Detroit Red Wings win 2008 Stanley Cup

• I solemnly declare the Detroit Red Wings and Lord Stanley a worthy pair.

Now before i go off into today's rant i would just like to extend my uhhh ahem *sputter, sputter*congratulations (this is so unnatural to me) to the Detroit Red Wings for winning their 4th cup in 10 years...4 cups I did not want them to win quite frankly. As many have noticed as I've followed hockey over the years, i hold a particularly high disdain for Mo-town's marvels for one simple reason.

They just keep on winning.

Back in 1997 i did not know what I was getting into...Philadalphia Flyers vs. Detroit Red Wings...so who to cheer for? the Wings had gone cup-less (no pun intended) for 40 odd years and i felt a yearning sympathy for them. Deceived yes, but also happy...happy to jump on the bandwagon of a winner for once....unlike my most recent years when picking a winner was far from a sure thing. The Wings would go on the following season and demonstrate their dominance in one of the most boring Finals to date. A great fear struck my heart...three peat...4 peat....how many peats?

The NHL had a plan that more often than not works like a charm...low draft picks, aging veterans, increasing parity...it would all catch up to them one of these years right?

Dead wrong.

I'm telling you, that was some deep draft in 1998. There happened to be 170 players General managers thought were a better pick than Pavel Datsyuk, who was snagged in the 6th round...you think thats a steal? 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Henrik Zetterberg sat through 6+ rounds before the Wing gave him a chance with the 210th pick in the 7th round. Add to the fact that their Defense is near immortal. Chris Chelios(45) is one short decade away from real retirement, Nick Lidstrom is taking his last steps over the hill (38), Mathieu Schneider(39) was born when the first man landed on the moon and Bryan "young gun"Raflaski (35) rounds out their top 4 defencemen. This was solely the fact i thought they were ripe for a 1st round upset,stacked with slow moving, washed out defenders ,that along with the fact they were laden with smooth skating Europeans, the Wings were labelled "soft" and who could argue?

Cue the 2008 playoffs....

Going in, the Wings were at their usual view from the top, they had all the stats all the points all the promise they had in their three previous Cup triumphs but some (myself included) expected them to crawl into a hole and die. There were things analysts pointed too... rock hard D, talented group of forwards and great experience. I agreed with all those things, but what i thought they would do was crumble under the pressure. It was tempting to go that route

In Round 1 after dropping 2 games on the road against the Predators there were those who questioned. The Wings went on to win their next 9 playoff games...pulverizing the Avs in 4 and taking three from the Stars. Then Dallas answered back and took two....could this be the collapse...the hockey world crossed their fingers in hopes of a good story....nothing doing...Game 6 was a total obliteration.

In the Big Dance, up 3-1, they were mere seconds away from taking Stanley, yet it slipped from their grasp...was this series going to have a storybook ending? Game 6 told the story...Detroit took care of business.

This is why I was in such denial, Detroit Red Wings first class organization, first class hockey, first class drafting were supposed to win...and they did. In the end. Datsyuk put the puck where he needed to, Holmstrom stuck his rear in the right places, Babcock pushed the right buttons and all the veterans did and said the right things.

The NHL, folks, is entertainment and if i want the same amount of predictability as this year's playoffs has provided i may as well read a Harlequin romance. The most entertaining thing about sports today is the unpredictability, the unknown, the glee of seeing the giant collapse...this team provided none of that .

In 2007, The Anaheim Ducks were favorites from the very beginning loading up on defence on the way through to their 1st Stanley Cup in franchise history...i hated every second of it...the team that had been favoured won. This year i scoffed, i pointed to the dominant Penguins who at will scored highlight reel goal after goal. Yet the team without a first round draft pick since 1994, a team that has seen its fair share of players retire, a team that has been labeled chokers each year came out on top.

In a world where if your on top and the only place to go is down, the Red Wings keep going higher and higher...but just consider my prediction....they will not take it higher in 2009.

Based by my track record...the Detroit Red Wings are now official contenders for repeating as Stanley Cup Champions.


BleacherBuff