Not premature at all...

The Morning Skate

Yes, it is premature to say this, but if the Red Wings and Penguins meet in the Stanley Cup Final which becomes more likely each day , the series will be marked by this rarity: The last Penguins team to win the Stanley Cup, in 1992, was coached by Scotty Bowman. The last Red Wings team to win the Stanley Cup, in 2002, was coached by Scotty Bowman.

Perhaps the researchers at Elias Sports Bureau can figure out the last time that happened, if it has ever happened at all.

And wouldn’t it be nice if the NHL and these clubs honored Scotty along with the captains of those two teams — Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman — prior to Game 1 of the Final, maybe by having them drop the puck for the ceremonial opening faceoff?

If Philly loses tonight, it is all but over, and this Times blog is spot-on in its prediction. Certainly, the two best teams are showing their stuff; and a showdown between the two is going to be maybe the best Cup Final in quite some time. Watching the Flyers lose is ALWAYS something I find satisfying, though...