The Red Wings vs. the Penguins rematch in the Stanley Cup Finals will be great theater.
They are the two best teams in the NHL.
They both play a high tempo aggressive game. Both teams are filled with star players and have very good D; great centers; strong goaltending; great special teams play; and are well coached and have experience throughout the lineups.
The Penguins swept the Hurricanes. The Red Wings beat the Blackhawks in five games in their respective conference finals. Both teams have peaked at the right time. They both deserve to be in the Stanley Cup Finals.
If Detroit gets healthy, this will be a series for the ages.
The Red Wings and the Penguins have now set a bar for excellence that all 28 other teams in the league must try to exceed if we want to compete and win a Stanley Cup in the future. They have been the best teams in the NHL now for two years in a row.
We all have our work cut out for us. We all must get busy this off season through the draft; development of young players; and through trades and free agency to improve our teams.
Congratulations to the Penguins and the Red Wings. You made the NHL proud with your state of play and you have offered blue prints to the rest of the league for successful franchise development.
I look forward to watching the Stanley Cup Finals. I believe this will showcase hockey at its best and provide the rest of us a challenge to improve.
Yes SA-Town exactly. The Pens could have easily missed the playoffs for not a late season push, their record was not that great. But very true as Ted said they peaked at the right time and played well when it matters – the playoffs. Hope the Caps can take something of this, not that they should slack all year but what really matters if playoff time.
Actually…the Penguins were quite poor and went to the wire to get in the playoffs…but what does the regular season mean anyway? Obviously nothing to Sidney Crosby.
I really admire you for the classy note and very kind words about the Stanley Cup finalist. While some of us disgree a bit (these two teams AGAIN?), and think the hockey will be pretty boring, it was a very generous post, and we all admire you for it.
As for others like me, we’ll be focusing on the Calder Cup finals in Hershey. Will we see you there?
Well Said Ted. After watching the Capitals-Penguins series I realized that Pittsburgh was firing on all cylinders and that they were going to be a tough team to stop. Granted, Detroit plays almost the same type of game that Pitt does but the Red Wings are hampered by injuries right now. I see the Pens’ winning this series in 6, a lil payback from last year. Now all I gotta do is wait another 5 months til’ the Caps can go on their prowl once more.
right on, and when the red wings take the cup they will haunt the penguins for a decade just like us. only it will be twice as ugly for the pens having to live the nightmare twice! sorry, no love lost.