DETROIT, Mich – There were some doubts in the media about whether or not the Detroit Red Wings—and specifically Henrik Zetterberg–were able to maintain their composure or were tired in Pittsburgh after they dropped Games 3 and 4. The questioning went right up to the pre-game interview on NBC with analyst Pierre McGuire and Detroit skater Kris Draper. By the time the game had ended there were more questions about the Penguins as they lost their composure in a 5-0 shellacking by the Red Wings in Game 5.
“ If he’s (Zetterberg) like me, he didn’t read it and it wasn’t everybody, it was you guys (media),” said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. “So I’ve said this all along is that you guys are paid to cover the game, and we’re involved in the game. So we have a tendency to know what’s going on.”
Faced with adversity the Penguins gave into their collective desires to hack and slash and in turn the Red Wings answered back with three power play goals in the second period. The record-tying outburst by Detroit effectively ended any hope of a Pittsburgh win in this pivotal game and sent the Penguins back home just one win away from elimination.
P Datsyuk. Photo courtesy of National Hockey League
Buoyed by the return of Pavel Datsyuk the Red Wings survived some early pressure and a power play chance for the Penguins to take a 3-2 lead in their quest to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Datsyuk’s value to the team was shown by his defensive play and on offense as he garnered a pair of assists.
“ This guy’s (Datsyuk) one of the best players in the world both offensively and defensively…(he) just makes the team more comfortable,” said Babcock. “We need plays, and suddenly we relaxed and we made plays.”
“We’ve been able to have success, but it’s been much harder, obviously, without him. You have to learn to win a different way and find a way. I’ve been very impressed with our guys finding a way. We bought time so he can come back, and ideally he can help us get over the top.”
Detroit scored the only goal of the first period when Dan Cleary snapped out of his goal-scoring slump with a wrist shot from above the face-off circle to the left of Marc-Andre Fleury. The goal was Cleary’s ninth of the postseason, but just his first in the finals. Even though they trailed at the time Pittsburgh led in shots by a 10-8 margin and any smile from fortune would have brought the Penguins back into the game.
“I think we did start off well. I think we didn’t shoot the puck well enough or often enough when we had those chances,” said Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma. “We were looking for the extra pass, when we had opportunities to get pucks on them early. (We) didn’t quite connect, and didn’t quite create the opportunities because we were looking to pass.”
Fortune’s smile never came for the Penguins, but there was intervention from the referees as the Red Wings capitalized on poor goaltending by Fleury and a lack of discipline from the Penguins to score four times in the middle frame. The deluge began when Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood caught the Penguins in a poor line change after a successful penalty kill and fired the puck to Marian Hossa who was standing at the far blueline. Hossa brought the puck into the Penguins zone and found Valtteri Filppula who had beaten the Penguins defenders. Filppula slipped a backhander through Fleury’s legs for the Red Wings second goal and keyed the rout.
“ You know…they got that first goal, and then they got the goal on the power play right after the quick change,” said Bylsma. “(That) quick up (by Osgood) and got that goal after the kill. That would have gotten us momentum, and they got that goal.”
Three successive poor penalties by the Penguins opened the door for Detroit. The first player to get caught was Sergei Gonchar who slashed Datsyuk. Detroit responded with a goal by Niklas Kronwall who beat three Pittsburgh defenders out of the corner before firing the puck across the gain and past Fleury. Evgeni Malkin would be next to target a Detroit star as he elbowed Johan Franzen. Detroit responded with a slap shot by Brian Rafalski which went through a perfect screen by Tomas Holmstrom. It would be Chris Kunitz’s turn to go next after he dropped his gloves and punched Darren Helm. Detroit’s response would be a Zetterberg wrist shot off a perfect feed by Jiri Hudler. Sidney Crosby and Max Talbot would each commit fouls but the Penguins killed off an extended five-on-three Red Wings power play chance.
“ You’re going to have emotions in a situation where you’re not getting a result.The other team fills the net on you,” said Bylsma. “I think our guys were frustrated and then trying to play physical and started, you know, to get off the page by trying to run around and be physical. It’s a show of emotion.”
The third period was more of the same as Pittsburgh took three penalties compared to just one by the Red Wings as the clubs skated through a scoreless period. By then the damage was done as the Red Wings erased any further talk of slowed legs and battered bodies.
We’re playing out there, of course you get tired end of the games,” said Zetterberg.”But yesterday we had a day off. We refocused, and we were ready to go today.”
Notes
By stopping all 22 Pittsburgh parries Osgood registered his 15th career playoff shutout which moved him past Dominik Hasek and Jacques Plante for fourth place all-time. Next up on the list is Curtis Joseph who sits in third place with 16 playoff white washes…Pittsburgh fans need not despair yet, in the 19 previous series the team who won Game 5 with the series tied two games apiece won the series 14 times. Of the five teams who have rallied back from this deficit it happened twice in the 2000’s with Colorado doing so in 2001 and Tampa Bay turning the trick in 2004.
When asked about how the Game 5 win sets the team up for the rest of the series Babcock disputed any carryover to Game 6.
“ I don’t buy any of that. I don’t even buy momentum. I tell you guys (media) that all the time and no one listens,” said Babcock. “We won a game today. It’s a huge win for our team. (We) feel real good about ourself. And the biggest part is the extra days off. That’s the best thing that we’ve got to this point is to get the extra days off and we’ll be a better team. We haven’t been able to win in their building in two previous games, but we’ll be prepared and focused and ready to go when we get there.”
Seven different players have scored the game-winning goal for the Red Wings during the last two Finals series…The home team has won each game in this series…After going 1-for-10 on the power play in the first four games of the series the Red Wings went 3-for-9 in Game 5…Datsyuk returned to the lineup after missing seven games over the course of 18 days…A subplot in this game was the slash Talbot gave to the foot area of Datsyuk, many felt it was a direct attempt by the Pittsburgh skater to re-injure the Detroit star…After starting the series with three games in four nights the series will finish with a crawl. There are two days off before Game 6 is played Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. If Game 7 is necessary there will be two more days off before the final game is played in Detroit.
Contact tom.schettino@prohockeynews.com
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