DETROIT, Michigan -- The Detroit Red Wings score two goals on plays off the end boards and one more with a bouncing puck Saturday night, leading to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 1-0 lead in their Stanley Cup Finals matchup.
Brad Stuart, Johan Franzen and Justin Abdelkader were Detroit's goal scorers. Ruslan Fedotenko scored Pittsburgh's lone goal.
Stuart opened the scoring with 6:22 left in the first period. After holding in the puck at the Pittsburgh blue line, Stuart snapped a shot purposely wide of the net in an attempt to work it down low to Marian Hossa.
Instead, the puck bounced off of the end boards and came back to the side of the net, hitting the back of Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's leg and deflecting into the goal.
Fedotenko tied the game with 1:23 left in the period. Stuart gave the puck up to Evgeni Malkin on the left wing in the Detroit end and Malkin fired a hard shot on Red Wings' netminder Chris Osgood. Osgood couldn't control the rebound and Fedotenko swept in to put it into the back of the net.
Franzen put Detroit back in front with 58 seconds left in the second period. Brian Rafalski fired a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle wide of the net, bouncing it off the back boards. Franzen picked up the puck at a low angle to the goal mouth and banked a shot of of Fleury and in.
Just 2:46 into the third period Abdelkader extended the Detroit lead. In a goal mouth scramble, Abdelkader gloved the puck out of the air and dropped it down to his stick. As it bounced, he golfed a shot into the top corner over Fleury's shoulder.
Fleury finished the night with 27 saves on 30 Detroit shots. Osgood stopped 31 of 32 Pittsburgh chances, including a Malkin breakaway early in the second period.
Neither team scored a power play goal. Detroit had one chance with the extra attacker while Pittsburgh had two.
The two teams will meet in Game Two on Sunday night.
Notes: The Red Wings played without Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper, both of whom missed the end of the Western Conference Finals with injuries. Nicklas Lidstrom and Jonathan Ericsson returned to the Detroit lineup to start the Stanley Cup Finals.
Pav and Drapes are infact scratches for game 1
In my opinion, I think the biggest challenge will be defense and the ability to shut Crosby and Malkin down. If you look at the playoff stats you have to go pretty far down the list to find any other point producers and while I can't remember the name I think the next best person they have only has something like eight points.
That being said, I can't say that I am happy with how the schedule turned out only because of the injuries to the Wings. I would rather have both teams go head to head at 100 percent than to have some of our Super Stars out of the lineup or playing at half capacity. This way there would be no room for excuses.
A lot of people are trying to make this series look like what happened between the Oilers and the Islanders in the early 80's, while I would agree that you could say there are some parallels however, that was then and this is now.
I think this series is going to go the distance, last year we saw six games. This time I think all seven will be required with the major key being a loss on home ice.
Game starts in less than two hours.... I can't wait!
One last thing: Looking forward to seeing Stevie go into the Hall this summer!
yeah the schedule kind if irk's me as well but what can ya do we did great last year shutting down Crosby and Malkin what scare's me is Malkin seem's like a totally different player this year thus far...Another guy of their's we need to watch is Fedotenko he's been playing well in the playoff's Bill Guerin as well both playoff tested vet's..As for the comparison's of the Oiler's-Isle's i don't know that Pitt has the talent level of that Oiler's squad but the similiarity of it is very comparable. If Pitt split's the 2 in Detroit things could get interesting i'm still stickin with what is said to my buddie's Wing's in 6 bout an 1 1/2 hour's till the puck drop's and i'm starting to get antsy lol
I'm thinking that if Hossa scores today the Wings will win.
Damn, the Wings are wearing the Finals patch on the front of the jersey, same side as the captain letters, like last year. They need to put these things on the shoulder.
oh of course the Cindy lovefest start's within the first 3 mins of the NBC broadcast
Feeling a bit numb. I think I stopped breathing for awhile and the game's not even on yet.
Off the boards, off Fleury and in! That's Stuie's goal.
Get in there. The infamous JLA end boards in action.
f*cking giveaway turns to a goal. God f*cking damnit.
Not to mention that rebound. sh*t.
Wings looked pretty good that period. Too many giveaways for each side but I think the Wings were controlling play a bit better.
f*cking giveaway turns to a goal. God f*cking damnit.
Swearing will not make it go away -
signed your mother!!
f*cking giveaway turns to a goal. God f*cking damnit.
Swearing will not make it go away -signed your mother!!
Blame your husband, I learned from him. 
Exciting game for sure.. Wings gettin a lil lazy and takin silly penalties but good game.
For the record, the Wings have only two captains again today.
The Wings are getting their asses kicked around the crease.
how was that not a penalty on Cooke??? BULLS**T!!!!!! the NHL sure doe's seem insistent on giving their postergirl a Cup
Back in front, bitches! How's that time out working, Pittsburgh?
Another one off Fluery.
YEEEESSSS!!! great job of grindin that one out
Franzen strikes again. What a beast.
Not a great period by Detroit. To come out of it with the lead is huge.
Not a great period by Detroit. To come out of it with the lead is huge.
agreed there were some really scary point's in that period for the Wing's
Kronner nearly ended Malkin.
Justin! What a play!
that was an absolutly beautiful play by Abdelkader
What a play. What a way to score your firsty playoff goal.
It should be interesting to see the fourth line's TOI stats after the game. The seem to be on the ice every other shift.
Fantastic shift by Helm, Maltby and Samuelsson.
It should be interesting to see the fourth line's TOI stats after the game. The seem to be on the ice every other shift.
Only line consistently getting offensive-zone time.
Did Malts just get called for coming back onto the ice without his helmet? IIRC, that's illegal.
Edit: Guess not.
How the hell did the Wings not score with the empty net? Nice defense by the Pens.
One down!
*whew*
Three to go.
WOOOOOOO!!! 1 down 3 to go!!!!!
Crosby's a petulent little bitch, with the little slash on Maltby as the Wings come out to celebrate the win.
there was Cindy Crybaby at her best on Maltby as the Wing's came off the bench
Great game. One down. Crosby taps Maltby's skate when they're going to congratulate Osgood. What the hell?
Without Datsyuk. Without Draper. Still get the big win.
Good game however, it's not over, we still have three games to win. I agree that the fourth line for the Wings is looking real good and seemed to be on the ice for every other shift. This is what really seperates the two teams, while the Pens roster does have some good talent, nobody other than Cindy and Malkin have proved themselves in the post season.
Where was Staal? What about Guerin? Or even Satan? Each one had maybe one or two good shifts and that was about it. Again, this is why the Wings are so potent on both offense and defense.
Unless the second, third, and fourth lines step up for the Pens this thing could be over in four.
I only saw the first period, but that goal by Stuart was a crazy fluke BUT I'LL TAKE IT. Happy to hear that the Wings won, though.
Another nail biter! (If I actually bit my nails, I would have none left....)
Stay focused, Wings! (Talent seems to be on our side...the mental game is all that's left to be proven!
Justin Abdelkader
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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