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All spring, I’ve been telling anyone who cares (which is hardly anyone) that the Anaheim Ducks will win the Stanley Cup. It pains me to be right, since the Ducks just eliminated the Detroit Red Wings, and I’m such a huge Detroit fan I even bleed red. Here’s the irony in the Ducks’ success: the team started its life in 1993 as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a Disney-owned tie-in to the youth hockey flick. Disney was going to promote hockey as a wholesome evening out for American families: less fighting, and shootouts to break those unsatisfying ties. The second part came true, but not the first.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators are looking to win the first Stanley Cup for Canada since 1993. Something of a surprise contender — they were seeded fifth in the Eastern Conference — they have the better forward line and some decent defensemen themselves. On Monday at 8 PM, when the best-of-seven faceoff begins, may the tougher team–not the dirtier one–win.
