NHL Morning Papers: Stanley Cup Finals Edition

Here are the morning papers for the Stanley Cup Finals which begin on Saturday:

Detroit Red Wings (1) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (2):

• The Wings attributed much of their success last night in Game 5 versus Dallas to their terrific start, writes Helene St. James. The Red Wings’ checking line was responsible for half the team’s offense last night. On the injury front, Johan Franzen still has not been cleared to practice. With the Stars in the rearview mirror, here is a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins. Did you know the Penguins are the natural enemy of the octopi?
• The Penguins have a lot of impending free agents, so the time for them to win is now, writes Dave Molinari. In contrast, Ron Cook doesn’t seem as concerned as Molinari. While all the press the team receives concerns the offensive side of the puck, the Penguins have been quite effective defensively. Tickets for the finals go on sale on Wednesday.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

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