Pittsburgh Penguins Still Alive; Detroit Can't Close It Out

“Put that coffee down! Coffee’s for closers only.” -Alec Baldwin, “Glengarry, Glen Ross”

In a triple-overtime thriller, the Pittsburgh Penguins kept their magnificent season alive. NOT like it came as a surprise to many of us, considering that the Detroit Red Wings can close a series out almost as well as Simon Cowell can close his mouth.

The latest showing of this comes during the last game, game five, when Detroit was 35 seconds away from winning the Cup on home ice before giving up the tying goal and eventually falling in triple OT to Pittsburgh.

Detroit still might be able to close it out, but looking back on the other series, it definitely will not be easy. In the first round of this year’s playoffs, the Red Wings led Nashville by two games to none, but, as expected, losing games three and four. They ended the series in the sixth game. After sweeping a tired Colorado team in the second round, the Wings led Dallas three games to none, but again losing games four and five. They closed that series out in six as well. 

If the Penguins force game seven, the Red Wings have a bad history to worry about: their home OT record in the playoffs. Monday’s loss drops their record to 18-32 all time at home, the worst in NHL history.

In the first round last year, Detroit led the Calgary Flames 2-0, but lost games three and four before ending the series in OT in game six. In the third round, the Wings led the Ducks 2-1, but went on to lose games four, five, and six to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Ducks.

For a ten-time Stanley Cup champion team, the Red Wings are very edge-of-your-seat when it comes to the playoffs. They’ve won the President’s Trophy four times in the last six years, but have won only one Stanley Cup in 2002, and lost in the first round twice, in 2003 and 2006.

So Detroit, you better close out the series; the coffee is getting cold.