A series is alive as Pens take Game three
-By Mike Moore-
It took three games, but here is our official welcome to the Stanley Cup finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Yes, it took three games, it took one hell of an effort, it may have even taken a lucky bounce here or there, but the Penguins are right back in these 2008 finals and the series many had expected (hoped for) has officially arrived.
For two games the Red Wings seemingly toyed with Pittsburgh, did whatever they wanted and, as we all watched in amazement, cruised to back-to-back shutouts, taking the question of if the Wings would win the Cup and turning it into “will I be able to get off work for the parade?”The parade plans are on hold, for now at least, and Pittsburg is right back in the fight with an impressive 3-2 victory Wednesday night, cutting the Wings’ lead in the series to 2-1.
Things were different Wednesday night. For one, at home in front of a raucous crowd, the Penguins seemed to be the aggressors. They skated harder, took more chances, and, oh yeah, scored on Chris Osgood, ending Ozzie’s shutout streak at more that 155 minutes.
That first goal was from Sidney Crosby. Remember him? The 20-year-old phenom many consider the next Wayne Gretzky. Quiet, or virtually invisible in the first two games, here he was in game three, firsts pumping in front of the net after his first goal, arms flailing to the side of the net after his second.
He was everywhere on the ice, creating chances, causing chaos, even taking part in a scrum or two. Afterwards, he remained cool, calm and collected, saying the right things, “On both goals, I got some good bounces. The puck ended up on my stick.”
Then it ended up in the net.
The Wings were down, but they certainly wouldn’t go quietly. Johan Franzen, remember him? The guy who’s had as many headaches as he’s caused opponents in these playoffs scored a, well, Crosby-like goal in the second, his league-leading 13th to bring the Wings within one.
Then, however, it was the afore mentioned lucky bounce that every team needs (earns) at this time of year. Michigan’s own Dan Hall, went Brendan Shanahan in the third, scoring from behind the net, banking a shot of Osgood to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead. Detroit fought back, again cutting the deficit to one on Mikael Samuelsson’s third goal of the finals, but in the end, with the NHL holding its breath, this was Pittsburgh’s night.“I feels good. We definitely earned it,” Crosby said with a smile of the win. “We needed this one and we earned it.”
Earned is the perfect word. From the puck being dropped to begin the game to the final horn that ended it, this was the Penguins’ night, a night this series and the NHL needed.Roughly 10 days ago when the match up was set in stone, many spoke of the perfect scenario the league had walked into. Tradition against up-and-coming stars, offense against offense, the past against the future, and so on. But for two games things seemed annoyingly predictable. This young Pittsburgh team had to lose before it could learn how to win.
Now, however, a win has been tasted, and while it is not time to panic for Detroit, game No. 4 becomes the most important of the season (only because it precedes game No. 5, that is).“They’re going to bring the same energy they did tonight,” Samuelsson said in the locker room after the loss about Saturday night’s game four. And while his words are obvious, they really couldn’t be truer. Suddenly the Penguins have confidence, they have a swagger, they have a belief they can win. And everyone on the outside has the series they were hoping for.
“It’s (a game) I’m sure as fans enjoyed to watch,” Crosby said when asked if this was the kind of hype the series was expected to carry all along. “This was a back-and-forth game. Fun to watch.”Even funner (not a word, I know) if you were one of the 17 thousand people in a white shirt Wednesday night, turning an old and dilapidated building into a palace of glory, a banquet hall of celebration.
Celerbrate they will tonight, and, as Crosby said, the Penguins earned it. Saturday night should be a game for the ages. A win by one team could put the series on life support, while a win by the other will essentially guarantee the classic we all hoped for (expected).For now, though, the Penguins officially arrived in the 2008 finals. As a Wings’ fan it just adds more tension. As a hockey fan, you can’t help but say, “Welcome. Make yourself comfortable.”
Mike Moore can be reached at mjm12@albion.edu