Back From The Dead

It appears NHL fans will get the competitive Stanley Cup Finals they expected as the Penguins returned to form on Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory over the Red Wings. After miserable performances that saw the Pens go scoreless in the first two games of the series, they were able to put everything together in front of the hometown crowd.

With the exception of several moments in the first period, the Penguins played at a tremendous pace throughout the game, especially early in the third period. They finally got the monkey off their back when Sydney Crosby scored the team’s first goal of the series at 17:25 of the first. Crosby was at it again early in the second, scoring a power play goal.

The game was never out of hand, as the Red Wings kept it close. Johan Franzen padded his playoff leading goal total with a power play marker close to the end of the second period. A third period goal by Penguins forward Adam Hall made it 3-1 for the Pens, but the Wings once again narrowed the gap with a goal six minutes later by Mikael Samuelsson.

Marc-Andre Fleury kept the Penguins in the game by making highlight reel saves throughout the game. He ended the game with 32 saves.

Most importantly for the Penguins, they’re right back in the series, and their superstars appear to have finally awaken. Marian Hossa assisted on both of Crosby’s goals, while Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar both had spirited performances with a combined seven shots on net. Brooks Orpik chipped in by keeping the fans out of their seats with bone crushing body checks at key points of the game.

Although the Penguins won the game there’s still plenty of work to do as they were out-shot 34 to 24. At times throughout the game they had trouble getting the puck out of their end, and they had a difficult time containing Johan Franzen, who had six shots on net.

Scoring the first goal of the game in these playoffs has been huge for the Pens. They’re now 11-0 when they score first, along with a perfect 9-0 record on home ice. Pittsburgh will have a chance to even up the series on Saturday night, before the series shifts back to Detroit for game five.
-Joe Osborne