Penguins must learn on the fly

After last night’s resounding victory, Detroit now leads Pittsburgh 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals, with mainstream media stories beginning to take a different approach to this series overall …

Like the ’83 Oilers, must these Pens lose before they can win?

in comparison to the advance billing for Game 1 …

Pens-Wings matchup something grand for NHL.

Unless Pittsburgh’s coaching staff can unearth a rapid remedy to Detroit’s deadly combination of:

1) Top notch NHL goaltending (Chris Osgood)
2) The three-headed monster of Henrik Zetterberg (C), Pavel Datsyuk (C) & Nicklas Lidstrom (D)
3) Skilled talent up throughout its line-up
3) Vastly superior Stanley Cup experience,

the 2008 version of the Playoffs will culminate in the exact same way as the 1983 edition did, with a dominant 4-game sweep by the favoured team.

Game 3, tomorrow night, is the most important of the Penguins’ season.

If they’ve learned their lessons quickly and can (i) stay out of the Penalty Box, (ii) exert a consistent fore-check against the Red Wings … specifically when Lidstrom is off the ice … (iii) score a Power Play goal, and (iv) get a stand-on-his-head performance from Marc-Andre Fleury (G), the Penguins can win a tight defensive game, on their home ice.

If not, cue the parade in Hockeytown, USA … as the Red Wings organization, from top-to-bottom, remains the best operation in the game today.

NHL Playoffs – Conference Finals, Game 3

The most difficult North American ‘pro sports’ team championship to win each year, is the Stanley Cup … due to the physical toll it takes on the players to endure repeated high speed collisons, along the boards, in front of the net, and in open ice situations, with high calibre opponents – carrying (and sometimes using) a stick – intent on inflicting serious harm to their checks during the course of four (4) best-of-7-game playoff rounds.

After the first 2 games of the Conference Finals, the (EC #2) Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0, over Philadelphia) and the (WC #1) Detroit Red Wings (2-0, over Dallas) are now looking to clearly established themselves as the top two remaining teams in this year’s post-season tournament by taking commanding 3-0 leads in their respective series, versus lower-seeded opponents.

While Detorit finished atop the Western Conference regular season standings with 115 points, 7 points clear of the 2nd place team (San Jose Sharks); Pittsburgh ended up 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 102 points, only 2 behind the Montreal Canadiens, despite missing their Captain and best player, Sidney Crosby, for 29 games due to injury.

However, as the scene shifts to Dallas this evening (in the Western Conference), and Philadelphia (in the Eastern Conference) tomorrow night, look for the Stars & Flyers, respectively, to re-establish themselves on home-ice, as the physically tougher teams in their match-ups with the Red Wings & Penguins, intent on evening up their series at two games apiece.

If Marty Turco (Dallas goaltender) and Marty Biron (Philadephia goaltender) can outplay their Detroit & Pittsburgh counterparts, Chris Osgood and Marc-Andre Fleury, both the Stars and the Flyers should have an excellent chance to win these next two games on home ice, as either an outright underdog or a short-priced (i.e. almost even money) favourite … which is the best that you can possibly hope for price-was, at this time of the NHL season.

Current Game 3 Wagering Line:
Mon May 12
Detroit -109
DALLAS -101

Tue May 13
Pittsburgn +100
Philadelphia -110