Pre-Game News:
NHL’s Craig says new kick plate for boards installed at ‘The Joe’ two years ago.
Good bounces, 1st goal key to Penguins’ Cup hopes.
Game Notes:
- Period 1: Pretty good energy by Helm to start the game. Fleury looks good early. Pens are much better on the faceoffs tonight. Pittsburgh has dominated the last 10 minutes of the 1st period. Detroit didn’t have a shot for almost 8 minutes during that time.
- 1st Period Stats:
Shots: Detroit 7, Pittsburgh 11
Hits: Detroit 14, Pittsburgh 11
Giveaways: Detroit 9, Pittsburgh 5,
Faceoffs: Detroit 7, Pittsburgh 9
- Period 2: Wings have been flying for most of the period with a few Pittsburgh outbursts. After some good Detroit pressure forced an icing, Helm wins a faceoff to Ericcson.
- Detroit kept up the pressure and after a mad scramble similar to what happened on the Pittsburgh goal, as Malkin just finished his penalty, Valteri Filppula scores a beauty to give the Wings a 2-1 lead.
- 2nd Period Stats:
Shots: Detroit 16, Pittsburgh 9
Hits: Detroit 10, Pittsburgh 12
Giveaways: Detroit 6, Pittsburgh 2
Faceoffs: Detroit 11, Pittsburgh 12
- 3rd Period: Detroit is 10-0 when leading after 2 periods in the 2009 Playoffs. 24 straight going back to last season’s playoffs.
- Just when it looked like Pittsburgh would get back into the game, Crosby was denied by the post and the kid from Muskegon, Michigan Justin Abdelkader scores on a 1 on 3.
- And as the game was winding down, after a Malkin wrist shot, a little poke at Osgood makes him fall over and perhaps to set the tone for Game 3 a little melee erupts. Main participants were Malkin and Zetterberg.
- 3rd Period Stats:
Shots: Detroit 3, Pittsburgh 12
Hits: Detroit 10, Pittsburgh 10
Giveaways: Detroit 6, Pittsburgh 5
Faceoffs: Detroit 6, Pittsburgh 6
- Final Game Stats:
Shots: Detroit 26, Pittsburgh 32
Hits: Detroit 34, Pittsburgh 33
Giveaways: Detroit 21, Pittsburgh 12
Faceoffs: Detroit 24, Pittsburgh 27
Post-Game Thoughts:
- Teams that are up 2-0 thru two games in the Stanley Cup Finals are 31 and 1 when they’ve swept the first two games at home.
- I believe that Osgood deserves the Conn Smythe for the Wings (i’m not declaring the series over yet) but to this point it is hard to find another player on Detroit who has been more important to his team. That being the case, Zetterberg has simply been spectacular all over the rink.
- The Wings are now 11-0 when they have the lead heading into a 3rd period of the 2009 Playoffs.
- No big surprise, NHL rescinds Malkin suspension.
- Of the 44 teams to take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals, 41 have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. It hasn’t been done since the 1971 Montreal Canadiens.
Post-Game News Conference:
Detroit Head Coach Mike Babcock:
- Q: Relative to the performance by your team in period 1, what was your frame of mind at the end of that period and what did you see change in the 2nd period for Detroit?
A. I thought in the first ten minutes it was all us and then I thought in the second ten minutes it was all them. We had it going real well, we were coming out of our zone, we were sailing into their zone, and suddenly we turn the puck over 4 times in a row through the neutral zone and they took over and they were on top of our D. And I thought the 2nd period was much the same until we got up 2-1 and then we stopped playing and they took it to us for the remainder of that period. And then I thought the 3rd period was what you’d expect when you’re up.
- Q. Its a year later and you are in a similar position as last year up 2-0, same series or different series in your mind?
A. I think way different. I think last year the Malkin’s and the Crosby’s were engaged about Game 3. I think this year when the puck dropped, they were engaged. This Pittsburgh team has played hard from the drop of the puck.
- Q. Talk about the play of Helm.
A. Well I think Helmer has been great. Without Pavel, who’s a Heart trophy candidate, if you don’t have someone fill in, you can’t be succesful.
- Q. There was talk that the back-to-back would hurt you, has it?
A. Well I think it’s hurt us. Don’t ever kid yourself. I thought we were exhausted out there tonight but it’s amazing what will does for you. We talked about that before the game. We found a way to win 2 games but we haven’t been as good as we are capable of being.
Pittsburgh Head Coach Dan Bylsma:
- Q: You did have a discussion with Bill McCreary before the start of the 3rd, did it have something to do with the Hossa/Dupuis situation or was it a more general thing?
A: It was more a concern about their guy being at the top of the crease, in the blue paint, but that’s normal talk between a coach and a referee, and that’s the time to do it.
- Q: Could you give us a sense as to how this game differerd from last night in terms of what you needed to do and what you saw happen out there tonight for your team?
A: I think it ended up being a lot alike. We had stretches where we played good, we got scoring chances and pucks around their net and didn’t capitallize when we needed to and they got timely goals and they got goals in and around our net and they ended up with the victory.
- Q: Going into Game 3 what can you guys do differently?
A: In each of the first two games we have been able to play in the offensive zone for periods of time, we have been able to get shots, have been able to outshoot a good Detroit team, but they’ve been able to get the timely goals, they’ve been better in getting pucks in and around the net and getting that goal that’s what they’ve done better and as a result they have two wins. So there are some positives that we can draw upon and we have to focus on those and get better at our game. Continue to get to the offensive zone, get to the goalie and look for to those loose pucks and build on that and that’s what we will do when we get back for Game 3.