I did not think the Pittsburgh Penguins could win the Stanley Cup without Kris Letang. Yet here they are, getting set to battle surprising Nashville in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight. On paper this looks like a mismatch: The defending champions against the 16th ranked team in the NHL. But don’t let the records fool you, the Predators are red hot and can play with anyone. It would not be a shock if they won the Stanley Cup the way they are playing. Nashville is a great story, but I think this one will not have a happy ending for the town they call Smashville. I look for the Penguins to make it back to back titles, something that hasn’t been done since the mighty Detroit Red Wings did it. Look for the Pens’ stars to shine. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will come up big in this series. I just hope the Penguins can finally win the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh.
· I’ll never forget meeting with a friend of mine who worked in the Penguins’ front office a few weeks after they won the Cup in 2009. He told me that the feeling in the organization was that the Pens could win two or three more in the next few years. Little do any of us know that it would take seven years for the Penguins to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and finally win another one. I was among the many who thought the Penguins’ window of opportunity had closed. The stars weren’t performing in the playoffs and there didn’t seem to be much young talent coming through the system. Suddenly the Penguins’ star players are showing how good they are, and the team has been rejuvenated thanks to the youngsters who have come up to the NHL, both last year and this year. Those kids have totally changed the Penguins, and for the better. Now, we can look at this team and say they still have a window of opportunity to win a few more Stanley Cups in the next few years. I never thought that would be possible.
· Mario Lemieux won Stanley Cups in both of his appearances in the Finals. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are now off to their four Finals, with a chance to make it three trophies on their resumes. Winning a second Cup did a lot for Crosby’s legacy. Winning a third puts him in the conversation as one of the best to ever play the game. It would also tie him with Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, one of the other elite players of this generation. Crosby and Malkin are future Hall of Famers, whether they ever raise the Stanley Cup again. Win that third Cup, however, and they join an elite group of players. And don’t think they don’t know it.
· Game Seven against the Ottawa Senators has to rank as one of the greatest sporting events to have ever been played in Pittsburgh. It was what they call an “instant classic.” I thought the Penguins would win by a couple of goals. I also thought that when the game went to overtime the Penguins might very well lose on a fluke goal. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. What a game, and what a nail biter.
· The NL Central was supposed to be a great division with the the powerhouse Chicago Cubs, last year’s World Series champs, plus the always good St. Louis Cardinals. Yet here we are on Memorial Day and the Pittsburgh Pirates, five games under 500, are only four and a half games out of first place. And the team at the top is not the Cubs, but rather the Milwaukee Brewers. I honestly thought the Pirates would be way out of the race by now. But thanks to the poor play by the rest of the teams in the division the Pirates are hanging in there. It’s hard to believe, but true.
· The Pirates need to keep Adam Frazier in the lineup for good. The youngster is a hitting machine. Frazier put on a clinic against the Braves in Atlanta. He got on base six times in one game, and also hit three run homers in back to back games to help propel the Bucs to two victories in the final two games of the series. Frazier has the look of a special player. And the scary thing is he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do as a major leaguer.
· The NFL finally gave in and will now allow excessive celebrations after touchdowns. I can hardly wait to see how ridiculous these will be. I’m sure Antonio Brown is already working on his next over the top demonstration. Fans will love it, but I find the whole thing ridiculous. Hey guys, next time you make it to the end zone act like you’ve been there before. Unfortunately, that will never happen.
· Martavis Bryant is back with the Steelers and claims to be a changed man. I sure hope that’s the case, both for Bryant and the Steelers. Bryant is a special talent, and can really help the Steelers stretch the field. He’s a big target in the red zone as well. He realizes that if he fails another drug test he’s done. Here’s to hoping 2017 is the year Bryant gets it together both on and off the field.
· For the third year in a row, it’s the Golden State Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. I’ve watched about five minutes of NBA action all year. I will watch the Finals, however. Lebron James is one of the greatest players ever. How he didn’t finish among the three players up for this year’s NBA MVP is beyond comprehension. Golden State had a three games to one lead in the Finals last year but couldn’t finish off the Cavs. The Warriors, who now have Kevin Durant in their lineup, will be playing with a chip on their shoulders. It should be a great series. I’ll take the Warriors in seven.
