It's been a couple days, I suppose I should recognize the Detroit Red Wings as Stanley Cup champions. Ok...recognized.

Now to Wild off-season speculation. For the Wild, we already know Petteri Nummelin and Branko Radivojevic are for sure gone, going overseas to play this next season. Pavol Demitra is almost certainly gone, the rumors have him going to Vancouver. Kurtis Foster will most likely miss most if not all of next season. Will Brian Rolston be back? One thing is for sure, the Wild will look a bit different in October.

Can this team keep up with the rest of the conference and finish with home ice advantage? Can they figure out a way to fend off the improving Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and make the playoffs? Will Doug Risebrough try to imitate the Red  Wings like he tried to imitate the Ducks, only to have it backfire in his face? Will the fans revolt if DR does not bring some talent in here? 

Stay tuned...it's going to be interesting before the season starts. And thanks to the never ending playoffs, we have less than 4 months to wait until the puck drops again.

This season just never ends. And now I find myself hoping the Finals go 7 games. I think I'm in the Wild Blogosphere minority when I say I hope the Pens win this series. For some reason, I really dislike the Red Wings. Perhaps it's because they always seem to beat the Wild by large margins. Maybe it's because they always win. Whatever the reason, I just hope they lose. Sorry Paul C.

I know there is a group of people out there that can't stand Sidney Crosby. Kirsten, my wife shares that dislike with you, much the way the both of you aren't Marian Gaborik's #1 fans. But to me, I'd rather see him win than the Red Wings.

I barely watched any of the 1st 2 games in Detroit. Detroit winning with the Pens not scoring didn't do anything for me. And the league muckity-mucks had to be gnashing their collective teeth at the thought of a Red Wings sweep. The "perfect series" was not drawing in any of those fringe fans the NHL so desperately wants. But, in ironic perfect timing when the coverage switched from Versus to NBC, the Pens showed up. Game 3 was alot of fun to watch. The soon-to-be melted Igloo was rocking, and the Pens were back in it. But when the Wings won game 4, I figured Detroit would win game 5 and it would be over.

Then there was game 5, an absolutely awesome hockey game. The NHL couldn't have scripted it any better. The Wings played an absolutely dominating 3rd period, scoring 2 goals in about 2:40 to take the lead, and not giving Pittsburgh a sniff. Malkin continued his Gaborik-like struggles in this series. Crosby couldn't make anything happen. But somehow, someway, the Pens put on some pressure with the goalie pulled and tied it on a rebound goal with 30 seconds to play. Joe Louis Arena was silenced. No Cup for you just yet "Hockeytown."

Then came the overtimes. Pittsburgh G Marc-Andre Fluery was stellar, and Petr Sykora won the game in the 3rd OT. Game 6 is Wednesday nite.

The league really got what it wanted last nite. About when alot of casual fans were turning on their local news or expecting Jay Leno, there was hockey. Good hockey. No TV-time out hockey. Apparently it was the highest-rated game 5 since 2002. All good for the game.

Let's hope game 6 isn't a dud.

Personal Digression
Tonight, in co-ed softball, I did something I have never done in all my roughly 18 years playing softball. I've always been a doubles and lately singles (cause I'm gettin' old) hitter, even when I was in my formative teenage years. But tonite, the softball gods nodded to me, and I hit my 1st-ever over-the-fence homerun. Not only that, it was a walk-off HR to win the game in the bottom of the 8th. Now I realize no one reading this probably cares, but for me it's a big deal. Shout out to the Booyahs for rallying in the bottom of the 7th to tie it, and for sharing a moment with me that I won't forget...because it will most likely also be my last homerun. I don't expect my Nick Punto-like philosophy at the plate to change anytime soon.

In this extreemly long postseason, there is only one series left.

Tonite Detroit finished off Dallas, and we're looking at a Cup Final between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguines. The series starts Saturday nite.

Just a quick shoutout to Dallas' season. I didn't expect them to make the conference finals this year, and the run may have rejuvineted that franchise at a time where they may have started to lose some fans. I was very impressed with their fans in the playoffs. One side of the lower level stood for the majority of the games, including the 4 OT marathon in game 6 v. the Sharks.

Detroit should run away with this series. They're playing excellent hockey. Pittsburgh is playing well too, so maybe I'm a bit too hasty with my quick judgement. But I think the Wings win. At any rate, I hope it is exciting. I didn't find much reason to watch much of the Conference Finals. I only caught bits and pieces of Wings v. Stars, and I'd like to be interested in this series.

The NHL gets Sidney Crosby in the Final, so that's good for the league supposedly. NBC will get to air more Penguins this season. And we're guaranteed that a traditional hockey city will win the Cup this year, breaking the string of 3 straight southern teams coming away with Lord Stanley.

And in Wild news, Thug Nation Numeral Uno will be playing in Russia next season. GREAT TRADE DEADLINE MOVE MR. REISBROUGH!

Since the Wild were eliminated, it's been tougher this year than others to get into the playoffs. That said, I did watch most of the Dallas/SJ 4 overtime game on Sunday. I watched most of the game, then 3 of the overtimes, and decided I can't stay awake through another intermission and who knows how much hockey. So I set the DVR and watched the 4th OT as I got ready for work. Thank goodness it ended when it did...I almost had to FFwd to the game winner. Incidentally, what a great game! Both goalies were stellar in the OTs, including an unbelievable save by Nabokov in the 1st (I think) OT. Congrats to the Stars for finishing the series and pulling another upset. And to Brendan Morrow...would love to have him on our team.

On to my thoughts about the finals...

Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers
It's been a pretty magical run for the Flyers. They've played tough in this playoff, beating Washington and then ousting #1 seeded Montreal. For the Pens, they've only lost 1 game so far in the playoffs, sweeping Ottawa and losing only 1 to the NY Rangers. This could be a good series. Can Philly's bruisers take it to Pitt's talented forwards? I think this will go long, and I think the Pens will outlast the Flyers. We know one thing...the state of Pennsylvania will have a team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Detroit Red Wings v. Dallas Stars
Detroit had to work a little to get by Nashville in the 1st round, but had an easy go against Colorado. Dallas pulled upsets against teams from their own conference in both rounds, Anaheim and then San Jose. How will they do against a team from another conference, and one that has not had to play seemingly 50 periods of overtime hockey? I gotta say it's been fun watching Dallas overachieve, but I think Detroit's the better team here and is playing real well right now. Detroit wins...Sorry Matt.

It's been a while since I last posted...so here's a recap of where the playoffs are at. Philadelphia has ousted Montreal. Detroit obliterated Colorado (typical). Pittsburgh is about to finish off New York Rangers, and San Jose has won the last 2 to make a series v. Dallas.

I can't say I've watched too much of the playoffs since the Wild lost, but I have picked up enough of Stars v. San Jose to know that that series could easily be San Jose up 3-2 or even already over in SJ's favor, or already over with Dallas winning. The games have been tight. Dallas has won 2 OT games, SJ has won 1. It has been the most competitive, which is why it was odd that Dallas was up 3-0. Dallas has another chance tonite to close this series out, but SJ has a bunch of momentum. Stars fans have to hope they haven't used up all their great play over the first month of the playoffs...

Pittsburgh also has a chance to close out the Rangers this afternoon, in Pittsburgh, on NBC. (What? the Pens and the Rangers are on NBC? That's so different!) I think this one is over today.

Philly is back in the Eastern Conference Finals, a year after accumulating only 22 wins in the entire season. Very impressive. Hey Wild!

Lastly, Detroit absolutely manhandled Colorado, sweeping a series that culminated in a 8-2 drubbing in Colorado. All-world against the Wild, Jose Theodore came back to earth, yanked 3 times in this series. In fairness, the Avs were hit with a bunch of injuries. Wild fans can sympathize there, but I'm not sure if I'm happy because Colorado was handled so easily, or more disappointed because it shows the Wild played down to their competition and simply lost to a team that they were better than.

The Conference Finals are setting up to be pretty exciting. We're getting down it! 

Just what did the Wild do to annoy the hockey gods this year? In their 1st game after eliminating the Wild, the Avalanche are hit by a groin injury to Peter Forsberg, so he didn't play. And to add on, Jose Theodore returned to a mortal, giving up 4 goals on 16 shots.

Would it have been that bad for these things to happen in the previous series?

Well, it's been almost a week since everyone's favorite non-goal-scoring, defenseman-challenged hockey team was elimiated from the chase for the Cup. It's still difficult for me to detatch enough to post, but I'll start back slowly.

1st Round Surprises

• Wild lose - I truly expected them to get past the 1st round.
• Dallas beat Anaheim - I didn't think the Stars had it in them.
• Jeremy Roenick was a factor - He had 2 goals and 2 assists in game 7 v. Calgary
• Boston took Montreal to 7 games.

1st Round As Planned

• New Jersey had nothin v. the Rangers.
• Washington was vulnerable as the 3rd seed in the east. Similar to the Wizzy.

Western Conference 2nd Round
#1 Detroit v. #6 Colorado
This is the big rivalry series from the late '90s and early '00s. Will it be as physical? Doubt it. Colorado proved they don't have to be physical to compete. I think this is where it ends for the Avs tho. Detroit should pull this one out.

#2 San Jose v. #5 Dallas
2nd matchup of the playoffs for Dallas against their division. This will be a great series. Mike Modano v. Jeremy Roenick. Evgeni Nabokov v. Marty Turco. I told people from the area I'd be pulling for Dallas, so that's my call.

Eastern Conference 2nd Round
#1 Montreal v. #6 Philadelphia
Montreal surprisingly took 7 games to get by Boston, but I think they're a better team than Philly.

#2 Pittsburgh v. #3 NY Rangers
This should be another great series. I don't trust the Rangers, but alot of people pick them to get to the Cup final. I'm going with the Pens.

Ode to a Dead Wild Season
Eh, maybe in a few days...