For All The Marbles

“We’ll meet you in the schoolyard, baby, for all the marbles on Friday night in Detroit.” – Mike Lange

A tumultuous season full of injury, doubt, and change led into a challening playoff run. After defeating the state rivals, the star rival, and even the rival brother, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in the same place the Steelers were this year–their Super Bowl.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Game 7. A single game, winner-take-all battle between the two best teams in the National Hockey League. It might not be called the Super Bowl, but its implications are the same. And after 6 grueling games with the Red Wings, the Penguins have set an even more dramatic stage than the Steelers did only a few months ago. Penguins fans, hockey fans, and simply sports fans are in for a classic tonight.

It was last year at this time that I was suffering along with fellow Penguins fans. Detroit wrapped up the series at Mellon Arena, and the television showed Zetterberg hoisting the Stanley Cup rather than Crosby. The hurt continued into the early stages of this season where nearly every game it seemed was a complete disappointment. The Penguins were a shell of the team of the previous year, until things were turned around by Dan Bylsma. Starting with his (and let us not forget, Gonchar’s) arrival, the Penguins turned things around almost immediately. They continued on a tear for the remainder of the season that brought them from the 10th spot (outside the playoffs) all the way to the 4th (home ice advantage).

That amazing run continued into the playoffs, but the Penguins had to work very hard to keep winning. The series against Philadelphia was tough, but it was here that Crosby began to rise to another level right in front of our eyes. As the Philly fans kept reminding him their feelings about his play, he kept putting goals in the net.

Crosby rose to yet another level in the series against Washington, which is arguably the greatest series he has ever played. 8 goals, 5 assists, and a triumph over Alexander Ovechkin. Unlike many of my friends, I wanted this series even for the first round. After an entire season of the media praising Ovechkin and declaring him the superior player, I wanted Crosby to have the opportunity to show the world the player he could be. I think he proved a point.

After steamrolling the Hurricanes and turning the city of Pittsburgh against Bill Cowher, the Penguins entered Detroit. After the first two losses, the series was pronounced over by most. I allied with a group of friends in front of the Trib Tron outside Mellon Arena to support the Pens as the comeback started. A Gonchar game-winner and a sixth man on the ice later (calm down, Olczyk), the Penguins had tied the series. Fans were now beginning to believe. They were soon tested however, with the blowout of game 5. The Penguins responded with a mostly dominant, later nail-biting game 6 victory.

And he were are. The greatest stage that the NHL has to offer.

I am not going to make any predictions or analysis, because anyone reading this knows who I want to win. They know my favorite players. They know whose jersey I wore to work today. They probably know what kind of nacho cheese I am going to heat up around 8:15pm.

What they might not know is that tonight is the 87th game of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Let’s. Go. Pens.