tagged w/ NHL Playoffs
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Did Versus poke the wrong bear when it dumped out of the Tour of California in favor of the NHL?Did Versus poke the wrong bear when it dumped out of the Tour of California in favor... more
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A dejected Alex Ovechkin answers questions after the Washington Capitals lost Game 7 of their playoff series to the Montreal Canadiens.A dejected Alex Ovechkin answers questions after the Washington Capitals lost Game 7... more
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A frustrated Alex Ovechkin takes questions following his team's 2-1 loss at home in Game Five of the playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens.A frustrated Alex Ovechkin takes questions following his team's 2-1 loss at home... more
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Sports writers Elliott Pap and Cam Cole discuss last night's Canucks win after the highly anticipated first game of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at GM Place.Sports writers Elliott Pap and Cam Cole discuss last night's Canucks win after... more
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DETROIT -- This is what Marian Hossa signed up for when he agreed on a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings last summer.
This is why he took less money and declined to sign a long-term deal elsewhere.
Indeed, Hossa is one win away from his first Stanley Cup championship. If only it didn't have to come against the Pittsburgh Penguins -- the team he left and desperately tried to keep him.
One would have to think it would be somewhat of an awkward feeling for Hossa should he hoist Lord Stanley at Mellon Arena on Tuesday night. After Saturday's 5-0 win against the Pens in Game 5, though, Hossa downplayed it being a distraction.
"I don't think about it yet," Hossa said. "There's still hard work in front of us and there's still a huge step in front of us. We're just trying to focus on the next game."DETROIT -- This is what Marian Hossa signed up for when he agreed on a one-year... more
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DETROIT -- There they were, side by side, putting on a show on Saturday night.
It was nothing new to the capacity crowd at Joe Louis Arena. They've seen Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg dominate like this so many times in the past, finding each other with chemistry that 29 other teams crave.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have seen it before, too, but they were hoping it wouldn't occur in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. Datsyuk hadn't even played in the first four games of the series, and Zetterberg ... he was supposed to be wearing down, wasn't he?
But with Datsyuk back in the Detroit Red Wings' lineup for the first time since May 19 and with Zetterberg looking -- ahem -- refreshed, the pair combined for four points in a convincing 5-0 win in Game 5. Datsyuk had two assists, while Zetterberg had a goal and an assist.
"It's special ... we did it together," Datsyuk told NHL.com in a post-game, walk-off interview. "I tried to do my best. In the playoffs, it's a different story. It's always harder to score. We're happy to win."DETROIT -- There they were, side by side, putting on a show on Saturday night.
It... more
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DETROIT --The Pittsburgh Penguins were rudely shoved off Cloud Nine in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
After winning Games 3 and 4 to pull even in this emotional best-of-7 series, the Pens left Detroit a beaten and puzzled team following a 5-0 loss to the Red Wings on Saturday night.
It wasn't until a string of five consecutive penalties by the Penguins in the second period -- the first three of which became power-play goals for Detroit -- did the Wings truly begin to find their hockey legs. That's when the Penguins began to unravel right before the eyes of coach Dan Bylsma.
"We came out skating well (in the first period) and got into the offensive zone and created some scoring chances," Bylsma said. "They got that first goal (by Dan Cleary in the first) and then got the goal in the second (Valtteri Filppula). Then they scored that power-play goal (Niklas Kronwall at 6:11 of the second) and that hurt; if we were able to get that kill, maybe we could have taken some momentum."DETROIT --The Pittsburgh Penguins were rudely shoved off Cloud Nine in Game 5 of the... more
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DETROIT -- Dan Cleary didn't let the aches and pains that kept him off the ice for the morning skate bother him when it really mattered.
Cleary not only suited up for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, he opened the scoring by beating Marc-Andre with a 35-foot wrist shot just 13:32 into the contest, sparking the Red Wings to a 5-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and giving Detroit a 3-2 lead in best-of-7 series.
Cleary played down the fact he missed the morning skate.
"It's Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. You don't find any more important than that. There's no way I was going to miss this one," he said. "I was pumped before the goal and like the rest of the team we just seemed to feed off that goal and kept rolling and rolling."
It was a goal the Wings needed badly after losing back-to-back 4-2 games in Pittsburgh and getting off to a less-than-dominant start in Game 5.DETROIT -- Dan Cleary didn't let the aches and pains that kept him off the ice... more
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DETROIT -- Even after getting pulled for the first time in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, the confidence of Marc-Andre Fleury remains intact.
The 24-year-old goalie, yanked from Saturday's 5-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the second period after yielding five goals on 21 shots, stood before a large media contingent and stressed his desire to get right back at it for Game 6 at Mellon Arena on Tuesday.
There's only so much Fleury could have done, particularly in the second when the Wings were given five power plays and scored on three. When Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma decided his goalie had finally had enough -- after Henrik Zetterberg gave the Wings a 5-0 lead with 4:20 left in the period -- backup Mathieu Garon came in to turn away the remaining eight shots.
"A loss is a loss, it doesn't really matter what the score is," Fleury said. "There's really nothing you can do about it right now. They played well and they put their chances in. I thought we had a pretty good start, but we did run into penalty trouble and it's tough against a team like this. They have a good power play and got some goals off it -- they took advantage."
Fleury shook his head when asked if he thought he played well despite the score.
"Obviously, we lost 5-0, so I can't be too happy," Fleury said. "But I'm looking forward to Game 6. It'll be good to get back home."DETROIT -- Even after getting pulled for the first time in these Stanley Cup Playoffs,... more
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DETROIT -- In the early moments on Saturday night, Chris Osgood couldn't have possibly sensed his Detroit Red Wings would pull out a 5-0 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena.
The Pens got off to the start they were hoping for, but Osgood stood tall in net en route to his third career Stanley Cup Final shutout, a 22-save performance that has the Wings within a victory of their second straight title. Detroit can accomplish the repeat with a win at Mellon Arena on Tuesday.
"I don't know if it's going to have much bearing on what's going to happen in Pittsburgh," Osgood said of recording a shutout. "It's great for us that we get two days off. I think that's more important for us."
Still, Osgood's performance -- especially in the early going -- shouldn't go unnoticed. While he faced a total of 12 shots over the final 40 minutes, Osgood was required to make 10 saves in the opening periodDETROIT -- In the early moments on Saturday night, Chris Osgood couldn't have... more
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PITTSBURGH -- In the last 19 Stanley Cup Final series that were tied 2-2, the club winning Game 5 has gone on to win the Cup 14 times. That's nearly 75 percent or three of every four times.
That's good news for the Red Wings. The news is even more positive when you consider that of the five Game 5 losers who won the Cup, only one club -- the rookie Ken Dryden-led Montreal Canadiens -- pulled off the feat by winning Game 7 on the road. The Penguins, of course, will have to win at Joe Louis Arena if the Cup is in their near future.
The four teams that lost Game 5 at home but won the Cup are the 1950 Red Wings, 1964 Toronto Maple Leafs, 2001 Colorado Avalanche and 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning. Each of those teams won a decisive Game 7 and hoisted the Cup in their building.
Another couple of data points to digest as Game 6 awaits Tuesday here in Pittsburgh -- where, frankly, no Pens or their fans are much inclined to worry about past Game 5 winners or losers: Detroit has won 11 of 12 home games in this postseason, tying them with the 1988 Edmonton Oilers (who did it in a perfect 11 games) and one behind the all-time record for Playoffs home wins set by the 2003 New Jersey Devils.
The other data entry: The Penguins were shut out in Game 5 of the Philadelphia series earlier this postseason but rallied to win a Game 6 clincher on the road. And we all know who won on Washington's home ice to clinch Game 7 vs. Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.PITTSBURGH -- In the last 19 Stanley Cup Final series that were tied 2-2, the club... more
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PITTSBURGH -- Take heart, Detroit fans. The Red Wings are back to even in the Stanley Cup Final, having dropped two games in Pittsburgh after winning twice at home, but goaltender Chris Osgood feels that all things considered, his team is OK.
"We have to play better," Osgood said after Pittsburgh's series-tying 4-2 victory in Game 4 at Mellon Arena on Thursday night. "We didn't play as good as we can. Probably our best game was our last game. We feel we haven't played our best yet, and it's 2-2.
"We're not going to panic. The bottom line is that we have to play better as a team. So far, it's 2-2. It could be 3-1, but I think we're about where we should be."
Detroit led 2-1 before a three-goal surge in a span of less than six minutes put the Penguins ahead to stay. Jordan Staal scored on a shorthanded break, Sidney Crosby finished off a 2-on-1 with Evgeni Malkin and Tyler Kennedy put away Crosby's pass on a perfect 3-on-2 following a turnover.
Osgood had no chance on any of the goals.
"They don't shoot as much as we do, but they can really pass it," he said. "What can I say -- all three were great goals. They've got a good team with some very talented players."
Staal's tying goal was especially painful -- the Wings went from being up a goal and up a man to being tied. But Osgood said he wasn't that concerned.PITTSBURGH -- Take heart, Detroit fans. The Red Wings are back to even in the Stanley... more
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PITTSBURGH -- Detroit had delivered one of its patented knockout blows in the first minute of the second period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.
But the Pittsburgh Penguins refused to buckle, something that did not happen in the first two games of this series -- a pair of two-goal losses to the defending champions. Instead, Pittsburgh showed championship character by fighting back -- led by inspiring performances from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin -- to take a series-changing 4-2 victory at Mellon Arena.
Both franchise centers had a goal and an assist in the game and delivered signature moments. Together, they combined to play 40 minutes and 45 seconds, registering a combined nine shots. Malkin, who played the most among Pittsburgh forwards, also had a team-high five hits, the same amount as rugged defenseman Brooks Orpik.
Crosby, the game's second star behind Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, scored the game-winning goal, with an assist to Malkin.
"When Geno and Sid put their hard hats on, they drive this team," Pittsburgh forward Tyler Kennedy told NHL.com.
The numbers those two players are putting up this postseason are historic.
Malkin leads all playoff scorers with 35 points in 21 games, the most since Wayne Gretzky had 40 with the L.A. Kings in 1993. Crosby, meanwhile, has 31 points to sit second on the scoring chart. The last pair of teammates to top 30 points in one postseason was Brian Leetch and Mark Messier back in 1994.PITTSBURGH -- Detroit had delivered one of its patented knockout blows in the first... more
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DETROIT -- With each passing game that he doesn't score, Detroit Red Wings forward Marian Hossa knows the number of questions headed in his direction is only going to grow.
Unlike the previous three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there was no offensive outburst from Hossa in Game 4. Instead, he was held without a goal for the fifth straight contest as the Wings dropped a 4-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena.
With the series now tied at two games apiece, the Red Wings need Hossa to contribute now more than ever. Game 5 will take place on Saturday night at Joe
Louis Arena -- where Hossa has yet to score this postseason.
"There's always pressure, but you can't be too worried about it and start thinking and pushing," said Hossa, who scored a pair of goals in each of the previous Game 4s in these playoffs. "You just have to play and use your instincts. Just do it like you did all year and keep it simple."DETROIT -- With each passing game that he doesn't score, Detroit Red Wings... more
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DETROIT -- In addition to the status of Pavel Datsyuk, inquiring minds want to know if 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy-winner Henrik Zetterberg is wearing down after four hard-fought games in the Stanley Cup Final.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock, who made a concerted effort to have one of his best two-way forwards assigned to Sidney Crosby for the first three games of this best-of-7 series, didn't match up in Thursday's Game 4 at Mellon Arena.
Zetterberg logged a little more than 20 minutes of playing time -- his lowest total of the series -- on 27 shifts. He registered one shot on goal -- yet another low -- and had a team-high two giveaways in a 4-2 Pittsburgh win that has the Penguins brimming with confidence after evening the series. The fifth game of the series is scheduled for Saturday at Joe Louis Arena.
Zetterberg is no stranger to heavy workloads and tough battles, but perhaps this matchup is taking a bit of a toll on the 28-year-old Swede. Still, let's not forget that Zetterberg did spend 23-plus minutes on the ice in Games 6 and 7 against the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference semifinals, producing three assists and eight shots.DETROIT -- In addition to the status of Pavel Datsyuk, inquiring minds want to know if... more
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The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins were in this kind of hole, it was two rounds ago against Washington and they dug out of it with three-straight wins. The Penguins also were buoyed by the fact they were good enough to win Games 1 and 2.
They had more shots, more chances and more time of possession than the Capitals, but lost both games by a single goal. Alex Ovechkin was the difference in Game 2, but there was very little frustration.
Even though the Penguins have outshot Detroit in each of the first two games of this Stanley Cup Final, the Capitals don't compare to the Red Wings and Pittsburgh can't say it was definitely the better team in Games 1 and 2 at Joe Louis Arena. It also appears the Penguins are quite frustrated.
So while this year's Final may look and feel different than last year's, when Pittsburgh also trailed 2-0 but appeared dazed and confused after being outscored, 7-0, the Penguins still have to win four of five against Detroit to win the Stanley Cup, starting Tuesday in Game 3 (8 p.m. ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS).The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins were in this kind of hole, it was two rounds ago... more
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Worked out for the Red Wings and even seemed routine for the likes of young contributors Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm and Jonathan Ericsson.
"We're used to back-to-back," said Abdelkader seated at his locker, which neighbors Helm. "We did it all year in Grand Rapids (AHL). For me, Helmer and Ericsson it's nothing new. We even have some three games in three nights."
Well, routine until you factor Abdelkader scoring his second Pens-back-breaker goal in two nights (his first two NHL goals) and Helm, who won a critical faceoff to set up Ericsson's goal that tied the game at 1-1, leading the League in hits during the Playoffs. Ericsson, oh, he underwent an appendectomy last Wednesday and played in his first two Stanley Cup Final games this weekend.
Yep, same old stuff.
Abdelkader, who scored the winning goal in the 2007 NCAA Championship gamfor Michigan State, said Saturday night that title-winner with 18 seconds left is still his top career highlight even after scoring his first NHL goal to salt Game 1. Sunday, he told reporters his Game 2 goal was "totally different" from the Michigan State score.
"This one tonight was a prayer and a hope on net," said Abdelkader. "The Michigan State goal, I got good wood on it. It was a good shot."
The Michigan native (he's from same Muskegon area as Pittsburgh coach and local hero Dan Bylsma) explained he is gaining confidence because Detroit coach Mike Babcock is putting him on the ice in the defensive zone, a sure sign of trust.Worked out for the Red Wings and even seemed routine for the likes of young... more
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DETROIT -- National Hockey League Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell issued the following statement regarding the instigator penalty assessed to Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin at 19:41 of the third period of tonight’s Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final:
Rule 47.22 states: "A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five minutes or at any time in overtime shall be suspended for one game, pending a review of the incident. The director of hockey operations will review every such incident and may rescind the suspension based on a number of criteria. The criteria for the review shall include, but not be limited to, the score, previous incidents, etc..."
Following that review, Campbell said: "None of the criteria in this rule applied in this situation. Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight. A suspension could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident. Neither was the case here and therefore the one game suspension is rescinded."
NHL Hockey Operations also determined that Malkin should have been assessed a game misconduct for not having his jersey tied down.DETROIT -- National Hockey League Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey... more
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DETROIT – Even though Evgeni Malkin scored Game 2's first goal and his 13th of the playoffs at 16:50 of the first period, Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood halted Malkin's high-flying ways with a spectacular save at a critical moment for the second straight night.
In the end, a seemingly frustrated Malkin would be sent to the locker room after accumulating 17 penalty minutes in a tussle with Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg with just 19 seconds left in the third when he received a five-minute fighting major, two minutes for instigating and a ten-minute misconduct.
According to Colin Campbell, the NHL's Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations, Malkin will not be suspended for Game 3. Rule 47.22 states: "A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five minutes or at any time in overtime shall be suspended for one game, pending a review of the incident."
"Suspensions are applied under (Rule 47.22) when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight," Campbell said in a statement at the conclusion of the game. "A suspension could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident. Neither was the case here and therefore the one-game suspension is rescinded."
Penguins forward Maxime Talbot thought Malkin played courageous throughout the course of the game.DETROIT – Even though Evgeni Malkin scored Game 2's first goal and his 13th... more
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