Motor City vs. The 'Burgh: Part II

"When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit.". These now famous words were said by 2008's free agency top prize Marian Hossa following his signing of a one year, 7.45 million dollar deal with the Detroit Red Wings. The second team mentioned by Hossa is of course, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

During the 2008 trading deadline, Penguins GM Ray Shero took the monumental risk of trading away Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, top prospect Angelo Esposito and a 1st round draft pick to the Thrashers for Marian Hossa along with Pascal Dupuis. When the Penguins pulled the trigger to land the Slovakian winger, the goal was simple: win the Stanley Cup, now. Hossa's signing gave at-the-time Penguins coach Michel Therrien a legitimate sniper to play wing along captain Sidney Crosby.

Hossa's tenure as a Penguin didn't start off well as in the 1st period of his debut against Boston, Hossa suffered a lower body injury that caused him to miss 6 games. However, Hossa finished the regular season strong, registering 10 points in 12 games with Pittsburgh. His strong play continued into the Penguins push for their first Stanley Cup in 16 years, as Hossa led the Penguins in goals scored and was second to Sidney Crosby in point totals. Despite the winger's strong performance, it simply wasn't enough to top the NHL best Detroit Red Wings. As Hossa sat against the boards in disbelief along with the city of Pittsburgh following his inability to put the puck past Chris Osgood in the closing seconds of Game 6, the rumblings and concerns of his future immediately grew.

As free agency rapidly approached, Penguins GM Ray Shero found himself unable to reach an agreement to a long-term deal with Marian Hossa. Despite the Pens offering of a reported 7 year deal worth 50 million dollars, Hossa had elected to hit the free agency market. On July 1st, rumors ran rampant all over North America from Boston's rumored 77-million dollar total contract to Edmonton's 9-million a season contract but Hossa still had not accepted any of these reported offers. Then, the surprising and crushing news to every Pittsburgh fan broke: Hossa had opted to become a Red Wing. Yes, the same Red Wings that had just beat the Pittsburgh Penguins just a little less than a month ago.

Outrage was a light way to put it as a Penguins fan; it was pure salt in a still open wound. Hossa had kicked the Penguins to the curb, essentially stating their inferior chances of winning a Stanley Cup when compared to the Detroit Red Wings. It's been 335 days since Hossa traded a black-and-gold 18 for a red-and-white 81, but Penguin fans have surely not forgotten. Despite the possible underlying bitterness residing within Pens Nation, they have reason to be happy. First off, their team's back in the Finals and secondly, their failure to re-sign Hossa has surely made more fiscal sense for the Igloo's inhabitants.

When comparing these two combatants, their season's had undoubtedly taken different paths in route to the Stanley Cup. Detroit's easy ride through the regular season and Playoffs have come as no surprise, while Pittsburgh's rollercoaster season has led them back to the same stadium and in the same setting as they were a year ago. The mid-season firing of Michel Therrien has worked wonders for the 'Burgh, as Dan Bylsma has completely changed the mindset of the Penguins. At the deadline, the Pens added depth at the wings through acquisitions for veteran Bill Guerin and 29 year old Chris Kunitz. Whereas the Red Wings have once again relied on their post-season experience and know-how in their quest for the franchise's 12th Stanley Cup.

Despite the addition of Marian Hossa, I'm going to have to give the edge to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hossa's production and offensive capabilities have been replaced by the new found depth of the Penguins, as the 'new' guys on the Penguins such as Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz and even Ruslan Fedotenko have all provided the offensive upside the Penguins supposedly lost with the departure of Marian. Simply put, the Detroit Red Wings have cruised through the 2009 NHL Playoffs against teams that lack playoff experience. They steamrolled the Columbus Blue Jackets in 4 games, followed that up with a 6 game series win over Anaheim and a 5 game series win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The common factor with the Red Wings opponents throughout the course of their Western Conference dismantling? Inexperienced playoff goaltenders.

Marc-Andre Fluery, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby all gained valuable Playoff experience in their 2007-08 run for the Cup. Now, Pittsburgh's big three are a year older, more mature, hungry and ready to take on the wounded Wings. The Red Wings head into Game 1 with a battered captain in Nicklas Lidstrom and will possibly be without top-point man, number one center and powerplay machine Pavel Datsyuk for the start of the series. Despite the depth and experience of Detroit, Hossa's words will come back to bite him as the Penguins will raise their 3rd Stanley Cup banner to the rafters of the Igloo.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games.