This could just be a modern day classic; some of the very best offensive players in the league, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom and hopefully Franzen will be back to go up against Crosby, Malkin and the most underrated player through the playoffs, Pascal Dupuis. All these going up against far from shoddy D with the likes of Lidstrom, Methuselah (a.k.a. Chris Chelios), Kronwall and Rafalski for the Wings and the less heralded but equally effective Penguins’ Gill, Gonchar, Letang and Orpik.
I can see nothing to dislike about this matchup, at least on paper, there ought to be end to end hockey but with some defence being played, might I suggest; like an All Star game but with hitting and D? I know my friend Millian at Blueline Hockey Talk radio is a little wary of it but I don’t think his concerns are rational, doesn’t like the Wings being there as they are a perennial playoff team and he’s suspicious that the league has had a hand in the Pens getting there with the way penalties are being called against their opponents. I don’t see this view is supportable, the best teams going into the playoffs were the Wings, Sharks, Pens and Canadiens and two of them are going to fight it out for the Cup and anything that looks even vaguely like an irregularity has to be put down to the vagaries of sport in the absence of anything concrete to the contrary.
Go Wings!!