Penguins-Red Wings: Game Three Recap

Pregame

This is Game Three of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit won both home games and leads the series 2-0. This is the first game of the series at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh crowd was LOUD! As the players skated before the anthem, you could see the Detroit players looking up in awe. Mario Lemieux dropped the ceremonial faceoff between Lidstrom and Crosby.

Period One

The game starts off at a calm pace. Osgood goes behind the net and fumbles the puck right out in front of his empty net, but Franzen saves him.

The Penguins play dump and chase while moving faster and faster, but the Detroit defense has been up to the task thus far. Pittsburgh turns up the pace and totally dominates Detroit for some time and they get a shot on net.

The Detroit defense aren't fast enough to keep up, and it easily flies through Osgood as if he wasn't there (between his right arm and body).

Then, as if Detroit was just playing possum, they do the same thing to Pittsburgh and score. Fleury was down and out (possible interference) with no chance.

While Detroit had put some serious pressure on Pittsburgh, it was a defensive error on Pittsburgh's part. They simply didn't clear the man in front, or take the attacker. In fact they didn't do anything other than possibly interfere with Fleury's chance to make the save.

Detroit keeps the Penguins cooped up in their zone for awhile and even when the puck pops out, it's quickly brought back into the zone and held there. Orpick gets the first penalty as Cleary was off balance when Orpick touched him. Cleary didn't have the puck and it was ruled interference.

The Penguins fall apart defensively—unable to protect Fleury and even tipping pucks onto the Red Wings player's stick. Detroit scores by basically tipping a floater puck from a Penguins player and then off another Penguins player's stick.

What follows is a lot of stickwork (hacking, slashing, etc.) between both teams as Detroit controls the puck within their own zone for some time. Cleary molests Eaton and gets a holding call. Crosby gets the puck in front of the Red Wings net and gets hammered by two Red Wings (and a third afterwards).

Immediately after the next faceoff, the Detroit defensemen do everything short of using superpowers, but Letang fires a clear shot from the point through Osgood's five-hole. Staal is tripped away from the play - no call. Franzen pulls the can-opener play and gets called.

Fleury has been making solid saves and the goals are hardly his fault, but he's not stealing goals away or even just getting lucky. This was the best hockey of the series. (2-2)

Period Stars: Rafalski, Kronwall, Holmstrom, Crosby
Period Goofs: Osgood, All Pittsburgh Defensmen

Period Two

There is a lot of line-matching going on. This means strange shift times as the coaching battle is a bit of a sideshow (even with trick line changes).

Detroit sets up a nice play (because Guerin lost the puck) but Fleury stands up and makes the save. Samuelsson gets a breakaway and hits the post. Osgood gets hit with a shot from Malkin and scrambles a bit before falling on the dead puck.

Right off a face-off, Abdelkader holds Crosby's stick right down to the ice and was dragged after him—no call. Satan gets a lead pass and moves slowly getting a wide angle shot.

Dump-ins occur for awhile on both sides with no one really getting any scoring opportunities. Zetterberg goes offside. After awhile, Osgood loses control of a weak shot and Holmstrom saves him.

Zetterberg goes offside again (he does this a lot—perhaps to stop the play?). Staal let's a shot go but it's wide. Staal continues to work hard, but nothing comes of it. Zetterberg dives, no call.

Detroit is beating Pittsburgh to every loose puck. Fleury makes a few big saves. Dupuis battles hard. Hossa hogs the puck and loses it because he doesn't pass. Fleury makes another good save.

Brian Murray and Brian Burke are sitting next to each other in the crowd like stiffs.

The Penguins are working hard (Staal, Kennedy, Cooke) but the Red Wings' defense keeps them from getting a scoring opportunity. Pittsburgh throws two big hits. Fleury stops Holmstrom who gets a few whacks at it before Fleury can clear it as no Pittsburgh defensemen come to his aid.

The game slows down with some dumping. Pittsburgh gets a penalty. Rafalski fans on a shot from the top of the offensive zone and it goes over everyone's head and off the top of the crossbar. Detroit gets a few scoring chances, but no goal—even though Pittsburgh's line was dead tired.

Gonchar cross-checks Cleary from behind in the neutral zone, no call. Detroit played a solid period—no superstar play and only minor goofs. Osgood didn't face anything tough.

SCORE: 2-2

Period Stars: Fleury, Kunitz
Period Goofs: Guerin

Period Three

Pittsburgh gets a great scoring opportunity off a rebound, but the player gets leveled by a Detroit defenseman (Lidstrom hooked him down - no call). At each TV time-out the Red Wings have seven players on the ice to setup a line matchup (the sideshow). Orpick hits Helm hard in the open ice. Zetterberg made a bad change and Kennedy skated up and shot it just wide.

Ericsson takes a foolish interference call (hooking a player that wasn't near the puck). The Penguins control the play in the Red Wings' zone during the power play and cash in (Gonchar with Guerin screening and Crosby ready beside the net).

Helm gets caught in the trolly-tracks by Cooke. Emotions start rising, but Detroit is still winning races to loose pucks. Detroit then lays siege to Pittsburgh as one of the Penguins broke their stick. After the lengthy siege, the Penguins get a two-on-one rush—just to see a beauty pass from Crosby to Kunitz, who misses the net.

Talbot gets two scoring opportunities with one off the post and Osgood saves the other. Hossa turns his back when he sees an oncoming check, no call. Osgood controls a rebound! Pittsburgh controls the last couple minutes with Talbot getting off a tough shot into an empty net. Fleury makes a nice save with 18 seconds left.

This was probably Osgood's best period for the season.

Period Stars: Holmstrom, Guerin, Talbot
Period Goofs: Zetterberg

Post-Game

This is the best game of the series, but poor hockey overall compared to 18 years or more ago.

Mike Babcock made a good statement about the hockey style, "We don't entertain, we execute." The Penguins simply hit harder this game, and their heart won out over Detroit's steady teamwork.

This is the best the Penguins have played this series, but it was still a close game. Without a few key saves by Fleury, Detroit would have taken it.

Holmstrom was a steady influence clearing pucks in the defensive zone, screening Fleury, and keeping the puck under Red Wing control. Without his play, the game would have been more lopsided.

Talbot mostly struck hard throughout the third period, but played with heart.

Staal was a solid performer throughout the whole game. he controlled the play and set up Kennedy numerous times.

I would be remiss not to mention Orpick and Cooke, who also played hard and made some key hits. Kunitz also played a solid game as did the whole Detroit defense team.

Only Franzen and Ericsson made a key mistake each—but made up for those errors later.

Game Stars:
Tomas Holmstrom
Maxime Talbot
Jordon Staal