McGuire has witnessed best series in memory
DETROIT— For seven games, Pierre McGuire had the best seat in the house. The forthright NBC analyst was wedged between the benches during the Stanley Cup, so close to the action that he could practically smell the players’ breath.
McGuire has been around the NHL block a few times. He was an assistant coach under Scotty Bowman on the 1991-92 Penguins team that won its second straight Stanley Cup. He’s had his current gig since the lockout and is frequently mentioned among candidates for coaching and managing vacancies around the league.
And what the former Hobart College quarterback—yes, it’s true—and hockey player witnessed while watching the Pens outslug the Red Wings in seven games was the most entertaining Stanley Cup final series in recent memory.
“It’s one of the best we’ve had in the past 20 years,” McGuire said before Game Seven on Friday night. “The speed, the skill, the
star power, the ebb and flow of the series along with the magical moments, it makes for really good drama. Both these teams pushed and had the skill level to do it.”
Unless your allegiance fell with one of the two teams, the result Friday night in Joe Louis Arena — a 2-1 Penguins victory — didn’t matter. Any hockey fan would appreciate the style and intensity with which Pittsburgh and Detroit played throughout the series. In the end, the best teams from two honest, blue-collar hockey towns treated the world to a rematch.
Pens-Wings II had one Hart Trophy finalist in Evgeni Malkin playing against another in Pavel Datsyuk. It had the name and face of the NHL in Sidney Crosby going head-to-head with reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg. It had coach Dan Bylsma matching wits with his former coach, Mike Babcock.
And for theater, it had Marian Hossa.
Hossa kept the series near the boiling point after helping the Penguins reach the Cup last season and jumping to the Wings because he thought Detroit was better. The heat intensified after Hossa had no goals to show for the first six games. It made for a great story.
“You see two very competitive teams and two teams that are very even,” Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. “It’s been great for hockey to see two teams battling it the way we have. Both teams have the depth. We have the skilled players who are fun to watch and can make plays. It makes it exciting when you’re watching hockey.”
Exciting? The only series remotely this captivating since expansion was played in 1994, when Mark Messier scored a hat trick after guaranteeing victory for the New York Rangers in Game Six and validated the win with another one over Vancouver in Game Seven. It was the Rangers’ first Stanley Cup victory since 1940.
It was only fitting that this series lasted seven games considering how many times momentum shifted between the two teams. Detroit had it early before Pittsburgh stole it away. The Wings won Game Five and the Penguins answered in Games Six and Seven. At times, it changed from shift to shift, period to period.
“It’s funny watching the media coverage,” Wings winger Kirk Maltby said. “We win the first two, and it’s over. They win the next two, and we’re on our heels. It’s been great. As a fan, if I was watching at home or going to my local watering hole, I’d be extremely happy. Game Seven, you couldn’t ask for much more.”
Heck, fans couldn’t take much more.
This series had everything from big hits to great scoring opportunities to terrific goaltending. It even had a fight, kind of, when Malkin popped Zetterberg with a couple rights in Game Two. By the time they reached the seventh game, their genuine disdain for one another had become mutual respect.
“It doesn’t matter how hard you’re fighting each other,” Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. “At the end, you’re shaking hands.”
It was a classic matchup between a team loaded with young stars trying to overcome, and eventually become, a roster of savvy veterans. Lidstrom and Maltby, Tomas Holmstrom and Kris Draper were looking for their fifth Cup in 12 years. The Red Wings have reached the conference finals an astonishing eight times in 14 seasons.
Together, the Pens and Wings showed how far most teams are from being true contenders.
“Life in general, to me, is about enjoying the opportunity you have,” Babcock said. “Things change in life in a hurry, so enjoy the process. One thing I really liked about this series is there are great players going at it head to head. It’s been fantastic. This series has been really good for hockey.”
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments
Learn more about our moderation system.