Now, it's a best of 1

Everything is out the window. All the history, all the stats, all the situations, and playing the game of "What if?" that sports fans love to play. Regardless of what has happened before, it all comes down to this. Eighty two regular season games, two months of playoffs, all the cuts, bumps, bruises, scrapes, blood, and desire to be the best comes down to this.

Game 7.

With the Pens decisive 2-1 victory over the Red Wings last night, the series is tied 3-3. The possession of Lord Stanley's Cup will be settled Friday night in Joe Louis Arena. The Cup will be in the building with only one team carrying it out, but this time both teams are eligible to take it home. As the commercial says, the Cup weighs 35 pounds - except when you're lifting it above your head.

What I love about this game 7 is not only that we get one more hockey game before the season ends, or that it provides one of the most exciting Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory, but the fact that nothing that happened up to this point really matters.

It doesn't matter that Pittsburgh beat Detroit in their first regular season meeting in Joe Louis 7-6 in overtime, mainly thanks to a hat trick by Jordan Staal in the third period and a steal in overtime to set up the game-winning goal. It doesn't matter that Detroit beat Pittsburgh in their second, and last, regular season meeting at the Igloo 3-0, where the Pens could do no right and the Wings looked like a championship caliber team. It doesn't matter that the home team has won every game in this series. It doesn't matter that after a 2-2 series, 14 of the 19 teams that won game 5 won the series. It doesn't matter that in the eight of those series going to a game 7, the team on the losing end of game 5 has won five of those eight.

What does matter?

Game 7.

This game will come down to who wants it more. Detroit knows what it has to do. It's been here before, having won four Stanley Cups since 1997. They also know what it takes to win a game 7. The Red Wings were pushed to the brink in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit scored with under four minutes to go giving themselves a 4-3 lead and eventually 4-3 victory. The Red Wings know exactly what they need to do, and they plan on doing it in game 7.

But Pittsburgh is hungry. The Penguins are looking for their first Stanley Cup win since 1992 with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr at the helm. Last year, they got a taste of what it's like not only to be in the Finals, but to lose the Finals. They know what it takes to win a game 7. The Pens travelled to Washington in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, facing the Capitals. Pittsburgh walloped them 6-2, allowing the Pens to continue down the playoff path that will end Friday night. No need for motivation on this team. The Penguins never want to have the same feeling as last year when they lost to these same Red Wings. Add that Marian Hossa jumped ship in the summer because he thought the Wings had a better chance to win the Cup, and Pittsburgh is hungrier than a pack of wolves. And now they see a plate full of juicy steaks within reach. The Penguins want this badly, and they plan on going after it in game 7.

I could breakdown game 6 from a hockey standpoint, but I won't. I will say that as a fan, it was a fun game to watch. Each team had an extra gear they went to. Players contributing with little things, blocking shots with the body, aggressive forecheck, tremendous backcheck, and a passion that blew the lid off every game in this series so far.

But like I said before, we are going to a game 7. And verything before this - doesn't matter.

I'll be back after game 7 for a final wrap up of these Stanley Cup Finals, which have given hockey fans everything they could ask for and more. But it all comes down to this. Until then, keep your head up when you're on the ice, it's either hit or be hit.