Hockey

As you can tell from looking at the time stamp, it's very late (for me) on a Monday night. I do have to get up and go to work tomorrow. I have a pretty busy day ahead to boot, but I had to stay up and watch the end of one of the best hockey games I've seen in a long time. Yes, hockey...

It was game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals between Pittsburgh and Detriot. While I don't really have a rooting interest in either team, I wanted to Penguins to win mainly because they're the underdog and it would be fun to see them push the mighty Red Wings to a sixth game in Pittsburgh. The Penguins led most of regulation 2-1 until the 3rd period when Detriot ripped 2 quick goals to go ahead 3-2. The final period was pretty much dominated by Detriot until the final minute when Pittsburgh pulled their goalie to have the extra man on offense. With about 13 seconds to go, the Penguins scored the tying goal.

The game went to OT while Jenny and I went for a run. I fully expected it to be over by the time we got back, but it was still tied with a little over six minutes to go. Each team had some great looks, but the goal keeping was amazing. The game goes to a second overtime. Again, each team plays back and forth to a stand still. Finally, less than 10 minutes into the third overtime, Pittsburgh gets a power play on a Detriot penalty. One of the Penguins who had been injured in the second period comes back in the third overtime to make the assist on the game-winning sudden-death goal. It really was an amazing game.

It's really too bad that the NHL had to kill itself off due to a strike. As far as pure excitement, non-stop action, tough, skilled players go, hockey has to be towards the top of the heap. What these guys do on skates is amazing. The control they have to put the puck exactly where it needs to be is insane. The punishment that they go through game-to-game is unreal. One of the Penguins players took a slapshot to the face in the second period and was back on the ice in the first overtime! A PUCK TO THE FACE, PEOPLE! ON A SLAPSHOT! COME ON!

I hope that there is a resurgence to get hockey back among the major sports. As much as I like soccer, as much fun as arena football is, and as much as I wish there was prime time exposure for ultimate frisbee, hockey really needs to retake it's rightful place as the 4th great American sport.