Red Wings-Penguins: Where the Hud(ler) At?

Jiri Hudler scored the eventual game-winning goal for the Red Wings early in the third period. By becoming the first team to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins on their home ice during these playoffs, Detroit took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

For the first time in the series, the team that scored the first goal failed to hang on to win the game.

Recap

The Penguins have been seemingly invincible at Mellon Arena for the past three months. That same "we don't lose at home" attitude filled the air during the pregame at Mellon Arena tonight.

Is it just me, or do NBC's pregame shenanigans seem to last longer with every game?

Just before the drop of the puck, we learned that Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom would not be in the lineup for the Wings tonight. He apparently slipped and fell off of a diving board while preparing for Game Four, injuring his hamstring. Chris Osgood, who also participated in the diving festivities, was not harmed.

Finally, at 8:20 PM, the puck was dropped. Both teams looked a little apprehensive early on, with neither team taking many chances. Everyone knew how important the first goal of this game would be. It would either energize the Penguins toward tying the series, or potentially seal the deal for Detroit to win the Cup at home.

The Penguins would get that highly sought-after first goal, just under three minutes into the game, off the stick of Marian Hossa.

Dallas Drake decided to take some time out from playing defense to punch an approaching player in the face. That landed him in the box for two minutes, and the Penguins wound up with an early power play for the third time in four games.

40 seconds into the man-advantage, Sergei Gonchar released one of his patented directed slapshots from the point, leaving the rebound right on the stick of Hossa. Mike Emrick described Hossa's ensuing move as: "Hossa finesses the puck, and aaaoooohhhh he sccccaaaooorreesss."

Only three people on the planet know how the word "finesse" is pertinent in that situation: two of them were sitting in the broadcasters booth, the other had just downed his seventh Miller Lite somewhere in a Detroit bar and misheard the word as "fitness."

No matter how you described it, the Penguins had done what they thought they needed to do: score the first goal of the game.

At 5:04 of the first, Pascal Dupuis was called for a cross-checking penalty, and the Red Wings went on the power play.

The Penguins managed to escape the two minute period unscathed, but two seconds after Dupuis exited the box, Nicklas Lidstrom reminded everyone that he stills plays professional hockey by registering his first goal of the series, tying the game 1-1.

The Penguins had two more chances on the power play before the end of the period, but failed to put another puck past the Mighty Midget.

The first period ended 1-1.

The pace of the second period was nearly the same as the first, but neither team managed to gain enough of an advantage to take the lead. Each team had a power play opportunity, but neither could capitalize.

Fleury and Osgood turned away every shot they faced, setting the stage for a dramatic final twenty minutes.

The Penguins came out of the gate in the third period looking surprisingly sluggish. One thing you cannot do against the Detroit Red Wings is slack off. The Penguins found that out the hard way, as a turnover in the defensive end led to Jiri Hudler's eventual game-winning goal.

Brad Stuart made a good play at the blue line to keep the puck in the Penguins' zone, and sent the puck back down low. Rookie centerman Darren Helm was able to chip the puck to Jiri Hudler, then run interference on Brooks Orpik.

I am not a New York Rangers fan, but if I was, I would subsequently compose a multi-paragraph reason for why Helm interfering with Orpik should have been a penalty.

Hudler corralled the puck, and snapped a backhander off of the left arm of Fleury and inside the post to give the Wings a 2-1 lead.

After the Red Wings took the lead, they once again tightened up defensively. The Penguins struggled to generate any significant scoring chances, and the Wings bottled up the neutral zone.

Then, at 9:36, Maltby was called for a hooking penalty, and the Penguins' power play hit the ice with a chance to tie the game.

Not much happened early on in the power play, until the Wings were penalized yet again, giving the Penguins a rare 5-on-3 opportunity.

The game, and possibly the series, would be decided during the ensuing one minute, 26 seconds.

The Penguins had the Big Five on the ice for the power play, and the Wings countered with Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and some other dude.

The penalty killing exhibition that the Wings put on during the 5-on-3 was reason enough for me to acknowledge them as very well-deserving of a Stanley Cup Championship.

Osgood remained calm in the net, thwarting every slapshot from the point, and each ensuing rebound opportunity.

Zetterberg made a play that should be put in the Hockey Hall of Fame as he tied up Crosby's stick on the doorstep to prevent him from tapping a loose puck behind Osgood.

After the Wings killed the penalty, Elvis turned to a Wings fan and uttered the words "that was some good hunk-a-hunk-a hockey, see you in Motown", and began his journey to a Gate 8 exit from Mellon Arena.

The Wings held on, despite the Penguins pulling Fleury for the extra attacker, to win the game and give themselves a chance to win their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years on Monday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Notes

- Pierre Majokeuire announce that Mike Emrick was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Again, two of the three people who cared were wearing headsets for NBC. The other was probably sitting in a rocking chair in Mike's hometown of La Fontaine, Indiana, knitting a sweater to commemorate her son's achievement.

- Evgeni Malkin is beyond frustrated. He hasn't been himself since having to go up against Mike Richards in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Red Wings' defense has taken away every bit of open ice the Russian forward thinks he has throughout this series.

- Osgood stopped 22 of 23 shots.

- The Wings are 9-1 at home during the playoffs. Considering that the Penguins failed to even post a goal during their previous two trips to Motown, that's not a very reassuring stat.

- Despite stopping 28 of 30 shots, Fleury looked rattled tonight. He was giving up more rebounds than usual and mishandled the puck numerous times. He has to be perfect for the next three games if the Penguins stand any chance of a comeback.

- After trailing 3-1 in the Finals, six teams have forced a game seven. Only the historic 1942 Maple Leafs, who fell behind 3-0 to Detroit, have came back to win the series.

- It ain't over 'til it's over, but it sure ain't gonna be easy.

- Game Five is set for Monday, 8:00 PM on NBC. If you're not home by 8:25, don't worry, you will still catch the opening faceoff.