Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins gave it their all - including a thrilling three-OT win in Game 5 and a scare at the very end of Game 6 - but the Detroit Red Wings would not be denied, capturing their 11th Stanley Cup last night. The Wings are a popular team with a large following, and this should mean good things for their hockey cards.
Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg has been on the hobby radar for several years, but his performance in the 2008 playoffs may rocket him up to superstar status. Also a finalist for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward during the regular season, his play reminds many people of former Red Wings great Steve Yzerman.
And if you're looking for a dark horse to get some love from collectors, how about goalie Chris Osgood? An afterthought for much of his second stint in Hockeytown, Osgood was inserted into the lineup after Dominik Hasek looked shaky through four games of the first round. All he did was play stellar hockey, giving up just a tad over a goal and a half per game and recording three shutouts. Now only the second goalie to backstop Cup-winning teams a decade or more apart, perhaps more people will realize how good (pun intended) he really is.
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