Game 6 Live Blog: Wings/Penguins
Joe here. Join me tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET for Game 6.
Because, really, what else are you going to watch?
Follow along after the jump…
One thing I’ve tried to avoid doing is any sort of analysis, if for no other reason than the fact that I’m aware that I’m no Mickey Redmond, et al.
But let me throw this out there: The Wings must come out in the first period of this game and beat this team early. And when I say beat, I mean a two-goal lead at the first intermission. Because every second those fans and players think they still have a shot adds to their belief.
There are more than enough cliches out there that apply, but as long as the Pens feel they have a chance, they’re gonna believe it more and more. The 55-save performance of Fleury Wednesday night alone was insane. And if they think they can, there’s no reason why not.
As for Mike Babcock’s comments on goaltender interference: I was buying the first one against Cleary, but the one against Zetterberg was so atrocious as to be borderline criminal. Since Babcock hasn’t said word one about this, even after the bizarro calls in the Stars series, it was interesting to see him come out and make such a public declaration.
And if (and I can’t tell you how fervently I hope this is not the case) we have to play a game Saturday, the extra day layoff is going to send the conversation into the stratosphere.
One thing’s for sure: there’s gonna be a lot of talk in the offseason on Rule 69, and trying to clarify it.
The officials tonight: Brad Watson and Marc Joannette with the arm bands, and Pierre Racicot and Jean Morin on the lines.
CBC interviewing Gonchar: he says there is no restrictions to his performance tonight. C’mon…if he was seeing triple, you think he’d tell anyone?
No changes to either roster tonight.
Two interesting stats: this is the first time the Pens have gone to a sixth game this year. In their history, they have twice been down by 3-1 and forced a Game 7. They won both series.
Don Cherry notes the Pens were not as loose in the warmups as they were before Game 5 (and he did note it before that game).
Your starters tonight: Lidstrom, Rafalski, Samuelsson, Filppula, Franzen, Osgood; Dupuis, Hossa, Orpik, Gonchar, Crosby, Fleury.
20:00 - Start of Period 1: Let’s play some hockey!
19:55 - Pittsburgh lines: Dupuis/Crosby/Hossa; Malone/Malkin/Sykora; Talbot/Staal/Kennedy; Roberts/Hall/Ruutu; Gonchar/Orpik; Scuderi/Gill; Sydor/Whitney.
19:36 - Detroit lines: Datsuyk/Zetterberg/Holmstrom; Franzen/Filppula/Samuelsson; Drake/Draper/Cleary; Hudler/Helm/Maltby; Lidstrom/Rafalski; Stuart/Kronwall; Lebda/Lilja.
19:19 - Even in the first minute, the Wings are applying a lot of pressure.
18:32 - Lilja gets hipchecked by a Pens player.
17:48 - Sykora puts a shot from four feet out and Osgood saves and holds for a face off.
17:18 - Franzen pushes in close and Fleury makes the pad save.
16:05 - After a strong first 90 seconds, it’s been back and forth, with each team getting a couple chances.
15:43 - Penalty Pittsburgh: Sydor (Interference). He twists Maltby well away from the play, and the Wings will go on the power play. Wings 3/27 in the series on the power play.
14:57 - GOAL DETROIT: Rafalski (4) from Zetterberg and Datsuyk (PP). That shuts up the fans! Datsuyk to Zetterberg backhand to Rafalski, who waits two beats before putting it past Fleury, and the Wings are up 1-0. A great goal!
13:42 - Malkin in alone and Osgood handles it nicely, though the Pens are still firing.
13:02 - The puck goes into the protective netting behind Fleury, and we hit the first TV time out. Shots are 3-3.
They just showed a replay that the shot from Rafalski was going to go well to the left, but it deflected off Hal Gill, which threw Fleury. I said it before: there’s no discount for not calling the bank.
12:26 - Zetterberg drives, but loses the puck off his stick.
11:32 - Penalty Detroit: Drake (Charging). He hit Whitney against the board, but he left his feet, so he’ll go to the box. Pittsburgh is 3/22 on the power play in the series.
11:05 - Penalty Detroit: Draper (Roughing). He puts a head shot on Gonchar, and the Wings will have to kill off a 5-on-3 for 1:37.
10:35 - No chances yet for the Pens.
10:27 - Malkin with a 30-footer that Osgood blocks.
10:10 - Another Malkin shot that Osgood handles.
9:59 - Wings clear it after another Malkin shot. He is ice cold!
9:42 - Wings clear it again! Great penalty kill for the Wings so far!
9:31 - 5-on-4
9:15 - Another clear without a penalty
9:11 - Pens offside. What a great penalty kill!
9:05 - Even strength! Only 3 shots for the Pens, all (I think) from Malkin!
8:55 - We get the second TV time out. That’s gotta be a game-changer, even this early! And you have to wonder how out of it Malkin is.
They showed all the shots (two were from Gonchar), and there was no traffic in front of Osgood on any of them. If you want to give them a clear view, please do.
8:45 - Penalty Pittsburgh: Hall (High Sticking). He gets his stick up on Lidstrom, and the Wings will go back on the power play: 1/1 with 1 shot.
8:02 - Lots of passing, but not a lot of shooting for the Wings.
7:24 - Pens doing a nice job of limiting chances.
6:45 - Back to even strength. As Hall left the box, he had the puck on his doorstep and ripped a shot from 75 feet that Osgood saves and holds for a faceoff.
6:14 - Shots are 7-5 Pittsburgh.
On a Wings shot a few seconds ago, the puck went off the metal stansion and went right in front of the net, where Fleury wasn’t expecting it. He had to make a fast save.
5:35 - The puck went to Roberts in front of Osgood, but he couldn’t put it on net.
4:45 - Malone was dumped to the left of Osgood, but no call.
4:31 - Zetterberg was set up, but he shot it just to the right of Fleury.
3:30 - The Wings ice the puck, which gets us the final TV time out.
Shots are 8-6 Pens. Hits are 6-6. Faceoffs are 12-7 Detroit.
3:16 - Drake skates in and it’s saved by Fleury.
2:36 - Cleary with a fast shot. The Pens seem to be off by just one beat.
1:52 - The Pens are doing a lot of passing in their defensive zone, as if the Wings are daring them to bring it across center ice.
:58 -The puck hit Orpik. He’s wincing…it hit his ear, but he’s staying out there.
:47 - Cleary with a wrister that Fleury saves and holds.
:00 - End of Period 1: It was all Wings. Shots end up 9-8 Detroit. And they killed that 5-on-3. A solid period of hockey, though not as great as I would have hoped.
Hits 10-8 Pittsburgh. Faceoffs 14-10 Detroit. Penalties: 2/4:00 for each team.
20:00 - Start of Period 2: Let’s see if the Wings can keep it going.
18:45 - The crowd is making more noise than the team is. Lots of back and forth in the first 75 seconds.
18:06 - Lilja gets the puck out of the Pens zone, but pays the price.
17:54 - Penalty Detroit: Lilja (Slashing). He takes it out on Malone, and he’ll go. Pens 0/2 with 3 shots on the power play.
17:33 - After a hard shot, the puck bounces high and Osgood juggles it and finally gets a hold of it.
17:01 - Crosby was going in strong, but lost an edge and it falls aimlessly. And Crosby is behind the bench bent over next to a trainer.
16:10 - Hall with a one-timer that Osgood makes a nice save on.
15:54 - Back to even-strength. They show Crosby again in pain.
15:38 - After Crosby lost his edge, what I missed was Stuart giving him a very hard hit in the corner.
14:53 - The puck goes out of play, and there’s a meeting in front of the Pens bench involving Maltby.
14:21 - Filppula skates in and tries to get a shot off, but can’t do it cleanly.
13:38 - Holmstrom dumps the puck into Fleury, who holds it, but Holmstrom still gets a cross-check to the small of the back afterwards. We reach the first TV time out.
Shots are 11-9 Detroit. Hits are 16-14 Pittsburgh. Faceoffs 17-12 Detroit. Crosby’s back out on the ice.
13:18 - Holmstrom takes a shot that gets deflected away from Fleury.
12:23 - The Pens try to clear it, Stuart skates in quickly and fires a shot at Fleury that he has to handle.
12:05 - CBC is reporting that Helm is not on the Wings bench.
11:53 - GOAL DETROIT: Filppula (5) from Samuelsson and Kronwall. Off the rush, Samuelsson puts the puck towards Fleury, but he leaves an ugly rebound out there, and Filppula puts it five hole. It’s 2-0 Detroit!
11:08 - Fleury makes a save and holds. Fleury gave up an ugly goal. Adding to that, Talbot took a cheap shot on Maltby.
10:46 - Here’s a stunning stat: Crosby is 3/13 on face offs tonight.
10:30 - A stunning stat from CBC: since 1996, when the Wings are 3-2 in a series, they are 12-0 in Game 6.
9:12 - More back-and-forth. The Pens want to get something, and the Wings keep say no.
8:36 - Malkin was skating in one-on-one, and he doesn’t put the shot on the net. The Pittsburgh PD are putting an APB out for him.
7:31 - Filppula tries to center it, but no one there.
7:02 - Crosby sets up Whitney, who fires a 35-footer, but Osgood’s there to make that save.
6:41 - We finally get a stoppage for the second TV time out.
Shots this period: 4-4. Shots in the game: 13-12 Wings. Hits: 22-20 Pens. Faceoffs 21-14 Detroit.
6:29 - Roberts had Osgood on the ground, and he couldn’t lift it up to put it in! He had two chances, but can’t put the puck in. Nice save by Osgood!
6:15 - Lidstrom tonight: 14:32/20, 3 shots.
5:38 - Penalty Detroit: Datsuyk (Interference). He ran Staal into the boards head first. We hit the final TV time out. Pens are 0/3 with 4 shots on the power play tonight.
5:15 - Malone makes some Wing player pay with a hard hit.
4:34 - GOAL PITTSBURGH: Malkin (10) from Crosby and Hossa (PP). Crosby sets it up, and Malkin goes five hole. And the crowd is alive as the lead is back to 1.
3:47 - Penalty Pittsburgh: Roberts (High Sticking). He gets his stick up in Stuart, and the Wings go on the power play. They’re 1/2 with 2 shots.
3:20 - Datsuyk and Gill are battling behind Fleury.
2:46 - Zetterberg from 8 feet and Fleury makes a nice arm save.
2:23 - The Pens are doing a great job on the penalty kill this time. Lots of solid clearing passes.
2:02 - Penalties: Pittsburgh Orpik (Roughing), Detroit Franzen (Roughing). Fleury gets a good hold. Dupuis and Hudler get their sticks up behind the net. All nine players are back behind the net. It’ll be coincidental minors.
1:47 - The penalty expires, and a very good penalty kill by Pittsburgh adds a little more fire to the former-Civic-Arena crowd.
:51 - A Pens offside gets a look of disgust from Crosby.
Malone and Holmstrom are verbally sparring while we wait for the face off.
:41 - Datsuyk steal to Zetterberg, who can’t settle the puck, or else he’d have had an incredible chance.
:00 - End of Period 2: The Pens put one on the board. Malkin responds to the APB with the power-play goal. Shots 9-8 Detroit in that period, 18-16 for the game.
Hits are 26-22 Pittsburgh. Faceoffs are 27-17 Detroit.
Malkin tonight: goal, 4 shots, 1 shot blocked.
20:00 - Start of Period 3: Dear heavens, let’s get this over with!
19:10 - A bizarre moment: the puck was stuck between the dasher board and the glass, and four players were all pulling at it until the refs stopped play.
17:55 - Brad Watson takes a seat on the ice as he gets the bum rush.
17:30 - Franzen was driving towards the net, and he waited for a shot, when Orpik drove him into the post. But there’s no call (though play stops for the net off the moorings).
17:00 - Staal puts the puck on Malone’s stick, and he fires it just wide of Osgood.
16:20 - Malkin is in this game, in a way we hadn’t seen it before.
16:10 - Fleury mishandles a pass, and Datsuyk was right there but couldn’t get the puck on his stick.
15:45 - Roberts nails Rafalski, who’s slow skating to the bench. He hit him like a freight train!
14:54 - CBC is reporting that Helm is back on the bench.
13:46 - Entering tonight: Wings are outscoring the Pens 8-2 in the 3rd, and outshooting them 59-28.
13:32 - Rafalski avoids a check from Roberts.
12:25 - GOAL DETROIT: Zetterberg (13) from Datsuyk and Kronwall. Fleury didn’t see the puck! It was under him, and he put it in with his butt! An unbelievable break! Another two-goal lead!
They’re showing the fans: they’re all looking utterly heartbroken. You can’t blame them!
11:50 - The building has turned into a morgue.
11:19 - We’re well overdue for the first TV time out. They’re going back and forth.
10:47 - Finally, the first TV time out. What was so unbelievable was that everyone was swatting at the space directly in front of Fleury, and the puck was maybe a foot behind him. When he went to lie down on his back, that’s what pushed the puck into the net. There was a question as to whether the whistle had blown, but give full credit to Marc Joanette, who was right there and was watching it.
A certain black vault case is being wheeled around.
10:35 - Hossa took a shot that goes over the net, but rebounds back in front. Fortunately no one from the Pens was there.
9:33 - The Wings are looking even more aggressive now. Really pressing, as if they were trailing.
9:16 - We hit the second TV time out. As they go to break, the crowd is dead silent.
Shots in the third: 8-1 Wings. For the game: 26-17 Wings.
8:40 - The puck has been stuck against the boards for a good 30 seconds now.
8:18 - Zetterberg in alone, and Fleury with a save.
8:04 - Cleary was nicely set up, but puts it wide.
7:42 - Hossa has some nice stick movement, but he simply can’t get the shot off.
7:12 - The Pens are doing too much passing for a team whose season will end in just over seven minutes.
6:26 - Pittsburgh tries to get set up in their offensive zone, but the Wings clear it out.
5:58 - Filppula with a shot from 18 that Fleury gets to save.
5:24 - Pittsburgh gets a shot that takes a weird bounce off the back boards, which surprises Osgood, but they can’t capitalize.
4:35 - Every time Pittsburgh tries to set it up, the Wings clear it right back out.
3:47 - Shots this period: 12-1 Detroit.
3:23 - Very overdue for the final TV time out.
2:44 - Orpik gets a shot that’s blocked.
2:14 - How long do they keep Fleury in there?
1:47 - Penalty Detroit: Hudler (Hooking). Hudler hooks Talbot. For some reason, there’s no TV time out. Fleury’s gone: two-man advantage.
1:27 - GOAL PITTSBURGH. Hossa (12) from Malkin and Gonchar (PP). Lilja loses his stick, and Gonchar’s shot deflects. Now it’s 6-on-5.
:45 - Play stops as the puck goes into the mesh.
The Wings call time out. This is insane. Totally insane. The arena, which was dead silent, is now at full throat.
Draper/Crosby on the face off. Won by the Wings.
:33 - Malone skates in, and Osgood grabs and holds for a faceoff.
:13 - Datsuyk clears it.
:00 - End of Period 3: GAME OVER! WINGS WIN! The Pens had one last chance with 1 second left, but they couldn’t put it in the net! It was that close!
The Wings are on one end celebrating! There are Pens on the ice.
They replay the last two seconds. This is how close: Hossa had the puck with under one second left after Osgood fails to cover, and he almost put it past Osgood! It was that insanely close!
After the horn sounded, all the Wings stood for about two seconds, as if they weren’t sure the game was actually over. Then they celebrated.
They’re doing the handshake line now. I’m telling you…it was insane.
Osgood being interviewed by Ron McLean:
“One of the most difficult series I’ve played in a while.”
“I’m more relaxed now.”
The Wings go to their blueline…all the Pens are on the ice, in a group. They raise their sticks in celebration to the crowd as they head off the ice.
The Conn Smythe comes out.
Babcock on CBC: “It was a great win. With the leadership…it’s a very special group.”
Zetterberg wins the Conn Smythe. He skates it back, and his teammates mob him.
And here comes Stanley!
For the first time, the Cup will be handed to a European! Take that Don!
Lidstrom holds it high over his head!
He hands it to Dallas Drake, who wins his first cup!
And he hands it to Dan Cleary! The first Newfie to ever be on the Cup!
He hands it to Chelios (who’s dressed). He skates around for a while.
To Zetterberg! A couple kisses, and he goes to Draper.
He hands it to Osgood, who skates it around. There are a few chants of “OZ-ZIE, OZ-ZIE!”
Next: Datsyuk. They show Steve and Ken up the press box, both looking very happy.
Maltby next up. Then Holmstrom.
Rafalski is up next. Followed by Franzen.
Filppula. Next, Lilja. Then McCarty, then Samuelsson. Next Stuart.
Kronwall. Hudler. Lebda. Helm.
Dominic Hasek, who took this playoff run with such grace and aplomb.
Downey. Then Meech.
“LET’S GO RED WINGS” is chanting through a nearly empty arena.
Kopeckny, and Hartigan, and Jimmy Howard.
Quincy.
“WSJ NEWS ALERT: Detroit Red Wings Win Stanley Cup”
Ericsson, then Abdelkader.
Mike Babcock lifts the Cup! To Paul McLean, Todd McLellan, and the rest of the coaching staff. How I wish Christy could be there.
Now Nick will bring the Cup for the greatest photo in sports!
They all climb around…Nick holds it…The flash bulbs fire off.
To wrap up some loose ends: shots in the 3rd 12-6 Wings, 30-22 is the final total. Hits end up 37-28. Face offs end up 35-23 Detroit.
Your three stars: #1 Zetterberg (G, A, +1, 23:30/30, 6 shots, 2 hits). #2 Rafalski (G, 25:50/34), #3 Malkin (G, A, 19:37/25, 5 shots).
They note that Steve Yzerman is hanging out with Colin Campbell up in the press box.
Dan Cleary is with his wife, and is holding his girl, and you can see, even from a distance, the tears coming down his face.
I have to be on a plane tomorrow to D.C. at 10:00 a.m. I have to find someplace to buy a t-shirt in the morning.
A nice moment: Mario Lemieux has come down to the ice to congratulate Mike and Marian Ilitch.
The eligible player names: Chelios, Cleary, Datsuyk, Downey, Drake, Draper, Filppula, Franzen, Hasek, Helm, Holmstrom, Hudler, Kopecky, Kronwall, Lebda, Lidstrom, Lilja, Maltby, McCarty, Osgood, Rafalski, Samuelsson, Stuart, Zetterberg.
With that, I guess we’re basically done here.
This whole insane thing started with me firing off an e-mail to Christy, to pinch hit on a lark. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought, two months later, I’d be doing these live blogs and having the incredible blast I’ve had. It’s been, quite honestly, one of the most fun runs of my life. At one point, when I was in Little Rock, Christy wrote me, “You know, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” And I thought to myself, “It’d be foreign for me to just watch a hockey game without doing this.” And I meant it.
Christy, I can never repay you for the opportunity. Thank you, dear.
Thanks to you for reading. Good night.
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9 Responses to “Game 6 Live Blog: Wings/Penguins”
Leave a Reply
June 4th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
WOW, refs a little eager to give out another free 5 on 3 to Garys favorite team.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Good hit on Crosby.
Go Wings!
June 4th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
So the plan is to NOT drive to the net?!?!?!?!
June 4th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Let’s hope we don’t suffer another last second goal again.
June 4th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
What a recovery by Zetterberg!!
June 4th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Tiddlywink Goal! With his ass!
June 4th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Congrats! Take good care of the Cup.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Go Wings!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Enjoy the Cup Wings fans…enjoy it to the fullest…and have fun Friday at the parade. This one was special and very much earned. Kudos to the Wings and their fans for handling it with class.