Stanley Cup Finals Game 6
Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
It appeared the Red Wings had all of the momentum going into game 6. They had just annihilated the Penguins in game 5 and they were on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup in Mellon Arena for the second straight year. However, none of that mattered to the Penguins.
Malkin and Crosby Go Scoreless
The Penguins showed they can win a close game without their star players. Neither Evgeni Malkin nor Sidney Crosby had a single point in this game. However, the Penguins’ role players like Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy stepped up big when their team needed it.
Stall Makes the Wings Pay
After no scoring in the first period, the Penguins would get a quick score in the second period. Staal pushed the puck past Valtteri Filppula, which resulted in a 2-on-1 for the Penguins. Staal fired a shot on Chris Osgood, who made a nice save, but Staal picked up his own rebound and got it by Osgood to draw first blood.
Late in the second period, the Red Wings had a great opportunity to tie the game, but couldn’t cash in. Henrik Zetterberg received a pass from Tomas Holmstrom and shifted the puck from his backhand to his forehand over Hal Gill’s stick and hit the post.
Not wanting to repeat last year’s misfortune of sitting on the puck and pushing it into his own net, Marc-Andre Fleury covered up Zetterberg’s shot and kept the Red Wings off of the scoreboard.
Kennedy Puts the Pens up 2-0
About five minutes into the third period, the Penguins would strike again. Kennedy took a pass from Maxime Talbot behind the net. Kennedy tried a wrap-around, and after Osgood stopped the first attempt, Kennedy put the second shot past Osgood for a 2-0 lead.
Draper Puts the Wings Within 1
Three minutes later, the Red Wings would cut the Penguins’ lead in half. After a Jonathan Ericsson shot from the blue line, Kris Draper would pick up the loose puck, and score his first goal of the 2009 playoffs. It appeared as if the Red Wings had some life and might be able to force this game into overtime.
About halfway through the third period, Zetterberg took a wrist shot from the top of the circle. The puck sat in the crease behind Fleury, but before Nicklas Lidstrom could jam it home, Rob Scuderi cleared the puck out of harm’s way.
With seconds remaining in the game, Scuderi made another fantastic defensive play when he stopped two of Johan Franzen’s shots while kneeling in the crease. The first shot hit his stick, and Scuderi stopped the second shot with his skate to keep the possibility of a game 7 alive.
Fleury Puts On a Show
With less than two minutes in the game, the Red Wings had their best opportunity to tie the game, but could not convert. Pavel Datsyuk intercepted a pass, and flipped the puck to a streaking Dan Cleary who got by Brooks Orpik. Cleary tried to backhand the puck over Fleury, but Fleury stoned him and saved the game for the Penguins. Fleury would finish the night with 25 saves.
Despite the fact Osgood gave up two goals, he is the sole reason the Red Wings had a chance to win this game. He faced 31 shots stopping 29 of them, including a barrage of shots near the end of the second period that kept the game at 1-0.
Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals
Well, this is what Gary Bettman and every casual NHL fan wanted…game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s the most exciting thing to watch in all of professional sports. The only thing that could make it better would be an overtime victory for either team.
The home team has won every game in this series, and look for that streak to continue. The prediction in Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 was wrong, but the Red Wings have played like all-stars on their home ice. The Red Wings will win on Friday night, but it will be a battle to the last horn.
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