Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins

Old school hockey prevails. The Detroit Red Wings are the new NHL champions, rolling over everyone in their path to the Stanley Cup. At least they got a good fight from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who extended the series to a Game 6 with a stunning last-minute goal by Max Talbot, followed by a classic triple-OT winner by Petr Sykora.

Unfortunately for Penguins supporters, their lasting memories of the Stanley Cup final will be about how agonizingly close Pittsburgh came to making a second storybook comeback. The score was 3-1 for Detroit with less than two minutes to go in Game 6; Marian Hossa made it 3-2 on the power play, and then came agonizingly close to scoring again just as time expired.

At least that amazing ending will help people forget about the play that led to Detroit’s third goal. Marc-Andre Fleury had the misfortune of putting it into his own net as he tried to cover it up after initially making a save. Luck happens.

Beware of the mighty “Mule”, Penguins fans; Detroit Red Wings top goal scorer Johan Franzen has been cleared by the team’s doctors to practice with the guys on Friday. Although he probably won’t lace up for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he’ll likely get the green light for Game 2 if all goes well.

“Based upon the news we got today, we are hopeful to see him sometime during the series, but he’s doubtful for Game 1,” general manager Ken Holland told reporters.

Franzen missed the last five games of the Red Wings’ series against the Dallas Stars due to “concussion-like symptoms” but has maintained his top spot on the NHL’s playoff goals list (12). So you can see why everyone in Detroit is anxious to get him suited up and back in the lineup.

“He’s ready,” Coach Mike Babcock said. “He’s tipping pucks to the back of the net, he’s flying around at a hundred miles an hour. He’s ready to go, we’ve just got to get the OK.”

Sportsbooks have the Detroit Red Wings favored (slightly) to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins and win the Stanley Cup.

Can Marian Hossa help the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup?

You couldn’t have scripted a better Stanley Cup final. The most talented teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences have survived the playoff grind - so far. The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings are very closely matched; odds were still pending at press time, but the Wings figure to be slight favorites for the series and moderate faves for Saturday’s series opener at Joe Louis Arena.

Having home-ice advantage might be the only thing separating Detroit from the Penguins. The experience factor is certainly on the side of the Red Wings, but statheads have never really bought into the idea that you need to learn how to win a championship. If anything, age could be an anchor for Detroit at the end of a long season, facing a Penguins team loaded with marquee players in their early 20s.

The way I see it, deadline additions Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis make the Penguins the team to beat.

We’ve moved into the Frozen Four section of the NHL playoffs. The Western Conference final got underway Thursday night with the Detroit Red Wings (-225) beating the Dallas Stars 4-1. The Red Wings went into this series as the 3-2 favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Dallas was 3-1 and on a roll after upsetting the San Jose Sharks in the Western semis. What looked like a very promising series will turn into a Detroit massacre if Game 1 is any indication.

The Eastern final between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins starts Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Penguins are heavy –230 favorites to win the series and 2-1 to take their third Cup in team history; Philadelphia is 11-2. The Flyers have the steeper uphill skate to add Cup No. 3 to their collection, more so now that All-Star defenseman Kimmo Timonen has developed a blood clot in is left ankle.

Jaromir Jagr rocks the classic mullet.

Jaromir Jagr’s phenomenal NHL career may have come to an end. The impending free agent says he’ll play at least one more year of hockey, but that could wind up being in Europe. If so, Jagr leaves behind a Hall of Fame legacy that included two Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, an Olympic gold medal – and one of the best mullets ever to grace a hockey card. Business in front, party at the back.

Even in its prime, Jagr’s bouffant could never compare with George Parros. Check out the lid on this guy. Parros plays right wing for the Anaheim Ducks, but he’s more famous for his swarthiness. I’m sure he fit in quite nicely with his classmates at Princeton.

But my award for Best Hockey Hair goes to Alexei Kovalev of the Montreal Canadiens. Did you see Game 5 of the Bruins-Habs series where Kovalev lost his helmet and scored a goal? Or was it Guy Lafleur?

During the post-game interviews immediately following the New York Rangers’ third straight loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jaromir Jagr was quoted as saying this may be his last year. Clearly, the star forward was frustrated by the team’s inability to win a crucial game on home ice, but many are thinking that Jagr may be hinting at retiring or at the very least, leaving the New York Rangers. There’s talk the 36-year-old may be headed back to Russia to play hockey. (Read more Jaromir Jagr here.)

And then there’s Brendan Shanahan, whose one-year contract with the New York Rangers is up at the end of the season. At 38, Shanahan’s been in the game longer than most and his retirement wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Still, he’s not ready to give up just yet.

“I don’t want to talk about that stuff. I’m just thinking about that next game,” Shanahan told reporters. “I dig for everything I have on every shift of every game I play. But it’s now a matter where we’re facing the realization that, unless the production is there from us individually and as a team, obviously [the Penguins] found a way to be on top in each and every game.

Game 4 between the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers goes down tonight. Also facing elimination are the Colorado Avalanche, who are at home to the Detroit Red Wings. Get all your Stanley Cup playoffs betting here.

Betting on the NHL playoffs? There’s still hope for Canada’s last remaining team, the Montreal Canadians, who are not out of it yet.

The Montreal Canadiens are finally back in their rightful place among the elite teams in the NHL. After 15 years in the wilderness, the Habs finished first in the Eastern Conference and rode the phenomenal goaltending of wunderkind Carey Price into the second round of the playoffs.

Except Price has been tagged for 10 goals on 68 shots by the Philadelphia Flyers. He was replaced by Jan Halak early in Game 3; the starter for Game 4 had yet to be announced at press time. It’s la fin du monde.

Price is a superstar in the making, so there’s no reason to panic. That can wait until the next round of the playoffs, where it’s almost certain the Pittsburgh Penguins will be waddling in wait. After taking three straight in their series with the New York Rangers, the Pens are 7-0 in the postseason and 8.71 units in the black. This looks like their year.

Sidney Crosby was all smiles after sweeping the Sens in Round One.

Montreal Canadians vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The only Canadian team remaining in the NHL playoffs, the Montreal Canadians will face-off against the Philadelphia Flyers in what should be a tough series. The Flyers have a lot of depth and lead the Stanley Cup playoffs in goals (23) after its opening series win over the Washington Capitals. Look for Saku Koivu and Carey Price to ignite just the right amount of energy to even things out for the Canadiens. This second-round series starts Thursday (7 p.m. EST).

Canadians: 7/4 odds to win the Eastern Conference; Flyers: 8/1 odds to win the Eastern Conference.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will take to the center ice on Friday when the Pittsburgh Penguins meet the New York Rangers. The Penguins earned the only sweep of the first round by knocking out the Ottawa Senators, but the Rangers can pack a powerful punch with Jaromir Jagr (eight points) and Scott Gomez (seven points) leading the offensive battle. This matchup starts Friday (7 p.m. EST).

Penguins: 6/5 odds to win the Eastern Conference; Rangers: 7/2 odds to win the Eastern Conference.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche
Here’s a rivalry we haven’t seen in awhile…the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanch. Nicklas Lidstrom and Joe Sakic are the wiley veterans for each respective team. This one heats up on Thursday (7:30 p.m. EST).

Red Wings: 2/3 odds to win the Western Conference; Avs: 13/2 odds to win the Western Conference.

San Jose Sharks vs. Dallas Stars
After just barely squeaking past the Calgary Flames in the first round, the San Jose Sharks will have to dig deep to fend off the Dallas Stars, who appear to be the stronger of the two teams heading into this second-round matchup, which gets going on Friday (10 p.m. ET).

Sharks: 11/4 odds to win the Western Conference; Stars: 9/2 odds to win the Western Conference.

Now is this time to bet on hockey so you should consider if the puck line has value. The point spread is similar to that of a point spread in football or basketball however the spread is always fixed at 1.5 goals. The favorite will lay -1.5 goals and the underdog will get +1.5 goals.

Puck line odds have 3 factors that affect it. First is the team’s probability of winning. A team with a higher probability of winning is more likely to win by more than one goal. The second factor is if it’s a home vs. a road game. Its common knowledge that the home team is more likely to win then the road team is. The third factor to think about is average goals scored. As the average number of goals increases, the probability of winning by more than one goal increases.

Should you bet on the puck line? Based on your expectations for the home team probability of winning and average goals scored you can determine the approximate probability that the team will win by more than one goal. Good luck!

Why don’t you try your luck out: Bet on tonights game, Stars vs. Ducks

Since when can an NHL goalie get away with throwing his stick at a referee? If you watched last night’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Phoenix Coyotes you know exactly what I’m talking about…

Sure, they were getting their butts kicked (5-2) but for the Phoenix Coyotes goaltender to lose his cool and throw his stick against the boards, narrowly missing the referee, and not get a call? Well, that’s just wrong. Especially when the refs are calling lesser unsportsmanlike penalties — like the one handed out to Canuck defenceman Kevin Bieksa (in the Vancouver vs. Dallas game) — who was penalized for elbowing when his team was already shorthanded and then had another two minutes added for slamming the door to the penalty box.

Playing by the rules…

According to the NHL Rulebook, Rule No. 88 “Stick Throwing” states: “A misconduct or game misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the Referee, shall be imposed on a player who throws his stick or any part thereof outside the playing area. If the offense is committed in protest of an Official’s decision, a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct plus a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to the offending player.”

And according to Rule No. 41, “Unsportsmanlike Conduct”, which states: “A gross misconduct penalty shall be assessed to anyone who throws or shoots any equipment or other object in the general direction of an Official but does not come close to making any kind of contact. This action may occur on or off the ice.

Right now in most sportsbooks the Phoenix Coyotes are listed at 80/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. The Edmonton Oilers are listed at 200/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.