A lot of things have happened since the Stanley Cup Finals ended on Friday night. Here's a briefing on some of the highlights to this point:
FRIDAY: -Sidney Crosby "snubs" Nick Lidstrom in the postgame handshake line, a charge Crosby denies. Kris Draper, who apparently still is alive, spoke out against Crosby, making a bigger deal out of it than Lidstrom himself. Detroit fans claim Crosby is classless, which is ironic for a group of people that cheered when Crosby was injured and booed the Penguins receiving the Cup.
-Back in Pittsburgh, the locals are celebrating accordingly. Clearly, they're not worried about Nick Lidstrom.
-The Penguins arrive home in the middle of the night. Geno Malkin stuffed the Conn Smythe Trophy in his car in a way only Geno Malkin could.
SATURDAY: -The Penguins surprise everyone and take the Cup to Diesel and Mario's in the South Side. Techno was played. The Cup was out a window. It was everything you would expect and hope to happen.
SUNDAY: After a long night, the Cup travels to the Bucco game, flanked by 16 players and one Bylsma. The game's result? Pittsburgh beat Detroit, winning the series. How poetic.
MONDAY: -It's revealed that Mario Lemieux sent a few text messages, first to Ray Shero, after the 5-0 loss in Game Five:
"We are a family and in this together. We don't need anyone that is only with us WIN or TIE. I really think this is our year. Let's forget about tonight ... It happens. We will win Tuesday and win the Cup Friday."
and then to Penguin players the morning of Game Seven:
"This is a chance of a lifetime to realize your childhood dream to win a Stanley Cup. Play without fear and you will be successful! See you at center ice."
It's OK if that gave you chills. I've got them, too.
-Another day, another championship parade in the city of Pittsburgh. The attendance is reported at 375,000, which amazingly would top the attendance of the Steelers' parade after SB43. And thankfully, none of the players awkwardly impersonated Lil Jon and sang at this parade.
-The team also shot a formal photo with the Cup. Nicely done, boys.
-And finally, as emailer Steve B. points out today, this Ron Cook article should furthermore sit alongside the infamous Gene Collier "season is over" column. Cook's piece, from February 27, 2009, is entitled, "Penguins fans will miss Whitney soon". Ummm...probably not.
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Maxime "Max" Talbot. He's the colorful role player known around Pittsburgh for his light-hearted A&L Motors commercials as much as his gritty, anything-it-takes style of play, as this clip will illustrate.
Is he a pure goal scorer? Not so much. In his four NHL seasons, he's scored 5, 13, 12, and 12 goals. But once the second season starts, he becomes a different player. In Juniors, Talbot had 14 goals and 30 assists for the 2002-03 Hull Olympiques in the playoffs, and 11 goals and 16 assists for the 2003-04 Gatineau Olympiques. And this year, following that 12-goal regular season, Mad Max notched eight in the postseason. After his two-goal performance in Game Seven of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, he's ensured that he'll be mentioned in any articles like this on the topic for the rest of time. For all intents and purposes, he was the MVP of the 2009 Finals.
While Talbot supplied all the offense in Game Seven that the Penguins would need to hoist their first Cup since 1992, Marc-Andre Fleury provided the defense, with the game he absolutely needed to play in order for the Penguins to win. The Flower would stop 23 of 24 Red Wings shots, including a flurry (seriously, no pun intended) in the closing seconds of the contest that was eerily reminiscent of the Penguins' eventual exit in Game Six last year. Fleury put on a Herculean effort that finally beat Chris Osgood in his own building. Will a Stanley Cup victory finally silence the Fleury critics a bit? I sure hope so.
Osgood, who allowed two goals combined in three previous home Finals games, surrendered two in one period to one player. On the night, he finished 16-for-18, including the stop of the one and only Penguin shot in the third period. Not bad, but not good enough, at least in this case.
Now that we can take a brief look back, we can speculate about what it took to get the Cup back in Penguin hands. Was it touching the Wales Trophy? Changing hotels? Eating at Qdoba? Well, having Sidney Crosby on the team probably had something to do with it. But in a game where Crosby saw the ice for just 9:59 due to an injury that the classy Detroit fans cheered, the Penguins were once again able to overcome adversity, a theme that's become common to an organization that's nearly been extinct more than once in its recent history.
And looking back some more, what a roller-coaster of a season it was for the Boys of Winter. Starting with the losses of Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Ty Conklin, Jarkko Ruutu, Georges Laraque and Adam Hall (by the way, wonder how those guys are feeling right now?), the team had some rebuilding to do. In came Ruslan Fedotenko, Miroslav Satan, Matt Cooke, Eric Godard, and later, Mathieu Garon, Chris Kunitz, Craig Adams, and Bill Guerin. Out went Ryan Whitney and Dany Sabourin. And don't forget, we also had a death in the Penguin family along the way, longtime organist Vince Lascheid.
The season started in, of all places, Sweden, for the Daniel Alfredsson Homecoming Series with the Ottawa Senators. In the opener, Tyler Kennedy scored twice, including the game-winner in OT, and Rob Scuderi chipped in with a goal as well. If only we knew then how that would be such foreshadowing of what was to come from the "secondary" scoring options of the team.
By January 3, the Penguins had officially lost more games than they had won, with a 6-1 loss to Florida in the middle of a six-game losing skid. The Penguins would win five and lose nine in the first month of 2009. Things were beginning to look bleak.
On February 15, the Penguins came to a fork in the road and decided to finally part ways with head coach Michel Therrien, who had led them to a Stanley Cup appearance in the prior season. It was a controversial decision, as some viewed Therrien as a sacrificial lamb for the team's poor play. He would be replaced by a little-known coach from Wilkes-Barre who went by the name of "Disco" Dan Bylsma. Few would anticipate that Mr. Bylsma would be hoisting the Stanley Cup just a few months later.
Under Bylsma, with new acquisitions Kunitz, Guerin, and Adams in tow, the new-look Pens caught fire. In the month of March, they won 10 and dropped three, with two of the losses coming in shootouts. The team had renewed energy and enthusiasm. Hockey began to look fun again. And most importantly, they remembered the formula for winning.
Having fought their way from 10th place in the East to an unlikely spot at the four seed, Bylsma had navigated the Pens into the postseason. And the faces they would see along the way were all too familiar.
In round one, the Penguins drew a playoff rematch with the Philadelphia Flyers. The aggressive Flyers handed the Penguins 29 power plays over the course of six games, with Pittsburgh cashing in only four times. But the Pens survived, and moved on to face Alex Ovechkin in the NHL's dream matchup.
After an 0-5 start in Game One against the Caps, the power play then came to life, scoring in every game thereafter. Much like in the Detroit series, the Penguins dug a quick 0-2 hole on the road, battled back, and took the series on the road in decisive fashion in Game Seven.
It was then on to Carolina, and with the Cup Finals in sight, the Pens easily handled Eric Staal, Bill Cowher, and the Hurricanes in four games, outscoring Carolina 20-9 in the process.
Canes goalie Cam Ward is still looking for the number of that freight train that ran him over. I think it was #71.
And at last, we come to the Finals, where the Penguins once again brought out their shovels for another 0-2 hole on the road. Although the play was much improved over the 2008 Finals, the results were still the same. The Pens would need to win four of five against the mighty Wings to capture Lord Stanley's Cup. And guess what? They did.
For heroes, we'll start with the MVP, Mr. Malkin. He further endeared himself into our city's culture with the appearances of his parents at games and on television, as he finally started to come out of his shell. His statistics of 14 goals and 22 assists were among the most eye-popping in a long, long time. His enthusiasm was contagious. What else can you say? Pittsburgh has a love affair with his entire family.
Sidney Crosby, who displayed determination and focus on a Jordan/Tiger level throughout the playoffs (save only for a frustration penalty in Game Five), brought 15 goals and 16 assists to the table in the postseason. True, he only had one goal in the Finals. But I hardly think anyone can criticize the impact that #87 had on each and every series. Your heart broke for him when he was unable to finish Game Seven, but seeing him hold the sport's biggest prize, a moment he's literally built his whole life around, was a bit of redemption.
We next come to Bill Guerin, the late-season, high-mileage import who was gifted to the Penguins from the New York Islanders. If I told you the Pens would get their third-leading playoff scorer in exchange for a conditional draft pick, I think everyone would take that deal.
There are the 'grit' guys, the players who treated their bodies with absolute reckless abandon. I'm talking about men like Matt Cooke, Chris Kunitz, and Rob Scuderi, who probably acquired more bruises in the postseason that each of us has in our entire lives. Combined.
You also have players who stepped up with huge goals in huge moments. Jordan Staal. Kris Letang. Tyler Kennedy. If you haven't yet gotten the drift that this was a team effort beyond Sid and Geno, I'm clearly not doing a good job in effective writing.
Then, there are the injured. Petr Sykora, scratched 14 times in a row, suited up for Game Six, blocked a shot, and broke his foot as a result. Sergei Gonchar battled back from an Ovechkin-caused injury to have a solid postseason, with 3 goals and 11 assists. And Fleury, who overcame the mental scarring of being pulled one week ago in a Game Five in favor of Garon, might have been the biggest story of all. His bounce-back powers are becoming the stuff of legends. Four times in the postseason he allowed at least four goals in a game, and after each loss, he came back the next game with a win.
In the end, it was simply an amazing ride, much like another amazing ride that concluded in early February. The great moments are countless. The photos, the stories, the songs, the emails...they're too numerous to attempt to cover in one post.
The Penguins became the first road team in the NHL, NBA, or MLB to win a Finals Game Seven since the We Are Family Pirates of 1979, breaking a streak of 18 straight for the home team. In the process, they delivered the Stanley Cup to a city that already owns the Lombardi Trophy, a feat that's never been done. Once again, 30 years after the name came about, we can call ourselves "The City of Champions". It feels good, Pittsburgh.
And Sid, it couldn't have ended any better.
Now like I said a few weeks ago...let's get to work on a sequel to these:
Conspiracy theorists were noting that Red Wings championship gear was already available for sale on Shop NHL's website, but fear not, loyal Penguin fans...you can also book your Pittsburgh championship gear as well. That means there's no need to hit 'send' on today's angry email to Gary Bettman.
So with that out of the way, I suppose all we have to worry about now is making sure the Red Wings championship t-shirts make it to Nicaragua in mint condition.
For everyone who wanted to run Marc-Andre Fleury out of town after Game Five, I hope you were paying attention on Tuesday night. Because he was kinda vital to the Pens sticking around for a deciding Game Seven, don't you think?
The Pens' 24-year-old netminder stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced, including many of the jaw-dropping variety, in the Penguins' season-saving 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. His stop on Dan Cleary in the third period will be forever etched in his legacy. And his introduction as the game's First Star was redemption for a young man whose career has seen its fair share of roller-coaster moments.
If Fleury plans on sending any thank-you notes for assisting in his Game Six heroics, he should start with Rob Scuderi, who saved at least two goals from entering the net. Fleury should also thank Geno Malkin, who led the Penguins with four takeaways, as well as Matt Cooke and Chris Kunitz, who clobbered the Red Wings for five hits each.
On a night when the Penguins lit the lamp two times, the offensive heroes were not Malkin and Crosby, but Jordan Staal, who scored the game's first goal, and Tyler Kennedy, who assisted on the first and scored the eventual game-winner at 5:35 of the third. Which shows that this team is capable of winning an elimination game when their top two sources of offense are held scoreless.
The biggest storyline on the Detroit end might be the total disappearance of Marian Hossa, who remained without a goal in this series and put just one shot on net, in addition to becoming the target of Mike Milbury's slings and arrows during the NBC postgame show. As far as Hossa's teammates go, neither Henrik Zetterberg nor Cleary could buy a goal, and as much as I hate to admit it, Chris Osgood was solid between the pipes, stopping Bill Guerin six times alone.
No matter what happens on Friday, we'll all look back on this night (coincidentally, the 25th anniversary of the Penguins drafting Mario Lemieux) with fond memories....just as soon as our nerves recover. I'm mentally drained, and I was just watching. I can't possibly imagine how beaten, bloodied, and bruised these players must be at this point in the season.
So let's talk Game Seven. It's the first Stanley Cup Game Seven in the Penguins' 42-year history. There's been 14 Game Sevens in NHL history, the last in 2006 when Carolina knocked off Edmonton, 3-1. Detroit's last appearance in one of these games dates back to 1955, when they defeated Toronto 3-1 behind Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio. Both Finals participants have played in a Game Seven this year: the Wings toppled Anaheim in the West Semis, 4-3, on May 14; the Pens blew out the Washington Capitals 6-2 a day before in the East Semis.
There will be much analysis and anticipation of what lies ahead. But for now, let's enjoy what we just witnessed and take our hats off to the tremendous effort shown by the never-say-die Penguins, who have once again risen from the ashes of a rough Game Five to force something that this city has never seen before.
Before a rather important football game a few months ago, I posted some motivational videos for all of you out there to further get ready for the contest. Once again, we're staring down another one of the biggest games in Pittsburgh sports history, so you know what that means...it's time to get fiiiiiiiired up...again.
Sidney Crosby:
Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks, Miracle:
Great Moments in Penguin History
"The Goal"
1991 Stanley Cup Game 6:
John Belushi, Animal House
Tic-Tac-Score
1992 Stanley Cup
Revenge of the Nerds mashed up with 300:
1992 Stanley Cup Parade
Jim Valvano, "Don't Ever Give Up" Speech
Gonchar's Game Winner
Mel Gibson, Braveheart
Malkin's Hat Trick
There's No Easy Way Out, Rocky IV
Malkin's Amazing Goal
Malkin's OT winner
Guerin's OT winner
Letang's OT winner
Gene Hackman, Hoosiers
Carcillo vs. Talbot
The "Claws and Fangs" scene from Swingers
The Greatest Moments in Pittsburgh Sports History
And for good measure... "California Soul"
Special requests? Videos left out? Please email them and I will gladly add them on. And might I add.... LET'S GO PENS!
When Mathieu Garon is brought on to stop the bleeding, you know things have gotten out of hand. And that pretty much sums up the disaster that was Game Five of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, a 5-0 Red Wings victory that puts them within 60 minutes of clinching a second straight NHL championship.
Down just 1-0 after a first period in which they held a 10-8 lead in shots, the Pens came apart at the seams in the second, allowing four goals in a 14-minute span, three of the power play variety. Pittsburgh seemed determined to do their best Philadelphia Flyers impersonation, racking up penalty after penalty (five in all) in the second stanza. What's even more frustrating is the fact that even someone as traditionally focused as Sidney Crosby would get caught in the penalty vortex, taking a two-minute time-out as a result of a slash on Henrik Zetterberg.
The Red Wings just refused to fight back, as witnessed by Chris Kunitz making Darren Helm into his own personal punching bag. Instead, the Wings were content to take a few bruises for the team in the name of goals. And they were cashing in their power play tickets like a high-roller after a couple hours at Dave and Buster's. The only difference is that they're playing for a prize much more valuable than a giant stuffed giraffe.
A total of four Penguins weren't on the ice by the end of the game, including three guilty of misconduct (Craig Adams, Max Talbot, and Matt Cooke), and Marc-Andre Fleury, who was guilty of allowing five goals on 21 shots.
It was hard to believe that this was the same team that had thoroughly outplayed Detroit in the prior contest, and after Saturday night it's safe to say that the "old" Red Wings probably shouldn't be fitted for wheelchairs just yet. Pavel Datsyuk was impressive after returning from his injury hiatus, getting second-star billing for a two-assist evening. Chris Osgood tossed a shutout, and has allowed just two goals in three home games in the Finals. Zetterberg, though, was the biggest star of all, with a goal and an assist in 20:55 of ice time.
As for the Penguins' "Big Four", Crosby, Malkin, and Jordan Staal combined for just four shots and eight penalty minutes, while Fleury's performance of 11 goals allowed in three Detroit games this series left little doubt that he doesn't mesh well with the surroundings of Joe Louis Arena.
What the Pens (especially Fleury) need now is a very short memory. The nightmares of Game Five need to be exorcised, and fast. There is no doubt that this team has what it takes to win this series, Saturday night aside. They have been counted out too many times and in too many rounds of these very playoffs to give up now. And my gut feeling tells me that this group will be rested and ready for a much better performance in Game Six. I'm sure they don't want to see the Wings skating around with the cup on their ice again. Right, Sid?
Last night's 4-2, series-tying victory begins and ends with the "Big Four", the nucleus of the team, the reason why Ray Shero insists that he will not deal any part of this core. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 37 of 39 shots, after facing 19 in the first period alone. Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the Finals and assisted on another. Geno Malkin set the night's pace with the game's first goal and an assist on the Crosby goal. And Jordan Staal emerged from his scoring slump with a shorthanded goal that very well could have turned the tide of the entire series (plus an assist, it's worth noting).
And how about Tyler Kennedy? I think we'll remember this goal for a while:
Penguin fans are as happy as Red Wings fans are nervous heading into the home stretch of what has become a three-game series. The Wings really started to look tired in Game Four, and there's even rumblings of some in-fighting among the Detroit players. Sure, they might get Pavel Datsyuk back soon, but as we often debate, at what percentage of his potential is it worth dressing a player?
Marian Hossa continued to underwhelm, as he remains goal-less in the series. And Chris Osgood looked like he wanted to get the license plate of that black-and-gold-colored truck that ran him over in a six-minute span of the second period. It was as much of an implosion as you may ever see out of the defending champs.
Meanwhile, the Mellon Arena faithful, including Paul Coffey, Big Ben, and of course, the Malkins, soaked up the festive atmosphere like a sponge. And for their part, the Finals will be returning to Pittsburgh in a few days for what could be a Cup-clinching Game Six. That means a championship could potentially be clinched in the city of Pittsburgh for the first time since Maz's home run ended the 1960 World Series.
Barry Melrose said this morning on ESPN that the Red Wings are the better team, but the Penguins have the two best players. I'll definitely agree with the second part of his statement, but after last night, I'm not so sure that even the Red Wings think they are definitively the better team. They're in a dogfight, and at this point, anything can happen.
The series resumes in Detroit on Saturday night at 8 PM. Expectations are high, but the road team has yet to win a game in this series. But let me think for a second...haven't the Penguins played in a Stanley Cup Final Game Five in Detroit once before? How did that end again?
At first, I thought I had mistakenly wandered into the Bill Murray-inhabited world of Groundhog Day when reflecting on Game Two of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, because the script sounded awfully familiar. 3-1 final? Check. Red Wings win? Check. Refs swallowing their whistles? Check. Penguins squandering a lot of opportunities and once again getting a Dennis Green "We let 'em off the hook" speech after the game? Check. Someone cue "I Got You Babe" (you'd have to see the movie to get that joke).
When the highlight of an evening is Evgeni Malkin losing his mind on Henrik Zetterberg and tempting the fate of a suspension as per the NHL rules, that's usually not a good sign. And in typical NHL fashion, they somehow tossed out the automatic suspension The Incredible Malk was scheduled to receive, much to the delight of Penguin fans around the globe.
I guess dodging that bullet was one good thing the Pens can take from their pilgrimage to Detroit, because they certainly came home empty-handed otherwise. Sure, the statistical breakdown after two games looks better on paper this year. But stats alone don't win championships. Wins win championships.
So much for the theory that banged-up Detroit, missing players like Pavel Datsyuk while being forced to play on back-to-back nights, would pay dearly for the NBC-mandated scheduling. But think about the Penguins' Detroit experience for a minute. There were three outcomes possible, and you would've gladly taken two of them: a 2-0 Pens lead or a split. I don't know how many of you considered the possibility of leaving Detroit down 0-2, because I certainly did not.
The early lead for top scapegoat so far is Marc-Andre Fleury, which is unfortunate. He's getting blame heaped on his shoulders, and while he deserves some level of criticism for play that has not equalled Chris Osgood's, he's only supposed to block the puck, not put it in the net. Two goals in two games does not usually equal two wins. As we all know, the Pens are getting chances, but hitting the post or missing wide does not register on the scoreboard.
The series now moves back to the Steel City, for the mind-boggling third game in four nights. Only in the NHL! Storylines, they are a-plenty. There's the Hossa homecoming angle. How will he be received? Will he break another Penguin player's stick while the refs look on in silent awe? And most importantly, which Penguin fan in attendance will be the most creative with his 2007-08 Hossa jersey?
There's also the publicity-hungry and media-savvy Pittsburgh seafood vendors, who are already lining up plans to abuse octopi in the name of hockey: (as per their press release)
Benkovitz To Pens Fans: Come Help Us Trash the Octopus
Smash it with a mallet. Puree it in a blender. Whack it like a pinata. Beat it with a stick. Benkovitz Seafoods is inviting Penguins fans to join in “trashing the octopus” from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.
“We’re gonna give Detroit fans a preview of what’s gonna happen to the Red Wings when they hit the ice in Pittsburgh,” said Benkovitz General Manager Horacio Ruiz, referring to the first home game of the Stanley Cup Finals later that night.
Fans also are invited to compete for prizes in an “Octopus Shoot Off” – three shots at a goalie standing in for the Redwings, using an octopus for a puck.
Benkovitz is serving octopus throughout the playoffs, grilled, steamed or in sushi. “Diced, sliced and chopped up, that’s what we’ll do to the octopus,” said Ruiz.
As for Red Wings fans, Benkovitz is enforcing the ‘Burgh’s “No Octopus to Wingnuts” rule, refusing to sell an octopus to fans with Motor-City-area identification.
Benkovitz, at 23rd and Smallman streets in the Strip District, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. till 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. For details, call (412) 263-3016 or 412-488-FISH. The company’s Website address is www.benkovitzseafood.com.
Yeah, it sounds like a lot of fun. I'm sure the folks at PETA will be thrilled. Benkovitz was kinda late to the "no octopus for Detroit fans" party, but they're certainly trying to make amends this year.
But most importantly, the big storyline is the Penguins' ability to put the puck in the net. It's a rather essential skill in the game of hockey, one that they have mastered over the years. Yet for some reason, it has eluded them when facing off against the Red Wings. They certainly have the horses to hang with Detroit. It's a long race, but the Penguins are going to have to make a run pretty soon if they have any hopes of raising the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history.
Well, it wasn't as bad as Marc-Andre Fleury tripping before Game One last year, but the end result was equally as frustrating for Penguins fans: the team finds itself in an early hole after one game of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Red Wings were able to parlay their home-ice-friendly boards into a 3-1 victory in the Land of Eminem, and because of Conan O'Brien, the Penguins have less than 24 hours to turn things around. That's a sentence I never anticipated writing in my lifetime. But if Yanni can mess with the 2009 NHL playoffs, then I guess Conan is at least a step up.
The epilogue to Game One will be a simple, two-word summary for the Penguins: missed opportunities. The Wings were banged up, they were playing without Pavel Datsyuk, and frankly, they were let off the hook numerous times by the Pens, who channeled their inner Dennis Green. If Geno Malkin scores on that second period breakaway, his dad hugs the closest blonde, the offense gathers a little steam, and the game takes on a whole new feel. Unfortunately, Malkin was far from the only Penguin to be denied by Chris Osgood, as Miroslav Satan, Chris Kunitz, and Bill Guerin, among others, can attest to. The guy seems to get a bum rap, but once again, Ossie outplayed his counterpart. There's a reason why he has three rings.
And while the result after one game is the same as it was in 2008, the mood has to be a little more upbeat this year for the Penguins. The quick turnaround is universally thought of as a plus for the young Pens, who are not nearly as banged up as the Wings. The Pens looked much more organized in this year's opener than last year's, but they still have some kinks to work out: they were beat 39-17 in faceoffs, they allowed Detroit to dictate play in front of the Pens' net, and they need to finish plays like they did in previous rounds. Easier said by a blogger than done, it's worth noting. This is a pretty good opponent they're up against.
If Game One offered any excitement to Pens fans other than the lone goal, it was the prevalence of hitting ripped right out of a Steeler highlight video. Brooks Orpik's leveling of Benedict Hossa in the first period, followed by Sidney Crosby crushing Henrik Zetterberg, had to provoke many a Yinzer into jumping out of their seat. And at game's end, I'm sure you caught the little love tap Sid sent to Kirk Maltby, which sets up some drama for this evening rather nicely:
So here we are, just a few hours away from what's become a must-win Game Two for Pittsburgh. If you've already lost faith, you're obviously unfamiliar with the route this team took to get this far. A 1-0 hole is by no means the end of the world. But let's hope the good guys can leave Detroit with at least one W. It would make their playoff lives a whole lot easier.
For the third time since 2006, the city of Pittsburgh will be descending on the city of Detroit in hopes of capturing a championship. And you know what that means. Yinzer road trip!
Mikey and Kiss 96.1 will be at The Anchor Bar starting around 2-3 PM until gametime at 450 W Fort St, Detroit, MI 48226 - (313) 964-9127. All of you black-and-gold bleeders can congregate there and debate the merits of octopus vs. pierogi. And "get ready" for the game (wink, wink).
During last year's Stanley Cup Finals, Wholey's Fish Market in the Strip District (shown above) banned the sale of octopi to Detroit fans, going as far as checking ID at the register. At the time, Benkovitz Seafood saw things a little differently:
"I would have no problem selling them an octopus," Benkovitz employee Cindy Norman said. "I don't watch hockey."
Proving once again that our city's priorities are clearly in order, Benkovitz has since seen the light and will jump on the anti-Detroit bandwagon:
“They might bring a stinky squid in their car from Detroit, but not from my store here,” said Horatio Ruiz of Benkovitz Seafoods. “This is for us, and for the Pittsburgh fans only.”
Clearly, a point has been made by residents of Pittsburgh: either you're with us or you're against us. Wholey's gets it. Jerome Bettis gets it. Others might take a little time, but eventually, everyone comes around. Once you get to know us, we're really a lovable group, in an angry-mob kinda way.
