Detroit Saga

The success of the Pittsburgh Penguins-Detroit Red Wings may have solidly put the NHL back in fourth place in sports fans hearts in America. I know that in Chicago there was a renewed interest in the playoffs as the Chicago Blackhawks made an amazing run before being trampled by the Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals.

I also know that suddenly sports bars were actually playing, and advertising that they were playing, the Stanley Cup Finals. You had a franchise giant in the Detroit Red Wings that was heading back to the Cup for the second year in a row for a rematch with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins had a compelling story with a David versus Goliath theme mixed with a little story of perseverance (coming back from bankruptcy) and exciting young stars in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Personally I think the league really needs to bank on Crosby. He is a North American born player (born in Nova Scotia) with a name the average sports fan can spell and say without much trouble.

Evgeni Malkin and the Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin may be great players, but most new fans will have to do a quick Google search to spell their names to put them in any kind of a blog or to look up their stats to have any clue of what they are talking about when they try and discuss hockey.

It feels better when teams from cold weather cities do better because, well, let’s face it they are much more likely to buy NHL tickets than somebody who has the option of lounging by the beach in November. Maybe one the reasons hockey had such a hard time is the success of teams from cities like San Jose or Anaheim.

Really, people out there do not have to suffer through unbearable winters and obscene heating bills so why should they get to have a hockey team that regularly ends the season with more than 100 points. I know it makes me angry, plus, Sharks cannot play hockey. That’s just silly.