The Stanley Cup Finals are winding to an end as we wait to see whether Chicago can close the deal or whether Philadelphia can make one more comeback. What is undisputed, however, is an old school style of play has been brought back to the Finals, a refreshing bit of snarl in the form of Chris Pronger.
I'll start off with a disclaimer. I am a huge fan of the Los Angeles Kings. [I'll wait while you stop snickering!] As such, I fully enjoyed living up to my obligation of despising Pronger when he was on the Anaheim Ducks. Even so, one can't help but love his presence and play in the Stanley Cup Finals this year. I would even go so far as to say he is the hands down MVP whether the Flyers win or not.
The great thing about Pronger is he is a throwback player. He's perfect for the Flyers with their rough and tumble image. He reminds you of Scott Stevens and other defensemen who hit forwards both physically and mentally. The ability of he and Matt Carle to shut down the Toews-Kane line for four games has made this a serious when perhaps it otherwise could have been a sweep.
Perhaps even better is his public persona. You don't get mind numbing clichés from Pronger. No, you get quotes from a guy who doesn't care about the public relations game at all. He'll play the mental game with the Blackhawks players, but not with the press. It is a breath of fresh air to say the least!
Will Pronger's success reintroduce the old ways to hockey again? It's unlikely. The league has worked to hard to get that stuff out of the game, which is unfortunate. Perhaps one Chicago newspaper put it perfectly. They listed the reasons to hate Pronger, but finished up by writing that the Blackhawks should sign him if ever became available.
Ah, the perfect hockey player. You love him on your team, but hate him on others.
Boris Opach is with TheAngryBlade.com - a blog covering hockey and the NHL.
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