To say I'm happy is the understatement of the century--I am ECSTATIC! Right till the final buzzer, I had doubts that it would end tonight. But end, it did. While I hoped Baby Boy's goal would be the winner, it wasn't to be. Z got the game/series/Cup winning goal. It wasn't pretty--actually the Pittsburgh goalie pushed the puck into their net accidentally--but it got the job done. Thankfully, I have the CBC on my cable system, so I was able to savor every minute of the after-celebration--I got to see every player take his turn skating with the Cup and got to hear the after-game interviews. It doesn't get any better than this. I only wish I could be in Detroit on Friday for the parade, but...
SO many great individual stories from this win. Lidstrom is the first European captain to lead a team to win the Cup. Cleary is the first ever from Newfoundland to win the Cup. Osgood, late in his career, transformed himself and came back to the Wings and became the starting goalie in the playoffs. McCarty came back from addiction and financial ruin, worked hard, and made it back onto the team--and won the Cup once again. Drake won the Cup after being in the NHL for 16 seasons, all while anticipating the end of his career. Lidstrom, Maltby, Holmstrom, Draper, and McCarty all won the Cup for the fourth time--together, as Wings. Amazing.
The Conn Smythe trophy was awarded right after the end of the game. This is for the playoff MVP and Zetterberg got it. The right choice, by far--his performance in the games was phenomenal.
--Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg. (AP)--2008 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS
