Here We Go Again

photo credit: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

by Andrew Bogusch

It may not be the Lebron-Kobe final the NBA and its fans have been pining for all spring, but Red Wings and Penguins for the Stanley Cup is as good as it gets for the NHL.

The first Finals rematch in 25 years features the best organization in sports against the face of the game and his trusty Russian sidekick. Forget trying to maintain the solid ratings on NBC and Versus, the League was correct to move up Game 1 from next Friday to this Saturday because we simply should not have to wait to see Lidstrom and Datsyuk faceoff with Crosby and Malkin.

“To have the opportunity against Pittsburgh should be a lot of fun. There will be a lot of hype,” said Wings coach Mike Babcock in one of the biggest understatements in recent memory.

Between Crosby, Malkin, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Marian Hossa, there will be a Top 15 player on the ice at almost all times. The goaltender battle pits the age-defying Chris Osgood against the spindly, goofy-smiled Marc-Andre Fleury. Behind the bench, Mike Babcock puts his championship resume up against Dan Bylsma, who was toiling in the AHL just a few months ago.

There will certainly be a lot of hype, and it will all be deserved. The recently retired Bobby Holik told NHL Radio’s NHL Live this week that winning consecutive conference titles is more impressive than winning one Stanley Cup…and we have two teams here that have accomplished that.

The Red Wings and Penguins played an exhilarating six-game final last spring and they have dominated in different ways so far this spring. Detroit dispatched the upstart Blackhawks with a surgeon’s precision despite the absences of Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Tomas Kopecky, Andreas Lilja and Jonathan Ericsson. Zetterberg stepped up one night, Hossa another, and Darren Helm Wednesday night, scoring the overtime clincher against Chicago.

This display of organizational depth is the latest example of how much better the Detroit front office is than the rest of the NHL. Read Michael Farber’s piece in the latest Sports Illustrated if you don’t believe the Red Wings are the best franchise in any sport in the last 20 years.

Crosby and Malkin have been the lead story in Pittsburgh, registering 28 points apiece. They are each other’s only competition for the postseason scoring title. In the Pens’ four-game destruction of the Hurricanes, Sid the Kid scored twice and had five assists, while Geno added six tallies and three helpers. Crosby’s Game 7 effort against the Capitals and Malkin’s virtuoso performance against Carolina in Game 2 are the two best individual efforts of these playoffs.

Duplicating either will be difficult against Detroit. Lidstrom will have them in his crosshairs after neutralizing Chicago’s Patrick Kane (before suffering a lower-body injury). And if Datsyuk is healthy, Babcock can play the matchup game against Crosby AND Malkin, which few other teams could do.

No other teams could give us what we’re about to see over the next two weeks.

As always, any complaints, suggestions, questions go to boguschhockey@gmail.com