Talking points: Prevent defence. It doesn't work in football and it sure doesn't work in hockey.

After thinking about Pittsburgh's 4-3 triple-overtime victory over Detroit in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup, here are five talking points to discuss amongst yourselves…

1. Assuming that the NHL really wanted a Game 6 on NBC this week, was there some kind of conspiracy to change the way the game was officiated in overtime so that phantom goaltender interference penalties (and not dives) would be called just to give the Penguins a couple of OT power-plays? My answer is no, simply because I have never been given any evidence that the NHL is smart enough to concoct a conspiracy (see the report on ticket revenue in the Toronto Star).

2. Marc-Andre Fleury doesn't get enough credit. On Monday night, the shots were 58-32 in favour of Detroit. The Red Wings dominated the game. Still, Pittsburgh won. On 92-CITI-FM on Monday morning, Joe and I asked fans to suggest a Conn Smythe Trophy winner. The overwhelming number of respondents chose Detroit goalie Chris Osgood. That suggests to me that most people who phone radio stations haven't been watching the Stanley Cup final.

3. Sidney Crosby is as good as the hype.

4. If you get a four-minute power-play in overtime, you should win the game. But the game never should have reached overtime.

5. I have a theory. It goes like this: I'd make a horrible football owner because I'd write into my coach's contract that the moment he went into "prevent defence," I could fire him on the spot and replace him with myself. Crazy? I don't think so. That's because, I believe that after you've beaten the crap out of a team for 59 minutes, why fall back into a defensive shell, in fear of what they might do to you? Sorry, coach, but you keep kicking the crap out of them until they curl up into the fetal position and yell "Momma!!!" Detroit gave us the hockey equivalent of prevent defence on Monday and as a result the Wings blew a 3-2 lead in the dying seconds and lost in overtime (and might have lost the Cup, as a result). Playing any sport scared is an invitation to the other team to come and beat the bee-jeezus out of you. No matter what happened in overtime on Monday night, Detroit lost Game 5 in the final 10 minutes of regulation.