Fast Break

Stanley Cup

Finals should dazzle fans

Sid the Kid is set to take on Hockeytown.

With all due respect to the NHL’s other 28 teams, no other Stanley Cup finals matchup could sizzle quite like this one.

Sidney Crosby has lived up to the hype, and in his third NHL season has the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992 – when Mario Lemieux took the black and gold to the title.

To earn their third championship, the Penguins will have to overcome Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and the rest of the Red Wings. It all starts tonight in Joe Louis Arena, where fan-tossed octopi will smack the ice as they have for decades of playoff hockey in Detroit.

If a matchup were going to capture the attention of the casual sports fan and make the NHL matter during its showcase event, this seems to be the one to do it.

“It remains to be seen. I can’t say I hope this series goes long,” 46-year-old Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios said Friday. “On paper it’s so even – the stats, the matchups. You look at the rosters and there are stars and skill.”

Basketball

Pargo unsure on draft camp

Gonzaga junior point guard Jeremy Pargo hasn’t decided whether he’ll attend next week’s NBA predraft camp in Orlando, Fla.

“I booked my stuff to go down (to Orlando) and he needs to make a decision in a day or two,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said.

In April, Pargo declared himself eligible for the NBA draft, but he hasn’t signed with an agent, leaving open the option of returning for his senior year. The deadline to withdraw from the draft is June 16.

The predraft camp runs Tuesday-Friday and typically features 60-70 players. The list of participants is expected to be finalized Monday.