Penguins 4, Red Wings 2 - Final - 6-2-09

PREGAME

-Greetings from a warm, breezy day in Pittsburgh. It's in the mid-80s and sunny with some clouds. Not exactly hockey weather. The Hilton:

-Right on Liberty Ave. there is a kiosk set up with information on Downtown. If you're lost you can get directions or just general advice on where to go. Well, its in the spirit of things:

-The Henry W. Oliver Building:

-One of PNC 243 buildings downtown:

-The intersection of Wood Street and Sixth Avenue:

-Just some random person downtown rocking a Mario Lemieux Snoop Dog jersey:

-Trinity Cathedral:

-If you didn't know anything about Trinity Church Burying Ground, you do now:

-Somewhere Ken Rice is in pain:

-One of Mellon's 84 buildings downtown:

-Mellon Arena and Consol Energy Center:

-When you have the City of Pittsburgh's Public Works Department's jersey barriers on your side, you have the world on your side:

-Have to find ways to stay cool out in front of Gate 3:

More couches:

-Sharp fan here with a Mark Eaton jersey:

-What more do you need in life than the Stanley Cup and pizza:

-Lots of air conditioning needed here today:

-Back on Mario Lemieux Place, a small village of television trucks and people has been created:

-Lots of wires being squeezed into this old barn:

-The ice:

 -Video from today's rally at Market Square.

-As you may have noticed, our "Picture This" posts have taken a hiatus the past few weeks. We get such a large amount of photos, it's tough to post them and properly credit them. We will once the season run as many as we can once we have a free moment.

-That said, we had to run these photos from EN reader Uli Englhart of Germany and his friend Manuel who has been keeping some late hours in order to catch the first two games of this series:

-Sidney Crosby is a finalists for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

-A little bit more on Dave Molinari who was given the Elmer Ferguson Award. Many beat writers who cover sports, and the Post-Gazette is not exempt from this, tend to have egos bigger than the athletes and teams they cover. They think they're the star of the show. Change one word in their story and you can expect a completely angry phone call from that writer demanding why you cost him or her the Pulitzer Prize.

Dave must've missed the memo about having an ego. He simply doesn't have one. He's one of the most down to earth helpful individuals we've encountered while doing Empty Netters. He's helped out out immensely with little things such as rides back to our car or arranging hotels on the road to aiding us a little bit more significantly with pursuing a credential or even a helpful critique of something we've posted online.

It's an absolute honor to say we work with Dave Molinari. He has a demeanor and a sense of humor that only surpassed by his ability as a writer and reporter. This award can not be going towards a more deserving individual.

-The Red Wings playing soccer:

-Some sights around the arena. It didn't take long to find a jersey foul. A Doug Weight Oilers jersey?

-The scene outside Gate 3:

-A Willie Stargell jersey?

-Paul Coffey jersey:

-This is an all-timer. A Ron Francis Wales Conference jersey:

-The towels and t-shirts being given out:

-NHL Network is here. From top to bottom, Larry Murphy, Bob Errey and Brian Duff:

-Kevin Stevens:

-This just hurts our teeth to look at:

A resourceful Georges Laraque Craig Adams fan:

-She was escorted here by a fan of the great Mike Zigomanis:

-A brave Pavel Datsyuk fan:

-Jeff Jimerson is rocking outside:

-A Hartford Whalers fan:

-Robert Lang:

-More from Gate 3:

-From left to right, the Hart, Prince of Wales and Art Ross Trophies are here:

-The best white uniform here tonight:

-Shawn McEachern:

-This hurt a lot to watch:

-Aleksey Morozov:

-Alex Kovalev and Martin Straka:

-Is this a Matt Kenseth jersey?!?!

-Greg Malone:

-Larry rphy:

-A brave Sergei Fedorov fan:

-Warm ups:

-This picture is awful, but here's the Stanley Cup final banner:

-No real surprises to the lineups. The Penguins' scratches are Alex Goligoski, Mike Zigomanis who it looks like has been activated from injured reserve, Petr Sykora, Jeff Taffe, Eric Godard, Chris Minard, Dustin Jeffrey, Philippe Boucher, Ben Lovejoy and John Curry.

-Detroit has scratched Pavel Datsyuk, Derek Meech, Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, Kris Draper, Aaron Downey, Jakub Kindl, Tomas Kopecky and Jimmy Howard.

-Marc-Andre Fleury and Chris Osgood are your starting goaltenders.

-Jimerson doing what he does best:

-Mario Lemieux drops the ceremonial first puck:

FIRST PERIOD

19:16: Interesting line combination here for the Penguins of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Bill Guerin.

18:49: "LET'S GO PENS! LET'S GO PENS!"

18:31: Crosby gets a puck in the neutral zone, moves in, dekes by a few defenders and has a clean shot. He elects to force a pass to Guerin which is broken up by Lidstrom. Crosby needs to shoot that. He was at a tough angle but shoot the dang thing.

18:24: Marian Hossa touches the puck and is booed.

17:31: Matt Cooke levels Justin Abdelkader in the corner knocking a few syllables out  of his last name.

17:13: Mark Eaton gets teh puck at the left point and tosses a wrist shot on net. Despite a screen from Cooke, Osgood is able hang on for a save. Cooke and a Red Wing scrum in front.

17:02: Malkin scrum for a puck bheind the Detroit net with Valtteri Filppula. He comes around the left side and his wraparound attempt is denied by Osgood.

16:34: Chris Kunitz controls the puck on the right wing and fires a slapper that Guerin is in front for and appears to deflect wide. Penguins are controlling play so far.

15:23: Letang controls the puck behind Detroit's net and dishes a pass to Malkin who comes in slid

15:12: Letang controls the puck at the right point and flicks it with a backhand into the opposite corner. Malkin picks it up, skates along the boards and dishes a feed to Maxime Talbot in the slot. Talbot fires a slapper that beats Osgood on the sitck side and gives the Penguins a much-needed early lead. Malkin and Letang get assists. The Penguins are 7-0 when Talbot scores a playoff goal. The "Hey Song" is played. Penguins 1-0.

13:31: Detroit gets it right back. Ville Leino controls the puck behind the Penguins' net and goes to the crease with it. It doesn't seem like he gets a shot off but Fleury lays on his right side to defend the shot. The puck comes loose as Sergei Gonchar and Leino scrum. Zetterberg comes in and punches through Fleury's five hole which was actually sideways in the air. That was a weird goal. Who had Zetterberg on that play? Leino and Johan Franzen get assists. Penguins 1, Red Wings 1.

13:01: Cooke drops a Detroit player on the boards with a hit.

11:12: James Farrior and Hines Ward are here in white shirts supporting the cause. That gets a loud applause.

10:18: Orpik hauls down Dan Cleary behind the Penguins' net. That's two minutes for interference. Cleary kind of bought that call. Jordan Staal, Cooke, Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi are on the ice for the kill.

9:36: Cooke forces the puck down ice to allow his team a line change.

9:11: Brian Rafalski cranks a slapper from the left point. Fleury fights it off despite a screen.

9:04: Kronwall blasts a one-timer from the right point. Mark Eaton actually gets a piece of it with his stick and re-directs it on Fleury who is able to fight it off.

8:49: Kronwall tosses a wrister from the right point. Fleury hangs on for a save.

8:27: More rotten luck. Zetterberg controls the puck on the left wing and centers a pass. Cooke gets a piece of it with his stick and slows the puck enough for Franzen to pick it up and rip a perfect wrist shot to the far side top shelf. Cooke make a nice play to break it up. It just came right to Franzen. Zetterberg and Kronwall get assists. Red Wings 2-1.

7:05: Dan Bylsma is going with a pseudo power play unite of Talbot, Malkin, Fedotenko, Gonchar and Miroslav Satan while even strength.

6:41: Darren Helm cranks a slapper from the left wing. Fleury hangs on for a save.

6:07: Detroit now has an 11-4 lead in shots. At one point, it was 4-1 Penguins.

5:14: Time for the Penguins to get one back. Cleary hugs Eaton from behind near the Penguins net. That's two minutes. Gonchar, Malkin, Guerin, Crosby and Letang are on for the power play.

5:05: Guerin controls the puck down low along the goal line and shuffles it in the crease where Osgood collects it.

4:50: Letang goes behind the net with the puck and into the corner. Brad Stuart reaches out and hauls down Letang. No call.

4:16: A rare sight. A bad giveaway by Nicklas Lidstrom leads to a nice chance for Crosby. Crosby steals the puck, moves in and shoots far. Osgood is knocks it down and covers. Nice save.

4:03: Letang gets the puck at the top of the right faceoff circle, winds up and fires a slapper that beats Osgood five hole. He might've been screened by Kronwall on that play, but how does Osgood make that nice save on Crosby the let that goal in? Malkin and Gonchar get assists. The "Hey Song" is played. Penguins 2, Red Wings 2.

3:33: Staal comes barging in and knocks down Filppula in the left faceoff circle. Filppula trips up Staal. Staal gets up and whips a wrister that sails wide of the net.

2:27: Gill makes a brutal turnover and just tosses the puck into Zetterberg. Zetterberg says thank you and gets a chance in tight. Fleury is up for the challenge and denies Zetterberg.

1:58: Adams, who left the ice for an undisclosed reason scrums for a puck in the corner and gets tripped up by Franzen. Officials blow play dead. Franzen makes a guesture as to indicate Adams took a dive. Nevermind that Franzen had his blade between Adams' knees. Two minutes. Guerin, Crosby, Gonchar, Letang and Malkin are on for the power play.

0:38: Guerin gets a puck in the slot, hesitates and rips a wrister which Osgood deflects away with his blocker.

0:23: Gonchar gets away with a near trip on Helm in the Penguins' zone.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 2, Red Wings 2.

FIRST INTERMISSION

-That was like three different periods of hockey. The Penguins controlled the first five minutes or so. The Red Wings had the middle ten and the Penguins got back the final five. Lots of back and forth flow to that game.

-Lots of sloppy hockey for each team as well. More than a few turnovers.

-Detroit has a 12-7 lead in shots.

-Zetterberg leads the game with three.

-No one for the Penguins has more than one.

-Detroit has a 13-10 lead in faceoffs (57 percent).

-Zetterberg is 5-for-7 (71 percent).

-Crosby is 6-for-10 (60 percent).

-Gonchar leads the game with 9:07 of ice time.

-Lidstrom is right behind him with 9:02.

-No one has more than one blocked shot.

-The Penguins will have two seconds of power-time when the period starts.

-Cotton candy heeeee!!!! Cotton candy heeee!!!

SECOND PERIOD

19:58: Franzen's penalty is killed. Not a lot going on for the Penguins that two minutes.

19:33: Cooke hammers Kronwall in the corner in Detroit's end. Cooke has been really active tonight.

18:59:Hossa coasts up the right wing to boos. Against, Gonchar, he rips a rising wrister which Fleury fights off.

18:43: Hossa dishes a feed to Zetterberg in the slot. Zetterberg puts a shot low. Fleury makes the save but can't control the rebound. Orpik is there to sweep it away before any damage can be done.

17:44: So much the Penguins getting all the bad bounces. Mikael Samuelsson gets behind the defense, moves in and shoots to the blocker side on Fleury. He beats Fleury but "CLINK!" All post. Big break for the Penguins.

17:38: Kronwall cranks a slapper from the slot. Fleury fights it off.

17:27: Malkin moves up the left wing, winds up and blasts a slapper. Osgood knocks it down and covers.

16:37: Scuderi rips a wrister from the right point that appears to get deflected just wide.

15:49: Filppula controls the puck on the right wing and tosses a shot on net. Fleury says no.

15:41: Hossa rips a wrister from the left faceoff circle juuust wide. This place would be really deflated

15:21: Satan whips a backhander from the along the goal line. Osgood fights it off.

15:08: Cleary tosses a shot at net from along the goal line. Fleury boots it out.

14:00: Samuelsson moves in with the puck and fires a slapper. Fleury eats it up. Gill and Samuelsson give each other the business.

13:45: Cooke whips a wrister from the left wing. Osgood gets down and fights it off.

13:05: Letang snaps off a wrist shot from the left point. It hits Rafalski up high and seems to stun him a bit.

12:51: Stuart controls the puck at the right point and tosses a wrist shot to the far side. Despite a screen, Fleury is able to stretch out and kick it out with is right foot. Nice save.

11:33: Staal gets a chance in tight but puts a wrister wide. Have to get that on net.

10:39: Crosby gets away with a pretty blatant trip on Zetterberg behind the Penguins' net.

10:11: Abdelkader races down the right wing and rips a wrister low on Fleury. The Penguins goaltender knocks it down and covers.

9:11: Brett Lebda winds up and cranks a loose puck from the left point. Fleury gloves it with a nice save. This is a bit late, but EN reader Frank Oberlinter spotted this Grant Jennings jersey outside:

-We're pretty sure we've had this gentleman on the blog before.

8:43: Staal runs over Helm just inside the Penguins' blue line.

8:32: Staal fends off a defender with one arm and dishes a puck into the slot. Osgood holds it out despit having Cooke dive in for a possible shot.

7:22: Talbot smacks Zetterberg at the Detroit blue line and sticks him on his wallet.

7:07: Helm whips a puck into the slot. Letang is there and almost re-directs by Fleury. Yeesh.

6:14: After a scrum near the Penguins net, Samuelsson skates back to his bench in a bad way. He stumbles a bit before climbing over the boards. He's not looking too good.

4:57: From the right point, Orpik snaps off a wrister which hits someone in front.

4:25: Lidstrom fires a slapper from the right point. Crosby blocks it. Satan is sent off for holding. Big two minutes. Versus just showed a replay of Samuelsson getting checked from behind by Fedotenko and falling into Eaton elbow then the post. Scuderi, Adams, Gill and Talbot are on for the kill.

4:18: Gill wraps the puck along the boards and down ice to kill some time.

3:27: Rafalski chips a puck at net from the top of the slot. It hits something in front, flutters up in the air and bounces off the top of the net.

3:01: Adams lunges and pokes a puck down ice.

2:41: Samuelsson must be find as he moves into the zone with speed and snaps off a wrister which Fleury blockers away.

2:25: Satan's penalty is killed.

2:07: After a shot by Knonwall and a mad scramble in front, Satan picks up the puck and skates out of danger.

1:48: Crosby cuts along the Detroit blue line and leaves a drop pass for no one in particular. Detroit steals it and Helm jabs Crosby in the back for his troubles.

1:08: Zetterberg appears to get away with a trip on Malkin in the corner.

0:24: Holmstrom and Orpik battle for the puck in the corner. Orpik knocks over Holmstrom who just pounces on the puck. Orpik then pounces on Holmstrom and officials blow play dead.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 2, Red Wings 2.

SECOND INTERMISSION

-That was a really dominant period for Detroit. If it's not for some big save by Fleury and some lucky bounces, this is at least 4-2 Detroit.

-The Penguins were just totally outclassed that period. Detroit controlled the flow and just owned the puck most of the period.

-Fleury picked his game up that period.

-Has anyone seen the Crosby-Guerin-Kunitz line?

-Detroit has a 26-11 lead in shots.

-In the second period alone, the Red Wings had a 14-4 lead in shots.

-Zetterberg leads the game with four shots.

-Malkin leads the Penguins with a "whopping" two.

-Lidstrom must be healthy again. He leads the game with 18:12 of ice time.

-Crosby leads the Penguins with 15:27.

-Detroit has a 19-18 edge in faceoffs (51 percent).

-Zetterberg is 6-for-9 (67 percent).

-Crosby is 8-for-14 (57 percent).

-Scuderi and Gonchar lead the game with two blocked shots each.

THIRD PERIOD

19:43: Off a turnover, Kunitz whips a wrister from the slot that gets deflected wide.

19:26: Attendance is announced as 17,132. It is the 116th consecutive sellout for the team.

19:16: Malkin dishes a pass to Fedteonko in the slot. Fedotenko is there but can't really get a clean shot off.

18:40: "LET'S GO PENS! LET'S GO PENS!"

18:01: Staal gets a feed in the right faceoff circle and cracks a one-timer. Osgood fights it off. Cooke is right there for the rebound but can't get his backhander by Osgood's right leg. Big save.

16:33: "LET'S GO PENS! LET'S GO PENS!"

16:13: Crosby swats a backhander on net from the neutral zone. Osgood gloves it and distirbutes to Rafalski.

13:43: "LET'S GO PENS! LET'S GO PENS!"

13:31: Gonchar pushes a shot from the top of the slot. Osgood holds it out despite having Crosby on his doorstep.

13:15: Orpik goes all Bobby Orrpik and tries to jam in a wraparound. Osgood says no.

13:06: Guerin whips a wrister from the right point wide of the cage.

12:34: Fedotenko tips a Detroit slapper at the right point out of play.

12:15: Orpik levels Helm with a huge check at the Penguins' blue line.

11:40ish: Franzen gets a pass on the right wing, twists Eaton around and claps a wrister on net. Fleury kicks it out.

11:33: Kenned comes roaring in from the right wing and whips a wrister which Osgood appear to get a piece of.

10:54: Jonathan Ericsson interferes with Cooke. That's two minutes. Crosby, Gonchar,Malkin, Letang and Guerin are on for the power play.

10:28: Gonchar tees up and fires a slap shot wide from the slot.

9:38: Letang whips a wrister that gets tipped just wide.

9:31: Gonchar hammers a slap shot from the top of the slot. With Guerin in front with a marvelous screen, Osgood waves his glove hand at the puck and whiff. Rubber meets twine. Penguins get the lead back. What a huge goal. Malkin and Crosby get assists. It's Malkin's fifth point of the series. Its Crosby's first. The "Hey Song" is busted out. Penguins 3-2.

8:58: Fedotenko floats down the left wing and whips a wrister wide.

8:28: Helm must have a target on his back. Cooke just smashed him to the ice in the right faceoff circle in the Penguins' zone.

8:08: During a commercial break, this place was just pure noise. Wow.

7:46: Hossa comes flying up the left wing, tees up and fires a slapper. Gonchar gets a piece of it and directs it wide.

6:37: Cooke makes a nice steal behind the Detroit net. He's played a fantastic game.

5:53: Flippula gets a chance in the left faceoff circle but his shot is deflected high.

5:05: Hudler gets a chances in the slot but

4:50: Crosby comes up on the right wing with a two-on-one with Kunitz against Lidstrom. Crosby dishes a feed to Kunitz who appears to bobble the puck a bit and shoots high. Ughhh.. This final ten minuts or so have been so intense

4:05: Talbot works his way down the left wing and fires a wrister that beat Osgood but clunks off the far post..

3:52:Talbot gets a chance in the slot and is denied in tight by Osgood.

2:34: Orpik just leveled Cleary in the corner. We can't keep up with this.

2:08: Kennedy just dropped Hossa along the Penguins' blue line. That gets a roaring applause.

2:02: This place is white and loud:

1:10: Detroit has been having trouble gaining the zone. The Penguins won't allow them entry and that prevents Osgood from coming off for an extra attacker.

1:04: Osgood is finally pulled.

0:56: After a car wreck of players in the Penguins' zone Talbot emerges with the puck and from the red line he zips it down ice into the cage for:

Fedotenko gets the only assist. The "Hey Song" is played. Penguins 4-2.

0:17: Helm whips a wrister from th left faceoff circle. Fleury hangs on for the save.

0:00: End of game. Penguins 4, Red Wings 2.

POSTGAME

-What is it about Max Talbot that seems to rally this team? He's not the most talented or physically gifted player. He works hard. You won't find anyone who brings more emotion to a sheet of ice. But when he scores, his goals are big. The team is now 8-0 when he finds the back of the net in the playoffs. He a huge part of this team's soul.

-As noted by EN commenter polska29, there was a little bit of poetic justice in Talbot's effort tonight. One year ago today:

-Huge response by Fleury. Even after an iffy goal, he responded and really kept his team in the game during the second period when Detroit dominated play. He put his team in a position to win and that's all you can really ask of a goaltender.

-Nice to see the Penguins power play starting to contribute. Two goals tonight. We suggested that unit's resurgance in the playoffs was due to the less than stellar brands of defense employed by Washington and Carolina. This unit has three goals this series against a supposedly superior defense.

-We said this after last year's Game 3, but the Penguins need to find a way to maintain the intesity they had in the first and third periods for Game 4. Can't go to Detroit down 3-1.

-Nice to see the Penguins maintain a physical tone throughout the contest. In Game 1, they cam out of the gate flying and taking the body to Detroit but that ended after the first 20 minutes. In Game 2, they didn't have much of a physical presence. Tonight, even during the lull of the second period, they took the body to Detroit.

-He wasn't on the score sheet, but Matt Cooke really stood out to us. He played with a lot of passion and hit anything in red. He was strong defensively and even created a few scoring chances. He needs to bring that to Game 4.

-Darren Helm probably needs some ice. He was battered around a good bit tonight.

-We totally overlooked this, but apparently the Penguins got away with six skaters for about 25 seconds with about 6:30 left in in the first period. The officiating has just been horrible this series.

-Evgeni Malkin has perhaps the quietest three-point night you can imagine. He now has five points (one goal, four assists) this series.

-Detroit had a 29-21 lead in shots.

--After getting outshot, 26-11 in the first two periods, the Penguins enjoyed a 10-3 lead in the third.

-Zetterberg led the game with four.

-Kronwall, Hossa, Holmstrom, Talbot, and Crosby each had three.

-Lidstrom and Ericsson were the only Detroit player held with out a shot.

-The Red Wings had a 24-23 edge in faceoffs (51 percent).

-Filppula was 10 for-16 (63 percent).

-Crosby was 12 for 19 (63 percent).

-Lidstrom led the game with 26:40 of ice time.

-Gonchar led the Penguins with 22:29.

-Crosby was right behind him with 22:19.

-Staal led the game with three blocked shots.

-Rafalski led Detroit with two.

 -Malkin now leads the playoffs with 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists).

-Crosby is second with 29 (14 goals, 15 assists).

-Assuming Crosby reaches 30, they'll be the first pair of teammates to hit the 30 point mark since the Rangers' Brian Leetch (34) and Mark Messier (30) did in in 1994.

-Gonchar moved past Joe Mullen for 11th place on the team's all-time scoring list. Gonchar now has 32 points to Mullen's 31.

-Ruslan Fedotenko scored his 30th career playoff point.

-Apparently Versus opted to show a Sports Soup episode then a postgame show? Wow. Just.... stunning.

-Game summary.

-Event summary.

-Highlights.