Penguins finally break out
Crosby scores two as Red Wings fall
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins may or may not be remembered for winning the Stanley Cup in 2008, but last night they at least spared themselves the indignity of being remembered as the team that forgot to come to the prom.
Led by a pair of Sidney Crosby goals, his first of the series, and a third-period strike by ex-Michigan State standout Adam Hall, the Penguins pinned a 3-2 loss on the mighty Red Wings and cut Detroit's lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven finals. Game 4 will be back at the Igloo Saturday night, and the series will return to Joe Louis Arena for Game 5 Monday.
"You have to give them credit, they found a way to win a game," said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, whose club dealt the Penguins shutouts in the first two games of the series in Detroit. "I think Crosby and [Marian] Hossa were better . . . I don't think we were dominated, or anything, but [the Penguins] played a good game."
Out of synch and generally lost in all three zones in the first two games, the Penguins finally began to come out of their funk late in the first period before a sellout crowd of 17,132. By the 15-minute mark, the Red Wings were ahead on shots, 9-1, and looked as if they could easily take the final two giant steps to a series sweep.
But Crosby, one of the NHL's young sensations, began to turn it around with a goal at 17:25, finishing a play that began with a giant boo-boo by ex-Bruins defenseman Brad Stuart. Hoping to start the Wings on a rush, Stuart sent a bad pass forward that hit teammate Henrik Zetterberg in the skate. The puck squibbed to Crosby, who dished to Hossa, and then Crosby rushed to the crease for an easy pot when Hossa's initial attempt was blocked and deflected.
Finally, 137 minutes 25 seconds into the final round, the Penguins had a goal.
"I think maybe we moved our feet a little bit more," said Crosby, explaining his squad's improved play, which also had the Penguins trading heavy hits with the Western Conference champions. "Defensively, I think we were a little bit more patient, too. I think we did a better job of playing, positionally."
Another key, too, was a move by Penguins coach Michel Therrien to put Russian star Evgeni Malkin on the same line with Crosby and Hossa (although all three were not on the ice for the first goal). When Malkin subbed in for Ryan Malone, the Penguins' confidence appeared to move up a notch or two.
"When we're put together like that, we know what the message is," said Crosby. "When you have three players like that, your job is to go out and make something happen."
Malkin was out there early in the second period, only 5:08 after Crosby's first goal, when the Penguins struck for a power-play tally (Nicklas Kronwall off for hooking). It was Crosby again, this time with help from Hossa and Malone, and the lead was up to 2-0.
"No doubt, you're looking for your best player to bring his 'A' game," said Therrien. "And certainly Sid did that tonight."
Perhaps just as important was the fact that Malkin, also one of the game's great young stars, began to show a playing pulse, after being nearly placed on a KGB search list following the first two games. He finished with three shots and landed a hit, a vast improvement even though he didn't pick up a goal or assist.
"He worked really well, both sides of the ice, both sides of the puck," said Therrien. "If Gino keeps playing like this, you know eventually he's going to get rewarded."
The big hits and fast skating increased through the second and third periods, and the Red Wings didn't shrink a bit when down, 2-0. Johan Franzen popped in Detroit's first at 14:48 of the second, taking advantage of the second of back-to-back cross-checking penalites on ex-Bruin Hal Gill (each penalty inflicted on the wide back of Tomas Holmstrom).
Hall struck for the 3-1 lead at 7:18 of the third, banking one from behind the net as goalie Chris Osgood attempted to scramble back into position.
"They bank one off him . . . those things happen," said Babcock. "Traffic in the crease banged our goalie out [of position]."
The Red Wings shaved the lead to 3-2 with 6:23 remaining when Mikael Samuelsson snapped home a wrister from the right wall. But from there, Marc-Andre Fleury (32 stops) kept the net sealed.
"Better structure," said Therrien. "The work was there in Game 2, but the structure was not. We played our system. We brought work ethic, and we brought character."
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com. 