The Pittsburgh Penguins capped off a miracle season defeating the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final. Sidney Crosby became the youngest player in NHL history to captain a team to a championship, while Evgeni Malkin took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP.
Few could have predicted this result for the Penguins in mid-February when the team was 6 points out of a playoff spot with 25 games remaining in the regular season. Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma deserves much of the credit for his squad’s turnaround, becoming just the second rookie coach in league history to win the Cup as a mid-season replacement (Al MacNeil, Montreal 1971).
On the Wings side the disappointment was doubly bitter for Marian Hossa, who left Pittsburgh for Detroit at the end of last season, and is now forced to endure being a finalist for a second consecutive year.
Around the league, trade rumours heat up between the Ducks and Kings as a reported deal involving Chris Pronger has been denied by the GMs both teams.
And if anyone else in the state of Pennsylvania noticed, the Hershey Bears defeated the Manitoba Moose to claim the Calder Cup title as champions of the AHL.
Here are the hockey headlines in the news this morning:
Leafs News
- Leafs GM Burke ‘wants and expects’ Fletcher to be back Toronto Sun
- Why Leaf fans are cheering for Pittsburgh, even if they won’t admit it Pal Hal Pall
Stanley Cup Final
- Not to be denied Ottawa Sun
- Penguins march to glory Toronto Star
- Penguins’ victory belongs to unsung heroes Toronto Star
- MVP Malkin made his points Ottawa Sun
- Evgeni Malkin makes believers by winning Smythe Toronto Star
- Malkin wins Conn Smythe National Post
- Marian Hossa has no regrets for leaving Penguins Toronto Star
- ‘I don’t regret it’ The Globe And Mail
- Talbot lifts Penguins to Stanley Cup Windsor Star
- Penguins defy odds, dethrone Wings in Detroit Vancouver Sun
- Teamwork brought the Cup to Pittsburgh Windsor Star
- Sid’s first The Globe And Mail
- Wings Lost Cup Final In Game 6 FAN 590
- Fischler: The new champs MaxHockey.com
NHL and Hockey News
- Waiting for the Baum to drop National Post
- Panthers desperate to deal defenceman Ottawa Sun
- Bodychecking ban on GTHL agenda Toronto Star
- Kings shoot down Pronger rumour Faceoff.com
- Market for Heatley heating up Faceoff.com
- Different times, different rules: McNall The Globe And Mail
- Bears dump Moose in Calder Cup CP
- First Domino Falls – Or Does It? HockeyAnalysis.com
