Stanley Cup Finals: Game Four Preview

Game four of the Stanley Cup Finals is slated to get underway tonight at 8:00 PM at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins haven't lost a game since February 24.

The Red Wings will be looking to rebound after a 3-2 loss in game three of the series in which the raucous crowd at Mellon Arena gave the Penguins the boost they had been looking for.

For the Penguins, game four is particularly important. Heading back to Detroit trailing 3-1 in the series would make for a tall mountain to climb for the Penguins.

However, if they can even up the series tonight, the added momentum might just be enough to propel them to a win on the road in game five.

The Red Wings received some disappointing news earlier in the week when they learned that Tomas Holmstrom may be unable to play tonight.

Holmstrom participated in the team's morning skate but will make a game-time decision as to whether he will play tonight.

If Holmstrom does decide to sit out, it opens the door for veteran Darren McCarty to play in his place.

Staying on the topic of bad news, Penguins' defenseman Kris Letang has taken the news of Luc Bourdon's tragic death especially hard.

Letang and Bourdon played two seasons together for Val D'Or. The two defensemen also won two gold medals together playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.

Letang and Bourdon were roommates at the WJC's and while playing with Val D'Or.

Letang told NHL.com reporters that he had talked to Bourdon three days ago about his new motorcycle. He also called Bourdon "my best friend" and someone with whom "we share, like, everything together."

Letang plans to take the ice for game four tonight, no doubt with a heavy heart. There will be an observed moment of silence at the Mellon Arena tonight before the start of the game to commemorate, remember, and honor the life of Luc Bourdon.

The Penguins will need another superb performance out of their top line if they want to tie the series at two games apiece on their home ice.

Gary Roberts and Adam Hall, who played scattered time on each of the four Penguins' lines in game three, will also be a key to victory tonight.

Roberts and Hall provided energy for the Penguins in game three, but they also contributed what would eventually be the game-winning goal.

If the Penguins can feed off of the energy provided by their third and fourth line guys, as well as be the beneficiaries of some secondary scoring, they will have no problem winning another game tonight.

For the Red Wings, Mighty Midget Chris Osgood has got to figure out a way to slow down the tempo of the game.

We saw what happened when game three turned into a run-and-gun affair: Osgood was rattled by the boisterous crowd and ended up out of position on the Adam Hall goal.

Game four should provide more of the same hard-hitting, non-stop action that we saw in front of a packed house at Mellon Arena.

Let's Go Pens.