The 2017 NHL season ended the same way the previous did – Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head after a Penguins victory.
The Pens outlasted Nashville, 2-0, in game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals.
What should be remembered as an epic (in all honestly it was) series, it will be remembered by fans for years to come for the wrong reasons.
Here are four reasons why the Stanley Cup Finals will be remembered.
Officiating
I’ll just say it. The officiating in the entire series, for both teams, was awful.
It has been years since the officiating was so poor during the Finals. Sports leagues, including the NHL, will always have to deal with the human element.
However, the consistent errors, missed calls, non-calls, and inconsistent calls will put a cloud over this series.
Sadly, the refs saved the worst for last.
With Nashville pressing early in the second, Filip Foresberg fired a shot as he flew down the left wing. The shot, initially stopped by Matt Murray, trickled free and was tapped in by Colton Sisson.
One problem. Referee Kevin Pollock blew the whistle dead because he lost sight of the puck. Not good.
The call both denied Nashville a crucial 1-0 lead, and played an outcome in the result. And if you don’t think it did, well, I can’t help you.
Yes, it would have been helpful if the Preds didn’t go 0-4 on the power play, including a 5-on-3. Regardless, the score would still have been 1-0 Nashville and the fluky goal by Patric Hornqvist would have tied the game at 1-1.
Sadly, an epic game six will be known as the “quick whistle game.”
Sidney Crosby winning the Conn Smythe
To avoid being labeled a “Crosby hater,” I’ll let it be known that I think Crosby is a generational talent. He is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player of his generation.
With that being said, he did not deserve to win his second-consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy.
Crosby had 27 points in 25 playoff games, but just one goal and six assists in the Cup Final.
Not exactly Conn Smythe worthy.
The players who deserved to win the trophy was Jake Guentzel. Guentzel, a rookie, scored 13 goals and tallied 21 points in the playoffs. He also scored four goals in the finals.
The argument can also be made for Murray, who was injured during the warm-ups of Game 1 against Columbus. He replaced Marc-Andre Fleury midway through the Ottawa series.
He went 3-1 against the Senators. He finished the playoffs 7-3 with a 1.70 GAA.
Smashville
Nashville reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in its 18-year history. And did they enjoy it.
The atmosphere both inside, and outside, of Bridgestone Arena, was captivating.
From the reported crowds of 40,000 in downtown Nashville to watch the Preds, to the country music stars singing the National Anthem, to the catfish, and to the frenzied Preds fans and their chants, Nashville was officially a “hockey town” for two months.
And for people who say, “Oh, well hockey doesn’t need to be in the South,” this should be example A, B, and C as to why it does deserve to be in the South.
The series changed how the Preds are perceived in Nashville, as well as the hockey world. No longer are the Preds a niche sport with a small fanbase. They will now be a prime time ticket in Music City.
Marking a dynasty
The Penguins became the first team to repeat as Cup champs since the Red Wings did so in 1997 and 1998.
It was their third cup in the “Sidney Crosby era” – 2009, 2016 and 17 – and the franchise’s fifth championship.
Like them or not, the Pens will be remembered as a dynasty in the salary-cap era. The only other franchise that comes close is the Chicago Blackhawks, who won three cups from 2010 to 2015.
In fact, since 2009, the Penguins first Cup with Crosby, six of the past nine Stanley Cups have gone to either Chicago or Pittsburgh.
What this team will look like next year with more than 10 unrestricted free agents is anyone’s guess.
But right now, the Penguins are a modern-day dynasty.