockey but I don’t want to watch two teams I dislike.

lets not forget the Wings won 6-1 without Datsyuk AND Lidstrom. Osgood or no, that’s a lot of depth. What’s the Pens answer to Holmstrom, Franzen, Hudler, Filppula, and Kronwall? Nobody talks about those guys, but they’re vastly underrated.

And that’s not even close to their best players. Chelios, Rafalski, Stuart, and Ericsson are a solid top 4, even if Lidstrom is out and Kronwall hurts himself. And don’t forget: Marian Hossa is on the other side this time.

i have to say that it has gotten easier for the pens but that could be in the wings favor…i mean im not saying that they dont know but the wings bring to the table, the Wings are playing harder hockey, which could be a wake up call for those dudes in Pitt. I would rather see anything then the Pens win the cup. Idc if A Rob became a Phil (which i would despise) i just wouldnt be able to look at the tv if they won. And Hossa wont let that happen. He made the right choice, Id much rather play with Zetterberg and those guys, so much more complete team. They dont bring in old guys and Kunitz to help them get to where they are now. I dont care what Crosby has done, outside him and Malkin, and i dont want to hear about anything about Cooke or Fedourick because they both suck. Detroit knows how to put a team together from the beginging. and if Carter would have put that puck in the net in game 2 things would be entirely different….