26 replies to this topic

[Dark Knight]

Please post your thoughts, pictures and comments on tonight's game in this thread.

Pittsburgh at Detroit

[DropThePuck]

May 25 - TSN's Ice Chips:

There is a possibility Johan Franzen may play in Game 2 but it is probably more likely he will play in Game 3 or Game 4 in Pittsburgh. The doctors want him to continue doing full up practices for several days in a row without symptoms. Wings management is not ruling him out of Game 2 yet but they concede the chances are probably greater he makes his debut in Pittsburgh. All of this predicated of course on remaining symptom free, which he is at this point. - TSN


Red Wings forward Mikael Samuelsson has seven career playoff goals. Six of those have come by way of three two-goal games, including Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final which saw another two-goal performance. - TSN

Following Game 1, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby told TSN that he felt the team's forechecking needs to be a lot more aggressive and that the Penguins didn't pressure the Red Wings' defence enough. He also said they were trying to be too fancy in Game 1. - TSN

It was a rough Stanley Cup Finals debut for Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby played 18 minutes, 10 seconds, was minus-1, had three shots, one hit and one giveaway. Malkin, in 17:46, was minus-1 with 1 shot and lost 6-of-10 faceoffs. - TSN

[Still MIGHTY]

ehhh

Go ...

[ahtikullervo]

On the same note: Go !!!

[DropThePuck]

May 26 - TSN's Ice Chips:

Red Wings leading playoff goal scorer Johan Franzen, who has missed six games with concussion-like symptoms will play in Game 2 tonight. - TSN

The Penguins are making significant lineup changes after being limited to seven shots in the final 40 minutes of a 4-0 loss to the Red Wings in the opening game of the Stanley Cup final.
Gary Roberts, a 42-year-old veteran, will be in the lineup tonight for Game 2. With Roberts in, Georges Laraque becomes a healthy scratch.
Penguins coach Michel Therrien made changes to all four forward lines during practice on Sunday. Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa skated with Ryan Malone instead of Pascal Dupuis on the top line. Dupuis moved to a line with Tyler Kennedy centered by Jordan Staal. Evgeni Malkin will center a line with Petr Sykora and Max Talbot, and Roberts played on a line with Adam Hall and Jarkko Ruutu.
The Penguins were bothered by the physical play of the Wings, so they will try to help Crosby by putting a big body like Malone (6-feet-4, 224 pounds) on the line. Therrien wanted to keep certain combinations together-Crosby and Hossa, Malkin and Sykora and Staal and Kennedy. Talbot could help jump-start the Malkin line.
"With Talbot, I like his grit," Therrien said. "I like his speed. He's a guy that likes to pursue the puck, to create turnovers. So I believe it could be a good fit." - Detroit Free Press

Following Game 1, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby told TSN that he felt the team's forechecking needs to be a lot more aggressive and that the Penguins didn't pressure the Red Wings' defence enough. He also said they were trying to be too fancy in Game 1. - TSN

[OrangeDucky]

Come on Penguins, BREAK THOSE WINGS.

[Duck304]

This is worse than last year. :/

[ahtikullervo]

All

[DropThePuck]

Fans cheer during the pregame ceremony for game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Not much in the way of penalties, but neither team could take advantage of their limited PP opportunities anyway.

Midway through the 2nd and still holds their 1st period lead ...

[Bits]

Why is it that the Red Wings seem to always outnumber the Pens? This is not going so well.

[DropThePuck]

An octopus is taken of the ice before game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)


Joe Louis Arena building manager Al Sobotka waves an octopus thrown onto the ice before the start of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins in Detroit, Monday,May 26,2008.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio}


Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins traps the puck as Johan Franzen #93 of the Detroit Red Wings looks for a rebound during game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)


Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood (30) deflects a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, left, during first period hockey action in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals in Detroit, Monday, May 26, 2008.
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

[Duck304]

Sick goal by Filppula

[Dark Knight]

Pittsburgh getting schooled again. The East doesn't seem to be able to compete with the West.

[Dark Knight]

Getting chippy out there. Pittsburgh already frustrated out of their minds and Sykora runs Osgood for no reason whatsoever

[Dark Knight]

FINAL SCORE:

Pittsburgh at Detroit 0-3; the question now is, can Pittsburgh score a goal and make this series interesting?

[Duck304]

Pittsburgh will go down 0-3 and then storm back and win four straight. You heard it here.

[DropThePuck]

Stuart, B. (06:55 in 1st), Holmstrom, T. (11:18 in 1st), Filppula, V. (08:48 in 3rd)

The hockey gods just didn’t seem to smile on the Pens. With 4:27 left in the period, the Red Wings committed a rare mistake when defenseman Andreas Lilja fell down while trying to clear the puck, giving the Pens a 2-on-0 break against Osgood. Staal got off a strong shot from the slot, but missed the net. He hustled for the rebound and his second attempt, on the backhand, rang off the post.
...
The Wings had a scare moments later when Johan Franzen absorbed an unpenalized punch to the face from Gary Roberts and fell to the ice. Franzen had missed six games with concussion-like symptoms before returning for Game 2. He left the ice under his own power.

<NHL.com recap>



Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood is run over by Pittsburgh Penguins Petr Sykora, from the Czech Republic, during third period in Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup finals Monday, May 26, 2008 in Detroit.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)


Pittsburgh Penguins players take a time out in the final minutes of the third period of Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup finals against the Detroit Red Wings, Monday, May 26, 2008 in Detroit. The red Wings won 3-0.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)


Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar (55), of Russia, checks with teammates in the penalty box, Petr Sykora, Evgeni Malkin, of Russia and Gary Roberts, as NHL Referees Brad Watson (23) and Marc Joannette confer in the third period in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals against the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit, Monday, May 26, 2008.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)


NHL linesman Pierre Racicot holds Pittsburgh Penguins forward Gary Roberts, right, as Roberts tries to pull down Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk, of Russia, during third period hockey action in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals in Detroit, Monday, May 26, 2008.
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)


Building manager, Al Sobotka flings an octopus around during a break from game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. The Red Wings defeated the Penguins 3-0 to set the series at 2-0 Red Wings.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

[DropThePuck]

Detroit Red Wings' Johan Franzen, of Sweden, and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, of Russia, bottom right, fight during third period hockey action in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals in Detroit, Monday, May 26, 2008.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)


Valtteri Filppula #51 of the Detroit Red Wings scores a diving third period goal past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)


Pavel Datsyuk #13 of the Detroit Red Wings and Ryan Malone #12 of the Pittsburgh Penguins are penalized for roughing during game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)


Petr Sykora #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins reacts after colliding into goaltender Chris Osgood #30 of the Detroit Red Wings and drawing an interference penalty during game two of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena on May 26, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. The Red Wings defeated the Penguins 3-0 to set the series at 2-0 Red Wings.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

[DropThePuck]

"It's really tough to generate offense against that team," Therrien said. "They're good on obstruction. It's going to be tough to generate any type of offense if the rules remain the same. So, it's the first time we're facing a team [where] the obstruction is there and we're having a hard time skating to take away ice."

The comments were reminiscent of last season, when Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray, in the midst of watching his team getting eaten alive by the Anaheim Ducks, complained that the Ducks were holding them up. All that did was rationalize the Ottawa players' failure to compete.

Therrien also accused Osgood of diving on both of the goaltender interference penalties assessed against the Penguins in Game 2.

"I'll tell you something, I reviewed those plays. He's a good actor. He goes to players, and he's diving."
...
The last time the Penguins were shut out in back-to-back games was in February 2003. They have been held without a goal for 135:57 dating back to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, their longest drought of the season.

<link>

Osgood is the first goaltender to post shutouts in the first two games of the Finals since three-time Vezina Trophy winner Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils did it in 2003 against the Anaheim Ducks.

<link>

[DropThePuck]

But throw aside the Xs and O's for a moment and consider the most important battle the young Penguins are losing right now - the one between the ears. They appear rattled. Their confident strut, well-deserved and acquired during a 12-2 romp through the Eastern Conference, is no longer.

Remind anyone of the Ottawa Senators after two games with the Anaheim Ducks in last year's Cup final?

<link>

[MrsBevo]

The LA Times has been having Ducks commentary on the games. Giguere did game 1 and Pronger did one for game 2. Pronger's insight is pretty good. It's only on-line, not in the paper.

[ladiesandgentlemen]

[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/b8/ful

Joe Louis Arena building manager Al Sobotka waves an octopus thrown onto the ice before the start of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup hockey finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins in Detroit, Monday,May 26,2008.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio}

That's $10, 000 and counting in fines for Sabotka, supposedly coming out of his own pocket.

Well worth it to show up the biggest little slimy creature in the building, Gary Bettman...

[Todrick]

i thought it was 10k per incident... making it $20,000 and counting... he has done it before both games

or is the trick that he steps, JUST OFF ice before doing it

[Dark Knight]

From today's Brady's Blog...

So far in their two convincing victories, Detroit has done everything they typically do to make them one of the best teams in the league the last five years. They've given the Penguins very little room to breathe, especially in the offensive zone, which to the Pens has to look as crowded as a nightclub dance floor on $1 beer night. The job that defense has done has made relatively easy work for goalie Chris Osgood, who definitely has to share the credit for the two shutouts he's put up. The guys in front of him have rendered one-time studs Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa and Evgeni Malkin mostly ineffective. Malkin, for one, had only one more shot than I did in Games 1 and 2 combined.

LINK

[Cassie8236]

That's $10, 000 and counting in fines for Sabotka, supposedly coming out of his own pocket.

Well worth it to show up the biggest little slimy creature in the building, Gary Bettman...

I thought that he just couldn't be ON the ice when he does it.