With the Stanley Cup finals looming and my beloved Penguins out of the tourney, I have had to find some scrap of sentiment to assertain who to cheer for. The New Jersey Devil's, or the Los Angelas Kings? Both present some discontented grumbles as this die hard Pen's fan reflects on a life time of memories.
Growing up a mere hour and a half from Pittsburgh in the Mario Lemiuex era, I had an immeadiate disliking for the L.A. Kings. Let's face it, L.A. was home to the long touted king of hockey Wayne Gretzky, who with his Four Cup titles was the concenus, "greatest player to ever play the game." We here in Pittsburgh land knew the truth however. The most prolific scorer to ever lace the skates was our's. Recognition was finally bestowed to Mario after his miraculous return to defend the cup in 1993. After missing a large portion of the season due to a knee injury, Oh no wait it was CANCER, yea CANCER, that sidelined him. Mario still returned to win both the scoring title and a second Stanley Cup. Sports Illuistrated ceremoniously pronounced him, "Mr. Hockey," and with that forever legitimized the greatest player ever argument.
So, obviously I can't root for L.A. because of the Gretzky annimosity. But New Jersey? How in the world could this, "bleeding black and gold," fan ever back Jersey? It was Jersey who stopped the pen's bid for 3rd cup in 94' with a game 7 overtime goal that pretty muched stopped the post season escapades of the Mario era. Not to mention the style of choking defense they popularised, "the trap," that stimied offense in the game for nearly a decade before the league ousted the 2 line off-side pass rule that broke the game back open. Jersey and Claude Lemiuex and thier stinking brat kids on Jersey shore and all the Soporana wanna be's, and that goalie Brodeur? Wait a minute, Marty Brodeuer is still playing?
Yes, Martin Brodeur, The Devil's all time winningest goalie is still playing and playing well. The man may go down as the greatest player at his position. In 21 NHL seasons Marty still boasts a lifetime 2.23 goals against average, as well as a phenomenal .913 save percentage. Minus this playoff season Brodeur has faced 32,518 shots. He's stopped 29,915 of them. He owns 3 Stanley Cup rings to go along with 2 Olympic Gold medals. If I tried to list all his awards and milestones I would be typing for the next 3 hours. The point is relativley speaking as the sports world goes, Marty is old. Older than dino poop and can remeber the guy who invented the puck. Brodeur played hisfirst NHL game in 1989. This was also the same year I played ice hockey for the first time. I was 10. In the two decades since you would have never heard the Penguin fanatic utter a kind word of Brodeur or the Devils. But as the looking glass of time clearifies and purifies all, I have become a convert. When you reach a certain age and you realise your childhood dreams of raising the Stanley cup above your own head will never materialise, you root for those out there who beat the odds to so themselves. As I watch Brodeur and the Devils contend for a 4th cup, I am watching a man that by most thoughts is over the hill and way past his prime, strive and reach the pinnacle of the sports world in which he lives. I too can believe that somehow the same magic that that has graced Mr. Brodeur could somehow find me. So all it took was twenty years to cheer the villian for which I jeered.
