Stanley Cup Finals 2009

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Game 1:

The Detroit Red Wings took a 1-0 series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final.

Detroit scored two of their goals on bounces off the end boards and ended up beating Pittsburgh 3-1 at Joe Louis Arena.

It was a chippy game with both teams throwing their weight around. The game went back-and-forth and Detroit came within a post of opening the scoring very early as Henrik Zetterberg rang a shot off the iron behind Marc-Andre Fleury. Zetterberg and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby battled each other throughout the game.Brad Stuart opened the game's scoring on an odd goal with just over six minutes to go in the first. The Wings defenceman took a shot from the point that bounced off the end boards and then bounced in off the back of Fleury's pad to give the Wings a 1-0 lead.

The Penguins struck back a few minutes later when Malkin picked off a Stuart clearing attempt and fed Ruslan Fedotenko in front of the Red Wings' goal. Fedotenko beat Chris Osgood to even the score at 1-1 late in the period.

The Penguins came out flying in the second with several scoring chances early. Evgeni Malkin had a breakaway early in the period, but Osgood made the stop to keep the score tied.

The veteran goaltender was tested again with the Penguins on the powerplay minutes later as a shot by Sergei Gonchar bounced off the end boards and back out on front. There was a scrum around the net, but the puck was knocked away.

The Red Wings took back the lead late in the second on another lucky bounce. Johan Franzen took control of a puck off the end board, flicking it off Fleury and into the net.

While the boards helped the Wings in Game 1, head coach Mike Babcock revealed that the team was prepared for the strange bounces.

Detroit closed the scoring three minutes into the third as Justin Abdelkader grabbed his own rebound out of the air, dropped it down to his stick and sent a shot over Fleury to make it 3-1. It was the rookie's first NHL goal.

Pittsburgh pulled Fleury with well over a minute to go in the third, but could not get anything going against Osgood and the Wings. The three-time Stanley Cup champion (1997, 1998 and 2008) made 31 saves on the night and notched his 13th win of the 2009 playoffs. Fleury stopped 27 in the loss.

While Osgood did not have a strong regular season, he has been sharp in the playoffs with a 2.00 GAA and .928 save percentage.

"In the second period, when the Penguins started to pressure Osgood, that was when he was at his absolute best.

Frustration started to show for the Penguins late in the game as Crosby gave Wings' forward Kirk Maltby a tap with his stick.

Last season the Red Wings taught the upstart Penguins a playoff lesson by shutting them out in the first two games on the way to winning the series in six and capturing the 11th Stanley Cup in franchise history.

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Mario lemieux answered questions from reporters prior to Game 1 of this season's rematch between Pittsburgh and Detroit.

And it was interesting to hear him talk about his houseguest Crosby, who moved in before his rookie season in 2005 and has never left, in what appears to be a special relationship between the two elite players separated by a generation.

"He's been playing unbelievable throughout the playoffs and I think he's on a mission to hopefully achieve his goal to win the Stanley Cup and win the championship in Pittsburgh," Lemieux said. "You know, he's been dreaming about his time since he was a little boy."

As for what they talk about in Lemieux's home, well, not much of a surprise the game dominates their conversations. "For sure, we talk about hockey all the time, before dinner or after dinner at home. Different things that I see from the top [in Lemieux's suite]. We just talk a lot about the game, when he's not sleeping or practicing," Lemieux said. "But he's great to be around. He's the same kid that he was when he came to us four years ago and he's a joy to be around. My kids love him and he's part of our family, really. He's been with us for so long and it's great to have him around."

Can he compare himself as a 21-year-old player to what Crosby is accomplishing at the same age? "No, I think he's a lot more mature than I was at 21. He was a lot more mature at 18," Lemieux said. "I think you guys all know that from his interviews and from talking to him every day. He's a special kid. He's a better player than I was at the same age, for sure. Some of the things that he does on the ice, his strength, skating ability, is incredible. His passion for the game and his will to be the best each and every shift, his work ethic, he's got it all."

Part of Lemieux's enthusiasm isn't just what he sees, but the fact his children, too young to have seen him in his prime, are sharing this with him now. "Well, they've seen DVDs and tapes [of their dad playing]. But to be here with us, you know, the whole family, we're very supportive of Sidney, of course, because he lives with us. But they love the game. I have a daughter that is going to [Minnesota prep school] Shattuck next year for that special reason, to play hockey, hopefully, in the future. And Austin plays. I've got my little daughter Alexa that plays. So I've got three out of four," he said. "But it's been fun for them, too, to be around and to come on the road with us when they can and to be a part of it. It's something that as a young kid you always remember for the rest of your life. It's important for me to have them with us as much as we can."

One of the compelling parts of the Lemieux tale has been his battle through chronic back and hip injuries, and his fight with Hodgkin's disease. "I feel good, actually. I started working out again about two months ago, which is always tough after a few years," Lemieux said. "But my back's always going to be an issue for me, and I had two hip surgeries. So my golf is not as good as it used to be. I can't turn as much as I used to. "But it's fine. I get up every day, take a couple of Advils, and I'm ready to go."

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Game 2:

The Pittsburgh Penguins opened the scoring in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final and closed the game with some fireworks, but could not avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole to the Detroit Red Wings for the second year in a row.

A first period power play goal is all the Penguins could manage on Sunday as they fell 3-1 to the Red Wings, losing both the opening games in Detroit.

The Penguins frustration came to a head late in the game as Maxime Talbot speared Osgood in the chest following a save, Henrik Zetterberg came to the aid of his netminder and ended up getting into a fight with Evgeni Malkin.

Malkin was given an instigator penalty for the incident, but the NHL rescinded the penalty and he did not be suspended for Game 3.

The Penguins will be hoping to carry some of the late game fire over to Game 3. The fireworks came too late for the Penguins who find themselves in an unenviable position against the defending champs heading to Pittsburgh for Game 3. The Penguins are again down 2-0 in the Cup final.

The Penguins have been unlucky at times and with a bounce here and there over the opening two games things could have turned out differently.

The Red Wings came out strong in the opening minutes of Game 2, but the Penguins gradually gained control. Pittsburgh took 11 of the final 12 shots in the first period and Chris Osgood was forced to make several tough stops.

Osgood has looked sharp, coming up big for the Wings in again in Game 2. He stopped 31 shots and kept the high-powered Penguins offence at bay for a second consecutive night. The lone blemish on Saturday night for the veteran goaltender came late in the first period during a scrum in front of the net. Malkin was credited with the power play goal after Wings' defenceman Brad Stuart knocked the puck in as he tried to clear it.

Detroit set the tempo for much of the second period as they put steady pressure on Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury. Jonathan Ericsson pulled Detroit even when he beat Fleury on a shot from the point early in the frame. Darren Helm won a faceoff in the Pittsburgh zone and Jiri Hudler fed Ericsson at the point.

Ericsson had his appendix removed before Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the Chicago Blackhawks, but was back in time for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

The Red Wings took the lead after Valtteri Filppula flicked a backhand from an odd angle over Fleury just before the midway point of the second.

The Penguins came close to drawing even with less than five minutes left in the second when Sidney Crosby fed Bill Guerin at the side of the Detroit goal. Osgood came across to get his stick in the way of Guerin's shot, knocking it wide.

The Red Wings gave themselves some breathing room early in the third. With the rest of his mates on a line change, rookie Justin Abdelkader fired a puck toward the Pittsburgh net. Although Fleury got a hand on the puck, he could not keep it out and the Wings took a two-goal lead early in the third.

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Game 3:

The Pittsburgh Penguins skated to a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final on Tuesday night.

Sergei Gonchar's power-play goal 10:29 into the third period proved to be the winner as Pittsburgh trimmed Detroit's lead in the best-of-seven series to 2-1.

The Penguins showed plenty of energy at the outset and were rewarded with an early 1-0 lead, but the Red Wings gradually took control and had superior scoring chances through 50 minutes.

Then Red Wings defenceman Jonathan Ericsson was penalized for interference, and Gonchar beat netminder Chris Osgood high to the glove side on a slapshot from the point for the decisive goal, his first of the series and third of the playoffs.

Maxime Talbot sealed the win in the final minute with an empty-netter, his second goal on the night and sixth overall.

Gonchar and Kris Letang contributed one goal and one assist apiece for the Penguins, bidding to become the first team since the Montreal Canadiens in 1971 to fall behind 0-2 on the road and rally to win the Stanley Cup.

Evgeni Malkin, had three assists

Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen led the Red Wings a goal and one assist apiece for the Red Wings.

Marian Hossa, who rejected a $49-million US offer from Pittsburgh to sign with Detroit for $7.5 million US last July 2, was a non-factor and booed every time he touched the puck.

Kris Draper, sidelined all but four games this post-season, pronounced himself recovered enough from a groin injury to return to action, but Detroit iced the identical lineup used in Game 2.

Pavel Datsyuk, a Hart Trophy finalist and the team leader in points (97), missed his sixth straight game with a foot injury.

Pittsburgh had a splendid scoring chance in the opening minute of the contest as Crosby intercepted Lidstrom's clearing attempt and tried to pass the puck to Guerin, but the veteran winger was tied up by Detroit's Daniel Cleary.

The Penguins opened the scoring 4:48 into the first period when Letang picked off an errant outlet pass and flipped the puck back into the corner for Malkin, who set up Talbot in the high slot for a one-timer that fooled a sliding Osgood.

Detroit replied in 91 seconds as rookie Ville Leino skated out front and had the puck swatted off his stick by Gonchar, but Zetterberg swept the rebound over a sprawled Fleury for his 10th goal.

Franzen put the Red Wings ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal from the same spot, burying his 12th after Zetterberg's centring pass caromed to him off the stick of Penguins forward Matt Cooke.

Moments after Osgood denied Crosby at the doorstep, Letang beat him between the pads with a slapshot from the circle for the tying goal, his fourth at 15:57.

Samuelsson nearly ended the stalemate on a breakaway early in the second period, only to ring a shot off the right post.

Detroit stifled Pittsburgh's high-flying offence for the remainder of the period, repeatedly cutting off the passing lanes and outshooting the Penguins 14-4.

The Penguins pushed back early in the third - they outshot the Red Wings 10-3 in the period - but Osgood blocked Jordan Staal's one-timer and kicked away the rebound to keep it deadlocked.

After Gonchar notched the go-ahead goal, Chris Kunitz had a glorious opportunity for an insurance marker, only to shoot high and wide of the net on a perfect set-up from Crosby.

But with Osgood lifted in favour of an extra attacker, Malkin blocked a shot and Talbot fired the puck into the empty net for his fifth tally with 57 seconds remaining.

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Mario lemieux dropped the ceremonial puck before the start of game 3.

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Game 4:

The Stanley Cup final is back to square one after the Pittsburgh Penguins held serve on home ice Thursday night.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist as they lifted the hometown Penguins to a 4-2 win over the defending champion Detroit Red Wings in Game 4 at Mellon Arena.

The Penguins evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2, setting up a pivotal Game 5.

Silenced for the better part of this matchup, Crosby finally broke through with his first goal of the final, and it also turned out to be the game-winner.

Malkin leads the post-season with 35 points - the most ever by a Russian-born player. Centre Jordan Staal scored a critical short-handed goal and added an assist, while Tyler Kennedy netted a second-period tally.

Maligned for the first two games of the series, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 37 Detroit shots to earn his second straight win.

The Wings received markers from Darren Helm and Brad Stuart, with goalie Chris Osgood making 27 saves. Trailing 2-1 in the second, the Penguins used a three-goal outburst in a 5:37 span to break the game open. Staal began the scoring with a short-handed goal at 8:35 after he blew past Detroit defenceman Brian Rafalski and snapped a shot to the stick side of Osgood.

Staal's goal seemed to energize Pittsburgh as it struck again moments later when Crosby took advantage of a two-on-one break by one-timing Malkin's pass past Osgood.

Crosby was finally able to shake the close checking of Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, who committed a few turnovers in the game.

With the momentum clearly on Pittsburgh's side, the Penguins increased their lead with more than five minutes left in the second following a beautiful three-way passing play.

Kunitz picked up the loose puck off a Detroit turnover and sent a pass to Crosby, who quickly spotted a streaking Kennedy. The forward made no mistake with his opportunity, netting his fourth goal of the post-season over Osgood. Strong goaltending

Malkin had a chance to put Pittsburgh ahead by three goals in the dying moments of the second, but his last-ditch wrist shot was denied by Osgood.

Fleury took over from there, stopping all 11 shots he faced in the third to finish off his best game of the final.

Veteran Kris Draper returned to the Detroit lineup after missing six games with a suspected groin injury, yet the Red Wings received some bad news when they learned centre Pavel Datsyuk wouldn't suit up. The Russian, who sat his seventh game with a foot injury, wasn't fit enough to play after taking part in Thursday morning's skate.

The Penguins got to Detroit early, scoring their fourth power-play goal of the playoffs at 2:39 of the first.

Defenceman Kris Letang missed the net, but Malkin was there to pick up the rebound at the side of the net and slip the puck behind Osgood. The Wings pulled even with 1:41 remaining in the first and the teams skating four-on-four. Centre Darren Helm intercepted a careless clearing pass by Penguins defenceman Rob Scuderi before sailing a shot past a screened Fleury.

Detroit took a 2-1 lead just 46 seconds into the second period. Zetterberg circled around the Penguins' net and fed a point-pass to defenceman Stuart, who buried a shot over a helpless Fleury.

For some puzzling reason, Penguins winger Bill Guerin was standing right in front of Fleury, giving the Pittsburgh netminder no chance to stop the puck on the play.

The Penguins, however, responded with the three-goal onslaught to send the series back to Detroit all square. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Game 5:

Detroit rebounded from two losses in Pittsburgh drubbing the Penguins 5-0.

Daniel Cleary, Valterri Filppula, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Rafalski and Henirk Zetterberg all scored for Detroit, which took a 3-2 series lead. Pavel Datsyuk returned after a seven-game injury absence to set up two goals.

Detroit broke open a 1-0 game with four goals in the second period. Netminder Chris Osgood was tested in the first period but faced few threats the rest of the way, finishing with 22 saves. He recorded his second shutout of the playoffs and 15th of his career. The career mark puts him alone into fourth all-time, behind Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and Curtis Joseph.

The Red Wings neutralized Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who shone in their home rink in Games 3 and 4. Malkin displayed the immaturity that plagued him last year in the final, taking an elbow penalty out of frustration that helped lead to Detroit's fourth goal. Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled after five goals in favour of Mathieu Garon. Fleury finished with 16 saves. With Detroit up 5-0, Crosby slashed Zetterberg to take a minor penalty. After losing the special teams battle in Pittsburgh, Detroit effectively was perfect on its first four power-play opportunities. Only three counted as official power-play goals, with the other coming just after a Penguins penalty expired.

The Red Wings have outscored their opponent 11-2 in the building. The defending champs are 11-1 at home in the playoffs, with the only loss coming in overtime against Anaheim in the second round. But the two losses in Pittsburgh had hockey observers talking if fatigue was taking a toll on Detroit.

Datsyuk made his first appearance shortly after the opening faceoff after missing the last seven games due to a foot injury.

Osgood bobbled a shot by Malkin just over two minutes into the game, but Ruslan Fedotenko couldn't beat the Red Wings goalie to the rebound. Fleury was tested by a Tomas Holmstrom slapshot inside the right circle just under six minutes into the game. He then excelled with a pad save on Zetterberg's redirection of a point shot.

The penalty kill seemed to give the Red Wings a boost, and they controlled the neutral zone to set up Cleary's opening tally. Datsyuk controlled the puck and fed to the right side to Cleary, whose shot changed direction after passing through defenceman Brooks Orpik. Cleary scored his first of the final after netting six in six games through the end of the Western Conference final against Chicago. The Red Wings gained momentum from the goal, but could not convert before the end of the period. They had no such problem just seconds after a Pittsburgh penalty lapsed early in the second, a play started when Osgood threw the puck up ice. Marian Hossa received the head pass and made a nifty backhand dish in the slot to Filppula, who burst past Penguins defenders and beat Fleury between the pads at the 1:44 mark. Detroit would add a bona fide power-play goal at 6:11, set up by the offensive acumen of Kronwall. The defenceman took Johan Franzen's pass in the right corner and squeezed through defenders Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi before beating Fleury upstairs. Malkin, took an undisciplined elbowing penalty that led to Detroit's fourth. With Holmstrom screening Fleury, Rafalski's shot found it sway to the back of the net.

Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz soon took his second minor of the game, with Zetterberg snapping a shot over Fleury's glove for a 5-0 bulge. The Penguins starter would depart for Garon, who made his first game appearance since April 5. It was a far cry from Fleury's experience in Game 5 one year ago in the final, when he made 55 saves to almost single-handedly stave off elimination for the Penguins.

Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang couldn't hit the net on his team's second power-play chance of the game early in the third, while Garon prevented a more lopsided score with eight saves in the third, a few of them of the challenging variety. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Game 6:

Determined not to let hockey history repeat itself, the Pittsburgh Penguins clipped the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 at Mellon Arena and forced a seventh and deciding game in the Stanley Cup final.

Forced to watch the Red Wings hoist the Stanley Cup in front of their Pittsburgh faithful last spring, the Penguins refused to suffer the same defeat. Instead, Pittsburgh tied the best-of-seven series 3-3

Tyler Kennedy led the Penguins with one goal and one assist, and Jordan Staal opened the scoring early in the second period.

Marc-Andre Fleury, who yielded five goals on 21 shots before being yanked in Game 5, finished with 26 saves, including a heart-stopping save on Daniel Cleary on a clear-cut breakaway with less than two minutes remaining.

Kris Draper scored for the Red Wings, and Chris Osgood faced 31 shots in defeat. Staal staked Pittsburgh to the lead 51 seconds into the second period, chipping the puck off the side boards and breaking up ice on an odd-man rush with Matt Cooke. When Red Wings defenceman Jonathan Ericsson dropped to his knees in anticipation of a pass, Staal took a shot that Osgood stopped, but he chipped the rebound over the netminder's left shoulder for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Six minutes later, Staal nearly made it 2-0 as he pounced on a turnover in the slot and unleashed a wrist shot that Osgood kicked out with his right pad. Osgood kept Detroit in contention with a pair of stellar saves in the final minute of the frame, too, when he blocked shots from Ruslan Fedotenko and Malkin. Detroit failed to threaten offensively until Henrik Zetterberg stepped inside of Penguins rearguard Hal Gill and ripped a shot off the right post late in the period. Persistent forechecking from Fedotenko and Maxime Talbot sent the puck behind the net to Kennedy, who curled out front and stuffed in his own rebound for his fifth at 5:35 of the third period. But Draper snapped a 21-game scoreless drought with his first playoff tally at the 8:01 mark, lifting an Ericsson rebound into the net to trim the deficit to 2-1. Moments after Malkin was penalized for cross-checking Valtteri Filppula, Penguins defenceman Rob Scuderi whisked a loose puck out of the crease before either Lidstrom or Jiri Hudler could reach it. It was one of several crease-clearing saves by Scuderi, a defensive stalwart with six blocked shots.

Crosby had a splendid chance on the opening shift when he worked his way in front, only to lose control of the puck as he tried to negotiate a backhand shot. Crosby nearly scored with 5 and half minutes left in the first period as he caught the Red Wings making a sloppy line change, but Osgood stopped his wrist shot from the shot.

Bill Guerin also tested Osgood early as Pittsburgh held a 12-3 edge in shots in the opening period. Fleury was equally sharp at the outset, keeping it scoreless with a slick blocker save on Zetterberg alone in the slot. Petr Sykora replaced fellow forward Miroslav Satan in the lineup for the Penguins, but failed to factor offensively. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Game 7:

Even without the services of captain Sidney Crosby for more than half the contest, the Pittsburgh Penguins stood tall in winning the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history Friday night.

Centre Max Talbot scored both goals, sending the Penguins to a 2-1 win over the defending champion Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena.

Pittsburgh secures the franchise's first championship since the Mario Lemieux-led Penguins of 1991 and 1992.

The Penguins also become the first road team since the 1971 Montreal Canadiens to begin a Stanley Cup final 0-2 yet still win it all in the seventh and deciding game away from home.

"It's a dream come true," said Crosby, who took a congratulatory call from Prime Minister Stephen Harper following the win. "It's everything you imagined and more. I would have loved to do it in four, it would have been a lot easier on the nerves. It was so hard watching the clock tick down for that whole third period. "But everything it took to win, we did it. Blocking shots, great goaltending, different guys stepping up. I mean, we did exactly everything it takes to win."

While Talbot provided all the offence the Penguins would need, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury preserved the win with some heroics in the final seconds of the game. Fleury made 23 saves on the night - none bigger than the one he made in the dying seconds of the game with Pittsburgh clinging to a one-goal lead. With 6.5 seconds left, the Wings won the draw and crashed to net.

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Fleury saves the day

He may not have skated away with the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, but goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is a major reason the Pittsburgh Penguins are Stanley Cup champions. Fleury made 23 saves in helping lead the Penguins to 2-1 victory Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena. An NHL championship didn't seem possible for Fleury and the Penguins after they were shut out 5-0 in Game 5. Fleury was pulled in that game after a shaky performance, appearing to be shell-shocked in watching the Wings take a 3-2 series lead. But the former 2003 No. 1 overall pick responded in a big way. First, he robbed Dan Cleary in Game 6 on the breakaway with less that two minutes remaining Tuesday night at Mellon Arena to secure a 2-1 victory. Fleury saved his best performance for Friday night, making several key stops. The most lasting image came in the final frantic seconds of the third period. With the Penguins on the cusp of clinching the Cup, Fleury made a diving stop to the right of Pittsburgh's net off the stick of Detroit defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom. Fleury even had a sense of humour regarding the shot Detroit defenceman Niklas Kronwall took with more than two minutes remaining that rang off the crossbar. Fleury made the initial save, but the rebound went right to Detroit defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom. Criticized for his play during the three previous games at Joe Louis Arena, Fleury dove to his right to block the Lidstrom shot with his arm.

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Malkin earns playoff MVP

Centre Evgeni Malkin earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after notching 36 points. Malkin, registering an assist on the first Talbot goal.

Evgeni Malkin completed a rare triple this season, winning the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion, the Conn Smythe Trophy as top playoff performer and, of course, the Stanley Cup.

Malkin, 22, was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman following Pittsburgh's 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final at Joe Louis Arena on Friday night.

Malkin is the first Russian to receive the Conn Smythe and the third European behind Nicklas Lidstrom (2002) and Henrik Zetterberg (2008), both from Detroit.

It marked the highest post-season output since Wayne Gretzky posted 40 points for the Los Angeles Kings in 1993.

Malkin is the first player to win the regular-season and post-season scoring titles in the same season since Penguins majority owner Mario Lemieux turned the trick in 1992 - the last time Pittsburgh captured the Stanley Cup.

Malkin had two hat tricks and chalked up eight goals and 17 points over Pittsburgh's final 11 playoff games.

That late surge helped erase the memory of last spring's playoff run, when he managed just five points in the final 10 games.

Malkin is also a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pittsburgh, which lost to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final last season, could challenge for Lord Stanley a few more times with this young group.

Fleury was selected with the first overall pick in 2003, while Malkin was taken the following season with the No. 2 selection. The Penguins found good fortune once again in 2005, winning the lottery and picking Crosby No. 1. The team concluded its draft bonanza by plucking Jordan Staal at the No. 2 spot in 2006.

"It wasn't an easy series but we felt if we won Game 6 that we had a chance here [Friday] night," said Lemieux, who savoured the moment by continually kissing the Cup. "Any time you have Sidney Crosby on your team and [Evgeni] Malkin, [Marc-Andre] Fleury and [Jordan] Staal, it's a great balance." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Knee injury knocks Crosby out in 2nd

Crosby, who finished with 31 points in the post-season, hurt his left knee after taking a hard check from Wings centre Johan Franzen along the boards in the second period. He returned for only one 32-second shift of the final period. "[He got] the side of my knee," admitted Crosby. "It's hard to watch. I don't recommend anyone trying watch the Stanley Cup final, Game 7 from the bench. It's a tough situation." ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Remarkably, the Penguins won anyway.

Crosby, 21, was healthy enough to receive the Stanley Cup from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and raised it above his head becoming the youngest captain to win an NHL championship. "[The Cup's] actually a lot heavier than I thought," said Crosby. "It's so worth it. Our team battled so hard throughout the whole year and, being on the losing side last year, this is an amazing feeling. Detroit, meanwhile, played in its seventh Game 7 final but is now 3-4 during that time. The Wings failed in their attempt to win a fifth championship in 12 years.

Defenceman Jonathan Ericsson snapped Fleury's bid for the shutout with a goal in the third period. Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood stopped 16 shots.

The Penguins drew first blood just 1:13 into the second period following a great effort by Talbot.

Racing behind the Detroit net, he forced Wings defenceman Brad Stuart to turn the puck over, off Malkin's skate. Talbot picked up the loose puck in front before slipping a shot between Osgood's legs. The goaltenders remained on top of their game around the five-minute mark of the period. After Fleury stopped Darren Helm from the slot, Penguins winger Matt Cooke blocked defenceman Brian Rafalski's shot to create a partial breakaway, only to be stopped by Osgood.

The Penguins then lost Crosby at 5:30 into second after Franzen drove his left knee into the boards, forcing Pittsburgh's star to hobble to the dressing room.

Unfazed, Talbot struck again at 10:07 as the Pittsburgh centre broke in on a two-on-one break and fired a perfect wrist shot over Osgood, giving the Penguins a 2-0 advantage.

Forward Chris Kunitz made the play possible by winning a battle with Stuart near the boards.

The Wings finally broke Fleury's shutout bid with 6:07 remaining in the third. Ericsson blasted a one-timer off the feed from Lidstrom that Fleury misjudged.

Detroit couldn't complete the comeback, thanks in large part to Fleury's brilliance down the stretch.

Perhaps Wings winger Marian Hossa, held without a goal in the series, may have taken the loss harder than any other member of his club. Hossa played for the Penguins last season, but opted to sign a one-year with Detroit during the off-season because he felt the team from the Motor City had a better chance to win the Stanley Cup.