The Cup Stays In Pittsburgh

The Stanley Cup. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Pittsburgh Penguins, battered and bruised for most of the season with its star Sidney Crosby sidelined at times with concussion issues, stayed healthy long enough to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup (and fifth in franchise history) Sunday night in six games over the Nashville Predators.  That hasn't happened in nearly two decades, when the Detroit Red Wings were NHL champions back-to-back in 1997 and '98.

In a series that had seen the home team win every game--a fact made obvious by the presence of the underdog Predators and their raucous fans--Game 6 was different in that it was a tightly contested, scoreless game until late in the third period when the Penguins scored twice to retain the Cup.  Of course, the Predators might have had something to say about that if the goal they thought they scored hadn't been whistled down by the referees--and couldn't be reviewed on replay.

Crosby, who has won just about everything in his hockey career including two Olympic gold medals for Canada and now his third Stanley Cup for the Penguins, also adds the Conn Smythe trophy for being the playoff MVP.  It is his second.

The Penguins, with Crosby, Phil Kessel, Evgeni Malkin, goaltender Marc-Anthony Fleury and others defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference to get here.

The revelation of these playoffs have been the Predators, who were one of the last teams to make the playoff field in the Western Conference.  They surprised everyone by sweeping through the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks before taking the Penguins to six games in the finals through the play of P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, captain Mike Fisher, goaltender Pekka Rinne and others. 

The city of Nashville, much better known as the capitol of country music, has suddenly become hockey territory through its support of the Predators during the playoffs.  Bridgestone Arena has been sold out, national TV ratings have been better than expected, and country music stars such as Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood (Fisher's wife) have performed the national anthem.  And, oh yes, the ceremonial flinging of catfish onto the ice.  Animal rights groups hate this new tradition.  So do those who think this is a waste of food.

The Penguins proved that not having a completely healthy roster is no deterrent to winning another championship.  Can they make it three in a row?  Is this the start of something big for the Predators, or are they just a one-season wonder?  These questions and others will be answered next season.  For now, the Stanley Cup stays in Pittsburgh.