2009 Stanley Cup final: Detroit takes game one.

The 2009 Stanley Cup final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings began yesterday with an intense matchup. The Wings won the game by the score of 3-1.

The live boards helped the Red Wings on the first goal of the game. Brad Stuart's shot towards Marc-Andre Fleury's net hitted the backboards, came back towards the net, hitted Pittsburgh goaltender before crossing the goal line. Ruslan Fedotenko tied the game at one before the end of first period.

Johan Franzen sent the Wings ahead for good during the second period when his shot from the side of the net hitted the sprawling Penguins goaltender and finished it's course in the net once again. Chris Osgood made numerous saves during this second period to keep his team ahead. He kept his best saves for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Justin Abdelkader scored the last goal of the game when he gloved his own rebound before sending the puck over Fleury's right shoulder. This was Abdelkader's first NHL playoff goal of his career.

Final score: Detroit Red Wings 3 - Pittsburgh Penguins 1 (Detroit leads the series by 1-0.)

(Picture: Canadian Press.)

2009 Stanley Cup final: Revenge.

This year's Stanley Cup final will feature the same two teams that battled in the final last season. The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings will try to fend off the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second year in a row.

I picked the ''revenge'' theme for this piece for a couple of good reasons.

First of all, the Penguins will try to avenge their 2008 Stanley Cup final loss to the Red Wings. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are amazing athletes and only a championship will satisfy them. To have a second shot at the Wings is a gift of fate.

But another individual is also thirsty for a Cup and seeking revenge. After the 2008 season, Marian Hossa refused to sign a new contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins and decided to join the Detroit Red Wings. As the saying goes: If you can't beat them, join them.

Game one of this best of seven series is scheduled for tonight.

2009 Memorial Cup: Windsor's incredible journey.

The 2009 Memorial Cup held in Rimouski, Quebec will be remembered for what the Windsor Spitfires accomplished.

After losing the first two games during the first round, Windsor managed to win their last game of the round and force a barrage match with the host team. A match that Windsor won during the third period.

Then Windsor edged a sick and bruised Drummondville team by the score of 3-2 in overtime to qualify for this afternoon's final. Drummondville's goaltender, Marco Cousineau was fantastic and was named best goaltender of the tournament.

The Spitfires struck early with three goals during the first period to take a dominant position over the Kelowna Rockets in this final match. Windsor sailed on to a 4-1 victory and clinched the Memorial Cup.

Only one team managed to play the final after going through the barrage. But the 2002 Tigres de Victoriaville lost the final. Windsor then becomes the very first team to win the Memorial Cup coming from the barrage match.

Congratulations to the 2009 Canadian Junior champions, the Windsor Spitfires.

(Picture: Ryan Ellis, Canadian Press.)

2009 Memorial cup: Kelowna and Drummondville out of the blocks.

The four teams involved in the 2009 Memorial Cup competition held in Rimouski have played their first match of the first round.

Two days ago, the competition began with the host team, the Rimouski Oceanic versus the Kelowna Rockets. Kelowna completely dominated a major portion of the game and easily won the game by the score of 4-1. Rimouski's goaltender, Maxim Gougeon, had to make many saves to avoid a worse result on the scoreboard. Gougeon stopped 38 of the 42 shots he faced.

Yesterday, the Drummondville Voltigeurs faced the Windsor Spitfires in a very disputed match that required an overtime period to declare a winner.

During this overtime period, Drummondville's Maxime Frenette pounced on a loose puck at the side of Windsor's net and sent a quick backhanded shot that beated goaltender Andrew Engelage. Drmmondville's goaltender, Marco Cousineau, was also excellent in this duel that ended by the score of 3-2.

Windsor was looking good and had a one goal lead on Drummondville at the start of the third period. The OHL team had an impressive 45-0-1 record this season with a lead after two frames. But despite this awesome record, they could not hold off Drummondville.

With less than six minutes to play, Philippe Lefebvre beated Engelgage with a very ordinary shot to tie the score at 2 and force an overtime period. Windsor's goaltender must've experienced a few nightmares during this past night.

Windsor will now face the host team, the Rimouski Oceanic while the Kelowna Rockets and the Drummondville Voltigeurs will battle to keep their perfect record intact.

(Pictures: Kelowna Rockets and Drummondville Voltigeurs, Canadian Press.)

Cruel ending for Shawinigan.

The Quebec Junior Major Hockey League final series between the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Cataractes de Shawinigan was very disputed and was an exciting one to follow.

Coming back from a 1-3 deficit in the series, the Cataractes managed to win games five and six to force the presentation of game seven in Drummondville yesterday evening. Neither of those teams had won Quebec's championship in their history and a place in the Memorial Cup tournament as Quebec's champion was at stake.

Drummondville ended Shawinigan's streak by winning game seven by the score of 3-2. Both teams deserved to win but only one place was available unfortunatly. So Drummondville will represent the league along with the host team, the Rimouski Oceanic.

Even worse for Shawinigan, their quest for a first Memorial Cup participation during those playoffs represented a second failure this season. The city was in the ranks to host the competition but was discarded by the deciding powers because the city's new arena was feared to be incomplete. The arena hosted it's first league game back in 2008...

Yesterday's cruel seventh game elimination will be tough to swallow for Shawinigan. Their team had a wonderful season but fell just a bit short at the conclusion.

I will follow the 2009 Memorial Cup competition with interest but am a bit deceived not to see the Cataractes in it. Congratulations to the champions and good luck for the rest of the way.

(Picture: The Drummondville Voltigeurs, RDS.)

Good news for Patrick Carpentier.

After a difficult first season with Gillett-Evernham, Patrick Carpentier will be a part of the next NASCAR Nationwide series race this weekend at the Darlington Raceway for the Diamond Plywood 250.

Carpentier will drive the 07 for SK Motorsports in replacement of David Green. Carpentier is delighted to be back behind a NASCAR wheel. Even if he never saw the car he is about to drive and never actually drove in it, Carpentier expects good results on one of his favorite tracks.

A good result in this race could reward him with a car to compete in this current Nationwide series season. Patrick hopes to be back in the NASCAR Nextel series as a regular driver as soon as possible. His talent and experience could really help a team in need of a good driver.

During his first ever season in the Nextel series, Carpentier's season highlight was the fact that he registered a pole position with, (let's say it), a very ordinary car. His '08 season was also shortened abruptly when Gillett-Evernham decided to put an american born driver in their car to bring more sponsors with the team late in the season.

Let's wish him the best this weekend at Darlington.

(Picture: Patrick Carpentier, Canadian Press.)