Red Wings v Penguins : Islanders v Oilers

You know, we're really getting down to it. The mighty Red Wings of Detroit are now 5 wins away from defending The Cup, something I would argue that is tougher than winning The Cup. I would be right. It is looking like we are going to have a rematch of last year's finals, something that hasn't happened since the Islanders and Oilers met in back-to-back Cup finals in the early 80's.

I know people are drawing similarities between those Islanders/Oilers and today's Red Wings/Penguins and it's only going to be more so as we move forward. There are just too many people writing about sports/hockey to start with and now that we're down to 4 teams what else are they going to do? They will compare Crosby's young Penguins to Gretzky's baby faced Oilers. They will tell the story of how the "kids" had to go and lose first before taking that next step.

The Red Wings play the role of grizzled veterans and, to some extent, the role of the Bad Guy. Neutral fans don't like the Red Wings as much as they used to. It's probably because we've knocked so many other teams out of the playoffs over the years. Sustained success for one team is great if you're a fan, but outside of that I can see how the New England Patriot Syndrome can set in. Impressive yes. But I always cheer for them to lose because they are just so good. Every year.

Enjoy the Islanders/Oilers comparisons when we finally get down to business. Just remember, The Isles were on the way out while the Red Wings have the pieces in place to continue to play to this level into the future. The Penguins have a bright future too and it will not surprise me one bit to see The Cup being hoisted by Crosby and Co. within the next 5 years in Pittsburgh. It just won't be this year.