Pens' Orpik steps up when it counts most
By Damien Cox
TheStar.com - Sports
May 30, 2008

It was a noisy shift, one filled with thrashing bodies and momentous thumps.

For Brooks Orpik, it was probably worth $1 million. Maybe more.

No, you're not supposed to think that way during the Stanley Cup final, when it's all about winning and team and collective goals.

But if you're Orpik – born in 1980 and named after the "Miracle" man, Herb Brooks – how can you not let a sliver of the possibilities ahead leak into your mind?

The shift came in the third period of Game 3 on Wednesday, with the Detroit Red Wings pressing hard to tie the game with a powerful push and Orpik and his Pittsburgh Penguin teammates desperately defending.

First, Orpik banged Detroit centre Kris Draper to the ice. Then Dallas Drake. Then Drake again. Then Daniel Cleary found himself staring upwards at Mellon Arena's retractable roof, courtesy of an Orpik body slam.

Four hits on one shift, with the Pittsburgh crowd roaring louder with each one.

"That's kind of my role on this team," said the San Francisco-born, Buffalo-raised Orpik. "It's something I can energize the team and the crowd with. But it was just one shift."

When it happens in the Cup final, however, in a game carried on NBC before the largest U.S. hockey audience for a final contest in six years, people are going to notice. Orpik's an unrestricted free agent this summer after making $1.075 million (U.S.), and the opportunity for a major pay day this summer increased with every resounding hit last night.

To some degree, that's the subtext with this Penguin team, which has nine regulars – Pascal Dupuis, Adam Hall, Ryan Malone, Marian Hossa, Georges Laraque, Gary Roberts, Jarkko Ruutu, Ty Conklin and Orpik – headed for unrestricted status July 1.

Does that motivate players even more in this situation? Maybe. Orpik was a major factor in a much more physical Game 3, Hall scored the winning goal and Roberts seemed more involved than his 8:45 of ice time indicated.

Malone may be set to really hit the motherlode, but in this series, the poor fellow has either been taking penalties or getting drilled by Detroit bodychecks, including a thundering blow by Niklas Kronwall in Game 1 and an eye-popper by Pavel Datsyuk on Wednesday night.

Orpik, meanwhile, was delivering the hits, and people are noticing.

"We always knew he was physical defenceman ... he needed to learn when to be physical," said Penguins coach Michel Therrien yesterday. "Right now, he understands more about his position. We have so much confidence in (Orpik) that we play him with (Sergei) Gonchar against other team's top players. We know he can punish those top players."

Orpik has had many opportunities to digest the lessons of winning. Not only was he named after Brooks, the famous, late U.S. Olympic coach, but when he was drafted in the first round by the Penguins in 2000, Brooks was working for the club.

The Orpik family is close friends with former Pittsburgh and Detroit assistant coach Barry Smith. Orpik's brother, Andrew, is a Buffalo Sabres draftee who was part of the Boston College squad that won the NCAA title this season.

Still, the process of getting to the point where Therrien trusts him so much has been a long, slow one. He was minus-36 for an awful Pittsburgh team the year before the lockout, and even this season found himself taking shifts in January on left wing as the club tried to get its roster in working order.

At 27, Orpik looks set to become an impact defenceman, and that's why his performance in Game 3 was so timely for both his team and his future. Defencemen always seem to take longer to develop, and part of the tragedy of the news that Vancouver defenceman Luc Bourdon had died yesterday in a motorcycle accident was that fate decided not to provide that promising young man with the luxury of time.

For Orpik, his time may be here and now, a chance to be a key actor in a hockey stage play that may yet provide new layers of intrigue.

The Kid's quiet confidence
By Ross McKeon
NHL - Yahoo! Sports
May 29, 2008

PITTSBURGH – Bob Errey has suited up with some great players and stood alongside some great leaders in his day.

Errey, a television analyst now after 15 seasons in the NHL, played early in his career with Jaromir Jagr, Kevin Stevens, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Bryan Trottier and a captain by the name of Mario Lemieux.

An alternate captain with plenty of leadership know-how himself, Errey enjoyed two Stanley Cup campaigns during his 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Later he’d rub elbows with respected leaders in Buffalo (Pat LaFontaine), San Jose (Igor Larionov), Dallas (Mike Modano), New York (Wayne Gretzky, Brian Leetch) and Detroit, where he was reunited with Peterborough junior teammate Steve Yzerman.

Errey knows talent and he can recognize leadership. So when he saw Sidney, who was still more than two months shy of legal drinking age in the United States, lift his misdirected team up on his shoulders and score the first two goals of a 3-2 win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals against Detroit on Wednesday night, he knew he was again witnessing something special.

“He’s going to write his own ticket,” Errey said Thursday.

For now, Crosby wrote another chapter in what long ago stopped being a hopeful tale spun by a league needing a young, fresh face to help it emerge from the embarrassment of missing an entire season over a labor dispute.

No hype here, no false credentials. Sid the Kid took another step toward being the face of the NHL. For so long it’s been Gretzky and Lemieux, and justifiably so. Both were great record-setters in the sport, and remain iconic ambassadors for hockey today. And they still are the most recognizable figures in the game. But Crosby, the leader of a new generation, is hot on their heels.

“When I watch Crosby, he looks to me like a guy with a lot of will,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said Thursday. “If your best player has a ton of will, your best players have a ton of will, I think you have a chance to get everybody to improve.”

Crosby knew he had to do that for himself and his teammates. This was going to be a short and disappointing series for Pittsburgh if the Penguins didn’t rally after getting shut out twice at the outset in Detroit.

Teammates described Crosby as quiet and focused during the morning skate Wednesday and before game-time in the evening.

“What impressed me the most about Sid, you look at him, it’s obviously every morning he’s going to bring skills,” Pittsburgh forward Max Talbot said. “He’s probably one of the most talented guys in the league. But when you come to practice or just optional skate and you look at him, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, that guy, he’s working and the respect for the game, the love for the game and the passion.’

“And what he did last night was just a great example. You have no choice but to follow. I think that’s the reason why we came out like that,” he added.

Minutes before scoring Pittsburgh’s first goal of the series late in the opening period, Crosby was joined by Evgeni Malkin on a mid-period line adjustment by coach Michel Therrien. The message was clear: Help turn the tide of a period when Detroit was dominating in shots (9-1) and possession. If something didn’t change fast, the Red Wings were going to score and possibly seize control of Pittsburgh’s must-have Game 3.

Crosby, Malkin and Marian Hossa controlled the crucial shift, set the tone for the momentum change and soon thereafter cashed in when Crosby scored his fifth of the postseason. He added his second of the night on a power play early in the second period, and Pittsburgh’s confidence was back as quickly as Detroit’s invincibility vanished.

“It was desperation,” Crosby said. “I wanted to make sure personally I had a good game.”

The third-year star admitted he was aware of needing to lead, but lead in the proper manner.

“You want to be quiet, but you have to have a sense of confidence in the room, too,” he said. “I think we all believed that if we put our best game out there, we gave ourselves a good chance. But personally, you just want to make sure you’re leading by example and doing your job out there. And that’s all I was basically trying to do.”

In the end, Crosby was all over the score sheet. Aside from his two goals, he had three shots, three others that missed the net, a hit, a takeaway, and eight faceoff wins out of 15 chances on a night Pittsburgh topped Detroit by one in a category the Red Wings owned the first two games. His 19:41 of ice time was four seconds less than a forward-leading total of 19:45 by Hossa.

“He’s a pretty quiet guy, generally,” teammate Adam Hall said of Crosby. “He’s not a cheerleader on the bench or in the locker room really. He doesn’t say much. He just goes out there, and I think we’ve all said it before. It’s great to see one of your captains be one of your hardest workers out there.”

Crosby & Co. know they’ve only started to climb the mountain. Over and over Thursday, Therrien described Wednesday’s game as a challenge. He said Saturday night will be the same.

A loss at home for the first time this postseason would put the Penguins back in a desperate situation, with no margin for error and a 1-3 deficit heading back to Detroit.

No one needs to remind Crosby, too, that the Pens are trying to become only the second team in 33 tries to lose the first two games on foreign ice and come back to win the Cup. He is keeping it all in perspective.

“There’s a lot of skill on both sides, and you have to expect some nice plays and some good opportunities,” Crosby said. “We tried to play well defensively, but they’re going to get their chances, too. Hopefully we can still tie it up.”

That answer comes Saturday night, when another chapter of Crosby’s tale waits to unfold.

Loss doesn't dull Red Wings' confidence
By Alan Robinson
The Associated Press
May 29, 2008

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings are talking and acting like a team with a hammerlock 3-0 grip of a lead in the Stanley Cup finals against Pittsburgh, rather than the more precarious 2-1 advantage they own going into Game 4.

Coach Mike Babcock, goalie Chris Osgood and several other players who made their way to Mellon Arena on what otherwise was an off day for hockey Thursday were uncommonly loose, relaxed and confident.

So loose, they hardly looked like a team that, barely 12 hours before, twice fell behind by two goals while allowing Sidney Crosby to score twice in Pittsburgh's 3-2 victory in Game 3. The must-win game for Pittsburgh made certain the Red Wings can't clinch in Game 4 on Saturday night.

The Red Wings preferred to talk about what went right rather than what went wrong, even if there were mistakes aplenty following two near-perfect games in Detroit. Babcock seemed to wish that Game 4 was being played in a few hours, saying, "It should be a lot of fun."

"I mean, we still have a great feeling in our dressing room, and Mike is going to be the first to tell you that," forward Kris Draper said. "We knew this was going to be a series, and that's what it's turned into."

A series the Red Wings can firmly control again if they win Game 4, which would give them a chance to raise the Cup in Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena on Monday. A loss means they forfeit that considerable momentum and guarantee themselves a return trip to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins haven't lost in 17 games since Feb. 24.

For the Red Wings, the preferred scenario is obvious.

"No sense beating yourself up over it," Babcock said of Game 3, in which the Red Wings pressured furiously during a 16-shot third period to tie it but couldn't. "We didn't win the game. It's a new day. It's sunny. Let's go."

Considering the give-no-ground, never-show-a-grin mentality many coaches have carried into the finals, Babcock's upbeat attitude following a difficult loss was an undeniable change of pace.

The only ones smiling more than the Red Wings were the Penguins, who acknowledged that going down 3-0 in the series would have created a near-impossible comeback scenario.

Now, their goal is to make sure this wasn't a one-game reprieve. The Penguins more than made a game of it in Game 3; now they've find out if they can make a series of it.

"That team, when they get confidence, they could accomplish a lot of things," coach Michel Therrien said of his Penguins. "And this is what we've proved so far. We deserved to win, and they're going to feel good about themselves."

No doubt the Penguins would feel better if their once-dangerous power play was clicking; they are 1-for-11 with the man advantage, while Detroit is almost as bad at 2-for-19.

Still, the Penguins believe all the momentum will shift their way if they win Game 4. They are decidedly younger than the Red Wings, and they believe a longer series favors them, even though they still must win at least once in Detroit to win the Stanley Cup.

"They do have a lot of older guys," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "So I think the more you can pound on them, it definitely takes a toll during the end of the series."

The Red Wings have had trouble putting away some series, even if none of their playoff rounds this spring has lasted longer than six games. They were tied by Nashville at 2-2 after winning the first two games and Dallas won two in a row from them after being down 3-0.

Babcock acknowledged that, by this stage of the playoffs, "It's a grind. It goes forever. Just never seems to end."

To the Penguins, the longer they delay that end, the better.

One worry for Pittsburgh is forward Johan Franzen's re-emergence. He scored his playoffs-leading 13th goal while taking six shots Wednesday, one game after returning from a six-game layoff with recurring headaches.

With Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin (one goal in seven games), Marian Hossa (one goal in five games) and Petr Sykora (one goal in 12 games) all slumping, Franzen could be a difference maker if he keeps playing the way he did in Game 3.

The Red Wings had several stretches Wednesday in which they dominated but had trouble scoring, getting nine of the game's first 10 shots and 16 of the final 21.

"I thought it was the best sign in the game for us, the Mule was back," Babcock said, referring to Franzen's nickname. "He was dominant for us. He's just a good, good player. We're excited to see that."

Babcock was less excited to see Crosby be so dominant, during a big game that was a decided pick-me-up for Pittsburgh.

"When I watch Crosby, he looks to me like a guy with a lot of will," Babcock said. "If your best player has a ton of will, I think you have a chance to get everybody to improve."

The major worry for Pittsburgh is that, through three games, only Crosby and Adam Hall have scored.

"Like I told our team, we always respond really well to challenges, all season long. ... It's a big challenge (in Game 3) and I thought they responded really well," Therrien said. "It won't be any different Saturday. It's going to be another huge challenge game for us."

PITTSBURGH - MAY 28: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is embraced by teammates Marian Hossa #18 and Jarkko Ruutu #37 after his first period goal during the first period of game three of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings at Mellon Arena on May 28, 2008 in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Crosby, Penguins beat Red Wings 3-2 to win Game 3
By Ira Podell
The Associated Press
May 29, 2008

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins found their offense right where they left it — home in the Igloo. Crosby scored Pittsburgh's first two goals of the Stanley Cup finals, beating previously perfect goalie Chris Osgood, and the Penguins made this a series with a 3-2 victory Wednesday night.

The Red Wings still lead 2-1 after two shutout wins at home. Game 4 will be Saturday night, again in Pittsburgh, before the series shifts back to Detroit for a now necessary fifth game.

The Penguins improved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs and have won 17 straight there, dating to a loss to San Jose on Feb. 24. Pittsburgh's previous game in front of the home crowd was a 6-0 blitz in the clinching Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia.

Marc-Andre Fleury, who hasn't been beaten at home in 19 straight games, made 32 saves. He allowed Johan Franzen's power-play goal with 5:12 left in the second period that cut Pittsburgh's lead to 2-1 and Mikael Samuelsson's tally in the third that got Detroit back within one.

Osgood stopped 21 shots, but fell to 6-1 in his career in the finals. He backstopped the Red Wings' championship round sweep of Washington in 1998, but it became clear this wouldn't be his night when Adam Hall banked a shot in off the goalie's right skate from behind the net 7:18 into the third period.

The Red Wings led Nashville 2-0 in the first round, only to be tied through four games. Dallas forced a Game 6 in the Western finals after trailing 3-0. Might the Penguins be ready to stage the latest comeback?

Crosby had been bottled up by the Red Wings' top line of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, but he got free at times on home ice where the Penguins enjoyed the last change.

His first goal came with that Detroit trio on the ice, and the second was scored during a power play.

"His work ethic was there. He stuck to the plan," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "That's what you're looking for from your captain, show an example. Good players, when the challenge is there, they like to play those type of games."

Now Pittsburgh has a chance to equal the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who dropped two shutout losses to start the 2003 finals in New Jersey before rebounding to get even with two wins at home.

They have Crosby, their 20-year-old captain, to thank for that. The Penguins' finals-long scoring drought finally ended after 137 minutes, 25 seconds with the help of a rare mistake by the Red Wings.

"It was just, 'Finally,'" Crosby said. "It wasn't like there weren't chances. It felt good to get the first one."

Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart held the puck behind the net for several moments as he waited for Tyler Kennedy's forecheck to subside. Stuart sent a pass toward the left point that caromed off Zetterberg's skate to Marian Hossa.

The Penguins forward skated into the circle and attempted a shot that hit Stuart's skate and bounced to Crosby, who snapped a drive that found its way in off Osgood with 2:35 left in the first. It gave life to Pittsburgh, which had been outshot 9-4 in the period.

It was the first goal scored on Osgood in 154 minutes, 58 seconds, a run that stretched back to Game 6 of the Western finals. The Red Wings suddenly found themselves behind, a position they have rarely been in during the playoffs.

Not only hadn't the Penguins found any results at even strength, they weren't even generating shots. It took until 15:06 had elapsed before a 5-on-5 drive got in on Osgood.

Crosby, who hadn't scored in five games, made it 2-0 at 2:34 of the second with his sixth goal of the playoffs. Sergei Gonchar's shot found traffic in front and bounced to Ryan Malone, who also couldn't get the puck through.

Hossa got to it and put a shot off Osgood, who couldn't control the rebound. Crosby then slammed the puck in at the right post and celebrated with a fist pump as he crouched near the end boards.

That was the last of Pittsburgh's three power plays and snapped a 2-for-19 drought. The Penguins carried a 2-1 lead into the third period that featured many hard hits and very few whistles.

"They got to the puck a little quicker at times," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "They scored first, which helped them. I thought Crosby and Hossa were better. More energy and controlled more plays."

Osgood had a nervous moment in the first few minutes of the final frame when Hossa sent a shot off the post, and Pascal Dupuis followed with a drive that slid toward the goal line before Osgood stopped it just in time.

His good luck ran out soon after.

Gary Roberts played a physical shift that created a chance for Hall, who put a puck onto the outside of the net and worked it free. After Osgood failed to clear it from danger with an empty swipe of his stick, Hall smacked a shot that hit Osgood leg and found its way in.

Fleury's frightening moment was yet to come. With the Red Wings pressing to get back in it, Holmstrom banged a drive off the post with 11:43 left in the period.

It didn't take long for Detroit to put the heat back on. Samuelsson, who scored twice in Detroit's 4-0 series-opening win, brought the Red Wings within a goal with 6:23 remaining.

The Red Wings had a chance to tie it when Evgeni Malkin took a tripping penalty with 4:18 remaining, but couldn't beat Fleury, who calmly covered a puck in traffic late in the advantage.

Franzen, in his second game back after missing six following a bout with recurring headaches, netted his NHL-leading 13th goal of the playoffs with 5:12 remaining in the second period.

Notes: Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, who led the Penguins and Red Wings to Stanley Cup titles, dropped the ceremonial first puck. ... Penguins D Darryl Sydor, a two-time Cup winner, played for the first time since March 30. He replaced rookie Kris Letang. ... Detroit, the champions in 1997, 1998 and 2002, had won 14 of its previous 15 games in the finals.

Penguins, not finished in finals, beat Wings
By Alan Robinson
The Associated Press
May 29, 2008

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Sidney Crosby is the Pittsburgh Penguins' leader. Their best player. The franchise figurehead. A player who brings out the best in those who surround him, even if the 20-year-old is half the age of some.

On a night that effectively could have ended the Penguins' Stanley Cup run in every way except mathematically, Crosby showed another side to his teammates: Sidney Crosby, the loner.

In the Penguins' dressing room before their absolutely must-win 3-2 victory over Detroit in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday night, Crosby was unusually pensive and reserved. He has never been a backslapping, cheerleader type who talks a big game, but this was a different, more contemplative Crosby.

Maybe it was a sign of what's to come, as Crosby not only ended the Penguins' streak of nearly seven consecutive shutout periods with a goal late in the first period, he also scored their second goal early in the second period on a power play to make it 2-0.

"I think it was desperation. I wanted to make sure personally I had a good game. You want to be quiet, but you have to have a sense of confidence in the room, too" Crosby said. "Personally, you just want to make sure you're leading by example and doing your job out there. And that's all I was basically trying to do."

That, and save their season.

"He definitely led the way," defenseman Brooks Orpik said of Crosby, the 2006-07 NHL MVP who hadn't scored in five games. "He's a quiet leader in terms of what he says in the locker room, but he's obviously a leader of this team."

The two goals also gave the Penguins the confidence - and, too, the hope - they lacked after being outscored 7-0 in first two games dominated by Detroit. With the help of Adam Hall's goal off goalie Chris Osgood's back in the third period, the Penguins proved they not only can stand up to the Red Wings, they can beat them.

"We needed this one, and I think we earned it," Crosby said.

There was little sign of that in Detroit, where the Penguins are certain to return now that they have avoided being the third team to be swept by the Red Wings in the finals since 1997.

"I don't see why we couldn't bring even more (passion) on Saturday," in Game 4, defenseman Ryan Whitney said. "Look at it, we're one game away from tying up the Stanley Cup finals, after a lot of (people) counted us out."

Thank Crosby for that and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, too. Fleury made 32 saves and was much better than he was in Detroit, despite goals by Johan Franzen and former Penguins player Mikael Samuelsson that each got Detroit within a goal of tying it.

The Red Wings, for all the flaws they showed that weren't previously on display, weren't all that far away from making it a 3-0 series. They took nine of the first 10 shots, a carry-over from their domination in the first two games, and an early lead might have been all they needed to end a Penguins home-ice winning streak that has reached 17 games.

Maybe they pressed too much for that first goal, as coach Mike Babcock, swayed by two power plays in the first period, kept sending out his top line of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom.

"I thought those guys tried to do too much," Babcock said. "I thought the coach played them too much."

One person Babcock wouldn't blame was Osgood, who had been 6-0 with a 1.18 goals-against average in Stanley Cup finals games. He made 21 saves, but couldn't match former Montreal goalie Bill Durnan's 7-0 record to begin his Cup finals career.

"They played well at home. They're confident at home. They skated real well," said Osgood, who had gone 154 minutes, 58 seconds without allowing a goal until Crosby scored off Marian Hossa's rebound at 17:25 of the first period. "It's just unfortunate it didn't go our way."

Babcock should be familiar with this scenario.

In the 2003 finals, New Jersey outscored the Ducks 6-0 in the first two games. When a series that looked to be over shifted to Anaheim, the Babcock-coached Ducks won twice. The Devils finally won the finals, but they lasted the maximum seven games.

For the Penguins, who have 17 players who are 30 or younger compared to 14 Red Wings who are 30 or over, they want as long a series as possible.

And there's this: The Red Wings led Nashville 2-0 in the first round, only to be tied through four games. Dallas forced a Game 6 in the Western Conference finals after being down 3-0.

"Even when we were down 3-0 in Detroit, down 4-0, you want to keep pounding them," Orpik said. "You look over there and you see they have a lot of older guys. They're talented guys, but they're getting up there (in age). You want to try to pound on them, especially if it's a long series."

The Red Wings insist that doesn't have to happen. If they win Saturday, they will go home with a chance to clinch it Monday in Game 5 and avoid a return trip to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins haven't lost since Feb. 24 and Fleury is unbeaten in 19 games since Nov. 21.

"We were hesitant at times, and not really playing the way we were capable of or the way we did in the first two games," Kirk Maltby said. "So it's a game behind us. We had a chance to win or tie it up late. We weren't able to. Now we move on to Game 4."

So do the Penguins - and with a chance to even the series, something that wasn't widely predicted following Game 2.

"They're a confident team at home," Detroit's Kris Draper said. "They did what they had to do to win a hockey game, and now it's up to us to respond in Game 4."

Game 3: Pens rebound with 3-2 win
By Kevin Gorman
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 29, 2008

As he roamed his home dressing room Wednesday morning, the famously superstitious Sidney Crosby wore the same sweat-stained cap, gray T-shirt, black mesh shorts and rubberized shower shoes he had throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs, including the one-sided opening games of this final series.

Only the alienated smirk on his face was different.

"We'll be better," he said.

The Penguins are better, thanks to an inspired performance last night from their 20-year-old captain.

Crosby scored twice - his fifth and sixth goals of the playoffs - and the Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2, at Mellon Arena in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Forward Adam Hall added his second playoff goal in the third period, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 32 shots.

"Great players play their best in the big games," defenseman Ryan Whitney said, referring to Crosby. "He led the way for us."

He also gave the Red Wings - for whom a victory parade has been planned in Detroit - three days to think about something: What if this Cup final becomes "The Crosby Show" after all?

Detroit still leads the best-of-seven Cup final, 2-1.

But Game 4 is Saturday at Mellon Arena, where the Penguins have won 17 in a row and nine consecutive in the playoffs.

Forward Max Talbot's tone last night suggested the Penguins have found their swagger.

Following Game 2 Monday at Joe Louis Arena, the Penguins' second consecutive shutout loss, Talbot said he was "110 percent confident" his team was not marching toward a swift execution.

"Have you ever known me to lie?" Talbot said last night, after he and left wing Gary Roberts assisted on Hall's winning goal at 7:18 of the third period.

"I've been battling for three years with this core group of guys. We know what we can do. We're not going to give up on that. It's the Stanley Cup. (Detroit) is between us and the Stanley Cup. We've got players in this dressing room that will do everything it takes to win."

They go beyond doing everything at home, where the Penguins have not lost since Feb. 24.

Crosby insists Pittsburgh's boisterous fans - clad completely in white last night - give the Penguins a boost.

Last night, it was vice-versa.

A franchise-record 65th consecutive sellout crowd was nervously subdued until Crosby ended a franchise-worst playoff goal drought of 153 minutes, 22 seconds by stuffing a rebound behind Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood at 17:25 of the opening period.

That goal came on the Penguins' fifth shot, as the Red Wings opened the game with their trademark suffocating defense.

Putting the Red Wings at any disadvantage hardly seemed possible after the Penguins registered only 41 shots in Games 1 and 2.

A Penguins power-play goal seemed equally unlikely. They were 0 for 8 in the series and had scored only twice in their previous 17 opportunities before Crosby bested Osgood again at 2:34 of the second period to put the Penguins ahead, 2-0.

That tally halted a stretch of power-play futility that spanned 172:02.

So, after going over seven periods without a goal, the Penguins scored twice in 5:09.

They needed it to best the Red Wings, who were 14-1 in Cup final games since 1997 - including an undefeated mark in six road contests.

But Detroit's previous final foes - Philadelphia, Washington and Carolina - did not benefit from a captain determined to show the world he remains its best hockey player.

Crosby, who moved into a tie with Detroit center Henrik Zetterberg atop the playoff scoring list at 23 points, remains that player.

He'll never admit it publicly, though.

But by reclaiming his position, Crosby put the Penguins in place to change the course of a series in which they were written off.

"I wanted to make sure personally I had a good game," Crosby said. "This is when you're playing for keeps, and this is when it means the most.

"So this one...was a big one."

Pens' Sydor makes first playoff appearance
By Rob Rossi
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 29, 2008

Penguins defenseman Darryl Sydor made his first appearance of the playoffs Wednesday in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. Sydor did not play in 18 consecutive games dating to March 31. He replaced rookie Kris Letang, who recorded two assists and a plus-5 rating in 16 playoff games. He had gone seven games without a point and was a minus player in Games 1 and 2 of the Cup final.

Other Penguins scratches included forwards Georges Laraque, Jeff Taffe and Kris Beech and goaltender Dany Sabourin. Notable Red Wings scratches were defenseman Chris Chelios and forwards Darren McCarty and Mark Hartigan.

Former Penguins right wing Colby Armstrong, traded Feb. 26 as part of package sent to Atlanta for forwards Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis, returned to Mellon Arena to serve as guest analyst for Rogers Sportsnet.

"It's definitely weird watching the guys right now, but it's a good opportunity," Armstrong said. "I think I'd like to get into this business after I'm done playing."

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, at the Cup final to collect the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for leading the NHL with 65 goals, on fellow Russian and Penguins center Evgeni Malkin: "We're not friends. We're just buddies. He had a tremendous year, and I wish him the best." Ovechkin and Malkin were the first and second overall picks in the 2004 entry draft.

PITTSBURGH - MAY 28: Kris Draper #33 of the Detroit Red Wings skates against Jarkko Ruutu #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during game three of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Mellon Arena on May 28, 2008 in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania. The Penguins defeated the Red Wings 3-2 to set the series at 2-1 Red Wings. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Sydor replaces Letang for Game 3
By Kevin Gorman
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 28, 2008

Veteran defenseman Darryl Sydor will replace rookie Kris Letang in the Penguins' lineup for tonight's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final against the Detroit Red Wings at Mellon Arena, Penguins coach Michel Therrien said today.

"You're always looking for someone experienced and Darryl has had a great season for us but, in the meantime, we've got a lot of depth with defenseman and we liked what we saw from the defenseman so we didn't have any reason why to change a defenseman," Therrien said. "It's a different story right now. We certainly can use the experience on the ice and on the bench.

"I'm excited for him to finally get a chance to play in the playoffs."

Sydor hasn't played since March 31, a span of 18 consecutive games as a healthy scratch. Sydor is a two-time Cup champion and four-time finalist. He will be paired with Ryan Whitney, whom he spent most of the regular season partnered with.

"I'm really ready," Sydor said. "Obviously, it's been a little bit of time but I've had a lot of skating, a lot of work on the ice and mentally I'm ready. One of the advantages is I've been in the finals before so I know what to expect."

Pens plan changes to combat Red Wings
By Rob Rossi
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 28, 2008

They're good, and they've certainly proven it so far in the Stanley Cup final.

But the Detroit Red Wings are not perfect - heck, they've lost four playoff games - and the Penguins plan to show up tonight for Game 3 at Mellon Arena looking nothing like the club that has yet to score a goal in this series.

They don't figure to resemble the team that rolled through three playoff rounds with a 12-2 record, either.

To overcome a disappointing beginning in the Cup final, the Penguins will dump, chase and hit - a lot.

It is hardly their preferred style, but they don't have a choice.

"They don't give you anything through the middle," defenseman Rob Scuderi said of the Red Wings, who lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0. "But we see some ways we can start to get back into this series."

One of those ways, center Jordan Staal said, is to forget the middle of the ice and "keep it on the wall" - basically, quickly chip the puck up ice, win individual battles against the Red Wings to retrieve it and forecheck aggressively.

"I think that will create some offense," Staal said. "I don't know if that's the only solution, but it's definitely something to think about. If we start doing that, it should open up the neutral zone and we can start using our speed."

Ah, speed. The Penguins do everything fast, remember?

Probably not. the Red Wings have slowed the Penguins' fast forwards to an agonizing halt with expert positioning and stickwork that has eliminated time and space necessary for skilled stars such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa to create scoring chances.

Those players, three of the top five playoff scorers entering the Cup final, have yet to cause a stir, let alone leave a mark on this series. They have combined for 15 of the 25 shots registered by Penguins' forwards - nine by Crosby, including six Monday in Game 2.

Oh, and they have yet to record a point.

The Penguins' goal drought extends to 4:03 of the third period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against Philadelphia.

They entered the Cup final with a playoff-best 3.64 goals-per-game average, which is reason enough for coach Michel Therrien to downplay his players' assertion that a change in fortune will only come with a change in approach.

"You're not coming to the Stanley Cup final and start changing your system," Therrien said. "That's not the way it works."

Not ideally, anyway. But the Penguins' system - a neutral-zone clogging game of puck possession - mirrors the Red Wings' attack, and so far Detroit is proving too good for the Pens to play that game.

The Penguins need to play exactly as they did during the final 40 minutes in Game 2. They registered 16 shots - three more than in three previous periods.

"We were just wearing on them down low," defenseman Ryan Whitney said. "It seemed like we outplayed them in the second period. We were down, 2-0, but we felt good coming into the third because in the second period we finally had chances. We were physical on their defense and cycled successfully.

"Their center is back every time against our center. It doesn't seem like anybody can carry it through the neutral zone with speed because they do a good job on defense with their gaps, and their center is always back. We've got to bring it in wide, put (shots) on net at a bad angle and go to the net."

As forward Max Talbot noted, whatever worked toward the end of Game 2 is worth a shot, even if it did not resemble "Penguin hockey."

"We moved our feet, we put the puck in their end and threw some bodies around," Talbot said. "Our defense was aggressive, and we closed the gap because we had a third man. That's what we need to do - put the puck behind their team and hit them.

"They're a good team. But I'm extremely confident. I am 110 percent confident we are going to come back in this series."

Home a welcome site for Pen's Fleury
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 28, 2008

Former champions recall how the Cup changed everything:

PHIL BOURQUE (Penguins, 1991, '92)

"I think the word that the Penguins use on the backs of their (T-shirts) is 'sacrifice.' I think of all the sacrifices. I remember thinking about my mom and dad a lot after winning the Stanley Cup and the sacrifices they made -- financially, timewise and everything -- for me to be able to do what I needed to do to keep getting to the next level."

HE SAID IT

"We have a skilled group. Every guy can make plays. So we'll just have to really bear down and make sure on those chances, we make them pay."-- Penguins center Sidney Crosby, defending the Penguins forwards, who have been held to 24 shots through two games of the Stanley Cup final.

WATCH THESE GUYS

Center Valtteri Filppula, Red Wings

If you didn't know about him before the series, you do now. Filppula has a goal and an assist and has won 14-of-23 faceoffs. He also has been a big key in shutting down Penguins center Evgeni Malkin.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins

Fleury hadn't allowed more than nine goals in any of the team's first three playoff series. He has allowed seven through two games against Detroit. All three of Fleury's playoff shutouts have come at Mellon Arena, site of Game 4 tonight.

FAST FACTS

Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg has 14 shots in the first two games, one fewer than Marian Hossa, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby combined.

Teams that won Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final have gone on to win the Cup in 52-of-68 years (76 percent) since the best-of-seven format began in 1939.

THIS DATE IN PENGUINS HISTORY

May 28, 1992: Mario Lemieux scored twice to help the Penguins stifle the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1, in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final. His postgame quote sounded like something out of Detroit's locker room in this series: "We didn't give them much in the neutral zone," Lemieux said. "That was the key."

GAME 2: RED WINGS 3, PENGUINS 0

Red Wings lead series, 2-0:

At Joe Louis Arena: The Penguins' offense hit a wall again, and it was colored Red. Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood's second consecutive shutout - the Penguins did not record their first shot at even strength until early in the second period - gave the Red Wings command of the series. The Penguins became the 32nd team to lose Games 1 and 2 of the Cup final on the road.

Dream turning dud as Wings dominate Penguins
By Alan Robinson
Associated Press
May 28, 2008

PITTSBURGH (AP) — This is supposed to be the NHL's dream matchup for the Stanley Cup finals. The talented Pittsburgh Penguins against the tradition-rich Detroit Red Wings with more than enough star power to persuade even the most casual fan to switch off the NBA playoffs and turn on hockey.

So far, it's been a one-sided dud, with Detroit delivering two dominating and defensive-driven victories and the Penguins delivering ... well, mostly empty promises and some late-game punches that illustrate the growing frustration of a good young team that is playing badly.

The series that hasn't yet started for the Penguins shifts to Pittsburgh for Game 3 on Wednesday night, a can't lose-win game if there ever was one for the perplexed Penguins. They are 8-0 at Mellon Arena in the playoffs and 16-0 since late February, but one loss there dooms almost any chance of them hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1992.

The Penguins - winless, scoreless and mostly clueless to date against the more experienced, more polished Red Wings - already face the unenviable task of winning four of the next five to win the series. Trying to win four of four would be almost impossible, and they know it.

"It's a huge game," the Penguins' Gary Roberts said. "You go down 3-0 in a series against that team, it's going to be pretty tough."

Tough? Hasn't it been tough enough already for Pittsburgh, given the Red Wings' 7-0 lead in goals and the fact the Penguins haven't led for a single second since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Flyers?

So far, the Red Wings have frustrated the Penguins not with a neutral zone trap - no, these aren't the Devils - but rather a neutral zone clamp. The Penguins often generate their offensive momentum by using their considerable speed to race through the neutral zone, but the Red Wings' wealth of defensive talent isn't allowing that to happen.

Whenever Sidney Crosby gets the puck, it seems as if Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom swarm him within one stride. Evgeni Malkin, the NHL's second-leading scorer during the season, looks tired and confused with only one shot in two games. Some other Penguins forwards already look worn down by Niklas Kronwall's open-ice hits. The few shots that get through are being turned aside by Chris Osgood.

As a result, the NHL's so-called team of the future is being upstaged and unraveled by an older, more experienced and more Cup-worthy team.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock isn't promising two victories in Pittsburgh and the first Stanley Cup-raising in Mellon Arena history on Saturday night, but does offer this: The Penguins haven't seen the best of the Red Wings yet.

"We have a plan, and until that plan needs to be changed, we're going to stick with the plan we have," Babcock said. "And our guys are committed and determined, and we'd like to have success. That doesn't guarantee anything. But we'd sure like to have success."

An interesting twist: The last time a team was shut out in the first two games of the finals, Anaheim in 2003, the Ducks went home and won twice in overtime against New Jersey. The Ducks' coach was none other than Mike Babcock.

Think the Penguins aren't glad to be home? On Saturday, more than 13,000 fans paid $5 each to sit in Mellon Arena - more than the team averaged during the 2003-04 season - and watch Game 1 from Detroit on the arena's video boards.

No wonder Babcock knows this series may not be close to being done, not with Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury riding an 18-game, six-month home ice winning streak that dates to Nov. 21.

"Their guys are going to say, `OK, we're a good team at home. We're 8-0 at home. Nothing's happening in this series as long as we hold serve, that kind of thing,'" Babcock said. "That's exactly what happened (in 2003), suddenly, the series was the best of three."

The Penguins' problem is they haven't gotten the best of anything to date, although they showed signs of life in the final two periods Monday by generating as many chances as the Red Wings got. The problem was Detroit already led 2-0 by then and went on to win 3-0.

Asked if he finds that embarrassing, Crosby said, "It's 2-0 and we haven't scored. So we have to find ways to score goals. To be honest, I'm not too worried about people's perceptions. I'm worried about playing hockey and winning hockey games."

By the end of Game 2, it appeared that the Penguins were more interested in sending a message to the Red Wings that they wouldn't be shoved around, starting several skirmishes. One developed after Roberts took a borderline cheap-shot hit against Johan Franzen, who came back Monday after being out for six games with recurring headaches.

"I guess you're trying to send a message or whatever. To me, the game's going to be won in between the whistles," Babcock said. "And you're not going to back us off one inch."

Especially not if the Red Wings win Wednesday, which would put them only one victory away from a fourth Stanley Cup in 11 seasons. Detroit ended each of its previous three playoff series this season on the road.

"This is an important game, let me put it this way," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said.

Pens' Malkin looks for boost
By Rob Rossi
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 26, 2008

DETROIT -- Evgeni Malkin admits something is different from a few weeks ago when he was tearing through the Stanley Cup playoffs with eight goals and 17 points in 10 games.

"It's not good right now," Malkin said Sunday after the Penguins prepared for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final against the Detroit Red Wings - 8 p.m. tonight at Joe Louis Arena.

"Mentally, I need a change."

He will get it in the form of road roommate Max Talbot, who will serve as the left wing on a line with Malkin and right wing Petr Sykora -- one of a series of sweeping line alterations made by coach Michel Therrien in an attempt to kick-start his team following a 4-0 loss to the Red Wings in Game 1 on Saturday.

Malkin, speaking entirely in English, said yesterday he had "no problem" with Therrien's decision to separate he and Sykora from regular left wing Ryan Malone.

No matter who he plays with, Malkin could use a boost of energy.

"I'm just tired," said Malkin, who has scored one goal and totaled two points in his past five games. "Practice is long. The season is long. I feel bad."

Malkin also feels uncomfortable with his position on the power play. He wants no part of the left point, saying it affects his overall game.

"I feel bad there," Malkin said. "It's not good - playing defense. It's not good for me everywhere else."

Teammates insist all is well with Malkin - "I haven't noticed a whole lot, other than he's logging a lot of minutes, and he has the whole season," center Jordan Staal said - but Malkin acknowledged his power-play responsibilities have left him "frustrated."

He had never worked the point on a power play before the Penguins moved him there in late March after captain Sidney Crosby and right wing Marian Hossa re-joined the lineup following injury-related absences.

"Not comfortable there," Malkin said prior to the Stanley Cup final, adding that Detroit's proficiency at generating shorthanded chances "worried (him)."

The Red Wings have scored six shorthanded goals in the playoffs, including forward Dan Cleary's tally in Game 1.

Malkin has scored four power-play goals in 15 playoff contests, but none over his past eight games.

That must change, assistant coach Mike Yeo said.

The Penguins' power play rates second in the playoffs at 22.9 percent, but was held scoreless on five opportunities in Game 1 of the Cup final.

Yeo, who runs the Penguins' power play, said Malkin will continue to work the points along with defenseman Sergei Gonchar.

"It's tough to put somebody out there and put them in a (different) situation and expect them to be comfortable," Yeo said. "But he's done a great job in the playoffs ... and he's a great defensive player.

"Obviously, he's a guy that, for us to be successful, needs to be at the top of his game. He's a guy that's an MVP candidate for a reason. It doesn't matter if you're playing the Detroit Red Wings or Philadelphia Flyers. When you have that caliber of player out there, he has to go out and dictate and play with the type of confidence that he is going to be a factor.

"He should play with that kind of confidence."

Therrien had a discussion with Malkin before practice yesterday, telling him to be "a leader."

One statistical trend suggests fatigue is a factor in Malkin's dwindling production: He has registered only 10 shots over the past five games after he was credited with 50 through his first 10 playoff contests.

Malkin has played in each of the Penguins' 97 games this season. His 190 games over the past two seasons are 52 more than he played during three prior years in the Russian Super Elite League.

"When I had my first playoff run, I was so tired I could almost not see on the ice," Sykora said. "It's a challenge. Your body is used to working a certain amount of time for years. You add a few months - of course you're going to be tired."

Therrien’s moves make sense
By Joe Starkey
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 26, 2008

The act of a desperate man, overreacting to one measly loss?

Some will view it that way.

And they will be wrong.

Based on the forward combinations seen at Sunday's practice, Penguins coach Michel Therrien apparently will revamp every line for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final tonight.

The new combos:

Ryan Malone-Sidney Crosby-Marian Hossa

Maxime Talbot-Evgeni Malkin-Petr Sykora

Pascal Dupuis-Jordan Staal-Tyler Kennedy

Gary Roberts-Adam Hall-Jarkko Ruutu

Desperation is making sweeping changes when you're down 3-0, the way the Flyers did. Therrien is being proactive, responding to an opponent that plays nothing like the Penguins' previous three.

This is not the first time Therrien has been proactive in these playoffs. After sweeping Ottawa, he changed two of his defense pairs before Game 1 against New York.

"We have to make adjustments," he said yesterday.

If I'm Therrien, I take the overhaul a bit further. I go back to the old defense pairings, which had an offensive presence on each, and alter the power play.

It really is time for the team's best shooter - Malkin - to start shooting again, and that isn't going to happen from the left point. Malkin is not comfortable there, for at least one obvious reason: He's a left-handed shot, so his ability to unleash one-timers is nearly negated.

Malkin has only 10 shots (one goal) in the past five games. He has gone eight games without a power-play goal. Therrien and assistant coach Mike Yeo, who runs the power play, should put him back on the right side, preferably up front, around the circle, and use Ryan Whitney on the left point.

Doing so might give Malkin a confidence boost, which could extend to his even-strength game.

We've seen that sort of thing happen before.

When Alex Kovalev came to Pittsburgh, he refused to shoot and was a massive underachiever. Coach Kevin Constantine finally decided to put Kovalev on the right point on the power play and told him to fire away.

Kovalev never stopped. His confidence grew, and his career took off, providing evidence that how a player is used on the power play can extend to his overall game.

If the coaching staff insists on keeping Malkin at the left point, maybe Talbot's speed can help jumpstart him at even-strength.

Therrien obviously saw in Game 1 what a lot of us saw: His team looked a step slow and was unable to convert glorious opportunities early on.

Malone, perhaps, can capitalize on some of the Crosby-generated chances that Dupuis struggled with.

Asked if he was upset about the change, Dupuis said, "Not at all. I'm all about winning."

Roberts apparently will force Georges Laraque out of the lineup. Makes sense. The tempo of the series seems too fast for Laraque.

The Red Wings, of course, are so good that none of this might work. But I'd rather try to get ahead of the game then remain hopelessly behind it, the way the Penguins were for the latter two periods of Game 1.

Red Wings' Franzen to play Game 2
Associated Press
May 26, 2008

DETROIT - Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has been cleared by doctors and put in the lineup for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Franzen hasn't played since Game 1 of the Western Conference finals because of recurring headaches. He is tied with teammate Henrik Zetterberg for the NHL playoff lead with 12 goals.

Franzen was allowed to return to practice Friday and was on the ice Monday for the Red Wings' morning skate. On Sunday, he said he had been symptom-free for seven to 10 days and was awaiting permission from doctors to play.

Ratings rise for Stanley Cup final opener
Associated Press
May 26, 2008

STAMFORD, Conn. -- The Detroit Red Wings' victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final opener was the highest-rated and most-watched cable telecast of the championship round in six years.

The Red Wings' 4-0 win on Saturday night had a 1.8 national rating -- drawing over 2.3 million viewers. The rating was the highest for an NHL game on Versus, topping the audience that watched the Penguins' Game 2 victory over Philadelphia in this year's Eastern Conference finals.

Only Lance Armstrong's final ride in the 2005 Tour de France had a higher rating in Versus history (2.1).

Versus will show Game 2 of the finals on Monday night before the series shifts to NBC for the remaining games.

Cup Final Q&A with Jarkko Ruutu
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
May 26, 2008

What happened between 2002-03 and 2003-04 with the Vancouver Canucks that you blossomed into an everyday player after never being in more than 50 games in a season?

A: I think that's the first time I really got a chance. That playoff year [2003], we played 14 games. I had been scratched for, like, 40 games that year. After we lost that first [playoff] game, 6-0, to St. Louis at home and I was scratched, they had to put me in. I played the rest of the 13 playoff games, and that was basically it.

Q: Can you describe your winning goal in the second period of the 3-1, clinching game against Ottawa in the first round, both what happened on the ice and how it felt?

A: It felt good. It was so early in the game, you don't know if it's going to be the game-winner. I had a half breakaway. I lost the puck a little bit. I was just trying to protect it and go behind my back. I threw it at the net, and it went in.

Q: Who do you think is the bigger cult figure among Penguins fans, you or Gary Roberts, and who would win in a fight?

A: I don't know. Gary is the president [referring to popular signs promoting Roberts for president], so how can I beat him? He's the leader. He's been around forever. I think he deserves the credit he's getting. I don't know [who would win a fight]. It would be pretty interesting. He's a tough bugger.

Q: You came into the Stanley Cup final with black eyes and stitches, and that's not the first time. Has your face taken more of a beating since you came to Pittsburgh, and does that just make you more lovable?

A: Probably less than before. I had way more in Vancouver. I had red spots all the time. That makes me probably look better.

Q: What do you miss most about Finland during the NHL season?

A: Rye bread. Saunas. Obviously, family. But I choose to be here. It's two different lives. When I go back home in the summer, I live that lifestyle. Here, it's different. I like them both.

Jarkko Ruutu Quotes

Regarding Game 1: "We made stupid decisions. I don't think we competed hard enough. A lot of turnovers happened. We didn't make smart plays," Ruutu said. "Mixing it up a little bit brings some energy out there. Sometimes little changes like that can make a big difference."

Regarding Game 1: "It's no secret, you have to make them work," Jarkko Ruutu said, "and [Saturday] night we really didn't do it too much. When it's easy for a goalie he feels comfortable. When you start going at him, he's not going to be as comfortable."

Regarding Detroit Red Wings: "They finish their checks, but they're going to wear out, too," forward Jarkko Ruutu said. "When they do that, we're going to try to hit them when we get a chance. But you take it when it's there. You don't start running around trying to catch them."

Regarding Sidney Crosby: "He's the face of the NHL, and he's the leader on the ice," Ruutu said. "Whatever he does, the other guys look up to him."

"I don't think there's egos in the (dressing) room," winger Jarkko Ruutu said. "That's the sign of a great team. When you have egos on a team, it's just going to wear the other guys out and it always creates controversy.”

"When you're on a winning team, a consistent team, everybody knows their role. In the end, it's a team effort. It doesn't matter how many stars you've got or how many points you have if you don't win anything."

Game 1: First period roundup
By Kevin Gorman
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 25, 2008

If this were Mellon Arena, the chorus would have sounded like Penguins' fans cheering for Sidney Crosby. At Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, they were serenading "Ozzie."

Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 12 shots -- several in dramatic fashion -- in the first period of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, several in dramatic fashion to keep the Penguins from taking a lead.

Osgood made one diving save after another, first slapping the puck away from Marian Hossa, making a glove save when Crosby tried to slap the puck in from waist-high, and throwing his body in front of Hossa in the crease during a late penalty kill.

HIGHLIGHT

The loudest ovations were reserved for a pair of NHL legends who led their respective teams to Stanley Cup championships, when Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux and former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman were introduced on the red carpet at center ice before the opening faceoff.

LOWLIGHT

An octopus was tossed onto the ice prematurely at 15:20, when Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom slipped a wrist shot past Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The goal was disallowed due to a goaltender interference penalty on Red Wings left wing Tomas Holmstrom.

GOALS

None.

SHOTS

Penguins 12, Red Wings 11.

KEY STAT

The Red Wings won 63 percent of faceoffs (17 of 27), including 5 of 9 when short-handed (56 percent).

PENALTIES

Kris Letang, Penguins (interference), 3:51; Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit (high sticking), 4:02; Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit (holding), 10:15; Darren Helm, Detroit (tripping), 12:48; Holmstrom, Detroit (interference on goaltender), 15:20; Hal Gill, Penguins (high sticking), 19:00.

POWER PLAYS

Penguins 0-4; Red Wings 0-1.

BEST HIT

During a penalty kill around 16:30, Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronvall drew cheers when he threw a shoulder that snapped back the head of Penguins left wing Ryan Malone as he was crossing the blue line.

PENGUINS 0, RED WINGS 0

Game 1: Second period roundup

Red Wings right wing Mikael Samuelsson took advantage of an errant pass during a line change and made the Penguins pay with an unassisted goal for a 1-0 lead at 13:01.

It was the third goal and 10th point of the playoffs for Samuelsson, whose other goals both came in an 8-2 victory at Colorado on May 1 in the series clincher of a Western Conference semifinal.

It could have been worse for the Penguins, as Ryan Whitney, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin all spent time in the box for minor penalties. The Penguins killed three penalties as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 15 shots of the 16 shots he faced.

HIGHLIGHT

Samuelsson intercepted a pass, then beat defenseman Rob Scuderi to the left side and around the net and slipped a wraparound shot past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

LOWLIGHT

Penguins left wing Jarkko Ruutu cleared the puck blindly to center ice during a line change, giving Samuelsson little resistance on his way to the net.

GOALS

1. Detroit, Mikael Samuelsson, 13:01

SHOTS

Penguins 4, Red Wings 16

KEY STAT

Center Jordan Staal logged the most ice time (13:03) of the forwards, and right wing Georges Laraque the least (3:38).

PENALTIES

Sidney Crosby, Penguins (slashing), 1:55; Ryan Whitney, Penguins (holding), 13:13; Evgeni Malkin, Penguins (tripping), 19:28.

POWER PLAYS

Penguins 0-0; Red Wings 0-3.

BEST HIT

Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg caught Sidney Crosby with his head down and threw a shoulder into his chest that knocked the Penguins captain off his skates at 16:00.

RED WINGS 1, PENGUINS 0

Game 1: Third period roundup

In a cruel twist of fate, the player involved in the Penguins' trade to acquire the rights to draft Marc-Andre Fleury ended up beating the goaltender for another unassisted goal.

For the second time in the game, Mikael Samuelsson took advantage of a Penguins' mishap in their own end and scored from point-blank range at 2:16 to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead.

Daniel Cleary added a short-handed goal and Henrik Zetterberg a power-play goal -- his 12th of the playoffs, which ties him with teammate Johan Franzen for the NHL lead -- to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

HIGHLIGHT

Samuelsson's hustle played a major role in his goal, as he skated to the boards, and the flustered Penguins faltered when Marc-Andre Fleury's attempt to clear the puck ended up on Samuelsson's stick at point-blank range.

LOWLIGHT

Despite having defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom in the penalty box (interference), the Red Wings cleared the puck out of their zone three times. They scored a short-handed goal when Brad Stuart cleared a puck off the boards and right wing Daniel Cleary beat Penguins defenseman Kris Letang to it and flipped a backhand past Fleury.

GOALS

1. Detroit, Mikael Samuelsson, 2:16; 2. Detroit, Daniel Cleary, 17:18; 3. Detroit, Henrik Zetterberg, 19:47.

SHOTS

Red Wings 9, Penguins 3

KEY STAT

Jordan Staal logged the most minutes of any Penguins' forward (20:26), including 3:04 on power plays but didn't attempt any shots on goal.

PENALTIES

Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit (interference), 15:27; Jarkko Ruutu, Penguins (slashing), 18:08.

POWER PLAYS

Penguins 0-1; Red Wings 1-2.

BEST HIT

Samuelsson disrupted the Penguins' defense by flipping the puck off the boards and past Rob Scuderi, then slamming Hal Gill into the boards with a body check.

FINAL SCORE

RED WINGS 4, PENGUINS 0

Adversity finally hits Pens
By Joe Starkey
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 25, 2008

DETROIT -- The Penguins couldn't have gotten off to a worse start in the Stanley Cup final Saturday night.

That's not necessarily a reference to their 4-0 loss -- though it wasn't pretty -- but rather to the precise moment they took the ice. As he stood in the runway, prepared to lead his team out, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury broke into a sprint.

Then he tripped and fell through the gate.

Not a good omen.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien could set a better tone at practice today by simply holding up a puck. You know, just in case his players have forgotten what one looks like.

The Penguins spent most of the final two periods of Game 1 without the puck, and that only meant one thing: The Detroit Red Wings had it.

Detroit outshot the Penguins, 16-4, in the second period and 36-19 overall, looking for the most part like a far superior team.

That said, it's only one game, and it's entirely possible the Penguins needed such a game to get used to the dramatic jump in competition.

Or maybe they just needed the first goal. This game might have turned out differently had the Penguins converted one of several early chances.

When playing the Red Wings, a team will get only small windows in which to seize momentum. The Penguins failed to convert on three full power-play chances in the first period. That was their undoing.

When Detroit drew first blood at 13:01 of the second, the Penguins sagged. Maybe they'd seen the statistics, the ones that show Detroit almost never loses when it scores first and had an NHL-best 35-3-1 record when leading after two periods.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock said his team had about four good shifts before Mikael Samuelsson's wrap-around goal opened the scoring. After that, the Red Wings did whatever they wanted.

But, as Babcock said, "Maybe if (the Penguins) score first, it's different that way for them."

Therrien spoke a familiar refrain - one he has sounded often after losses - saying his team "didn't compete like we're supposed to compete."

This was more about not converting than not competing.

Nobody should overreact to Game 1 of any series, but a few things became crystal clear as the contest wore on.

Among them:

All the room Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (one shot) had in the first three series is gone. Therrien tried to light a spark late in the second period by reuniting the two, to no avail. Malkin has now turned in five consecutive subpar games.

The Red Wings have speed and a defensive presence on every line, which means one mistake - one lazy play, one bad line change, one poor decision - can lead to a goal.

A bad change and Jarkko Ruutu's sloppy clearing attempt led to Detroit's first goal. Fleury didn't play it well, either, making an ill-advised attempt at a poke check as Samuelsson went behind the net. Samuelsson then banked the puck off Fleury's skate. Fleury also helped set up Samuelsson's second goal - also unassisted - with a poorly placed pass to a surprised Malkin in front of the net.

Malkin didn't help him any. Bad play all around.

Adjustments always are critical in playoff series. It'll be interesting to see how Therrien reacts to his team's first Game 1 loss of the postseason.

Honest-to-goodness adversity has finally hit these Penguins, who will dig themselves a giant hole if they stumble again in Game 2.

Samuelsson, Red Wings beat Penguins in Cup opener
By Ira Podell
The Associated Press
May 25, 2008

DETROIT (AP) - It's no surprise the Detroit Red Wings have a Swede to thank for a prime-time performance, but Mikael Samuelsson? The demoted forward busted out of a slump with two goals, and Chris Osgood stifled the Pittsburgh Penguins' young and talented stable of forwards with 19 saves to lift the Red Wings to a 4-0 victory in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals on Saturday night.

Samuelsson doubled his playoff goal total with two in the biggest game of his five-season NHL career. He had been dropped to Detroit's third line earlier in the playoffs and had posted only two assists since his two-goal outburst on May 1.

"I just live in the moment," said Samuelsson, who scored two goals in 22 games during the 2002-03 season with the Penguins. "We played good as a team. I'm lucky to be the one who scored a couple of goals."

Detroit overpowered goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with a 36-shot barrage. Osgood has two postseason shutouts this season and 12 in his playoff career.

Game 2 is Monday night in Detroit.

The Red Wings are led by a collection of seven Swedes, most notably captain Nicklas Lidstrom on defense and key forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen.

With Samuelsson finding his scoring touch, it didn't matter that Franzen - tied with Zetterberg for the NHL lead with 12 postseason goals - missed his sixth straight game due to recurring headaches. He seems close to returning, and that could pose big problems for the Penguins, who fell to 12-3 in the playoffs.

Pittsburgh raced out to 3-0 leads in each of the first three rounds - all started in the Steel City - and didn't drop more than one game to any opponent. Detroit, however, kept Penguins captain Sidney Crosby in check along with the rest of Pittsburgh's 20-somethings and under.

In a series billed as a matchup between Penguins' youth and Red Wings' experience, Detroit claimed the first strike. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Red Wings are 13-4 in the playoffs and three wins away from their third Stanley Cup title in 11 seasons.

Samuelsson needed no help as both of his goals were unassisted. He bailed out fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom, who was whistled for interference on Fleury that negated a goal by Lidstrom that would have been the game's first score.

Samuelsson broke the tie in the second period, picking off an errant pass on the far side of center ice and taking it all the way with 6:59 left in the first.

It was Samuelsson's first goal in seven games, dating to the series-clinching Game 4 win over Colorado.

"He didn't score here lately, but he got an assist his last game," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Sammy is kind of a streak guy. When he scores he feels good about himself."

Samuelsson netted his second 2:16 into the third when Pittsburgh's Rob Scuderi and Evgeni Malkin took turns fumbling the puck. Samuelsson got it and was alone at the top of the crease for the goal. Dan Cleary added a short-handed goal with 2:42 left and Fleury's rough night got worse when he was beaten by Zetterberg for a power-play goal with 12 seconds remaining.

Osgood withstood a 12-shot first period from the Penguins, who generated eight shots in the frame during four fruitless power plays. At even strength, Pittsburgh managed only eight shots through two periods.

Detroit clamped down in the second and held a 16-4 shots advantage during the frame and 27-16 through 40 minutes.

"We just have to be a little smarter and a little more disciplined and move the puck quicker and play in their end more and we'll be all right," Penguins defenseman Hal Gill said.

The Red Wings had already been whistled for three penalties in the entertaining first period when Holmstrom was sent to the box for a second time and wiped out Lidstrom's goal.

Lidstrom ripped a drive from Fleury's left as Holmstrom cut across the top of the crease and smacked the goalie's feet with his stick with 4:40 left in the first. The puck sailed into the net, drawing a huge roar from the crowd that didn't see referee Dan O'Halloran emphatically waving off the first goal of the highly anticipated series.

Babcock demanded an explanation at the bench during the ensuing commercial break and then cursed at O'Halloran once he heard it. The call was reminiscent of one against Holmstrom in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals that also cost the Red Wings a goal in a loss to Dallas.

"That's the rule, you can't put your stick in the crease now?" Babcock said. "Did they change that when I wasn't watching? Did he touch his pads in any way or interfere with him in any way?

"They've got to decide. I just coach the game. I don't get to referee it."

Osgood stopped a five-shot flurry during a first-period power play, lunged with his arm to knock the puck off the stick of Marian Hossa, and turned aside a partial breakaway by Pascal Dupuis.

Osgood, who backstopped Detroit's Stanley Cup run in 1998, is 11-2 since taking over from Dominik Hasek in the first round and has allowed only 20 goals in 14 games.

Note:

Pittsburgh has been shut out in two of its three playoff losses. ... Detroit leads the all-time series 60-57 with 16 ties. This is the clubs' first postseason meeting. ... The Penguins haven't won in Detroit since Dec. 10, 2000. ... Each team's captain was whistled for rare penalties. Lidstrom went off for holding in the first period and interference in the third, giving him 14 penalty minutes in these playoffs and 64 overall in 209 career postseason games. Crosby's slashing infraction in the second gave him 10 minutes in 15 playoff games this year.

Red Wings, Penguins offer marquee matchup for Cup
By Ira Podell
The Associated Press
May 24, 2008

DETROIT (AP) - Sid the Kid is set to take on Hockeytown.

With all due respect to the NHL's other 28 teams, no other Stanley Cup finals matchup could sizzle quite like this one.

Sidney Crosby has lived up to the hype, and in his third NHL season has the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992 - when Mario Lemieux took the black and gold to the title.

To earn their third championship, the Penguins will have to overcome Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and the rest of the Red Wings. It all starts Saturday night in Joe Louis Arena, where fan-tossed octopi will smack the ice as they have for decades of playoff hockey in Detroit.

If a matchup ever was going to capture the attention of the casual sports fan and make the NHL matter during its showcase event, this seems to be the one to do it.

"It remains to be seen. I can't say I hope this series goes long," 46-year-old Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios said Friday. "On paper it's so even - the stats, the matchups. You look at the rosters and there are stars and skill.

"I couldn't think of a better matchup, and I think everybody is happy that this is the way it ended up turning out."

The Red Wings are making their first appearance in the finals since winning the championship in 2002 over Carolina in the last title series played entirely in the Eastern time zone. Detroit is the last team to repeat as champion, doing it in 1997 and 1998 - six years after Pittsburgh pulled off the feat.

Crosby already has a scoring title and MVP award on his mantle. Now, he is four wins from a championship.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland called him "the face of the game" moments before Crosby took the podium in Detroit for the first time since the Penguins arrived.

"I don't think I pressure myself to be that," the 20-year-old center said. "I've always tried to be a good professional and tried to be a good role model, but I don't think I let that hang on myself. There's a lot of great players in this league and guys who can bring excitement to the game."

A lot of them will be on display — from Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Norris Trophy favorite Lidstrom, to Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury on the Penguins' side.

"The skill level is going to be very high," Lidstrom said. "That's one of the reasons a lot of people wanted this kind of matchup. People were talking about it in the media before we got here. A lot of people wanted to see two highly skilled teams, two offensive teams, two puck possession teams in the finals."

Now the question remains if fans will watch. Judging from the conference finals, they just might.

The Motown buzz is that the Red Wings' television ratings in Detroit might top those of the NBA's Pistons, who will be playing Boston in the Eastern Conference finals at home on Saturday and Monday — at the same time as the Cup contests.

Versus, which will televise the first two games of the Cup finals in the U.S. before NBC takes over, earned its best rating in the network's history for Game 2 of the East finals between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. That was also the highest-rated and most-watched NHL cable telecast (playoff or regular season) since the 2002-03 season.

Adding in the Red Wings could boost the numbers that much more.

"I really hope so," Penguins forward Marian Hossa said. "What else would you like? You get superstars on one or the other side. It's just excellent for hockey. I know lots of people are happy because it's going to be one of the best finals in a long time."

Compared to last year, ratings in the conference finals were up 71 percent.

"I don't think as a player you can worry about that a whole lot," Crosby said. "I mean you do your best to help your team win, and I think that's where most guys' focus is. You can't control the other stuff. If that's the case, then great. That's great for the game and great for everyone involved."

The Red Wings earned their league-record sixth Presidents' Trophy this season by compiling an NHL-best 115 points. The Penguins weren't too far behind, finishing second in the Eastern Conference with 102.

"I cannot recall more stars in a final since 1987, when Edmonton had five of the best, but they were all on one team," NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick said. "This time we have the stars divided out on teams.

"The hockey gods are smiling so wide, we can count their missing teeth."

Malkin was second in the league with 106 points, and Datsyuk and Zetterberg cracked the top six in scoring with 97 and 92 points, respectively.

Crosby had a 72-point campaign that was limited to 53 games due to the Penguins captain's severe ankle injury in midseason.

"It's a pretty good group for sure," Crosby said. "You can look at the NHL awards and things like that that are going to come up, you'll see a lot of the same guys during this series at those. The two best teams in the playoffs are there. There's a lot of players that are pretty exciting to watch, so it makes for a great series."

Two players will be out for Game 1: Red Wings forward Johan Franzen, the NHL's leading goal scorer in the playoffs, and Pittsburgh's Gary Roberts.

Franzen practiced with teammates for more than an hour Friday, but has yet to be cleared by doctors for game action following concussion-like symptoms that began in the second round against Colorado and forced him to miss the final five games of the West finals against Dallas.

Roberts, who turned 42 on Friday, said he has recovered from leg injuries and a bout with pneumonia, but was told that coach Michel Therrien will keep him out of the Penguins lineup.

"We play our game, they do whatever they do," forward Jarkko Ruutu said. "There's no reason to change things. They may change but we don't worry about their system too much. We're not going to match things to the way they play."

DETROIT - MAY 23: Jarkko Ruutu of the Pittsburgh Penguins addresses the media during Live at the Stanley Cup Final from Cobo Hall on May 23, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Road less traveled for Penguins
By Alan Robinson
Associated Press
May 23, 2008

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Penguins' formula in the Stanley Cup playoffs has been strikingly simple: Open at home, get two quick victories, then never give the opponent an opening to get back into a series that ends very quickly.

Worked against Ottawa, a four-game sweep. Worked against the Rangers, a five-game series. Worked against Flyers, another five-game series.

Only it can't work against the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals, which begin Saturday night at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. By winning the NHL's regular season title, the Red Wings own home-ice advantage. Given Pittsburgh's 8-0 home-ice record in the playoffs, it could be a significant edge since the Penguins can play no more than three home games.

The Penguins haven't started a playoff series on the road in a year, when they lost 6-3 in Game 1 of the opening round in Ottawa and never recovered, losing in five games.

For the Penguins, it was a meaningful lesson.

"We learned we can't watch," team captain Sidney Crosby said Thursday. "It's almost like we waited the first 10 minutes just to feel it out and see how it was going to be, instead of having more of an instinct to attack or move our feet. The biggest thing we'll talk about is moving our feet early and letting everything catch up to us. When we're moving, reacting, the game comes a lot easier."

The Penguins obviously learned from that mistake, when they fell behind Ottawa 2-0 early in Game 1 and never seemed to get in sync the rest of the series. This spring, they won their initial road game in each of the first three rounds, giving them a 3-0 lead in every series.

That ability to play well on the road - the Penguins are 4-2 away from Mellon Arena - could prove important given the Red Wings' 8-1 record at home.

"Yes, it's going to be a challenge," Max Talbot said. "But it’s still hockey, we played and won on the road against Philadelphia, the Rangers in the Garden, tough buildings. The objective is to try to get both (road games), but you want to get away with at least one and we're going to focus on that."

In a Stanley Cup finals that offers as many stars as any in the last 20 years - rosby, Evgeni Malkin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa the Penguins' objective is to keep playing with the same high-energy offense and low-risk defense they've employed so far.

Their 1.86 goals-against average is the lowest in the playoffs, with Detroit second at 1.94.

"We want to keep it as normal as possible, the same way we've approached every series, and that's to make sure we worry about ourselves," Crosby said.

That means no worrying about the difficulties of steering the puck past Lidstrom at the blue line, of dealing with the Red Wings' adept cast of role players, or handling a hostile crowd in a building where flying octopi can hold up a game and give a motivational boost to the home team.

Only six Penguins players have been in the finals, and only three - defenseman Sergei Gonchar and forwards Petr Sykora and Georges Laraque - seem certain of playing in Game 1. Defenseman Darryl Sydor and goalie Ty Conklin haven't played in the playoffs, and forward Gary Roberts, who turns 42 on Friday, has been fighting pneumonia.

The Red Wings have rolled up 100-point season after 100-point season since last winning the Cup in 2002, only to get bounced from the playoffs during a string of upsets. They haven't allowed that to happen this spring and, with a veteran cast so close to winning another Cup, they present far more challenges than any Eastern Conference team has offered Pittsburgh.

There's also this for the Penguins to consider, despite their 12-2 playoff record. A year ago, Ottawa breezed through the Eastern Conference playoffs with only three losses, only to lose to Anaheim in an unexpectedly quick five-game series.

Maybe it’s because he's only 20 years old and this is his first finals, but Crosby sees the advantage of starting the series in Detroit, as long as the Penguins win at least once there.

"Whether we start there or play (Games) 3 and 4 there, the road has been a good environment for us," Crosby said. "Everything is done together as a team, the focus always seems to be there, we simplify things. We don't mind playing on the road and have done a good job of playing on the road."

Mellon Arena open for Games 1 and 2
By Kevin Gorman
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 23, 2008

The Penguins won't be operating their outdoor video screen for the first two games of the Stanley Cup final - which will be played in Detroit - but instead will open Mellon Arena.

Admission to watch Games 1 and 2 on the Igloo's Jumbotron is $5, with proceeds benefiting the Mario Lemieux Foundation for cancer and neonatal research.

Ticketmaster has waived service charges and fees for tickets purchased online. Parking is free in arena lots after 6 p.m., and concession and novelty stands will be open.

The giant video screen, located in the lawn outside Gate 3, will be available again when the Penguins return home for Games 3 and 4.

Roberts practices:

Penguins left wing Gary Roberts, who has missed the past three games with a mild case of pneumonia, practiced Thursday but did not talk to the media afterward about whether he will play in Game 1 Saturday at Detroit.

One unfavorable sign was that Roberts wore a yellow jersey in practice and skated on a line with Kris Beech and Jeff Taffe, who have not played in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Success sells:

Sales of Penguins merchandise increased by 139 percent over last season, according to Shop.NHL.com. The top sellers are game jerseys, particularly the authentic Sidney Crosby jersey from the Winter Classic, and the Penguins' 10 Greatest Games DVD.

By comparison, Red Wings' merchandise sales are up 49 percent.

Listening in:

XM Satellite Radio will carry three broadcasts of every Stanley Cup final game. NHL Radio will air on XM Channel 204, the home team on 205 and the visiting team on 206. The XM channel guide can be found online at www.xmradio.com/nhl.

Faking it, Penguins style
By William Loeffler
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 23, 2008

The impending final round of Stanley Cup playoffs makes everybody a Penguins fan, whether they want to be or not.

As the Pens prepare to play the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday in Game 1, hockey talk will be coin of the realm. And it will only get worse as the playoffs progress. Non-fans will find themselves drawn into conversations about our team's "ability on the PK."

Thus, it behooves everyone to know how to speak a little Penguin. Just ask the soccer mom who embarrassed her 9-year-old son by telling another parent that she hopes the Penguins beat the Blue Wings. That kid has to go to school the next day.

Then there are those newly minted Pens fans who discovered the team right around the time Marian Hossa put away the New York Rangers with an overtime goal in Game 5. Some of those novies might still think blue liner is a product you buy from Revlon.

Perhaps you arrived late to the party. Perhaps you once looked on a map of Indonesia to find the city of Jarkko Ruutu. Or you thought Maxime Talbot was a designer shoe worn by Sarah Jessica Parker on "Sex and the City."

You're smart enough to keep these things to yourself. Hey, you might not know what icing is, but you also remember what happened in "The Lottery," that Shirley Jackson story you read in high school.

Diehard Pens fan Aaron Rieber, 27, of Peters Township suffered through the Penguins' 16-win season during the 1983-84 season, and their cellar-dwelling 2003-04 season.

"I understand that people can jump on the bandwagon because they weren't born yet for the first cup run, but don't try to act like you've been a fan forever," he says.

If you've been invited to the home of your boss to watch Saturday's game, or find yourself in a bar full of bellicose alpha males, you might want to know how to fake it, or at least to toss off a statistic here and there.

Paul Friday, head of clinical psychology at UPMC Shadyside, says sports talk is code for "I'm one of the guys."

"Children are always testing whether they're alphas or betas," he says. "They do this by blurting out the names of the players. When we were growing up, it was batting averages. If you could spit out the accurate batting averages of five of the Pittsburgh Pirates when they played in Forbes Field, you were the Alpha."

The following crib sheet will allow you to pass as a fan at a Stanley Cup party or -- if you're lucky enough to score a ticket to one of our home playoff games -- to keep from embarrassing yourself by asking what quarter it is.

Leave the pink hockey jersey at home. You know who you are. Penguins fans have a couple of names for you. "Puck bunny" is the more polite of the two.

Ever hear the phrase "Holy Grails"? Of course not. There's only one. Ditto for the Stanley Cup. The Penguins did not win two Stanley Cups. They won the Stanley Cup twice. Players from the winning team have their name engraved on the Cup, and each player gets to host the trophy for one day over the off-season.

Don't compare Sidney Crosby to Wayne Gretzky. Don't refer to former Penguins coach Scotty Bowman as Scott.

Don't say: "So much for the notion that Marian Hossa can't produce in the post-season." That issue has been settled.

It's a dressing room, not a locker room or clubhouse.

If someone says five-hole, they're not talking smutty. The term refers to one of the target areas around the goalie. It's not our fault it happens to be between the goaltender's legs.

Going deep means going further than one round in the playoffs.

A mucker or grinder is a player who compensates for average ability with great hustle.

A sniper or lamplighter is a player of superior ability who makes spectacular shots.

A goon, also known as a policeman or intimidator, refers to players who compensate for average ability with their ability to throw punches.

Don't call it the Stanley Cup finals. "Finals" is a trademark of the NBA. It's the Stanley Cup final.

By the way, PK stands for penalty kill.

WHO'S THAT?

Michel Therrien: (Mee-shell or Michael Terr-ee-en) Coach

Sergei Gonchar: (Sir-gay Gone-char) Defenseman, No. 55. Nickname: Sarge

Jarkko Ruutu: (Yar-koe Roo-too) Right wing, No. 37. Nickname: Roots.

Marc-Andre Fleury: (Flurry) Goalie, No. 29. Nickname: Flower, or Little 29er

Pascal Dupuis: (Pas-cal Du-Pwee ) Forward, No. 9. Nickname: Dupie

HOCKEY GLOSSARY

Backcheck: When a team races back to play defense.

Biscuit: A funny term for the puck.

Breakout: A team's strategy for carrying the puck out of its zone.

Change on the fly: Coaches often switch lines as the play is ongoing. Each line consists of three players (left wing, center, right wing). The two-man defense units are switched, as well, but not as often.

Cycling: When a team keeps the puck deep in the opposing team's zone.

Desperation: It's the most popular hockey phrase this time of year, as in, "We're not playing with enough desperation," or "We have to match their desperation."

Dump-and-chase: When a team shoots the puck into the opposing team's zone and goes after it, as opposed to trying to carry the puck in. It's often the best strategy, because it avoids costly turnovers at the opposing team's blue line.

Five-hole: This is the opening between the goalie's pads. Shooters aim for it often.

Hockey gods: You'll hear announcers refer to these guys, who have worked for the Penguins (think of Mario Lemieux whacking a bouncing puck past Dominik Hasek to force Game 7 against Buffalo in 2001) and against them (ask somebody about David Volek).

Minor penalty: An infraction that results in a two-minute stint in the penalty box (or until the other team scores).

Major penalty: A serious infraction (example: fighting) worth at least five minutes in the penalty box.

Neutral zone: The area between the blue lines.

Odd-man rush: When the team with the puck is attacking with more men than the opposition has in front of them, whether it be a 3-on-2, a 2-on-1 or such. The goaltender isn't counted.

One-timer: When a shooter strikes a moving pass toward the goaltender, instead of corralling the puck first.

Penalty shot: Certain penalties result in a player being awarded an unimpeded breakaway from center ice.

Pulling the goalie: A team that is losing late in a game may replace the goalie with a position player, leaving an empty net for the opposition to shoot at.

Screen: When a player stands directly in front of the goaltender in order to impede his vision. Penguins winger Gary Roberts specializes in this.

Shorthanded: The team with a player in the penalty box is playing shorthanded, and attempts to "kill the penalty."

Sudden-death overtime: If a game is tied at the end of regulation, the next goal wins. In the post-season, teams will play as many 20-minute periods as necessary until a goal occurs. That meant five overtimes for the Penguins and Flyers in the 2000 playoffs. It was 2:30 a.m. when the Flyers won it.

Power play: When a penalty is called, the guilty player goes to the penalty box. The other team thus has a man advantage until it scores or until the penalty -- usually 2 minutes long -- expires.

Pittsburgh Penguins hockey player, from left, Jarkko Ruutu of Finland, Maxime Talbot and Jordan Staal carry pucks through center ice during practice in Pittsburgh, Thursday, May 22, 2008. The Penguins face the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals first game on Saturday, May 24, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

Flap over signs keeps Pens from bragging big
By Jeremy Boren
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
May 22, 2008

A political brawl Wednesday benched two huge Downtown banners heralding the Pittsburgh Penguins' trip to the Stanley Cup final.

The Penguins and athletic equipment-maker Reebok wanted to put 40-by-85-foot banners of team captain Sidney Crosby and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on Fifth Avenue Place and another prominent Downtown building, city officials said.

Ravenstahl and some City Council members blamed one another for failing to find a way to sidestep a six-month moratorium council approved April 1 on new billboards.

"Until that moratorium is lifted, nothing can be placed," said Ravenstahl, who didn't want to break the ban without council's unanimous consent.

"Unfortunately, it didn't get to the point where we felt comfortable that was going to take place. I didn't want a negative cloud cast over what's an exciting time in Pittsburgh. I figured it would be better not to get into any battle between the mayor's office and City Council, but it's unfortunate it got to this point," he said.

Council President Doug Shields shot back that he and his colleagues tried to work with the mayor's office.

"I don't know of any (council) members that had a big problem with it," Shields said.

Drafting legislation to sidestep the moratorium would have been legally "sketchy at best," but possible, he said.

Questions over the legality of large advertisements Downtown have been at the center of a legal battle between council and Lamar Advertising, which built an electronic billboard without a normally required public review.

Councilman Bill Peduto, a Penguins season-ticket holder, said he was worried that if the Penguins banners are permitted despite the moratorium, it could set a precedent that other corporations could exploit.

"Who's to stop Hooters, or who's to stop any other corporate entity from demanding any other right?" Peduto said. "We asked the administration one simple thing, make it legal."

Penguins fans expressed disgust over the flap.

"I have never heard of anything so absurd," said Joseph Lettrich, who has a home in New Kensington but moved to Lake Worth, Fla., three years ago. "One of the few things Pittsburgh has left is (its) pride for its sports teams and again, as usual, the politicians are ruining it."

Mary Anne Kramer, a Penguins fan from the South Side, guessed that if the Steelers wanted the banners, they would be put up without a problem.

"Sometimes this city really disappoints me," she said.

"We would certainly offer the building provided that all appropriate procedures and approvals are followed," said Byron Falchetti, president of Standard Property Corp., the real estate arm of Fifth Avenue Place owner and health care giant Highmark Inc.

"I think there's a timing issue here in terms of the playoffs and everything," Falchetti said.

It is probably too late to put up the banners, Ravenstahl said. The Penguins are set to play the first game against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday in the Motor City.

It was unclear if the banners had been made. A Reebok representative did not return a call seeking comment.

Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said the Reebok-sponsored banners were one of many promotions that team officials have considered. The team will focus on other promotions, such as a contest with a top prize of $5,000 that challenges high school students to create and display signs about the Penguins' Stanley Cup run.

Youth serves Pens, experience paces Red Wings
By Ira Podell
The Associated Press
May 21, 2008

While the Detroit Red Wings count postseason victories on the tentacles of octopi, both they and the Pittsburgh Penguins can chart their playoff losses on the fingers of one hand - and still have some left over.

It's been quite a run to the Stanley Cup finals for this year's NHL conference champions, who have combined for 24 wins and only six losses along the way.

Back when it took only eight wins to claim the Cup in the Original Six era, octopi starting hitting the ice in Detroit to provide a symbolic squid-like countdown of tentacles to the championship. Even though the necessary win total has doubled, the tradition still exists at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings rolled through the Western Conference playoffs with a 12-4 mark, sandwiching six-game victories over Nashville and Dallas around a sweep of Colorado.

Pittsburgh stormed through the East, grabbing 3-0 leads against Ottawa, the New York Rangers and Philadelphia. New York and Philadelphia both managed home wins in Game 4 to stay alive only to be eliminated two days later in Pittsburgh. The Penguins are 8-0 in the playoffs at home and have a 16-game winning streak there dating to a shootout loss to San Jose on Feb. 24.

Adding in the first-round sweep of Ottawa, the Penguins are a sparkling 12-2 overall.

Each team relies on big-name forwards to carry the offensive load and both have solid supporting casts. Don't be fooled, though. The Penguins and Red Wings have ridden a strong defensive presence - up front and on the blue line - with exceptional goaltending to get this far, too.

Detroit had a league-high 115 points in the regular season, while Pittsburgh earned the No. 2 seed in the East with 102.

"Both teams are very similar," said Penguins forward Ryan Malone, a Pittsburgh native. "The way we played through our playoffs, I think we earned our chance out of the East. I think the same for them. I think we match up pretty similar, which is kind of scary."

So is the sheer collection of talent and marquee-quality star power that will be on display beginning Saturday night in the series opener. The names are familiar even to those who might not have tuned into Versus much throughout the long NHL season.

Pittsburgh boasts reigning MVP Sidney Crosby - who is only 20 - and fellow young forward Evgeni Malkin, a finalist for the award this season at age 21. The Red Wings are powered up front by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who combined for 74 goals and 189 points in the regular season.

Johan Franzen is still the Red Wings' playoff leader with 12 goals, but he hasn't played since Game 1 of the conference finals because of post-concussion symptoms. His status for the next round is uncertain.

On the back end, Detroit is led by Nicklas Lidstrom, who is in line for his sixth Norris Trophy and his second three-peat as the NHL's top defenseman. Chris Osgood has been exceptional in goal since taking over in the first round from shaky Dominik Hasek.

Osgood is 10-2 with a 1.60 goals-against average in 13 games, losing two tough decisions to Dallas after his nine-game winning streak carried the Red Wings to a 3-0 lead over the Stars in the conference finals.

The 35-year-old Osgood is arguably on a more impressive run now than the one that led to the Red Wings' second straight Cup title back in 1998 during his first stint with Detroit.

"Responding like he did back then, that's the way he's been playing for us now, too," Lidstrom said. "He's mentally strong where he can just put things behind him, forget about a bad rebound, bad goal. He keeps on going for us. That's huge for the guys, to see the way he's responding to all the challenges."

The same can be said for Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who at 23 is finally showing the ability that led Pittsburgh to select him No. 1 in the 2003 draft. While recovering from an ankle injury that limited him to 35 regular-season games, he saw backup Ty Conklin keep the Penguins in the hunt for first in the East.

Upon his return, Fleury proved to coach Michel Therrien that he was the one to carry the Penguins through the playoffs. In 14 postseason games, Fleury has a 1.70 GAA and has stopped 364 of 388 shots.

The Red Wings of 1997 and '98 were the last repeat champions. Before that, the Mario Lemieux-led Penguins in 1991 and '92 were the previous back-to-back winners. Those marked Pittsburgh's only previous appearances in the Stanley Cup finals.

Detroit earned its last title in 2002 with a five-game win over Carolina, the last time both finalists came from the Eastern time zone.

The Red Wings and Penguins didn't meet in the regular season and have never matched up in the postseason. In fact, the cities haven't faced off with a pro title on the line in any sport since the 1909 World Series, when the Steel City's Pirates topped the Detroit Tigers 4-3.

Back then, the big names were future Hall of Famers Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. This time, Pittsburgh's Crosby, Malkin and Marian Hossa, and Detroit's Lidstrom, Hasek, and 46-year-old Chris Chelios more than fit the bill.

"I've watched them on TV," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said of the Penguins. "We played them in exhibition. Malkin wasn't in the game. I was very impressed with their team then. They've got high skill level, big forwards. The back end moves the puck. Their goaltender is playing well.

"In our league now, everybody's good. For two to be remaining, they must be very good. Their transition is fantastic. They have a bunch of kids that can really skate. It's going to be a huge challenge for us."

Kids is quite the operative word when it comes to the high-flying Penguins, who have incorporated a defensive-minded trap to balance out the offense. Both teams thrive in possessing the puck for long stretches of games and forcing mistakes to get it back and transition to the attack.

So the age-old question exists: will youthful legs be enough to offset the vast experience owned by the Red Wings?

The average age of the Penguins, who have played in at least one playoff game this year, is 27.9 - compared to 32.3 for Detroit. The Red Wings have 10 players on their roster who have captured the Cup, combining for 23 championships. Pittsburgh has three former winners, totaling four titles.

The Penguins have risen quickly after having the second-fewest points in the league just two seasons ago.

"It has the makings of what should be a great final with two really good, skilled hockey teams," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said. "There's the added mystery of not playing each other this year. I think that adds to the element."