Regardless of what happens the rest of the way, we were treated to one of the most amazing wins in Penguins history. I usually have a mind like a steel trap for moments in Penguins history, but tonight's game produced many that will go down in Penguins lore!
The Penguins actually played some of their finest hockey of the series during the first period and part of the second. They jumped out to a two goal lead and had the wings on their heels. Mike Babcock said as much in his post game comments.
That all changed during the latter stages of the second and third period. The Penguins quickly switched roles with the Wings and could barely get the puck out of their zone. Marc Andre Fleury played his heart out and the toe save he made on Detroit's two on one was an absolute game saver. It occurred when the score was still 2-1, but had the Wings scored there would not have been an overtime period.
The ice was definitely slanted in Detroit's favor late in the game, as the Penguins couldn't get anything going. They found themselves down 3-2 with under 5 minutes left in the game. The rabid crowd in the Joe was chanting: "We want the cup!" I was getting texts from people covering the game in Detroit about the championship shirts being moved into position, the Cup was shown being taken out and polished on the television. Everyone thought the game was over...everyone except for the Penguins and Max Talbot.
Mad Max was chosen by Michel Therrien to hit the ice as the extra attacker with roughly a minute to play. Talbot was a house of fire and found himself along the goal line with seconds on the clock. He got one crack that didn't go, but hammered the rebound behind Chris Osgood. With that the Penguins had new life!
Unfortunately, the Penguins suffered two injuries during the game. Sergei Gonchar looked to bruise a shoulder or his neck as he dove trying to break up the aforementioned two on one. Ryan Malone took a Hal Gill slap shot to the face, which seemed to shatter his already broken nose. Each missed the end of the second period...Malone came back for the third and throughout, but Sarge was out after attempting to play early in the third.
Marc Andre Fleury played the finest hockey of his career during the overtime periods...he took his game to another level and gave his team an opportunity to win. He was poised, confident, and playing with swagger. This is what we were all hoping for when he was selected first overall back in 2003. He made 55 shots in the game, with 24 of them coming in overtime!
While Fleury was standing on his head, Pierre McGuire said something very interesting from his between the benches locale during the second Overtime. McGuire said, "I have never seen a player do this before, but Petr Sykora just pointed to his crest and said I am going to score." It wasn't necessarily Babe Ruth calling his shot, but it was damn close by hockey standards, especially when he did in fact call his shot.
The entire situation was set up by a Hudler high stick on Rob Scuderi. You can definitely say that the interference calls that the Penguins got early in the overtime were a bit suspect, but you can't do much about the high stick. That will be called any day of the week.
The Penguins got a huge emotional boost from the call, especially because they saw Sergei Gonchar, who had been out since early in the third period, hop the boards for the power play. Sarge added the dimension that was missing from the Penguins power play in his absence. He carried the puck up ice and set every thing. He was at his quarterbacking best in creating the situation that resulted in the game winner. After several opportunities and keeps at the point for the unit, the puck came loose to Evgeni Malkin behind the net and he made no mistake in helping Sykora fullfill his earlier prophecy. Sykora took the pass and one timed a slick wrister over Chris Osgood's shoulder.
Overall, the Red Wings played one some amazing hockey, but the Penguins just wouldn't go away. They seemed completely winded and more tired than I have ever seen this team, but they were very resilient and continued to generate some opportunities.
This was an amazing hockey game to watch...as I said in the comment section of Ek's blog, shame on you for six weeks if you missed this one. Winning a game like this creates a good bit of momentum and it just might be enough to force a game seven back at Joe Louis Arena...could this series live up to the hype, it is starting to appear that way.
Individual Player Notes:
Ryan Whitney played well over 50 minutes and really seemed to settle in while Sergie Gonchar was out of the line-up. He was a great asset to the team and played some of his finest hockey of these playoffs. He needs to keep that going if the Penguins are going to continue climbing.
Sergei Gonchar is an amazing leader for the Penguins and I will never forget him stepping over the boards in the third OT to take his spot on the Penguins power play. He was the difference maker on that game winner.
Marian Hossa is showing why he was brought in by Ray Shero. He has been one the Penguins best forwards in the series and has been all world for this team. His two way play has been absolutely phenomenal. He is the first forward back on D and has been leading a charge into the offensive zone. He is constantly moving his feet and gathering up all loose pucks. I will really miss him on this team next season....unlesss...
Marc Andre Fleury had his coming out party tonight...sure he played some great hockey in the playoffs, but his play in tonight's game stole it for the Pens. There is no third overtime if 29 doesn't give the best effort of his career.
Evgeni Malkin had a couple of flashes, but for the most part remained absent. He did look good in pounching on the loose puck and getting it to Sykora for the game winner.
Adam Hall and Max Talbot are showing why you need role players and each has been top notch.
Hank Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were amazing in the game. The duo is among the best that the league has to offer. I have a much bigger appreciation of their game having watched them for 5 games.
Helm and Hudler were very important players in the overtimes for the Wings. They are bright young talents, who seem mature beyond their years.
Hal Gill really stepped up during Sarge's absence. He seemed to be all over the ice and used his huge reach to clear a lot of pucks.
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A great night of hockey...stay tuned for more tomorrow.
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Pre-Game Five: An Open Letter To Evgeni Malkin...Inspiring a Win?
Geno,
You don’t know me well, but I have spoken to you through your interpreter, George Birman, on numerous occasions. I just wanted to take this opportunity to check in with you. You have not been your self for several weeks now and we are worried about you. Sure, your talent is all world, but you have not been playing like it. Is there something amiss?
You spent this past season dazzling us with your slick moves, big hits, slap shots and multi point games. Where has it all gone? The Stanley Cup Finals are winding down and you and your team are on the wrong end of it. Your team needs, no let me correct that; Penguin Nation needs Geno Machino back…and in a big way. Your production has been missed immensely in the series and it could have been a huge difference maker. Had you and your Steel City Line been able to contribute even 2 or 3 goals in the series, the team may not be down 3-1.
Word is circulating that you are tired and have forgotten what it feels like to score. Well, those don’t sound like the words of a Hart Trophy Candidate. In fact, they don’t sound like any words I have ever heard come out of your mouth before.
Remember when you escaped Magnitagorsk and made your way to the National Hockey League via Finland through Los Angeles? During that time you talked of wanting to play in the best league in world. You talked about how you wanted to be the best your could in competing for the Calder Trophy…and most of all you wanted to help the Pittsburgh Penguins win a Stanley Cup. Guess what? You got the Calder…mission accomplished. However, you are now competing in the Stanley Cup Final in only your second year in the league! It is slipping away!
Though the situation is very dire, there is some good news. You haven’t been eliminated yet! Neither team has won four games as of today and you have the perfect opportunity to redeem yourself. In fact, you can bring redemption to all of Penguin Nation. You can stand side by side with your Captain, Sidney Crosby and lift this team to the next level!
You have been compared to Mario Lemieux on many occasions throughout your young NHL career. You need to ask yourself…WWMLD in this situation? That is right…I know that we all wonder on a daily basis about WWGRD, but that isn’t going to give you the answer! The answer lies in channeling what the big guy would do. He has been in this situation before and guess what? He came out on top…because that is what he did. He always came out on top…he made it so! That is what you have to do! You too can come out on top, but it won’t be easy.
This will be the biggest challenge of all you have faced during your 21 years on the planet, but it isn’t impossible!
I hope that this letter helps you to realize that you are one of the premier players in the National Hockey League. I also hope that it encourages you to stay focused on the task at hand and helps you to get back to being the player you were earlier in the playoffs. That being a player who had not only a Stanley Cup in his sights, but a Conn Smythe.
Hang in there, Geno…please realize that we all need you now more than ever!
Sincerely,
Brian Metzer
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Ever been between a rock and a hard place? How about up the creek, without a paddle? Yeah, I think we all have…but none of that seems to compare to the situation the Pittsburgh Penguins are in as they enter the Joe Louis Arena tonight down 3 games to 1 in the best of 7 Stanley Cup Final Series.
Sure, they might have deserved to be tied in the series after dropping a very close game Saturday night, but the bottom line is that they didn’t get the job done. The opportunity to tie the game and series was there when they were presented with a 5on 3 advantage late in the third period. Unfortunately, they were unable to knot the affair and Hank Zetterberg single-handedly killed off the advantage.
The crazy thing about this series is that, minus game one, it has been a lot closer than the 3 – 1 deficit lets on, at least statistically. The Red Wings have a huge advantage in goals and shots on goal, but the two teams are almost deadlocked in hits, face-off % and scoring chances.
All of this means that the Penguins have matched the physical intensity of the Red Wings, but have faltered in putting shots on goal. Getting shots on goal does not ensure a better outcome, but the Red Wings have shown that by shooting from every angle and at every opportunity success can be had.
Throwing an almost no look, off speed, backhand shot on Marc Andre Fleury seemed to work out for Mr. Hudler on Saturday night. That is how you catch goaltenders off guard and get crazy bounces, and the Wings have been doing that all series long. The Big Red Machine has utilized bounces off of the boards, rebounds and bouncing pucks to generate scoring opportunities. They have put 11 pucks behind Fleury, while the Penguins have only put 4 behind Chris Osgood.
Make no mistake, the Red Wings have proven to be the superior team, but the Penguins have yet to put together a full 60-minute effort. Game three definitely was a step in the right direction, but aside from that they have looked confused, frustrated and beaten.
That can all change tonight…the Penguins might go on to lose this series, but I would hate to see it be like this. The boys need to continue the physical style that they have been bringing to the table, score the first TWO goals of the game, get a strong performance from Marc Andre Fleury and keep their feet moving throughout in getting to every loose puck.
Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa have taken their games to another level, but to come all the way back in the series, they will need to be joined by Evgeni Malkin. The dynamic young talent has quickly taken on the role of enigmatic Russian question mark…something that the Penguins have some experience with. A former management team here in town found a way to get the best out of Alex Kovalev. He became one of the league’s best players in that system, hopefully Michel Therrien can find a way to do the same in breaking Malkin out of his slump.
Lastly, if you heard the Penguins Buzzcast yesterday, I compared the situation the Penguins are in today to one that they were in back in 1992 during their second Stanley Cup run. They found themselves down 3 games to 1 to the Washington Capitals. The situation is eerily similar. The Penguins had lost the first two games of the series on the road to a team that dominated them defensively and bottled up their forwards in a way that hadn’t been done all season long. They then came back to Mellon Arena and took game three, giving everyone hope, only to be blown away in game four.
The Penguins players had a meeting and devised a scheme to hold up the Washington attack that at the same time allowed the Penguins dynamic forwards to capitalize on every mistake. They went on two win three games in a row and advanced past the very formidable opponent. Here’s hoping that our current generation of Flightless Birds are channeling the spirit of Mario, Ronny and the boys in having their own soul searching meeting to devise this year’s scheme.
Here is a youtube clip that thepensblog.com posted last night…it is a definite hope generator! Here’s hoping it helps you get through the rest of the day and wills the boys on to victory!
Also, here is the famous Herb Brooks speech from Miracle! Ek, made a habit of posting it throughout the latter stages of the season and I am doing it today in hopes of spurring the boys on. As Alex May said yesterday on the show, win this one for Herbie! Even more appropriate since I compared the Red Wings to the old Russian Big Red Machine teams…who just did it without emotion. Machinelike!
Other Series Notes:
The Penguins hold a 17-15 record all-time in Game Five of a playoff series.
Today is the latest date the Penguins have ever played a game. They have twice played on June 1st (1992, 1996).
The Penguins have lost three straight road games. They have never lost four straight on the road in one playoff year.
The Penguins are 20-20 all-time when facing elimination in the playoffs, including 8-9 on the road.
Four of the five-playoff losses have been away from Mellon Arena. They have a 4-4 road record this playoff season.
The Penguins have won eight of their last 11 games in the Stanley Cup Final.
Detroit has won 15 of their last 17 games in the Final, but had their streak of six straight snapped in Game Three.
The Penguins have scored first in 12 of 18 playoff games
The Penguins have out-shot the opposition in 11 of the 18-playoff games, but have been out-shot in all four games vs. Detroit. The Rangers were the only other team to out-shoot the Penguins in consecutive games in these playoffs.
The Penguins were 32-22 (59.2%) in the face-off circle during Game Four, which was the best performance by a Penguins team in the playoffs since Game Three vs. New Jersey in 2001 (60.5%).
Stanley Cup Must Win Playlist: (Alphabetical because I chose them as I scrolled through my library, which is sorted by song title!)
1. Again We Rise - Lamb of God
2. Among the Living - Anthrax
3. Are You Ready - Three Days Grace
4. Army of Me - Bjork
5. Be Without Fear - Behemoth
6. Becoming the Bull - Atreyu
7. Believe - The Bravery
8. Bro Hymn - Pennywise
9. Club Foot - Kasabian
10. Cowboys From Hell - Pantera
11. Defy You - The Offspring
12. Fully Alive - Flyleaf
13. Go - Pearl Jam
14. Here to Stay - Korn
15. I Ain't Goin Out Like That - Cypress Hill
16. Knights of Cydonia - Muse
17. My Lucky Day - Smoking Popes
18. A New Level - Pantera
19. On With the Show - Motley Crue
20. One Vision - Queen
21. Pain is Like an Animal - Danzig
22. Prayer of the Refugee - Rise Against
23. Seek and Destroy - Metallica
24. Tick Tick Boom - The Hives
25. Walk Through Fire - Overkill
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