2009 Stanley Cup Finals
Encyclopedia
The Red Wings took Game 1, 3–1, as three different Detroit players scored goals off of unusual bounces. The first period featured back and forth action, with each team having a variety of chances. Detroit scored the first goal of the game at 13:38 into the first period when Brad Stuart
's shot missed wide left, bounced off the end boards, and then deflected off the back of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury
's leg into the net. The Penguins tied the game at 18:37 when Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood
mishandled a shot by Evgeni Malkin
, allowing Ruslan Fedotenko
to score. Malkin gained the initial opportunity after forcing defenceman Stuart into a turnover. The Penguins dominated the early portion of the second period, but Osgood kept the game even, including when he bailed his team out by stopping Malkin on a breakaway. The Red Wings bounced back and went ahead at 19:02 of the period after Brian Rafalski
's shot rebounded off the end boards to Johan Franzen
, who banked a shot off Fleury and into the net. Detroit's third goal of the game came at 2:46 of the third period when, after a save by Fleury on Ville Leino
, the puck bounced high into the air and was swatted by Detroit rookie Justin Abdelkader
from midair to his stick. Abdelkader then went around Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal
(who had lost sight of the puck) and shot it above Fleury. Only three total penalties were called in the game, two on Detroit and one on Pittsburgh, but neither team could take advantage on their respective power plays as Osgood stopped 31 out of 32 shots while Fleury stopped 27 out of 30.
was sent to the penalty box for cross checking, Evgeni Malkin fired from the slot, and a scramble in front of the net ensued after Osgood gave up a rebound. The puck eventually came to Malkin for a second crack, and the shot was inadvertently deflected by Brad Stuart into his own net. Detroit took over in the second period, dominating in shots and benefiting from some luck, such as when Bill Guerin
's wrist shot hit the inside of the post but stayed out of the net. Jonathan Ericsson
tied the game at 4:21 of the second period, moments after the Penguins were forced to ice the puck after a long shift. Pittsburgh promptly lost the ensuing faceoff in their zone, allowing Ericsson to score from the point. Then at 10:29, the Red Wings went ahead after Valtteri Filppula
was able to backhand a shot from a difficult angle into the net. Filppula scored after Fleury had stopped both Tomas Holmstrom
and Marian Hossa
, but couldn't hold the rebounds.
At 1:39 of the third period, Sidney Crosby
peeled out of the corner and fired a shot that bounced off the post and rolled along the Detroit goal line. The play was reviewed by video replay, but the ruling on the ice was upheld as a no goal. Then at 2:47, Justin Abdelkader gave the Red Wings their third goal of the game, as he moved in slowly against the Pittsburgh defense and blasted a shot that caught Marc-Andre Fleury off guard as it landed in the net. Tensions flared up near the end of the game at 19:41 of the third period. Max Talbot was called for slashing, which eventually led to a fight between Malkin and Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg
. Malkin received an instigator penalty and a misconduct penalty, but was not suspended by the league for the incident.
was called for interference, Johan Franzen responding by scoring a goal at 11:33 with under ten seconds left in the penalty. Franzen's score was a one-timer that resulted after Zetterberg fed him a pass around the goal crease. While Detroit dominated the middle of the first period, at one point firing nine straight shots, the Penguins caught a break when the officials missed a penalty for too many men when Pittsburgh had inadvertently created their own powerplay, and played with six men for nearly thirty seconds. Pittsburgh then used a late holding call on Dan Cleary to set up a game tying power play goal. Defenceman Kris Letang fanned on a one-time attempt as he took a pass from Malkin, but regained control of the puck and fired a wrist shot into the net.
The score remained unchanged through the second period, although Detroit had numerous scoring chances. The Penguins' Fleury stopped 16 Detroit shots in the frame, and caught a break as Mikael Samuelsson
hit the post on a breakaway. The Penguins came out with strong defence in the third period, and the Detroit offense sputtered, at one point going over ten minutes without a shot. Midway through the third period, the Penguins earned a power play opportunity after Jonathan Ericsson was called for interference. At 10:29, Sergei Gonchar
drilled a slapshot from near the blue line, which sailed through traffic and beat a screened Chris Osgood to give the Penguins the lead. Detroit could not mount a late surge with the extra attacker on the ice, and Talbot added an empty net goal at 19:03 for his second of the game to seal the victory.
wrap around attempt, stood up to stop Mikael Samuelsson's rebound one-timer, then stopped Dan Cleary on two more rebound tries. With 19 shots in the period, Detroit would eventually score at 18:19, after Helm forced Rob Scuderi
into a turnover on a clearing attempt, then fired a wrist shot into the goal.
Detroit took the lead early in the second period, after Henrik Zetterberg passed from behind the net to Brad Stuart at the point. Stuart's slap shot at 0:46 beat a screened Fleury, but provided one of the few sparks for Detroit in a nightmarish period. After Brooks Orpik was called for tripping, it was the Penguins who picked up great scoring opportunities during the Detroit power play. First, Osgood stopped Malkin on a breakaway. However, he was not able to keep Staal from scoring shorthanded. At 8:35, Staal lit the lamp after dragging the puck around Brian Rafalski by using his long reach. Just under two minutes later, Sidney Crosby finally scored his first goal of the series. Malkin stripped Brad Stuart, who had just mishandled a pass, and started a two-on-one with Crosby, who took the pass at 10:34 and shoved it into the net. At 14:12 in the period, Tyler Kennedy
scored to extend the Pittsburgh lead. The play began when Kennedy beat Henrik Zetterberg to the puck on the forecheck. Chris Kunitz
then took the puck and fed a pass to Crosby, who one-touched it to Kennedy for the goal, as Osgood was caught moving side-to-side. The third period featured several good chances by each team, but neither team was able to score and the game ended with a tied series.
played for the first time in the series after returning from a foot injury. The Penguins were the team that began the match with energy, dominating the first five minutes, and producing a variety of chances from the Evgeni Malkin-Ruslan Fedotenko-Max Talbot line. However, the Red Wings rallied around a rejuvenated Datsyuk to take over the game midway through the period. Datsuyk's skating allowed Detroit to score at 13:32 of the period, as he fed a pass to Dan Cleary during a three-on-three transition play. Cleary used Penguins' defenceman Brooks Orpik as a screen as he shot the puck past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins began to unravel in the second period, committing five minor penalties in the frame. This undisciplined hockey allowed Detroit to score three powerplay goals and one marker that occurred seconds after a penalty had expired.
At 1:44 of the second, the Red Wings scored their second goal. On the final seconds of a powerplay, Fleury made a sprawling save on Datsuyk, the puck was cleared, and the penalty expired. However, as the Penguins attempted to make a line change, goaltender Chris Osgood fed a long pass for Detroit to Marian Hossa, who slipped a pass into the slot, enabling a streaking Valtteri Filppula to score on the backhand. Three straight penalty calls on Pittsburgh would then lead to Red Wing scores. A slashing minor on Sergei Gonchar eventually allowed a high wrist shot by Niklas Kronwall at 8:35 to find the back of the net. Kronwall scored after pinching into the corner and playing in a forward position. He then took a pass from Johan Franzen and patiently waited for Fleury to go down before lifting the puck. An elbowing penalty on Evgeni Malkin led a to Brian Rafalski goal at 11:34, which saw the defenceman take a pass from Datsyuk and score on a wrist shot from the right circle. A Chris Kunitz roughing penalty set up Henrik Zetterberg. At 15:40, Zetterberg took a shot-pass from Jiri Hudler and peeled to the front of the net to deposit the puck over Fleury's glove. After giving up the fifth goal, Fleury was replaced by Mathieu Garon
, and the Penguins committed two more penalties in the second to give Detroit a two-man advantage on which they did not convert. The third period was mostly uneventful and the score remained 5–0 until the end of the game.
Pittsburgh dominated the second period, but did not score again in the frame. They also caught a break as Zetterberg's forehand shot from the slot hit the post and was then held by Fleury as it ricochet off his back. Kennedy gave the Penguins their second goal at 5:35 of the third after gaining the puck by cycling behind Detroit's net with Max Talbot. Two Red Wing defenders went to Talbot, which gave Kennedy a clear lane to walk in front of the net and lift a shot high over Osgood. Kris Draper
cut the Pittsburgh lead at 8:01, beating Marc-Andre Fleury on a wrist shot. The goal came after Jonathan Ericsson's slapshot was kicked aside and Draper was able to take the rebound and glide into scoring position. The Red Wings found their stride late in the game, but were thwarted on two late scoring chances. With 1:42 remaining, Dan Cleary raced into the Penguins zone on a breakaway, but his shot was turned aside by Fleury. In the final thirty seconds, an unlikely hero stepped up for the Penguins. After Fleury stopped Datsyuk's shot, the puck came to the goal mouth, where Johan Franzen was ready to pounce. However, with Fleury out of position, Pittsburgh defenceman Rob Scuderi stepped in front of the loose puck and blocked three Franzen shots with his skates to preserve a win.
. Entering the contest, Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock joined Mike Keenan
as the only men to coach Game 7's of the Stanley Cup Finals with two different teams, having been with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
when they lost to the New Jersey Devils
in (the home team won all seven games of the series).
The opening half of the first period featured tentative play by both teams but with Pittsburgh outperforming Detroit offensively in the frame. However, the Red Wings got the best scoring chance, as Kirk Maltby
gained possession of a bouncing puck after a faceoff in the Penguins' zone. Maltby's shot was then stopped by the glove of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from point blank range. At 1:13 in the second period, Pittsburgh struck first, as Max Talbot scored following a turnover. The goal resulted after Brad Stuart attempted to clear the zone following a dump-in by Brooks Orpik into Detroit territory. Evgeni Malkin used his skates to block Stuart's pass, and the puck found its way to Talbot, who patiently waited to find a shooting lane behind goaltender Chris Osgood. Both teams gained chances through the middle of the period, with each goalie coming up strong. On one sequence, Brian Rafalski made a quick pass to Darren Helm in the left circle, where he was stopped by Fleury. As Rafalski set up for a rebound shot, he lost the puck to Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke
, who was then stuffed on a breakaway attempt. Soon afterward, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was crunched into the boards by Johan Franzen and sustained a knee injury. He would be healthy enough to play only one shift for the remainder of the game.
Talbot struck again at 10:07 in the period, as he curled the puck to fake a pass during a two-on-one break, then lifted it over Osgood's shoulder. The play began with Chris Kunitz splitting the Detroit defence with a pass in his own zone, allowing Talbot and Tyler Kennedy to move in on an odd man rush. The Penguins attempted to play conservatively in the third period and registered only one shot in the frame. At the same time, Detroit was able to sustain pressure on several occasions during the period. At 13:53, the Red Wings got on the board, as Jonathan Ericsson drilled a one-timed slapshot behind Fleury from near the blue line, after receiving a pass from Niklas Lidstrom. Then, at 17:45, Detroit came within inches of pulling into a tie. However, Niklas Kronwall's wristshot from the right circle ricocheted off of Jordan Staal, hit the crossbar, then bounced away from any Red Wing skaters. Detroit gained one last chance on the final shift of the game. After stopping an initial Henrik Zetterberg shot from the right faceoff circle, the rebound came loose to Nicklas Lidstrom at the left faceoff circle, forcing Fleury to make a diving stop with two seconds remaining to preserve the win and the championship.
The Penguins became the first team since the Montreal Canadiens to win Game 7 of the Finals on the road. They were also the first road team to win Game 7 of a championship round, in any major league sport, since the Pittsburgh Pirates
defeated the Baltimore Orioles
4–1 at Memorial Stadium
to win the 1979 World Series
. For the Red Wings, it was the first time that they lost in the Finals since , when they were swept by the Devils. It was also the first time that the visiting team has won the Cup at Joe Louis Arena
in the venue's 30-year history, and the Penguins became the first team to win the Cup in Detroit since the Montreal Canadiens
did so in at the now-demolished Olympia Stadium
. They were also the first team to win the Stanley Cup without finishing first in a division during the regular season since the Devils in 2000.
and in French on the cable network RDS
. CBC had a new broadcast team calling the Final with Jim Hughson
and Craig Simpson
.
Game 7 was the final major sporting event on analog television
in the United States
, with the DTV transition
finishing less than an hour-and-a-half after the game ended and just one hour after NBC coverage ended. NBC affiliates WDIV-TV
in Detroit and WPXI
in Pittsburgh – who months before the Stanley Cup playoffs began elected to keep their own respective analog signals on until June 12, well past the original February 17 deadline – both remained on the air for Game 7 before cutting their analog signals at 11:59 EDT
.
.
In Canada, Game 7 drew an average of 3.529 million viewers to the CBC. However, it averaged 2.154 million viewers for the seven-game rematch, down 7% from the 2008 final.
lost to the Colorado Avalanche
.
The Penguins became the first team since the Edmonton Oilers
in to win the Stanley Cup after having lost in the Finals the year before; it was also the first instance of a Stanley Cup Finals rematch since then. They were the first team in major professional sports to win a Game 7 of the championship round on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
of Major League Baseball
. They also became the third team to win a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals as the visitor, the first since the Montreal Canadiens
in (the Toronto Maple Leafs
in being the other).
Seeded 4th in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins became the lowest-seeded team to win the Cup since the 4th-seeded New Jersey Devils in 2000, and tied for 8th overall in the NHL, they became (along with the 1991 Penguins
and 1995 Devils
), the only teams in the post-1967 expansion
era to finish outside the top 6 overall and win the Cup. The last team to win a Stanley Cup with fewer than 100 points in the season was the 1997 Detroit Red Wings
, with 94.
The Penguins' Cup victory, coupled with that of the Steelers
in Super Bowl XLIII
four months earlier, gave the city of Pittsburgh the distinction of being the only city to win a Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup in the same year. However, Detroit holds the distinction of being the first city to have NFL champions
and NHL champions
in the same city in the same year, 1952. The "City of Champions" gained multiple titles in the same year for the second time and first time in 30 years (the Pirates
won the 1979 World Series
in between the Steelers' victories in Super Bowl XIII
in January 1979 and Super Bowl XIV
in January 1980). It also gives the state of Pennsylvania
three champions in the four major professional sports in a span of nine months, with the Philadelphia Phillies
winning the World Series
the previous October.
This was the second consecutive year that two US
-based NHL teams competed for the championship, and the first time that two teams met in the Stanley Cup Finals in consecutive seasons since the Edmonton Oilers
and the New York Islanders
did so in and .
The first two games were played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on consecutive weekend nights—May 30 and 31—the first time that Finals games have been played on consecutive days since .
The Red Wings loss gave Mike Babcock the unfortunate distinction of being the first coach in NHL history to lose Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals with two different teams, a fate that Mike Keenan, other coach in a Game 7 Finals with two different teams avoided, although he was with the Philadelphia Flyers
in , as he was with the New York Rangers
in .
|}
|}
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
's shot missed wide left, bounced off the end boards, and then deflected off the back of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-André Fleury is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
's leg into the net. The Penguins tied the game at 18:37 when Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood
Christopher John Osgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He's currently ranked tenth in wins in NHL regular season history with 401 career wins. He spent the first part of his 17-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, then the New York Islanders and the St. Louis...
mishandled a shot by Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
, allowing Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Fedotenko
Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York...
to score. Malkin gained the initial opportunity after forcing defenceman Stuart into a turnover. The Penguins dominated the early portion of the second period, but Osgood kept the game even, including when he bailed his team out by stopping Malkin on a breakaway. The Red Wings bounced back and went ahead at 19:02 of the period after Brian Rafalski
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for...
's shot rebounded off the end boards to Johan Franzen
Johan Franzen
Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden...
, who banked a shot off Fleury and into the net. Detroit's third goal of the game came at 2:46 of the third period when, after a save by Fleury on Ville Leino
Ville Leino
Ville Leino is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Finland:Leino started playing hockey at age 17 for his hometown team SaPKo in the Suomi-sarja...
, the puck bounced high into the air and was swatted by Detroit rookie Justin Abdelkader
Justin Abdelkader
Justin Abdelkader is an American ice hockey forward currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings.-College career:On April 7, 2007 Abdelkader scored the game-winning goal in the 2007 NCAA Championship Game against Boston College, securing the NCAA Division 1 National Championship for Michigan State...
from midair to his stick. Abdelkader then went around Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal
Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
(who had lost sight of the puck) and shot it above Fleury. Only three total penalties were called in the game, two on Detroit and one on Pittsburgh, but neither team could take advantage on their respective power plays as Osgood stopped 31 out of 32 shots while Fleury stopped 27 out of 30.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | DET | Brad Stuart Brad Stuart Bradley Stuart is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :... (2) |
None | 13:38 | 1–0 DET |
| PIT | Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York... (7) |
Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (17) |
18:37 | 1–1 | |
| 2nd | DET | Johan Franzen Johan Franzen Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden... (11) |
Brian Rafalski Brian Rafalski Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for... (7) and Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (10) |
19:02 | 2–1 DET |
| 3rd | DET | Justin Abdelkader Justin Abdelkader Justin Abdelkader is an American ice hockey forward currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings.-College career:On April 7, 2007 Abdelkader scored the game-winning goal in the 2007 NCAA Championship Game against Boston College, securing the NCAA Division 1 National Championship for Michigan State... (1) |
Ville Leino Ville Leino Ville Leino is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Finland:Leino started playing hockey at age 17 for his hometown team SaPKo in the Suomi-sarja... (1) |
2:46 | 3–1 DET |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | None | ||||
| 2nd | DET | Brett Lebda Brett Lebda Brett Steven Lebda is an American professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League... |
Slashing | 4:38 | 2:00 |
| DET | Mikael Samuelsson Mikael Samuelsson Mikael Samuelsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League .... |
Holding | 7:05 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Craig Adams | Hooking | 13:44 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | None | ||||
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 13 | 12 | 32 |
| Detroit | 11 | 11 | 8 | 30 |
Game two
Game 2 was another 3–1 victory for Detroit. Pittsburgh started out the game strong, setting up numerous chances from behind the net that were stopped by Chris Osgood. The Penguins then struck first at 16:50 of the opening period. After the Red Wings' Niklas KronwallNiklas Kronwall
Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
was sent to the penalty box for cross checking, Evgeni Malkin fired from the slot, and a scramble in front of the net ensued after Osgood gave up a rebound. The puck eventually came to Malkin for a second crack, and the shot was inadvertently deflected by Brad Stuart into his own net. Detroit took over in the second period, dominating in shots and benefiting from some luck, such as when Bill Guerin
Bill Guerin
William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams...
's wrist shot hit the inside of the post but stayed out of the net. Jonathan Ericsson
Jonathan Ericsson
Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
tied the game at 4:21 of the second period, moments after the Penguins were forced to ice the puck after a long shift. Pittsburgh promptly lost the ensuing faceoff in their zone, allowing Ericsson to score from the point. Then at 10:29, the Red Wings went ahead after Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL...
was able to backhand a shot from a difficult angle into the net. Filppula scored after Fleury had stopped both Tomas Holmstrom
Tomas Holmström
Tomas Holmström is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League , where he has won four Stanley Cup championships...
and Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa
Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
, but couldn't hold the rebounds.
At 1:39 of the third period, Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
peeled out of the corner and fired a shot that bounced off the post and rolled along the Detroit goal line. The play was reviewed by video replay, but the ruling on the ice was upheld as a no goal. Then at 2:47, Justin Abdelkader gave the Red Wings their third goal of the game, as he moved in slowly against the Pittsburgh defense and blasted a shot that caught Marc-Andre Fleury off guard as it landed in the net. Tensions flared up near the end of the game at 19:41 of the third period. Max Talbot was called for slashing, which eventually led to a fight between Malkin and Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
. Malkin received an instigator penalty and a misconduct penalty, but was not suspended by the league for the incident.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (13) - pp |
Kris Letang (7) and Bill Guerin Bill Guerin William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams... (8) |
16:50 | 1–0 PIT |
| 2nd | DET | Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... (3) |
Jiri Hudler Jiri Hudler Jiří Hudler is a Czech professional ice hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. After beginning his career in the Czech Extraliga with Vsetín, Hudler was drafted by the Red Wings in 2002 and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2008... (6) and Darren Helm Darren Helm Darren Helm is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.- Junior career :... (1) |
4:21 | 1–1 |
| DET | Valtteri Filppula Valtteri Filppula Valtteri Filppula is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL... (2) |
Tomas Holmstrom Tomas Holmström Tomas Holmström is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League , where he has won four Stanley Cup championships... (4) and Marian Hossa Marian Hossa Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and... (7) |
10:29 | 2–1 DET | |
| 3rd | DET | Justin Abdelkader Justin Abdelkader Justin Abdelkader is an American ice hockey forward currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings.-College career:On April 7, 2007 Abdelkader scored the game-winning goal in the 2007 NCAA Championship Game against Boston College, securing the NCAA Division 1 National Championship for Michigan State... (2) |
Tomas Holmstrom Tomas Holmström Tomas Holmström is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League , where he has won four Stanley Cup championships... (5) and Marian Hossa Marian Hossa Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and... (8) |
2:47 | 3–1 DET |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | DET | Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
Cross Checking | 16:08 | 2:00 |
| 2nd | PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Interference | 8:15 | 2:00 |
| 3rd | PIT | Max Talbot | Slashing | 19:41 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Fighting | 19:41 | 5:00 | |
| DET | Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
Fighting | 19:41 | 5:00 | |
| PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Instigator | 19:41 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Misconduct | 19:41 | 10:00 | |
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Pittsburgh | 12 | 9 | 12 | 33 |
| Detroit | 7 | 16 | 3 | 26 |
Game three
The Penguins won Game 3, 4–2, cutting their deficit in the series in half. Pittsburgh got off to a strong offensive start and scored first at 4:48 of the opening period when Evgeni Malkin set up Max Talbot, who fired a one-timed snapshot. Detroit answered less than two minutes later with a Henrik Zetterberg goal at 6:19 in the period. Zetterberg scored on a rebound after Ville Leino's wrap-around attempt was stopped by Marc-Andre Fleury. After Pittsburgh's Brooks OrpikBrooks Orpik
Brooks Orpik is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization...
was called for interference, Johan Franzen responding by scoring a goal at 11:33 with under ten seconds left in the penalty. Franzen's score was a one-timer that resulted after Zetterberg fed him a pass around the goal crease. While Detroit dominated the middle of the first period, at one point firing nine straight shots, the Penguins caught a break when the officials missed a penalty for too many men when Pittsburgh had inadvertently created their own powerplay, and played with six men for nearly thirty seconds. Pittsburgh then used a late holding call on Dan Cleary to set up a game tying power play goal. Defenceman Kris Letang fanned on a one-time attempt as he took a pass from Malkin, but regained control of the puck and fired a wrist shot into the net.
The score remained unchanged through the second period, although Detroit had numerous scoring chances. The Penguins' Fleury stopped 16 Detroit shots in the frame, and caught a break as Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
hit the post on a breakaway. The Penguins came out with strong defence in the third period, and the Detroit offense sputtered, at one point going over ten minutes without a shot. Midway through the third period, the Penguins earned a power play opportunity after Jonathan Ericsson was called for interference. At 10:29, Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
drilled a slapshot from near the blue line, which sailed through traffic and beat a screened Chris Osgood to give the Penguins the lead. Detroit could not mount a late surge with the extra attacker on the ice, and Talbot added an empty net goal at 19:03 for his second of the game to seal the victory.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | PIT | Max Talbot (5) | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (18) and Kris Letang (8) |
4:48 | 1–0 PIT |
| DET | Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (10) |
Ville Leino Ville Leino Ville Leino is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Finland:Leino started playing hockey at age 17 for his hometown team SaPKo in the Suomi-sarja... (2) and Johan Franzen Johan Franzen Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden... (10) |
6:19 | 1–1 | |
| DET | Johan Franzen Johan Franzen Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden... (12) - pp |
Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (11) and Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (7) |
11:33 | 2–1 DET | |
| PIT | Kris Letang (4) - pp | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (19) and Sergei Gonchar Sergei Gonchar Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League... (11) |
15:57 | 2–2 | |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | PIT | Sergei Gonchar Sergei Gonchar Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League... (3) - pp |
Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (20) and Sidney Crosby Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League... (15) |
10:29 | 3–2 PIT |
| PIT | Max Talbot (6) - en | Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York... (6) |
19:03 | 4–2 PIT | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | PIT | Brooks Orpik Brooks Orpik Brooks Orpik is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization... |
Interference | 9:42 | 2:00 |
| DET | Dan Cleary Daniel Cleary Daniel Cleary is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. On June 4, 2008, Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to get his name on the Stanley Cup when the Red Wings won hockey's top prize... |
Holding | 14:46 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Johan Franzen Johan Franzen Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden... |
Tripping | 18:02 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | PIT | Miroslav Satan Miroslav Satan Miroslav Šatan is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak Extraliga.-Pre-NHL:In 1991–92, he played for the local HC Topolcany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division... |
Holding | 15:35 | 2:00 |
| 3rd | DET | Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... |
Interference | 9:46 | 2:00 |
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Detroit | 12 | 14 | 3 | 29 |
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 4 | 10 | 21 |
Game four
The Penguins picked up a 4-2 win in Game 4, equaling their performance from the previous meeting. Detroit found themselves at an early disadvantage, as a tripping call on Niklas Kronwall gave Pittsburgh a power play just over a minute into the game. Evgeni Malkin scored with the man advantage at 2:39 to give the Penguins an early lead. The goal occurred after Chris Osgood stopped a Jordan Staal shot, then Kris Letang fired a rebound wide that was picked up by Malkin and deposited behind the outstretched goaltender. Detroit ended the first period on a relentless assault, but Marc-Andre Fleury held the fort in goal for Pittsburgh, including a sequence in which he stopped four Detroit shots seconds apart. On that shift, Fleury cancelled a Darren HelmDarren Helm
Darren Helm is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.- Junior career :...
wrap around attempt, stood up to stop Mikael Samuelsson's rebound one-timer, then stopped Dan Cleary on two more rebound tries. With 19 shots in the period, Detroit would eventually score at 18:19, after Helm forced Rob Scuderi
Rob Scuderi
Robert John Scuderi is an American professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.-Amateur:...
into a turnover on a clearing attempt, then fired a wrist shot into the goal.
Detroit took the lead early in the second period, after Henrik Zetterberg passed from behind the net to Brad Stuart at the point. Stuart's slap shot at 0:46 beat a screened Fleury, but provided one of the few sparks for Detroit in a nightmarish period. After Brooks Orpik was called for tripping, it was the Penguins who picked up great scoring opportunities during the Detroit power play. First, Osgood stopped Malkin on a breakaway. However, he was not able to keep Staal from scoring shorthanded. At 8:35, Staal lit the lamp after dragging the puck around Brian Rafalski by using his long reach. Just under two minutes later, Sidney Crosby finally scored his first goal of the series. Malkin stripped Brad Stuart, who had just mishandled a pass, and started a two-on-one with Crosby, who took the pass at 10:34 and shoved it into the net. At 14:12 in the period, Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
scored to extend the Pittsburgh lead. The play began when Kennedy beat Henrik Zetterberg to the puck on the forecheck. Chris Kunitz
Chris Kunitz
Christopher Kunitz is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Anaheim Ducks, the latter with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2007...
then took the puck and fed a pass to Crosby, who one-touched it to Kennedy for the goal, as Osgood was caught moving side-to-side. The third period featured several good chances by each team, but neither team was able to score and the game ended with a tied series.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (14) - pp |
Kris Letang (9) and Jordan Staal Jordan Staal Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League... (5) |
2:39 | 1–0 PIT |
| DET | Darren Helm Darren Helm Darren Helm is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.- Junior career :... (4) |
None | 18:19 | 1–1 | |
| 2nd | DET | Brad Stuart Brad Stuart Bradley Stuart is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :... (3) |
Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (12) and Brian Rafalski Brian Rafalski Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for... (8) |
0:46 | 2–1 DET |
| PIT | Jordan Staal Jordan Staal Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League... (3) - sh |
Max Talbot (4) and Mark Eaton (3) | 8:35 | 2–2 | |
| PIT | Sidney Crosby Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League... (15) |
Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (21) |
10:34 | 3–2 PIT | |
| PIT | Tyler Kennedy Tyler Kennedy Tyler Kennedy is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... (4) |
Sidney Crosby Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League... (16) and Chris Kunitz Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Anaheim Ducks, the latter with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2007... (12) |
14:12 | 4–2 PIT | |
| 3rd | None | ||||
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | DET | Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
Tripping | 1:12 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Mark Eaton | Cross Checking | 11:09 | 2:00 | |
| DET | Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... |
High-Sticking | 16:27 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Bill Guerin Bill Guerin William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams... |
High-Sticking | 16:37 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Hooking | 5:44 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Brooks Orpik Brooks Orpik Brooks Orpik is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization... |
Tripping | 7:43 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | DET | Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
Hooking | 8:27 | 2:00 |
| DET | Dan Cleary Daniel Cleary Daniel Cleary is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. On June 4, 2008, Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to get his name on the Stanley Cup when the Red Wings won hockey's top prize... |
Roughing | 20:00 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Brooks Orpik Brooks Orpik Brooks Orpik is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, an alternate captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . His brother, Andrew, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres organization and is also currently in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization... |
Roughing | 20:00 | 2:00 | |
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Detroit | 19 | 9 | 11 | 39 |
| Pittsburgh | 11 | 11 | 9 | 31 |
Game five
Detroit gained a huge boost in Game 5, as star two-way player Pavel DatsyukPavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a professional ice hockey player from Russia and alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League . He is known for his stick-handling and is considered the best two-way forward in the game today, having won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in the...
played for the first time in the series after returning from a foot injury. The Penguins were the team that began the match with energy, dominating the first five minutes, and producing a variety of chances from the Evgeni Malkin-Ruslan Fedotenko-Max Talbot line. However, the Red Wings rallied around a rejuvenated Datsyuk to take over the game midway through the period. Datsuyk's skating allowed Detroit to score at 13:32 of the period, as he fed a pass to Dan Cleary during a three-on-three transition play. Cleary used Penguins' defenceman Brooks Orpik as a screen as he shot the puck past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins began to unravel in the second period, committing five minor penalties in the frame. This undisciplined hockey allowed Detroit to score three powerplay goals and one marker that occurred seconds after a penalty had expired.
At 1:44 of the second, the Red Wings scored their second goal. On the final seconds of a powerplay, Fleury made a sprawling save on Datsuyk, the puck was cleared, and the penalty expired. However, as the Penguins attempted to make a line change, goaltender Chris Osgood fed a long pass for Detroit to Marian Hossa, who slipped a pass into the slot, enabling a streaking Valtteri Filppula to score on the backhand. Three straight penalty calls on Pittsburgh would then lead to Red Wing scores. A slashing minor on Sergei Gonchar eventually allowed a high wrist shot by Niklas Kronwall at 8:35 to find the back of the net. Kronwall scored after pinching into the corner and playing in a forward position. He then took a pass from Johan Franzen and patiently waited for Fleury to go down before lifting the puck. An elbowing penalty on Evgeni Malkin led a to Brian Rafalski goal at 11:34, which saw the defenceman take a pass from Datsyuk and score on a wrist shot from the right circle. A Chris Kunitz roughing penalty set up Henrik Zetterberg. At 15:40, Zetterberg took a shot-pass from Jiri Hudler and peeled to the front of the net to deposit the puck over Fleury's glove. After giving up the fifth goal, Fleury was replaced by Mathieu Garon
Mathieu Garon
Mathieu Garon is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Garon is a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Garon has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Garon was a member...
, and the Penguins committed two more penalties in the second to give Detroit a two-man advantage on which they did not convert. The third period was mostly uneventful and the score remained 5–0 until the end of the game.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | DET | Dan Cleary Daniel Cleary Daniel Cleary is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. On June 4, 2008, Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to get his name on the Stanley Cup when the Red Wings won hockey's top prize... (9) |
Pavel Datsyuk Pavel Datsyuk Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a professional ice hockey player from Russia and alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League . He is known for his stick-handling and is considered the best two-way forward in the game today, having won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in the... (7) and Brian Rafalski Brian Rafalski Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for... (9) |
13:32 | 1–0 DET |
| 2nd | DET | Valtteri Filppula Valtteri Filppula Valtteri Filppula is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL... (3) |
Marian Hossa Marian Hossa Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and... (9) and Chris Osgood Chris Osgood Christopher John Osgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He's currently ranked tenth in wins in NHL regular season history with 401 career wins. He spent the first part of his 17-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, then the New York Islanders and the St. Louis... (1) |
1:44 | 2–0 DET |
| DET | Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (2) - pp |
Johan Franzen Johan Franzen Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden... (11) and Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (13) |
8:35 | 3–0 DET | |
| DET | Brian Rafalski Brian Rafalski Brian Christopher Rafalski is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 professional ice hockey seasons for five teams: 11 in the National Hockey League for two teams , three in SM-liiga for two teams prior to entering the NHL, and one in Elitserien for... (3) - pp |
Pavel Datsyuk Pavel Datsyuk Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a professional ice hockey player from Russia and alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League . He is known for his stick-handling and is considered the best two-way forward in the game today, having won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in the... (8) and Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas Lidström Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain... (10) |
11:34 | 4–0 DET | |
| DET | Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... (11) - pp |
Jiri Hudler Jiri Hudler Jiří Hudler is a Czech professional ice hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. After beginning his career in the Czech Extraliga with Vsetín, Hudler was drafted by the Red Wings in 2002 and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2008... (7) and Mikael Samuelsson Mikael Samuelsson Mikael Samuelsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League .... (5) |
15:40 | 5–0 DET | |
| 3rd | None | ||||
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | DET | Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
Tripping | 7:16 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Chris Kunitz Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Anaheim Ducks, the latter with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2007... |
Goaltender Interference | 19:39 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | PIT | Sergei Gonchar Sergei Gonchar Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League... |
Slashing | 5:53 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Elbowing | 6:48 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Chris Kunitz Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Anaheim Ducks, the latter with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2007... |
Roughing | 13:50 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Sidney Crosby Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League... |
Slashing | 17:37 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Max Talbot | Slashing | 17:57 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | DET | Marian Hossa Marian Hossa Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and... |
Roughing | 1:53 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Hooking | 7:14 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Pascal Dupuis Pascal Dupuis Pascal Dupuis is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:... |
High-sticking | 15:50 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Craig Adams | Misconduct | 15:50 | 10:00 | |
| PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Cross Checking | 18:08 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Matt Cooke Matt Cooke Matthew David Cooke is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. His playing style has earned him a reputation of being a "pest" and he is known for his ability to aggravate opponents... |
Misconduct | 18:08 | 10:00 | |
| DET | Brett Lebda Brett Lebda Brett Steven Lebda is an American professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League... |
Misconduct | 18:08 | 10:00 | |
| PIT | Max Talbot | Misconduct | 18:08 | 10:00 | |
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 6 | 6 | 22 |
| Detroit | 8 | 15 | 6 | 29 |
Game six
The Penguins defeated the Red Wings in Game 6, 2–1, to force a seventh and deciding game of the finals. The first period featured strong defensive play by both teams. Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made a big early save as he stopped a one-timer by Henrik Zetterberg, who had just received a pass from Pavel Datsyuk on a two-on-one rush. Detroit's Chris Osgood equaled Fleury's early brilliance, as he stopped Sidney Crosby on two separate powerplays, first by stuffing his attempt to jam home a puck in the crease, then by denying him on a rush through the slot in transition. After a scoreless first period, Jordan Staal scored Pittsburgh's first goal at 0:51 in the second. Tyler Kennedy chipped a puck away from Valtteri Filppula in the Detroit zone, then passed the puck to Staal to start a two-on-one break. Osgood stopped Staal's first shot by tipping it with his glove, before the rebound was deposited into the net.Pittsburgh dominated the second period, but did not score again in the frame. They also caught a break as Zetterberg's forehand shot from the slot hit the post and was then held by Fleury as it ricochet off his back. Kennedy gave the Penguins their second goal at 5:35 of the third after gaining the puck by cycling behind Detroit's net with Max Talbot. Two Red Wing defenders went to Talbot, which gave Kennedy a clear lane to walk in front of the net and lift a shot high over Osgood. Kris Draper
Kris Draper
Kristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby...
cut the Pittsburgh lead at 8:01, beating Marc-Andre Fleury on a wrist shot. The goal came after Jonathan Ericsson's slapshot was kicked aside and Draper was able to take the rebound and glide into scoring position. The Red Wings found their stride late in the game, but were thwarted on two late scoring chances. With 1:42 remaining, Dan Cleary raced into the Penguins zone on a breakaway, but his shot was turned aside by Fleury. In the final thirty seconds, an unlikely hero stepped up for the Penguins. After Fleury stopped Datsyuk's shot, the puck came to the goal mouth, where Johan Franzen was ready to pounce. However, with Fleury out of position, Pittsburgh defenceman Rob Scuderi stepped in front of the loose puck and blocked three Franzen shots with his skates to preserve a win.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | None | ||||
| 2nd | PIT | Jordan Staal Jordan Staal Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League... (4) |
Tyler Kennedy Tyler Kennedy Tyler Kennedy is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... (4) and Rob Scuderi Rob Scuderi Robert John Scuderi is an American professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.-Amateur:... (3) |
0:51 | 1–0 PIT |
| 3rd | PIT | Tyler Kennedy Tyler Kennedy Tyler Kennedy is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... (5) |
Max Talbot (5) and Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York... (7) |
5:35 | 2–0 PIT |
| DET | Kris Draper Kris Draper Kristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby... (1) |
Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... (4) and Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas Lidström Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain... (11) |
8:01 | 2–1 PIT | |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | DET | Henrik Zetterberg Henrik Zetterberg Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
Goaltender Interference | 3:35 | 2:00 |
| DET | Valtteri Filppula Valtteri Filppula Valtteri Filppula is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL... |
Tripping | 13:29 | 2:00 | |
| 2nd | None | ||||
| 3rd | PIT | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... |
Cross Checking | 9:18 | 2:00 |
| PIT | Bill Guerin Bill Guerin William Robert Guerin is an American former professional ice hockey player and current player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guerin played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League winning two Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins teams... |
High-sticking | 12:40 | 2:00 | |
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Detroit | 3 | 9 | 14 | 26 |
| Pittsburgh | 12 | 12 | 7 | 31 |
Game seven
For the first time, the Pittsburgh Penguins played a seventh game in the Stanley Cup Finals, while the Red Wings made their seventh appearance in the deciding game. Detroit had previously gone 3–3 in Game 7's. Their last Stanley Cup Final Game 7 was in against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where they lost by the score of 4–0 in Maple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
. Entering the contest, Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock joined Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
as the only men to coach Game 7's of the Stanley Cup Finals with two different teams, having been with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
when they lost to the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in (the home team won all seven games of the series).
The opening half of the first period featured tentative play by both teams but with Pittsburgh outperforming Detroit offensively in the frame. However, the Red Wings got the best scoring chance, as Kirk Maltby
Kirk Maltby
Kirk Maltby is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings.-Playing career:...
gained possession of a bouncing puck after a faceoff in the Penguins' zone. Maltby's shot was then stopped by the glove of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from point blank range. At 1:13 in the second period, Pittsburgh struck first, as Max Talbot scored following a turnover. The goal resulted after Brad Stuart attempted to clear the zone following a dump-in by Brooks Orpik into Detroit territory. Evgeni Malkin used his skates to block Stuart's pass, and the puck found its way to Talbot, who patiently waited to find a shooting lane behind goaltender Chris Osgood. Both teams gained chances through the middle of the period, with each goalie coming up strong. On one sequence, Brian Rafalski made a quick pass to Darren Helm in the left circle, where he was stopped by Fleury. As Rafalski set up for a rebound shot, he lost the puck to Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke
Matt Cooke
Matthew David Cooke is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. His playing style has earned him a reputation of being a "pest" and he is known for his ability to aggravate opponents...
, who was then stuffed on a breakaway attempt. Soon afterward, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was crunched into the boards by Johan Franzen and sustained a knee injury. He would be healthy enough to play only one shift for the remainder of the game.
Talbot struck again at 10:07 in the period, as he curled the puck to fake a pass during a two-on-one break, then lifted it over Osgood's shoulder. The play began with Chris Kunitz splitting the Detroit defence with a pass in his own zone, allowing Talbot and Tyler Kennedy to move in on an odd man rush. The Penguins attempted to play conservatively in the third period and registered only one shot in the frame. At the same time, Detroit was able to sustain pressure on several occasions during the period. At 13:53, the Red Wings got on the board, as Jonathan Ericsson drilled a one-timed slapshot behind Fleury from near the blue line, after receiving a pass from Niklas Lidstrom. Then, at 17:45, Detroit came within inches of pulling into a tie. However, Niklas Kronwall's wristshot from the right circle ricocheted off of Jordan Staal, hit the crossbar, then bounced away from any Red Wing skaters. Detroit gained one last chance on the final shift of the game. After stopping an initial Henrik Zetterberg shot from the right faceoff circle, the rebound came loose to Nicklas Lidstrom at the left faceoff circle, forcing Fleury to make a diving stop with two seconds remaining to preserve the win and the championship.
The Penguins became the first team since the Montreal Canadiens to win Game 7 of the Finals on the road. They were also the first road team to win Game 7 of a championship round, in any major league sport, since the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
defeated the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
4–1 at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
to win the 1979 World Series
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
. For the Red Wings, it was the first time that they lost in the Finals since , when they were swept by the Devils. It was also the first time that the visiting team has won the Cup at Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
in the venue's 30-year history, and the Penguins became the first team to win the Cup in Detroit since the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
did so in at the now-demolished Olympia Stadium
Detroit Olympia
Olympia Stadium, better known as the Detroit Olympia and nicknamed The Old Red Barn, stood at 5920 Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan from 1927 until 1987. It was best known as the home of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team of the National Hockey League from its opening until...
. They were also the first team to win the Stanley Cup without finishing first in a division during the regular season since the Devils in 2000.
| Scoring summary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Team | Goal | Assist(s) | Time | Score |
| 1st | None | ||||
| 2nd | PIT | Max Talbot (7) | Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Malkin Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .... (20) |
01:13 | 1–0 PIT |
| PIT | Max Talbot (8) | Chris Kunitz Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Anaheim Ducks, the latter with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2007... (13) and Rob Scuderi Rob Scuderi Robert John Scuderi is an American professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.-Amateur:... (4) |
10:07 | 2–0 PIT | |
| 3rd | DET | Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... (4) |
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas Lidström Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain... (12) and Jiri Hudler Jiri Hudler Jiří Hudler is a Czech professional ice hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. After beginning his career in the Czech Extraliga with Vsetín, Hudler was drafted by the Red Wings in 2002 and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2008... (8) |
13:53 | 2–1 PIT |
| Penalty summary | |||||
| Period | Team | Player | Penalty Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
Time | PIM |
| 1st | DET | Brad Stuart Brad Stuart Bradley Stuart is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :... |
Slashing | 11:24 | 2:00 |
| 2nd | PIT | Jordan Staal Jordan Staal Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League... |
Hooking | 01:59 | 2:00 |
| DET | Tomas Holmstrom Tomas Holmström Tomas Holmström is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League , where he has won four Stanley Cup championships... |
Holding | 01:59 | 2:00 | |
| PIT | Hal Gill Hal Gill Harold Priestley "Hal" Gill III is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and an alternate captain of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:... |
Holding | 06:16 | 2:00 | |
| 3rd | PIT | Mark Eaton | Tripping | 02:36 | 2:00 |
| Shots by period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 7 | 1 | 18 |
| Detroit | 6 | 11 | 8 | 25 |
Officials
The following officials worked the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals: (Bold-face indicates worked Game 7)- Referees: Paul Devorski, Marc Joannette, Dennis Larue, Bill McCreary
- Linesmen: Derek Amell, Steve Miller, Jean Morin, Pierre Racicot
Television coverage
In the United States, NBC broadcast the first two and final three games of the Final, while Versus broadcast games three and four. The first two games of the series were played on consecutive nights due to NBC's scheduling. In Canada, all games of the Final were broadcast in English on the CBCHockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
and in French on the cable network RDS
NHL on RDS
LNH à RDS is a French Canadian television program that broadcasts National Hockey League games on the cable speciality channel Réseau des sports .-Background:...
. CBC had a new broadcast team calling the Final with Jim Hughson
Jim Hughson
Jim Hughson is a Canadian sportscaster, best known for his play-by-play of professional ice hockey and baseball.-Biography:...
and Craig Simpson
Craig Simpson
Craig Andrew Simpson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres...
.
Game 7 was the final major sporting event on analog television
Analog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with the DTV transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
finishing less than an hour-and-a-half after the game ended and just one hour after NBC coverage ended. NBC affiliates WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations and is the flagship station and home base of the group with the offices of the group located alongside WDIV's studios; the "Local" branding now...
in Detroit and WPXI
WPXI
WPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...
in Pittsburgh – who months before the Stanley Cup playoffs began elected to keep their own respective analog signals on until June 12, well past the original February 17 deadline – both remained on the air for Game 7 before cutting their analog signals at 11:59 EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
.
Ratings
In the United States, with an average of 8 million viewers, Game 7 was the most-watched NHL game in the United States since Game 6 of the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals1973 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1973 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens, a rematch of the 1971 championship series. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to two.-Paths to the Final:...
.
In Canada, Game 7 drew an average of 3.529 million viewers to the CBC. However, it averaged 2.154 million viewers for the seven-game rematch, down 7% from the 2008 final.
Records
The Red Wings attempted to become the first team to successfully defend a championship since they did it in . The Red Wings were also the first defending Stanley Cup champions to reach the Finals since , when the champions New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
lost to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
.
The Penguins became the first team since the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in to win the Stanley Cup after having lost in the Finals the year before; it was also the first instance of a Stanley Cup Finals rematch since then. They were the first team in major professional sports to win a Game 7 of the championship round on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates had 98 wins and 64 losses and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the Montreal Expos. The Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and the Baltimore Orioles to win their fifth World Series title - and also...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. They also became the third team to win a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals as the visitor, the first since the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in (the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in being the other).
Seeded 4th in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins became the lowest-seeded team to win the Cup since the 4th-seeded New Jersey Devils in 2000, and tied for 8th overall in the NHL, they became (along with the 1991 Penguins
1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins 24th season in the NHL, and they were coming off of a disappointing 1989–90 season, when they finished with a 32–40–8 record, recording 72 points, finishing 1 point behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Patrick...
and 1995 Devils
1994–95 New Jersey Devils season
The 1994–95 New Jersey Devils season was the franchise's thirteenth season in New Jersey. Although the Devils played an abbreviated 48-game season, shortened by the 1994–95 NHL lockout, the Devils won their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history....
), the only teams in the post-1967 expansion
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
era to finish outside the top 6 overall and win the Cup. The last team to win a Stanley Cup with fewer than 100 points in the season was the 1997 Detroit Red Wings
1996–97 Detroit Red Wings season
The 1996–97 Detroit Red Wings season was the 71st National Hockey League season in Detroit, Michigan. The highlight of the Red Wings season was winning the Stanley Cup, their first since 1955....
, with 94.
The Penguins' Cup victory, coupled with that of the Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
four months earlier, gave the city of Pittsburgh the distinction of being the only city to win a Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup in the same year. However, Detroit holds the distinction of being the first city to have NFL champions
1952 Detroit Lions season
Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 7 Scoring*DET - Layne 2-yard run *DET - Walker 67-yard run *CLE - Jagade 7-yard run *DET - FG Harder 36-References:***...
and NHL champions
1951–52 Detroit Red Wings season
The 1951–52 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' nineteenth season. The highlight of the Red Wings season was winning the Stanley Cup.-Game log:-Stanley Cup Final:Detroit wins best-of-seven series 4 games to none-Roster:...
in the same city in the same year, 1952. The "City of Champions" gained multiple titles in the same year for the second time and first time in 30 years (the Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
won the 1979 World Series
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series matched the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League's Baltimore Orioles , with the Pirates coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games...
in between the Steelers' victories in Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
in January 1979 and Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
in January 1980). It also gives the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
three champions in the four major professional sports in a span of nine months, with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
winning the World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
the previous October.
This was the second consecutive year that two US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based NHL teams competed for the championship, and the first time that two teams met in the Stanley Cup Finals in consecutive seasons since the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
and the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
did so in and .
The first two games were played at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on consecutive weekend nights—May 30 and 31—the first time that Finals games have been played on consecutive days since .
The Red Wings loss gave Mike Babcock the unfortunate distinction of being the first coach in NHL history to lose Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals with two different teams, a fate that Mike Keenan, other coach in a Game 7 Finals with two different teams avoided, although he was with the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in , as he was with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in .
Pittsburgh Penguins
Roster on June 12, 2009.|}
Detroit Red Wings
Roster on June 12, 2009.|}