Hockeytown, USA??? More like Hockeytown, Europe.

Ok, I admit I’m a bit bitter. I was fishing for something to fault the 2008 Stanley Cup Champs, but it’s hard.

The nickname Hockeytown was once again reinforced—not that the city really needed it. 
With their fourth cup in 11 years, Detroit continues to climb its way up the Stanley Cup ranks. Currently they’re two victories from tying the Maple Leafs with the second most Cup victories (with 13).

I’m sure if you like cheering for the Yankees, Lakers, Cowboys, or any other front running team in professional sports, you’re ecstatic right now. But those of us that love sports for its uncertainties, for its surprises and for its storylines, we are a little bummed.

Detroit had the best regular season record, and they were a true powerhouse throughout the year. Nashville may have made some of us lick our chops for a second, giving the Red Wings a little scare, but reality set it and the Red Wings decided to close the series. Yes, it was their decision.

Many don’t realize how hard it was for the Red Wings to have come back from their game five defeat in Detroit. That was the story of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. A 3OT heartbreaker which should have pumped the Penguins up for a home game, left them rather lifeless for much of the game. At one point in the third period of game six the Red Wings had out-shot the Penguins 12-1. So experience trumped youth and the rest is history.

What we can all be grateful for is a great playoff season. It was exciting, it had the games’ best players, and our Avs made strides toward improvement. It’s just such a shame watching a rival win the Cup, even though it pains us less knowing they were the team that eliminated the Avs.

For a playoff to be considered a good one—at least in my opinion—it needs the game’s best player. Much like the NBA finals have Kobe Bryant, the NHL had Sid the Kid. Oh, how grateful we should be. The NHL is in the midst of a revival movement and much of the weight is on his back. So what does he do, a 20-year-old with three years experience in the league? Only steps up to the task of leading his team to the cup finals all the while co-leading the playoffs in points with 27. He’s not going to be the next great playoff choke artist (see Barry Bonds, A Rod, Tracy McGrady, formerly Peyton Manning, possibly Tony Romo).

Most importantly that’s what the NHL needs. Like every sport it needs superstars. It needs players that the average hockey fan can relate to. If they don’t follow the sport closely, they can still follow Crosby. They’ll watch because he’s playing and on any given night can do something spectacular.

Who is Crosby most commonly compared to? Gretzky. What did Gretzky do the year after initially taking his team to the Cup finals? He went back the next year and won it all. However Crosby took his team to the finals in his third year, Gretzky in his fourth.

The similarities have been well documented--young scoring sensations thrown into leadership roles and with entourages that formed a three-pronged attack. (Messier and Jari Kurri for Gretzkey, Malkin and Hossa with Crosby.)

Most hope that Crosby lives up to the Gretzky hype because what the Great One did for the sport is miraculous. In our age of superstardom crushes, Crosby could take it further.    

No doubt the Pens can put a tally marker on their belts because these young guys got the experience that comes with championships. Next year they’ll rebound and maybe one day hockeytown will shift further east.

Ok, fat chance. But I needed to get one more cheap shot in.