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NHL Playoff Hockey Observations -- Chicago Takes the Cup

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Published on June 9, 2010

Just a few things that caught my eye:

Best game of the series, bar none. For both teams. It's unfortunate one team had to lose.

We cannot forget how the Flyers got to the final. Never. And when Scott Hartnell scored to tie the game, I thought 'here we go AGAIN.'

Jonathan Toews was the best Hawk on the ice. He may not have have picked up many points this series but his face-off work and his two-way play made him a deserved Conn Smythe winner.

Andrew Ladd played through the Cup finals -- and hammered guys hard -- with a broken bone in his shoulder. Wow.

Jeff Carter fought back from injury but he just wasn't up to snuff. And the team couldn't win without offense from Carter and Mike Richards. Daniel Briere and Claude Giroux couldn't do it all.

Loved Duncan Keith's quote after the game, commenting on the tying goal: "Damn that Ville Leino." Leino was Henrik Zetterberg-esque all postseason despite a forgettable regular season. So does he score 40 points or 70 next season? I wonder.

Yes, Briere is back -- 30 points this postseason. Even the folks in Buffalo are happy for him.

Chris Pronger was outstanding, skirt or not. Brilliant -- dirty plays and all. But is he worth the cost without the Cup? The deal cost Philly four first-rounders -- Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa and 2009 and 2010 picks. He turns 36 in October and enters a seven-year deal that starts at $7.6 million and winds down to a meager $4.9. When he's 42. And there won't be any young, cheap draft picks the team will so desperately need to fill in the cap gaps.

Forty-nine years without Lord Stanley. Now the Maple Laffs have the longest-running Cup drought. I think that'll stand up for a while. Oh ya -- the Marian Hossa curse has been lifted, too.

Adam Burish: Lifting the Cup over his head was "better than kissing the prettiest girl in school." Really?

Anyone else think that Patrick Kane goal was bizarre?

Stan Bowman fought the biggest fight of his life... twice. Hodgkin's is nasty. It was amazing to see him with his dad and then handing him the Cup. There are no words. Too bad his next job is dismantling this team in order to manage the cap.

I'm happy they won. But I'm sad it's over. How about you?