There were a couple trades and deals that I expected to happen.  I expected to see the Calgary Flames sign a deal with Jay Bouwmeester (they did).  I wanted the Sedin twins to get a decent deal, preferably with the Vancouver Canucks (they did).  I was hoping a deal would put an end to the Dany Heatley drama (it didn’t).

There were, however, a good number of free agent signings yesterday.  Check out the list below (I sorted it alphabetically by team) and let me know what you think of these deals.  Montreal had the most acquisitions and while they look great on paper, I’m not sure how well all of the players will mesh.  It’s a fresh start for them with a new coach and new owners so we’ll just have to wait and see how it all turns out.

Anaheim Ducks

• Re-sign Scott Niedermayer - $6M for 1 year
• Re-sign Erik Christensen – 1 year, no salary details

Atlanta Thrashers

• Nik Antropov (from NY Rangers) - $16M for 4 years
• Re-sign Chris Thorburn – no details

Boston Bruins

• Steve Begin (from Dallas) - $850K for 1 year
• Re-sign Byron Bitz – no details
• Re-sign Mark Recchi - $1M for 1 year

Buffalo Sabres

• Steve Montador (from Boston) - $3.1M for 2 years

Calgary Flames

• Frederik Sjostrom (from NY Rangers) - $1.5M deal for 2 years
• Re-sign Adam Pardy – no details

Carolina Hurricanes

• Re-sign Erik Cole - $5.8M for 2 years

Chicago Blackhawks

• John Madden (from New Jersey) – $2.75M for 1 year
• Tomas Kopecky (from Detroit) - $2.4M for 2 years
• Marian Hossa (from Detroit) - $62.8M for 12 years

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With no progress in the contract discussions with the Vancouver Canucks, the Sedin twins might have to come to grips with the fact that they will become unrestricted free agents in just a few days.

Henrik and Daniel Sedin haven’t played for any other NHL team in their careers so the change could be huge for them – especially if they are split up.

I’m not worried about them getting offers.  They are averaging 80 points per season (in the last three years) and they’ve got playoff experience.  Some reports are saying they are worth more than $7 million a year and I agree with it.  I’m not a Canucks fan but I have always had respect for them (this year even more).  They are terribly underrated and (I think) underpaid.

I think it will be a mistake if Vancouver lets them go.

image: TSN

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be taking the same route as the Super Bowl Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they enjoy the parade honoring them as the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions.  It’s set to start at 12:00pm at the intersection of Grant Street and Seventh Avenue.

image: Zuma Press

I know that with the slumping economy, cities like Pittsburgh have really suffered so I can’t even imagine how much the Penguins and Steelers’ victories mean to them.  Mayor Luke Ravenstahl summed it up nicely: “No words can describe the history-making comeback achieved by our team.  No one believed that this could be done, that we could win on the road and defy history, and that the League’s youngest captain could make it happen.  On Monday, let’s show the world how the ‘City of Champions’ welcomes home their Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.”

I know that hockey isn’t as popular in the U.S. as it is in Canada but, hopefully, the Penguins will get a big turnout.  I know that more than 300,000 people showed up for the Steelers so even if the Pens got a third of that, it would be amazing.

Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the odds and took home Lord Stanley after thriller of a game at the Joe Louis Arena and no one can say that this team relied solely on the skills and talents of star players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.  They pulled together and became the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions.

It’s been almost a full day and I still can’t believe it.  I will write more about some things like Marian Hossa’s decision to join up with the Detroit Red Wings to have a better chance at winning and the fact that Evgeni Malkin is now the first Russian player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy but, for now, I’m happy to just enjoy these pictures.

images: Zuma Press

The Pittsburgh Penguins have beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in a very exciting game and have become the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions.

Sidney Crosby is the youngest captain to hoist the Stanley Cup and after the night he’s had I’m sure the moment feels incredible.

image: Zuma Press

From the start, the Penguins looked like the sharper team but, in the first period, both Pittsburgh and Detroit came out with a lot of intensity but the combination of Maxime Talbot (who scored both goals for the Pens) and the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury was simply unbeatable tonight.

By the second period, I kept looking around wondering where the Red Wings were.  It was such a strange game.   They seemed to lack focus, they kept getting called off-side and it really looked like they were either worn out or had given up.  I did think that things might turn around for them when Johan Franzen rammed Crosby into the boards.  The Pittsburgh captain limped over to the bench and then headed to the locker rooms.  He didn’t return for the rest of the period.

During the third period, the Red Wings seemed to have a lot more drive, especially in the second half.  Crosby returned to the game but he coulnd’t move like he needed to.  I’m sure it was hard for coach Dan Bylsma to restrict his star player’s ice time but with Detroit playing harder (and that lone goal by Jonathan Ericsson) he had to put his healthiest legs in the game.  I swear I almost had a heart attack in those last 20 minutes, especially when that shot got past Fleury and hit the crossbar (did you see him rub the net affectionately?  He later said that he was thanking it for making a big save for him - ha ha!!).  If Detroit had brought that intensity from the start, they might be the ones celebrating the win tonight.

After the game, it was pretty great to watch the Penguins hoist the trophy even though they were in Detroit but Crosby explained on Hockey Night in Canada that it was hard to watch the end of Game 7 from the bench.  All of the players were very emotional and Evgeni Malkin was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Congratulations, Pittsburgh.  You proved that a team can win Game 7 on the road under seriously adverse conditions and that touching the Eastern Conference trophy doesn’t lead to bad luck.  Enjoy your banner year!

image: Zuma Press

This is it.  This is really, REALLY it.  It’s do-or-die time and I am extremely nervous.  I don’t know what it is about this matchup but seeing the seasoned, experienced Detroit Red Wings take on the younger Pittsburgh Penguins is very exciting to me.  It was all over in Game 6 last year and I think it’s absolutely amazing that we get to see a rematch.

image: Zuma Press

I thought history might repeat itself since the Red Wings only needed one more win and could have eliminated the Pens (again) in Game 6 but Pittsburgh dug deep and sent out a message that the jerseys on the ice might be the same (and Game 5 might have been an embarrassing blowout) but this is a new year and they are not giving up.

This is a HUGE deal for Detroit since they are hosting their first Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final since 1955.  While the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of the home team it is worth mentioning that the Penguins have never lost a Game 7 on the road (4-0).

TSN has an excellent overview of Game 7 on their site right now and, reading through it, some things really stand out for those who believe that the Penguins don’t stand a chance:

• Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin “has the highest point total in a single playoff year since 1992-93, when Wayne Gretzky had 40 (15 goals, 25 assists) in 24 games for the Los Angeles Kings and Doug Gilmour notched 35 (10 goals, 25 assists) in 21 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
• Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin “are the first teammates to post 30-or-more points in the same playoff year since the New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch (11-23–34) and Mark Messier (12-18–30) in 1994.”

In order for Pittsburgh to have a chance, Malkin and Crosby are going to have to work together better than they have all year long and, of course, their goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, will have to be solid in net.  The Pens will also need to keep their tempers in check to avoid penalty trouble.

Detroit really doesn’t need to do any tweaking.  They are an extraordinarily skilled and patient team and it’s really hard to find any flaw worth mentioning.  Chris Osgood has been stellar between the pipes and the lines are working well.

I really don’t know what’s going to happen but I definitely will be watching.  Any predictions?

Going into Game 6 tonight, I have to admit that I was not overly optimistic.  However, within just a few minutes it was clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins had used those few days off to regroup and bring the focus and energy that got them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in as many years.

image: Zuma Press

I was absolutely stunned by how controlled the Penguins played and how well they managed to keep the Detroit Red Wings from getting too many shots away.  In total, Marc-Andre Fleury faced 26 shots on net and he turned away 25 of them (he was without his stick for the one that he missed).  The difference in Fleury’s goaltending between Game 5 and Game 6 is extraordinary because he actually looked like he realized he was playing in the postseason tonight.  It can be hard on a goalie to remain focused when they aren’t facing too many shots but, for the most part, he stayed sharp.

He did get lucky a few times, however.  He managed to make a save on a shot by Henrik Zetterberg that bounced off the pipes and looked eerily reminiscent of one he let in during Game 6 last year.  He also had some MAJOR help from teammate, Rob Scuderi, who blocked four shots (I was beginning to wonder if Scuderi had missed his calling as a goaltender).  Brooks Orpik was also extraordinary on the ice tonight and got a career high of six blocked shots.

Even though Detroit lost, I’ve got to give Chris Osgood credit for solid netminding.  He managed to turn away 29 of the 31 shots he faced.  Someone who did not play up to his abilities if former Penguin, Marian Hossa.  I think that a lot of people were expecting more from him since he defected to Detroit because he said that he would have a better chance of winning the Cup that way.  Someone should have let him know that he’d actually have to try and not just rely on his teammates.  I almost want Detroit to lose just to teach him a lesson.

The last thing I want to say about tonight’s game is that it was remarkably low on penalties.  Of course, there were infractions that slipped by the officiators but, overall, the guys played a relatively clean game with each team incurring just two penalties each for the entire game.

Game 7 takes place in Detroit on Friday, June 12, 2009.

I needed a full night’s rest to write about the events that took place during Game 5 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.  I thought the Detroit Red Wings might play an excellent home game, especially with Pavel Datsyuk back in the lineup, but I was not prepared for the bloodbath that I witnessed.

Critics had been questioning Detroit’s play recently with some even referring to them as “shaky” but they showed everyone that they are solid and they sent the Pittsburgh Penguins a clear message – they intend to keep Lord Stanley.

The Penguins were held scoreless in three periods while the Red Wings scored five times.  I think it goes without saying that Pens netminder, Marc-Andre Fleury, looked pretty shaky between the pipes (he was eventually replaced by backup, Mathieu Garon) while his counterpart, Chris Osgood, looked solid and secured a shutout.

I’ve got to say that I was a little disappointed in both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for their conduct as the game progressed.  With the team suffering, Malkin took a nasty elbowing call in the second period and then Crosby incurred a slashing penalty.

Crosby was clearly frustrated and I get that but you can’t retaliate by hitting a guy in the back of the leg when you’re the team’s leader.  After that, the Penguins got themselves in all kinds of penalty trouble with six calls against them in the third period alone.  When you’re wearing that “C” or even the “A” and your team is down, it’s time for you to rally and bring your guys together.  They really showed a lack of class, maturity and experience last night.

Game 6 takes place on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 8pm ET.  If the Red Wings win, they will have succeeded in winning the Stanley Cup two years in a row.

images: Zuma Press

Wow!  This is great news for hockey fans.  There are 500 tickets up for grabs for Tuesday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings.

The tickets go on sale on Monday, June 8, 2009 at 10am and Game 6 takes place the following day at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh.  Fans are encouraged to order online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also are available by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000; at all Ticketmaster locations; and at the Mellon Arena Gate One box office.

image: TSN

The Pittsburgh Penguins dug deep and found a way to win last night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with a final score of 4-2.  The victory has evened up the series since each team has won both of their home games.

image: Zuma Press

Evgeni Malkin got the Pens on the scoreboard very early in the first on a power-play but his goal was quickly answered with one by Detroit’s Darren Helm.

They went into the second period tied up and after a goal by Brad Stuart, the Red Wings were held scoreless for the rest of the game as a shorthanded goal by Jordan Staal, followed by goals from Sidney Crosby and Tyler Kennedy secured a victory for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh really needed that win because I think that their confidence was low and Detroit was ready to pick them off.  I think Crosby summed it up best.  He said “these last couple at home have been desperation from us.  It’s going to be like that all the way through here.”

If the Penguins can continue to play the way they did in those last 40 minutes, they will stand a very good chance of winning the Cup this year, especially if they can manage to steal a win in Game 5 in Detroit and then come back home for Game 6.  If they lose the next game to the Red Wings, I think they could be in a lot of trouble…

The two teams will square off in the Joe Louis Arena on Saturday night at 8pm ET.