Game 6 2010 Finals

As funny as this picture is in a way, it is to me the final temptation the Hawks and fans have put out to the hockey gods to crush their dreams.....again.....Flyers in 7.............

I am sitting here waiting for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.........and some dates put the accomplishment of the winning the Stanley Cup in perspective...........the two teams playing tonite are two very storied franchises, and one is an original six team.........yet, one has not won this trophy in 35 years and the other in 49 years........Chicago has not won since 1961 and Philadelphia has not won since 1975. Think about that for a second.................that puts an exclamation point on how tough it is to hoist this trophy.......2 months, up to 28 games, 4 best of seven series, injuries, bad calls, bad bounces, bad breaks, emotional strength tested, physical strength tested........and the will to win tested to unimaginable degrees.............on the ice tonite Ian Laperriere from Philadelphia is only weeks removed from a puck to the face creating an injury requiring 90 plus stitches to close and causing a brain contusion, yet he comes back like nothing ever happened..........Duncan Keith or Teeth as he is now known took a puck to the mouth in the final game of the conference finals creating the loss of seven of his teeth, and he hardly missed a shift.........anybody remember the puck Ryan Malone took an already injured face in the 2008 finals, only to come right back out and finish the game, creating havoc in front of Detroits net? Whichever team wins this trophy deserves it....every bit of it......and so do their fans............as I sit here, I can easily recall the ups and downs of the two month runs the Pens took in each of the past two seasons........the utter anguish at times when you thought your team was done, and the unreal excitement, pride and joy every time they beat the odds and won a game or a series that had looked improbable............there are few moments in my adult life outside of the moments involving my family that are more memorable to me than the final seconds of Game 7 last year as I watched Fleury block Lidstroms last shot, then only could breath again when I saw the Pens players throw their gloves, and sticks in the air in pure joy. I remember literally having chills as the players described Mario Lemieux's text about playing without fear and meeting them at center ice..............the thrill of that victory lasted throughout the entire summer and well into this fall..............as much as I hate missing out on this thrill this year, I am hopeful that my friends my Philly get to experience this rush on Friday night.