Game four could have been the game the Penguins pulled even in the series. Osgood prevented that. Say whatever you want but the fact remains – Osgood has been the reason this series is now 3-1 in the Red Wings favor.

I don’t know how many more games like this he has in him where he only gives up 1 goal when by all rights six should have been behind him. Yes, he had some help and some timely defense. But Osgood has been the Red Wings team this series.

Home ice was the cure for the Penguins tonight as they won game three of the Stanley Cup finals against the Red Wings 3-2 before a ruckus crowd at the Igloo. It was tense towards the end as the Red Wings tried to tie the game and force overtime, but the Pens prevailed.

His Sidness scored twice to break the Penguins scoreless streak in these finals and Adam Hall got the game winner which he banked in off of Osgood from behind the net. After Crosby’s first goal I turned to John who sits next to me in section D27 and quoted a line from Predator; “If it bleeds – we can kill it.”

Well, the wounded beast almost would not die. Goals by Franzen and Samuelsson made the final score 3-2. The game saw the return of Daryl Sydor to the lineup to try and spark a Penguins blue line that has been less than spectacular. He played well but the team allowed far too many shots on Fleury – 34 total.

The Red Wings strategy is obvious – pepper Fleury early and often, hunt the rebounds and put the garbage in the net.

Pittsburgh needs to tighten up the D to help recover in this series.

Etiquette for fans during the Stanley Cup Finals.

1) Do not speak about winning the Stanley Cup until your team has won it.
2) If you are growing a playoff beard in solidarity with your team, do not shave it off. You may trim it but you must keep the beard growing.
3) Do not display or touch effigies of the Stanley Cup including, but not limited to, replicas made from cardboard and aluminum foil, inflatable versions, artistic renditions, etc.
4) Do not express overconfidence in your team or show disrespect for the opposition that has not been warranted. Honest discussions about the matchup are allowed as long as they are, of course, honest.
5) Do not make predictions about the outcome of the series. Do not predict your team will win the series or you risk jinxing them.
6) All games already played are in the past and should not be discussed or used as evidence to support your belief that your team is superior.
7) Rituals from prior series should be maintained. For example, if you drank a beer during each period or wore a lucky jersey you must do the same in the finals.
Never look ahead. Never assume that any lead in any game is safe. Never make plans for victory parties even if your team is up in the series 3-0.
9) Team history is team history. This year’s finals stand alone. No amount of discussing history, trends and stats spanning decades will bring anything good. Do not discuss what once was. All that matter is what is now.
10) Do NOT sport merchandise proclaiming your team as “Conference Champs”. Much like the players do not touch the conference trophies for fear of jinxing their team, fans should not bask in their team’s previous accomplishment. Conference Championships mean nothing. All that matters is the Stanley Cup.

The other night the Red Wings did to Dallas what the Penguins did to Philadelphia; they dominated them to close out the series.  The win sets the stage for the finals in which the Pittsburgh Penguins will visit Detroit for game one on Saturday at 8:00 PM.

8:00 PM?  Ok, whatever –

This matchup will put two teams against each other who have not had too much of a struggle to get to the finals.  The Red Wings are 12-4 and the Penguins are 12-2 in the playoffs.  The Wings did have to survive a scare against the Nashville Predators who threatened to go up on the best team out of the West (3 games to 2) but the Wings have been dominant since an overtime win in game five of that series to prevent that fate.

The schedule for the finals is as follows:

Sat May 24, 2008 Penguins @ Red Wings 8:00 PM

Mon May 26, 2008 Penguins @ Red Wings 8:00 PM

Wed May 28, 2008 Red Wings @ Penguins 8:00

Sat May 31, 2008 Red Wings @ Penguins 8:00 PM

Mon Jun 2, 2008 Penguins @ Red Wings 8:00*

Wed Jun 4, 2008 Red Wings @Penguins 8:00 PM*

Sat Jun 7, 2008 Penguins @ Red Wings 8:00 PM*

* If necessary

One of the more humorous signs Flyers fans sported during the two games in Philadelphia was one claiming “Penguins can’t fly.”  Well, they just got proven wrong.  The Penguins now await the winner of the Detriot-Dallas series to find out who they will play for the Stanley Cup after a 6-0 win in game 5 of their best of seven series.  With the win, the Penguins won the series 4-1.

Ryan Malone opened the scoring at 2:30 of the first with his fifth goal of the playoffs.  The Flyers then pressed to get the tying goal but could not and at 9:50 of the opening frame, Malkin (9) widened the margin to 2-0.  Malone went behind the net and Marty Biron also went to play the puck but missed.  Biron raised his stick and lost it in the confusion.  Malkin then danced with the puck out to the side of the cage and stuffed the puck under a stickless Biron’s pads.

The Penguins tightened down the screws defensively on the Flyers in the first period, allowing only five shots on net.  The Penguins fared better pocketing 10 chances.

In the second, the Penguins played similarly tough defense giving up only eight more shots and no goals while adding markers from Hossa (9), Malone (6) and Staal (6) to widen the advantage to 5-0.  The Flyers pressed hard at the end and did put a puck in the net, but it was pushed in with interference on the goaltender and disallowed.

The Flyers just shut it down after that and the Penguins were happy to oblige but did add a sixth goal (Dupuis (2)) at 4:03.

Fleury might not have faced many shots but he did have to make some good saves to keep the Flyers off the scoreboard.  He ended the afternoon stopping all 21 shots he faced.

Now the Penguins sit back and wait to see who they will play next in the finals.