Although Everybody Tries, You Can’T Figure Out Scotty
Reporters avoid eye contact as Scotty Bowman passes. He heads down the Joe Louis Arena tunnel, alone, walking in a half-stomp, half-limp, a four-star general with a stone in his boot. Suddenly, he sees an arena worker carrying a large piece of pipe.
“Hey,” Bowman says, jutting out his chin. “What happened?”
There is a frozen moment before the worker answers. It is in this moment that the Bowman legend hisses. The way he asks the question. His squinty eyes. That jaw. You can almost hear the analysts now…
WORKMANLIKE DETROIT GRINDS OUT WIN IN FINALS OPENER
On a night where they reached for the highest heights, the story would be summed up by a man on his belly. Here was Darren McCarty, in the third period of this surprisingly tight Stanley Cup finals opener, and he saw trouble coming. Washington’s Joe Juneau, who...
For Your Eyes Only — The Red Wings Dossier
To: President Bill Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
We, the citizens of Detroit, can’t tell you how thrilled we are that our Red Wings are facing a Washington, D.C., hockey team for the Stanley Cup. The prospect of you attending a Wings game is truly exciting.
I believe you know our team. They were guests at the White House. No sir, they didn’t stay in the Lincoln Bedroom. We don’t have that kind of money. We had to give it to Sergei Fedorov.
How They Pick ‘Em
Here’s how the Free Press experts forecast the Pistons’ playoff chances:
* MITCH ALBOM: I actually like the Pistons’ chances against Boston better than their chances against Atlanta. Unfortunately, should they beat Washington — and they should — they would have to play the Hawks first.
In a long series, the Hawks just have too many horses. The only way the Pistons would get to a conference final — assuming they play Atlanta in the second round — is to catch the Hawks early, winning the first two games and putting the pressure on.
SCHOOLKIDS AREN’T USING MOVIE BULLETS
What if someone fired a gun at Charlton Heston?Someone who had a bad day at work. Someone who broke up with his girlfriend. Someone who was mad at his parents. Or a 5-year-old kid who watches too much TV.Perhaps that would change Heston’s point of view. The...
Back For Seconds Osgood’S Shutout Puts Red Wings Four Wins From Consecutive Stanley Cups
In the end, you could no more stop them than you could stop the moon. They rose to the occasion, they rose to the challenge, and finally — when the last seconds ticked away and Chris Osgood threw his hands into the air and leaped into a hug from Larry Murphy as a lonesome octopus came flying onto the ice — finally, they raised the roof. They were back to the big stage, the Stanley Cup finals, and they burst through the curtain with a certain swagger, as if they knew it would happen, as if they’ve been here before.
Memo To Wings Fans: Get Off Osgood’S Back
Chris Osgood was standing by his locker when I approached. He was sucking on a candy that smelled like a LifeSaver. Interesting choice of sweets, a LifeSaver, since that’s what half this city seems to want to throw him after Wednesday night’s loss.
But here’s a piece of news. He doesn’t need it. Doesn’t want it. And doesn’t deserve it.
“How do you feel about what happened?” I asked.
“Ticked off,” he said. “I was 85 seconds away from my best playoff series ever.”
“Does it make you want to play right now?”
OT SHOCKER: 90-FOOTER BEATS OSGOOD IN OVERTIME; DALLAS STAYS ALIVE
DALLAS — They were 85 seconds away from the big room, the bright lights, the top floor of the highest skyscraper, the Stanley Cup finals — and then a Big Dallas Taxi splashed dirty water all over their skates.Coming home. There will be a Game 6 in these...
What Do The Red Wings Do In Their Spare Time? Play Chess!What Do The Red Wings Want To Do Tonigh
Look, I’m not trying to make excuses for these guys. But hockey is rough business. The Red Wings need a release. They need to blow off steam. So, OK, maybe it isn’t “normal” behavior. But they’re big, powerful men. They have to do it. They gotta have it.
They need their chess.
Chess?
“We’re into it,” admits Darren McCarty.
Chess?
“Oh, yeah, every chance we get,” says Brendan Shanahan.
Chess? Chess. On the team plane. In the hotels. In the locker room. Chess. It may be Bobby Orr on the ice, but it’s Bobby Fischer everywhere else.
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