Welcome to the official NHL Connect page for Michelle Stafford. Michelle is an Emmy-winning actress on The Young & the Restless. An avid hockey fan, Michelle has served as a Stanley Cup correspondent for “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” on Fox Sports. She is excited to blog about the San Jose Sharks for the Stanley Cup Playoffs


Hey guys, I apologize for being absent from the boards for a little while. I unfortunately missed the amazing four-overtime Game 6, but we won’t get into those details.


Since my Kings didn’t make it and the Sharks are out, I’ll follow Pittsburgh the rest of the way. I would love to see a Pittsburgh-Detroit final.


Detroit has just been playing so well. They’re such a strong playoff team and I think their series with Dallas will be phenomenal. The Wings have some great, strong veterans who have been there before, who can pull the team together when it matters.


I would love to see that series go seven games because Dallas is a really strong team as well. Marty Turco has been awesome in the playoffs. I love to see a player who, when people say a lot of bad things about him, he shows them that they’re wrong. He certainly has.


I’m just not a fan of Dallas, ever since the skate in the crease incident in ’99. Dallas was definitely the stronger team, but Brett Hull clearly had his skate in the crease and that goal should not have counted. It was a stupid rule anyway and I’m glad they got rid of it.


Having said all that, I’m hoping for Detroit over Dallas in seven.


In the East, I’ve got to go with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. He’s a guy that Gretzky touted as being as good as himself. You know, it’s a bummer when you watch the drafts and these incredible players go to a so-so organization where they don’t get the support they need and it really breaks their spirit. It’s not like that with him. He just has such a great attitude for someone so young.


The fans in Pittsburgh are so loyal. They have this whole stadium situation and it’s been really tough on their fans for the last five or six years. I don’t feel like they have a lot of support from their organization, but hopefully those fans will be rewarded for that loyalty this year.


So, since my teams are gone, I have to cheer for someone, so Pittsburgh is that someone. Plus, I’d love to go up against Thorsten in the Stanley Cup Finals. He was so nice to me in his blog, giving me a shout-out for my Emmy nomination. I can tell you, he was egregiously left off the list for leading men. But I really like what he’s writing – he really knows his stuff.


Ok, that’s all for now. Games start tonight, so I’ll try to get something up after a couple of games are played!


MICHELLE