Detroit Takes Game 2 of Stanley Cup Finals
May 31, 2009 by Jeanne Dupuis
Filed under Detroit Red Wings, NHL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered a crushing blow as they were easily beaten by the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. The defending champions now have a 2-0 series lead.
image: newscom
First of all, I know a lot of people are not pleased by the back-to-back games in Detroit at the start of this series and I’ve got to say that I really didn’t like it much either. I’m not crying about it or blaming the scheduling for the loss but I do think it’s less than desirable at this all-important stage of the playoffs.
Of course, there was some real ugliness on the ice in the very emotional rematch between these two games and it
image: TSN
really seemed to reach the boiling point when Pittsburgh’s Maxime Talbot speared Detroit netminder, Chris Osgood, in the chest after he made a save. I know Talbot was frustrated but that was really unacceptable. Naturally, Henrik Zetterberg came to his goalie’s defence which sparked a fight with Evgeni Malkin (who got an instigator penalty but did not get the automatic suspension and will appear in Game 3). “I think in the playoffs and finals like this, there is a lot of emotions, a lot of feelings,” said Zetterberg. “When you get scrums that’s the way it is. It should be a lot of feelings, and nothing more than that.”
What do you think of the fact that Malkin won’t have to miss the next game? Judging from what I’ve seen on Twitter and blogs, many people (including a few Penguins fans) think the NHL is showing favoritism but I think TSN’s Bob McKenzie explained it best: “The intent of the rule is pretty obvious – was the action premeditated, was it sending a message. Evgeni Malkin was on the ice trying to score a goal at the end of the game. This one was born more out of frustration, then it was the Penguins trying to orchestrate some late game shenanigans, that is what the rule was put in place for and that is why the NHL reserves the right to rescind the rule if they feel the spirit of the rule is not being violated.”
I guess that’s decent reasoning but I really wonder what is going to happen with the rest of this series. I heard the commentators say that out of 32 series where a team has won the first two games, 31 have gone on to take home Lord Stanley.
I’d really like to see Pittsburgh beat the odds and turn this thing around.
