DET vs PIT
Posted on June 1, 2008 05:25 PM | Permalink
By Simon Dingley, CBC News
If you pay attention to Detroit's media, the Penguins-Red Wings series is over.
The Red Wings have already won the series. And Detroit will be celebrating its fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years Monday night.
The front page of Sunday's Detroit Free Press screamed "STANLEY CUSP".
Columnist Mitch Albom wrote: "They can sniff it now. It is that close...the aroma of Stanley Cup glory is wafting through the air.
"One win to end it all. What else you got Pittsburgh?"
The front of the paper's sports section had a large headline reading "WON AWAY". One Free Press sports reporter wrote: "It's unlikely this series will extend beyond Monday."
Local Detroit television was no different. On Sunday evening, the local NBC affiliate broadcast graphics reading "Red Alert" and "Capture the Cup".
Detroit's Fox News affiliate ran the headline "Quest for the Cup" on its' newscast. The station's news anchor ended the segment saying "One game away from the parade!"
Sports talk radio also pulled no punches. Detroit's "The Ticket" radio station took calls from hockey fans Sunday afternoon.
"Henrik Zetterberg is a great player. Right now he's playing better than Sidney Crosby" said one caller. "Would the Penguins even be in the Stanley Cup final if they played in the Western Conference?" asked another caller.
"No they would not" replied the station's host.
If the Penguins need any motivation for Monday night's game, all they need to do is buy a Detroit paper, or turn on their hotel room radio or television.
Penguins waiting on Malkin
The Penguins are staying in Detroit hotel with a large casino. They're also gambling that sniper Evgeni Malkin will wake from his Stanley Cup slumber and give captain Sidney Crosby some help up front.
Malkin looked lost in games one and two of the series. He played better in games three and four, but still has not registered a point. That has hurt the Penguins who trail Detroit three games to one. Game 5 goes Monday (8pm ET, CBC, CBCSports.ca).
"He's playing hard. It's not a lack of effort. We all know he'll step up when the time is right" said forward Jordan Staal.
Penguins head coach Michel Therrien admitted he's talked to Malkin to try and lift some of the pressure from his shoulders.
"He's facing a tough time. He wants success. We met with him before (the last) game to show him we believe in him. Sometimes it doesn't always go the way you want it to," said Therrien.
Sydor not quitting yet
Defenceman Darryl Sydor is wearing his Stanley Cup ring from the Dallas Stars Stanley Cup championship in 1999. He also won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004. Despite being on the ropes with the Penguins, he isn't conceding the Stanley Cup to the Red Wings just yet.
"That fourth game is the toughest game to win. The team that keeps wanting to play, plays with desperation," said Sydor.
Coach Therrien added: "Good teams find ways to win."
Unfortunately for the Penguins, they are playing a very good Detroit team. A team on the verge of winning its fourth Stanley Cup in eleven years.
Comments
True, the Michigan media has taken it too far but the Red Wings players are not talking like that at all. They are aware of the distractions involved with the cup. What's the point of this story anyway? A pep talk for the Penguins? If so, it's as wrong as they accuse the Detroit media of being.
Posted by: Tim Michigan | June 2, 2008 12:49 AM
A couple notes on the Detroit media's premature annointing of the Wings as champions: I do agree that they're jumping the gun, and it's bothersome. After the Wings went up 3-0 on the Stars, it was taken for granted that they would win the series, including to some extent after the Wings lost games 4 and 5. However, "Quest for the Cup" and "Capture the Cup" sound like generalized playoff slogans, rather than suggestions that it's already won, and WDIV (the NBC affiliate) has used "Red Alert" as the slogan for their Red Wings playoff coverage for years, possibly going back before NBC was actually airing the games.
Also, comparing Zetterberg and Crosby in the series so far, I can't disagree with that caller, despite the number of goals each has scored. :-) I realize I'm biased, but if I were starting a team from scratch and could pick any pair of players in the league, Zetterberg and Datsyuk would be my choice, no question. There are no more complete players in the league, and as brilliant as Crosby and Malkin may become, they aren't there yet.
Posted by: Amanda C. | June 2, 2008 12:51 AM
It isn't only the Detroit media making these predictions. Analysts on TSN, CBC, ESPN, and other newspaper columnists in the U.S. and Canada anticipate a Red Wings victory tonight. So why try to paint only the Detroit media as arrogant? Like my fellow Michigander, Tim, asked: What's the point of this article?
Posted by: Omegaman | June 2, 2008 03:20 PM
Be careful, I wouldn't count my chickens before you see the feathers. If the Pens goalie Fleury has two more games like the last, its all over. I got a hunch the seies is going to go 7 games now. Thanks to the Detroit Press you guys gave all the incentive
the Pens needed. Red Wings have the experience and muscle but the Pens have the youth, which may be an advantage in a long season and a 7 game series. It is now getting to be interesting !!!
Posted by: Bill Preston | June 3, 2008 02:36 PM