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Led by two goals from Sidney Crosby, The
Pittsburgh Penguins made it a series by beating the Detroit Red Wings
3-2, pulling the games to 2-1 in favor of the Red Wings.
Heading into Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, fans and hockey personalities
were wondering what happened to the Penguins game. Their scoring
was nonexistent, their back checking poor, their goaltending suspect
at times, and their defense porous. While they still have some
holes to fill, they showed that they are not finished, even with
Detroit already planning the "Cup Parade". The
Penguins came out of the gate with intensity, but it was controlled
intensity, and Sidney Crosby put in the first goal of the series for
the Penguins, ending a drought that had almost reached 7 full periods
of hockey. It was the lift the team needed.
Playing with the lead for the first time in the matchup with Detroit
the Penguins turned the tables and were the ones who drew a penalty
early into the 2nd period. Sidney Crosby didn’t waste much time
potting the ricocheted puck behind Chris Osgood, making it 2-0 and
showing that Osgood, as well as Detroit, are beatable. It took
almost 12 minutes for Detroit to answer, when Johan Franzen screamed
down the boards and blew past Scuderi, who looked lost on the play,
and eventually powered his way to the net and roofed it passed
Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins and Detroit spent the remainder
of the period exchanging chances, playing back and forth hockey, the
kind that everyone expected the teams to play before the series
started; the kind that the Penguins thrive in.
The 3rd period was scary for Penguin fans, as Detroit seemed to turn
it up a notch, throwing 16 shots on Fleury to Pittsburgh’s 5 on
Osgood. However, one of those 5 for the Pens was by Adam Hall,
who would not quit on a play behind the net, and eventually intentionally
banked it off Osgood’s backside and into the net. Yet the Red
Wings didn’t feel defeated and continued to pepper Fleury and the
Penguins, and eventually notched their second goal, making it a
1-score game. It was not to be for the Red Wings however, as
great defense and hustle and determination willed the Pens to victory.
What makes the game even more interesting is the number of chances
that "could" have gone the Penguins way. Crosby and
Hossa both hit posts, a Crosby shot nearly made it through the legs
and across the goal line, and it seemed many times Osgood was out of
position. While the Penguins did get a couple breaks, on the
no-goal, which was due to Brooks Orpik tossing his man into the post
and dislodging the net, and the post that was hit by Detroit late in
the game. These are the types of breaks the Penguins needed and
were not getting in the first two games.
The only complaint I could see is that of the lack of penalty
calls. For both teams. A couple high sticks, trips, and blatant
interference calls were let go, while Hal Gill was whistled for
cross-checking twice, both of which were no more then had been going
on each and every time a player was in front of EITHER net or
crease. It did make for great back and forth hockey, an up-tempo
game, and a nail bitter, something the league was hoping for coming
in.
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Comments
TIM
May 29, 12:16 AM
We haven’t played our best game which I think is a good sign. We can hang with this team for sure. Have to keep the pressure on the Wings. I thought Sydor played well. There is a long way to go, but I think this team can do it. Let’s Go Pens!
DAVID
May 29, 12:27 AM
The Hockey Gods smiled on the pens tonight!
Great energy. Pens got their all important offensive confidence back, and Sydor led the defensive support in that area!
Now we need to shore up our blue line and not back in so much against them on the rush. We did a great job of that until the third, and than we seemed to “drop back” into Therien’s “system” instead of keeping the pressure up.
Malkin looked like he wanted to prove himself again, and I would look to him to step it up again on Saturday. He still needs to use his wingers once he gains the zone and open up the offense. The Wings are still able to key on him and keep his line from producing.
Hall was a maniac on the puck and looked awesome. Great goal!
Orpik was, as Babcock says, on the “Seek and Destroy Mission.” He did a great job of not putting himself out of position.
Roberts only plays 13 minutes and made every second count. He was punishing the Wings at every opportunity and creating opportunities.
Now, knowing they can run with this Wings team, we need to build on this and continue to take it to them.
Saturday can’t come soon enough!
Eric
May 29, 01:13 AM
Pens got away with some calls, but I think they shed some of the jitters to play their system better.
Glad Therrien didn’t change much, except bringing in Sydor (right move). The Pens actually played the way they’re supposed to play, and not like they did in the games 1&2.
That 5-minute stretch of back and forth hockey near the middle of the 3rd was beyond epic. That was playoff hockey at it’s finest.
Hopefully the Pens can maintain this momentum and take advantage of getting the monkey off of their back.
Dabich
May 29, 05:48 AM
OMG! What a game. Nailbiter for sure. I’m glad to see I was wrong (that we wouldn’t win.) It’s awesome to see the guys full of energy and playing well TOGETHER again.
Sydor DID indeed play a good game. So maybe MT made the right change.
Orpik had me howling, all the hits he was throwing. I counted 4 in like 30 seconds at one point.
Matt Bodenschatz
May 29, 08:37 AM
Spectacular, spectacular game! I, too, get the feeling the Penguins are on an upward trend. If they can improve upon this performance Saturday with a full game effort, it will be a whole new series!
Dabich, on the Orpik hit party, you forgot to mention that, of his four hits in 30 seconds, three of the players were knocked on their butts, which shows he was absolutely plastering people.
What a game!
Dabich
May 29, 08:44 AM
Yeah Matt, I was amazed. Thing is, he didn’t even have to leave his skates like Detroit’s Cornball does. Err…Kromwall…
;X
Head Coach Michel Therrien
May 29, 10:19 AM
So, I come back to post before de game an’ den we put in de bes’ performance of de serie’. Coindence? No, I tink not.
What you saw tonight was de player executing de system dat de believe in to a T. De defense support one anodder by move de puck fasder, an’ de Sydor, Whitney, an’ Gonchar was a big part of dat. An de forecheck was solid las’ night with de Robert, Talbot, Dupeeeeeeee, Kennedy, an’ Staal banging de Red Wing defense. Also, de Red Wing were punish by de defense at every chance. De Holmstrom was punish in front of net, de Orpik was busy all night write and cash check, der was a price to pay for de Red Wing any time de enter de offensive zone.
Also, you saw de star play like de star las’ night wit de Sidney play wit all de focus an’ passion.
Perhap now we can stop all of what I call de Mike Milbury over-reacktion “But HCMT is so stoopid, an’ de need new system, an’ our assistant coach can’t run powerplay, an’ start de Conk Block City, an’ blah blah blah.” Come on, really? Dat is almos’ as redickulus as Don Cherry suit.
What some of de fan an’ analists do not get is dat de system our player play works. It gets us to de Stanley Cup Finals. An’ now, when de execute, establish forecheck, control de neutral zone, an’ take de body down low you can see it even work agains’ de Red Wing.
It come down do dis. De player mus’ play de system dat de believe in, an’ de player believe in dis system. Dis system is not mine, it is ders now. De ‘ave fate dat it work when they work harder dan de opponent.
An’ believe me de work has not even begun. Dis was jus’ one. Now de focus is on game four an’ even de serie’. Dis is de next mission.
So, come along for de ride.
Focus. Discipline. Sacrifice.
So, where all de hater at now?
It me snitches,
Michel
Dabich
May 29, 10:35 AM
Michel ~ I do believe you earned some smokes last night. Enjoy them!
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