With some lucky breaks, the Penguins managed to squeeze a win against the defending Cup champs, changing the series from backs-against-the-wall to right-back-in-it.
In a frantic first period, both teams scored two goals, something we haven't seen from either side in prior games. The second was all Red Wings, as they ended the period with a 26-11 shot advantage, including a domination in puck control. The third, however, was a different story, with the Pens scoring a key powerplay marker in the third that proved to be too much.
You can thank Sergei Gonchar for making this a series, 10:29 into the third. A 3-0 lead would have had the Penguins walking the green mile. In fact, had the Red Wings won Game 3 and 4, it would have been exactly one calendar year since the Red Wings took the Cup over the Pens in Game 6 of last season.
In winning, the Penguins had everything they lacked in losing twin 3-1 decisions in the first two games in Detroit, including start-to-finish confidence, resiliency and scoring from throughout their lineup. A sense of desperation, too.
Marc-Andre Fleury was very sharp last night, and didn't allow any softies, unlike the identical 3-1 losses in Games 1 and 2. For once this series, he outplayed rival netminder Chris Osgood, who allowed 3 goals on 20 shots. Ozzie has now lost for only the 3rd time in 13 Finals games.
One thing Detroit did do right was that they were once again married to the Henrik Zetterberg-Sidney Crosby matchup, despite Pittsburgh having last change. Rather than changing the entire line when Crosby hopped onto the ice, the centre was simply subbed for Zetterberg, who had his eye on Crosby the whole time and shadowed him at all times. Crosby managed one assist last night, his first point this series.
It was none other than playoff scoring leader Evgeni Malkin who set up the first three goals. Malkin, almost invisible at times during last year’s finals, has 33 points in 20 games—the most since Joe Sakic had 34 for Stanley Cup champion Colorado in 1996.
Pittsburgh also went 2-for-3 on the power play, with the called interference penalty on Jonathan Ericsson that led to Gonchar’s game-winner.
Most of all, the Penguins stood up to the Red Wings even after the defending champs answered Max Talbot’s first goal with scores by Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. Those goals briefly quieted an all-in-white crowd that could sense it might be watching the Red Wings effectively secure their fifth Stanley Cup since 1997.
So far, the finals have featured the same scenario as last year. Detroit wins the first two at home, then loses a tight Game 3 in Pittsburgh. Last year, the Red Wings took a 3-1 lead by winning Game 4 in Pittsburgh, which allowed them to survive a three-overtime Game 5 loss at home before they finished off Pittsburgh in Game 6.
But the Penguins have played better in each of the three games than they did last spring and, the Red Wings understand the hard part is yet to come. The Penguins must be wondering, too, whether Detroit will be at 100% for Game 4, as they have yet to run on all cylinders this series.
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