# NHL Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 12, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862 "2009-04-12T17:50:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Electric\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2acd7d/32.png) [@Electric\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Monk)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/701 "2009-06-14T00:26:02Z")
i thought that it was pretty classless of the Detroit fans to boo the presentation of the cup, but then I saw an article on Yahoo Sports that explained that they were only booing when Bettman was on the ice. Same thing happens in Pittsburgh whenever Bettman shows up. So, way to go, Detroit. And it was classy the way so many stayed around throughout the victory celebration. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/702 "2009-06-14T01:57:42Z")
> [@Electric\_Monk](#): > > i thought that it was pretty classless of the Detroit fans to boo the presentation of the cup, but then I saw an article on Yahoo Sports that explained that they were only booing when Bettman was on the ice. Same thing happens in Pittsburgh whenever Bettman shows up. > > So, way to go, Detroit. And it was classy the way so many stayed around throughout the victory celebration. If that’s true, I’ll give one to Detroit. I hate that smarmy little elf. And you have to stay for the cup presentation. Even if it’s not your team, that’s hockey history. I wish I could have been there. (Ok, I’m a Pens fan, but they’ve never won on home ice). Thanks for the history lesson, **DSYoungEsq** … but the point that since 1967 Detroit has won 4 cups to Pittsburgh’s 3 reduces HockeyTown’s mystique, doesn’t it? After all, Edmonton has 5, the Islanders have 4, and I believe the Devils have at least 3. Montreal, the only city that should call itself HockeyTown has 10 since the expansion. And think about this… Until the Rangers won the cup in 94, they hadn’t won since 1940. The Bruins didn’t win a cup until after the expansion in 1967. The Black Hawks haven’t won since 1960, and that was their only cup over the “Original Six” time period carved out by **DSYoungEsq**. So, 3 of the original 6 sucked ass. Not a bad time to collect some cups. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/703 "2009-06-14T02:54:23Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > I like that you’ve gone with City of Champions as your location. When I was a kid, in 1979, I had a t-shirt that I loved that said “City of Champions” in celebration of the Steelers and Pirates winning their respective championships that year (and both generally being very successful through the 1970’s). Thanks. Now, if only the Pirates could get back their mojo… About the Cup itself, when they need to remove a ring to add one on, how do they decide which ring to remove? (I couldn’t find the answer at Wiki) I liked reading about the “[misadventures](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditions_and_anecdotes_associated_with_the_Stanley_Cup#Misadventures)” of Lord Stanley. My afore-mentioned Uncle has told me some of them. (Also, at one of the after interviews, one of the reporters joked to Mario that this time, he should probably keep it out of his pool) ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/704 "2009-06-14T03:11:34Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > There’s no doubt that they are. And against the Blues, Blackhawks, Predators and Blue Jackets - an extremely soft set of divisional opponents - they ought to continue to make the playoffs every year. Yes. The Blue Jackets and the Blackhawks. Blue Jackets made the first round of the playoffs and the Hawks made it to the conference finals. The Blues and the Preds were knocked out of playoff contention in the last two weeks of the season. An extremely soft division. You have three teams that were in the playoffs and two teams that were just short of the playoffs facing each other six times a season. _Last year_, the central was a soft division. _This year_, if you took the teams away from each other they could all very well have made the playoffs. They were about six points away from being the first division to have all teams make the playoffs in a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/705 "2009-06-14T03:18:54Z")
> [@Electric\_Monk](#): > > i thought that it was pretty classless of the Detroit fans to boo the presentation of the cup, but then I saw an article on Yahoo Sports that explained that they were only booing when Bettman was on the ice. Same thing happens in Pittsburgh whenever Bettman shows up. Bettman deserves to get booed. I’ll never forget the year that Carolina won the cup. Rod Brind’Amour was so excited to get it that he started to reach for it before Bettman had finished yammering. Bettman glared at the guy. How messed up is that? Smarmy little snot should be booed every time he crawls out from under his rock. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/706 "2009-06-14T03:31:46Z")
> [@Electric\_Monk](#): > > i thought that it was pretty classless of the Detroit fans to boo the presentation of the cup, but then I saw an article on Yahoo Sports that explained that they were only booing when Bettman was on the ice. Same thing happens in Pittsburgh whenever Bettman shows up. > > So, way to go, Detroit. And it was classy the way so many stayed around throughout the victory celebration. it was super classy of crosby to snub lidstrom in the handshake line though. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/707 "2009-06-14T03:34:07Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Since the Penguins have been in existence, they have won 3 Stanley Cups. During that time the Red Wings have won 4. > > Hockeytahn! and they’ve only had to tank multiple seasons to get the top draft picks 3 times!! wooo!! pittsburgh!!! ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/708 "2009-06-14T05:22:21Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > and they’ve only had to tank multiple seasons to get the top draft picks 3 times!! wooo!! pittsburgh!!! Which is more important in this case, the ends or the means? In 100 years nobody will remember that an expansion team once sucked it raw, they’ll take note of the number of times the team has its roster carved on the Cup. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/709 "2009-06-14T05:39:41Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Yes. The Blue Jackets and the Blackhawks. Blue Jackets made the first round of the playoffs and the Hawks made it to the conference finals. The Blues and the Preds were knocked out of playoff contention in the last two weeks of the season. An extremely soft division. You have three teams that were in the playoffs and two teams that were just short of the playoffs facing each other six times a season. _Last year_, the central was a soft division. _This year_, if you took the teams away from each other they could all very well have made the playoffs. They were about six points away from being the first division to have all teams make the playoffs in a very long time. I’m with you, I just want to point out that the Blues made the playoffs, then lost to the Canucks. The same Canucks who then lost to the pushover Blackhawks. Since this is my first time back to the boards since Friday, congratulations to the Penguins! They played some amazing hockey. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/710 "2009-06-14T05:59:39Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > it was super classy of crosby to snub lidstrom in the handshake line though. I highly doubt it was a snub. He was late getting to the handshake line and by that point a bunch of the Red Wings had left. He was celebrating a stanley cup win for too long. It’s a whole lot of nothing. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/711 "2009-06-14T11:08:45Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > it was super classy of crosby to snub lidstrom in the handshake line though. Not a snub. In fact, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Crosby was asked this question by a reporter. He said that he would have never snubbed lindstrom, not only because he respects him, but he respects the tradition of the game. The story is that the Pens were celebrating for so long, that it took a while for them to reach the handshake line. Lindstrom apparently headed off to the locker room. Crosby said that last year he didn’t feel like hanging around much either to watch the Red Wings celebrate, so I’m guessing this is a non-story. Plus, the stars are yanked out of the line as quickly as possible to get those on-ice interviews, so it could have been a confluence of factors. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/712 "2009-06-14T11:11:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Thanks. Now, if only the Pirates could get back their mojo… > About the Cup itself, when they need to remove a ring to add one on, how do they decide which ring to remove? (I couldn’t find the answer at Wiki) Guin, I could be wrong, but I believe it’s always the bottom ring. It’s the easiest to remove, it will always be the same size so they can have a nice stack of them at the HoF, and the cup would probably look a bit odd if there was an empty ring anywhere but the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/713 "2009-06-14T11:15:24Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > and they’ve only had to tank multiple seasons to get the top draft picks 3 times!! wooo!! pittsburgh!!! Now, officially, it’s rumored we only tanked the Lemieux draft. But can you blame them? But that’s why the draft is a lottery now, and the Pens lucked out on both other first picks. Crosby was a ping pong ball, and I believe Fleury was too. Cripes, if your team sucked as bad as the Penguins did in 83, and you had a shot at the best player in decades coming out of the draft, I applaud the strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/714 "2009-06-14T12:40:11Z")
The top large band is removed…that way the names that have been on it the longest get retired, and the newer names get more time on the cup. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/715 "2009-06-14T13:07:43Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Now, officially, it’s rumored we only tanked the Lemieux draft. But can you blame them? But that’s why the draft is a lottery now, and the Pens lucked out on both other first picks. Crosby was a ping pong ball, and I believe Fleury was too. The Crosby draft happened after the lockout year, so it was actually a league-wide lottery. The low teams from the previous completed had the better chance to win, but every team had a chance at Crosby. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/716 "2009-06-14T13:39:30Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > The top large band is removed…that way the names that have been on it the longest get retired, and the newer names get more time on the cup. The names stay on the Cup for about 60 years, give or take a lockout or two. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/717 "2009-06-14T14:32:39Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > it was super classy of crosby to snub lidstrom in the handshake line though. As has been mentioned, Crosby wasn’t snubbing anyone…Lidstrom left the ice early. Crosby may be guilty of enjoying the victory a bit too much after winning the Cup, but that’s about it. He certainly did go shake hands with the Wings players still on the ice, including the guy that stymied him most of the series: > **[ESPN - Photos - Cup win completes incredible journey](https://www.espn.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=4255977&story=4255637)** > > The on-ice battle between Sidney Crosby and Henrik Zetterberg was one of the many dramatic subplots of this year's finals. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/718 "2009-06-14T17:19:34Z")
Tell me that [this picture](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Guinastasia/20090614_mario_330.jpg) doesn’t make one a bit teary-eyed. Snub hell - if they could shake _Hossa_’s hand, why would Sid snub Lidstrom!!! (I don’t know if he was one of the ones who approached Marion, though) > [@Jman](#): > > The top large band is removed…that way the names that have been on it the longest get retired, and the newer names get more time on the cup. That’s what I would have thought, but all the information at Wiki was really confusing. So I’m guessing that [Band 1](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/Guinastasia/Hhof_stanley_cup_annotated.jpg) would be the one retired to the Hockey HOF, then? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/719 "2009-06-14T20:55:45Z")
And Pittsburgh takes a second series from Detroit in one weekend - Pirates win 6-3 (on a day that they were celebrating having beaten Detroit in the 1909 World Series) and take 2 out of 3 from the Tigers. Do the Steelers play the Lions this year? ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862/720 "2009-06-14T20:57:42Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Do the Steelers play the Lions this year? The word “play” implies that the Lions may have a chance. Replace it with the word “curbstomp” and you’re closer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-playoffs/492862.md?page=37)