There it was, the most pressure packed situation the Red Wings have faced all playoffs, all season long. Grasping at one-goal lead in a place where the home team hasn’t lost since late February, the Wings found themselves having to kill off a 5-on-3 for nearly 90 seconds. And for being shorthanded as far as players go, Detroit wasn’t shorthanded on poise and confidence.
Thanks to a gigantic penalty kill and Jiri Hudler’s go ahead goal in the third period, Detroit handed Pittsburgh their first lost on their home ice in four months, 2-1, in Game 4 to take command of the series, 3-1. The Wings can claim their 11th Stanley Cup and fourth in 11 years in Game 5 on Monday night in front of an expected frenzied Joe Louis Arena.
Hudler snapped a 1-1 deadlock just 2:26 into the third period, thanks to a terrific keep-in by Wings defenseman Brad Stuart. For the Wings’ fourth-line to produce the game-winner was huge, just as huge if not bigger was the 5-on-3 penalty kill. Pittsburgh can’t say they didn’t have their chances. Pens coach Michel Therrien has been steadily complaining about Detroit’s susposed obstruction in this series, and for his team to get a power play just halfway through the 3rd period, then for Andreas Lilja to be called for interference on Sidney Crosby, the opportunities were there. The game was for the taking, the series was there to be tied at 2-2 going back to Detroit.
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 shots, but couldn’t make the most important save on Hudler’s quick backhand. Fleury hadn’t lost in Mellon Arena since Nov. 21, and coming into Saturday night’s Game 3, the Penguins were a perfect 9-0 at home during the postseason.
Chris Osgood turned aside 22 shots, improving to 13-3 since relieving Dominik Hasek in Game 3 of the Nashville series. Though the 22 shots may say that he wasn’t busy, Osgood made several crucial stops on the big gunners Crosby, Dupuis, and Hossa. He had to be superb in the waning moments with the Penguins having the extra attacker after pulling Fleury.
No doubt, the Penguins needed to score on their 5-on-3. If there was going to be a time for them to tie the game, that was it. But they failed to score. They failed to execute. But as potent a power play unit the Pens boast, (and they had all the gunners out there: Gonchar, Crosby, Malkin and Hossa), the Wings penalty kill was better.
He may not have the eye-popping stats in this series, but aside from Osgood, there hasn’t any other player better or more consistent than Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg made a game saving play, getting his stick on Crosby at the last seconds, preventing Crosby from getting off a clean shot o the doorstep during the Pens’ 5-on-3. His defensive prescence in Game 4 was arguably the best we’ve seen all, at a time when the Wings needed not only Zetterberg, but their penalty kill unit as whole, to be outstanding.
Lest we forget that the Wings were without Tomas Holmstrom, who sat out Game 4 due to a lower body injury he suffered when Penguins defenseman Hal Gill sent Holmstrom hard to ice. But, no Holmstrom, no problem on this night for the Wings. Their composer and poise were put to the test yet again. And yet again, the Wings responded.
With the Igloo already celebrating over the announcement of Holmstrom’s absence, Marian Hossa’s power play goal 2:51 into the game nearly tore the roof off Mellon Arena. Momentum clearly on the Penguins side, carrying over from their Game 3 victory and no Holmstrom, Hossa drew first blood. And what better sign for the Pens to get their struggling power play going and scoring the first goal. Pittsburgh was 11-0 when scoring first in these playoffs.
But it didn’t take long for the Wings to respond, and who better to lead the Wings’ response than the captain himself. 4:55 after Hossa’s goal, Nicklas Lidstrom fired a rocket a few seconds after the Penguins had successfully killed off the Wings’ first power play.
So now the cup is in plain sight. It’s so close the Wings can taste it, but just because they deserve to win on Monday night doesn’t mean the Penguins are going to step aside and let the Wings have it. Pittsburgh will be a desperate bunch, facing the fact that their next loss will end their season. For the Wings, they’ll have a chance to end this series on their home ice and claim their 11th Stanley Cup in franchise history.
