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Welcome to NHL.com’s live blog for the Stanley Cup Final Game 3. 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 28, 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Live-Blog: Period 3
To quote Bruce Springsteen, is anyone really alive out there? It seems when the Wings are dominating, lots of Detroit fans were here chirping. Now, not so much. Interesting.
I’ve been told I need to upload a photo here. Sadly, every photo I have involves me wearing a backward cap, and truthfully, I’m probably somewhat intoxicated in the shots. Not good for anyone. I have a staff shot on file with the NHL, but I look like Dr. Evil in it. Sure, I am bald and white, but I’m more of a sexier Jason Statham, and I feel as though that photo doesn’t convey that.
Besides, not having a picture make me a dark and mysterious stranger, and adds to my appeal.
Anyway, the third period is just around the corner. See you then.
10:13
-The puck is dropped, and the final (?) 20 minutes of regulation are ticking away.10:16 -It’s a complete reversal of the first two games so far, as it’s the Red Wings who can’t carry the puck into the Pens zone, and it’s Pittsburgh counter-punching right now.
10:18
-Mike Babcock reminds me of a cross between Conan O’Brien and Willem Dafoe.10:20 - Wow! Hossa rings one off the post on his backhand, then Crosby throws one toward the net, and Pascal Dupuis’ redirect gets past Osgood, but Ozzie reaches back and keeps it from crossing the line. If form holds, an Os-good chant will begin shortly.
10:21
-Franzen rips a shot high to the glove side on Fleury, but it’s shrugged away. Here come the Wings.10:23 -Osgood gets just enough of Ryan Whitney’s one-timer to make the save. Then Hudler redirects the puck in front and Fleury stops it. Then Adam Hall banks one off Osgood from behind the net! 3-1 Pens! My fingers can’t keep up!
10:24
-Franzen comes right back and fires a shot that Fleury stops, a rebound rests in front, but it’s cleared aside. Tasks are being warmed to!10:25 - Fleury might’ve just made the save of the playoffs. I have to see a replay. There’s no way he got that. He couldn’t have.
10:28
-To call the action fast and furious would be an understatement. Back and forth action, saves, hits, dogs and cats, living together…MASS HYSTERIA! Still waiting for a replay on that Fleury save.10:30 - No, Fleury didn’t make the save of all-time. He stopped the initial shot low stick side, it rolled right to Holmstrom, who rang it off the post. Oh man. Seven minutes to go, 3-1 Pens. I need a drink.
10:34
-After all that excitement, a harmless wrister from the boards near the point gets past Fleury. Mikael Samuelsson just sends it on net, and it goes over Fleury’s shoulder. It may have hit Orpik’s stick, but I can’t tell on the replay. Just like that, it’s now 3-2 Pens with six minutes left.10:36 - Eddie O just said, “pitchfork.” Such a letdown. He said it again. Hal Gill pitchforked Tomas Holmstrom. It’s not even the proper usage of pitchfork. And man, the Wings are swarming to the task. Swarming to the task, trademarked by Dave Lozo.
10:40
-Four minutes to go, and the Wings are getting a power play. Evgeni Malkin is going to the box. I’m not sure what he did, because we are in commercial, and it’s an ad for The Love Guru. How am I just finding out now that Stephen Colbert is in this?10:43 -Brian Rafalski has played better games than this in his career.
10:44
-2:46 to go, :30 on the power play.10:45 -Power play is over. Two minutes to go. Osgood will head off soon.
10:47
-Minute to go. Osgood still in the net.10:48 - And the Pens survive! A heckuva game goes to the Penguins, 3-2. And just like that, it’s a series. The Wings had way more chances, but the Pens made the most of theirs.
Well, I’m wiped out. But I’ll be back for Game 4 on Saturday night. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to pitchfork myself into my bed.
dlozo
May 28, 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Live-Blog: Period 2
Phew. How about that? The Red Wings dominate for about 16 minutes, and one harmless breakout pass goes wrong, and all of a sudden, it’s 1-0 Pens.
And the Pens have a power play to start the second period. Thornton Mellon would be proud if he were alive today.
Come back in a few for period 2.
9:15
-The second period is under way. The Pens are a man up for the first 1:20. Also, NBC just showed Mark Messier in the stands absolutely hoovering some nachos.9:16 - Hossa hits the crossbar!
9:18
-And the power play fails to register a goal. But they will go back on the power play, as Niklas Kronwall hooks Malone. Still 1-0 Pens, who look much more confident playing with a lead.9:20 - 2-0 Pens! About 20 seconds after Malkin might’ve caused internal damage to Osgood with a cannon of a slapshot, the puck winds up in front. Malone sweeps it toward the net, Hossa sweeps it on goal, and Crosby sweeps it into the net.
9:22 — The crowd lets out a derisive “Os-good” chant. I remember when that chant used to mean something. It used to be a way to ride an obviously rattled goalie. Now, it’s pretty much a way for fans to point out a goal has been scored.
9:24
-Who are these guys in black? Were the Penguins playing with weights in their skates in the first two games? They are flying, checking, and are constantly in the right spot. Osgood makes a nice glove save to get us to a TV timeout. 2-0 Pens.9:27 - Crosby sets up a glorious chance for Gonchar, but Osgood stones him. And the crowd starts the Os-good chant again. But he made the save, didn’t he?
9:30
-Andreas Lilja turns the puck over, leading to a nice chance for Malkin, but it deflects into the netting. When it comes to turnovers in Detroit, usually the Lions are where to look, but the Red Wings are committing a lot of bad turnovers tonight.9:32 - Hal Gill cross checks Holmstrom in front, and the Wings are going on the power play.
9:34
-It’s time to get out your corkscrew, because the Red Wings fans might start to whine now. Brooks Orpik drives Hudler into the post, knocking the net off the magnets. Holmstrom stashes the puck home, but the net was already off. No goal.9:36 - The Pens kill it off. Still 2-0 Pens with 8:30 to go in the second.
9:41
-Gill is going back to the box again for knocking down Holmstrom. Again. It’s like a cross checking clinic in front of Fleury.9:44 -Nice cross-ice, offensive-zone pass by Datsyuk to Rafalski, but his one-timer is denied by Fleury, and the rebound is secured.
9:45
-And the Red Wings get a goal. Sure, it’s a team game, but Franzen scored the goal single-handedly. He beats two Pens across the blue line, glides to the net, shakes and bakes, and goes top-shelf, stick side to beat Fleury. What a goal. Four minutes to go, 2-1 Pens.9:49 - By my count, that’s the third iTunes/Coldplay commercial of the night. I enjoy the Coldplay (more than making sourdough bread bowls), but this is a little much. Chris Martin with long hair looks like Stone Temple Pilots front man Scott Weiland.
9:52
-Lidstrom is spitting blood on the bench after taking a stick in the mouth from Staal. It was undetected by officials, who were probably distracted by all the people in the stands wearing white.9:55 - And we are through two periods, with the Penguins ahead 2-1. Unlike Games 1 and 2, where entering the third period, I was getting ready for bed by getting into my GI Joe pajamas, I’m getting a pot of coffee on, because we could be here for a while. The Pens lead, but the Wings are warming to the task of pitchforking the Pens into a ditch. Come on, Doc! Give me a pitchfork!
dlozo
May 28, 2008
2008 Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Live-Blog: Period 1
Welcome to Game 3 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. We’ve moved from Detroit to Pittsburgh with the Penguins down 2-0 in the series and facing a must-win in their building, Mellon Arena.
Quick fact. The building is named after Thornton Mellon, a clothing magnate who owned the popular chain Tall & Fat, a store that sold clothing designed specifically for large people. Mellon would later enroll in college with his son, Jason, where he starred on the school’s diving team, becoming the first diver in NCAA history to pull off the Triple Lindy.
The fact that the Penguins chose to honor this great man, who later had his story told in the 1986 film Back to School, is something that can’t be ignored.
Anyway, we’ll answer a lot of questions tonight. Will the Pens make a series out of this? Will the Red Wings allow a goal? How can Chris Osgood be knocked over so easily by the slightest bumps, yet stand so tall in net while facing 90-mph slap shots? Will my pizza arrive before the start of the game? Not even Barry Melrose knows.
All this and more in tonight’s live-blog, which will get going shortly after 8 p.m. ET.
7:55
-In case you’re like me and flipped on Versus looking for some pregame action (It’s not like I work for the NHL or anything) only to find WEC WreckCage, the game is on NBC tonight. And speaking of wreckage, as of 7:57, Denise Richards is pimping her new reality show on Access Hollywood. I can’t get away from her.8:13 - With the games now on NBC, we get to see promos for NBC shows. First up, it’s Celebrity Circus. Much like Kramer on Seinfeld, I’ve never been a fan of the circus. So the prospect of Antonio Sabato Jr. dressed as a clown is really freaking me out.
8:20
-The puck is dropped at Mellon Arena. Game 3 has begun.8:21 - Just 1:04 in, the Pens are going on the power play. Johan Franzen reaches out grabs Marian Hossa in the neutral zone, and he’s going to the box.
8:23
-Ryan Malone makes a nice move to the net, but just misses the far post. Later, Malone is set up for a one-timer from point-blank range, but Chris Osgood makes the save.8:25 -And after an icing, the Wings kill off the remainder of the penalty. And seconds later, Jordan Staal is sent off for roughing, giving the Wings a power play.
8:27
-Malone looks sharp on the penalty kill, beating Brian Rafalski to the puck in the Wings’ own end, then ragging time with Nick Lidstrom on his back. A much better start for Malone after a Game 2 to forget.8:29 -A nice kill for the Pens. Not much of a threat from the Wings. Five minutes in, and we’re scoreless.
8:30
-Evgeni Malkin blocks a shot at the point, tries to start the other way, and literally four Wings converge on him. Just not a lot of room for the kid.8:34 -And we reach the first TV timeout. Eight minutes in, and it’s 0-0. Not a lot of good scoring chances as of yet. The most exciting moment so far was when I thought for a second that Sidney Crosby had shaved. I was mistaken. Seriously. Wayne Gretzky didn’t grow a beard. Sometimes true greatness is knowing your limitations.
8:37
-A great chance for the Wings, but Marc-Andre Fleury makes the save, and takes the beating from Holmstrom in front. Henrik Zetterberg set up Pavel Datsyuk on the cross-ice pass, but Fleury was solid. No rebound.8:38 - Not to keep beating this horse all series, but we are now 10 minutes into Game 3, and the Pens have just one shot on goal, and it came on the power play.
8:41
-Does Bill Bellamy really host a show that judges upcoming comics? Isn’t that like having Joseph Hazelwood judge oil tanker captains? Yeah, that there’s a timely joke.8:43 - Franzen beats Sergei Gonchar down the boards, Gonchar hooks him, and the Wings are going on the power play. Let’s see if the Wings will warm to the task.
8:45
-Ninety seconds into the PP, and the Wings look really sharp. Great puck movement, good chances, but no goals. Yet.8:48 - Good news for the Pens? Penalty killed. Bad news for the Pens? They are being outshot 9-1. Luckily for you, I’m a scientist with a math degree from MIT, and if the Pens continue at this rate, they will not win. I’m like Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting.
8:50
-The Pens send out Crosby, Malkin and Hossa together in an effort to generate offense, and it works. However, Osgood denies Hossa twice on the doorstep.8:51 - The Pens are buzzing now, putting together two good shifts in a row. However, we are nearly seven periods into the final, and I haven’t heard Mike Emrick use “pitchfork” in a sentence yet. Three minutes left in the period.
8:53
-Pitchfork this! Sidney Crosby ends a scoring drought that was almost as long as the scoring drought of Screech Powers on Saved by the Bell! Brad Stuart makes a bad pass in his own zone, Crosby goes to the net, picks up the loose puck, and jams it past Osgood. It is 1-0 Pens folks! Pens lead with two minutes left in the period.8:56 -The Pens are really playing well now. Rafalski takes down Malkin to prevent a 2-on-1, and the Pens are going on the power play. Less than a minute left in the first.
8:57 — Oh man. It’s one thing to miss one empty net. But to miss another seconds later? First Malkin couldn’t get to a loose puck with Osgood down. Then some tic-tac-toe passing left Hossa with a one-timer and a gaping net, but he missed it. But still, the Pens lead 1-0 as we head to the first intermission.