Game 2

AFTER THE FIRST TWO GAMES OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL…IS ANYBODY REALLY SURPRISED???
DETROIT HAS PHYSICALLY DOMINATED THE SERIES AND HAS OUT SCORED PITTSBURGH 7-0…
THE DIFFERENCE IS ONCE AGAIN EXPERIENCE…
PERHAPS THE BEST COMPARISON CAN BE FOUND 25 YEARS AGO…
IN 1983 THE EDMONTON OILERS WERE FULL OF KIDS ON THE BRINK OF GREATNESS…
WAYNE GRETZKY…MARK MESSIER…JARI KURRI…PAUL COFFEE AND GRANT FUHR…
THE OILERS WENT INTO THE CUP FINAL WITH A PLAYOFF RECORD OF 11 AND 1…
THE ISLANDERS WERE NOT IMPRESSED…
THEY BLEW OUT THE OILERS IN 4 STRAIGHT AND OUT SCORED THEM 17-6…SOUND FAMILIAR???
AFTER THE SERIES…THE OILERS WALKED BY THE ISLANDERS DRESSING ROOM AND SAW A TEAM THAT LOOKED AS IF IT HAS BEEN THROUGH A WAR…
THAT’S WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT ON…
THE NEXT YEAR THE OILERS MET THE ISLANDERS IN THE FINAL AND TOOK THEM OUT IN 5 GAMES…
THAT TEAM WENT ONTO TO WIN A TOTAL 5 STANLEY CUPS…
BUT THAT WAS BEFORE THE SALARY CAP…WHEN PLAYERS BECAME FREE AGENTS AT 31…
IN THIS NEW ERA THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DYNASTY…
THE PENGUINS HAVE OVER A DOZEN PLAYERS ABOUT TO BECOME UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
THE LIST INCLUDES…MARIAN HOSSA…RYAN MALONE…AND PASCAL DUPUIS…
ADD TO THAT…GOALTENDER MARC ANDRE FLUERY WILL BE A RESTRICTED FREE AGENT THIS SUMMER…
BUT THE MUCH BIGGER CONCERN IS NEXT SUMMER…
BOTH EVGENI MALKIN AND JORAN STAAL WILL BECOME RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
MALKIN IS LOOKING FOR THE KIND OF MONEY ALEXANDER OVECHKIN GOT IN WASHINGTON…
$124 MILLION OVER 13 YEARS…
ADD THAT TO THE $43 MILLION THE PENGUINS HAVE COMMITTED TO CROSBY OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS AND YOU CAN SEE THE PROBLEM…
FORGET ABOUT NEXT YEAR…
THE TRUTH IS…PITTSBURGH’S BEST SHOT TO WIN A STANLEY CUP…MAY STILL BE…”THIS” YEAR…