I think we should all just accept that Hockey will be the theme for a while. Hockey will control all metaphors, will be used in all similes, and be the basis for all puns except for those jokes so obviously better suited toward George W. Bush appointees.
Not five minutes after Vancouver put away Dallas and got itself tickets to Anaheim, I was on the phone with Mr. Ryan. While San Jose was busy trying to find a Detroit hotel with 24 hour room service that also has a people mover stop, I was starting the jangling that will make up our conversation until one of our team starts its golf season. I put it to Mr. Ryan, "It all comes down to one thing- is Nabokov The Guy."
True fans have love-hate relationships with their teams. I've yelled to the screen for the boys in red to stop with all the pretty passing "AND JUST SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK!!" a couple thousand times. This is equal to the number of times Mr. Ryan has grabbed his forehead and said, "OH SHIT! WE'RE ON THE POWERPLAY!" We are both very loyal to our teams, but we are not delusional. I've said in '03, '04, and '06 "Osgood (or Legace) just ain't The Guy." There were other problems, but this is the one that chills ya. So. Is Nabokov The Guy?
I want my team to win. And they might. The third and fourth lines are playing beyond belief. Lidstrom shut down Igilna and will have the same job against Joe Thorton. Zetterberg seems to have decided to become a two-way player, Datsyuk got 5 points, and Mike Babcock doesn't own a single plaid sports jacket. All of this bodes well.
Mr. Ryan believes it comes down to whether the good Sharks or the bad Sharks show up. I keep expecting the line "I'm not a shark at all, I'm Dorothy Gale of Kansas." But that's the farm team.
The Sharks took 3 out of 4 from Detroit during the season. They can, and probably should, win this series. They have one thing the Wings haven't had in over a decade- buzz. It's a horrible burden, but all Detroit players know that from the owners down to the butts in the bars the only level of success is playoff success. The playoffs are regularly referred to as "the real season." Which is why all those President's Trophies are now raffled off at the annual Little Caesar's employee picnic. The Sharks want this and they could take it. The stumbling point that the papers will point out has to do with discipline- staying out of the penalty box. But, the real question . . . is Nabokov The Guy?
And this puts more pressure on the Sharks than on Detroit. Hassek was The Guy for most of his career and he might still be. The team plays as if they believe he is- which is almost as good. Detroit didn't tank in the first round so there will be no gauntlet for them to run when they land at DTW. This is gravy. Gravy isn't so great an incentive these days.
The puck drops Thursday.
Go in Peace