Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA – Phil Jackson is one step closer to getting another ring.  The Williston, ND product, who won 6 championships with Michael Jordan, has a new cast of characters.  New cast, same old Phil.  The San Antonio Spurs were up by 13 points in last night’s 5th game of the Western Conference Finals, but in the end it would be Jackson’s young cast of characters that would weather the perfect storm and write a script of their own.  It would have Duncan and the Spurs putting their basketball sneakers away in the end and seeing themselves being knocked off of their throne as NBA champions.  Now this young cast of characters must await the Celtics or the Pistons, and must find a way to write a championship script.  The Boston Celtics are up 3 games to 2.  It would be Bryant vs. Garnett.  The Spurs are left to wonder where it all fell apart.  In the playoffs, you must have the ability to grab a team when they’re down and put your foot on the gas and bury them.  The San Antonio Spurs did not have the resiliency that an NBA champion resembles.  It sounded like the Los Angeles Lakers have the heart of a champion.  Final Score:  Lakers 100, Spurs 92.  With the win, LA moves on and claims the Western Conference crown.  4 games to 2 over the San Antonio Spurs.

It’s been a busy off season for the devilish bunch with several additions to the sports landscape.  First, BHS added two new coaches to the hockey roster that should be familiar to Bobcat fans, former head coach Dane Litke and assistant Mike Peluso.  They were given a new lease on their hockey lives when Skylar Marquart headed for the skies.  Also, stepping down, was girls legendary coach Steve Meier.  To fill that position the Demons went to the heavens and picked up one of Fred Fridley’s former players, Andrea Ronderos.  JB SportsCorner will be watching to see how this affects the high school landscape.

A change of scenery helped the Pittsburgh Penguins cut the Red Wing 2-0 lead in half in the series.  Sidney Crosby, the captain of the Penguins, was first to draw blood at 17:25 of the first period.  The Penguins assault on starting goalie #30 Chris Osgood did not stop, but rather got fueled by another goal by “Sid the Kid” on the pow-pow-power-play at 2:34 of the second.  The deficit was cut in half when “the big mule”(Johan Franzen) struck and was aided by a second consecutive Pens’ penalty.  Adam Hall made a smart play when he shot the puck off the back of Osgood from the back of the net at 7:18.  Mikael Samuelsson drew the Wings to within 1 at 13:37, setting up feverish run to the finish.

Red Wings look to take commanding 3:0 lead tonight in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Penguins work to regain momentum after being shot out the first two games in Detroit. They didn’t score any goals and right now the Penguins are looking for any sign of life. The Penguins face a must-win situation. The key for the Red Wings has been good goal-tending. Will that continue or will Pittsburgh finally solve the Red Wings goally? Can the Red Wings carry the momentum from the first two games or will Pittsburgh’s home ice help Pittsburgh get back into the series? For all the answers, you can tune into NBC @ 7:00 p.m. @ Melon Arena, home of the Penguins. For continuing updates, keep it right here where the NHL lives, JBsportscorner.

Going into the series, this very website had talked to you about the goalies and how I thought the goal tending would be a big key.  So far that statement has held true on the Detroit side of things.  The Red Wings have gotten explosive offense through the first two games and now are just two wins away from the franchise’s 11th cup.  Chris Osgood has been a marvelous goalie all playoffs long.  Ever since he has taken over for Dominick Hasek, who has been used as a bench-warmer, Osgood has kept the Wings on an indestructible path toward lifting the Lord Stanley “Red Wing” Cup.  #30 has proven to be the answer and has been head coach Mike Babcock’s lucky number, which has been just fine with this observer.  Why would you deviate between a goalie that’s been hot, and a goalie that has been warming the bench and needs to get his head screwed on right?