The Cup Wings Back to Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings have been in the National Hockey League since 1927. In that time, they have won 10 Stanley Cup championships, more than any other American-based franchise (the Montreal Canadiens have done it 22 times). Wednesday, the Wings made it 11, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

When the series began at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood held the Penguins scoreless during the first two games. Once they got to Pittsburgh for Game 3, however, the big guns of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby started scoring, and the Pens finally won a game. But the Wings took game four, and they were ready to clinch the Cup back in Detroit.

As proved at other times in the playoffs, the Red Wings couldn't put away an opponent in Game 5. They came within 30 seconds of doing so, until Pittsburgh spoiled the celebration with the tying goal, and then the winner in the third overtime period.

The Penguins would have sent Game 6 into overtime had it not been for (A) goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury "rear-ended" the puck into his goal, and (B) a last-second reach-in in the Detroit goal crease which would not have counted, anyhow. And the Red Wings held the Stanley Cup aloft on the Mellon Arena ice.

The TV ratings on NBC for the Stanley Cup finals were the best in years (though they were beaten out by CBS' controversial mixed martial arts show in a few places), since the last time the Red Wings played here. Maybe that's the solution to the NHL's problem with showing puck in the late spring-early summer. Promote the Red Wings as hockey's version of the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees. Except for one thing: Red Wing fans already do show up at every NHL arena.

Next fall, when the latest championship banner hangs from the rafters of Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings will know what it's like to be the hunted. And the cycle continues.