There are nights when you sit back on your couch after a game and pity those who aren’t hockey fans, those who weren’t counting down the minutes to the game, those who dismiss hockey as some sort of bizarre Canadian fascination that isn’t worth their time, those who don’t fiddle with the radio dial while driving in an attempt to find any station that is discussing the big hockey game instead of the relief pitcher who just blew his 3rd save in a May baseball game or the latest NBA player to make a fool of himself. Last night was one of those nights. It was a night where the hockey Gods rewarded the hockey fans.
Yesterday afternoon, I was driving and listening to a national sports talk radio program when they took 2 minutes out of their 5 hour discussion of Lebron James in order to quickly discuss the upcoming Game 7 between the Wings and Sharks. “There’s no star power.” Yup, I actually heard someone say that. Shortly thereafter, someone else said that for the casual fan, star power in the NHL begins and ends with Crosby and Ovechkin. These are the people we hockey fans pity after a game like last night.
This series between the Red Wings and Sharks was one that reinforced my belief that traditional rivalries can often be overrated when measuring the entertainment factor of a playoff series. This didn’t have any historical rivalry to draw from – no video to trot out during breaks of fantastic finishes or legendary games from the 60’s. The Sharks haven’t even been around long enough. There was no hate factor here. If anything, this was more akin to two heavyweight fighters with a mutual respect going at it. There were no dirty hits, no fights, and no genuine animosity aside from the typical after-the-whistle nonsense that is typical of every play-off game that is played. It was a shame that either team had to lose.
Apparently, coming back after being down 0-3 is the new thing to do. Three times in the last two playoff seasons? Craziness. The fact that only the Flyers were able to finish the job underscores how difficult it is to complete the comeback and how much it takes out of the tank. The Wings gave everything they had, and Datsyuk had perhaps the most legendary performance by any player whose team didn’t live to see the third round. Even down 3-1, he almost singlehandedly got the Wings back into the game with a shot that I still can’t figure out how it went in. Thornton was almost as brilliant. We know Joe isn’t exactly the most colorful guy, but he certainly didn’t wilt under the pressure. He played the way a star center should, and I know hockey fans are eagerly anticipating watching him go head-to-head with Kesler in the next round. Despite their players succumbing to injury at an alarming rate, you kept seeing Datsyuk and Zetterberg buzzing around simply refusing to let the Wings season come to an end. However, the goal that ended the series was scored, appropriately, by Patrick Marleau. Called “gutless” just a few short days ago, Marleau played an outstanding hockey game. Even Jeremy Roenick gave him credit for stepping up. And let’s be honest, JR wasn’t really that far off base when he called Marleau “gutless” after Game 5. Perhaps that actually ignited the fire that drove Marleau to play better. Who knows? Regardless, Marleau was simply in the right place at the right time when he scored that game-winning goal - just like all the hockey fans who were sitting in front of their tvs for a very memorable Game 7 in a tremendous series. I pity those who missed it…
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