Show 79: Cup Wrap Up, Awards, and News

The 2008-2009 season is officially over. Let us take a bow, and cap it off.

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PreShow79: Stanley Cup Wrap Up and More

Pre-Show 79: A little preview of what is to come tomorrow night! Stay tuned!

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Show 78: Game 7 and News

Penguins force a Game 7. The Stanley Cup Final continues. See, I meant for that to be singular because I think people want to be confused, but they think it's Stanley Cup Final, too. I thought it was Stanley Cup Finals...

Anyway, coaching changes, and some player moves and such.

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-Right click the link, and 'Save As' or 'Save Target As' (depending on your browser, of course), save it where you can find, enjoy when it finishes. Almost like making pie in the oven, except we made it and you're just eating it. Mooches.

Post Game 5: Hockey Week in Review

From Hockeyweek.blogspot.com:

We apologize for the quality and appearance of this show. It looks, well, I'm not going to say it. This may be one of the scrapiest shows we've ever done next to last year's post game done in John's apartment in Erie, PA.

Sorry about showing the [hairy] legs, and yes, that jersey I (the Rant Man) am wearing is, in fact, a little tight.

Enjoy...I think.

~The Rant Man~


Download Hockey Week Episode 1 of Summer Season
-Right click the link, and 'Save As' or 'Save Target As' (depending on your browser, of course), save it where you can find, enjoy when it finishes. Almost like making pie in the oven, except we made it and you're just eating it. Mooches.

Show 77: The End is Near 2009

The Detroit Red Wings are one win away from the Stanley Cup. Can the Pittsburgh Penguins hold on for a 7th game? Check out this quick edition of the hockey rant and be sure to watch the Hockey Week in Review Post Game Report after Game 5 for reactions and news.

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Game 5: Somebody Will Take the Lead

Don't you love obvious headlines? They make me smile.

My HP notebook is currently on life support. Apparently the wireless drivers in some HP notebooks are known to suddenly disappear. It's covered by warranty, but I do not feel like shipping out this thing with the risk of it getting lost, damaged beyond recognition, etc.

OK, so Game #5 at Joe Louis Arena, 8pm (EST) on Network of Bullying Cowards (NBC). I have to stay on task here. Key factors in tonight's game:

RedWings-
~Datsyuk is finally back in the lineup.
~Last change on the ice, Zetts to Crosby, clutch (and possibly grab).
~Them boards, them boards, them funny bouncy boards.
~Osgood, home ice, decent.
~Obvious: Home Ice/Home Crowd.
~A full healthy roster (if you're not looking at age).
~Mike Babcock, possibly dawning a fedora.

Penguins-
~Line combinations are finally clicking.
~Secondary scoring is now in the mix.
~Power Play opportunities have been favorable.
~Jordan Staal woke up from his coma!
~Bylsma can keep everyone calm. I mean look at those glasses!
~Fleury is finally focused...on trying to convince everyone to give him a break.

John Baranowski (The Penguins guy) and I, the Rant Man (Red Wings/Sabres hybrid mixed with a poodle) will in the DC area somewhere catching the game. Follow me on Twitter for the latest: http://twitter.com/NHLhockeyrant

Post-Game: Game 3 to the Penguins

So, there you have it. The Penguins are using home ice to their advantage, and from what I've seen, this series is possibly far from done! I did say that the Red Wings would have this in 6 games, but that would mean winning at least one on Pittsburgh ice. Can the Red Wings rebound in Game 4 to take one in the Steel City?

Well, tonight, the secondary scoring showed up for the Penguins in the form of Maxim Talbot. The first and last goals of the game come off Talbot's stick and it didn't come easy. The fact that Osgood only face 21 shots may hinder the idea that he is a viable Conn Smythe Playoff MVP if the Red Wings pull this off. It will have to be a rock solid performance for him here on out. I think that Malkin's behind the scenes three assists was key to this game. His performance after the fight at the end of Game 2 proved who was the bigger impact winner from the emotional factors that be. If you want to see what Game 4 will be like, mix the emotions of both Game 2 and 3, and you'll have a charged up Red Wings squad versus a confident Penguins unit. Things could be very physical in Game 4 considering how well that worked in the first half of this game in favor of the Red Wings. If the physical play keeps up, and the defensive melt-downs are addressed, Detroit will take Game 4. If the tone is consistent through to Game 4 with echoing sentiments of tonight's performance on both sides, then Pittsburgh can expect a huge momentum swing in this series.

After all is said and done, the Red Wings have to win Game 4 if they want to ensure winning this series. The Penguins having the second change definitely went in their favor. I hate saying this, but the referees were also in the Penguins favor. I am not one of those that will harp on some conspiracy theories that the league is pulling for the Penguins, but some of the calls made tonight were soft. It just so happens that the Penguins nail two powerplay goals in the end. If the Red Wings can play "Mister Nice Guy" but still deliver a physical game in Game 4 while staying out of the box, they're bound to win. The question now surrounds the defensive pairings against Pittsburgh's top line, and the force that control the front of the net. Do the Red Wings' forwards need to step back a bit to support the defense, or push forward for more scoring opportunities by putting more traffic in front of Fleury? The Video Coaching staff now have their work cut out for them.

Good night, everybody! Talk to you all real soon.

~The Rant Man~

After 2 periods of play...

A nice physical game played by both sides, but like I've always said, the smarter defense and body playing game belongs to the Western Conference. No matter what team we're talking about, the Western Conference has always had a more physical dynamic. With the physical game and finished checks, the opportunities opened wide for the Detroit Red Wings who had 14 shots in that period alone. So, compare that to the 4 shots by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and you have a completely different set of philosophies when it comes to scoring opportunities. Detroit is thriving off their physical game and aggressive fore-check to grab up the puck.

Conversely, Fleury is playing a lot better when you look at the numbers. No silly bounces have his rattled (just yet). So, there is a positive that the Pittsburgh angle can take away from that period. Crosby and Malkin aren't creating as many opportunities as they should, but considering their skill, they should be able to find their way around these roadblocks. The defensive core of the Red Wings have the Penguins pinned, and Pittsburgh needs to find their way around it here in the third period to break loose from this tie. I'm willing to bet that somebody will score before the half-way mark of the third. Something is bound to break. But, overall, great game thus far.

~The Rant Man~

After 1 period of play...

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After one period of play in Game 3...

Quite a different series if this continues. The home-ice factor seems to make a difference in some regard. When we look at the last change made by the home team, Pittsburgh definitely has an advantage as to keeping Crosby from matching up with Zetterberg. So far, Babcock has found so good opportunities in the action have Zetterberg change on the fly. But, with all of that juggling going on, can a coach lose sight of other things happening in the game if he becomes too focused on changes and lineup matches? This could prove to be exhausting, but the new formulation of Malkin, Crosby, and Kunitz seems to alleviate some pressure as to when Zetterberg and his crew join the ice. Rafalski and Lidstrom are the favorited defensive pairing to get sent to battle against the Crosby line. They're proving to be moderately effective, but can they handle double the threat with Crosby and Malkin playing a line together? The second and third period remain...at least.

Osgood allows 2 goals on 7 shots? Ouch. Fleury allows 2 goals on 12 shots? Ok. So, now it's a war of talent. Zetterberg already has a goal and an assist. Letang already has a goal and an assist. Now, the waiting game. Will it be Abdelkader for Detroit or Adams for Pittsburgh to get the next goal? Truth is, the next goal could come from anybody, but the offensive pressure by Pittsburgh has seen a lot of improvement compared to Games 1 & 2.

This all coming from a Red Wings fan of 14 years. Taking it from my birth heritage of being a Sabres fan (if I weren't an overall hockey fan), I should be caring less at this point. Just kidding, of course.

Enjoy the second period!

~The Rant Man~