Let the Puck Drop! Official NHL Playoff Thread

[JPL]

Congrats to the The Red Wings on a great season. I have to say watching any team win the Cup is an amazing experience. Even when it's not my team I can't help but feel the joy and emotions of the players. Well of course there was the 1994 Ranger exception to that rule

[Donald A]

I have grown to love the Penguins this year. I guess it is nice to have a mutual interest with my wife. I was involved in this playoff series as I was at game 5 with the NY Rangers when Marian Hossa clinched the series right in front of me in overtime. Then I had the opportunity to go to game 4 of the finals last Saturday. (It is a long drive from Indy but worth it).

The Red Wings were the better team ... barely. You can absolutely not take anything away from the Penguins. If they would not have started the series as flat as they did and if Malkin would have peaked before last night, and if, and if, and if. I guess that is how sports work.

Part of me says that Crosby, Malkin, Staal, and Fleury now have the experience under their belt to try again. BUT, the other part of me is heartbroken that in the world of salary caps players come and go. There are too many stars on the Penguins to keep everyone. For instance Hossa will probably leave. Pittsburgh just can not afford him. That is hard because Crosby and Hossa played so well together.

Oh well, it is only a sport. Congrads to the Red Wings!

[alphamommy]

I just got back from buying our hats, shirts, etc.

DH got DD up with about 2 minutes left in the Monday game, which I thought was a bad idea (I'm VERY sports superstitious). Sure enough, the Pens scored the goal with 34 seconds left. Last night, we waited until it was all over before we got DD up. We were recording everything on our DVR, so DH backed up to the last minute of the game and let her watch that, the cup presentation, etc.

What a great year to be going to the Hockey Hall of Fame for part of our vacation!

[letsdoitagain]

Hats off to the Red Wings. You out played the pens and schooled them on what they need to do to win the cup next year. The Wings reign supreme and the Pens should feel no shame for comming this far.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Congrats to the Red Wings... They truly deserved the Stanley Cup... I only watched the last two games, and wow, what a team they are....

[MMouse6937]

All I have to say is I'm very disappointed in the way the Pens fans reacted after they lost. I can understand being upset that your team lost, but to boo Henrik Zetterberg as he was receiving the Con Smythe was just wrong. You at least acknowledge the acheivement even if it didn't turn out the way that you wanted it to. It's over, the better team won, at least have some respect, very disappointing. There is more respect from Pens fans in this thread then there was at the game that night. Sad.

But, on lighter terms, my hat and shirt and program and rally towel are on their way. My SIL was at the sporting goods store and on the phone with me at 6:30 this morning taking my order so she could get everything we wanted. We have a locker room hat and shirt and a rally towel and program from game 4 and a regular red tshirt that has a little winged wheel and a little Stanley Cup! Can't wait for it to get here...I'll be decked out!!

[PirateLover]

All I have to say is I'm very disappointed in the way the Pens fans reacted after they lost. I can understand being upset that your team lost, but to boo Henrik Zetterberg as he was receiving the Con Smythe was just wrong. You at least acknowledge the acheivement even if it didn't turn out the way that you wanted it to. It's over, the better team won, at least have some respect, very disappointing. There is more respect from Pens fans in this thread then there was at the game that night. Sad.

Wow. Like I said I didn't see the ceremony live so I missed all of that. All I saw were a few fans left in the crowd as the announcers talked over the highlights. That's kinda sad.

[kakn7294]

I was at work so I didn't see most of the game and I didn't see any of the ceremony but if it's true that my fellow Pittsburgh fans boo'd, then I'm disappointed in them as well. However, a local new station is reporting that they received a letter from a Detroit resident and Red Wings fan who complimented the Pittsburgh fans on their behavior when the Wings won. He says he was watching on tv and that the Pittsburgh fans stayed to watch the ceremony and even cheered for the Wings during the presentations.

[brownie]

I'm hoping to get my championship hat today!

As far as fans booing, I didn't notice any of that watching the game. I watched it on CBC, but from what I saw and heard the Pittsburgh fans were cheering for the presentations of the trophies. I thought it was pretty classy that so most of them stayed for the trophy presentations.

[MMouse6937]

I had to watch on NBC since I'm out West, but I heard it, and my brother and SIL that watched it locally said they heard it too. It was a huge booing uproar, but enough that you could tell they were not being respectful. It was just slightly disappointing, but doesn't change anything, and I don't think Henrik noticed at all!!

[JPL]

Fans Booing is considered a compliment in the NY area

[Donald A]

I was at Stanley Cup final game number 4 last Staurday. Yes there was booing. Some of these people spend a lot of money on their tickets (face value on mine was $250) and you will have booing. Heck, I went 300 miles each way from Indy and stayed in a hotel for a hockey game. Fans have passion. My wife was down and is still down after the loss of the series.

As painful as it was, I watched Game 6 Wednesday night. I thought that all-in-all the fans were respectful. The loudest booing I heard was directed at Gary Bettman. He is not thought of as the smartest pro-sports commish. In every sport you will have fans who do not represent their cities or team well. Fans also have different levels of respect. I remember when I was at a NJ Devils - Pens game and the Pens went up several goals and Martin Brodeur was pulled and skated to the tunnel a few seats away. The fans lost it and booed. My thoughts were that he was getting pulled and losing bad why rub it in. What goes around comes around. Plus I had more respect for this future HOF goaltender than to boo him.

[MMouse6937]

I understand your point, but I see things differently from booing at a regular season game, chanting the opposing goalies name when he lets in a goal, etc to booing the receipients of the highest honor in the NHL. Once the season is over, the battle has been fought, the cup has been won, there's a certain amount of respect that should be shown to the winning "Champions". I just didn't get that in Pitts. Maybe, and rightfully so, I was looking at it from a different angle, the Wing angle, but I know we have lost playoff series/Stanley Cups in Detroit and I just don't remember it being that way. It's somewhat awkward I think to win that last game away from home anyways, it just doesn't look good to boo. I would expect Pens fans to have more class, that's all, now Colorado fans, I don't expect much, and they certainly deliver. It's just you expect more from a old time hockey city like Pitts.