Old-Time Hockey - Thursday, May 29, 2008
411 Views :: 0 Comments :: :: Michael Bradley

   As the Penguins passed the 130th minute of scoreless play against Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday, it appeared as if Pittsburgh was a goner. Red Wing players were buzzing around the offensive zone, and the NBC analysts were wondering when someone would cue "Sweet Georgia Brown" as the Detroit players whipped the puck around, Globetrotter style.

   Then it happened. Sidney Crosby rushed the net and jammed home a goal, and the Penguins were in the series. Their 3-2 game three triumph narrowed the Wings' lead to 2-1 and made it clear this wouldn't be an early TKO. Detroit will have to earn its Cup. That's a good thing, because this has been a great post-season, and prolonging it a few more days is just fine.

   Flyers fans still watching hockey should pay attention to  how the teams are playing, and more importanatly, how they have been built. The Pens work on the star system, but they have several players capable of scoring beyond Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and put pressure on opposing teams with that depth. The Flyers may not have the stars the Pens do, although Danny Briere and Mike Richards are certainly top-shelf talents, but they can certainly keep working the trade and free-agent lines to add pop to their third and fourth lines. It's nice to be physical, but you'll notice this finals series has been far less about the big hits (although there have been some nice crunchers) and far more about skill. Once the stakes rise, and power plays are coveted -- and feared -- the rough stuff becomes less of a concern.

   Detroit, meanwhile, has some of the best defenders around. They rarely make mistakes, even though a first-period giveaway led to Crosby's opening goal in game three, and their positioning is usually flawless. The Wings'  first two wins featured a smothering D that rendered the usually explosive Penguins impotent. It wasn't accomplished with intimidation, rather sound fundamental defense with an emphasis on crowding the passing lanes and preventing the Pittsburgh skaters from getting loose in the neutral zone. It helped that Chris Osgood was excellent when the Penguins did shoot, but  he is an erratic goalie who benefits greatly from the people in front of him.

   So, enjoy the rest of the finals. Marvel at the Wings' efficiency. Thrill to Crosby and Malkin's skill. And remember that the Flyers won't be playing at that level until they're able to build depth up front and find more defenders capable of skating like forwards and sticking to anything in an opposing sweater.

   Hockey season may be over in Philadelphia, but there's still a lot of work to do.