Which young National Hockey League superstar will be the first to win two Stanley Cups?
We could find out in mid-June whether it's Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks or Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both are 25 years of age, have one Cup each to their credit and appear headed for a Stanley Cup final showdown. Their teams were the class of their respective conferences during the shortened 48-game regular season and neither has shown any signs of slowing down in the post-season.
Crosby, generally acclaimed as the best hockey player in the world, won his Cup in 2009, leading the Penguins past Detroit Red Wings in the final. The next year, Toews and his Hawks were crowned champs, downing Philadelphia in the final.
Having two teams other than Pittsburgh and Chicago in this year's final would have to be regarded as a huge surprise. The Penguins were nine points better than runner-up Montreal in the Eastern Conference, and Chicago's closest rival in the West, 11 points behind, was Anaheim. Both of those runner-up teams are already on the sidelines, leaving what appears to be a clear path for Pittsburgh and Chicago to zip through to the final.
Hockey fans all across North America are rooting hard for Crosby. He missed most of the 2011-12 season with a concussion. After this year's lockout ended in January, he got off to a sensational start with the Penguins, leading the scoring race by a mile before he took a slapshot in the jaw, fracturing it, and causing all kinds of tooth damage. He made it back in time for the playoffs and has been playing some of his best hockey.
Crosby, who wears the number 87 because he was born Aug. 7 (8-7) in 1987, may be on top of his game because he's so fresh thanks to all the injury time off. It says here that in mid-June, he'll still be fresh enough to carry the Stanley Cup around either the Consol Energy Centre in Pittsburgh or the United Center in Chicago.
T. J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, on what would happen if Josh Hamilton swung a bat at him in retaliation for a column he wrote critical of the Angel slugger: "Everyone knows he would miss, especially if I ducked low and away from him."
Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald: "A new hybrid sport called FootGolf combines soccer and golf. The basic goal is to combine the elements of soccer with the elements of golf to create a TV viewing experience that functions as a cure for insomnia."
Charles P. Pierce at Grantland.com: "Alex Ovechkin . . . skated all over the ice, hitting everything except the net. Ovechkin finished the series with one goal, but he was credited with 13 hits (in Game 7), and 13 hits is great if you happen to be the Supremes, but not so hot if you're one of the most gifted offensive hockey players on the planet."
Mark Whicker of the Orange County Register on Twitter: "Mike Keenan hired by Mettalurg Magnitogorosk of KHL. And they thought Putin was a tough guy."
Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald: "A Reddit user who has never played competitive basketball declared himself eligible for the NBA draft 'after a few drinks.' So it sounds like the Charlotte Bobcats found their second-round pick."
Comedy writer Jim Barach: "Boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is the highest earning athlete for the second straight year. Although that would be changed if there was ever a pay per view showing of a fight between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia."
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: "Tiger Woods won the Players Championship and also made Sergio Garcia really mad. So it was like winning twice!"
R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com: "Thomas Tusser is credited with the proverb 'A fool and his money are soon parted.' In a related item, Jerry Jones gave Tony Romo a $108 million contract extension."
Headline at TheOnion.com: "Cleveland Browns gearing up to punt ball down opponents' throats."
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "A semi-truck overturned on I-271 near Richfield, Ohio, spilling hundreds of hot dogs. Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval immediately put in for a bereavement day."
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: "The latest player caught in baseball's testing program is a Marlins minor league pitcher who has been suspended 50 games. If you have to cheat and you can't even make the Miami Marlins roster, maybe it's time to find a new career choice."
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Another one from Cote: "Tim Tebow remains unsigned. 'Hey, you know he's in trouble if even I can't help him,' said God."
Cote one more time: "Alabama coach Nick Saban called it 'terribly disappointing' that Florida assistant Tim Davis called him the devil. 'Hey, being compared to Saban isn't exactly a thrill for me, either,' said Satan."
