Wings finish Stars; Pens will become 19th different runner-up

On Monday night, the Red Wings finally finished off Dallas with a 4-1 victory to take the series four games to two. They advance to the Stanley Cup finals against Pittsburgh.

Make no mistake. I'm rooting for the Pens. I went so far as to order some Pens gear from the NHL shop. As a secondary team, I like the Pens anyway, and I didn't mind jumping on the bandwagon by buying a couple of t-shirts.

This guy, this girl, these guys, and this guy are among the millions of Penguins fans who are about to burst with excitement and nervousness. I will be standing behind them and I will be rooting hard for the Pens.

However, I think the Red Wings are just too damn good.

That's my inexpert analysis.

Also, there's this game the hockey gods are playing with us. Pittsburgh has been to the Stanley Cup finals twice before and won both times. But the hockey gods have this game they've been playing with us since 1989. Take a look at this list of Stanley Cup runners-up:

• 1989 Montréal Canadiens
  
• 1990 Boston Bruins
  
• 1991 Minnesota NorthStars
  
• 1992 Chicago Blackhawks
  
• 1993 Los Angeles Kings
  
• 1994 Vancouver Canucks
  
• 1995 Detroit Red Wings
  
• 1996 Florida Panthers
  
• 1997 Philadelphia Flyers
  
• 1998 Washington Capitals
  
• 1999 Buffalo Sabres
  
• 2000 Dallas Stars
  
• 2001 New Jersey Devils
  
• 2002 Carolina Hurricanes
  
• 2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
  
• 2004 Calgary Flames
  
• 2005 no cup
  
• 2006 Edmonton Oilers
  
• 2007 Ottawa Senators
  
• 2008
  

That's a list of 18 different teams. No team is on there twice. The NorthStars and the Stars are "sort of" the same team. Different ownership, different fans, blah blah blah.

I wrote about this last June 7, and even offered this bit of advice:

"Pittsburgh fans, prepare yourselves for heartbreak."

For the Wings, check out this gal, this guy, and these guys.

I may or may not make a more detailed post about the whys and hows, but for now I'll predict the Wings in six. Just to be clear, though, I'm rooting for the Pens.

Buckle up!

And Ottawa makes 18

The Anaheim Ducks have won the Stanley Cup, and two Stanley Cup trends continue. An old one, and a new one.

Ottawa became the latest casualty in a list of 18 teams. Not because Daniel Alfredsson touched the Prince of Wales trophy. That probably didn't help their cause, as it pissed off the Hockey gods. No. It wasn't that transgression that cost the Sens the Cup. It wasn't anything that happened on or off the ice.

Before I proceed, I should be careful to say that Anaheim was outstanding, and they absolutely deserved to win the Cup. They were one of the best teams all season long, and they were phenomenal all throughout the playoffs, mowing down each opponent in five games.

That said, it wasn't the Ducks' supremacy that made Ottawa lose the Cup.

It was destiny. It was part of the hockey gods' joke that they've been playing since 1989. Starting that year with the Montréal Canadiens, there have now been 18 consecutive DIFFERENT Cup runners-up.

I've mentioned this a number of times before, and I used this phenomena to correctly predict this outcome before the Conference Finals even occurred.

Here are the 18 different consecutive runners-up

1. 1989 Montréal Canadiens
   
2. 1990 Boston Bruins
   
3. 1991 Minnesota NorthStars
   
4. 1992 Chicago Blackhawks
   
5. 1993 Los Angeles Kings
   
6. 1994 Vancouver Canucks
   
7. 1995 Detroit Red Wings
   
8. 1996 Florida Panthers
   
9. 1997 Philadelphia Flyers
   
10. 1998 Washington Capitals
    
11. 1999 Buffalo Sabres
    
12. 2000 Dallas Stars
    
13. 2001 New Jersey Devils
    
14. 2002 Carolina Hurricanes
    
15. 2003 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
    
16. 2004 Calgary Flames
    2005 (no Cup)
    
17. 2006 Edmonton Oilers
    
18. 2007 Ottawa Senators

If you're smart, you'll also take note of the other fun game that the hockey gods are playing. It works like this: A Cup winner is determined by who was the runner-up four years previous.

Carolina was runner-up in 2002, and was the winner in 2006
Anaheim was runner-up in 2003 and was the winner in 2007
Cal-Gary was runner-up in 2004, and will be the winner in 2008. The game will either end there, or Cal-Gary will be allowed to repeat in 2009.
Edmonton was the runner-up in 2006, and will win the Cup in 2010.
Ottawa was runner-up this season, and will win in 2011.

Since Calgary is obviously going to win the Cup in '08, you should bet $20 now. Go ahead.

The runner-up (who will then become the 2012 winner can only be one of the following six Eastern Conference teams: Rangers, Penguins, Islanders, Thrashers, Lightning, Maple Leafs. My guess is that it'll be the Penguins.

Calgary, plan your 2008 parade route now. Calgary fans, start saving up for playoffs tickets. Gamblers, throw down a $20 or $50 bet right now. It's as safe as could be. Screw it. Bet a couple grand. It's a can't lose bet.

Pittsburgh fans, prepare yourselves for heartbreak.

Seriously, though, congrats go to the Ducks. Good for Teemu Selanne. Good for the Niedermayers. Chrissy Pronger can suck it, but good for the rest of the guys.

Earl Sleek and Christy Finn will see more traffic to their blogs today than they have ever seen. And they deserve it.

Last June 19, I had about quadruple my normal traffic after game seven.


Take care of the Cup, Ducks fans. We miss it already.

Third round predictions

I have one foot out the door for work, so I have to make this quick. No shiny graphics, no elaborate analysis. I need to get my third round picks in, and if I get around to it, I'll detail them before Thursday's action begins.

After going a respectable 6-2 in the first round, I was a dreadful 0-4 in the second. I'm still at the break-even point, which isn't that bad.

Ottawa over Buffalo in seven games.
I think Buffalo's stagnant power play is going to become a problem. There's the potential for the bad blood between the teams to boil, but since it's the ECF, I think the players will cool it. Jason Spezza will be the star for the Sens, and Chris Drury will be Buffalo's best player.

The hockey gods' little joke has something to do with this pick. I really think, though, that the Sens will be too much for the very talented Sabres to handle.

Anaheim over Detroit in six. Teemu Selanne deserves this. Chris Pronger does not, but it's acceptable. My heart refuses to let my head say anything good about the Wings. The ducks are en fuego, anyway. They're too good.

Conference Finals set

On Monday night, Detroit finished off the Sharks, which finalizes the Conference Finals. In the West, Detroit will host Anaheim starting on Friday. In the East, Buffalo will host Ottawa starting on Thursday.

The hockey gods are funny guys, and because of their running joke, both the Sabres and the Senators were rooting for the Sharks to come back against the Wings. That didn't happen, and Ottawa is destined to be the next victim of this "joke".

To explain:

Since 1989, there have been 17 different losing teams in the Stanley Cup Final. No team has lost twice in that span. Of the four remaining teams, Ottawa is the only one not on that list. Detroit lost in the 1995 Finals against New Jersey. Anaheim lost in the 2003 Finals against New Jersey. Buffalo lost in the 1999 finals to Dallas. This incarnation of the Senators has never been to the Final. The original Senators won the Cup in 1927, and folded seven years later.

So, it looks like Ottawa will win the East and lose in the Final.

The complete list of those 17 different losers with winning team in parentheses:

1989 Montéal Canadiens (Calgary Flames)
1990 Boston Bruins (Edmonton Oilers)
1991 Minnesota North Stars (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1992 Chicago Blackhawks (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1993 Los Angeles Kings (Montréal Canadiens)
1994 Vancouver Canucks (New York Rangers)
1995 Detroit Red Wings (New Jersey Devils)
1996 Florida Panthers (Colorado Avalanche)
1997 Philadelphia Flyers (Detroit Red Wings)
1998 Washington Capitals (Detroit Red Wings)
1999 Buffalo Sabres (Dallas Stars)
2000 Dallas Stars* (New Jersey Devils)
2001 New Jersey Devils (Colorado Avalanche)
2002 Carolina Hurricanes (Detroit Red Wings)
2003 Anaheim Ducks (New Jersey Devils)
2004 Calgary Flames (Tampa Bay Lightning)
2005 -- No Cup
2006 Edmonton Oilers (Carolina Hurricanes)

* Although the Dallas Stars are technically the same franchise as the Minnesota North Stars, they are indeed different. In the late '70s the North Stars merged with the Cleveland Barons(nee California Golden Seals), and at some point in the early 90's the team tried to move to San Fransisco. This didn't work, the Gunds sold the NorthStars, and the San Jose Sharks were granted to the previous owners of the NorthStars. The team eventually moved to Dallas and is under different ownership. The North Stars have more of a "real" connection with the San Jose Sharks than they do with the Dallas Stars.

So anyway, the Sabres won't be making it to the Final this year. In order for the joke to continue, Ottawa has to go, and they have to lose.

Don't blame me. Blame the Hockey gods.