Wings goalie has Penguins talking
DETROIT – Hockeytown is halfway to hoisting the Stanley Cup again.
With first-period goals from Brad Stuart and Tomas Holmstrom and another lockdown defensive effort, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup finals.
The puck-possessing Red Wings again held onto it all night and registered 34 shots. They put the clamps on the Penguins, who have yet to score. After a 19-save effort in a 4-0 series-opening win Saturday, Chris Osgood stopped 22 in a rocking-chair game and earned his third shutout of the playoffs – the 13th of his career.
The often-overlooked Osgood owns the Red Wings’ record with 50 postseason victories, ahead of Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk, and is closing in on his third Cup with Detroit – two as the starting netminder.
“All it means to me is that I’m just confident, and I’m going to try to do it for as long as I can,” Osgood said. “It’s as simple as it gets.”
Of the 31 teams to win the first two games of the finals at home, 30 have captured the Cup. Game 3 is Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins are 8-0 at Mellon Arena in the postseason and have a 16-game winning streak inside the Igloo, dating to Feb. 24.
“We just have to execute,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “Did they really get that many scoring chances on us? I don’t think they did. They got a few and put them in. We hit a post, and pucks go through us by the net that we don’t put in. That’s the difference.”
Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien complained about obstruction by the Red Wings and diving by Osgood. The Penguins were uncharacteristically whistled for two goalie interference penalties, one quickly negating a Pittsburgh power play.
“He’s a good actor,” Therrien said. “I know our players are frustrated. … It’s tough to play the game, but Osgood did the same thing against Dallas.
“Our team never goes to the goalie. We never did it, and we don’t target the goalie. You want to talk about experience, he goes to players, and he knows what to do, I guess.”
Unlike Game 1 when the teams played a scoreless first period, the Red Wings came out flying. Showing none of the nerves Detroit coach Mike Babcock said his team had in the opener, the Red Wings got goals from Stuart and Holmstrom 4:23 apart.
Pittsburgh was outshot 8-0 and allowed two goals before getting a puck on Osgood.
Valtteri Filppula scored 8:48 into the third, streaking to the net around defenseman Kris Letang with the teams skating 4-on-4.
Frustration and some chippiness led to late-game scuffles. A big melee erupted in the corner with 1:08 left after Petr Sykora bumped Osgood behind the net.