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Welcome to NHL.com’s live blog for the Stanley Cup Final Game 2. Your host, Dave Lozo of NHL.com, will keep you updated with everything off-the-cuff that you’ll need to know from the drop of the puck to the final buzzer.
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dlozo
May 26, 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Final Game 2 Live-Blog: Period 3
According to my high-tech, scientific tabulations, the Pens haven’t scored a goal in the last 116 minutes and 57 seconds of play. I haven’t seen a scoring drought this bad since my freshman year of college. Although that probably had more to do with my suped-up Red Wings-mobile I was driving.
At this point, the Pens will take a puck that kicks off the glass on a dump-in and deflects into the net just to get on the scoreboard.
Here’s my second intermission thought that has nothing to do with hockey
- what’s up with the Mike’s Hard Lemonade ads? The ad wants me to believe the people who work for Mike’s are tough. And that their drink is tough.
And third period is under way. As an NHL employee, I am required to say that I am a fan of all 30 teams, but I think we can all agree a Penguins goal here would make things interesting.But really, it’s lemonade. It’s basically a lemon wine cooler mixed with Zima, no? That’s tough? Order a Mike’s at a biker bar and see what happens.
OK. Be back for third period shortly.
10:01 -
10:02
-And just 22 seconds in, Marian Hossa takes a holding penalty. Over the PA system at Joe Louis Arena, you can hear that oldies song, “Hold me, hold me, kiss me, never let me go until you…” Whoever is in charge of that sort of thing there is an utter genius.10:04 -And the Pens kill it off. Talbot’s been great on the PK tonight. Unfortunately, you have to score at some point in order to win a game.
10:06
-Fleury just saw his life flash before his eyes as the puck took a weird bounce off the boards while he was behind the net. Fortunately for him, there were no Wings in sight for the tap-in goal.10:08 - Datsyuk avoids a Letang hit along the boards (Is there anyone better along the boards than Datsyuk?) and sets up a good scoring chance for Zetterberg that is denied by Fleury. Following the whistle, Datsyuk and Malone mix it up, resulting in a 4-on-4 situation.
10:13
-I’m running out of ways to say this, but the Pens fail to find a way to score at 4-on-4. The crowd lets out a chant of, “Ozz-ie, Ozz-ie.” I think it’s more to keep him awake than to salute his stellar play at this point.10:15 - I think Eddie Olczyk just called Mark Messier a cheater.
10:17
-And the Pens are about to get a power play. Dallas Drake got his stick between the legs of Gary Roberts. Almost a must-score here for the Pens.10:19 - And I’d say this is officially a game Malone wants to forget. He bumps into Osgood and is called for goaltender interference. Malone blames Stuart for the contact, but to no avail.
10:21
-Get out the bodybag, as this one is over. Valtteri Filppula, whose name I continue to copy and paste, scores the prettiest goal of the Final so far. He beats Letang one-on-one, crossing in front of him with an inside-out move, then going Bobby Orr as he flies through the air as he tucks it around Fleury on his forehand. It’s 3-0 Wings with 11 minutes to go.10:25 - Johan Franzen is down on the ice holding his face. Roberts gives him a cheap-shot left hand to his head. Although that sounds bad, it looks like on the replay Franzen took a second to react to what happened, then became a B-movie actor as he whipped his head back and hit the ice. I think the acting might have been worse than the hit itself.
10:27
-We’ve got eight minutes to go, and all that’s left is to see if Osgood gets his second straight shutout. If you’re ready to give up on this game, good luck finding anything else on TV. Following that Denise Richards debacle on E! is a reality show that follows around the Lohan family, but doesn’t have Lindsay. That’s like having the Stanley Cup Final without the Stanley Cup.10:30 - Power play Red Wings. I missed who took the penalty while I was making my Lindsay Lohan joke.
10:35
-We’ve got 4:44 to go, and it’s still 3-0 Wings. I feel bad for the Pens. I can’t even say they are playing poorly. The Wings are just THAT good. They are a machine. Like Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, only steroid-free and not quite 100 percent Russian. Although, maybe that’s a bad analogy, seeing as how Drago eventually loses. Whatever. I’m just filling time here.10:38 - Ryan Whitney in the box. Power play Drago.
10:40
-Hal Gill does a great job of rubbing Zetterberg out of the play. Unfortunately for Gill, Zetterberg had already beaten him for a shot on goal, and the whistle had long since blown before Gill made the nice defensive play.10:44 - And it’s officially garbage time. Osgood goes behind the net to play the puck, and gets floored by Petr Sykora in what was a clean hit if you were allowed to hit goalies. It’s a 10-man scrum, although no one really drops the gloves. On the replay, Sykora clearly puts his shoulder into Osgood, then does that “what, me?” routine. Hey, you have to set the tone for Game 3 I guess. Just 1:08 to go.
10:48 — And this one is mercifully over. Your final from Detroit: Red Wings 3, Penguins 0. Osgood becomes the first goalie since the Devils’ Martin Brodeur in 2003 vs. the Ducks (They were still Mighty then) to post shutouts in the first two games of a Stanley Cup Final. If you’re a Pens fan looking for a silver lining, the Ducks came back to win the next two games in Anaheim that year to make a series out of it. And if you like silver linings with a touch of coincidence, Mike Babcock was the coach of that Ducks team.
Hopefully you all had as much fun as I did. I’ll see you back here Wednesday for Game 3 in Pittsburgh. Now if you’ll excuse me, some of us have to wake up for work tomorrow morning.
dlozo
May 26, 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Final Game 2 Live-Blog: Period 2
I only decided to go with this photo instead of a game-action shot because I used to drive the same exact car when I was in college. Right down to the upside-down net on the front grill. I’ve got two words
- chick magnet.
Second period is under way, and it’s a Wings power play.The second period is right around the corner. Stay tuned for more quickly typed action.
9:09 -
9:12
-In a must-kill for Pittsburgh, the Pens kill off the penalty. It’s 2-0 Wings, where the next goal is extremely important.9:13 - Do you guys think Kris Letang is the favorite player of the astronauts? Just throwing that out there.
9:14
-I could be wrong, but I think Niklas Kronvall has a clause in his contract that states he wins a free vacation for any player he lays out with a huge hit. He hasn’t really connected yet, but it’s not for lack of trying.9:17 - A correction from earlier. Holmstrom got that second goal, not Zetterberg. Hank tucked it through Fleury’s legs, but Holmer J. Simpson tapped it over the line. My bad.
9:21
-With 11:03 to go in the second period and the Wings leading 2-0, let me sum up the middle stanza thus far. Pens get puck. Pens dump in puck. Wings get puck. Wings clear puck. Repeat.9:24 -This is completely unofficial, but I think the Pens have just one even-strength shot on goal after 30 minutes of play tonight.
9:29
-We’ve got a little 4-on-4 action forthcoming, as Holmstrom and Brooks Orpik mix it up after a little bump into Fleury behind the net. Perhaps the 4-on-4 is what the Pens need now.9:31 - The 4-on-4 comes and goes without much of a scoring threat. Max Talbot had a one-timer from the slot go high-and-wide. He went down to a knee and ripped it-off target, causing Emrick to say Talbot reminded him of Brett Hull. That has to be the first time Talbot has ever been compared to Hull. That’s like comparing me to Brad Pitt because we have the same color eyes.
9:37
-After a turnover, the Pens wind up with a quick 2-on-0 in front of the net. Jordan Staal’s first shot goes wide, partly because Tyler Kennedy was in his line of fire on the mini-break. But the puck kicked off the boards and back to Staal, and Osgood made the save, and the loose puck was cleared. Easily the Pens’ best chance of the night.9:40 -Crosby and Hossa nearly hook up for a goal, but seconds later, Malone is sent to the box for a slashing penalty. Between the missed one-timer in the first and this, he can’t be happy with himself right now. Power play Wings.
9:43 — Max “Brett Hull” Talbot has a sensational penalty kill, and that’s the period. It’s still 2-0 Wings, but the Pens were at least showing some lines of life in the final five minutes.
dlozo
May 26, 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Final Game 2 Live-Blog: Period 1
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and cats, welcome to the live-blog of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. I’m sure you know what this is, seeing as how it’s 2008 and you’re smart enough to operate the Internet, but I’m contractually obligated to tell you that this live-blog is designed to keep you informed with real-time updates from the game.
I’m master of the obvious, so let me say tonight’s Game 2 — like all Stanley Cup Final games
- is huge. If the Pens go down 0-2, they have to win four of five against the regular season’s best team. But if the Wings fall, suddenly it’s a best-of-five and the high-flying Penguins have home-ice advantage.
The octopus has been waved, and the puck is dropped. Game 2 is under way.In the meantime, let me commend the Red Wings for sticking with Joe Louis Arena, and not selling out to corporate sponsorship. You don’t see that too often these days with stadiums and arenas, where most franchises have no problem selling the naming rights to the highest bidder.
Personally, I’d accept sponsorship for everything I did if I could. Dave’s morning breakfast, brought to you by Quaker Oats. Dave’s walk to the office, sponsored by Nike. Dave’s trip to the gym, sponsored by Under Armour. My work clothes would look like one of those auto-racing jump suits you see drivers wearing. I’d sell out faster than Counting Crows if anyone was buying.
And in case you haven’t heard, Johan Franzen is back in the lineup tonight for Detroit. Despite missing six games, he is tied for League lead in playoff goals with teammate Henrik Zetterberg with 12. It’s a good thing Franzen is back, because really, the one thing the Wings are lacking these days is scoring punch.
Anyway, let’s get revved up for Game 2. I’ll be back for the opening faceoff, which is set for a little after 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, feel free to reply away below and voice your opinion. See you in a little bit.
8:14 -
8:16
-The first good chance of the game comes from the stick of Dallas Drake off a 3-on-2, but his shot is deflected into the netting.8:18 - Henrik Zetterberg is denied on a one-timer from the high slot after Pavel Datsyuk dipsy doodled along the boards to get free. On the ensuing rush, Ryan Malone couldn’t get good wood on a one-timer. The series is certainly not lacking in action.
8:20 — Niklas Kronwall catches Jarko Ruutu with his head down, but the hit wasn’t as devastating as it could’ve been. Daniel Cleary gets a wrister on net that Fleury stops. So far, it’s mostly Wings in the first four minutes.
8:23
-For those of you without the ability to hear Mike Emrick’s voice, Sergei Gonchar was just “run to the ditch.” I’m going to talk with Gary Bettman about getting all these ditches removed from NHL ice surfaces. They seem to be everywhere. We remain scoreless at the first TV timeout.8:26 - Sidney Crosby just punched someone on Detroit in the face, but there was no call. We’re 390 seconds into the game, and the Pens are still without a shot on goal.
8:27
-And the Red Wings strike first, and I think it’s one Fleury wants back. Brad Stuart lets a long shot go from above the circle near the boards that beats Fleury to the stick side. It was harmless looking play, but the Red Wings have a tendency to make every play harmful. It’s Stuart’s first Final goal of his career. Valtteri Filppula did a nice job setting up the goal.8:31 - Rob Scuderi just caught a stick in the face, and the refs are conferring with the linesmen to see what they saw. As of now, no call. Clearly, it was Hal Gill’s stick that clipped Scuderi, so a good no-call.
8:37
-We are now a little past the halfway point, and the Penguins are still shotless.8:37 - And it’s getting out of hand early. Tomas Holmstrom comes up with the puck behind the net, centers it to Zetterberg, who takes over the NHL Playoff goal lead and gives the Wings a 2-0 lead. But seconds later, the Wings take a penalty in their own zone. So we’re clear, the Red Wings have two goals, and the Penguins have zero shots.
8:38
-Gonchar registers the Pens’ first shot on net, and the Pens get a flurry of good pressure, but come up empty on their power play. We’ve got 6:30 left in the first.8:42 -With five minutes to go, Malone is off to the box for interference. A goal here for the Wings, and it might be time to switch over to the new Denise Richards reality show on E!, which is sure to be the talk around the water coolers in 1998.
8:47
-Thank goodness, the Pens kill the penalty, so it’s not quite time for reality TV yet. Even better for those of us who want to see a tight contest, the Pens are going on the power play with 2:11 left as Cleary is going to the box for hooking. A goal here would change the complexion of this game.8:51 - Gary Roberts takes a penalty with 13 seconds to go in the period, as a Pens power play that was chock-full of chances fails to register a goal. The period ends with the Wings comfortably ahead, 2-0.