2008 STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 4 NOTES

Game 4 Notes….. The Penguins are 9-0 at the Mellon Arena since the playoffs started back in April…. The suspense surrounding Power Forward Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings and his injury will apparently continue right up until the puck drop of Game 4 as he will be a game-time decision. Holmstrom, who experienced groin problems in March, hurt himself when Pens defenseman Hal Gill can-openered him in Game 3….. Some Television-related numbers from Game 3…. NBC’s Rating for Game 3 was 2.8 (the first network broadcast of the Finals)….. The total number of American viewers who tuned in Wednesay night was 4.46 million (last year’s Stanley Cup Finals between the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks averaged 1.76 million viewers)…. Television Ratings share in Detroit was 18.2 (really phenomenal, considering more people watched hockey than the NBA Eastern Conference Finals featuring the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics)… The Television Ratings share in Pittsburgh was a mind-boggling 33.1……… The Conn Smythe Trophy talk continues to heat up going into Game 4 of the Cup Finals with Henrik Zetterberg (12 goals, 11 assists, 23 points) and Sidney Crosby (6 goals, 17 assists, 23 points) getting the majority of the votes. I personally believe Pavel Datsyuk (9 goals, 10 assists, 19 points), Marian Hossa (9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points), Johan Franzen (13 goals, 4 assists, 17 points) and Chris Osgood (12-2, 1.48 GAA, 3 shutouts) would make strong cases for the crown as well… “NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement yesterday from Pittsburgh saying a moment of silence will be observed Saturday prior to Game 4″(source: The Canadian Press)… The moment of silence will be in memory of Vancouver Canucks/Manitoba Moose defenseman Luc Bourdon (Shippagan, New Brunswick), who passed away Thursday in a motorcycle accident….

For Illegal Curve, I’m Ezra Ginsburg.