I will admit it:  I was wrong, so very wrong, to call the Ottawa Senators the “Team of Destiny” this year. The Sens team that took out the Penguins, the Devils, and the Sabres in five games apiece was not the same Sens team who went out in five in the Finals.

(Or as their own coach Murray said after the game, “We had some guys who did not play to what they were playing in the playoffs.” Eh? Is that Canadian for “We blew it and chances are I’m getting canned in the offseason” perhaps?)

I was also wrong, so very wrong, to root against the Ducks. (Dirtbag Chris Pronger notwithstanding.   His suspension should have lasted as long as the player he injured – Sens center Dean McAmmond – was out.) Anaheim was motivated, strong, and just looked like they belonged in the Finals.

So congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks for proving me wrong, and looking hot enough to more than fill our little blog up with greatness.

Jiggy, you are very hot and I am glad you got another shot at the Cup. (Especially since you couldn’t enjoy winning the Conn Smythe award few years ago when the Ducks lost to the Devils in the Finals.) Brothers Niedermayer, you’re not so hot but are now hockey royalty with your combined five Stanley Cup wins.

Ryan, you’re still very young and not too far out of the minors, which as I get older I find more and more appealling. You’re here because I cannot get my eyes off those very bright white laces.

I am not one of those ladies who thinks it is touching when a grown man cries. Seeing that Volchenkov is Russian through and through, the stoic of the stoic, it is upsetting that he was reduced to tears.

This is familar pose, isn’t it Emery? Tonight, when your team needed you the most, you gave up 2 3 easy goals to the Ducks. I’m pretty sure your contract is up this year with the Sens, so let’s hope the rumors of a Las Vegas franchise are true so you can find a new home. Jerry Bruckheimer is known for making some pretty crazy decisions, maybe he’ll a take gamble on you.*

Okay, that’s just really cute.

Hey, how did that get in there? We needed more hotties? This season’s over and we can look already look ahead to next fall? Awesome, because Crosby’s 20th birthday is two months from today, which means I am 61 days away from being able to daydream about him without coming off as too pervy.

Let’s Go Pens!

*Yes, I know that the Vegas thing will probably not happen for a few years. I couldn’t think of anywhere else to send him.

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33 Responses to Anaheim Ducks – Stanley Cup Champions

  1. It wouldn’t be a TSW post about hockey without a Crosby photo.

  2. klemmer35 says:

    This is a beautiful nightcap to a wonderful playoff.

    It’s pretty common for members of the losing team to tear up, as realizing that the tradition of Stanley and the incredible grind they put into trying to win has been for naught is truly devastating. There is no worse feeling that having to watch the other team celebrate for what seems like an eternity while you wait to shake their hand and congratulate them.

    If you ever get the chance to see Stanley in person, take it. He’s unbelievable in person!

  3. Klemmer35 – I was in high school when the Pens won back to back titles. and I’ve touched the Cup. Unbelievable doesn’t even begin to describe it…

    S2N – What can I say. The Kid is easy on eyes and talented.

  4. TSW, well, what can you do when faced with talent and looks?

    I remember being there for the Avs parade in 1996. The Cup was very close to me, but I was afraid to try and touch it — I wasn’t worthy to touch the coolest trophy in all of sport.

  5. ladyandrea says:

    That picture with the baby is adorable. Also, it’s okay for grown men to cry if someone close to them dies, right?

  6. Janalee says:

    Suprisingly this is the first post-game analysis (or whatever) that I’ve seen. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the presentation to a team from California. I’d also like to point out that Emery is very likely not going anywhere. There were alot of games where the Senators would have been done without him, especially in this series.

  7. Pam says:

    I was a little emotional when Scott gave Rob the cup. It’s hard to understand if you weren’t engrossed in the ’03 cup final when they played against eachother. It’s a great story, for them.

    Im okay with grown men tearing up over Stanley, the greatest trophy in sports.

    That’s a great shot of the losers, err, i mean Sens. Almost as good as the one with Hossa sitting by the Bench after game 7 in the eastern conf. final in 03.

    Alfie – still a choke artist, just in a later round.

    TSW, careful, we may be able to figure out your age now!

  8. Pam says:

    Especially since you didn’t deserve winning the Conn Smythe award few years ago when the Ducks lost to the Devils in the Finals.

    Fixed. Seriously, what kind of MVP disappears in the final series?

  9. Anthony says:

    I was so torn by this series. One one hand, I like just about everyone on the Ducks except for Chris Pronger. On the other hand, I really, really, really, REALLY despise Chris Pronger.

    I was at work last night and did not get to watch, and luckily for me all the highlights have shown Scott raising the Cup, and I have not had to endure seeing Pronger hoist it.

    Did I mention that I think Chris Pronger sucks?

  10. Pam says:

    Anthony, not only does he suck, but he’s a douche as well.

    They interviewed him last night and he’s like “yea I separated my shoulder a bit, it kept popping out during the game”, you know trying to sound like he’s a hero or something.

    Yea right. Gimme a fucking break. I dont believe that shit.

  11. Clare says:

    Sid the Kid looks delicious in that suit (I wonder if it’s from Larrimor’s) but…is that a burgeoning hockey haircut I see? OH NOES!!

  12. Andrea – Of course anyone can cry at death.

    Janalee – Are you kidding me? Ugh, it makes me sick to my stomach that we’re “first” with a hockey story. This wouldn’t have happened ten years ago. (I thought I read once Emery was going to look for more money in the off season, but I could be wrong.) It is almost enough for me to wish any of the NYC teams would win just for the media coverage. Almost…

    Pam – I hate pointing the finger at Alfie, especially when last night it looked like he was going to carry the whole team on his back to one more game, you’re right about this series over all. Too bad the rest of the club couldn’t keep up.

    Anthony – Pronger ruins everything. I wouldn’t trust him at a 5 year-old’s birthday party lest he take out the clown.

  13. ladyandrea says:

    TSW, I know. I was just teasing.

    Also, it doesn’t surprise me we were first at all.

    And, wouldn’t we WANT him to take out the clown at a birthday party? Those fuckers are scary.

  14. Janalee says:

    TSW- It’s not that the coverage wasn’t out there, it’s just that I couldn’t bring myself to watch or look at any of it. Looking back on my comment I probably should have been a little bit clearer on that. Sorry. I will now creep back into my hole.

  15. Janalee – Ok good, but that really would be worrisome. On the upside, I am happy you at least got to see a cute picture of a goalie and his baby!

  16. Janalee says:

    Yeah except I prefer to remember Giguere back when he had hair.

  17. King Slender says:

    True, I threw up a little in my mouth when Pronger hoisted the cup… but then he passed it to Teemu, all of my anger faded away. From his time with the Jets, through now, he has been one of the good guys of this crazy, mixed up, much maligned sport. If this was his last game, it was a good note to go out on.

    It’s too bad got umpteen sticks in the mush, or he might have made the Ladies… HH&R list.

  18. metschick says:

    Please, everyone knows this is the hottest duck of all.

  19. Metsy – That’s just because he walks around naked all the time.

  20. metschick says:

    Se-xay. /Dwyane Wade voice.

  21. I love you Metsy. Do know how much I love those ads?

    (Not as much as the “you wouldn’t make it in the NFL/NHL” ones, but still. DW and Sir Charles… awesome.)

  22. Anthony says:

    It’s a shame that all the good guys on the Ducks got messed up with a bad seed like Chris Pronger.

    It is also unfortunate to see another team who came into existence long after the Blackhawks last raised the Cup to beat them to it.

    P.S. Am I the only one who thinks former Blackhawks (current Shark, I believe) Mark Bell is the hottest man in the NHL?

  23. Pam says:

    Anthony, if you do, I have a Mark Bell Signature Series Upper Deck autographed 8X10 to sell you!!!!

  24. Mark Bell is very hot, but no Sid.

    (BTW, I love that you have a picture of a pie on your website. We encourage pie picturesaround here.)

  25. TheStarterBoyfriend says:

    ESPN.com had a story on this earlier in the day, but when I went back to refresh the page this afternoon to look, the story was replaced with an enormous picture of Tim Duncan and LeBron. I couldn’t find the hockey story to save my life.

    And I can’t but feel a little chagrined at the idea that a mere 17,000 people “packed” the Ducks stadium last night to see the game. That’s about 1/3rd the crowd that goes to see a Dodgers/Pirates game in mid-April.

    Guess this Patrick Roy Opee-Chee rookie card isn’t worth what it used to be.

  26. lainieb says:

    The picture of Ray Emery was priceless…almost as priceless as the cutline. God, I am loving this blog.

    And it’s sweet because I have no love for the Sens (yes, I am a Leafs fan)

  27. klemmer35 says:

    I’ve had my picture taken with Stanley, but it is a hockey tradition that you do not touch the Cup unless you’ve won it. It is simply incredible and hopefully my baby Hawks will get to skate with him in a couple of years…

    TSB: A sellout at a hockey game is far more exciting than 51K at a baseball game…

  28. Klemmer – Tell that to the city of Pittsburgh who en masse drove out to the Airport to great the returning team and Cup in the middle of the night in 1991. People touched that Cup.

  29. klemmer35 says:

    TSW: Guess I wasn’t real clear-the tradition (superstition?) only extends to players.

    The belief is that if you touch it before winning it, you will never win it.

  30. Dammit! Now I’ll never win!

  31. Anthony says:

    That is a delicious apple pie my wife baked. It turned out so well that we took a picture of it.

    As far as Mark Bell goes, he is quite hot, but I will pass on the 8×10…not a big fan of merchandise autographed by marginal 3rd or 4th line NHL pseudo-goons.

  32. Anthony says:

    P.S. Thanks for stopping by my site!

  33. upmls says:

    And the best part is I got my hair done that day and my stylist gushed, \”THAT’S BRAD AND JEN’S SECRET PLACE IT’S FATE SARAH!

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