Penguins Get Their First Win

PHOTO CREDIT: JULIAN H. GONZALEZ, DETROIT FREE PRESS

by Andrew Bogusch

PENGUINS 4 – RED WINGS 2

DET leads series, 2-1

The Stanley Cup Finals will see the weekend. Back at home, Pittsburgh finally overcame Chris Osgood and the Red Wings Tuesday night, which means no sweep and at least one more game in Detroit.

Sergei Gonchar broke a 2-2 tie with a power play goal at 10:29 of the third period and Maxime Talbot scored into an empty-net with 56 seconds to go to seal the victory. Game 4 is Thursday night in the Igloo.

Game 3 featured long stretches of whistle-free play with both sides creating scoring chances. Most of the opportunities, though, went to the Red Wings, who outshot the Pens, 26-11, through the first two periods.

“We talked after the second period,” said Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma. “We didn’t have a very good second period. We needed to calm down and get back to our game.”

That eventually led to Gonchar’s slapshot from the top of the slot that beat Osgood over his left shoulder. The puck may have deflected off a Detroit defender.

“[That] power play was an unbelievable job by a handful guys out there, keeping the puck alive and giving Gonch a chance,” Bylsma said.

Talbot’s center ice wristshot just as Osgood reached the bench for an extra skater prevented any last second comeback from the Wings. Talbot started the scoring as well, one-timing a pass from Malkin from the slot 4:48 after the opening faceoff.

Detroit responded with tallies from Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen (PP) at 6:19 and 11:33, respectively, of the first period. Zetterberg was free to pounce on a rebound near the right post because Sidney Crosby left him alone to follow the puck behind the net. Franzen now has 12 goals this postseason and 25 in the last two.

Marc-Andre Fleury avoided the cheap and/or fluky goals that plagued him in Games 1 and 2 in Detroit, stopping 27 of 29 Red Wing shots. Osgood made 17 saves on 20 shots.

Odds & Ends…Crosby picked up his first point of the series by assisting on Gonchar’s goal…Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper missed another game for Detroit…The Red Wings are 11-for-35 on the power play on the road in these playoffs.