The Detroit Red Wings showed on Saturday night why they are the best hockey team in the world. They buckled down defensively and absolutely took it to an overmatched Pittsburgh Penguins team in Game 1 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. This is not to say that the Pens can't find a way to beat the Wings, but the series will be all but over if Pittsburgh doesn't earn the split on Sunday night in Game 2. Marc-Andre Fleury, as is customary for him in big games, looked terrible. He was outplayed by the worst goalie in the league this year, Chris Osgood.
The game winning goal went to Johan Franzen, who took advantage of a rather fluky bounce off the lively Joe Louis Arena boards. Franzen took the bounce and through it in front, where Marc-Andre Fleury scored his second own-goal of the game by kicking the puck into his own cage.
Fleury's other marker came on an equally bad bounce off the boards on a shot by Brad Stuart. The puck bounced directly off the end boards and went in off of Fleury's behind.
Ruslan Fedotenko scored the only Penguins goal to make it 1-1 before the Wings took over.
Justin Abdelkader scored his first NHL goal for insurance just after the puck dropped on the third period.
Notes-
-Fleury was awful.
-Osgood robbed Evgeni Malkin on a breakaway.
-Sidney Crosby was completely shut down by Henrik Zetterberg
-Win on Sunday, or the series is over.
Go Penguins.
2 comments:
Pens just didn't have it tonight. It seemed like every time we brought the puck to their zone, they were able to simply clear it out. HAVE to win tomorrow though.
Yes, this was a game of bounces. To be exact, three of them. All leading to Detroit goals. I believe that this game will prove to be the easiest for the Wings. They will see a whole new level of tenacity and drive in game two tomorrow night. I also don't see too many changes from our perspective. I like how we played. I don't like the back to backs, but it is out of our hands. I have confidence that the Pens will prevail. Don't worry.
Read more » http://www.everythingpittsburgh.net/blogs/EP.php/2009/05/30/a-game-of-bounces#more139
Post a Comment