Hockey's Appeal On Display Monday Night

"Don't know much about his-to-ry, don't know much bi-ol-o-gy..."

And -- I'll admit it -- hockey, either.

Let's face it, I can't go around claiming to be a hockey guy. I never played the sport, except for the old Bobby Hull tabletop version, with all the steel rods and plastic guys and the overhead scoreboard/puck drop feature. I can't even stand up on skates, much less swing a stick while doing it.

But even I know there are few things more exciting than the Stanley Cup Finals. Last night's epic game between Pittsburgh and Detroit provided ample evidence.

Petr Sykora's goal in the third overtime (left photo) gave the Penguins a dramatic 4-3 win to keep their hopes alive and send the series back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 Wednesday night. Third overtime! Almost 110 minutes of clock time. And none of it boring.

This after Pittsburgh’s Max Talbot punched in the tying goal with 34.3 seconds left in regulation. Detroit had taken a 3-2 lead in the third with two quick goals and looked poised to claim their fourth Stanley Cup title in 11 years before Talbot’s stunner extended the Penguin’s season for a few minutes -- and, as it turned out, for at least one more game.

Apart from all the remarkable, edge-of-your-seat action that took place between the nets, even a novice like me knows that Marc-Andre Fleury (right photo) played one of the most memorable games in goal in Stanley Cup history, stopping 55 of the 58 shots the Red Wings fired at him. “That was the game of his life,” said teammate Ryan Whitney. Good timing, that.

It occurred to me as I watched Game 5, and as I have watched the other games in this series, that hockey -- despite its status as the “fourth” of the major sports in the U.S. (note that I did not say “in North America”) -- is perhaps the one of those four that is the most true to its origins, the least spoiled by marketing and big money and pampered players.

Pro basketball is populated by better athletes than in generations past, no doubt. But players routinely travel. They foul at alarming rates. Few players are great outside shooters anymore. The college game is more interesting, and usually more exciting.

Baseball has been soiled by steroids. The strike zone is the size of a postage stamp. Pitchers are forced to serve up grapefruits for hitters to feast on. Banjo hitters and journeymen pitchers routinely earn millions.

Football is close to what it once was, but we seem to hear the antics of a Terrell Owens or a Pac-Man Jones more than anything else. And you never saw Johnny Unitas slide.

But you watch a hockey game, and you get the sense that it’s still very much the game that was played in years past. I realize that the NHL has discussed rule changes that would encourage more offense. But a check’s a check. A pass is a pass, a deflection’s a deflection, a save is a save. Face-offs are wonderfully chaotic and rough. Benches are separated by mere feet, and teams still line up to shake hands when it’s over.

Have any hockey players used steroids? Probably. Do they have run-ins with the law? I’m sure some do. Do stars get preferential treatment? I wouldn’t know it if I saw it, but my guess is, yes, they sometimes do.

But the beauty, speed and skill of the game remain constant. Like I said, I’m no expert, and I can’t promise that you’ll see a steady stream of hockey posts on this blog. But Monday’s game was one for the ages. And, for all the excitement of the moment, you could imagine Howe, Hull, Orr, Gretzky or Lemieux out there with the Penguins and the Red Wings (perhaps minus the helmets, in some cases), going toe to toe, loving every minute of it.

I may not be the hockey fan that some people are, but even I can appreciate the genuine nature of the game. And I’m definitely looking forward to Game 6 Wednesday night