Penguins top Red Wings in Game 7, win Stanley Cup

Canadian Press
Friday, Jun. 16, 2009


DETROIT (CP) -- Even without Sidney Crosby for most of the game, the skilled and youthful Pittsburgh Penguins could not be kept from the Stanley Cup.

Maxime Talbot scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury made huge saves during a desperate third-period barrage as the Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Friday's gripping Game 7 to win the Cup.

"It was so hard watching the clock tick down for the third period," said Crosby, who played one short shift after leaving the game early in the second period with a knee injury. "But everything it took to win, we did it -- blocking shots, great goaltending, having different guys step up."

The Penguins won a third Cup in their history and their first since capturing back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992.

It was a first for the Penguins' new wave of young talent, led by Crosby, Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and others, who are expected to be an NHL power for years to come.

"We'll have a great core for the next couple of years and I can see great things for this team in the future, but right now, I'm going to enjoy this," Talbot said.

The Penguins did it with consecutive 2-1 victories after they were left reeling by a 5-0 loss in Game 5 in Detroit a week ago. But Fleury bounced back from being chased from that game with two exceptional outings while the older, injury-riddled Red Wings faltered.

Crosby played just one shift in the third period after a knee injury early in the second period on a hit by Red Wings forward Johan Franzen. But nothing could prevent the 21-year-old from rushing onto the ice to join the celebration, or from hoisting the Cup, one year after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Detroit in the final.

And the Penguins avenged last year's loss to the same Red Wings, who could not repeat as champion against a gifted young team that had too much energy and firepower for the battered and perhaps fatigued home side.

"We'll have a great core for the next couple of years and I can see great things for this team in the future, but right now, I'm going to enjoy this," Talbot said.

The Penguins did it with consecutive 2-1 victories after they were left reeling by a 5-0 loss in Game 5 in Detroit a week ago. But Fleury bounced back from being chased from that game with two exceptional outings while the older, injury-riddled Red Wings faltered.

Crosby played just one shift in the third period after a knee injury early in the second period on a hit by Red Wings forward Johan Franzen. But nothing could prevent the 21-year-old from rushing onto the ice to join the celebration, or from hoisting the Cup, one year after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Detroit in the final.

"It is everything you imagined and more," said Crosby, at 21, the youngest captain ever of a Stanley Cup winning team.

Rookie Jonathan Ericsson scored with 6:07 left in the third period for Detroit, which failed in a bid for a second consecutive Cup and fifth in 12 seasons.

After the loss, Wings coach Mike Babcock said his team didn't have enough in the tank to keep up.

"I thought we looked out of gas pretty much all series," he said. "I never thought we got to the level we'd like to.

"We had two crucial turnovers in the second period and they scored."


How the Cup was won

On the first, Malkin took the puck from Brad Stuart on the forecheck and fed Talbot for a shot along the ice to the far post 1:17 into the period.

At 10:07, Chris Kunitz won a battle with Stuart to set up a two-on-one. Talbot elected to shoot and beat Chris Osgood high to the glove side for his eighth of the playoffs and team-leading fourth of the final.

The popular Talbot, whose linemate Malkin accused him jokingly of having "bad hands" early in the series, ended up leading the final with four goals.

"Hey, I still have bad hands," the grinning Talbot said. "These two goals don't improve my stickhandling skills.

"But I don't care about the two goals. We won the game. Flower (Fleury) made some great saves. Gino (Malkin) won the Conn Smythe. Everybody sacrificed their body. Miro (Satan) goes down to block a shot. That's how you win championships."

The Penguins played the third as if they killing a penalty, and wound up being outshot 7-1 in the period. In the dying seconds, Fleury made a save on a shot through traffic from Pavel Datsyuk, then threw his body across the crease to block Nik Lidstrom on the rebound to preserve the win.

"I looked up at the clock and there were six seconds left and I couldn't believe it was actually going to happen," said tearful 38-year-old forward Bill Guerin, who joined the Penguins at the trade deadline and picked up his second career Cup, 14 years after the first with New Jersey.

"I was so young and I thought I would get a million cracks at it. You just don't. All I've wanted the rest of my career was one more chance. Thank God for Max Talbot."

Talbot is the offensive star: It was a hard loss to swallow for Red Wings winger Marian Hossa, who left the Penguins as a free agent last summer because he felt he had a better chance to win in Detroit. Booed in Pittsburgh, Hossa was held without a goal in the final.

"Regret? I don't have any regrets," said Hossa. "Whether your like it or not, there's going to be pressure. It squeezes you. It's very difficult to play like that."

The crowd of 20,066 spurred their team with chants and roars through a stunning end to what had been a thriller series between Pittsburgh's young talent and Detroit's cool and efficient veterans. They also cheered when Crosby was injured and booed as Pittsburgh celebrated its win.

"They have great talent and we tried to pack it in a bit," said Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi. "Everyone came back and didn't allow them quality chances. And (Fleury) was there for us when we needed him most.

"We've come a long way with a good core group but we kinda expected it. We have some great players here. It was a matter of putting it all together and we finally did."

Crosby left the game 5:30 into the second period following Franzen's hit, which jammed his left leg. The playoff goal-scoring leader limped to the bench and to the training room with an injured knee and didn't return until the third period, playing just one 32-second shift.

The Penguins led 1-0 at the time and Talbot got his second goal five minutes later as Crosby's teammates, many getting more ice time than they're used to, worked to contain an all-out attack from the Red Wings the rest of the way.

.Joe Louis Arena erupted in glee when Fleury missed Ericsson's high shot from the right point with his glove to make it a one-goal game.

With just under two minutes to play, Niklas Kronwall's wrist shot had Fleury beat but struck the cross-bar and a last-minute six-man swarm came up empty.

"We had our win last year but we'll learn from this too," said Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg. "We'll come back stronger."


Penguins celebrate in style

The scene was chaotic after the Penguins' victory in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Players and coaches scurried around, trying to find their wives, girlfriends and kids.

When loved ones made their way out onto the Joe Louis Arena ice, the players skated toward them quickly, embracing and kissing them and taking pictures.

Defenseman Hal Gill conducted on-ice interviews with a child in each arm, one of which kept grabbing at reporters' recorders.

Coach Dan Bylsma rushed into the Zamboni entrance, where Penguins fans hung over the railings, arms outstretched. Bylsma slapped hands with a few, and one handed him a Penguins championship banner.

Bylsma unfurled it, ran it out onto the ice and raised it up for all to see.

A sizable contingent of Penguins fans were noticeable during the four Stanley Cup finals games in Detroit, and Friday was no exception.

Any time Red Wings fans started a "Let's go Red Wings!" chant, Penguins fans responded with a "Let's go Pens!"

"Everywhere we go, we seem to have a really great following of fans," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said.

A jubilant Max Talbot -- who provided both of the Penguins' goals -- summed it up best: "It's crazy right now and the best day of my life."

Osgood lauded Talbot's performance.

"Those were two nice goals," said Osgood. "I complimented him when we shook hands."

The Penguins matched the 1971 Montreal Canadiens as the only teams to win the Cup on the road in Game 7 after home teams won all six previous games, and the only teams to win two Game 7s on the road in the same playoff year. Pittsburgh won in Washington in seven in the second round.

The Penguins looked unlikely even to make the playoffs in mid-February, but the replacement of head coach Michel Therrien with rookie Dan Bylsma, the return of Sergei Gonchar from injury and trades for Kunitz and Guerin ignited a 18-3-4 finish to the regular season, and they carried the hot run into the post-season.

Bylsma became only the second rookie coach to win the Cup after joining his team in mid-season, after Al MacNeil with the 1971 Canadiens.

"I've had dreams about this, but good coaches have coached a long time and never got an opportunity like this," said Bylsma. "A lot of times you're first opportunity doesn't come with a team that's this talented."

Home teams are now 12-3 all-time in Game 7s of the final series.

Malkin, who had an assist for 36 post-season points, is the fifth player to lead the league in scoring in both the regular season and the playoffs in the same year. The others were Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky (four times), Guy Lafleur (twice) and Phil Esposito (twice).

The Penguins are 5-0 all-time in playoff game 7s on the road.


Two goals earn Talbot a sip as Malkin does the honors.

Notes: Miroslav Satan was back in the Penguins lineup in place of winger Petr Sykora, who made his first appearance in the final in Game 6 and broke his right foot late in the third period. ... Crosby (31) and Malkin (36) are the first teammates with 30 or more points in the same playoff year since Brian Leetch (34) and Mark Messier (30) in 1994 with the New York Rangers. ... Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom passed Claude Lemieux for fourth place in career playoff games played with 235, behind teammate Chris Chelios (266), Patrick Roy (247) and Mark Messier (236). ... Boxing legend Muhammad Ali watched from a box seat in a Wings' jersey. ... Everything's eco-friendly these days, including the championship T-shirts handed the winning team after the game -- a new organic cotton design from Reebok.



Comments

jays fly high on Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:39 pm.

FLEURY played a great game. he got an assist from the crossbar but that save at the end was electric. the pens outplayed the wings on defense the last two games and played with more urgency and passion. detroit looked a little flat. the stanley cup finals is the greatest championship in all of sports to watch. and this was a really good one. seven games is always fun. congrats penguins.

HAPPY FOR YOU FROM HERE IN TORONTO !

PITTSBURGH...CITY OF CHAMPIONS!!!
Yeah, and Detroit has won more championships than you guys have in the past 15 years.


jumboUNLV on Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:45 pm.

Awesome win!!!
I love a fan that can keep his post nice and simple.

Congrats to you, Mr. Pittsburgh fan! Three months of drooling over every second of every game, and your mission has been accomplished!

What was your favorite moment of your Pen's postseason?

Oh, oh wait, there's been a terrible misunderstanding ... you're are a Carolina fan ... silly me ...

Fu*ckin' bandwagon fans ... Pittsburgh nation give him some tips ... the kid even forgot to switch his profile and put the standard picture of Crosby up ...

Come on ... get to it ... I know you guys are pros at it!

Or, the more likely explanation is that he was simply making a statement about the game. You're a bitter loser.

Fresher legs and a sharp Fleury was the difference here in G-7.

Pens, you're a better club with Guerin than Hossa, no?

Wings, don't re-sign Hoss. I told you that Stuart would be a liability, but I didn't think he would cost you the Cup.

Now you can commisserate with the Pens fans of last year after seeing the opposition skate the Cup on your ice.

Re-load for next year.

In the meantime, hail to the new kings of hockey and the rightful Smythe winner, Malkin.

BTW, once again, we see why the Stanley Cup playoffs put all other sports to shame. Raising that 116 year old cup- with your name on it.

While I do congratulate the Pittsburgh Penguins; I really wish they would have blown the whistle on the icing on the first goal. I really wish they'd have held to rulebook and suspended Malkin; really wish they'd have called the offside when Pittsburgh got their first goal in game 3; really wish they'd have called the multiple hits that were laid on Wings players when they were no where near the puck -- IE hits on Datsyuk and Rafalski in game 5.

But, most of all, I wish we had Datsyuk for the whole series!

What an *unbelievable* turnaround for Penguins; from no where near making the playoffs to Stanley Cup Champions ... in such a short period of time! I betcha it couldn't have happened to any other team!!

Go Wings!

Cannot wait to see Crosby every commercial break raising the Cup!
(Kinda like how this year I saw Nick every commercial break ... oh wait ...)
All in all, I do give the players of Pittsburgh a lot of credit, as I have all series and playoffs! Malkin really seems to be more dangerous than Crosby ... I know Crosby was against Zetterberg, yet still.

These next couple years will be very, very interesting ... Detroit has it's core group signed for at least 3 years. On the other hand, Pittsburgh doesn't. The Pittsburgh organization has not proven itself to be able to handle progression like the Wings; so to anoint them the next dynasty is a display of ignorance!

But at the core, what I think was the difference in this series falls back to the back-to-back. Not in 50 years had such an event occurred ... the Wings looked gassed for much of the 2nd period and it cost them. Bettmen planted the seeds that weekend two weeks ago, and tonight his garden flourished.Dude, the Pens core players ARE locked up... Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Jordan, and Orpik all signed long term deals. I have not heard anyone anointing them as a dynasty. I don't think that even the most knee-jerk Pens fan is ready to do that.

Sure, they've signed ... five players. Detroit has the majority of their team signed for 2+ years. Having just watched the game, you of all people should know that you need unsung heroes ... IE slasher Talbot. I could direct you to websites like Yahoo NHL and ESPN where people are trying to make the claim that the Pens are the next dynasty ... and without a doubt the question will be asked for the next year ... The NHL viewer will have commercial after commercial of Sidney hoisting the Cup as though to suggest, yet again it is his this year ...

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