Zetterberg; Conn Smythe Winner

I've seen two NHL games in my life.  The first was in 1978 in Los Angeles.  The second was last year in Vancouver.  Both times...the opposition team just happened to be the Detroit Red Wings.

In Vancouver, I wasn't there to see the Wings, I was there for the Canucks.  That game wasn't to be for the Canucks...and little did I know that I would be watching the eventual Stanley Cup champions (oh, I thought that would go the other way and I could say that about the Canucks). 

I brought the camera and snapped and snapped and snapped photos.  Some of which I threw into a photo album and wrote a blog post about it.  Most of those were of my favorite Canuck players that I finally got a chance to see up close.

But, hey...I've got the Tre Kroner sweater and Sweden are the second team I cheer for during international play.  I love watching Elitserien hockey when I can...and I admire the loads of Swedish players that play in the NHL (and I like pickled herring, Spendrups and a good shot of schnapps on the side).  In fact, when watching the Canucks vs Red Wings, I was wondering if they would play the Swedish national anthem in addition to the Star Spangled Banner and O' Canada.  The Wings are the only team in the NHL that rival the Canucks in per capita Swedes in sweaters.

But, quietly, I was rooting for the kids to push this series to seven.  Once the series hit 6 games, I was happy it was a competitive series and I really didn't care which team won.  In fact, in the end, the best team did win.  The Wings were just like they were way back in October when I saw them play the Canucks...tight, business-like and very very smart on the ice.  They made a very strong Penguins team look silly and confused (re: Malkin).  That is a sign of a good champion.  Watching Lidstrom lift the cup was a bit different.  Again, like his form on the ice...stoic and business-like.  But, you couldn't wipe that grin off his face for anything...he wanted that cup and he and his team earned it.

So, I give you...the Conn Smythe Award winner; Henrik Zetterberg.