I overheard a nasty stat on the radio today fro Penguins fans:

The last time Pittsburgh has won a game in Detroit was back on Dec 10th 2000!

A year ago the Ottawa Senators were fighting with Buffalo to see who would represent the East in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sens eventually lost that fight, but during that time a second, if not more poignant battle was being lost.

Elgin Fraser passed away last year on May 19th, succumbing to a rare cancer. Today his memorial is in the Ottawa Citizen:

A little boy who fulfilled his life’s

purpose in only three short years.

He inspired countless people

with his courage and strength

while he lived with Neuroblastoma,

a rare childhood cancer.

His love and passion for the game

of hockey brought communities

together and left an imprint on

people around the world.

Despite fighting for his life, he taught

people to love the life you are given and

to make the best of each day.

“Game On!”
Elgin-Alexander Fraser, Age 3

There is still a movement to get Elgin’s jersey hung at Scotiabank Place.

Oh yeah, the Sidney Crosbies beat the tar out of Philly and ‘the kid’ refused to touch the Eastern Conference trohpy. (Bastard…)

Wade Redden’s last touch of the puck (as a Senator) was a giveaway that led to a goal.

I think that sums it up, don’t you?
[From He ain’t Brett Favre]

Yeah, that’s sums it up nicely. Buh Bye Red!

A fitting end to the type of play we produced this year. A team that wasn’t able to live above their own hype last year in the final, found themselves facing the same problem this year after attaining the NHL’s best start to a season.

The problem has never been a lack of talent, heart, grit or any of the platitudes you hear around arenas this time of year when the cameras are on. Quite simply we’ve a problem adapting to situational games.

What do you do if our goalie is having a bad night. What to do if the big line is being effectively shut down. What do you do when the only players making an effort are the rookies.

It was a problem going as far back as lat November and was blogged about here. Some said I was pessimistic. I think I merely saw the problems for what they were.

Good on Pittsburgh for improving over last year, improving where they needed to and generally raising their level of play.

Season recap coming this weekend along with an analysis of whom should stay, whom should go and whom we’ll most likely see an offer sheet from Kevin Lowe for…

It is pretty much a done deal now. We were given hope and inspiration with one last skate by Daniel Alfredsson. Teh team had pep, the team had fire in their eyes. The team scored first.

Pittsburgh looked like a fish floundering for much of the game (fan’s perspective) on the heels of our depleted team led by our captain. Until the third, deadlocked in a 1-1 tie. (It took so much for us to finally get that goal, and the flightless birds made it look too easy in return tying it up.) Until their captain decided the game was over.

Kudos to Crosby for pulling it out when it needed to be done. Darts to the Sens D (incl Speeza on the insurance goal) for deciding to coast in the opening moments of the third period.

We played it out til the end but you could tell our heart wasn’t in it. We could no longer outplay the other team. We needed help, but the Pens rarely take penalties.

An analysis of the final blow to Ottawa in the third is not needed. There is no conspiracy theory here. Ottawa has been done for awhile and it was fun to get our hopes up, but that was all.

The only positives to this series would happen on Wednesday if we win one and avoid the sweep. That and thanks goodness I didn’t bet my hair color this year on sweep possibilities…