34.7 damn seconds...

Detroit was only 34.7 God damn seconds away from winning the Stanley Cup. 34.7! Now there's a game 6 back in Pittsburgh. Unbelievable.

This was your typical Red Wings playoff loss. Out shoot, out hit and out play the opposition, dominate in almost every damn phase of the game, save for one. On the scoreboard. Oh yeah, some acrobat named Fleury should get some credit as well. Hell, give Fleury all the credit. Without him in net, the Wings are drinking from the Stanley Cup 2 hours ago.

The players were getting sloppier and the ice was getting worse by the OT, so you knew a game going this long would end on someone's mistake. I was just hoping the killer mistake wouldn't be made by someone on the Red Wings.

Unfortunately it was, one Jiri Hudler.

His silly, accidental double minor high stick early in the 3rd OT was the game right there. No way could you expect the Wings to kill 4 minutes... Hell, they could only kill a few seconds.

Kudos to the Penguins for their herculean effort. They live to skate another day. But before we lose all perspective after a tough loss, let's remember, the Pens have to come up with that sort of effort 2 more times.

Realistically, the Penguins have only a punchers chance to win this series, and actually managed to land one. A haymaker, to say the very least. But they have to land knockout punches twice more, and against a team as driven and talented as the Red Wings, it's likely too tall an order.

In the end, I'm disappointed, but not worried. If there is one team that will bounce back from a night like this is the Red Wings. They are up 3-2 in this series for a reason. That reason being the Red Wings are obviously the deeper, better team. If the Wings continue to play their game, play like they have all series long, I honestly believe all the the Pens accomplished was delaying the inevitable for a couple of days.

But still, 34.7 fucking seconds.

God damn it.

Pens win, Wings regroup, a loss is not a big deal

If there was a game the Wings were going to lose, the 1st game back in Pittsburgh was it. Crosby had a great game, his best of the series so far, and led his team to a win, 3-2. The Pens were a DESPERATE team playing a must win game, and played like it. Kudos to them.

All I can say about the Red Wings loss is it took the Penguins best performance to beat a Wings team that didn't play anywhere near it's best. Especially in the 1st, and for much of the 2nd, periods. The Red Wings dominated the 3rd, and made one Hell of a game out of it. It was a marvelous to watch 3rd period, so at least NBC, the CBC, and the rest of North America will be happy.

On he plus side, a loss will give Mike Babcock a chance to shake up the lineup a little. I'm NOT comfortable with Lilja in the lineup. Never have been, never will be. I want to see Chelios play Saturday night.

The bigger concern than the loss is the health of Holmstrom. Jesus, Homer takes abuse in front of the net. His helmet was off half the time, thanks to the Pens cross checking him across the skull at every opportunity. Of course, it's NEVER called. Good thing there's 3 days off.

I really think the Wings come out flying inn game 4, and have the Pens back on their heels the entire night. They'll bring the kitchen sink, and then some.

One more thought... Just expect the next 3 days to be nothing but CROSBY!!! mania. (Well, as much mania as the NHL can create in a nation where 2/3 of the population could give a shit) So be it...

There's another reason I'm not all that upset about the loss. I wasn't going to be able to watch Saturday's game all that closely, as I'll be a benefit for my best friend's brother. He was nearly killed in a snowmobiling accident a few months back, and though he's doing much much better, the medical bills are piling up.

There are priorities, and and a Stanley Cup game takes a back seat to friendship. Even if that game may have been the clincher. It's all moot now anyway.

Denial is a river running through Pittsburgh

In some sadly deluded circles, a goalie diving (Yes, Osgood did embellish being hit. In fact, Pens fans seem to be forgetting ALL goalies flop like dying fish) is much more despicable act than sucker punching a player recovering from a concussion in the head...twice.

I'm guessing Pens fans would also believe the following...

Sidney Crosby saying the Penguins had more quality scoring chances than the Wings.

This was NOT a quality scoring opportunity in Crosby's world...

It's Crosby's God given right to win the Stanley Cup, as Bettman deems it in the NHL's best interest.

That Bettman actually has a clue.

Michel Therrien claiming the biggest reason his team isn't scoring is due to the Wings getting away with obstruction.

The east plays a better brand of hockey than the west.

Don Cherry is to be taken seriously, and he's not a clueless xenophobe who would rather brown nose Crosby than ever deign to praise one of the Wings' Europeans.

Cheap shot goonery is an appropriate response to being dominated in every single phase of the game. Then again, when nothing else seems to be working, what's a few sucker punches amongst friends?

That Gary Roberts can still play, rather than being a washed up thug.

That the following doesn't describe Wings-Pens. Those can can, do. Those that can't, whine about officiating/diving/obstruction.

That Warner Brothers didn't predict the outcome of this series 58 years ago in a Bugs Bunny cartoon called "8 Ball Bunny." Go 2:30 in for the sooth saying hobo...

"Penguins is practically chickens. And I hates to see chickens cry so much, that I has to put them out of their misery."