I know what you’re thinking, I’m going to pull the obvious word out my butt, but not yet. I’ll get to Letang and dreamy Mike Green and someone else in a second. But first up, Jeremy Roenick has been harping on the first word, DISCIPLINE. Coming from JR, it conjures a couple of thoughts because we all know and love the great JR.

OK. lost my train of thought, DISCIPLINE, yeah. That means not taking bad penalties, sticking to the game plan, not letting the other guy lure you into a fight (Drew – see another “D” that’s actually a two-fer) so the other team scores two goals while your fabulous ass is sitting in the penalty box or get into your head – oh say, Luongo, while you give snotty interviews after the game. I never had much respect for you in the first place, but I’m glad you showed the world what a class act you are when you give an interview telling everyone that your back-up is just as you good as you! SRSLY? Patrick Roy would NEVER had said that. In fact, when his team was down, he told them not another puck would get in, and it didn’t.

And that brings me to DESIRE. If you don’t have any, it will show (Luongo). As much as I may not like Capt. Serious, he certainly has it in spades as well as all the Blackhawks. So do a couple of other teams who’ve come back from major deficits to make a real go in the play-offs – Boston and Tampa Bay to name a few. You just can’t get wrapped so tight that you can’t see straight. As Obi-Won Kenobi said, “Use the force, Luke.” He didn’t mean, “Bend and Snap!” That’s for us!

And what eventually wins Lord Stanley’s Cup? DEFENSE as the Capitals are finding out. That’s where all the hotties are from Letang, Green and Doughty. Two of the three are still into it win it. The last, I’ll be sitting on his lap, feeding him 4X4’s from In-N-Out Burger and sipping Diet Cokes.

Lastly, making the DREAM come true. How many of these guys have dreamt of holding the cup over their head? From backyard ponds, streets, local rinks, with their friends, brothers. Making their sisters play goalie as they pretend to re-create iconic goals from past Stanley Cup play-offs as they dream of being Gretzsky or Orr or May making ‘the goal’ and then running around the neighborhood.

Tags: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Drew Doughty, Jeff Skinner, jeremy roenick, jonathan toews, Kris Letang, la kings, mike green, Patrick Roy, roberto luongo, tampa bay lightning, washington capitals