Believe it! In dramatic fashion, Tampa Bay earns its first trip to the Stanley Cup final
Contrary to what some pundits may think, Tampa is still not Hockey Town, but they are going to be doing something that the original Hockey Town won't be- playing for the Stanley Cup. John Tortorella's "Safety = Death" philosophy is not only fun to watch, it just may be the stuff of championships. Beginning Tuesday night, we'll find out. The Calgary Flames will be coming to Tampa to begin the last leg of the quest for the Stanley Cup. Of course, there may be only three of us in the US watching the games (Hey, Todd & Chris...save a chair for me, willya??), but true hockey fans should appreciate this matchup. Calgary,playing the Cinderella role, is a hard-working, blue collar team almost devoid of stars. They win with a 60-minute "crash the net" philosophy. Tampa Bay, which for years was the laughing stock of the NHL, now has an opportunity for redemption. The idea of the Stanley Cup residing in Florida would definitely take some getting used to, eh??
And then there is 40-year-old Dave Andreychuk. After 22 years of playing for some horrible hockey teams, Andreychuk has the opportunity to become this year's Ray Bourque. Andreychuk has never had the opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. If he rides off into the sunset after this season, his final game may just be the one in which he takes a skate with the Cup over his head.
Of course, Calgary has their own stories as well. Captain Martin Gelina, for instance, has waited for 14 years to make up for his wasted day with the Stanley Cup.
One player, either Andreychuk or Gelinas, will be vindicated. That drama is part of what makes the Stanley Cup Finals my favorite time of year. Game on, eh??
