Stanley Cup Finals 2009: Game 4 - Detroit @ Pittsburgh

We're back at Mellon arena for game 4 (Detroit up 2-1)! Kris Draper ia back in the lineup.

He should add some needed speed but he also makes poor decisions. Draper can put some fear into opposing players, because he's willing to take knees or other bad hits to hurt an opponent.

Pavel Datsyuk had a 90 minute skate but won't be in the lineup. Niklas Lidstrom isn't as noticeable as some of the other stars during the games—but not being noticed can be a good sign for a defensemen as it means he isn't making an error.

Still, he isn't stepping up and making all-star moves - he's just playing competent hockey. The pre-game question is: Can Pittsburgh make this a series?

First Period

The Red Wings start out with pressure in the Penguins zone and Marc-Andre Fleury makes a tough save. Each team has a few good hits and in under two minutes, Nicklas Kronwall gets a penalty (a very arguable call).

Draper leads the penalty kill while Bill Guerin and Sergei Gonchar take the points on the Power-Play. The Penguins use the dump method and Detroit routinely clears the puck a few times.

When Pittsburgh gets back into Detroit's zone. Evgeni Malkin passes the puck out front, Letang misses the net at point blank, and Malkin takes the bounce off the boards and sneaks it behind a lost Osgood.

There is less line matching going on as Henrick Zetterberg is getting more rest. Detroit takes a few weak shots, but Fleury makes the saves.

Tomas Holmstrom battles hard along the boards giving Detroit a few scoring chances, but they don't cash in. After Detroit ices the puck, the Penguins cycle the puck in the Wings' zone for a bit, but it gets cleared.

Lidstrom turns the puck over in the neutral zone and Chris Kunitz feeds Sidney Crosby who beats Lidstrom but Osgood closes the five-hole just in time. Staal puts in some hard work on a rush, turning a Wings defensemen inside out, but Tyler Kennedy can't get into a good position for the pass.

At the other end, Zetterberg tries a wraparound but fails to get all the way around and hits the side of the net. The Wings get a 'flurry' of shots off.

The Penguins pick up the pace and Detroit looks tired as they keep giving the puck up in the neutral zone as well as the defensive zone. On a delayed penalty call, the Wings hold the puck in the offensive zone and gain many scoring chances they do not cash in (Holmstrom cross-checked Eaton from behind and Eaton got back up and returned the favour, getting the call).

The Penguins kill the penalty with a combination of hitting, solid play, and Hossa hogging the puck. Afterwards, Brian Rafalski holds the line and Fleury makes a nice save, even reaching out and covering up before danger arises.

Osgood makes a high shoulder save on Malkin. Osgood seems to have more confidence than usual.

He makes another solid save and controls the rebound himself. With 5 minutes left, Zetterberg just starts trying to play against Crosby.

Kronwall flubs the puck and falls, giving the Penguins a scoring opportunity but Osgood holds down the fort. Kunitz and Guerin have a little give and go, while Osgood slaps the puck out of the air.

Ericsson then gets a phantom call. The refereeing has been very different than the rest of the series.

Guerin gets his stick up on a Brad Stuart who was trying to stand up from his knees and evens the play to four on four. Crosby spins around Rafalski but hits the side of the net with the puck.

Zetterberg is now avoiding the Crosby line. Helm intercepts a pass from the Penguins corner and with Cleary blocking Fleury's vision, he buries the puck into the back of the net.

The Wings put a lot of pressure on Pittsburgh in the last minute but Fleury keeps it even. Satan slew-foots a Red Wings player, no call.

Despite not listing his as a Period Star, Crosby has been playing a solid game.

Detroit 1
Pittsburgh 1

Period Stars: Holmstrom, Malkin, Fleury, Osgood
Period Goofs: Lidstrom, Hossa

First Intermission

They had a spoof on the Dos Equis "Most interesting man in the world" called "The most interesting man in the universe" with Don Cherry as that man!

Second Period

Crosby gets a quick shot, but it doesn't have enough 'stuff.' The Red Wings get in a mode and poor on the pressure.

Gonchar and Guerin do an excellent job screening Fleury and Stuart tosses a point shot through the screens into the net. Fleury makes a few solid saves but Detroit stays in control.

Four minutes in, we see a slower back and forth game. The emotion and speed seem to have left the game and the Wings ice the puck. Osgood makes another save but starts to look shaky with the puck.

Malkin does a reverse can-opener on Ericsson who embellishes it; penalty-Malkin. Nothing special happens for the first half of the power-play except

Malkin fighting Franzen down the ice at great speed. Then Jordon Staal beats Rafalski one-on-one and slides the puck to the bottom corner beating Osgood (short-handed). Detroit tries some wide angle shots, but the penalty is killed.

Cleary makes a few good moves and Fleury shuts the door. Malkin and Crosby get a two-on one.

Rafalski blocks the pass but it goes back to Malkin who finally gets it across to Crosby who makes no mistake. Truly there was nothing Osgood could have done.

Mike Babcock (Detroit) calls a time-out. The Penguins' fans chant with little class at Osgood.

Osgood makes a kick save and a floater rebound misses the net. Lidstrom backstops some defense to get the puck out of the Red Wings' zone, yet on the next rush Kennedy, Kunitz, and Crosby work to put another puck in the net.

Detroit takes control and after another furor of shots, Fleury makes a diving highlight save even after Holmstrom was knocking him down.

Later, Lidstrom gives the puck away, but the Penguins go offside. Maltby gets a shot that pinballs out.

Kunitz gets the puck in front of Osgood and Hossa leaps and crosschecks him from behind, no call. Malkin gets a breakaway in the remaining seconds but has to shoot early to make it before the buzzer and Osgood easily gloves it.

Detroit 2
Pittsburgh 4

Period Stars: Staal, Malkin, Franzen, Fedotenko, Crosby
Period Goofs: Stuart, Zetterberg, Hossa

Third Period

Pittsburgh starts off with the heavy pressure ala Staal. Detroit comes back and is now the team held to the outside (as opposed to previous games) as Fleury makes a kick save an a weak shot.

Orpik battles with Holmstrom to keep him from interfering with Fleury. The Penguins look like they're struggling to keep the foot on the gas, but Detroit doesn't have a lot of get up and go either.

There is more scrambling than skating going on. Maltby gives Crosby wicked slash from behind and Crosby embellishes it; no call.

Ericsson let's loose a howitzer but misses the net. Fleury makes a great save after a Wings player fights off Malkin for the shot.

Franzen rushes up and takes a hard outside shot at Fleury which is stopped. Detroit gets away with a few hooks and holds.

Fleury is now slowing the play down when he can. Osgood makes an easy save off Guerin who ignored Crosby.

Fleury closes the door for the rest of the game but Osgood made a good save in the last five minutes as well. With two minutes left, Osgood trades off for the extra attacker.

Kunitz takes advantage and was taken out by a Kronwall hook just before he could slip the puck in the empty net. Osgood goes back in.

Pittsburgh plays relaxed for the rest of the period. Draper and Crosby play a keep-away game with each other at centre ice.

Then for the last minute, the Penguins just cycle the puck in their own zone to kill the period and the game. As it ends Cleary mugs Orpik out of pure frustration and they wrestle to the ice.

Detroit 2
Pittsburgh 4

Period Stars: Kronwall, Orpik, Franzen
Period Goofs: Samuelsson, Gonchar

Post Game

The irony is that the two games Detroit lost were the best Osgood has played all year, yet at home when Detroit won he was very unstable and erratic. The difference seems to be the defence around him and the circumstances.

In the away games, the Wings had to take chances and breakout to keep up, but this isn't their normal game-plan. This, I think, is the cause of their breakdown.

They've stopped playing 'their' game and tried to keep up with the high-flyers in Pittsburgh. Babcock also had great difficulty with his tactical line matching away from home.

This isn't to take away from some Penguins players who were powerful influences on the game.

The final tally shows the Penguins back in a series they were in which they were nearly doomed. The Penguins have hope and confidence now, but can they carry that into Detroit for Game 5.

Game Stars: Fleury, Malkin, Franzen