Pittsburg Pens, 2009 Stanley Cup champions

Wow. Just wow.

What a game! I could not have asked for a better game 7. Well, maybe an overtime or two, but otherwise, this one was perfect. Play was fast and gritty, Marc Andre Fleury was top-notch, ex-Duck Chris Kunitz got his second assist of the series, and the unsung hero emerged.

Watching double goal scorer Max Talbot beam as he described his feelings in the post game press conference, I felt that it couldn't have happened to a better guy. You deserve it, dude. Live the moment, it's yours.

I watched the Pens score twice against a Red Wing team that just couldn't get it together. It wasn't until the third period that they started connecting their passes, effectively penetrating the Pens' zone, and actually getting one into the net behind Fleury. The Wings had two periods to show up, but didn't. By the time they did, it was already too late.

Indeed, the better team did win this one.

And as I watched the clock strike triple zero, the Penguins collecting in a huge pile on top of Fleury in the crease, I was misty-eyed and reminiscent of our Ducks doing the exact same thing two years ago.

I wasn't at that game, but I was listening to the radio broadcast at work. As the Ducks were introduced as the 2007 Stanley Cup champions, I remember standing up and pumping my fists in the air. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but it didn't matter. My Ducks made history as the very first team to bring the cup home to the West Coast, before the Sharks, before the Kings.

I watched Evgeni Malkin win the Conn Smythe, and I watched as Bettman handed the cup over to Sid the Kid, youngest captain to ever win Hockey's Holy Grail. I watched Kuni pose in the group picture with the cup on the ice, the same huge smile on his face. Only this time, he's with the wrong team.

I saw the dejected looks on the faces of the losing Red Wing team. How horrible it must feel to lose a game 7 in the finals. I was just beginning to feel sorry for them, until the cameras cut to Marian Hossa, watching his jilted team get the better end as they skated away with the cup. I know it must suck to be Hossa, but I can't help but feel like karma kinda came back and bit him in the ass. You don't just jump teams at the last minute for a cup run that you don't even noticeably contribute to.

Phil Kocher puts the feeling into a picture quite nicely:



I don't know whose roster you're going to end up on for next season, Hossa, but if it happens to be the Duck roster, you'd better contribute to our cup run.

Last game of the year

The Cup goes home tonight.

How crazy, a game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals. They keep pointing out how rare this is, how the last one happened in 2003, with the Anaheim Ducks battling the New Jersey Devils.

On one hand, I could be a little miffed that it isn't my Ducks in this again, battling the Pittsburg Penguins for the Holy Grail of Hockey. But actually, I'm not too broken up about that. There has been some really entertaining hockey up to this point (save game 5 where the Pens completely unraveled before our very eyes), and I am greatly looking forward to tonight's game.

I can enjoy it so much more because I don't have a huge invested interest in who wins. I love my Ducks, don't get me wrong, but I practically had an aneurysm watching them in their game 7 against the Wings. There was no way I could enjoy that game. If they were in this final? Ack! So tonight, no aneurysm, no matter who's leading after the 1st... or 2nd... or with five minutes left in the 3rd. I'm rooting for ex-Duck Chris Kunitz and the Pens because hey, underdogs, I do like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby (whiny brat behavior aside) as talented players, and I kinda don't want to see a Wing dynasty.

But really? This might be kinda mean, but I want to see the look on Marian Hossa's face when that cup is once again hoisted by his opponent. That, in itself, is its own mini drama.

Who do you want to win? Oh, and who are you predicting for the Conn Smythe?

I can't even say who I think will get that Conn Smythe. I stink at predictions as it is, but in this game? I don't think there is a clear cut MVP. Maybe a goaltender. But even then, I'm not sure. I'd like to say Chris Osgood has been more than excellent in these playoffs, but really? I think he hasn't had to face too many difficult shots. Detroit's D is just so strong, they don't allow many pucks to even get to Osgood. Maybe Fleury? Maybe.

Either way though, it's going to be one helluva game tonight. There is no clear cut winner right now, it could go to either team. And I am soooo looking forward to the season going out with a bang. Here's to great hockey!

Go Pens!!

Joe DiPenta Dinner/Fundraiser

In the race for the 2009 Stanley Cup, it looks like the Pens have leveled the playing field. The Red Wing defense, for what I could tell, was uncharacteristically tired and sloppy, allowing way too many turnovers.

For a second, I couldn't believe I was watching the Wings. The Pens mopped the ice with them, and trounced them in a 4-2 victory. And, my ex-Duck Chris Kunitz point count now reads 1.

So now, both teams have won their home games and the finals become a three-game series. Go Pens!

But Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals was not the highlight of my day. Nosiree. What I'd been looking forward to for the last couple of days was the Joe DiPenta 2nd annual lasagna dinner/fundraiser.

Just another prime example of how generous and how committed to the community our Ducks are, former Ducks d-man Joe DiPenta and his wife Jessica served up the family's lasagna recipe at the Anaheim White House to fans, humanitarians, and anyone else interested in supporting the cause. Seats went for $55 each with proceeds going to fund a program that the restaurant's founder developed which feeds hundreds of low-income-family children. This year, Joe would be joined by my favorite Duck, Bobby Ryan.






Joe DiPenta with a few words for the camera


Bobby Ryan and restaurant owner Bruno


Yours truly and Bobby Ryan (obviously, I'm the short one)

The crew from The Element was in attendance as well, and Skylar pulled me aside to get some words on camera. We'll see if and when that bit shows up on The Element program.


The Element reporting reactions to the infamous lasagna





Joe DiPenta, yours truly, and Bobby Ryan

What a great event. Hockey players are some of the most down to earth guys you'll ever meet. I think they are the most grounded of sports professionals. A lot of them are just farm boys from Canada, they don a pair of skates as early as the age of three or four and they are basically raised on the ice. They tend to come from good families because the parents need to be super-involved, taking the kids to early morning practices and investing in all of the gear and equipment. As teenagers, the boys are often sent to live with host homes so that they can be closer to minor league ice rinks and training programs. They get room and board from strangers, so they tend to be really polite and humble.

Hockey doesn't come with the same fame as say, basketball. A good player doesn't get nearly as much money as other pro athletes and, especially in SoCali, they don't get recognized on the street. They are just average joes, big guys who are skilled in balance and coordination that make them agile on the ice. Meeting Bobby, and knowing he's so talented in the game, and only 22 years of age... the boy has a huge, successful career ahead of him. When you find out just how nice and good-natured he is, you just want him to have that success even more.

You feel like he deserves it.

Flashback: Tuesday, May 12, 2009

This was an incredible day for myself, as well as my Ducks. Having spent about seven hours at the Ponda that day, I never got a chance to post about it, and there was some pretty cool stuff that went down. So, for the sake of documentation, here we go...

There was a little blurb on the Ducks official site announcing that a local television morning news show would be present at the Ponda on that early Tuesday morning, before Game 6 of the Ducks/Wings series. They wanted to have a fan showing and, as an incentive to get our butts out of bed and over to the Ponda decked out in our Duck garb by 6am, they would be raffling off tickets to that evening's game.

I already secured a ticket through one of my hockey buddies for the game but, given I didn't have to work and thinking it might be a fun little Duck event to partake in and blog about, I put on my Bobby Ryan jersey and my autographed Duck hat, and trucked over to the Ponda with my trusty Canon Rebel in tow.

There were only about 30 of us present. Made me think my odds would be pretty good at scoring one of the raffled pairs of tickets. We were led onto the Ponda ice, where four of us were chosen to be human pucks in a race for tickets. The rest of us sat in the player benches and provided a cheering soundtrack. At one point, we started up a rousing rendition of "Detroit sucks!" to which the reporter joked, "Oh, apparently they've been there."

That was pretty awesome. Hell, it was awesome just being on the ice, sitting on the benches and in the penalty box, feeling the chilly air.


The Ponda, awaiting another gripping playoff game


Duck championship banners shot from center ice


Human pucks racing for playoff tickets


Yours truly standing at center ice

After the Ponda ice clip had been shot, the television crew ushered us outside where we would do some fillers for the next two hours of morning show. The first would feature us whacking an octopus pinata with a hockey stick. There were tickets, candy, and Ducks keychains inside.


You are toast, Detroit octopus!

The second bit, which never actually aired, would feature the fans playing a tabletop hockey game. At this point, I was content to stand back and chat with the other fans who also had no desire to make any more cameo appearances on the morning news.


Delay of game penalty to anyone who pitches the puck onto the asphalt!

It was a fun rally and I met some great fellow Duck fans. Oh, and I'd managed to score one of those raffled ticket pairs. Now I just had to find someone who wanted to come with me at a moment's notice. After the filming was over, I joined a few of the other fans on the South side of the Ponda. We wanted to see who would show up for the morning's voluntary practice skate. It was mostly black aces, but hey, we were treated to one Bret Hedican showing up for treatment.


Bret wouldn't play this game, or any others in the series, as he's been day to day with back spasms

We asked him if he was feeling better. He answered, "Eh, some days are worse than others." He signed my hat and the jerseys of my new Duck friends before going into the Ponda.

We were also blessed with the presence of Petteri Nokelainen, also showing up for treatment. He was on his cell phone as he approached, talking in Finnish. He signed a shirt and my hat as he talked. I wished him luck in tonight's game and he paused his conversation to look at me, smile, and say "thank you" before heading inside.

After hanging out and chatting a bit longer, we Duck fans eventually decided to disperse. We'd spent nearly five hours of our morning at the Ponda, time to get a few things done before returning for the monumental game ahead!

This is Game 6 in the conference semifinals against the Detroit Red Wings, who lead in this series 3-2. Our boys MUST win this one, if they intend to take the series back to Detroit for a game seven. Luckily, our boys have a good record at winning game sixes at home.

The game opens with hard hits and no clear advantage for any team. Teemu Selanne has an extra spring to his step, an extra glint to his eye. Our boys make some great shots on net in the first period, even making Osgood cough up a few rebounds. The forechecking pressure is on, and our Legion of Doom line of Bobby Ryan/Corey Perry/Ryan Getzlaf is looking good tonight.

Our PK kills off the first Red Wing power play, after a stupid "too many men on the ice" call. Then, it's our boys' turn with the man advantage. Hudler knocks the puck over the glass and gets a delay of game call. We, too, cannot capitalize.

My boy Bobby Ryan leads the first period with shots on the Detroit net. None of them have gone in yet, but he's creating some good chances for himself. I'm just glad he's looking a lot better than he had earlier in the series. Whatever injury he's nursing must be healing.

We go into the first intermission on another Duck power play and still tied 0-0.

That power play goes empty, but it's followed quickly by another as Kronwall bails out a misplay by Osgood with a pitch over the glass. This one is good. Getzlaf takes the puck down deep into the Red Wing zone, fires back to Chris Pronger at the point, who shoots quickly across the slot to the Captain. He winds up and fires it at the net. Getzlaf is there to catch the rebound and knock it in.

First goal of the game goes to Anaheim. We fans shout our approval. I'm enjoying this game so much more than game 4, which I was also in attendance for. Of course, it helps when the tickets are free... but also, because there aren't three rows of disrespectful WingDing fans behind me. Instead, I'm surrounded on both sides by some of the Duck fans that I had the pleasure of spending the morning with. The few WingDingers in our section were couples. Respectful hockey fans that didn't scream obscenities about the Duck players when children were within earshot.

Good defensive plays too by our boys. One of the best ones was Ryan Whitney, who cut off the shooting lane of an odd-man rush by sliding on his belly a la Pronger and stripping away the puck with a perfect poke check. The boy is definitely picking up good pointers from his blue-line partner!

Geezus, and how impressed am I again by Jonas Hiller? He's sharp tonight, he's on his game. And he's as calm and as cool as a cucumber the whole time. MVP for the Ducks, no doubt about it.

Andrew Ebbett makes the big mistake of a retaliatory crosscheck, and our Ducks have to pay for it with another Red Wing power play. Luckily, no goals.

An amazing highlight reel play at the second period happened while our boys look like they were pushed back on their heels. Perry makes a diving play to intercept a shot on Hiller but ends up in the net himself. After the puck is cleared away and taken back down into the Detroit zone, Perry speeds back to his usual place in front of the opponent's goal crease. Getzlaf passes to Bobby, who passes it back to Getzy. He winds back and fires a slapshot from the blue line, which goes into the net off a shaft redirect from Perry's stick.

Ducks go into the second intermission up 2-0.

The third period sees a lot of play in the Anaheim zone. Our boys are having a hard time clearing. I'm praying we can just hold on to this lead. Hiller steps up his game too, as if the boy could do any better than he has already this game.

There's penalty after penalty, creating a couple of 4-on-4s, but no goals for either side. Until a tripping penalty against Ebbett puts the Wings on a power play that they're able to capitalize on, with only 2:25 left in the game.

Damn. Just like that, they steal away Hiller's shutout. Don't give up another goal, boys. No OT, we have to end this in regulation!

With less than a minute left, the Wings net is empty. The crowd is on their feet and screaming, "Let's go, Ducks!" There's one last bid by the Wings with Hiller making what would be his last beautiful save on home ice (*sniff!*). And, at the final horn, a big fat line brawl "reminiscent," as they say, "of old time hockey." Even the Captain threw fists with Datsyuk.

Now there's something you don't see everyday!

Unfortunately, it would be the last game of the season for our Ducks, but it was a good game, a great one to win for the fans at home, and a proud one to end an otherwise tumultuous season with. Go Ducks!!

Home ice advantage

I'm at work, listening to the Pittsburg radio feed of tonight's Game 3 between the Pens and the Red Wings...

Sounds like the Pens have come back a bit tonight. The third period is opening and the teams are tied 2-2. Ex-Duck Chris Kunitz, although not having scored any goals (neither has Sidney Crosby for that matter), has been putting tons of hits on the Wings. Attaboy, Kuni!

I do hope Sid the Kid gets on the board tonight, that would just be NICE, you know? It's a lot easier for me to root on a team that I'm less emotionally invested in. I mean, I don't have to hold my breath or grit my teeth... or feel like bashing a hole in the nearest wall when one of my guys turns the puck over in the defensive zone. I can just be simply entertained by pure hockey. So, as much as I enjoy keeping an eye on the Penguins for this Stanley Cup final, I don't really give a damn whether they win or not.

Two minutes stand between the Pens and their first series victory. The score is 3-2... empty netter from Talbot and now the Pens lead 4-2. And... win! What a treat for the Pen fans at home.