"The Lions' mojo is too strong for anyone to break," Fox said in an email to Puck Daddly. "I knew nothing is good for the Lions, they have bad mojo. Then it struck me: Why not use that mojo against the Red Wings' arch rival? So I chanted ‘Crosby' when I touched it. I was angry when I went to finals and had to hear Penguins fans at the Joe — they were actually loud. So that's my revenge."

Anyone familiar with the Lions should be able to guess what happened next: Crosby required only four minutes to record the game's first goal. The Penguins went on to win 7-6 in overtime.

Note to future Detroit sports fans who attempt to provoke similar outcomes with Lions clothing: Do not tamper with forces you don't understand. You could kill us all.

Staal Fuels Penguins' Rally, 7-6 Overtime Win Over Red Wings [Pittsburugh Post-Gazette]

The Detroit Red Wings have been partying it up with their newly acquired Stanley Cup, taking it to defenseman Chris Chelios' downtown Detroit restaurant for a night of boozing. Play nice with her, fellas. Oop. Too late. You already damaged it. Busted Coverage has a short recap of some of the revelry that lead to the ding in the Cup.

Let the beer flow from the Stanley Cup.That was the case at Chris Chelios' bar, Cheli's, over the weekend as fans got in line to drink some cheap ass watered down beer from Lord Stanley. Chris Osgood stood on the bar, pouring beer into the Cup and Brett Lebda did the pouring [Come again? -Ed.] as fans got to take part in one of the coolest victory celebrations we've ever seen.

When is the last time you saw fans eating moonshine soaked cherries from the tips of the World Series trophy?

I don't know. When was the last time Kansas City won it?

The dent has been repaired, but will the Cup ever recover? She's all shaken up. These louts from Detroit said they were gonna show her a good time and she gets roughed up. It's wrongwrongwrong, but oddly...exciting?

Beleaguered Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was not received warmly at the Red Wings victory extravaganza yesterday. Maybe it has something to do with the sundry scandals and the vetoing of the funds set aside to remove him from office. The booing doesn't even fade after the proffering of free beer. That's some antipathy you can take to the bank. Careful about the antipathy change machine. Those jerks take 10 percent.

Gotta say though, any politician in palpable hot water who has the balls to throws up a clear Nixon homage like that is deserving of some respect. There's probably also some racial element with a hockey crowd and a black mayor. No wonder Tiger Woods keeps a wide berth from that sport.

Game 5's aura hung over Mellon Arena. The Penguins had snatched victory, $6 champagne, and the Stanley Cup away from Detroit. Would this young team continue to shock the hockey world? Or would Detroit hunker down and play the style of hockey that led them to this point?

Detroit started the game inauspiciously enough. Petr Sykora attempted to get the Pens on the board early when Niklas Kronwall accidentally backhanded a weak pass directly at the Czech forward. However, unlike Game 5, Sykora did not guarantee anything to Pierre McGuire, so Chris Osgood trapped the puck between his legs. Three minutes later, with the Red Wings on the power play, Henrik Zetterberg found Brian Rafalski, whose wrist shot deflected off Hal Gill and past Marc-Andre Fleury. Detroit complicated their early lead by taking two minor penalties 27 seconds apart, but the foursome of Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Kronwall, and Osgood allowed only two shots during this period.

The second period brought more open ice than the first, but the Red Wings still controlled the game's tempo. More important, Fleury's fivehole weakness came to light. With 8:05 remaining, the Pittsburgh netminder stopped a sharp-angle slapper from Mikael Samuelsson, leaving a big rebound. Valtteri Filppula's backhanded swat at the rebound did not leave the ice, but found its way in between Fleury's pads and into the net, giving Detroit a 2-0. Mellon Arena remained stunned until Evgeni Malkin scored his first goal of the series on a power play to reduce the deficit to one again.

When the third period started, Fleury, the player who saved the Pens' tails in Game 5, needed to show that same poise and concentration that necessitated a sixth game; Detroit's suffocating trap yielded few chances for a sustained attack. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, he could not maintain that level of play. Zetterberg, the most dangerous man in the playoffs, skated one-on-four into the Penguins zone before ripping a wrist shot that Fleury slowed down before it passed through his legs and stopped inches short of the net. From the main angle, the puck appeared to be under Fleury, but the referee behind the net saw that the puck was not covered. Fleury, also not aware of the puck's location, instinctively fell backwards. Instead, he knocked the puck into his own net before a defenseman could sweep it under his back, and Zetterberg scored his 13th of the playoffs.

Most Red Wings fans believed that a two goal lead would be insurmountable at this point, as Detroit had allowed only three shots through 17 minutes, but how quickly they forgot the series' previous game. After Jiri Hudler's hooking penalty with 1:47 remaining, Pittsburgh pulled Fleury. Twenty seconds later, Marian Hossa niftily deflected Sergei Gonchar's wrist shot past Osgood. Pittsburgh still had life, but they needed another goal. Detroit let the Penguins enter their zone again but cleared the puck with eight seconds remaining. Sidney Crosby, silent until this point, let go one last backhanded shot that Osgood could not control completely, leaving a rebound to Marian Hossa, but the Pens' trade deadline acquisition could not release a shot before the horn sounded.

Detroit rushed to their goalie Osgood, a man who had returned to Detroit having failed in his previous ventures elsewhere. He started as a backup this postseason, and although he did not win the Conn Smythe Trophy (Zetterberg did, tallying 13 goals, 14 assists and penalty kill ice time during two 5-on-3's), he proved that he was not just a lucky goaltender with a great defense.

On the other side, Marian Hossa, an unrestricted free agent, slumped to the ice. Will he return to the Penguins? And what of Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik, two other key cogs to the Penguins playoff run? Ray Shero will have a tough decision on who to keep.

Finally, to lighten the atmosphere, Gary Bettman appeared to hand out some hardware. After Zetterberg claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy, Lidstrom, the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup, skated over to the diminutive commissioner. After posing for his photo with Bettman, he returned to his team with hardware in hand and handed the Cup to Dallas Drake, the 16-year veteran who played in over one thousand games without reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Drake signed a one-year deal last year, looking for one last championship opportunity. Although his struggle was not a media sensation like that of Ray Bourque, it was refreshing to see him glide over the ice, holding his dream above his head.

So ends another hockey season. Will Detroit succeed where other teams have failed and win consecutive Stanley Cups? They return with many of their major parts intact. Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, Franzen, Osgood, and many others are signed through at least next year. Or will another team usurp them? We at MYFO cannot wait for September to come.

The five of us would like to thank Deadspin for the opportunity to provide you with myopic hockey analysis and supererogatory sophomoric humor and female body parts for the past two months (I'm most proud of giving the sobriquet "Sphincters" to San Jose's team). Even though the postseason is over, the NHL Entry Draft is June 20-21, and training camps start soon afterward. So, if you're looking for the best objective hockey analysis, stay far, far away from the hyperlink at the top of the page. However, if you're looking for a place to make fun of Steven Stamkos' hair, do peruse our fair site.

Supposedly, Babe Ruth pointed to the center field bleachers at Wrigley Field before hitting a home run on the very next pitch. What little proof we have of that event actually taking place is based on a grainy photograph and some old men who swear that it happened. This dubious evidence leads me to believe that the whole event never happened. On the other hand, I know that Petr Sykora said that he'd win the game for Pittsburgh, then he buried a power play goal in the third overtime to give the Penguins a 4-3 win.

Pittsburgh started the game in an inauspicious manner by committing back-to-back penalties. Brooks Orpik hooked Valteri Filppula 2:06 into the first period, but Detroit only managed two Nicklas Lidstrom blue-line slap shots. Nine seconds after Orpik was released, Therrien sent six players onto the ice, resulting in another Red Wings power play. Nevertheless, no damage was sustained, as Detroit committed a penalty of its own one minute later.

From that moment forward, the visiting Pens dominated the rest of the period. Tomas Holmstrom's neutral zone turnover led to Pascal "Don't Call Me Pascual, Ed Olczyk" Dupuis's entry into the Wings' zone. Marian Hossa's first shot attempt hit Chris Osgood's right shoulder, but Dupuis gathered the puck along the right wing boards, passed to Sidney Crosby behind the net, who found Hossa open in between the face-off circles. Hossa's wrist shot over Osgood's blocker put the Pens up 1-0.

Six minutes later, Adam Hall scored another fluke goal. After shaking free of Johan Franzen behind the net, he centered the puck, hoping for a Penguin teammate to shoot it. Instead, Niklas Kronwall picked off the pass. The Swedish defenseman, possessed by the spirit of Nicklas Backstrom, accidentally roofed the puck over Osgood's shoulder. All signs pointed to a dominant performance by the Penguins and a sure trip back to the Civic Arena.

Ahh, how twenty minutes of screaming and fortitude questioning can change everything. Detroit responded to whatever Mike Babcock said by playing the smothering, omnipresent trap that for which they're known. Two minutes into the second period, Kirk Maltby stopped Rob Scuderi's clearing attempt at the Pittsburgh blue line, passed to Darren Helm along the left wing boards, who let go a shot. Scuderi dove to block the shot, but he did not deflect the shot back to its target. Instead, he redirected the puck perfectly in between Marc-Andre Fleury's legs, resulting in a goal for the Wings.

Although no other goals were scored in the second period, the increased tempo resulted in multiple consecutive rushes by both teams. Multiple odd man rushes by both teams forced Osgood and Fleury to make outstanding saves after one goalie's team failed to score on the opposite end, including Fleury's acrobatic left toe save on a Detroit two-on-one with just under three minutes remaining in the second period. Immediately afterward, Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh's power play quarterback, crashed headfirst into the boards. He was not seen for the remainder of the period. Ryan Malone was also forced to the dressing room after a Hal Gill shot hit him in his broken nose.

The third period saw the return of Malone and Gonchar to the Pens' bench, but their presence mattered little to the Red Wings. Zetterberg and Datsyuk worked their magic on the power play, with the Swede's slap pass to the Russian, who tapped it in between Fleury's pads to tie the game. Three minutes later, Detroit took the lead on a Brian Rafalski snap shot off a Gonchar turnover. Rather than sink into a passive trap, Detroit continued to punish Pittsburgh once the former took the lead. Only Fleury's flailing limbs kept the score 3-2. After the final commercial break in the third period, NBC cut to Mike Bolt's livelihood, the Stanley Cup, being pulled out of its case.

A simple person would consider the previous act a jinx on the events that follow. I say that Detroit softened too quickly and could not handle Pittsburgh's adrenaline rush. Fleury skated to the bench with under two minutes to go in the third period. With 48 seconds remaining, Evgeni Malkin, who had been lost for the entire game, dumped the puck past Detroit's four men along the blue line. Franzen controlled, but lost the puck to Crosby along the right boards. He passed to Hossa in the right corner, who flung the puck at the net. Osgood left a juicy rebound for Max Talbot, whose second attempt tied the game and silenced the Joe Louis Arena. A late flurry of shots by the Red Wings was unable to end the game.

Detroit dominated the tempo during the first overtime, forcing Fleury to stop 13 shots, many which were not directly at the skating penguin on his chest. MAF stopped consecutive Kirk Maltby wrist shots on a Detroit odd man rush, a Datsyuk shot from the slot and Filppula's rebound, and a backhand off Zetterberg's stick. The Pens were granted a brief reprieve when Zetterberg was called for goaltender interference, but Pittsburgh was unable to capitalize on the referees' gift. A second overtime would be needed.

Pittsburgh played much better in the second overtime, outshooting Detroit eight to seven. They received another gift when Dan Cleary was called on another questionable goaltender interference call. However, Osgood and his teammates shut down the ensuing power play, including a nice turnaround slap shot by Malkin. Fleury still had the tougher saves, including a flashy glove save on Cleary that saved Pittsburgh's goose again. Sykora claimed that he would score the game-winning goal around this time, but before he was the hero, he hooked Niklas Kronwall in the Red Wings' zone with a little over two minutes remaining in the overtime. Thankfully, the Pens shut down the power play with few problems.

Nine minutes into the third overtime, the referees called a fair penalty on Detroit. Jiri Hudler, in an attempt to steal the puck from Rob Scuderi, clipped the Pittsburgh defenseman on the chin and drew blood, setting up a four minute power play. Gonchar, who had not played since his third period gaffe, returned to play the point. He set up Sykora for a one timer from outside the right face-off dot that traveled well wide of Osgood, but the puck hit the referee and came to Malkin, who passed to a streaking Sykora and the game was over.

Those of us who watched the entire ordeal may have feared the indifferent alarm clock this morning, but our memories of this game will last longer than that pounding headache. Both teams scratched and clawed their way back from deficits, and the third period caused headaches for fans on both sides. Best of all, we get to watch at least one more playoff hockey game.

Linkdump

An interview with Sidney Crosby and yesterday's hero. [Kukla's Korner]

Is Ron Wilson coaching the Leafs next year? [ San Jose Mercury News]

Finally, the Knob Hockey guys are at it again. I loved Tomas Holmstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury as those annoying twins in Ocean's Eleven!

Then he got tossed. Security guards threw him out.

"You're outta here," Smith said they told him. "Come back in and you get arrested."

But Smith and his two friends from metro Detroit, who asked not to be identified, had a plan.

They had bought an extra ticket in anticipation of his booting. That's an extra $300 from a scalper.

And Smith was wearing a regular T-shirt, instead of Red Wings gear, when he threw the octopus.

Outside, he quickly threw on a Red Wings sweater and walked back into Gate 3.

"I feel great," Smith said as he roamed around the arena. "I'm not nervous. Anything with an adrenaline rush, I love it."

Yeah! Paying a high premium to a scalper! EXTREME!

You gotta love how chickenshit his friends are not to get identified in the article. "Oh d-d-d-dear. We helped smuggle a fan back into an arena in a city we don't live in. If this gets out, we'll never be able to run for president!"

Here are the lyrics (BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY DOPE!):

now i'm not tryna be rude,
but hey Zetterberg I'm feelin you,
the way you're doin what u do,
reminds me of Adrian Peterson,
Thats why i'm makin these songs,
tryna let you know my love is strong,
you must be a hockey player,
the way you're playin hockey

snipe snipe snipe snipe snipe snipe snipe snipe snipe snipe

Holy hell, I was already rooting for the Penguins. Now I'm... still rooting for the Penguins, but I'll be forced to do so with this stuck in my head. At least I shall not suffer in solitude. Sorry folks. Weekend daddy projects his anger.

However, a Friday announcement might be more likely, as Blackhawks Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito will be on hand at Wrigley during the Cubs-Rockies game to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. Chicago's chances to host the game improved considerably when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier this month that Yankee Stadium was no longer the favorite to host because of a "variety of issues."

The NHL's first Winter Classic was played earlier this year on New Year's Day at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout.

So I'm anxious to see how this guy gets caught in the Plexiglas.

Report: Chicago Blackhawks To Play Detroit Red Wings At Wrigley Field [Chicago Tribune]

If the Stanley Cup Finals were played out in the Star Trek: TNG Universe, one could say that Sidney Crosby, for the first time in the series, finally proved that his commission as Captain of the USS Penguin was fitting as he scored the first two goals in an incredibly entertaining 3-2 Pittsburgh victory over the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

The entire Q Continuum (NBC, Gary Bettman and the NHL) were very pleased with the outcome of last night's game. In support of Captain Crosby, Marian Hossa (2 assists) played the role of Commander William T. Riker and Adam Hall (goal) was Lieutenant Commander Data in this completely tired nerdy analogy.

The Penguins finally solved the newly-discovered ladykiller that is Chris Osgood late in the first period as Crosby scored the first goal for Pittsburgh in the series. The loyal fans in the Igloo rejoiced. And they were all wearing white, except for these douchenozzles. Crazy!

Sid the Kid put the Pens up 2-0 2:34 into the second period when Marian Hossa fired a shot which Osgood could not control and Crosby was there to bury the rebound home. Crosby pumped his fist and bedlam ensued.

Alas, Detroit wasn't about to quit so easily and they rediscovered their game in the latter half of the second period. Johan Franzen, shaking out the cobwebs resulting from recurring headaches, cut the score in half at the 14:48 mark. The score remained 2-1 Pens as the second period closed out.

The third period would be the most entertaining period thus far in the series, as the squads got physical, finishing every check and going after every loose puck. Osgood was a bit shaky at the outset, but held on. Unfortunately, he was finally beat after Gary Roberts worked hard to get the puck deep, and Adam Hall bounced a shot off Osgood's leg for a 3-1 Pittsburgh lead 7:18 into the third.

Of course, Detroit kept up the pressure as Tomas Holmstrom clanked one of the post. Mikael Samuelsson scored on Marc-Andre Fleury with 6:23 left in the game and things quickly became very interesting. Fortunately for the Penguins, they held on and ensured they would not be swept. Final Score: 3-2.

For the first time in three games, Marc-Andre Fleury outplayed Chris Osgood, making 32 saves and winning for the 19th straight time at the Igloo. Game 4 will be Saturday night on NBC.

Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to once again have Alexander Ovechkin appear during an intermission as he did last night. Much to the chagrin of the studio crew, Unfrozen Caveman Hockey Player refused to pick a winner in the Finals, even when pressed, which is more than you can say for the outfit he chose to wear. Eurotrash has never looked so…poorly kept?

Puckdumps

* Hockey Blogfather Greg Wyshynski purchased Chris Pronger's Hockey-Reference.com page and held a contest to see what slogan would be used. Check out the Final Five slogans and vote. Yours truly sponsored Derek Boogaard's page, you wanna fight about it? [Puck Daddy]

* I have no idea what they will have up when the NHL Closer is posted, but I'm sure it will be entertaining and terrifying all at the same time. [The Pensblog]

And finally, Steve Carell playing hockey. How could that be a bad thing?

When asked what she would do if she had the Stanley Cup for a day, Bell responded:

I would start by eating an entire box of Fruity Pebbles out of it. Then I'd take an afternoon sponge bath in it. Then I'd retro fit it with handles and make it into a Stanley Cup handbag.

Sounds reasonable to me. Other quotes:

Chris Osgood was my first crush. Brad Pitt be damned, he had nothing on Osgood's rookie skill and sad eyes. There was actually a day in high school when I wrote on a name tag 'Mrs. Osgood' and wore it the whole day. I really thought we were perfect for each other. I'd love to meet him and probably apologize that things never worked out.

And her favorite hockey memory:

My parents submitted a picture of me, in my catholic school uniform, with my arms around the Stanley Cup. It ended up on the ticket for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against Colorado in 1996.

To eBay!

Actually, this is my favorite Stanley Cup memory, courtesy of Ms. Hayden Panettiere:

Actress Kristen Bell Pulling For Detroit [NHL.com]

This next game would not be a lackluster affair full of neutral zone traps and pre-lockout hockey. Major changes were planned for Game 2 for both teams. Johan Franzen, who scored twelve goals in eleven games for Detroit before being sidelined with concussion-like symptoms, shook the remaining cobwebs from his head and returned to the lineup. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh, looking for a sparkplug to add confidence to the young team, inserted fourth-line winger / assistant captain / human deity Gary Roberts into the fold. On top of this bold move, Michel Therrien mixed his lines to create the required offensive synergy. Ryan Malone was bumped up to Crosby's line, Max Talbot stopped waiting tables to free up space for Malkin, and Pascal Dupuis was dropped to the checking line. Surely this shakeup would generate offense for Pittsburgh and action for viewers.

Instead, Game 1 replayed itself. Detroit enveloped Pittsburgh in every facet of the game, winning the game 3-0 and jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the series. The Wings quickly scored two goals in the first period. Mark Stuart tallied the first 6:55 on a slap shot from the right point that newly-embattled goalie Marc-Andre Fleury could not control. The puck hit the top of Fleury's right pad, then continued its forward momentum into the net. Four minutes later, Tomas Holmstrom, like he always does, capitalized on the hard work of more talented players by tapping in a Zetterberg shot that squeaked through Fleury's five-hole.

After the initial onslaught, Detroit clogged the neutral zone, daring Pittsburgh to find a way through. This was a slow, painful process that resulted in tens of hopeful dumps and fruitless chases for both teams. The Pens garnered two power play opportunities through the first two periods, but could not dent Detroit's defense. Passing and shooting lanes closed before any Penguin could put a shot on Chris Osgood.

The third period brought controversy and insurance goals. During a Pens power play, Malone skated across the front of the Wings' net and grazed Osgood, who tumbled so quickly that Dominik Hasek stopped admiring his reflection and applauded. Malone was sent to the box for goaltender interference. During the ensuing four-on-four, Valtteri Filppula deked Kris Letang out of his skates, swept across the front of the Pens' net and slid the puck behind a stationary Fleury. With a secure 3-0 lead, there should have been no tomfoolery from Detroit's bench. However, the flopping was far from over.

Franzen, perhaps not wanting to be upstaged by Osgood, pulled a Cristiano Ronaldo special of his own a few minutes after Filppula's goal. After dumping the puck into the Penguins zone, Franzen stood at the offensive blue line. Roberts, doing what any player would do, pushed the Red Wing forward. Two seconds later, Franzen collapsed in a heap and required medical attention. After the television break, he was miraculously cured! Praise modern medicine!

Osgood, in turn, one-upped Franzen. With 1:15 remaining in the game and no chance for a Penguins comeback, Osgood pulled a Madame Butterfly and died when Petr Sykora lightly grazed him. Soon afterward, Brooks Orpik tangled with Andreas Lilja, Franzen (still cured!) pounded Malkin, and Roberts lost a quick battle with Pavel Datsyuk. Pens fans, your hero lost to a Lady Byng finalist. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Game 3 is Wednesday at Mellon Arena.

Puckdump

Will Zdeno Chara consider his life incomplete when he sees the leopard on Kilimanjaro? [Puck Daddy ]

Dave Nonis' last words … as a Canucks employee. [Orland Kurtenblog]

And that Cup will go to either the Detroit Red Wings or the Pittsburgh Penguins, who start Game 1 of the Cup Finals tonight. The Deadspin NHL Closer foremen at Melt Your Face-Off will be live blogging the games this weekend, and I guess Versus hooked them up with some free shit to give away. Access, favor, and discretion my white butt.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh media is carving out Photoshops for the occasion, with Detroit MS Painters retaliating in kind, as you can see above with my favorite.

As I've said in the past, I never really latched onto an NHL team because growing up the Detroit Reddish Wings were 17 different flavors of awesome, and I couldn't jump onto the Wings bandwagon, which was the only successful model vehicle coming out of Detroit at the time. And I'm not about to go rooting for the Columbus Blue Jackets, because Toledo will be getting a minor league team of their own soon, even though they won't be known as the Peckerheads. But I'm sure if I wasn't a pseudo-Michigander I'd basically despise the Icy Red Machine, and my two-time BGSU title-winning intramural curling team was named the Flying Penguins, so here's to a Pittsburgh champeenship.

Stanley Cup Finals! Liveblogs! Contests! Free Stuff! [MYFO]
More Wings Fans Top Posters [Detroit Free Press]

Grinders do so much good for our everyday life. They fill our stomachs, pulverize coffee beans, collect hashish powder and score goals in the most painful way possible outside of listening to Sean Avery whine about his mascara. Kris Draper scored his third goal of the playoffs 3:45 into the first period by using an archaic weapon: his chin. The mandible tally launched a three goal Detroit outburst in the period, leading to a 4-1 Red Wings victory and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

The aforementioned goal demonstrated the chaotic nature of hockey. Dallas Drake chugged along the left-wing boards, looking for a chance to center the puck. On the other side of the ice, Draper criss-crossed with Mikael Samuelsson and stopped at the right side of the net. Drake passed the puck to Draper, who furiously swiped at it with his stick. In the ensuing scramble with Marty Turco, the puck quickly elevated and, possessed by the spirit of Claude Lemieux, ricocheted off Draper's chin and over the goal line. Draper was not on the ice to see the officials confirm the goal; he had already headed to the dressing room to fix his lip. That is the essence of a grinder.

Drake, another grinder, also added the third goal of the first period. Brett Lebda entered the Stars zone on the right side with Sergei Zubov defending, while Drake stopped in front of the Dallas crease. Instead of covering the front of the net, Nick Grossman inexplicably followed Lebda behind the net. The young Detroit defenseman flipped a backhand pass out front to Drake, who whacked the puck past Turco.

Just in case you think we're biased towards grit, we'll mention some stars' accomplishments. Pavel Datsyuk added a power play goal in between Draper's and Drake's tallies. Henrik Zetterberg picked off a lazy pass by Brenden Morrow and deked Turco out of his pads to expand the lead to four in the second period. The Stars only bothered to show some effort in the third period when the game was already out of reach. Stephane Robidas' power play one-timer negated Chris Osgood's shutout.

Dallas impressed the viewing audience in a fashion similar of the Philadelphia Flyers. They soundly walloped the passive Ducks, last year's Stanley Cup champions, and the apathetic Sharks. Turco silenced the rest of his critics with a solid postseason, and he will return next year with Morrow, Zubov, Mike Ribiero, and others as a playoff contender.

Puckdump

A James Mirtle and Greg Wyshynski discussion about the state of hockey blogging? Its as if I died and went to Saskatoon. [James Mirtle]

The NHL rooted for Pittsburgh … [Awful Announcing]

… while Versus wanted the Flyers to win. [Doubt About It]

Although Daryl "Razor" Reaugh's team is no longer playing this postseason, we'll always have this commercial hilarious commercial. Fun fact: the bra with "Mike" written on it belongs to Keith Tkachuk.

Riding Pavel Datsyuk's first career hat trick, the Red Wings took out the Stars in a 5-2 drubbing at American Airlines Center in Dallas, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. The Red Wings have now won nine straight games in the playoffs.

Datsyuk got the scoring started 9:27 into the first period, but Nicklas Grossman answered six minutes later to tie-up the game. I'm not a hockey expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I can say with complete confidence that allowing Detroit to answer 37 seconds later on Datsyuk's second goal of the night was kind of a momentum killer.

Dallas knew they had to come out aggressive in the second period, and it showed. Starting off on the power play, the Stars appeared to have the perfect opportunity to tie the game when Brenden Morrow was on the receiving end of a nifty pass from Mike Modano, but unfortunately he never got the shot off on an essentially empty net as the puck hopped over his stick.

The Stars kept coming at the Red Wings throughout the second period, in easily the most physical period in the series thus far. When it was all said and done, Dallas had out-hit Detroit 34-16 through two. Despite being dominated physically in the period, Detroit had perhaps the best hit of the period on Mike Modano.

Iit's too bad then for Dallas that out-hitting your opponent doesn't mean squat — goals do — and Jiri Hudler notched another one for Detroit at 11:54 in the second to put the Red Wings up 3-2 at the end of two periods.

From the beginning of the third period on, it was all Detroit Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg put the Red Wings up 4-2 on a goal eerily similar to Big Daddy Drew's signature move from NHL '94. All that was left was Datsyuk getting his third goal to complete the hat trick at 17:19 and the game was over.

One final note on the game: I noticed that the digital ads on the boards at American Airlines Center had advertisements pimping True.com. Silly ad people. Everyone knows hockey fans don't need a stupid online dating website to get laid. Right? Who's with me?

However, it did provide me ample reason to add this photo:

And this one, if finding a Russian bride is something that has been on your "to-do list" (in Datsyuk's honor, of course):

Puckdumps

* Happy Birthday, Barry Melrose Rocks! I hope you received MYFO's gift in the mail. If the package didn't make it, we're sorry. At least we know she was already dead on the inside. [Barry Melrose Rocks]

* This just in: international referees suck just as bad as their NHL counterparts. The only difference is that their ineptitude is measured using the metric system. [NHL Fanhouse]

* Have you ever wondered what sort of insight Dierks Bentley may have regarding the NHL Playoffs? Nope? For those of you that have nothing better to do, NHL.com has assembled a cavalcade of "celebrities" you have never heard of to blog about the Western Conference playoffs. Did I mention Willa Ford has a blog? Sorry, no naked pictures. [NHL.com]

Finally, I am not so proud to present some super-cool Flyers fans doing the "Fly Guy Dance". I wonder where all the chicks were at that party. Oh, I know — they probably went out to buy these studs more booze. Fuck the Iggles indeed, brah.

While Mitch Albom was gushing over what a selfless mensch Chris Osgood is on the Sports Reporters this morning for gracefully stepping aside when the Red Wings signed Dominik Hasek, he conveniently ignored the cheap shot Osgood took with the butt-end of his stick to the Stars' Mike Ribeiro at the end of regulation last night in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Even though Ribeiro retaliated, it would be hard to envision any reaction from the league that doesn't come down heaviest on the goalie. Granted, Osgood has been in net for all of the Red Wings eight consecutive playoff wins and it helps to only have to make 17 saves.

Detroit made up for the loss of center Johan Franzen for the first of two games with a concussion by getting first-period goals by Darren Helm and Henrik Zetterberg. In a series where the Stars look altogether outclassed, a possible suspension of a hot goaltender could be just the thing to help swing a series as it heads to Dallas.

Forget kindergarten. Everything you need to know about life can be learned from old Westerns. You can't trust anyone like you trust your horse. Getting drunk and playing cards is really all the entertainment you need. Real men drink whiskey. People will kill you just to steal your boots. And if you need some iron to take down the local gang of rustlers, you go see the Swede.

The Red Wings have plenty of Scandinavian arms merchants, and they all seem to have scary nicknames. The Mule. Demolition Man. Permanent Owner of the Norris Trophy. Henrik Zetterberg is simply a stone killer. This is a Stockholm Syndrome of a very different sort, one that is so terrifying that fellow countryman Peter Forsberg politely stood aside and let them slangpolska right past his Avalanche.

The Stars should watch carefully, lest Loui Eriksson and Mattias Norstrom pull the same deferential disappearing act in the face of the Rott Pyskander. To counter this gang of blue-eyed killers, the Stars have assembled what sounds like a perfectly deadly tennis team: Brenden. Marty. Brad. Stu. Trevor. Can their popped collars deflect bullets? Do they understand that the cold of the Lapland glaciers pales in comparison to the cold in the depths of Lidstrom's heart?

The Stars do have one true gunslinger on their side. Unfortunately, he no longer laces up skates, has acquired a healthy potbelly, and used up whatever hockey karma he might ever have had in the 1999 Cup Finals. More than the personnel moves, such as acquiring Brad Richards at the trade deadline, GM Brett Hull's greatest contribution to young Stars players like Matt Niskanen and Mike Ribeiro could be to help them learn what it's like to be, and to face, a killer.

Some analysts will tell you that the Stars are a more "complete" team than Detroit. I am here to tell you that there is nothing more complete than having the best defenseman, the two best all-around forwards and an thus-far-undefeated goaltender. The Wings have killed Predators and Avalanche. They've killed just about every thing there is. And now they're coming to kill you, Dallas Stars.

And, if you've got ten minutes or so, enjoy:

Put away the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. I hate to break it to those who lost interest in hockey in the late 90's and early 00's, but these are not your childhood's Wings and Avs. Yes, most of the major players have returned; Lidstrom, Maltby, Draper, Osgood, McCarty, Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, and Foote are all older and wiser. But this is not a bloodbath at the McNichols Sports Arena; this is attrition at the Pepsi Center.

Claude Lemieux's skates have dulled, Darren McCarty is clean, and Patrick Roy lets his son do the dirty work. This Wings/Avs series and the 90's version of the same teams have as much in common as Sorry Ma! Forgot to Take Out the Trash! and Pleased to Meet Me. Do not dismiss this statement as disinterest and obliviousness between these two teams. Just do not expect a gang fight to break out. Complete and utter chaos will only take place if Dominik Hasek's ego inflates while he sits on top of a heating vent.

Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and any other forward are the top line on the ice. Sorry Super Joe, but they inspire fear in onlookers and defensive pairs like Ovechkin racing down the left wing. That's not to say that Colorado is without hope. Jose Theodore's concentration and technique are reaching 2002 levels. If he sequesters himself in his hotel room away from skanks and finasteride, Detroit will have problems hitting the back of the net.

On the other end, Detroit must not give Forsberg time along the halfboards. Only Joe Thornton is more dangerous in that position. Foppa will snipe the top corner or find a streaking Hejduk or Stastny to tap the puck past whatever old man that Detroit plays. Expect Rafalski and Lidstrom, the latter being the best defenseman of the last 25 years, to appear on the ice whenever Forsberg's line is called. Sakic's line will attack the second and third Detroit defensive pairings, giving Niklas Kronwall and Brett Lebda a chance to identify themselves to the masses.

Detroit's superior offense will bombard Colorado. Theodore will hold as long as he is able, but will fold eventually. Red Wings in 6.

No.1 Detroit Red Wings (54-21-7, 115 Points; Blew Game 5 and lost the conference finals to Anaheim) vs. No. 8 Nashville Predators (41-32-9, 91 Points; Shown the door by San Jose for the second-straight season)

The Red Wings are a bunch of softies? Look, don't make them participate in your stupid crap if you don't like the way they do it. You make them get out of bed, you make them come over here. You make them make a phony phone call to Edward Rooney. The man could squash their nuts into oblivion! And then ... and then ... and then you deliberately hurt their feelings.

The last person I'd expect to accuse the Detroit Red Wings of being a collection of Euro wussies — the kind whose photos Don Cherry uses as urinal cakes — would be affable announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick, the man who made "BIG DRIVE!" as much a established attribute of the NHL on American television as miniscule viewership. And yet here's what Emrick said in a preview of the Detroit/Nashville series:

Emrick said Europeans have "smashed a lot of the stereotypes (about being soft), but it still raises its ugly head when you talk about Detroit.

"Do they have enough character? Are they going to be stamped as the Euro skill players, and can Nashville intimidate them? And that's the story for this series," Emrik (sic) said. "In the regular season (these teams), played eight games with no fights. They'll probably have a couple in the first game."

The Chief at Abel To Yzerman would love to hear who, exactly, these Euro softies on the Red Wings are. But there's a morsel of truth to Doc's cultural thesis. It's the reason Detroit sold its soul and traded for Todd Bertuzzi last season. It's the reason Darren McCarty was invited to escape mothballs and join the living again this season. And it's the reason Chris Chelios will likely be playing for the Red Wings until the end of Jeb Bush's second term. They've got great skill, but someone needs to mind the store.

There's always going to be that lingering doubt about Detroit's mettle. It's a team that's lost in the first round as a prohibitive favorite as many times as its won the Stanley Cup since 1997. Is Nashville going to join the Arturs Irbe Club of Red Wings stunners? Eh, not bloody likely.

Key Match-Up for Detroit: The Defense vs. Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont. These guys led the Predators with 72 points apiece, and they're playoff gamers: Dumont with 20 points in his last 23 playoff games, and Arnott having won the fracking Stanley Cup with a goal in 2000. Take them out, and you've basically carved out the team's heart with a tablespoon and a rusty pair of pliers.

Key Match-Up for Nashville: Crashing the Net vs. Old Goalies. When the defense fails in front of Hasek, he's looked very human this season. Get behind those soft Euros (tm, Emrick) and make him look like a pinball in his own crease.

Worst Case Scenario for Detroit: They're not going to lose this series, so the worst case would be to lose even more players to a list of walking wounded that already includes Samuelsson and Maltby.

Worst Case Scenario for Nashville: David Legwand drives the team bus to Detroit.

Well, If You're Going To Twist My Arm: Red Wings in five. Nashville's gritty enough to snag a win, but this is Detroit in a walk.

Vital YouTubeage: From his days in Dallas, a little Aaron Downey trash talking:

No. 1 Montreal Canadiens (47-25-10, 104 Points; Uninvited to the postseason pants party) vs. No. 8 Boston Bruins (41-29-12, 94 Points; Also uninvited to the postseason pants party)

Oh, joy: A matchup of the most exciting team in the entire League against a team whose only hope is to smother the fun out of it, like putting a damp pillow over a clown's face.

(As a Devils fan, I think I just had a moment of self-revelation and would like, on behalf of my colleagues, to apologize for the last 15 years.)

To call the current incarnation of this Original Six rivalry lopsided would be an insult to Tara Reid's boob job. Montreal has flat-out owned the Bruins, having won the last 11 meetings between the teams. They're better statistically across the board: In goals for, power play, penalty killing, and actually only 0.01 off the goals-against pace against a Claude Julien team that preaches defense first, second, third and fifth. Outside of the inspirational kick of seeing Patrice Bergeron make it back from concussion-ville and the potential for Tim Thomas to steal a game in goal, a Habs' loss here would be absolutely bat-shit insane.

Key Match-Up for Montreal: Shattering Spirits vs. Glimmers of Hope. Drop Game 1 to the Bruins, and this could be a dramatically different series. If you have your jackboot on the back of Boston's head, you don't let it up to breathe - you stomp the curb, son.

Key Match-Up for Boston: Shaken Confidence Vs. Carey Roy Dryden. The Canadiens have placed their faith in rookie goalie Carey Price, and play stellar team defense in front of him. Boston has to plow through that defense, crush his newbie soul and get inside his head to win this series. Or else this is all Montreal and its fans are going to see during Round One (and thanks to Eyes on the Prize for the blasphemy):

Worst Case Scenario for Montreal: They win in six rather than five or four.

Worst Case Scenario for Boston: Carey Roy Dryden is so magical, the Habs find a way to win in three.

Well, If You're Going To Twist My Arm: Montreal in five. Boston should break the streak at home for a bit of a tease, but fall short. Warning: If Bergeron gives them a huge lift, if Thomas plays out of his skull and if Montreal's injuries ( like the one to Saku Koivu) prove to be too much, we might have to make a major flip-flop on this pick. And since the Bruins are from John Kerry country, I suppose that would only be apropos.

Vital YouTubeage: "We don't get a lot of French-Canadian cabbies, let alone French-Canadian goalies..."

"Hello, is this the Detroit Red Wings?" "Yes, can we help you?" "Good news, actually: We've finally located your balls." "Well slap my rump and call me Sally — that is great news! They disappeared two weeks ago and we had no idea how to find them." "Yeah, turns out they were in Denver the entire time." "Denver...boy howdy, it's always the last place you'd think to look, huh?" "Well, the good news is that we can return your balls to you tonight during a 4-0 humbling of the Avalanche, so you can get back to kicking the rest of the League's collective ass...well, at least outside of your division." "Cool, what'll it cost us?" "Oh, not much: Just the health of your team captain, potential MVP and the best defenseman on the planet." "Okaley dokaley ...WAIT, WHAT THE SHIT?!"

The Red Wings got their mojo back last night against the Avs: Crashing the net, playing aggressive hockey and passing the puck to each other with the classic beauty of a Lindsay Lohan photo shoot for New York magazine. They were surly little bastards, too: Part of that comes from a six-game losing streak, their longest since the Herbert Walker Bush administration; part of that comes from playing Colorado, as I always figured the Wings would picture the Avs as 18 Claude Lemieuxs, much like a castaway would picture his friend as roast turkey in a Tex Avery cartoon.

But the real emotion came when Ian Laperriere took hockey deity Nicklas Lidstrom awkwardly to the boards and subsequently out of the game with a knee injury. Uh-oh: Somebody set up us the wake-up bomb. Detroit won nearly every facet of the game from that point on, as Jose Theodore kept this one from being 20-0, Aaron Downey attempted to exact revenge twice on Laperriere in a fight, and Wings coach Mike Babcock looked ready to turn Colorado coach Tony Granato into Cammi as he screamed through the glass at the benches.

I thought the hit was legal and fairly clean when it came to the injury to Lidstrom, who will be re-examined today and could miss a week to 10 days. But the Wings initially believed it was a blow to the head and that Laperriere's elbow came up, which got them all hot and bothered. Hey, whatever gets you out of bed in the morning — I'm just happy the best team in hockey reclaimed its testicular fortitude, if not its health, for one game.

Bong Island. And the award for the most bat-shit crazy game of the day goes to the Sharks and Islanders. Coach Ted Nolan missed the first period while consoling his son, whose junior hockey teammate Mickey Renaud collapsed and died yesterday. Evgeni Nabokov, a goalie that's basically been Brodeur West for his durability, took a 58-foot slap shot that dented the middle of his maskand needed half-dozen stitches to close a gash on his nose. He returned to the game, only to help his team blow a 2-0 lead and end up losing 3-2 to the Islanders. Perhaps the even more bat-shittier and crazier part is that the expansion Islanders are somehow one point out of a playoff spot on Feb. 19. (Yet why do I get the feeling that GM/Emergency Goaltender Garth Snow isn't about to make another Ryan Smyth trade this deadline?)

But the absolute bat-shittiest and craziest thing that happened in yesterday's game on Long Island? Mascot bukkake:

And Speaking of the Trade Deadline. Look, I don't wanna get off on a rant here, babe, but the days leading up to the trade deadline are the most joyous occasion for a hockey fan that doesn't involve a giant silver chalice or the Maple Leafs getting eliminated. Outside of baseball, it's the only hot stove that still burns. I thought the salary cap was going to kill the fun, but I was wrong: No Trade Clauses and Injuries are killing the fun.

Practically everyone sponge-worthy on the Leafs has a NTC, including Tomas Kaberle, who ended rumors of his impending trade before they even had a chance to get out of hand yesterday. Patrick Marleau of the Sharks has a bum groin leading up to next week's deadline, where he could be on the move if the team's struggling. Rob Blake of the Kings has both a NTC and an injury, and wants to stay in L.A.

But the big news yesterday was the end of the Peter Forsberg cock tease, as Floppa decided his bum foot wasn't strong enough yet for a return to the NHL. Too bad...I was really looking forward to Forsberg raising the hopes of an entire fan base before crushing them when they realize he's a porcelain, past-his-prime pariah who dives as often as James Cameron while making an IMAX film.

Puck Headlines

* Brian Burke assembles the biggest collection of thugs this side of Broad Street and is now lobbying for a reduction to one-minute penalties in regular season overtime. How this cat isn't in Congress, I have no idea. [Edmonton Sun]

* I still can't decide if Mike Comrie is prettier than Hilary Duff. But I'm sure she's better defensively. [Pop Sugar]

* If Jay Feaster can find a team willing to take on $7.8 million a year of Brad Richards for the next three years, they should give him the highest honor they can bestow in Tampa Bay: An autographed Mike Alstott jersey and a Hooters coupon book. [Globe & Mail]

* The MYFO boys script what the NBC intermission report should really sound like. With monkeys. You're hired! [MYFO]

* "Who Wants To Date Sean Avery?" and other NHL reality shows we'd like to see. [The FanHouse]

* And finally, there's only one way to celebrate my New Jersey Devils tying Ottawa for first place in the Eastern Conference after yesterday's win against Carolina. And that's by supporting the team:

The last thing the world needs is another New England Patriots dynastic supremacy group wank-off, but it does have its benefits: Fans seems to care more about a predestined juggernaut than, say, a team like the Florida Panthers. I've been waiting all season for the NHL to embrace the Detroit Red Wings — they of the 76 points at the All-Star break — as hockey's model of Belichickian efficiency and the League's invulnerable (at least outside of their division) must-see team. So does last night's bruising 2-1 win over the defending champs in Anaheim finally cement the Wings as the closest thing the NHL has to Brady & Co.? And does that mean Brian Rafalski is their Randy Moss?

The problem with anointing a future king in the NHL is that, this season, the League is about as predictable as a shit-faced Dana Jacobson at a celebrity roast dais. Consider that the Ducks defeated Detroit back in October without Todd Bertuzzi, Mathieu Schneider, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Scott Niedermayer; the Red Wings won last night without Henrik Zetterberg and with Dan Cleary injured in a first-period fight with noted interior designer Chris Pronger. It's all a crap shoot, made crappier when a team is expected to win it all. Being the prohibitive favorite to win the Cup is like the SI cover jinx of hockey: You're placed on a pedestal only to have some eight seed with a goalie in the zone knock your ass back to terra firma.

But from what I've seen, Detroit's the real deal. They've got that quick-strike offensive depth, exhibited by Tomas Kopecky's silly two-on-one assist on Valtteri Filppula's game-winner last night. Lidstrom and Rafalski give the team a nicer back end than Jessica Biel. Returning to the strained comparison with the Patriots, Maltby and Draper are their Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel; I can't figure out if Chelios or Hasek is Junior Seau. In the end, any resemblance between the Red Wings and Patriots is purely coincidental, because Henrik Zetterberg is much better looking than Brady. You hear me, Gisele?

A Leetch That Did Not Suck. Brian Leetch will have his No. 2 retired tonight at MSG before the Rangers face the Kovalchuk-less (for one game ... pathetic) Thrashers. He was a dynamic offensive defenseman, but wasn't a total pussy like Phil Housley on the other end of the ice. I always wondered what Leetch's legacy would have been had he starred in another city; as an unassuming guy in a media circus, he might have actually been a little underrated during his career in NYC — if that's possible for a Ranger.

(Ed. Note: In his honor, Bryan Leitch — who has been jokingly asked "Hey, you play for the Rangers?" for about 15 years now — will be in New York City tonight for his son's book release party. We will not be retiring his jersey, but he will be retiring several Natural Lights.)

Puck Headlines

* The Pensblog initiated a Photoshop Expo after then-Flyer Ben Eager refused to fight Big Georges Laraque last month. The result is a random collection of bitter satire targeting Eager, the Flyers and Don Cherry, while celebrating Sidney Christ and ConkBlock ConkSuck. This Steve Gibbs tribute to Eager reminds me of lonely nights on the Garden State Parkway:

* Speaking of the Penguins, Tyler Kennedy is out of the YoungStars game after he came down with mono. I'm sure he tried to convince his parents he only shared somebody's soda at school, but I think we all know the real story. [The Sweater Ted]

* How do you make a Canucks' 3-2 shootout win over the Blues even more entertaining? Put a Canadian sitcom star in the color commentary chair. Incidentally, one of my perpetual NHL fantasy scenarios is having a Game of the Week on HBO with Dennis Leary and Jeremy Roenick in the same uncensored booth. [NHL.com]

* A radio race war in Atlanta over the NHL All-Star Game? [Access Atlanta]

* Spector lists 19 big names that could move at the trade deadline. Fox Sports' blog profanity filter changes Dick Tarnstrom's name into "BLEEP Tarnstrom." Fascists. [Fox Sports]

* There are hockey moms who bring brownies for the team to share after the game ... and then there are hockey moms that will bring booze, weed and blow their son's underage teammates. Too bad they sometimes look like Ric Ocasek. [FanHouse]

* Finally, in honor of the city hosting the All-Star Game this weekend, let's recall one of the greatest moments in Atlanta hockey history: When Cincinnati Cyclones coach Don Jackson snapped and assaulted Atlanta Knights mascot Sir Slapshot. Vintage NHL2Nite graphics! Bill Pidto and Bob Boughner sightings! Mascot carnage!

• I Can See Cleary Now. Dan Cleary scored twice, one wearing a visor, to help Detroit tie a franchise record with its ninth victory in a row. Henrik Zetterberg scored his 13th goal of the season with 1:28 left to extend his season-opening points streak to 16 games. Wings 4, Jackets 1.

• In District 5 Peewee Hockey News. The Ducks Andy McDonald scored the tying goal with EXACTLY 14:04 left in the third period and beat Evgeni Nabokov again for the clinching goal in the shootout to give Anaheim the 3-2 victory over San Jose. No word on whether McDonald went with the Bombay "triple-deke." Sharks center Jeremy Roenick played 22 shifts totaling 17 minutes, but remained stuck on 499 career goals.

• Atlanta's Mascot Should Be Dexter. Russian star Ilya Kovalchuk scored his eighth goal in his past four games as the Thrashers beat the Panthers 4-1. The goal was Kovalchuk's 14th of the season. Rookie goalie Ondrej Pavelec — these names are incredible — stopped 36 shots in only his third career start.

• How Bizarre. Andrew Raycroft — who is in no way related to my friend Ben Rycroft because their names are actually different — made 30 saves in Toronto's 3-0 win over Buffalo. The Leafs, last in the NHL in goals against entering the game, won for the second time in three games. They're probably going to win the Stanley Cup.

Anyway, the Less-Than-Mighty Ducks kick off their Western Conference finals series tonight against the Red Wings, a franchise with no history of postseason success and a sedate, subdued, almost apathetic fan base. (After Buffalo's loss of home ice advantage last night, the Bfloblog is strangely quiet this morning.)

The Ducks are feeling confident, but the Red Wings are the Red Wings: They always think they're gonna win.

Again, no predictions from us, but over at James Mirtle's blog, they even have pie charts. Mmmm, pie.

Game 1 Vs. Anaheim [On The Wings]
Let The Game Begin [Ducks Blog]

(Tomorrow: Hating the Los Angeles Lakers)

There has been some debate as to whether or not the game should have been cancelled, though we find it hard to ask men to play a game after watching one of their teammates' heart stop. (Particularly if they're wearing skates.) Unlike us, Off Wing Opinion was on top of this story while it was going on and has updates all through the evening last night.

Fortunately, Fischer — we keep wanting to type "Welsch," by the way — is a hockey player, which means he'll probably rip the tubes out and be on the ice by the time they reschedule this one. We wish him well.

Fisher Collapses [Detroit Free Press]
Game Called On Account Of Seizure [Mitchieville]
Jiri Fisher Update [Off Wing Opinion]