Red Wings 3 Penguins 2 – Detroit showed that experience and hard work were enough to hold off the young upstart Penguins. Goals by Brian Rafalski and Valtteri Filppula put the Red Wings up 2-0 and things looked bleak for Pittsburgh. Marc Andre Fleury, who was on top of his game Monday night let in a couple of shots that he would like second chances at. The goal by Filppula was a rebound that he left sitting right to the side of the net. But the one that might haunt him for a while will be the eventual game winner by Conn Smythe winner, Henrik Zetterberg. After Evgeni Malkin’s first goal of the series pulled Pittsburgh within one, Zetterberg came back in the third period on an odd man rush and put a wrister on goal. It was knocked down by Fleury, but he was unaware of where the puck was, went to ground and accidentally knocked it into his own net.
The Penguins struggled throughout the third period. Passes were deflected and shots were blocked before they could even reach Chris Osgood. They only had one shot on goal 16 minutes into the third period. Just as in game 5, things got a little more interesting with under two to go. A hooking penalty on Jiri Hudler gave the Pens a power play that turned into a 6-on-4 with a pulled Fleury. Marian Hossa scored to make it 3-2 and then it was a game. With time running out and Pittsburgh struggling to get a shot off, Sidney Crosby put a great backhander on net that Osgood saved with his arm. The puck trickled the the side of the net where Hossa missed with a tip as time expired. A great ending to a great series. Detroit takes home their fourth Stanley Cup in eleven years. Congratulations hockeytown!
Penguins 4 Red Wings 3 - Petr Sykora told NBC’s Pierre McGuire he was going to score between plays earlier in the 2nd overtime. And score he did. Sykora took a Evgeni Malkin pass and beat Chris Osgood short side over the left shoulder to send the series back to Pittsburgh. Things didn’t look so good for the Czech as after he boldly predicted the goal, he took a bad hooking penalty. Fortunately for the Penguins they had Marc Andre Fleury. He stopped an amazing 55 shots including one body stretching save that for now kept the Stanley Cup out of the Red Wings hands.
Things started to turn Detroit’s way in the third. Down 2-1, Pavel Datsyuk and Brian Rafalski scored to give them the lead. Fans in the rink were chanting, “We want the cup,” but with under a minute left Max Talbot stuffed home a rebound to tie the score. Now the series shifts back to Pittsburgh tomorrow night. At least the good thing is the Red Wings can get one of those Primanti Bros. sandwiches i have heard so much about. If the Pens can win game 6, they will force a deciding seventh game on Saturday night.
Penguins 3 Red Wings 2 - The high scoring Penguins were held scoreless for the first two games of these Finals. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom were mostly responsible for bottling up Sidney Crosby. But that changed when the Pens got back to Mellon Bank Arena. Crosby scored the first two goals of the game and the series for Pittsburgh; one against the aforementioned line and the other on the power play. Adam Hall scored the third and eventual game-winning goal by banking the puck off of Chris Osgood’s skate into the net. Osgood suffered his first loss ever in a Stanley Cup game. He must have been distracted by the comments Kristen Bell made earlier in the day. Although it looks as if the Pens dominated, Detroit had their chances. Goals by Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson cut the deficit to one, but Marc-Andre Fleury (32 saves) made every stop coming down the stretch to preserve the win. Pittsburgh looks to tie the series Saturday night.
Red Wings 3 Penguins 0 - Like every other team Detroit has stomped their way through in the playoffs, Pittsburgh can not figure out Chris Osgood. The hottest goalie in the game stopped another 22 shots for his third shutout this postseason, second of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings were up 2-0 (Brad Stuart and Tomas Holmstrom) before the Pens registered their first shot on net. Sidney Crosby has had trouble finding open ice this whole series. Detroit’s savyness has frustrated their opposition and it showed late in game 2. Gary Roberts’ driving glove hand to the face of Johan Franzen, then Osgood was bumped by Peter Sykora behind the net leading to an all out brawl. If the Red Wings continue to play like this the rest of the series, they could just come back to Hockeytown with the Cup in hand. Pittsburgh has yet to be defeated this postseason at the Mellon Bank Arena. But will they figure out Osgood before it’s too late.
Red Wings 4 Stars 1 - Detroit advances to the Stanley Cup finals with a convincing win over the Dallas Stars. First period goals by Kris Draper, Pavel Datsyuk and Dallas Drake gave the Red Wings a unsurmountable 3-0 lead. This sets up an All-American final with Pittsburgh, the first one since 2003. Now that the western conference has been won, we are lifting our ban and will release a finals preview later on this week. Thanks LC!
Penguins 6 Flyers 0 - Philly ran into the buzzsaw that is “Sid and the Kids.” Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Pascal Dupuis all scored for the Pens, but it was elder “skateman” Ryan Malone (2 G 1A) that led the demolition of Philly this day. Marc-Andre Fleury, thought to be Pittsburgh’s weak point, made 21 saves and continues to be hot at the right time. Kimmo Timonen returned for the Flyers after missing 4 games with a blood clot, but before he could get his skates underneath him they were behind 3-0. The Penguins await to play the winner of Dallas and Detroit for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Flyers 4 Penguins 2 – This is the Philly team people expected to see this series. The first period belonged to the Flyers as they relentlessly forechecked the lackadaisical Penguins. It was Philadelphia that was the benefactor of good bounces and the Pens this time making the dumb mistakes allowing extra power play chances for the home team. Joffrey Lupul got the first break as his slap shot deflected off Hal Gill’s stick past Marc-Andre Fleury. Power play goals by Daniel Briere and Jeff Carter made it 3-0 after one. After a scoreless second period, Jordan Staal scored two goals in the third to make it a game for the Penguins. But the Flyers staved off Pittsburgh’s attack and added an empty net goal to send the series back down the interstate for Game 5 Sunday. The game did get chippy at the end as Derian Hatcher and Ryan Malone mixed it up with a few seconds remaining on the clock. Some good news for Philly fans could be the return of their two top defensemen for the game as Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn will try to give it a go.
Stars 3 Red Wings 1 - Dallas scored twice in the third period to stave off elimination. Goals by Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow snapped the 11-game win streak of Detroit. The series is headed back to Joe Louis Arena meaning Justin might be right with his prediction of Wings in 5. The Western Conference ban is still on because of you know who. So enjoy the pic of her rival from the first season of “Laguna Beach.”
Penguins 4 Flyers 1 – Pittsburgh is close to doing something they haven’t done since Jaromir Jagr was a Penguin. That is reach the NHL finals. Down their two top defensemen, the Flyers had little room for error against the Pittsburgh young guns. The Pens struck fast and furiously as Ryan Whitney (girlfriend pictured left) and Marian Hossa scoring less than three minutes apart. Philly answered with a goal from R.J. Umberger, but it was the only offense they could muster. Early in the third, Ryan Malone tallied his fourth goal of the postseason basically closing the door on any chance of a comeback. Many thought this series would be a battle that went 7 games, but it looks like we are headed for a Detroit and Penguins final.
