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Dewey Defeats Truman; Chelios is Classless; Ducks Show True Colors |
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You may recall that about two weeks ago to the day I got a newspaper delivered to me that had the headline "Red Wings Knock Off Ducks To Reach Finals". Well, needless to say that was a mistake in more ways than one. Pictures of me and that headline are coming soon - stay tuned.
Before I get into last nights game a quick note on a truly classless player - Chris Chelios. He plays the game rough and is a warrior on the ice, no doubt about it. I've never liked him but then again he's never played for the Ducks so why would I? He's one of those guys that you love if he's on your team but can't stand if he's not.
In 2003 the Ducks swept the Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs and much was made around Orange County about Chris Chelios not going through the handshake line after the series was over. Well, I kept an eye on the man that has been playing in the NHL for longer than Corey Perry or Ryan Getzlaf have been alive and sure enough he did not go through the handshake line this year, either. I am not sure if this is something he always does regardless of opponent but it shows a lack of class. I asked some fellow media members if Chelios shakes hands after the Red Wings win a series and they said yes. That being the case I can officially say that Chris Chelios is like school in the summertime - no class.
Here's what Teemu Selanne had to say about it:
"It shows what kind of guy he is. When you have success it's easy to be the good guy but when (bad) things happen and you do that kind of stuff, like the Minnesota guys, that's...you can make your own opinion. I don't really care but I would like to say 'Have a good summer.'"
As for the game - WOW! The Ducks couldn't have played much better than they did in the first two periods and had a 3-0 lead to show for it. The press box has two bathrooms and about 80 people so I went down to the upper level to use the restroom during the second intermission. It was a party in the concourse. People high-fiving, hugging, blowing horns, screaming and smiles all around. There were a few voices of reason saying that the game wasn't over yet but they were drowned out by the excitement. It turns out, those people were dead on.
I could tell early on in the third period that the Ducks were going to try to sit on this lead and were content to just clear the puck out of their zone without putting pressure onto Detroit. Meanwhile the Red Wings were desperate and were playing like they should have been playing the whole game (thank goodness they didn't). They got a quick goal and it was a two-goal lead.
Things seemed to return to normal when Samuel Pahlsson scored on a rebound (more on that later) to make it 4-1. But Detroit then pulled out their trump card and snuck a player onto the ice in a referee's uniform. Todd Marchant tripping penalty? Goal. Ryan Getzlaf cross-checking penalty? Goal. Travis Moen hooking penalty? No goal. The call against Moen was abysmal as Chelios pinned Moen's stick between his arm and body and then pulled it out of Travis' hands. The call against Getzlaf was dicey considering how much they let go by both teams up until then - including numerous cross-checks. I honestly did not see the Marchant penalty so I'll assume that was 100% legit. Regardless it was clear that the Ducks were playing against both the Red Wings and the refs in the third period.
Once it became 4-3 with 3:04 left on the clock I expected the Pond to be silent. I remember watching the game four of the Ducks/Canucks series when Anaheim came back to beat Vancouver in overtime and the Garage was silent once the crowd recognized that the Ducks were coming back. Last night, though, the crowd responded to the Red Wings charge by starting a spirited "Let's Go Ducks!" chant. It was great to hear and it meant that the crowd was still in it and could still be a factor despite the Red Wings efforts. I know that Dan Tencer thinks that Ducks fans are the biggest idiots in the league, but I also know that he's 100% wrong. There was no sign urging people to cheer, there was no cheerleaders or mascot prompting people - the fans did it on their own.
The final 3:04 really flew by. Once the Ducks had killed the penalty to Moen the Pond was rocking and there were just 52 seconds left to play. The Red Wings had their chances but JS Giguere came up with the big saves when he needed to and with one last clear of the puck the Ducks won their third straight game of the series to clinch it and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in four years.
Interesting note - since 2003 the two teams with the most playoff wins are the Ducks (37) and Senators (31). Third place is New Jersey with 27. That being said it's only fitting that these two would meet in the Finals.
Before I wrap this up I have to give credit to Corey Perry who played like a demon in game six. This was easily the best game I've ever seen him play and considering the circumstances that speaks volumes about what kind of a player he is and what kind of a future he has. He was brimming with confidence in this game and along with his linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Dustin Penner (best rookie you've never heard of) they dominated the Red Wings. The Ducks future with those three is very bright and the fact that they can all play that well when the stakes are high is a great sign.
I was very, very impressed with the way the Ducks responded to that game three ass-kicking. A lot of people handed the series to Detroit after that game but as it turns out it would be the last time the Red Wings won. After that game the Ducks shut Tomas Holmstrom down and played their game. Say what you will about how they "stole" a win in game five, they all count the same. The Red Wings "stole" game one just as much but who cares? In the end the Ducks won four of six games against the #1 seed in the Western Conference without the benefit of home ice advantage. They are the first team to beat the Red Wings when they've had Dominik Hasek in net and they are now one of just two teams remaining to play for Lord Stanley's Cup.
Speaking of Hasek - I heard a lot from Red Wings fans about how great he is when facing elimination and how he doesn't lose two games in-a-row. Well, looks like he's human after all. Hasek gave up more rebounds in game six than a backboard and I thought he played awful. His propensity to flop around like a fish on the pier kept him from having any idea where the loose pucks were and thus he was unable to cover the puck which led directly to two Ducks goals. Hasek is a no doubt Hall of Famer, but he was awful in game six.
This was easily the best series the Ducks have been in since Calgary in the first round last year and I'm thrilled they were able to win. Detroit is a great team that plays some of the best defense I've ever seen but the Ducks found a way to beat them none-the-less. With the exception of Chelios the Red Wings players, coaches and fans were nothing but class throughout the series.
I'm going to take some time to enjoy this win and then I'll start breaking down the tape on Ottawa. I don't know when I'll post my preview of game one but I do know that for more for more hockey coverage you can check out the Puck Podcast on iTunes and FOXSports.com.
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