Cross-Checking Game Sevens: Penguins March past Washington

Usually, Game Seven of a Stanley Cup Playoff series is pro sports' most enjoyable theater. It's when the stakes are highest and emotion, pressure, attrition, and desperation all reach a crescendo, especially if you reach a gut-wrenching overtime period (or two).

I remember driving through the midwest late at night in May of 1993, hitting seek on my AM radio. I remember being captivated by an OT Game 7 between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto upset the heavily-favored Wings, and I heard two stunned radio announcers say goodbye to each other for the off-season before they signed off. Talk about finality.

So I put Tuesday's Yankees-Blue Jays game on the back burner for what I was hoping would be one of the great TV events of the year.

Last night's Game 7 didn't provide that type of drama. By the middle of the 2nd period the Pittsburgh Penguins were blowing up the Washington Capitals 5-0 before cruising to victory. The defending Eastern Conference champs served some serious notice with this road thrashing, in a game that they didn't commit a single penalty.

Sidney Crosby, the Pens' 21-year old mega-star, won the showdown with the other "best player in hockey," the Caps' Alexander Ovechkin. And Crosby did it big time with 8 goals in the series, 6 on the road, and a pair in the clincher.

The Penguins seem on track to return to the Cup Finals. And it's an underdog story since they were languishing around the .500 mark in mid-February and summarily fired their coach. But at this moment, only the defending-champ Red Wings are favored ahead of them in Vegas to win it all. And Detroit has their own Game 7 tonight against Anaheim.

In fact there are two Game Sevens tonight. Might just have to put the seat belt back on. Ducks/Red Wings is at 7PM on Versus. Hurricanes/Bruins is at 8 PM on ???? People always argue that hockey isn't a TV sport. Well it might be if you could find it on TV.

Cross-Checking: Backtime's Wednesday Stanley Cup Playoff Roundup

So I used the Yankees' off-night to bounce in and out of Stanley Cup Playoff games. And much like missing your favorite soap opera for several months, it wasn't hard to catch up.

Caps vs Rangers

I watched the Versus coverage and saw a total of 6 announcers - 3 game, 3 studio. I only was familiar with one: studio host Bill Patrick, and had only heard of one other: studio analyst Brian Engblom. The TV coverage included in-game player interviews. Pretty cool. Hockey has always been a media-friendly sport as far as access and this is a good example, as long as they speak English well.

Rangers Goalie Henrik Lundqvist was the hero, single-handedly stonewalling the Caps' attack that out-shot the Rangers 39-21. The great Madison Square Garden crowd chanted his name "Hen-rik" on several occasions. The surprising Blueshirts scored a 2-1 victory and are now one win from the East semis.

Washington's superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL regular season goal leader finally got his first goal of the playoffs. But it wasn't enough and too late. Is this Alex hockey's equivalent to another multi-million dollar Alex that the New York fans are so familiar with. Hmmm?

Bruins vs Canadiens

21,000+ in Montreal saw their disappointing Canadiens drop an 8th straight game as Boston crushed them in a 4-game sweep.

So what now? Does Habs GM/Head Coach Bob Gainey now fire himself?

It was the Bruins' first series win since 1999.

Blackhawks vs Flames

Best crowd of the night (and that's saying something). Calgary held serve at home, taking both games in the Saddledome to even the series. The red-clad crowd wouldn't let the Flames quit even after blowing a 4-1 lead. They finally put it away on Jarome Iginla's 2nd goal of the night, an empty netter with just 11 seconds left.

OK Backtime hockey fans, how did I do?