Again

After Saturday nights disappointing 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Penguins faithful may be quick to recall the many instances in which the team has rebounded from dire straits. It was only a few months ago that the Penguins disappointing regular season performance had them outside the playoff race looking in. They proceeded to go 21-5-4 to finish off the season and hosted their first round match-up against inner-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. They can do it again. Only a couple weeks ago they rallied from a two games to none deficit to eliminating Alexander Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals. They can comeback again. The Penguins are nothing if they are not resilient. But one thing the Penguins faithful cannot help but remember that is this time last year when they did not show up for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals against the same Red Wings, and how big of a role it played in the Wings eventually dispatching Pittsburgh in six games and claiming the Cup.

Many might put the game on Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, whose gaffes dealing with the active bounces off the Detroit boards directly lend to two of the Wings goals. And surely Fleury's otherwise dominant young career has its share of blemishes from big game blunders, including last nights performance. But by the time the scoreboard had reached 00:00 the Penguins allowed only three goals to a talented roster, albeit absent from the lineup was their top scorer Pavel Datsyuk. But it was all Detroit needed. In a post season where both Fleury and the Red Wing's Chris Osgood have played such an large role in taking their teams to the cusp of claiming, or reclaiming, supremacy, it was the other guys on the ice who decided the first game of the championship series. Across the ice surface Osgood had his own share of errors, allowing rebounds all night long. Including the rebound on a first period Evgeni Malkin shot that Ruslan Fedetenko deposited in the net, tying the game. But the Wings skaters where there to pick up Osgood, shutting down the Penguins dynamic offense, closing down the blue line and forcing the play to the boards. Despite resorting to teaming the top two playoff scorers, Malkin and Sidney Crosby, on a single line, the Penguins were unable to work their cycle in the offensive zone. The Wings stifling defensive effort eliminated dissecting passes and play inside the circles, rendering even the dangerous Penguins power-play ineffective.

Count the Penguins game one loss as an opportunity wasted, particularly with Datsyuk and his 97 regular season points not in the Detroit lineup. But do not count the Penguins out of series, from the moment they landed the first overall pick in the 2005 lottery and drafted then seventeen year old Crosby the Penguins have made beating the odds their calling card. However with the puck dropping on game two tonight, less than 24 hours after the completion of the series opener, the Penguins have to rebound sooner rather than later as to not repeat their costly errors of last seasons Cup finals.

Keeping 'Em Honest

People love to make predictions. And for good reason, there is practically no downside to it. If I tell you the Kansas City Royals are gonna win the pennant this year and they don't, not a soul is going to remember. On the other hand, if the Royals defy the odds I look like a genius. And I will almost certainly bring it up at every possible opportunity for the next three to five years. Every single opportunity. If I ever get that Nobel Peace Prize, during my acceptance speech, I assure you somehow I will work the fact that I drafted Mark Streit in the 22nd round of my 2007-08 fantasy draft and lauded him as the top defenseman he turned out to be. 

See, you just can't lose with predictions. So people make them, constantly. From the Academy Awards to your horoscopes. I'm pretty sure its how weather forecasts started. Lord knows I make them. I'm as guilty as anyone. Your talking to the guy that filled out a Fantasy Electorial College Map this past November.

That being said, just perhaps things have gone a little too far with these NHL playoff predictions. Just maybe. Last year, before my detour at the Pensblog and several months of sitting around doing nothing, I kept a little chart going around these parts to keep track of some of the picks being made out there. You can actually see it as the post directly below (I told you I haven't been doing anything). And there is just no way I don't bring it back this post-season. Not only just to improve on my mediocre 9-6 record, but also to keep everyone a little more honest.

And also, maybe for just a little bit of bragging rights when the Bruins collapse in the first round.

CLICK GRAPH TO VIEW FULL SIZE

And not to house their selections without due credit, your prognosticators are:

Barry Melrose, Pierre LeBrun, EJ Hradek, Scott Burnside, John Buccigross, and Matthew Barnaby (ESPN)

Maggie the Monkey, Bob McKenzie, James Duthie, Darren Pang, and Peter Laviolette (TSN)

Greg Wyshynski and Sean Leahy (Puck Daddy)

James Mirtle (From the Rink)

and Kevin Shultz (Barry Melrose Rocks and Fanhouse)

The Final NHL Playoff Predictions Chart

Exactly two months ago tonight we kicked off the NHL 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 16 teams were still alive. Dominik Hasek was the starting goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens looked to be a threat in the East, and murmurs of Marian Hossa being a career playoff "no-show" were haunting the thoughts of Penguins fans.

Since then ... well, you know the story. The fan bases of NHL franchises not named the Detroit Red Wings may be disappointed, but we were treated to one of the most exciting postseason in sometime.

Through each round of the playoffs at EFotG we had a handy little chart just to keep some prognosticators, myself included, in check. After round one we were all shocked by the domination of the sole robot in the race, the EA Sports NHL 08 Simulation. But making all it's picks prior to the postseason, instead of making them round by round like the rest of us, eventually caught up to the machine.

In the end SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross took our little pool by a pick, going and impressive 11-4. I myself fell one behind the pack, due mostly to a 1-2 performance in the Conference and Cup Finals. Overall it was a good time and a good showing by all, everyone staying over .500. Thanks to everyone who made predictions.

James Mirtle, Sean Leahy at Going Five Hole, Kevin at Barry Melrose Rocks, Jes Golbez at Hockey Rants, John Buccigross and Barry Melrose of ESPN, the Globe and Mail, and of course, the circuit boards of a Xbox 360 running EA Sports NHL 08.

Oh, This Is So Going In My Blog

With the Penguins season over, unfortunately without the Stanley Cup, Pens fans have spent the last few days celebrated the storied run by the promising franchise. To commemorate the amazing "called shot" by Petr Sykora one fan created a photoshop that through it's use on The Pens Blog, has made it's way all around Al Gore's internet. It's a nice little story, as reported by Pittsburgh's WPXI. Well, that is, except the fact WPXI ran the picture, extending a tip of the hat to neither The Pens Blog, nor the creator, John M.

If you'll recall, EFotG also ran this picture in the post following game 5, only with permission from it's creator. Which was actually quite easy to get, you know, beings as he owes me, I think I paid for Chick'fil-A last. Yes, this amazing photoshop was created in the post game five celebration across my television room by my very own older brother, the photoshop savvy John.

This whole internet is a crazy thing. You can pretty much do anything you want. Pretty much. But for as much as "established media" criticizes the practices of blogs and next generation mediums, you'd expect there to be a higher standard. Apparently not. And while John is quite pleased with the attention his piece of work is garnering, can't we just give the man some credit?

But no fear, TPB is prepared to hand down justice. You can't job jobbers. They gave WPXI a more than generous deadline of 6:00 PM. Which, at time of this posting, has past with no credit being extended. And TPB does not make empty threats. They have been through this before with WPXI. Ask John Fedko.

Penguins End Season 2 Games Short, Wings Lift 4th Cup in 11 Years

I can't say I was in much of hurry to get this recap posted, but I know I've got to get it done. So here it is.

First and foremost you have to give the Detroit Red Wings their incredibly deserved due. They were the best team in the regular season. They recovered from an early hiccup in the first round against the Nashville Predators and played solid in front of Osgood, who came in to replace Dominik Hasek. The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the Stanley Cup Finals the most dynamic offense in the league, and the talented Red Wings defense were able to shut them down. It's painfully tough to swallow, but they have earned it, the Detroit Red Wings are the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions.

As for the Penguins, they could have given up after the Wings shut them out in both games 1 and 2. But they battled back. Games 3 and 4 were hard fought, and entertaining games. Down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination the Penguins came back to win one of the most exciting games in the history of the Stanley Cup, tying it in under a minute, and winning it in the 3rd OT. The Penguins even took Game 6 down to the wire, pulling within one late in the 3rd and having multiple scoring opportunities in the final moments of the game.

In the end it was their performance in games 1 and 2 that did the Penguins in, but they showed what kind of team they were battling back. They have a talented young roster and should remain a Cup contender years down the line. The consensus says they will not be able to resign trade deadline acquisition Marian Hossa, but General Manager Ray Shero will remain busy through the off season trying to resign the other Penguins free agents [including: Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Pascal Dupuis, Brooks Orpik, and Ty Conklin].

All in all, it's been an incredible season, both for my Pittsburgh Penguins, and for the NHL on the whole. Both have showed growth over the past 8 months and hold incredible potential for the 2008-09 season.

But just because the season is now officially over, it doesn't mean Every Facet of the Game will fall silent. In a couple weeks we'll once again be back to the place where it all really starts, the NHL Entry Draft. Then one of my favorite holidays of the year, the 1st of July, free agency begins. And before you know it, in [if my count is correct] only 3 months, 4 weeks, and one day, the NHL will drop the puck on the 08-09 season with the Penguins and Senators in Sweden.

Until then I've got the Pirates [sigh].