Cup Lands In Orange CountyFirst, a movie starring Tom Hanks' son, then a hit Fox TV show, then multiple reality TV shows on MTV and Bravo, and now, a Stanley Cup has found its way to the OC. The Los Angeles Ducks Of Anaheim have given the folks of Orange County something to really cheer about today as they finally took out the Ottawa Senators last night in a not-so-subtle fashion winning 6-2. The Stanley Cup now finds itself on the West Coast for the first time in history, and for the third year in a row, evades Canadian hockey fans.
In a game that was not so much a nail biter as it was a formality, Anaheim lit up Ottawa for 6 goals, well 5 if you don't count the one Chris Phillips scored on his own goalie. Both teams registered less than 20 shots (18-13 in favor of the Ducks) , so it really was not a goalie battle either. In all, it seemed like the Cup clinching game could be categorized as a defensive battle backstopped by par to sub-par goal tending, not exactly what the TV execs wanted, but at least this year, fans got to see the cup celebration for more than 10 minutes before NBC cut to local news.
The Conn Smythe went to Scott Niedermayer, and in my opinion, you can't celebrate an award like the Conn Smythe or the Cup in a classier fashion than he did. Scott was soft-spoken and could not go five words without mentioning his joy of being able to celebrate all of it with his teammate and brother Rob, who raised the Cup immediately following Scott. It was easy to tell by his speech that Scott's emotions were running very high being able to stand next to his brother and talk to Pierre McGuire about the Cup they had just won together. It was a great moment for hockey and a great moment in sports. After that, it's tough to dislike either player, even though Scott had made a nice career in New Jersey of shutting down Buffalo scoring lines, especially in the playoffs.
Another longtime veteran player that deserved to finally win one was Teemu Selanne. A long time class act and future Hall of Fame player, he too was overwhelmed with emotion as he, teary eyed, hugged his wife after the Ducks were presented with the Cup. He was the third Duck to carry the Cup. My opinion on Selanne was always indifferent since he is a career Western Conference player, but his play during last year's Olympics changed that. Watching him continue playing in the medal round after getting hit in the mouth, losing teeth, and seeing his emotional reactions to receiving the silver medal instead of the gold showed the pride he had not only in his home country of Finland, but also his dedication to the game.
Chris Pronger is one lucky bastard and if Anaheim fans need someone to thank, it's Mrs. Pronger for wanting out of Edmonton. Enough said.
In all, despite the fact that most Buffalo fans would never route for Ottawa, I enjoyed seeing the Ducks win. Their celebration was sincere as shown by the reactions of the Niedermayers and Selanne. The ratings sucked and Canada will be in mourning for a little while, but in all, I thought it was some great hockey and we can now put this year behind us and count down the days until the puck drops for next season where every fan will hope to be next year's Anaheim Ducks.
In a game that was not so much a nail biter as it was a formality, Anaheim lit up Ottawa for 6 goals, well 5 if you don't count the one Chris Phillips scored on his own goalie. Both teams registered less than 20 shots (18-13 in favor of the Ducks) , so it really was not a goalie battle either. In all, it seemed like the Cup clinching game could be categorized as a defensive battle backstopped by par to sub-par goal tending, not exactly what the TV execs wanted, but at least this year, fans got to see the cup celebration for more than 10 minutes before NBC cut to local news.
The Conn Smythe went to Scott Niedermayer, and in my opinion, you can't celebrate an award like the Conn Smythe or the Cup in a classier fashion than he did. Scott was soft-spoken and could not go five words without mentioning his joy of being able to celebrate all of it with his teammate and brother Rob, who raised the Cup immediately following Scott. It was easy to tell by his speech that Scott's emotions were running very high being able to stand next to his brother and talk to Pierre McGuire about the Cup they had just won together. It was a great moment for hockey and a great moment in sports. After that, it's tough to dislike either player, even though Scott had made a nice career in New Jersey of shutting down Buffalo scoring lines, especially in the playoffs.
Another longtime veteran player that deserved to finally win one was Teemu Selanne. A long time class act and future Hall of Fame player, he too was overwhelmed with emotion as he, teary eyed, hugged his wife after the Ducks were presented with the Cup. He was the third Duck to carry the Cup. My opinion on Selanne was always indifferent since he is a career Western Conference player, but his play during last year's Olympics changed that. Watching him continue playing in the medal round after getting hit in the mouth, losing teeth, and seeing his emotional reactions to receiving the silver medal instead of the gold showed the pride he had not only in his home country of Finland, but also his dedication to the game.
Chris Pronger is one lucky bastard and if Anaheim fans need someone to thank, it's Mrs. Pronger for wanting out of Edmonton. Enough said.
In all, despite the fact that most Buffalo fans would never route for Ottawa, I enjoyed seeing the Ducks win. Their celebration was sincere as shown by the reactions of the Niedermayers and Selanne. The ratings sucked and Canada will be in mourning for a little while, but in all, I thought it was some great hockey and we can now put this year behind us and count down the days until the puck drops for next season where every fan will hope to be next year's Anaheim Ducks.
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