Pens Win Game 5, But Does It Change Anything?
Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Posted by jlanny8771

Detroit played the 3rd period like a team that wins Stanley Cups. They turned the momentum onto their side, scoring twice to take the lead from a Penguins’ team that had showed vulnerability in the clutch in Game 4 and were showing the same signs again. Detroit fans knew it. They have watched their Red Wings shut down other teams late in games all season, and especially in these Cup Finals against these Pittsburgh Penguins. But regardless of how much Detroit was possessing the puck or how huge the difference in shots was, Maxime Talbot affected the only stat that really matters when he banged home a loose puck with 34 seconds to play…..talk about a buzzkill.

The Penguins went on to win the game in the 3rd overtime period in one of the more thrilling playoff games in years. Petr Sykora, who scored the 5OT game-winner for the Ducks in 2003 against the Dallas Stars, got the goal after amazingly declaring to Pierre McGuire that he would. Marc-Andre Fleury, the only Penguin that has consistently shown that he is on the same level as the Red Wings, single-handedly kept his team in the game with sprawling kick saves and lightning fast flashes of his glove. Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Malone, both badly injured in the line of duty, stayed dressed and continued to play…Gonchar taking 2 periods off before returning to assist on the game-winning goal. In short, what the Penguins lacked in shots on goal in Game 5 they more than made up for with heart. But the most obvious question now is: Did the Penguins do anything more than delay Niklas Lidstom from raising the cup above his head?

The answer to that of course won’t be known until Wednesday at the earliest and Saturday at the latest. But the Penguins certainly have made the rest of the week much more interesting. Detroit will continue to play the same brand of experienced, intelligent hockey that they have shown in this series; I don’t expect anything less than greatness from them. The Penguins, however, do contain a few interesting dynamics. For starters, can Marc-Andre Fleury maintain the level of goaltending that he showed in Game 5? If yes, he will make things very even on the scoreboard no matter how uneven things may be on the ice. If yes, there is reason to believe the Penguins can force a Game 7. If yes, he may carve out a place for himself in the pantheon of French Canadian goaltenders who have performed phenomenally in the Stanley Cup finals. Either way, it will be very interesting to watch him in Game 6…

The other question mark for the Penguins will be their guys up front. Evgeni Malkin has shown that he cares a great deal about winning this series, but seemingly has lost the ability to truly impact its outcome. Fatigue is a curious excuse for a 21-year old with a full off-season’s worth of conditioning, and you have to wonder about an undisclosed injury at this point. Sidney Crosby has played well, but is receiving the brunt of Detroit’s blueline attention. Marian Hossa played his third outstanding game in a row, and any leftover labeling of him not being a prime time playoff performer has certainly been washed away at this point. What has made the difference for the Penguins in the last three games has been the energy they get from their role players, and that will have to continue at just the same rate for them to be successful; its not that their 3rd and 4th line need to do more, but that their 1st and 2nd lines need to produce on top of it. Adam Hall and Jarkko Ruutu were huge influences on the game as time wore on, and if ever all the production of the Penguins came together at one time to combine with the heart and fire they are playing with right now…the stoic Red Wings team would find themselves needing much more than just solid textbook hockey to overcome them.

But all that is speculation. Saturday means nothing until Wednesday. Detroit leads the series 3-2. And all the Penguins have earned is the right to play again.