Thinking back on the game, it's pretty clear that Pittsburgh has an issue with defense. The forwards do an excellent, Wing-like forecheck. They force a ton of turnovers and stifle the Wings puck possession. Yet, when the Wings get inside the Pens' blue line, they're dangerous. That's been the difference. Pittsburgh's had tons of shots and puck possession. In fact, the Wings only managed 3 shots for the entire 3rd period. Yet, the Detroit defense allowed only 2-3 decent opportunities. It's not pretty to watch, but the strategy resulted in two wins.
Will it be enough to get two more? That's debatable. How often can the Wings rely on scoring from Abdelkader? Or the refs not calling interference on Homer? The good news is the Wings can improve. Now, I doubt they can play any better defensively, but they can limit the defensive zone turnovers and force more play in the Pens' zone. Datsyuk is just the type of player to help with that - but the team is still mum on his progress.
The fracas
The most unexpected event of the night was Malkin's fight with Zetterberg. It was Zetterberg's first-ever NHL fight. After Talbot blatantly slashed Ozzie, the Wings swarmed him. Malkin decided to go one-on-one with Zetterberg, and, with the help of Satan (the player, not the deity), jerseyed him. Zetterberg jerseyed Malkin too, and both players started swinging. Malkin got a good punch in before his second punch missed completely. Zetterberg dodged the 2nd punch, and the momentum carried Malkin down to the ice. At that point, the ref intervened, but that didn't stop Zetterberg from throwing right hooks. Some punches may have actually hit Malkin, but most landed on the ref.
When the dust settled, Malkin was hit with an "Instigator" penalty which calls for an automatic one-game suspension. It took the NHL less than 60 minutes to review and overturn the automatic suspension. What? You thought the league would actually suspend the Penguins best player? This isn't the NBA (hello, Steve Nash suspension), where they stand by the refs decisions to the detriment of the league. This is the NHL, where they change, re-interpret, and ignore rules with little logic or consistency.
Said NHL VP of operations Colin Campbell:
Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message
in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight. A suspension
could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident.
Neither was the case here and therefore the one game suspension is rescinded.
Did Malkin seek retribution for a prior incident? Absolutely. Zetterberg's completely frustrated and disrupted the Penguins for two straight games. He's been, next to Osgood, the Wings best player. There's a reason Malkin didn't take a run at Maltby or even Hossa. He chose Zetterberg. With that said, I'm happy the league didn't suspend Malkin. He's perhaps the Pens most dangerous player, and it's best to beat the opposition at their best. This is simply another example of this horribly-run league making itself look foolish.
NBC/Vs. CoverageYes, I'm biased. I truly miss the days when Hockey was an ESPN event. They hyped it up. It was the Avs/Wings era, and Barry Melrose actually had clout. Since the lockout, the NHL is on life support. They made it to NBC but are treated as a 2nd class citizen. Getting bumped by I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here? That surely wouldn't happen to the NBA Finals. So, yeah, I'm biased against NBC, but I'm trying to achieve some level of objectivity. Mike Emrick, as play-by-play, is fine. No mispronounciations of names, no obvious slant. I wish I could say the same thing about Pierre Maguire.
I was originally impressed with Maguire's detailed observations. On the Ericksson goal, he quickly pointed out that Samuelsson "slightly interfered" with a Penguin player to free up space for Ericksson to shoot. The replay confirmed that Samuelsson set a slight pick as they went for the puck. Very astute observation. Then I realized Pierre Maguire felt the Wings should've been penalized on 2 of the 3 goals, and, earlier in the broadcast, he announced that the Pens should've been awarded a penalty shot in game 1. Is the refereeing truly that one-sided?
Edwin
Just great stuff from Edwin Jackson yesterday. 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 ER. Stellar. This dude is getting overshadowed by Verlander and Porcello, but, holy crap, he's been awesome. The two Tiger wins over the weekend salvage what could've been a disappointing trip to Baltimore as Luke Scott singlehandedly won games 1 & 2.
And somehow Rodney is 10/10 in save opportunities. Ride the rollercoaster while you can.
Lebron
Okay, so the dude didn't shake anybody's hand. He didn't talk to the press. Blah blah blah. I really have no problem with that. Even in my rec soccer league, I get emotionally involved and find it difficult to shake the oppositions' hand immediately after the game. I give hockey players massive credit for keeping that tradition alive.
I always find it a little strange seeing players socialize after a hard-fought, emotionally-charged game. Perhaps they're able to let it go. More power to them.
Lebron's incident, I believe, is less egregious than the Pistons famously not shaking hands with Jordan's Bulls. The Pistons beat the Bulls three straight times in the playoffs. With such a lengthy history (and dominance), the Pistons should've put pride aside and congratulate the opposition for finally getting over the hump. Yet, the Pistons learned from Celtics before them. When the Celtics did it, they were proud veterans. When the Bad Boys did it, it was proof the Bad Boys were bad for basketball. But give the guys a break. Emotions run high and losing sucks. That's what you want from players representing your city.
These first 2 games with the Pens have been nailbiters. Even with the lead, I think we all remember the last-second goals that have tweaked into the back of the net. No nails left. The NHL is making it tough to enjoy the games...you have rules...abide by them, theyre your rules. So frustrating. Its getting to be worse than the NBA (refs asking the stats guy how many fouls Shaq has) or the NFL (turning football into a 4 hour game?!?!).
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned before, the NHL is an awful league that just happens to have an awesome product. Looking back, I don't think the refs are that terrible. If they didn't have the league altering rules every season (and in-season), perhaps there would be some consistency.
ReplyDeleteNot that this means anything but you'll notice the Penguins trip to the finals (Philadelphia, Capitals, Hurricanes) mirror the teams that Detroit has beaten in the finals in '97 in that same order. Obviously the fourth team was Pittsburgh itself.
ReplyDeletePersonally though I agree that the Penguins are starring down frustrations that generally plague the Wings instead of their opponents I feel great about the series and the play of the first two games.
I think the current scope of the series is contained in the image of Crosby looking at an official and pointing to Zetterberg in the crease suggesting he's covered the puck with his body for the 2nd game in a row. Crosby fails to understand his inability to make plays of this nature is what separates the Penguins from the Wings. The proof is in the playoff beard. Crosby is a boy messing with a man. These are the motherf*ckin' Stanley Cup Finals. Shoot the puck higher next time and you won't have to worry about Zetterberg sacrificing his body for a championship. Also check out the Malkin fight again by clicking on my name. Really, who punches with a stick?
I thought this was kinda funny from Bill Simmons regarding Billups's propensity to steadily disappear during the playoffs...
ReplyDeleteQ. How long do you think I can keep milking this "Mr. Big Shot" gimmick without anyone pointing out my nasty habit of disappearing in deciding games?
-- C. Billups, Denver
[+] EnlargeNoah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images
Chauncey's totals against L.A.: 39.7 percent from the field, just 22 points total the final two games.
SG: Chauncey! You're alive! I thought you had died after Game 4 of the Lakers series; what a relief! Anyway, I give you credit for bringing this up. You no-showed in Games 5 and 6 of the 2003 Eastern finals (playing injured, but still); the entire 2004 Eastern finals (Detroit still won); Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals; Games 5 and 6 of the 2006 Miami series; and Game 6 of the 2007 Cavs series. You inexplicably disappeared for the first four games of the 2008 Boston series. And I mistakenly thought you had passed away after Game 4 of the 2009 Lakers series. That's an inordinate amount of no-shows, no? I vote that we change your nickname back to "Chauncey."
Q: Wait a second, if you thought Billups had disappeared during the L.A. series, does that mean I'm off the hook for dumping his salary for Iverson?
-- J. Dumars, Detroit
SG: Absolutely not. Billups had/has real basketball value as a veteran point guard and leader, plus an extremely fair contract: $36.3 million through 2011, then partially guaranteed in 2012. If Ray Allen was worth Delonte West and the No. 5 pick two years ago, how could anyone say Billups was worth a fading Iverson's expiring deal and that's it? You're telling me Portland, Houston, Atlanta, Cleveland or Miami couldn't have topped that offer? Don't play the "Chauncey wanted to go home to Denver" card; that's insulting to your fans. And don't play the "We needed to give Rodney Stuckey the car keys" card, because Rodney Stuckey ain't that good. Bad trade. There were smarter ways to clear money for the summers of 2009 and 2010. And if you're so desperate to clear cap space, why extend Rip Hamilton's deal? So confusing. I remain confused.