All things equal, Cup is no letdown
Finals live up to hype with series evened up
Published: June 06, 2009, 7:04 am
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It was only a few days ago when people were wondering how the Detroit Red Wings would capture their second straight Stanley Cup. The winner wasn’t in question, only the number of games required. They had won the first two contests at home and were teaching the Pittsburgh Penguins yet another lesson about playoff hockey.
It was Detroit all the way.
On Friday, when the series shifted back to Detroit for Game Five tonight (8 p. m., Chs. 2, 5), the talk was about whether the Red Wings could stop the freight train that raced through their defense the previous evening in Pittsburgh’s 4-2 victory. Some are bracing for the Penguins to win four straight games and join the Steelers as champions.
But really what we have now is what both teams expected all along: a terrific series.
Kick back, enjoy and pray for Game Seven.
The Stanley Cup is the toughest trophy to win in professional sports, a two-month physical and mental struggle. The Red Wings looked fried Thursday night in Game Three, and maybe they were, but that didn’t mean they were cooked. They have been in this situation already in the playoffs before storming back.
“You know, it’s interesting,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said Friday in Detroit. “If you listen to what people on the outside say, Pittsburgh was done after two games. I don’t think anybody in our locker room thought that. Now, if you listen to what people on the outside say, the Red Wings are done. What we think is we’ve got the best-of-three with two games in our building.”
The Red Wings can forget about winning the Cup unless they find a solution for center Evgeni Malkin, who has been practically unstoppable. Malkin has two goals and seven points in four games against a team known for smothering its opponents. He leads the league with 35 points in 21 playoff games.
Detroit has been the best team in the league during the past 12 years and is plenty capable of recapturing momentum in Motown. The Red Wings trailed the Ducks, 2-1, in the second round before winning the series in seven games. They had problems with the Blackhawks in Game Three of the conference finals before prevailing in five.
They know how to push back. Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk, the best two-way player in the game, should return tonight to provide a boost. He has missed seven straight playoff games with what many believe is a broken foot after he was struck by a slap shot against Chicago. He was expected to play Thursday night but was scratched just before opening faceoff.
“He’ll play,” Babcock said. “I’ve said this many times during the playoff run, the greatest thing about this trophy is how hard it is. And when you have injuries, it’s harder.
“Suck it up and find a way to win. Who cares? No one cares except about the team who wins in the end. You get your name on that thing, and it’s the greatest summer of your life. That’s still our plan.”
The Wings had a plan Thursday night, too, before Pens center Jordan Staal flipped the series upside down with a short-handed goal out of nowhere. Detroit had a 2-1 lead in the series and the game before Staal zipped past Brian Rafalski and beat Chris Osgood for the first of three unanswered goals.
Staal’s goal changed the game, the series and the psyche of both teams. But it did not decide the outcome.
Detroit for years has been known for its composure and businesslike approach but looked tired and flustered after Staal’s tally. It was as if the Red Wings morphed into many teams they’ve exposed over the years. Suddenly, they couldn’t keep up with a younger, fresher Penguins team that was intent on punishing Detroit’s stars.
“It seemed like all their guys were really slumped over tired and looked like they were frustrated, really,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said after the game. “When you see that you just kind of feed off of it.”
Pittsburgh has been building off confidence from its victory in Game Three. The Pens proved they didn’t need their best game to beat the Wings. It’s a good sign for a team when it reaches this point in the season and still has room for improvement, but that has been the Pens’ approach since the series began.
And yet, through four games, the series is tied. If the two teams learned anything Thursday, it’s that momentum can swing in the other direction on a single shift.
“We’re not going to panic,” Osgood said. “The bottom line is that we have to play better as a team. So far, it’s 2-2. It could be 3-1, but I think we’re about where we should be.”
bgleason@buffnews.com
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