The Halifax Chronicle-Herald's Willy Palov spoke to Pittsburgh Penguins captai Sidney Crosby's father, Troy, about his Game 7 jitters:
June 12, Halifax Chronicle-Herald: "No matter what happens, it's going to be a pretty emotional day," said Troy, who expected to be joined by his wife Trina and daughter Taylor in Detroit on Thursday evening. "It's been a tight series except for that one game in Detroit -- Game 5. But I think the team is pretty confident and they believe in themselves. They don't seem to get too high or too low. They just stick to their game and I think they're pretty confident in what they can do. They just seem really focused on what they have to do."The Penguins forced a seventh game with a 2-1 win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and now have a chance to erase the memory of last year's six-game loss to the Red Wings in the final.
It's a series that has captivated the attention of thousands of hockey fans in Nova Scotia, but for the father of the Cole Harbour superstar the outcome tonight clearly carries exponentially more significance. But as much as Troy readily admits he is feeling the stress of the moment, he reports that Sidney is remarkably calm given the circumstances.
"He doesn't really change that much. He knows what he has to do and what the team has to do," Troy said. "You can't get too wound up about it in a situation like that because then you get too nervous about it. I'm sure everyone's going to be a little nervous; they're going to be excited, even in Detroit. You can say all you want about experience but you're human and you're going to have some nerves. Everybody on both sides is going to have some nerves (today), I think."
The elder Crosby readily admits that he wants to see his son lift the Stanley Cup tonight:
"I've been dreaming about it for a long time," he said. "To get this close, it's kind of surreal, really. Hopefully in another 36 hours or so it will be a reality, I hope. We'll see what happens. We'll get all the good luck charms pulled out and hope for the best."
The CBC posted a very different take from Darren Helm's hometown of St. Andrews, Manitoba:
June 12, CBC: People in St. Andrews, north of Winnipeg, are preparing to cheer on local NHL hero Darren Helm and his Detroit Red Wings on Friday night in the Stanley Cup's decisive Game 7.Hundreds are expected to gather at the local hockey arena to watch on big screens the winner-take-all championship game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"The pride is unreal. I mean there's signs up at Harry's Foods; there's signs up at the community club and the school; there's signs up, so everyone is just going hog wild on this," said Darren Zembik, the ice maker at the local arena. "They're quite ecstatic and excited about Darren Helm in the Stanley Cup finals. I mean, let's face it. It's Game 7. It's every kid's dream."
Helm, 22, has helped the Red Wings reach the Stanley Cup finals each of the past two years. Last season, Detroit won the NHL championship in six games against the Penguins.
This post-season, Helm has scored four goals, including the series winner against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference final. Zembik hopes the party on Friday is only a prequel to another in a month or so. If the Red Wings win, Helm is expected to bring the Stanley Cup back to the community for another visit.
"Obviously, I'm going to have to talk to Darren, but I know for sure he'll want to have a big party and things are in the works right now," he said. "So let's keep our fingers crossed."
Source :http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/06/pittsburgh_penguins_forward_si.html
