Believe: Red Wings 4-1 Blue Jackets
Three down, thirteen to go. Best of seven: Detroit 3-0 Columbus.

If there's one thing I like better than beating Buckeye scum, it's beating Buckeye scum in front of their crummy home town Buckeye scum crowd. Woot!

I must admit, though, that I am sick and tired of lodging this query every year: why is it that when the Red Wings hit the puck up into the netting behind the opposing goaltender, the puck is ruled to have gone out of bounds and the play is whistled dead (which is the N.H.L.'s official rule on the subject), but when opposing players hit the puck up into the netting behind the Red Wings' goaltender, the puck is ruled to have stayed in bounds and the play continues? I am also sick and tired of asking, year after year, the logical follow up question: are N.H.L. officials corrupt or incompetent? Because those are the only two options, they are either corrupt or incompetent. Personally, I vote for corrupt; Buckeye scum are well known to have deep pockets when it comes to bribing zebras. And sick and tired though I may be, I shan't stop, not until the N.H.L. either requires games to be called fairly, or comes out and admits the officially-tolerated corruption among its referees and linesmen. Of course, even with their tame zebras trying to throw the game, the B.J.s still sucked mightily and blew their best chance to get back into the series, puns fully intended.

Believe. Go Wings!