Un-deja vu

When the final two teams were set, I can tell you I wasn’t really looking forward to any of the Stanley Cup Final games this time around. I mean, honestly...did I really need to see Detroit and Pittsburgh AGAIN? It certainly didn’t help that most sports analysts were predicting a Detroit win...AGAIN. In my heart, I held out hope for Pittsburgh because I couldn’t bear to see the Red Wings repeat. I really wanted to see Sidney hoist the Cup above his head for once. When Pittsburgh brought the series back even at 3-3, I knew it was going to be their year. I watched the Final with almost as much enthusiasm as I would have had it been the Predators playing in that final game. With the last 15 seconds or so running down on the clock, I stood to my feet anxious anticipation of an outcome that had been a year in the making. When the clock hit zero, I could not have been more thankful to see the Penguins celebrate their well-deserved victory at the hands of a team that crushed their hopes just a year ago. What a fitting way to end this season. After the year that the Predators had, it was nice to find myself satisfied with the turn of events.

So here’s what we have left to look forward to: The NHL Awards on Thursday, Draft Day in Montreal next Friday, Rookie Camp, free agency in July...and then pretty much nothing. This year, it’s the “nothing” (no, not The Nothing from the Neverending Story. Great movie though...) I’m actually hoping for. I don’t want another story about someone coming in trying to buy our team and move it off to Canada. And by the way, Balsillie, if you have all this money to purchase a team, why don’t you just work with the NHL to start a team of your own instead of trying to take an established team away from its fan base? No, seriously... I’d prefer if we could resolve the Alexander Radulov mess too, while we’re at it. If he wants to stay there, then let him stay. Ask the NHL to work out some kind of settlement with the KHL for the remainder of his contract with us and call it a day. Yes, we could most definitely use someone with his offensive ability but there are plenty of other young players waiting in the wings that would probably appreciate a crack at it as well. Plus, I’d much rather have us focus our energy on negotiating contracts with players that have already expressed interest in sticking around; Steve Sullivan being the most pressing one that comes to mind. Vernon Fiddler has expressed his opinion about wanting to stick around as well but his style of play is kind of a dime a dozen in our organization. Obviously, this is all just a waiting game. I hope the decisions made will be worth the wait.

In the meantime, let’s have a little fun, shall we? I’m going to live blog during the NHL Awards on Thursday. I have a feeling I will probably spend a lot of time making fun of the way the players talk, dress, chose to do their hair, etc...but that’s what awards shows are all about. Just call me the Joan Rivers of the NHL Awards Red Carpet. Eh, well...maybe not Joan Rivers...hmmm, let’s see...oh yes! Tim Gunn! I’ll be the Tim Gunn of the NHL Awards.

Edit: Oh snap! Bethany will be joining me on Thursday night. She'll be the Joey Fatone (he did red carpet analysis for TV Guide, right?) to my Tim Gunn.

Make it work, boys! Make. It. Work.