Ferrablog

The best and most insightful analysis of the Stanley Cup Finals I've read to date is this article by ESPN's Jim Kelley. And before the Thugary fans dismiss Kelley as a hack, or biased, note this recognition Kelley has received for his writing. Kelley notes that Thugary has gone to the trap:

Calgary often lays off the forecheck and reads off Tampa Bay's defensemen. Lightning defensemen often throw cross-ice passes in their own zone to facilitate their break out plays. When the Calgary forwards see that, they'll send in just one forechecker to force the pass, then set the trap for the Lightning receiver as he attempts to come out the other side. It's a complicated read, said a coach not associated with either team, but it's been happening a lot in the series. This "soft trap" slows Tampa's skating game while allowing Calgary to attack off the transition should they force the defensemen to surrender the puck between the blue line and the red line. It worked well in Calgary's Game 3 shutout and resulted in several scoring chances in Game 4. The Lightning got a bit of a handle on it in Game 4 and were chipping the puck out of their zone rather than try to pass it out.

He also points out that:

The perception from the Calgary side of the ice is that it was out of control in Game 2 (a 4-1 Tampa Bay win) under referees Stephen Walkom and Brad Watson, and got even worse in Game 4 (a 1-0 Tampa Bay win) when the crew of Kerry Fraser and Watson awarded the Lightning a five-on-three power play early in the game. The duo also was blamed by Calgary fans for taking the Flames out of contention with a five-minute major to Ville Nieminen for attempting to wallpaper Vincent Lecavalier to what appears to be non-stick glass in the Calgary Saddledome.

the truth is ... well, nothing can be further from the truth on this one.

Through the four games, the Flames have taken several physical liberties in their game of attrition. Tampa has many skilled players, Calgary has many hard workers. Sending skilled players to the training room is an equalizer tactic and an accepted one in many circles. It's also a reason many people have stopped watching hockey, but that's a column for another time.

It's no wonder Kelley won hockey's highest sportswriting award.