Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Excuse me if I find it impossible to complain.
Granted, everything old is not new again. There are new faces on both teams, and part of me is absolutely giddy at the prospect of seeing what sort of welcome the fans in Pittsburgh will have for Marian Hossa, the man who spurned the Pens last summer after helping lead them to the Finals, only to sign a one-year deal with the Red Wings because it gave him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup.
So how do things stack up? Here's a quick snapshot:
Forwards: No team wins a Stanley Cup with superstars alone, and that's been the case with both teams this postseason, especially in Detroit, where an injury to Pavel Datsyuk has kept him out of a few games and limited his effectiveness. Enter players like Dan Cleary, Valtteri Filppula and Darren Helm -- who might have played the game of his career Wednesday night in Chicago -- and you have what looks like the deeper forward corps. Pittsburgh's gotten contributions from outside the big two of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as well, with players like Craig Adams, Chris Kunitz and Maxime Talbot chipping in at critical moments.
Still, as impressive as that depth is for Detroit, it's looking more and more like Crosby and Malkin are the two best players left on the ice. EDGE: Pittsburgh.
Defense: For the early part of the regular season, the Penguins looked absolutely lost without defenseman Sergei Gonchar on the blue line. But since his mid-season return, things have looked a lot brighter. When it comes to Pittsburgh's defensive corps, it's not just the personalities -- Rob Scuderi has been playing lights out this playoff -- but the way they've committed to refusing to give the opposing team any room to operate inside their defensive zone, while also working hard to beat enemy forecheckers to the puck and transition quickly and seamlessly to the breakout. Combined with their fearsome forecheck up front, it's easy to see why the Penguins have been so impressive defensively.
As for Detroit, everyone knows about their puck-handling prowess with Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. And every year we continue to think of the Red Wings as a pure puck possession team, only to be reminded that they've got plenty of punch when Niklas Kronwall is on the job. Still, both Lidstrom and Rafalski have missed games with injuries in this playoff, while rookie Jonathan Ericsson missed Game 5 against Chicago with acute appendicitis. Will they be able to hold up under Pittsburgh's fearsome forecheck? EDGE: Even.
Goalies: Going into the postseason in Detroit, many of the big questions were about Chris Osgood and whether he had enough gas in the tank to lead the team to another title after a lackluster performance in the regular season. He's managed to put those concerns to rest, with a 12-4 record backed by a 2.06 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Those numbers best the ones posted by Marc-Andre Fleury (12-5, 2.62, .906), but Fleury has simply been a different goalie since Game 7 of Pittsburgh's second-round series against Washington. EDGE: Detroit.
Intangibles: Pittsburgh is healthy, has an extra day's rest heading into this weekend's back-to-back Games 1 and 2 and looked unstoppable against Carolina in the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit is clearly nicked up, and the Wings don't have a lot of time to recover before the start of the Finals after a five-game struggle with Chicago that included three OT contests. It's clear the Penguins are hitting on all cylinders at just the right time. EDGE: Pittsburgh.
PREDICTION: Pittsburgh in seven brutal games.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Average analysis …
I mean … you spend a paragraph on the D’s D without mentioning the play of Stuart (not mentioning Lebda is not surprising). The Wings definitley have the advantage in this department.
As for offense … you have Malkin and Crosby … and then you have Helm, z, dats, hossa, franzen, cleary, etc … I’ll choose a team over a 2 players … your blind admiration has gone public with this post … either that, or you know nothing about how the game has been played since the Wings have risen to dominance.
by euroline on May 28, 2009 7:31 PM EDT reply actions
I haven’t been able to watch a Red Wings game since 1987 or so without thinking that they all look like Ferris Buehller’s friend.
by L'etat, c'est moi on May 28, 2009 11:38 PM EDT reply actions
Garbage. I’m not even sure you watch hockey. I don’t even know where to begin with this crap…
You can certainly argue that Sidney Crosby is the best forward on the ice. But to say that the Pens have better forwards than Detroit overall is insane. Detroit is SO much deeper than Pittsburgh, their 3rd and 4th lines occassionally outshine the first two. The same can’t be said for Pittsburgh.
Lindstrom might be a bit banged up. But I think Gonchar can’t carry Lindstrom – not even a hurt Lindstrom’s – jock. Stuart has been great…him and Kronwall have had some of the most brutal (and legal! jeez!) hits of the postseason. Lebda has been more steady than in playoffs past. Ericsson will be available for game 1. I’m not sure how the hell you you gave Pitt they edge.
As far as goaltending is concerned, ultimately I think you got it right. Fleury has to do more because his D is not as good. But at the same time, Ozzie has done it against better teams (nobody from the Eastern Conference could’ve beat the Ducks). All Ozzie does is win, you can’t hate on him for that. He was great in game 5 against Chicago.
You can only give the Pens the advantage on the powerplay. Only because Detroit’s penalty kill has been historically bad. Over than that, advantage Detroit.
Red Wings in 5. Fear the Octopus.
by eyesoredwn on May 29, 2009 2:54 AM EDT reply actions
Wings have shown through the playoffs against Jackets, Ducks, and Hawks that they can nullify teams with only one strong line. They should do it again against Pens. Wings in 6 if Lidstrom and Datsyuk are back, in 7 if they are not.
by dirkmorocco on May 29, 2009 11:14 AM EDT reply actions
I’m not sure that most Wings fans here are even aware that Malkin and Crosby center 2 lines, not one. Clearly they have not seen the numbers either when stating the Pens have no depth, because both teams have the SAME number of players over 10 points in the post season, as well as the SAME number of players with game winning goals. Please, have the wings fans focus on one line…3 of our four centers had over 20 goals as well. The Pens will roll 4 very effective lines, as will the Wings. Depth? Yeah, they got it too, Detroit…
by hockey_eh_721 on May 29, 2009 11:22 AM EDT reply actions
Pride cometh before the fall. I don’t think the rules state that Gonchar has to carry Lindstrom’s jock strap so that shouldn’t be an issue, but Lindstrom does have to "attempt" to stop Crosby & Co. The Wings won in six last year, the Pens are better than last year with more experience, the wings are beat up and tired. For the love of Mario, if the Pens take game one or two they’ll win in five. If they lose both, I see a coin flip in game seven. I do expect to see some awsome hockey.
Note to Michiganders: Throw your sushi early because you might not get a chance later.
by doublebogie on May 29, 2009 1:13 PM EDT reply actions
some players come along that have the desire to overcome the odds and the stats . sidney crosby shall kneel before Lord Stanley . after two losses last year the kid willed his team to step up . they didn’t win the cup but the momentum and leadership gained has given them a chance for redemption.not to be overlooked is the pattern of malkin dominating games when pushed by a teammate like crosby.pens in six.
by *moonshot* on May 29, 2009 3:28 PM EDT reply actions
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