http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrm542ShE0s

Game 6 Highlights

It’s Game 7. That’s enough said right there. The Penguins and Wings will clash one more time to close out the 2009 NHL season. It all comes down to this one game to reach the summit of hockey’s unconditional greatness. Its 82 regular season games, countless overtimes and shootouts amongst them both, individual records, shutouts, over-coming injuries. Its blood, sweat, and tears all rolled up into one final game to determine who the best is. Is there any better way to decide a season?

A game 7 championship game is the paramount way to walk away without ever needing to ask whether or not the better man won. Through out the Stanley Cup Finals the Penguins overcame a 2-0 deficit, which showed guts. The Wings countered that comeback with a 5-0 drubbing at home in game 5, which showed killer instinct and a determination to win. The Penguins could have let the Wings waltz into The Igloo and take the cup and no one would have been surprised, but they didn’t let them off the hook. They forced a decisive game 7, which showed heart. I can honestly say that there is no other team sport in my opinion that displays as many human emotions in as an extreme setting as the NHL playoffs do, especially in the Finals. I know there are those of you out there that will argue tooth and nail about baseball or basketball holding that crown, but that is only because you have grown around people who favored those sports over hockey. This country has never been in love with hockey like football, baseball or basketball.

Why? I have no idea. People love football because of its physical play, well hockey has plenty of that. Baseball is loved because there is a lot of strategy involved amongst other things. Well…hockey has plenty of that too, just watch when the home team gets last say as to who they put out on the ice in between whistles. Then there is basketball. Basketball has buzzer beaters, dunks, incredibly sick shots. Well, my counter to that would be that hockey doesn’t often have buzzer beaters (they do happen though, reference 2009 playoffs game 4 between the Devils and Hurricanes), but they do have frantic endings, that I assure you will leave you short of breath and at the edge of your seat. Dunks? No, hockey does not have dunks, but we do have one timer’s and I challenge anyone tall enough that can dunk a basketball to try and pull that off and see which one is harder. Lastly, those incredible shots basketball players make. I am in no way taking what they do away, however, hockey has plays just as good if not better. Just go on youtube and watch Alex Ovechkin and my point will be made.

So, I get back to my original point, there is no game 7 in sports with more excitement than that of hockeys. Argue it all you want, watch game 7 and you won’t be able to deny what you see, or what you feel when you see it. It could be a blow out, in which case I would feel cheated, but you will still understand the thrill of it from the opening face-off. The physicality, the finesse, the blocks, the goaltending, the strategy…there are just so many factors of an NHL game 7 that make it the best.

As, far as the game itself goes, I expect the Wings to come out with a furious pace at the onset with the Penguins just trying to slow things down and get that initial adrenaline rush out of the way. If they are able to with-stand them at the beginning and can play strategy with the Wings than it can go either way. The ex factor is Fleury in net for the Pens. Will he rise up for the biggest game of his career? He has struggled at times throughout this series, mostly on the road at the Joe, so he will have to change that pattern to have any chance of raising the cup with his team. I really feel like this game is the Wings to loose, even with superstars like Crosby or Malkin opposing them. It is very hard to beat the Red Wings two times in a row, even though it has already been done this series, but can it be done when the cup is on the line in their own building? It would be the first time since the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals that a team lost the series when having a 3-2 series lead. It will be hard for the Penguins to pull it off, but if they get power play chances enough times they will surely get on the board and be in this game. I expect it to be a great game 7 and whoever wins is the best team in the league hands down. That’s what game 7’s prove again and again. One thing is for sure though; if the Penguins win, so begins the legend of a one Sidney Crosby…I don’t see Lebron playing in a game 7 for a ring, do you?