Canucks & Beyond
Next entry: Osgood: Cute, Like Puppy
Previous entry: Cliff Ronning & the Canucks
Changing “The Script”
by Alanah McGinley on 05/26/08 at 11:34 AM ET
Comments (6)
Time to go home, Pittsburgh. No more games for you.
You’re clearly out-matched, have no business being in these Stanley Cup Finals, and frankly, we’re a bit concerned Evgeni Malkin is going to hurt himself.
What, you say? You don’t think you’re out of it yet? You think you CAN win a couple games?
Oh yeah, right. It’s a best-of-7 series.
But you can’t blame me for being confused. I’ve been following the hockey coverage and the overwhelming theme thus far is: You’re outclassed.
As a Canucks fan I don’t have a horse in this race (which, alas, is nothing new). So, being accustomed to cheering for underdogs as I am, I’m on that Penguins bandwagon.
But more important than my own bias, Crosby/Roberts/Fleury can do everyone a favor by winning that freakin’ game tonight. The Red Wings Stanley Cup Parade currently being planned by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association could use a temporary derailing.
Just even-up this series tonight and at least you’ll change the script, currently a monotonous theme orienting around “overmatched Pens and experienced Wings.” Not that this mantra wasn’t true for game #1, but for the whole series based on one game??
Bah. Win game two and the script changes dramatically.
Although that brings to mind another problem…
If Pittsburgh were to win tonight’s game and (God forbid) their first home game in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, I fear we’ll have the same—but opposite—problem: a new script of, “young Penguins want it more!”
Sigh. It’s the problem of hockey coverage at playoff time: Everyone seems convinced it’s a sprint and no one remembers that the race is paced. Winning the Stanley Cup is truly a test of endurance.
Two of the top teams in the NHL are facing off for the Stanley Cup, and they both know it’s a long-haul, as do most of their fans. Why is it that professional hockey writers always seem to struggle with this idea?
Filed in: nhl general | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: detroit+red+wings, media, pittsburgh+penguins,
Comments
From Bob Duff’s article…
“We just have to be a little smarter and a little more disciplined and move the puck quicker and play in their end more and we’ll be all right,” Gill suggested.
Oh, is that all?
Right. All the Pens have to do is be “smarter”, beat the Wings forecheck, hang on to the puck when and if you get into the Wings zone and, of course, not make any mistakes...at any time during the game. You know, I think that might work. Simply play a perfect game. Well, okay, four perfect games. Hmmm. Good luck with that. 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 05/26/08 at 11:04 AM ET
Shane -- Backing the leader in the race is always the popular - and easier - option, I agree. It’s just that projecting one game onto an entire series is so bloody predictable, isn’t it?
OlderThanChelios-- By all means, the Pens have a tough road ahead. But then, so do the Wings. Unless the Penguins suffer a complete implosion, your team is still going to have to earn those next three wins. “That’s why they play the games” as the saying goes! 
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 05/26/08 at 02:16 PM ET
“projecting one game onto an entire series is so bloody predictable”
I expect nothing less of the traditional media 
If there’s one thing I agree with Wings fans on - and seriously, it’s just the one thing - it’s that most media outlets have been going against Detroit in their series predictions for the entire playoffs. Then once that first game or two were played, they hitched their saddle to the Wings wagon and yelled “RIDE!”
Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 05/26/08 at 04:56 PM ET
Unless the Penguins suffer a complete implosion, your team is still going to have to earn those next three wins.
Posted by Alanah from British Columbia on 05/26 at 03:16 PM
Uh, make that two wins. Not that anyone is overconfident. I think everyone in the Wings locker room—and most fans—realize the series is far from over.
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 05/27/08 at 09:25 AM ET
Shane—I agree. Though if the series started out the other direction, Penguins dominating that first game, my guess is the coverage would be the same, but we’d be witnessing it in reverse. An easy script to follow. (Although I guess the results of Game #2 mean they can say they were right).
YzermanZetterberg—True enough. But I’d agree it’s now looking awfully good for your team.
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 05/27/08 at 05:50 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Wellwood Returning to Vancouver
In Defense of Dany Heatley (sort of)
Sedin’s Agent Not Optimistic About a Vancouver Deal, but is Anyone?
Mike Keenan Joins the Canucks?
GM Place Keeps its Name; Disaster Averted
What’s Trevor Linden Been Up To?
About Canucks & Beyond
Alanah McGinley has been blogging hockey since 2003, sharing opinions, rants and not-so-deep thoughts with anyone who will listen. In addition to writing Canucks & Beyond and helping manage Kukla’s Korner, Alanah is one of the founders and co-hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast, as featured at Canucks.com.
She has contributed pieces to FoxSports.com and the New York Times Slapshot blog, as well as other stray destinations in cyberspace.
Email:
Alanah’s Twitter: Not really hockey-ish. [LINK]
Other Canucks Blogs
“Why is it that professional hockey writers always seem to struggle with this idea?”
Because no matter what sort of title you have or organization you belong to, it’s often far too easy to back a winner.
I still don’t see Pittsburgh pulling this off but I do think they’ll put up a fight on the way down.
Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 05/26/08 at 10:58 AM ET