Now we know what we’re dealing with. We are dealing with the Penguins and the Red Wings.
Deal with it, people.
As a fan of a non-playoff team, I have to admit, it’s been hard to stay focused during the playoffs. Oh, I’ve watched as much as I can, but my heart hasn’t really been in it, and my allegiences have been ALL over the place. One second I’m rooting for the Flyers, then the Habs, then the Stars, the the Wings, then back to the Stars, and then “Hey! Hi Penguins!” This all would have been so much easier if the Sabres had hung in there and MADE THE PLAYOFFS, but we make due with what the Hockey Gods hand to us, and this was not Buffalo’s year.
My Hockey Gods, why hast thou forsaken me?
Things are starting to look up though, because I find that I’m genuinely excited about the Finals. Say what you will about the teams in question, but we’re getting close to the Cup again, and that is fun. Someone’s going to lift that puppy up over their head, and it’s either going to be a bunch of kids too young to drink, or a bunch of deserving veterans. Either way…fun!
On the one hand we have the Pittsburgh Penguins: Young, insanely talented, feisty, untested, cute as a bug’s ear (especially Talbot).
On the other hand, we have the Red Wings: Old, professional, experienced, efficient, sexy (if you ignore Chelios).
I like them both! I TOTALLY want Malkin to score a million goals, but I also want Chris Osgood to be dazzling. I want Sid to have his way, but I want Lidstrom to be freakishly great. I honestly have no idea who I’ll wind up cheering for, and I don’t think I’ll know until the Finals begin. It’s possible I’ll just be cheering for whoever lost the game before. (Interestingly, I can pretty much guarantee I’ll hate both of these teams next season. These Finals feel like a wacky summer camp romance. I’m living it up while I can, future be damned.)
Since the NHL has retardedly considerately given us until Saturday before resuming hockey, I’ll be examining each of our Stanley Cup contenders over the next few days. Tomorrow: Sidney or Geno? What’s your flavor?
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Total roof collapse is the only acceptable outcome.
That said, if someone can guarantee an gruesome, debilitating injury to Sidney the Whiny Little Bitch at some point during this series, I will tune in for every game.
Neither Sid or Geno, but I could just eat up Ryan Malone. I love his smile!
This playoffs has been filled with such zany shifts in allegiances! I can’t think of another one that’s been so “no, I love these people! No, those!” It’s kind of fun. And infuriating. But also fun.
I think we’ve been given this week off just so TWC can do exhaustive previews of the series.
(Oh, and my flavor is MOST DEFINITELY Sid. In case there was any question.)
LizzeB, you might get your wish at Mellon arena. I think that place is falling down.
Jennifer, you’ve got dibs on Malone.
Pookie, I know. I feel like Sybil.
Schnookie, huh. I thought you were a Sykora girl. :P
All this Red Wings love is really making me re-think my plans to hang around with a bunch of naïve Eastern Conference-ers.
It is like a wacky summer camp romance!!
My sons favite player is Pavel Datsyuk so I’m going with Detroit.
Patty, you are classless. P
I’m a big Datsyuk fan too, Shari!
Schnookie, huh. I thought you were a Sykora girl.
YOU TAKE THAT BACK! YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW! All this Sykora love is making me re-think my plans to hang around with a bunch of NON-DEVILS FANS!
Patty, you are classless. P
Typical Red-Wings-fan response! :P
Frankly, I’m surprised they even HAVE computers down there in Texas! :D
Okay, Schnookie, I take it back. I know you’re really a Jason Arnott girl. (I preemptively take that back too.)
*Removes TWC from IPB’s blogroll*
*cough*Guerin*cough*
Oh, wait! I take that one back! Don’t throw it back at me. :D
Frankly, I’m surprised they even HAVE computers down there in Texas! :D
It’s all settled out here, you know.
Patty, you’re on my list now, too. *Death glare*
*Shivers*
I’ll have to take Sid over Geno. Geno’s a great player, but Sid is the engine whereas Geno is the gas. While both are important, the engine is really the bigger deal. Sid’s a better all-around player, plus he’s the leader of the team.
As for players I’ll take, I’ve got a soft spot for small, psychotic players (as do many other Sabres fans, thank you very much Derek Roy). I’ll take Tyler Kennedy. They call him “the little tiger”. Hee.
I’ve always kind of liked the pens, but I think I’m gonna go with the wings this time, a team I have consistently rooted against since I’ve been following hockey. (including during the first two rounds of these playoffs)
It’s really weird, I know I SHOULD root for the pens, they’re young, talented, spectacular, exciting, and pretty much everything you could ask for. But maybe there is just too much buzz around them now.
So I have no clue why, but I think I like the wings now. It’s like cheering for the bad guys in a movie, it’s deliciously wrong.
Geno is not my flavor (sorry, Geno!). Those Geno thighs scarred my eyes. True: it’s absolutely adorable he can barley speak English, but Sidney is just more flavorful.
I always go with the team from your conference, unless you hate that team. So its the Pens for me.
Plus they have the better blog in Pensblog.
I’ve got to say I’m going with the Pens. They’re just so young and spunky – the enthusiasm is pretty infectious.
And as for my flavor – I’ll take Sid over Geno. Like Amanda said, he’s the leader of the team. Geno is TOTALLY a good flavor, too, but there’s something unexpectedly tasty about Sid. I think it’s the fact that he’s so robotic that you have to believe there’s this crazy side of him that he keeps bottled up, and I’m just waiting for it to come out.