Stanley likes Wings

Congratulations are in order for the Detroit Red Wings, who dispatched the Pittsburgh Penguins last night to win their 11th Stanley Cup in the team's history. The team was simply too talented, too deep and too experienced for the Penguins.

Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!

Given that Detroit can claim its 11th Stanley Cup tonight by beating Pittsburgh (fulfilling my prediction of the Wings in five), it's no wonder that Hound Central 3.0 readers voted Detroit's Chris Osgood as a better goalie than Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury.

And just like this Stanley Cup Final, the poll, the blog's 18th of the season, wasn't as close as it appears. Osgood, who's had himself one whale of a playoffs as his backup (sounds weird, doesn't it?) Dominik Hasek, a future Hall of Famer, watches from the bench, remained in front throughout the poll.

In the interest of full disclosure, I voted for Fleury. At this time, he isn't the best goalie. Down the road, when the Penguins are in the midst of a long run of winning the Cup, I believe Fleury will be a better goalie. Right now, though, it's Osgood.

And, unless Detroit's Johan Franzen gets a hat trick tonight, including the Cup winner, I don't see anyone other than Osgood picking up the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Question: Who's the better goalie?

Wings' Chris Osgood: 13 votes out 23 votes cast (56 percent)
Pens' Marc-Andre Fleury: 10 out of 23 (43 percent)

Not this time, Pittsburgh

Beyond the tired storyline of youth vs. experience, the Stanley Cup matchup of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings offers some interesting storylines:

~ Will Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg outscore Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin?
~ Is it fair to compare the Penguins' Sergei Gonchar to the Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom?
~ Will the Penguins use Hal Gill to neutralize the Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom?
~ Who'd would you rather have as a backup? Detroit's Dominik Hasek or Pittsburgh's Ty Conklin?

And while I believe the Penguins are destined to enjoy a long successful run as the NHL's elite club, they're going to have to wait another season. This season, the Red Wings are simply too good, too experienced and too deep to not win any seven-game series.

Pittsburgh's young squad will learn -- the hard way, unfortunately -- what it takes to be a Stanley Cup champion. I like to think, too, that this lesson will serve them well in the years ahead.

My pick: Wings in five

His time to shine?

Maybe now, with the Penguins reaching their first Stanley Cup finals since 1992, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will get the exposure (and perhaps a few more Conn Smythe votes) that he deserves.

Playing in the shadows, so to speak, of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, it's easy to understand why Fleury may not be a name in many hockey households. Penguins fans, however, have known about this kid for some time.

Though there were some questions about Fleury coming into this season, his play this season, and especially the playoffs, should answer his critics. In 14 games, he has a 12-2 record, a 1.70 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.

If he keeps those numbers up, maybe Pittsburgh does have a chance. Against Detroit, that is.

Sunday morning homily XXIX

Eleven years from now, when a father's dreams come true, the first person Colin should thank after being taken in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft better be his Mama.

Should this dream come true, it will be because of, more than anyone else, her. She's the one who gets him to skating lessons. She's the one who sits through public skates. She's the one who tightens the laces of his skates. She's his hockey mom.

I must admit, too, to being a bit jealous. My work schedule has meant that I've missed most of the skating lessons. She's missed just one week since December. Only when I've used a vacation or personal day have I been able to pitch in. Still, though, in this economy, I won't complain. Too much, that is.

Colin's skating instructor tells us he's ready to move ahead to Hockey 101 lessons. There, in the weeks ahead, he'll learn more skating related specifically to the game -- backwards, crossovers and quick cuts, while working, of course, on his developing one-timer from the right faceoff circle.

And while I can teach him the nuances of the game -- snapshots over slapshots, clearing a crease and delivering devastating hip checks -- it's going to be his Mama who will nurture his growth. That's what Mamas do best.

Hockeytown? I don't think so

For a city that professes itself as Hockeytown, I'll add my considerable weight to the growing question of just what the heck is up with the hometown fans. Empty seats at a Western Conference championship game in Joe Louis Arena? That's sacrilegious.

As much as I hate to admit it, I don't see a team that can beat the Red Wings. I'm already rethinking my Stars-in-seven pick. Pittsburgh, while hugely talented, would only earn a lesson from Detroit. Sorry, but it'll be Titletown, once again, along the banks of the Detroit River.

So, for Detroit fans to not sell out the Joe during the Red Wings' run can mean only one of two things:

~ The economy is so bad in Detroit (and, by all accounts, the city's hemorrhaging auto industry is pretty darn ugly) that no one has any disposable income left; or
~ Red Wings fans have become complacent, even though it's been six years since Detroit last won the Cup.

Penguins in six

Up until Thursday, when I learned that Philadelphia defenseman Kimmo Timonen would miss the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh, I was holding out faint hope that the blue-collar Flyers would solve the high-flying Penguins. Now, I'm not so sure.

For most, it's been Danny Briere and Martin Biron who have made the most visible difference for Philadelphia. Briere was won back the Flyers' fickle fans. Biron's play, in two words, is simply remarkable.

In my book, though, Timonen has been the key. He brought an increased level of offensive talent, as well as a quiet confidence, to the Flyers' blueline. Unfortunately, a blood clot in his left foot has him on the sidelines.

Not to take anything away from the Penguins' star power -- with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Sergei Gonchar and Marc-Andre Fleury -- but Timonen's absence will be enough of a difference.

Pittsburgh wins in six.

The I-76 Series

Before the season started, I had Minnesota beating the Philadelphia for the Stanley Cup. Goodness, was I wrong with the Wild. The Flyers, however, are keeping my hopes for a .500 season, so to speak, on life support. It certainly doesn't look any easier against Pittsburgh, who just dispatched the Rangers.

If memory serves me correctly, a lot of people, especially those whose job it is to know such things, picked the Rangers to win it all. I guess I shouldn't feel so bad.

Either way, this Eastern Conference championship oughta be one whale of a series. The Flyers have knocked off some big teams in the Capitals and, most recently, the Canadiens. The Penguins, conversely, haven't really been tested. Plus, they hate each other.

With little more than 300 miles -- a five-hour ride and $17.25 in tolls -- separating these two more-grit-than-glitter cities, let me be among the first to call it the I-76, or Pennsylvania Turnpike, Series.

Capital moves

By adding Sergei Fedorov, Cristobal Huet and, to a lesser extent, pesky Matt Cooke, the Washington Capitals improved their lot the most on the NHL's trade deadline day, according to Hound Central 3.0 readers.

Of the 26 votes cast, the Capitals, who have surged into competitiveness since putting Bruce Boudreau behind the bench, garnered 16 out of the 26 votes cast by readers.

Given the additions to a lineup that already boasts Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Olaf Kolzig, it's apparent the Capitals were serious about winning the Southeast, perhaps the only way they could make a run during the playoffs.

Pittsburgh's acquisition of Marian Hossa, perhaps the biggest name player dealt (Dallas' Brad Richards, in my opinion, is a close second), Pascal Dupuis and Hall Gill captured some attention, but not nearly enough to make it interesting. It's too bad, though, Hossa hurt a knee in his Penguins debut.

Something tells me, however, that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Whitney and Marc-Andre Fleury can somehow keep the team afloat until everyone is healthy again. Just look back at how well Pittsburgh did in extended absences by Crosby and Fleury.

Question: Who improved the most on trade deadline day?

Washington Capitals: 16 out of 26 votes cast (61.5 percent)
Pittsburgh Penguins: 8 out of 26 (30.7 percent)
Atlanta Thrashers: 1 out of 26 (3.8 percent)
Tampa Bay Lightning: 1 out of 26 (3.8 percent)

They'll be back

Once again, a threat of rain, the need for sleep and a nagging backache, re-aggravated in Friday's hounding trip, kept me from hounding the Pittsburgh Penguins this morning in Tampa.

Sure, it's hard passing on one of the NHL's most talented teams, especially after getting prepared for the trip, but there are more important things in life, like taking care of yourself.

On everyone's radar

Now that the dust has settled from Tuesday's NHL trade deadline, one could easily argue that Marian Hossa's move to Pittsburgh from Atlanta was the biggest name trade of the day. Given his skill level and consistency, the abilities he brings to the Steel City only improves the stellar talent stocked within the Penguins roster.

Sure, there are some, especially here in Tampa Bay, who might claim that Brad Richards' trade to Dallas was fairly significant. While these folks are entitled to their opinion, I'm not convinced, based on what I've seen from "Dime on a Dollar" over the past two seasons, that a fresh start will mean anything more than a new set of unmet expectations.

In hindsight, I should've named Richards, rather than Marty St. Louis, as Tampa Bay's representative.

All analysis aside, an astounding majority, based upon the results of Hound Central 3.0's latest poll, believed that Hossa's days in Atlanta were numbered.

Question: Who's the most likely to be traded by 3 p.m. Feb. 26?

Atlanta's Marian Hossa: 15 out of 23 votes cast (65.2 percent)
Toronto's Mats Sundin: 6 out of 23 (26.1 percent)
Dallas' Marty Turco: 1 out of 23 (4.3 percent)
Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis: 1 out of 23 (4.3 percent)

What do you think?

Even though Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal logged two goals and an assist in the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Lightning last night, I still say he's this season's poster boy for sophomore slumps.

Any other contenders?

Telling the truth

Any hound who tells you that they don't want an autograph from Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby is one of two things: crazy or lying. That's why I took the calculated risk Wednesday by heading over to Tampa to hound the Penguins.

First, I knew the game-day crowd would be huge, unruly and likely leave me in a grumpy mood. Second, I figured being part of a small group could increase my chances of nailing that elusive autograph. Experience tells me the first hypothesis will pan out. The second, however, proved to be false.

Though our group of five collectors saw Crosby, we all went home empty-handed. Thanks to hotel courtesy vans and his innate ability to dodge autograph seekers, Slick Sid lived up to my low expectations.

Still, though, I can't complain. Pittsburgh's other megastar, Evgeni Malkin, made a point a signing. So did plenty of other Penguins, allowing me to I add another 28 autographs to the collection. Among the highlights:

~ eight pucks, including those shown above, from left, Kris Letang, Jordan Staal and Petr Sykora;
~ 17 cards, including those shown below, from left, Erik Christensen, Ryan Malone (signed four cards), Jarkko Ruutu (one-per) and Ryan Whitney (one-per);
~ two cheapskate cards from rookie call-ups Ryan Lannon and Ryan Stone; and
~ Winter Classic winning goalie Ty Conklin on the American-born goalie stick and a University of New Hampshire puck.

Baby steps

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, it seems, is getting brave. In what appears to be his favorite trick to avoid autograph hounds, the face of the today's NHL routinely limits his public exposure by limiting those instances to mere seconds, not moments.

Rather than have the hotel courtesy van park within 4 feet of the front door, as he did last year in a visit to Tampa, the Next One graciously allowed the driver to park 8 feet away yesterday. Four feet might not seem that great a distance, but it represented a giant leap in the young ambassador's maturation process.

The extra distance gave five hounds -- all collectors, too -- a glimpse of Crosby. We asked him if he would sign, but all he did was look over. No wave. No smile. Not even an "I'll sign for you later."

Oh, well, what can I say? I tried. My low expectations for Crosby were fulfilled.

Thanks again, Sidney. You're a real friend of the fans.

Consolation prize

While I can boo-hoo all I want about not getting Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby to sign an autograph yesterday, you won't hear a sniffle after getting the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin to sign this puck.

From what I hear, Malkin's a pretty capable signer.

That's a pretty sweet signature, too, don't you think?

Fond memories

NHL players, no matter their ages or experience, seem to get a kick out of signing pucks from their days in the juniors. Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, on a Val-d'Or Foreurs puck, and Jordan Staal, on a Peterborough Petes 50th anniversary puck, were the latest to sign.

Time heals all wounds

A couple years ago, most people remembered goalie Ty Conklin, then with the Edmonton Oilers, for one thing -- mishandling a puck that led to a pivotal Carolina Hurricanes goal in the Stanley Cup finals.

It's funny, however, how things change.

Earlier this month, on the first day of the new year, he stymied the Buffalo Sabres on an international stage, stopping pucks and dodging snowflakes to pick up the win in this year's Winter Classic.

That's why I was happy to add him on this University of New Hampshire puck. Given he was born in Anchorage, Alaska, I had him sign the American-born goalie stick, too.

Forget Sidney

One circus, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show, just left town. Later tonight, following a game near Miami, another circus, the Pittsburgh Penguins, comes to town.

As a hound, I know I should be excited about this. It's a team full of stars -- young and old: Sid the Kid, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Gary Roberts, Sergei Gonchar and Petr Sykora. There's also players like Colby Armstrong, Georges Laraque and Ryan Whitney. It's what I call a target-rich environment.

But, for that reason alone, I can't wait for it to be over. Teams like Pittsburgh, and players like Crosby and Malkin, are gigantic draws. Every collector, myself included, and, unfortunately, every dealer will be out in full force on Thursday, hoping to add, respectively, to their collections or, in the cases of dealers, their wallets.

That's where it gets difficult.

As a collector, I merely want to add autographed items from big-name players. If I don't, well, there's always the next trip. And the trip after that. And the trip after that. Sooner or later, it'll happen. I just can't way when or where, but we'll get them for our collection.

The know-little dealers, though, have to get these items. If not, they don't make money. That's why some scrounge up local drop-outs, hand them a 16x20 team/arena picture and put them to work. Then again, who am I to question how someone else makes a living?

Still, the Penguins will likely draw 40-plus people Thursday morning. At least 25 will be dealers. I'll let them go first.

Last season, we tried twice to get Crosby to sign Colin's Penguins #87 jersey. Both times, Crosby came close, but someone else in the scrum got the autograph. One time, it was a man, in his 50s, who was staying at the team's hotel. Just as it looked like Crosby would sign Colin's jersey, the man slipped his jersey in front of Colin.

Needless to say, this man soon had a 350-pound-plus bee buzzing in his ear as he hurriedly walked back to the hotel. Somehow, his trembling tale that the jersey was for his grandson fell on deaf ears. Trust me, it wasn't my finest moment.

Crosby, too, has some complicity in these scenes. Though his on-ice skills compare favorably with Wayne Gretzky, the kid, as well as his young mates, could learn one trick from the Great One: Have everyone line up, with one item each, and just sign his/their way down the line. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Because that's unlikely to happen, I'm taking a different approach with the Penguins. Low expectations will rule the day. There are plenty of other players filling the Penguins roster. For every Crosby, there a Erik Christensen. For every Malkin, there's a Brooks Orpik. For every Staal, there's another three Staals.

However, if a small group or one-on-one situation presents itself, I'll be prepared for it. Colin's Crosby jersey, the one he wanted to get signed last season, is packed.

C'mon, Sidney, it'll take only 15 seconds.

Sunday morning homily XV

Here at Hound Central 3.0's headquarters, we've been operating at a level just slightly below DefCon 4 over the past 24 hours. With the holidays over, we begin our busiest season of the year. Nope, it's not baseball. Spring training's about six weeks away.

Our double-timing, 18-plus-hour days are focused on one objective: family visits. While we welcome the chance to spend time with loved ones from back home, it always seems to catch us by surprise how quickly it happens after the holidays. That, and the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cleaning that comes with it.

The late start to this morning's homily, still being written past the lunchtime hour, was brought about by an old lesson: do your chores before you play. That's why I spent the past three hours taking down and putting away most of our Christmas decorations, sweeping porches and tightening up rocking chairs.

It was only after completing those chores could I find the time for my weekly obligation. It just wouldn't seem right.

Our company starts arriving this afternoon. Colin's Nana and Babop fly down Wednesday. I'll soon have back-to-back four-day weekends. I wouldn't have it any other way. Now that the chores are done, it's time to kick back and play.

Boys will be boys

It seems that the University of Maine mens hockey team has a wicked-good sense of humor. The Black Bears, in Florida for a holiday tournament down in Estero, stopped by the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon on New Year's Eve day to practice before heading home.

According to the story, and I can only verify its ending, a freshman won a "raffle" at the end of a team meal/meeting and was "awarded" the opportunity to skate with the Tampa Bay Lightning later that morning. While everyone else wore their warm-ups, he was told to get into his gear.

When we walked into the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, recognizing we were surrounded by Black Bears, I thought it was strange that only one player was dressed. Soon enough, he realized, much to his red-faced dismay as his teammates roared with laughter, that it was a prank.

A good one, too, if you ask me.

To his credit, he took a couple laps around the rink -- by himself. It's the price he paid to be part of a team.

5 Big Sigs

Though Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and this season's poster boy for sophomore slumps, Jordan Staal, sit atop my Penguins' wish list, I'll be happy to add these to the collection:

~ Winter Classic game-winning goalie Ty Conklin, a former Sabre, on the American-born goalie stick and a University of New Hampshire puck;
~ defenseman Sergei Gonchar on a Penguins mini pennant;
~ defenseman Kris Letang on Penguins and Val-d'Or pucks.
~ winger Petr Sykora on Penguins and Devils pucks; and
~ defenseman Ryan Whitney on a 2002 NHL Draft Class photo.

Headed to overtime

In the latest Hound Central 3.0 poll, we asked who was going to win today's NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in snowy Orchard Park, N.Y.

At the conclusion of voting, timed to end as the game started, we found ourselves in a tie. Of the 18 votes cast, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins each received nine votes.

My vote, the last cast in the poll, went to my hometown Sabres.

So, who's going to win? We'll have to wait to see. I'm hoping that home-snow advantage plays a role. As an added bonus, Buffalo's Brian Campbell nets the game-winner.

Update (1/2/08): Even though it's disappointing that the Sabres lost 2-1 in a shootout, it was wonderful to see hockey played outdoors. I hope the NHL does this every year.

No surprises here

When you're the face of the National Hockey League and a major equipment supplier, part of those duties should include being an ambassador for the game.

You make public appearances, shake some hands, pose for pictures and, ultimately, sign some autographs for anyone who asks. Sounds pretty simple, huh? Sorry, folks, it's not.

According to Hound Central 3.0 poll voters, though, someone must have forgotten to send Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby a memo that he is, in fact, that face. Sid the Kid, they said, represents the toughest autograph in the NHL.

Crosby, who got my vote, picked up nine of the total 22 votes cast, overwhelming second-place finisher, New York's Jaromir Jagr (four votes) and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Washington rookie Nicklas Backstrom, who each picked up three votes.

Talk to any hockey hound, and you'll likely hear a story about huge crowds, missed opportunities or his standoffish attitude. Lately, I've been hearing that he's become somewhat of a ghost -- very few people see him on the road and, if they do, he has his own security.

Is that true? I couldn't tell you. The Penguins haven't come to town yet. When they do, though, on Jan. 10, I'll find out for myself and, no matter what happens, will be happy to share.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that we have two Crosby autographs in our collection. One is on a Team Canada puck, picked up when the Penguins were in Boston and Crosby was headed tp dinner. The other, a true 1/1 personalized to Colin, is on a matte of a framed article I wrote about The Next One a few years back for the Boston (Mass.) Herald.

Here are the results:

Question: Who's the toughest autograph in the NHL?

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby: 9 out of 22 (40.9 percent)
New York's Jaromir Jagr: 4 out of 22 (18.1 percent)
Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk: 3 out of 22 votes cast (13.6 percent)
Washington's Nicklas Backstrom: 3 out of 22 (13.6 percent)
Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin: 1 out of 22 (4.5 percent)
San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo: 1 out of 22 (4.5 percent)
Washington's Alex Ovechkin: 1 out of 22 (4.5 percent)
San Jose's Joey Thornton: 0 votes
Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier: 0 votes