Datsyuk Returns and Leads Det to Within One Win of Back-to Back Championships.
Quick note. Sorry for no blog on Game 4 that Pittsburgh won 4-2. This was because of my computer problems that I have been having. To recap Game 4 Quickly the Penguins tied the series at 2 and had 3 very nice goals scored in the second period. One a a pretty rush by Jordan Staal, one on a nice two on one feed from Malkin to Crosby and the other on a tic tac toe feed between Crosby and Tyler Kennedy.
On to last nights game. The Detroit Red Wings played the best game of the series in dominating the Penguins at Joe Louis Arena 5-0. They were led by Pavel Datsyuk (2 Assists) in his first game back since May 22. Herik Zetteberg also had a nice game with a goal and an assist in Detroit's dominant victory. The first period was pretty evenly played where Pittsburgh actually outshot Det 10-8 but the Wings drew first blood. Dan Cleary scored about halfway through the first to make it 1-0 Wings on a nice feed from Datsuyk. This was a goal that Marc-Andre Fleury has to save it Pittsburgh still wants to have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup. Cleary was creative however in using defenseman Hal Gill as a screen by shooting the puck between Gill's legs that Fleury picked up late. Fleury was good the rest of the first by saving Franzen on a nice backhander in the period and he also stopped Zetteberg on a nice chance.
Detroit totally dominated the second by scoring 4 goals and tying a NHL record of 3 power play goals in a period in a Stanley Cup Final. Valleteri Fillipula made it 2-0 Wings when he beat Fleury with a backhander that was set up nicely by Marian Hossa. Nick Kronwall made it 3-0 at 6:44 when he cut out from the behind the goal line to out front and beat Fleury with a wrist shot over his glove hand. The second of the power play goals was by Brian Rafalski to make it 4-0. He was set up nicely by Datsyuk and wristed a shot just inside the left post of Fleury. Fleury was screened by the underrated Thomas Holmstrom who is as good as it gets at screening a goaling in the NHL. Henrik Zetterberg beat Fleury with a high wrist shot over the glove to tie the recored. Zetterberg was fed a nice pass by Jiri Hudler that caught Fleury by surprise. This was a totally dominating period by the Wings. I am not a huge fan of Detroit but I do respect how talented and good they are season after season. The Wings outshot Pittsburgh 15-6 in this period. This goal got Marc-Andre Fleury the hook from the game and Matthieu Garon some playing time during the blowout portion of this game.
The third period was just lets get through it without any injuries for either team. It was not too eventful except for the last two minutes when Malkin, Cooke and Talbot all got 10 minutes misconducts at this time. The only Detriot player that received a misconduct was Brett Lebda a seldom used defenseman. The third period shots were 6 each. The Penguins if they want to have any chance at forcing a Game 7 must play much smarter than they did in the second period of Game 5. When you are going up against the Defending Stanley Cup Champions you must not give them any chances with the extra man or try ti limit them to only in dire circumstances, such as a breakaway or a great scoring chance. The Red Wings only have to play the same as Game 5 and they will repeat as Champs. I have a gut feeling that Game 6 will be a much closer game and hopefully more entertaining for all of us NHL fans out there.
So Penguin fans be loud for Game 6. Get behind your team and be as boisterous as the Detroit crowd was for Game 5. I really want to see a Game 7 because there is nothing better in Sports in my humble opinion of a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final game. Thank you all for reading this, I really appreciate it.
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